ComixLaunch: Crowdfunding for Writers, Artists & Self-Publishers on Kickstarter... and Beyond!

Two habits. One is extremely common among creators and not only worthless… but actually will cost you. The other, far less common, though simple to practice, and yet is extremely valuable. Tyler unpacks them both...

What’s the difference between pros and amateurs? When the pros finish playing a game, they study film… they examine what worked, what didn’t, and what they can do better next time. The same goes for...

You’re ready to build a large audience to launch incredible projects to on Kickstarter and beyond, you need to put a solid foundation in place. Tyler gives you that foundation in this podcast. Hey, Tyler...

Why paying it forward pays off for comic creators and crowdfunders. Hey, Tyler James from ComixLaunch here, with a BEST OF Episode ready to roll for you. These BEST OF episodes are brought to you...

In this Best of ComixLaunch session, Tyler looks at examples of getting chosen in comics vs choosing yourself. Hey, Tyler James from ComixLaunch here, with a BEST OF Episode ready to roll for you. These...

In this Best of ComixLaunch session, Tyler discusses whether a project must be “worthy” of crowdfunding? Hey, Tyler James from ComixLaunch here, with a BEST OF Episode ready to roll for you. These BEST OF...

This all began with a declaration of war on the number 49.95%. That number was the success rate of comic book projects on Kickstarter as of May 16, 2015, the day I first turned on...

Kickstarter added a new feature to their updates, now supporting polls. In this short session, Tyler will break down the new feature, discuss its strengths and limitations, how creators might use in upcoming campaigns, and end with some suggestions for improvement to better support how creators actually use polls during launches.

In this session's ComixLaunch Pro spotlight, Clay Adams interviews David Chaucer La Forest, an African-American disabled veteran, award-winning poet/author, and founder of Asani Entertainment, about building an Afrocentric shared fantasy universe rooted in positive representation.

In this session, Tyler trains creators on Kickstarter’s new feature for gifting free items to backers by adding existing reward items to individual backers or filtered groups via the Backer Report, with some UI quirks requiring multiple clicks and scrolling.

It's been a cold winter, so Tyler is rolling through with a bounty of wins from comic creators and crowdfunders to keep us focused on the right stuff. We'll start with some psychological truisms and wrap with a ton of positivity in the form of real wins from hardworking comics launch listeners.

In this session, Tyler responds to a question about whether there's a reason for a seeming spike in cancelled pledges when launching projects today? It turns into a discussion about the importance of distinguishing “noise” during a live campaign from meaningful “signal.” Then we discuss ways to turn observations into comparable rates and introduces a simple DIY metric called “negative backer volatility.”

In this ComixLaunch Pro Spotlight, Clay Adams talks to Randy Stone about his journey in the comic book industry, highlighting his various roles in comics creation, including writing, drawing, inking, and lettering. Randy discusses his early inspirations, starting with Marvel Universe trading cards, and his shift from aspiring artist to self-published comic book writer through Altruist Comics.

ComixLaunch hits episode 550, and instead of glossing over the milestone, Tyler leans all the way in. Fresh off wrapping EPIC #1–5 and pushing ComixTribe past $1.5+ million raised on Kickstarter milestone, this episode looks back on the road from 2012 to now—and the hard-earned revelations that only show up after dozens of launches, wins, stumbles, and resets. If you’ve been listening from the beginning, some of this will sound familiar, but with new layers, sharper clarity, and lessons relearned the hard way. This is a value-packed reflection on initiative, systems, collectibles, relaunches, people, and why finishing things still matters more than brilliant ideas.

Let's talk launching not just a comic but an entire comics universe with the brilliant creators behind the Summit Universe! Tyler welcomes Travis Gibb, Marcus Jimenez, C. J. Hudson, and Karla "Moon" Medrano, who are among the 30+ creators who have come together to create a brand new shared superhero universe. Learn about their debut project 'Summit Pinnacle #1,' currently live on Kickstarter and the unique collaborative process that sets Summit apart from other indie comic ventures.

AI tools are everywhere and agentic AI promises a world where even complicated, intellectual tasks like warming an audience for an upcoming Kickstarter campaign can be completed by bots. Is this something scrappy independent comic book creators should be considering doing? Can your audience relationship building efforts largely be outsourced to LLMs? Let's dive head first into this thorny topic!

Last year, there was an increased focus on pre-launch, with Kickstarter making a number of platform changes enabling creators to get their pre-launch pages up earlier and with less friction, and make visible the conversion power of pre-launch followers. As a result, many creators are bumping up their pre-launch plans. However, is there such a thing as pre-launching too early? Tyler shares some indicators that there might be... Let's discuss.

As the new year gets underway, the spotlight turns to ComixLaunch Pro Farhan Qureshi. Farhan shares his journey, from his origins in film and animation to finding a more efficient medium in comics. He discusses the importance of systems and organization, community support within the ComixLaunch group, and the balance between personal vision and market trends.

