The Comics Crowd Podcast

Deep Space Lovecraft launches on Kickstarter February 17!Turbocharged Teenager launches on Kickstarter March 3! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecomicscrowd.substack.com/subscribe

 This is Kevin, back to talk about comics that launched on Kickstarter on the dates of February 1-2. There were 35 launches between Sunday and Monday last week. The first of the month always sees a huge spike in launches for some reason, no matter what day of the week it’s on, and usually Sunday doesn’t have very many launches at all, even during busy weeks, usually less than 10, sometimes zero. You saw the usual spread of NSFW comics, including a number that weren’t actually comics at all and don’t belong in the Comics category. There are other places for that. There are also several just empty campaigns with only text blocks instead of any actual comic art, any sequential art, any cover art, and any story information. I always call those empty campaigns. There’s just no evidence that they know how to make a comic, have the actual gumption to make a comic, or have the resources to make a comic. Out of 35 campaigns I did find four that are awesome, that I wanna share with you as ‘Comics I Like, and we’ll talk about that here shortly.Comics by MeBut first, lemme talk about a couple things I’ve got going on. As always, The Comic$ Crowd is brought to you by the only sponsor of this program, which is my comics. So, from Flatline Comics, I have a launch coming up on Tuesday, February 17th, a book called Deep Space Lovecraft. This is a project I’ve been working on for some time now.I’ve been working it up, formulating it and, and producing it for almost a year and a half, in terms of when the concept actually struck me. The idea is that I’m taking all of the first-person Lovecraft stories and converting them into a retrofuturistic style of comic book using Lovecraft’s words, whether that be narrative or dialogue.Then, I’m taking my knowledge of how to make a comic and building a really interesting, different way of seeing these, where all of the first-person stories are presented in terms of one character and then serialized into adventures featuring that one character, but without changing any of Lovecraft’s words or content. I think you’ll be surprised at what you see. These books turned out beautifully. Also, I just so happen to have two projects launching in the next few weeks, because I’m collaborating with Martin Piero of Cosmic Times on another comic called Turbocharged Teenager, which is a lot of fun, been a blast to work on. This is a parody of a 1980’s cartoon in which a teenager could turn into a car. That’s correct. Not a Transformer where a robot turns into a car or vice versa. This is where an actual high school teenager could turn into an actual car. The idea is so preposterous, but sticks out in our collective memories because we were children in those days around the time this cartoon came out. You could probably find snippets of it on YouTube.We wanted to take that concept and evolve it, have some fun with it, and kind of twist it into more of a comedy-horror type of vein. We’re just a few pages and one cover from finishing the first issue. and our tentative launch date is March 3rd.Please check those out. I do The Comic$ Crowd because I love comics, because I love Kickstarter comics, because I love being able to support other people who make comics through Kickstarter. So I would ask that you give some consideration to supporting me and my comics on Kickstarter, so that I can keep doing this and making comics as well. We support each other.A Wish List for the Incoming Kickstarter Comics LeadSo one quick topic I want to discuss, something of importance to anybody who funds on Kickstarter. There’s a change happening in the lead Kickstarter staffer for the Comics category. If you’re aware of who Sam Kusek is, he was the Comics lead for about the past, probably a couple of years, if I remember correctly. I think he started in March of 24, somewhere around there, but he’s moved back into the publishing arena and good luck to him. hope it goes well. I think that’s the been the passion of a number of the Comics leads, and the past couple actually jumped back into that arena when they had an opportunity. More power to ‘em.I understand. I have that bug, too. I can’t get rid of it. I love making comics, and I’m sure they do as well, but that leaves a void for the rest of us that are still here funding on Kickstarter. I gave some thought to this. and there are a lot of conclusions I came to that I’ve shared with all of you over the past year and a half, ways to improve what’s going on with the Comics category. Some things have remained very stagnant for the past few years, if not longer, despite the vast number of improvements Kickstarter has made in their product. But there are still other ways that I believe we can improve the experience for backers as well as for publishers, and I wanna go over some of those, in terms of a wishlist for the incoming Comics lead. I’d like to just put