Crowdfunded comics (Kickstarter etc.)

[Rory426]

How many people here regularly back books on Kickstarter and IndieGoGo etc? Would we be interested in a thread for posting interesting projects, updates on books that have arrived, things like that?

I've been really into Kickstarter lately as a few books I back started to arrive. I try to check every couple of weeks for interesting new stuff.

Here's what arrived for me lately that got me excited again: Casefile: Arkham which is a 1940s detective story about a private detective on a missing persons case in Arkham, Mass. and obviously encounters Lovecraftian horrors! It's a gorgeous black and white book.

I've also backed Ben Templesmith's adaptation of Lovecraft's DAGON, an interesting book called The Illegalists and a comics anthology called Broken Frontier that basically sold me because INJ Culbard drew a story.

So yeah! Anyone else?

[Darrin Kelley]

I have been very leary of Kickstarter comics ventures. And of Kickstarter in general. Even as a publisher.

The fact is: When you do a Kickstarter or anything like it, you are promising to deliver on a big maybe. And that doesn't sit well with me. I prefer to deliver on a certainty.

Asking people to contribute to something that might not happen just doesn't ring right with me. They deserve something for the money they spend. No matter what. And comics publishing ventures using Kickstarter and the like are asking the backers to assume a serious amount of the risk.

I have seen too many failed Kickstarters that have resulted in the money all being spent. And resulting in the investors getting nothing. Not just for comics. But other products too. And that just doesn't sit well with me. The investors need some kind of assurance that what they are backing will actually be delivered.

[Rory426]

I have been very leary of Kickstarter comics ventures. And of Kickstarter in general. Even as a publisher.

The fact is: When you do a Kickstarter or anything like it, you are promising to deliver on a big maybe. And that doesn't sit well with me. I prefer to deliver on a certainty.

Asking people to contribute to something that might not happen just doesn't ring right with me. They deserve something for the money they spend. No matter what. And comics publishing ventures using Kickstarter and the like are asking the backers to assume a serious amount of the risk.

I have seen too many failed Kickstarters that have resulted in the money all being spent. And resulting in the investors getting nothing. Not just for comics. But other products too. And that just doesn't sit well with me. The investors need some kind of assurance that what they are backing will actually be delivered.

How does any art/creation ever deliver on a certainty?

I understand what you're saying, and you'll notice for example that the projects I myself have backed are by people that have had successful Kickstarters, a known comic artist in Ben Templesmith, another in Attila Futaki, and another in INJ Culbard. If you're smart with what you invest in and study the creators and the project, you have a better chance of success. But absolutely, you're playing the role of investor as well as consumer, and that's not for everyone.

[Darrin Kelley]

How does any art/creation ever deliver on a certainty?

I understand what you're saying, and you'll notice for example that the projects I myself have backed are by people that have had successful Kickstarters, a known comic artist in Ben Templesmith, another in Attila Futaki, and another in INJ Culbard. If you're smart with what you invest in and study the creators and the project, you have a better chance of success. But absolutely, you're playing the role of investor as well as consumer, and that's not for everyone.

I'm a publisher myself. And I have considered Kickstarter, Indiegogo, and even Patreon. And decided against all of it because I do not want to risk non-delivery.

Yes. It is more expensive to go the way I have. Print On Demand and Kindle versions. But people actually get what they pay for with those. They have a rock solid assurance they will actually get the product.

And as a publisher. A good relationship with my customers I believe is vital. And they get the knowledge, that with my company, delivering a good solid product for them to buy is the first thing on our minds.

We have been at this for over a year now. We have produced four graphic novels and a prose book for our readers to buy. We have a fifth graphic novel in production right now. With another prose book on the way to be released with it. And a full production schedule to round out this year. We are not going away.

[Rory426]

I'm a publisher myself. And I have considered Kickstarter, Indiegogo, and even Patreon. And decided against all of it because I do not want to risk non-delivery.

Yes. It is more expensive to go the way I have. Print On Demand and Kindle versions. But people actually get what they pay for with those. They have a rock solid assurance they will actually get the product.

And as a publisher. A good relationship with my customers I believe is vital. And they get the knowledge, that with my company, delivering a good solid product for them to buy is the first thing on our minds.

We have been at this for over a year now. We have produced four graphic novels and a prose book for our readers to buy. We have a fifth graphic novel in production right now. With another prose book on the way to be released with it. And a full production schedule to round out this year. We are not going away.

I totally understand all of that, and I'm glad your projects have been successful so far. I just don't think it's possible for everyone to go that way. Being a publisher you would know all about the costs associated with stuff like this, and you must see how, as a creator, some of these people can't go that same route you have, without some extra funding. If you have a comic you want to publish, and you have a number from the printer that you need to pay them in order to produce it, and you have a number in order to ship to whatever country, and you then ask for that number from people, there's really a very slim chance that you can't successfully deliver. Most Kickstarters that fail to deliver asked for low numbers, probably too low.