Tyler shares five of his biggest new lessons learned over the past year and how he'll be applying them in the new year. A must for comic creators and crowdfunders!

Tyler shares a new post-Kickstarter, post-survey, pre-fulfillment sales strategy, and reflects on some of the communication challenges in the new world of Pledge Over Time backers.

Tyler shares some insights from a recent survey of his ComixLaunch Pro community, including how they're holding up after a chaotic 2025, biggest wins of the year, and the top challenge they're currently facing. Then, Tyler will share three tangible solutions for tackling some of those issues in the new year.

In this ComixLaunch Spotlight episode, Clay Adams interviews Frank Martin, a prolific comic writer and producer. Frank discusses his journey from writing the comic anthology series 'Modern Testament' to creating a variety of one-shots, including the popular sci-fi fairytale mashup 'Grim Space.' He shares insights on his successful Kickstarter campaigns, the role of the ComixLaunch course, and his collaborations with Gerald Von Stoddard. Frank offers valuable advice for creators, emphasizing the importance of storytelling, community, and learning from mistakes.

Backerkit has launched a first-of-its-kind crowdfunding event featuring READY TO SHIP rewards that will arrive in time for the holidays, to provide creators a trusted platform for online sales and collaboration and community cheer to ideally expand their reach! In this session, Tyler will chat with Rob Multari, who is participating in the event to discuss how it fits into his overall creative goals.

Tyler James interviews Adam Freeman, founder of Prana Direct Market Solutions in a free-wheeling discussion about the present and future of the direct market, insights into the current comic book landscape, including the impact of the new generation of readers and the importance of quality and engagement. This episode is a must listen as it delves into interplay of Kickstarter, marketing, and building a brand in the comic book world.

Tyler hosts a dynamic roundtable discussion featuring an expert panel of comic creators, including Roy Johnson, Sam Johnson, and Ben Lacy. Tune in for valuable insights on engaging with the Kickstarter community, the importance of backer support, and tips for setting up effective campaigns.

The team behind Attic Door Media step into the ComixLaunch Pro spotlight, sharing lessons learned growing their audience beyond Kickstarter by participating in Backerkit Crowdfunding special events, getting out of their comfort zone with marketing, and persevering through tough creative times!

On November 1, nominations will open for The Zelda awards, a new honor celebrating the outstanding achievements of women in comic book culture. In this session, Tyler is joined by founder Karla Medrano and committee member Sarah Cooke to discuss this new initiative, why it's necessary, why now, and how female comic creators and their allies can get involved!

Tyler hosts a roundtable discussion featuring Zak Mudie and his partner Jaden Molina, creators of Citadel Pulsar: The Last Ethereal, along with Laurie Foster, the founder of Laguna Studios. We also welcome the prolific Mr. Fish, creator of Alice Lost in Wonderland. Learn about their latest Kickstarter projects, the challenges they've faced, and valuable insights into the world of indie comics.

Maddie Salvage's steps into the ComixLaunch Pro Spotlight, shining light on her career as a writer and illustrator that has spanned a decade and a number of formats, including comic books, graphic novels and prose novels. She'll discuss her lessons learned over years of launching, as well as insights from her latest graphic novel, Aglow, which draws from one of her favorite creatures from legend, vampires.

Last year, cartoonist Ryan Claytor celebrated 20 years of publishing with a big Kickstarter launch for "One Bite at a Time" which went on to get nominated for Eisner and Ringo Awards. How do you follow up a massive launch like that? And how does one keep the passion going strong for another 20 years? Ryan joins Tyler for a discussion about his next venture the "Elephant Eater Comics Annual Dispatch" which attempts to answer those questions and more!

The "paid reservation" strategy is a reliable option used by many high-profile crowdfunding campaigns to attracted and identify high-buyer intent backers BEFORE your campaign goes live. But can it work for comic crowdfunders?

Need to build up that pre-launch follower count before your next Kickstarter launch? Then you're going to want to listen to this one as Tyler re-considers the strategy of running pre-launch follower ads direct to your Kickstarter pre-launch page. Spoiler: Tyler is doing it for his next launch!

Clay Adams puts writer Kevin Joseph, the co-creator of the Fantasy Adventure series Tart under the ComixLaunch Pro spotlight. They discuss Kevin's journey from a fourth-grade storyteller to a successful comic book writer, the impact of ComixLaunch courses on his crowdfunding efforts, and the creative process behind his extensive list of projects.

Sam Johnson, writer of Geek Girl and Cabra Cini returns to the ComixLaunch pod to chat about changes in crowdfunding, going all in on pre-launch and crossing over characters from your comic book universes.

Clay Adams & D.E. Schrader, the maniacs behind the massive horror anthology series Nightmare Theater are back on the ComixLaunch Podcast to talk about what happens when a project is so successful it SELLS OUT and the challenges that brings to indie creators!