these ideas out there in the interest of productivity and making things better for everybody involved. Improve the Shopability of the Comics CategoryFirst and foremost, it’s imperative that Kickstarter, that they make the category more shopability for backers. Right now, as I record this at 10:30 PM Central on Sunday night, February 8th, there are 236 projects in the Kickstarter Comics category. That’s a lot. That’s a lot for anyone to wade through. Anybody that comes to the platform who is a comics fan, a comics reader, a comics collector, whatever the case may be, is faced with the daunting task of wading through 200 plus campaigns at any given moment, then making a decision about which ones are interesting to them, affordable to them, attractive enough to consider making a pledge, and then safe enough in terms of ensuring that the creator is actually going to deliver the rewards that the backer is paying for. That’s a lot of decision making points when you have to touch hundreds of campaigns for products and creators that you’ve never heard of before, learn about them and then make value judgements as to whether you want to. and feel secure enough to. support them with your dollars, something we all have to be very careful about these days. It’s a lot to ask. It’s really difficult. It’s a time investment, and it’s frustrating. I can tell you it’s frustrating because I go through these every day, and it gets frustrating to me to just see all the empty projects, all the projects that aren’t comics, that are just nude pin-up books, all the projects that are there from creators who have several campaigns running at once and several that haven’t been fulfilled yet.It’s a lot to consider, and it’s intimidating to new backers. and it’s intimidating even to regular backers to go in and shop around like you would at a comic shop. where you’re just checking a book out. Does it look good? Is it something I wanna pay for? Is it in a price range I can afford? Doing that on Kickstarter is nearly impossible the way things are configured right now. Allow me to make a suggestion based on my work over the past 18 months and based on interactions with many of you. The first item on the wishlist for the new Comics lead is to consider changing the subcategories in the comics category from book format, where we’ve got web comics, graphic novels, comic books, which just seems redundant with the overarching category name; and consider switching over to subcategories that are in the form of genres (science fiction, fantasy, NSFW, crime, horror, etc.). People look for comics in genres that they prefer, much more than they’re looking for a graphic novel versus a web comic. I’d much rather know that there’s a comic in science fiction, if that’s what I’m looking for, than if it’s a single issue comic or a graphic novel or a web comic.If it’s a good sci-fi comic, if it’s a good horror comic, depending on what I’m looking for, that’s gonna make it easier for me to zero in on the stories that I want to read. You know, there should be a superhero genre. There are a lot of superhero comics launched on Kickstarter, but as of now, there’s no way to filter those out to just see the superhero comics, to just see the horror comics. And that’s something that will make the category more shopable. And I hope the new Comics lead and the people at Kickstarter will consider that it will improve pledges because people are better capable of finding the ones they want to read. Overall, we have to do something to improve the project bloat, in which there are 200-300+ campaigns in the category at any given time, but so many of those campaigns aren’t credible. They’re either from empty campaigns; they’re from bots; they’re from super creators who are months, if not years behind on fulfillment for their campaigns. So, I have a few suggestions, very specific, very simple suggestions, for improving this shopability situation and decreasing the project bloat without affecting anyone who’s a legitimate comic creator, who legitimately fulfills their campaigns from the platform or from opportunities to crowdfund.The first step in that process is to not allow launch for campaigns that do not include sequential art, cover art, or story synopsis…evidence that a comic is being made. These campaigns typically do not fund. Kickstarter backers are savvy group. They’ve been doing this for a long time, but even novice Kickstarter backers can see that.Then, I have a couple that’ll probably be a little more controversial, but we have to reign in super creators who are running 4, 5, 6 campaigns at one time on different accounts, sometimes on the same account. To me, a good sound, high-end number for the number of campaigns you can be running at once, even with different account names is 3. If there are more than 3, they should be paused. They should not be approved until the ones that are currently running resolve successfully.Sure, we can keep a revolving number of maximum 3 campaigns at a time, so when one ends, you can launch another one. I still think that’s excessive. I