Obviously the risk of non-delivery is there for any crowdfunding campaign, but a well-run campaign should really be able to avoid that, if they do their due diligence beforehand. As a Kickstarter backer I just have to be careful what I back and ultimately be aware that that is a possible risk. Sometimes though there's a project that I want to see exist, and with a creator that I think has some sort of track record that makes me believe they can deliver, and therefore I chip in enough that I get the product, and I accept that there is a risk I don't get it, but a slim one.

[Darrin Kelley]

I'm not rich. None of my partners are either. We operate on the thinnest possible margins we can.

But I'm also old fashioned. In the fact that I believe in ethical business practices.

Non-delivery is completely unethical to me. It is not acceptable at all.

Risking that option at all makes me question the ethics of the people involved. And for consumers, it should be a huge red flag denoting a scam.

[Rory426]

I'm not rich. None of my partners are either. We operate on the thinnest possible margins we can.

But I'm also old fashioned. In the fact that I believe in ethical business practices.

Non-delivery is completely unethical to me. It is not acceptable at all.

Risking that option at all makes me question the ethics of the people involved. And for consumers, it should be a huge red flag denoting a scam.

Absolutely. So Kickstarter and its ilk are a system in which the vast majority of people deliver, and thus operate ethically, and others do not deliver either through failure or unethical practices.

Put in other words, Kickstarter exists in the real world.

[LordMikel]

To answer your original question, I think it might be interesting to see mention of kickstarter campaigns that people believed in.

[PatrickMcEvoy]

Hi Rory. I'm Patrick, the artist on Casefile: Arkham. I just wanted to say thanks for backing and for the enthusiastic response!

I've been part of five different Kickstarted projects now (three graphic novels, a tabletop game, and a sculpt set), and each has been able to both meet its funding goal AND get put out successfully. Also, I've backed numerous other projects, and never been let down yet! There is a small element of risk, but overall I think it's a good system for helping smaller publishers get their products out with the professional quality that Kickstarter pre-sales can fund.

By the way - I'm also doing covers for the upcoming "Lost in Space" series from American Gothic Press, and starting with issue 4 I'll be doing interior art as well. So if you liked my work on Casefile, you might want to give it a try.

[Dark-Flux]

Ive backed and received over 20 comic projects now. I think you just have to put in a little research and be sensible and only back those that look like they will deliver; either through good track history or based on whats already been created.

Hence why i skipped out on Liefelds kickstarter :P

[Rory426]

Hi Rory. I'm Patrick, the artist on Casefile: Arkham. I just wanted to say thanks for backing and for the enthusiastic response!

I've been part of five different Kickstarted projects now (three graphic novels, a tabletop game, and a sculpt set), and each has been able to both meet its funding goal AND get put out successfully. Also, I've backed numerous other projects, and never been let down yet! There is a small element of risk, but overall I think it's a good system for helping smaller publishers get their products out with the professional quality that Kickstarter pre-sales can fund.

By the way - I'm also doing covers for the upcoming "Lost in Space" series from American Gothic Press, and starting with issue 4 I'll be doing interior art as well. So if you liked my work on Casefile, you might want to give it a try.

No worries man! Great book, I've almost finished it. Is the art mixed media? Or did you draw all the backgrounds and squids etc? It looks great either way.

[PatrickMcEvoy]

No worries man! Great book, I've almost finished it. Is the art mixed media? Or did you draw all the backgrounds and squids etc? It looks great either way.

That's cool, thanks! For the "Pickman" paintings I wanted to do something that looked visually unusual and took us out of the line-style of the rest of the book, so I created collage/painting pieces in Photoshop (using a lot of photos, distortion tools and grungy brushes), then used the "Poster Edges" filter to make them look just a bit line-drawn. I think it gave the "art within the art" a fun and creepy look. Glad you liked it!

[Rory426]

That's cool, thanks! For the "Pickman" paintings I wanted to do something that looked visually unusual and took us out of the line-style of the rest of the book, so I created collage/painting pieces in Photoshop (using a lot of photos, distortion tools and grungy brushes), then used the "Poster Edges" filter to make them look just a bit line-drawn. I think it gave the "art within the art" a fun and creepy look. Glad you liked it!

Yeah I really liked it! I thought like you said, the paintings really stood out from the rest and it gave it that feeling that it was other-worldly compared to the rest of the art in the story.

[dulsi]

I've backed several Unstoppable Comics on kickstarter. I've been really happy with the results. I avoided their most recent New York vs The World because it didn't interest me. I put a review of my first Unstoppable Comics kickstarter on my web site. The publisher only uses kickstarter to get funding for printing. By the time he starts the kickstarter the comic is complete.

[MindofShadow]

How does any art/creation ever deliver on a certainty?

I understand what you're saying, and you'll notice for example that the projects I myself have backed are by people that have had successful Kickstarters, a known comic artist in Ben Templesmith, another in Attila Futaki, and another in INJ Culbard. If you're smart with what you invest in and study the creators and the project, you have a better chance of success. But absolutely, you're playing the role of investor as well as consumer, and that's not for everyone.

Eh... not sure I would call say "investor" though.

If I invest in say... my sister-in-laws business, that means I am expecting my money back + extra. OR, a percentage of the profits.

Kickstarter and the like, aren't that. You are paying to hopefully maybe get a good comic. Not really the same thing at all.