Tyler James is back in the studio hanging with his pal George O'Connor, talking about lessons learned Kickstarting a mini-series one issue at a time on Kickstarter. Tune in for ahas, breakthroughs, mistakes, lessons learned, and more!

Join Tyler James and a talented group of creators who have had success and momentum on Kickstarter, only for life to get in the way. Suddenly it's been months or years since they've last launched. Now they're getting ready to make a comeback.

Tyler sits down with Max Dunbar, a comic book and concept artist known for his work with Marvel and DC. Max shares insights into his new deluxe hardcover book, 'Fantasy Art,' launching on the Zoop crowdfunding platform, which compiles some of his best work over the past decade, and discusses the challenges and rewards of the creative process. Join an in-depth conversation that explores the intricacies of being a professional artist and the passion that drives creativity.

Artist, illustrator and educator Mike Hawthorne joins Tyler for a discussion about working as a professional artist in comics today. They'll discuss Mike's journey from indie self-publishing to working on Batman, Deadpool & Spider-Man, while maintaining a presence on Kickstarter with sketchbook launches, "Cheat Codes" art manuals, and creator owned work like Hysteria: One Man Gang.

Tyler interviews Dr. Paul Rasheed, a board-certified psychiatrist, self-help author, filmmaker, and comic book creator. They discuss Rasheed’s current Kickstarter project, 'Bootstrapped: How to Make and Kickstart Your First Comic,' and delve into his intriguing journey from fan and retailer into into comic book creator.

Another dynamic roundtable discussion with comic creator crowdfunders including Will Allred (Crossover Division), Nick Bryan (SoulD) & Erik Warfield (See You in Hell).

Creator Lucas Scheffel, the creative mind behind Angry Fred Comics joins Clay Adams to discuss his journey from filmmaking to comic book creation, inspired by the memory of his late father, Fred. He shares his struggles with imposter syndrome, the pivotal role his family played in his creative processes, and the transformative moment when he decided to honor his father through his work. Scheffel also talks about the support he received from the Comics Launch community, his various projects, including the Ned Kelly graphic novel, and the unique challenges and successes he's encountered along the way.

Tyler James hosts an engaging discussion with a panel of comic creators featuring both new and returning guests. Joseph Kamer and Jared Burris introduce their action-packed comic series 'Collision Force,' a tribute to '80s and '90s cinema, while James Burton talks about his heartfelt project, 'The Ballad of Nod,' inspired by personal experiences with grief and loss.

What happens when longtime independent creators take the leap into publishing? Join Midnight Factory (Seven Years in Darkness, We Don't Kill Spiders) publishers Hilarie and Joseph Schmalke as they reflect on their first year publishing and what they wish they'd known starting out.

Only YOU can prevent forest fires... and only creators James Mascia and Mike Dolce are bringing Smokey Bear comics back to life for a new audience! Join for an eye-opening conversation about the trials and tribulations of licensing comics!

A Wave Blue World publisher Tyler Chin-Tanner is back on ComixLaunch to discuss his latest Kickstarter launch MEZO and his opening of W.C. Art & Independent Publishing Resource Center in downtown Brooklyn, an exciting new brick & mortar art store and creator space.

In this episode of ComixLaunch, Clay Adams interviews Aaron Wroblewski, the writer and creator of multiple comic book series such as 'Blood and Fire', 'Ice and Bone', and 'NRA'. Aaron shares his journey into the world of comic creation, transitioning from a TV writer to a successful crowdfunding comics creator.

Tyler James hosts an engaging discussion with comic book creators Ed Hillyer aka ILYA, Allegra, Lisa Medin, and Adriano Ariganello as they share their Kickstarter experiences launching in the UK, Japan, Sweden and Canada. From launching first-time projects to managing mid-campaign challenges and leveraging community support, discover valuable insights and strategies for crowdfunding success. Whether you're a creator looking for tips or a backer curious about new projects, this episode is packed with useful advice and inspiring stories from the global Kickstarter community.

Tyler James hosts an enlightening panel of esteemed comics creators—Rob Multari (Lone Wolf Comics), Allan Liska (Green Archer Comics), and Christian Douglas (Unpopular Comics) —alongside Sam Kusek, the Comics Outreach Lead at Kickstarter. The discussion delves into the current state of crowdfunding for comic creators, focusing on Kickstarter's new pledge manager, the challenges of growing economic pressures, and market saturation.

Tyler hosts a dynamic discussion on comics crowdfunding with a panel that includes prolific illustrators, an experienced writer and a literary agent! This one is loaded with knowledge bombs from Patrick Lugo & Janna Morishima of Kids Comics Unite and the "Let's Go! Comics Anthology for Kids", "The Road to Oz" creator Amin Amat, and writer Grant Lankard (League of Cryptids).