still think it’s fairly abusive of the platform from just a principles standpoint, but I understand that there’s disagreement about this fact, but there have to be some limits to make it reasonable.Also, we should not allow launch for creators who have 3 or more outstanding fulfillments to complete. Look, that’s just common sense. I talked in the last video about someone who had 17+ campaigns that were either incompletely fulfilled or not fulfilled at all. It’s just absurd. It doesn’t take much pre-planning or work or patience to simply wait until your last campaign was fulfilled to launch the next campaign, but we can leave some leeway there by saying that anybody with 3+ unfulfilled campaigns is paused on launching until they get back within that range of unfilled campaigns to two or less. It’s not much to ask, and it will increase backer confidence in the fact that they’re going to get what they pay for, and they’re going to get it in a timely fashion, which is another huge factor with regard to confidence of backers in the platform. And, finally, in this vein of shopability, it’s long past due that there’s a filter that allows people to opt in or opt out of seeing NSFW content on Kickstarter. As it stands now, anybody of any age can just jump onto the platform regardless of their predilections or sensibilities or their age and see what is some pretty objectionable art to a lot of backers. It’s pushed people who are looking for mainstream types of comics away from Kickstarter, because they see it as just a smut factory, which it is not. And, of course, I’m not suggesting that all NSFW comics are smut, but that’s people’s first impression when they come to the platform, and there’s more NSFW content than there is of any other genre. It’s more highly funded, and it’s super expensive relative to the other genres in terms of individual issues. There there just needs to be a way to block that for people that don’t wanna see it or to enable that for people who do. It’s just that simple. That’s not censorship, that’s just allowing for customer choice. But I think it’s important for us to communicate these things up the chain in hopes that the shopability will improve, that will, so that people who are looking for comics that they’re interested in can find them without wading through campaigns that are never gonna be successful, that are never gonna be realized as actual comics. Let’s separate those campaigns that are NSFW from those that are, so that people can make informed choices about whether they want to shop there or not. Those suggestions from my wishlist are there for consideration by Kickstarter. We’ll see if any of them get taken up, Comics I LikeRight now, lemme tell you about the four comics I like from February 1-2.Hex Euphoric #1 - Ongoing Comic Book SeriesFirst up in Comics I Like for February 1-2 is Hex Euphoric, an ongoing comic book series by Jason Bean. It’s his first Kickstarter Comics campaign. We’ve seen a lot of that in the last week or so, with first time Kickstarter creators actually putting out some really gorgeous work, very interesting work.“In another dimension, a witch prodigy named Valera seeks the fabled Demon Iron to unravel a 1,000 year old secret no one dares expose.” Looking for just $399 in funding initially, almost 10 times that much raised already. So great job guys, with $3,339 at this point. It ends on Tuesday, March 3rd,Really awesome. Very expressive black and whites here, Lettering looks good. Lots of perspective and scale changes on the sequentials. The Kickstarter page is nicely put together for a first time creator. It’s 36 pages, which is nice and beefy. A digital PDF of this 36 pages for Hex four will cost you $6 with delivery in April, right around the corner.And then a print copy of Hex Fork #1 includes shipping for $14 US, which is not something I see very often these days. Also delivered in April. So coming up soon, you see a lot of art samples here. The sequential aspect to the art is awesome, flows well, very dynamic, really pleasing to the eye, a lot to look at here. So go check it out. The Narrows 2And then we have the Narrows 2 from Rob Hanson. “Simon's back story is revealed but danger still exists in this dark fantasy comic set in Nova Scotia.”That’s in Canada, so keep that in mind as you consider whether to pledge digital or physical. We’ll talk about the rewards in a moment.Initial funding goal of $2,922 has raised $1,366 so far on 39 backers. Still a few weeks to back this when it ends on Saturday, February 28th. And it’s really clean art, very good framing on this cover, just pleasing to the eye,“Issue 2 picks up right where issue 1 leaves off in 1904 with young Simon Tarrant and his new mentor. We’ll get a peek into Simon’s childhood as he is trained to become a protector of Canada’s Atlantic Coast, and we’ll meet two other trainees who will figure prominently in Simon’s future. The past has its own very dangerous and terrifying problems that will take all three of them to even hope to solve and survive.”I really love the Jason Pearson-esque art style: very clean, very simple cell shading on the colors, but it gives it almost a Mazzuchelli quality to the work. Lettering looks compelling. Digital copy is $4 US. Dirt Cheap, comes around in a month delivery in March. Print version’s $15, so consider that international shipping from Canada. The print version is estimate to be delivered in April, with 60 pages of story and concept art. That’s a lot of content for what you’re pledging there.Immortal Coil #1-3: Cosmic horror seriesNext, from a fellow Substacker, Gerald von Stoddard, comes Mortal Coil 1-3, a cosmic horror series, a limited series of north mythology through the lens of Eldritch horror, set in a modern world teetering on the brink of cosmic oblivion.Sounds like my kind of book. Doing really well so far, with an initial funding goal of $2,700 that has already raised over $6,000 on 188 backers, ends in February on the 16th, which is a week from today.Gerald has a very detailed, very intricate, very cool, very pleasing to the eye art style. “Immortal Coil explores the hidden truths of Ragnarok, exposing it as a carefully orchestrated hoax to protect Odin’s family while dooming the other realms. Now, with Loki’s return and his alliance with the Eldrit god Nyarlathotep, this saga becomes a battle between divine legacies and unspeakable horrors, where the stakes of nothing less than the survival of existence itself.”Immortal Coil 3 introduces the third grandchild of Odin. While the faceless Gods in hell continue their quest for ancient artifacts that will awaken the elder gods and bring an end to all of existence as we know it. Humanity’s only hope rests in the hands of the newly awakened Norse Gods. I love the mashup of the cosmic horror monsters with the traditional Norse mythology.It’s a 24-page comic that you can get the digital edition for $5 with delivery scheduled for March. You can get a print copy for $10 plus shipping with a delivery scheduled for April. Definitely deserves your attention. This is one I’m considering backing myself. It’s so cool. THE LAUNDRYMEN Books One & TwoThe Laundrymen. Wade and Bryant are supernatural monster hunters returning for a second thrilling adventure as The Laundrymen. This one’s going for a initial funding goal of $3,295. It’s already passed that at 3,784 on 51 backers. This is a graphic novel series about two monster hunters who investigate supernatural mysteries out of their laundromat.Every volume serves as an episodic standalone story. This series is perfect for fans like Ghostbuster, Supernatural, and the X-Files, Interior art looks great. Nice cover, really great design there. Shows off the characters good and bad from a really cool perspective and look at the detail and dynamism in these sequentials. I mean, there’s a lot going on there. Really fun to look at.Very kinetic, very bright colors, but not oversaturated. It’s a style choice. I like it. Then, you see some shifts in the coloration and changes in the palette as you go from scene to scene. Don’t see a page count, so let’s look at the rewards. You can get a digital version of Book 2 for $9, with expected delivery in June.Of course, they have catch-up tiers where you can get issue 1 as well. A print copy of The Laundrymen book two will cost you $19 US plus shipping from Canada, and there are catch up tiers for that as well. Some exceptional art in the ‘Comics I Like’ designees for this period. Fun stuff, really great ideas, and it’s awesome to see this sort of diversity of thought and creativity in the Kickstarter comic space.I’ll be back in a day or two with a post about comics launched on February 3-5.In the meantime, let’s have a great start to the week. Happy Monday. Take care of yourself. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecomicscrowd.substack.com/subscribe

Hey everybody. This is Kevin from The Comic$ Crowd coming at you from Flatline Comics headquarters here in coastal Alabama on February 4th, 2026, talking about comics that were launched on Kickstarter between January 28th and January 31st. I am behind by a few days, so apologies for that. The volume is steadily increasing in the Comics category to the point that it gets very cumbersome for me to keep up with, particularly since I switched to this video format. I’m getting used to the editing, trying to make it a more efficient process, trying to make sure that I get everything that needs to be included in these videos and then transcribing that to a written post for people that don’t want to watch the videos, and then working on the audio, because it also is going up as a podcast. Every time I produce one of these videos, it’s going out in three different formats. so I’m learning the new process, trying to get it right. So far, the reception seems very good, so I’m going to keep it up, and I’ll figure out how to keep up with these massive launch days, especially on Tuesdays in the first of the month.The Kickstarter Comics Category Got So Swole…February 1st was on a Sunday this year, and there were a lot of launches on Sunday compared to most Sundays. when there may be sometimes zero launches. But this time, this week, there were quite a few and, of course, yesterday. Tuesday’s always the biggest launch day, and the volume of the Kickstarter Comics category ballooned from somewhere in the 210’s to, as I record this on Wednesday evening, 245 projects. That’s a big swell for just a few days in one week. That progression is not going to stop.We see this every year. March and April are big months for comics on Kickstarter, and we will see them get into the 300-range pretty quickly here in the next few weeks. We’re already on that trajectory, and that’s both good and bad. I’m glad to see a healthy comics community. I’m glad to see lots of people making comics, lots of people consuming new comics. especially comics from creators who don’t have another platform for getting their comics to readers, unlike professionals who are contracted by big-time publishers and who have inroads into marketplaces that a lot of us don’t have. It’s good to see so many people having this opportunity on the flip side.It’s hard to stand out. There’s so much bloat in the category that it’s hard to filter out the things you don’t want to find, the good comics that you do want; to see the ones that you want to discover, the ones that you do want to find and be surprised at how good they are; to back them, to receive them, to have that exquisite moment of opening the cover of a great new comic and having your mind blown by the creativity of the people who made it.That’s really hard to do with 245 books in the category right now. It’s gonna be harder when that goes up by another probably 30-40 % over the next few weeks, but it’s our burden to bear. Kickstarter isn’t doing anything about it. They’re not filtering anything differently They’re not curating anything differently, so it’s up to us to make sure that our comics stand out. That doesn’t mean I’m not going to call out certain issues when I see them, and I found a particular one that launched during this window of January 28th to January 31st that I want to talk about.The Case of 17 Consecutive Unfulfilled Comics KickstartersOne thing I did notice during the launches between the 28th and the 31st was that there was a creator, who I followed for about a year and a half, who is, in my opinion, the most egregious abuser of the Kickstarter platform in terms of comics that I’ve seen. I’m not going to name this person. I’m not going to call them out individually. I posted about this many times via The Comic$ Crowd. I’ve reported the person to Kickstarter through their mechanisms. They said there was no wrongdoing, but let me explain exactly what’s going on here. This is somebody who, at this point in time, on the 4th of February, 2026, has 17 (seventeen!) outstanding Kickstarters that have not been fulfilled at all, dating back to October of 2024. That is over $238,000 worth of funding that this person has not provided rewards for. They’ve not made the rewards. They’ve not been shipped.These are completely unfulfilled campaigns dating back that far. This creator still launching monthly, being 17 campaigns behind. Kickstarter’s doing nothing about it, but this is the kind of problem that we’re seeing on the platform. This is the kind of bloat that is bad for the community, You’re talking about almost a quarter of a million dollars in funding from backers that’s tied up in campaigns that have not been realized, for which they’ve gotten nothing. How does that affect their perception when it comes to Kickstarter Comics creators when somebody they’ve put a lot of money into is still not producing the rewards that they pay for all this time later?Now, if you look At the little spreadsheet I put together above, this anonymous spreadsheet names noone. Eight of the unfulfilled campaigns are identified as in production. Eight are “in fulfillment” (not really), and one was just launched. These campaigns are as late as ten months past the promised fulfillment date, and tt just get goes from there.I really got tired of digging through it and seeing the same rhetorical information month after month with these campaigns. You can see almost 5,000 backers have supported this person since October of 2024, and not one of them has received a single reward. Now, to their credit, this creator does update frequently. It’s not really in the form of excuses. It’s more in the form of ignoring the promised delivery date that they included in their Kickstarter campaigns month to month, and, yet, they’re consistently this far behind.It makes no sense to me. It makes no sense to me how they’re getting away with it. This is pushing a year and a half now I think the last time that I looked at this person’s campaign history. They were 11 campaigns behind the last time I mentioned this. I just gave up on it as an issue when Kickstarter blatantly told me that this person violated no policies, even though, at that time, they had more than 10 unfulfilled Kickstarters and were still launching on a monthly basis. Now, we’re up to 17. They’re getting further and further behind. Nothing is being produced. Nothing is being done to prompt them to get on time, to get their rewards out to backers. It’s just really disheartening for me. You can look through the numbers yourself, and you’ll see exactly what I’m talking about.I debated whether to even talk about this topic again, but, in a week when we’re seeing an explosion in launches, so many people getting their comics on the Kickstarter platform, I think it’s important to note that there are bad actors. There are people who are inflating the number of campaigns, diluting the talent pool, diluting the ability of people actually making the comics that they get funded for, diluting their ability to get noticed. And something needs to be done about it, but nothing will be done. That’s been clear.If you wonder why funding has flattened out for a lot of us mid-level, self-published creators, this is one reason. This guy is not alone in conducting himself this way on the platform. There are a lot of other creators who just aren’t as good at it as he is, who are pumping out campaign after campaign after campaign and not producing in a timely manner. because they’ve got money rolling in. They’ve got direct deposits through Stripe that are funding them. whether they make the comics or not, because nobody’s policing anybody. I don’t like being negative all the time. but this is a real problem. Hopefully, someone at Kickstarter, now that we’re seeing a change in the comics lead, will do something to address this issue, even if it’s just preventing further launches from this person until they catch up to a certain point.Look, I launched almost every month, too. I am behind on zero campaigns. I, just today, fulfilled all digital rewards for a campaign that ended a week ago yesterday. The books for that campaign have gone to print. They’ll be here on February 17th, and they’ll be shipped out within three or four business days of arriving to us. That’s how you have to do business if you want to retain backers, but also if you just want to be a positive constructive member of the Kickstarter Comics community. What I do reflects on you as a comics creator and as a purveyor of comics on the Kickstarter platform I want to have a good reputation.I want it to be a safe and encouraging place for people to come and get their comics, but it can’t be when you’ve got people like this who are taking advantage of the system to just roll up checks, to just roll up direct deposits while backers sit around twiddling their thumbs wondering, “Hmm, am I ever going to get that comic? Well, I’ll tell you what I’m never going to do again is back a comic on Kickstarter. because this is how the Kickstarter creators conduct themselves.”That perception gets generalized to all of us when there’s one, two, three, ten…fifty creators like this, “super-creators”, who pump out content on a constant basis and don’t fulfill, or they fulfill years late, which is what’s happening here. Let’s all take care of each other, look out for each other and create and fund and fulfill with integrity and concern, not just for the backers, but for each other as a consolidated front of people who love comics. Comics I LikeNow, let’s talk about comics I like from people who are making comics who actually fulfill their campaigns and who want to make this a better place for everybody involved, backers and creators alike, Beyond the Road – A Graphic MemoirAnd we’ll start with Beyond the Road - A Graphic Memoir.“A true story, 110-page full-color comic about rediscovering adventure with chronic illness through a four-day camper van trip.”This looks like a great project from Theresa Chen Arzola | thispapercloud for her first campaign on Kickstarter, with an initial funding goal of $1,500. So far, within just a few days, it has raised $2,358 on 48 backers. Very nice. congratulations on hitting your funding goal!Very tiny cover image, but please make those cover images big and bold, so we can see them and appreciate them and allow them to work their magic and make us want to pledge a campaign.“Beyond the Road takes you through an RV adventure down California’s Big Sur coast. I set out with my partner and our Pomeranian (Titan), navigating the winding Pacific coastline alongside the challenges of my health. Years ago, travel was a core part of who I was, until chronic illness forced me to slow down and trade my spontaneity for control. This trip shares my journey back to adventure one cautious mile at a time.”Now, I’ll tell you what caught my eye on this is the artwork. This is somebody who knows how to make a comic. Very attractive lettering. A very unusual lettering style, but it it just it seems like such an organic part of the page. This almost watercolor style of art that she’s using here is very appealing. You can see the changes in perspective, the changes in scale, just beautiful work and very different in terms of the types of artwork you see on Kickstarter, so really caught my attention. I like the fact that we’ve got a first-time creator on Kickstarter making such a gorgeous book and being successful right off the bat. Look at the rewards: a digital version of the book for $10, very fair. And then a physical book for $22, plus shipping, estimated delivery in April of 2026, March, 2026, for the digital. Highly recommended. Go check this out and support a first-time creator is doing it right.Ones & Zeroes #1 – a Sci-Fi / HorrorOnes & Zeroes #1 from fellow Substacker Michael Dolce.“An AI has overtaken humanity in secret. When a team of hacktivists discover it in the code, it leads them to Area 51.”Good, fun area 51 story, asking for $1,000 and has already doubled that amount. Congratulations! 110 backers. 6 days to go, so still plenty of time to support this one.“What if AI wasn’t created by humans but crash-landed here at Roswell in 1947? And what if that crash was no accident? Did the aliens send it here on purpose to destroy us, and what happens when they return? It’s aliens versus AI with the fate of humanity hanging in the balance in this Matrix meets Independence Day sci-fi horror tale.”This is not Michael’s first rodeo. You’re gonna get the comic you pledged for. You’re gonna get it on time, and it’s gonna look amazing, just as it does in the art samples. Big bold cover. Easy-to-see image that just blows your mind with the complexity of it and with the sci-fi appeal of it. Look at the detail in the artwork above. Very nice work. Let’s look at the rewards Digital (PDF) for $8 estimated delivery in March of 2026, so we’re talking about next month. Physical edition at $15 plus shipping, with estimated delivery in April of 2026, so just a couple of months away. That’s very fair, fast service reliable service.THE DEATH POEM OF SENSEI OTORO by Jonathan MaberryAnd third, from another first-time creator, The Death Poem of Sensei Otoro.“Jonathan Mayberry’s spellbinding story about an aging samurai and a zombie infested feudal Japan,”Seeking $15,618 but off to a little bit of a slow start at $1,750 on 43 backers. But I’m telling you this project deserves our support. First time Kickstarter creator, Christopher Sequeira is bringing you this book, a 40-plus page graphic novel based on a story by Jonathan Mayberry, who’s written for Marvel Comics. Check out that cover up there. I mean brutal, no holds barred. Reminds me of a 70’s movie poster, and I was even more impressed with the interior art.Look at the dynamism that’s inherent in this work, the fight scenes. The motion from panel 1 to panel 4 on this page just flows beautifully, horribly violently. Just remarkable comics work that deserves your attention, deserves your support. At 40-plus pages, let’s look at the rewards. This is coming from Australia, so keep that in mind when you’re thinking about shipping. But there’s a PDF version for $7 US. So, you don’t have to ship it. You can just put it right on your tablet or phone. Print edition is $21, which for a 40-page book may seem a lot, but, in the Kickstarter comics economy, that’s probably right on the money. You’re gonna be shipping from Australia, and international shipping is wild right now, so you have to factor that in. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do it to support this creator, but it’s just something to keep in mind. Thankfully, there’s a digital version. Aglow Season 2: Anime Dark Fantasy Graphic Novel FinaleAnd last for the ‘Comics I Like’ for January 28-31, from another Substacker comes A Glow Season 2: Anime Dark Fantasy Graphic Novel Finale.“A Gothic fantasy of duty, forbidden love, and the thin line between man and monster. Howl’s Moving Castle x Castlevania,”Now, this project is asking for $3429 American and has blown that away at more than seven times at this point at $22,502 on 264 backers, and you’ll see why in a second. This is from Amrit Birdi, coming from the UK, so keep that in mind as we talk about rewards. “Anime-inspired dark fantasy graphic novel duology spanning 180-plus pages across two seasons. A Glow is a gothic fantasy anime graphic novel series about legacy, where love and betrayal awaken, not just the monsters outside, but the ones within.”Look at the use of light on that cover. I mean, it just blows you away, the dark cobalt blue in the background with the cinders and the hair and the glow on the skin, Really beautiful work, hard to resis.t Gorgeous work, and that translates to the interior art as well. Really great figure work, really great sequentials from panel to panel. This team knows how to make a comic. Let’s look at rewards: a digital edition of A Glow season 2 for $14 American and then a print edition for $29 US plus shipping from the UK, so gonna be a little pricey, but, at 180-plus pages, well worth it. That’s a lot of reading content, and I’m just gonna guess it’s gonna have a lot of re-read value given the beauty of the artwork and the level of storytelling that’s going on here.So, that’s four great ‘Comics I Like’ from among 25 entries from January 28th to January 31st and I will get caught up over the next few days. So, I’ll see you again in a couple of days.Enjoy the end of your week, everybody. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecomicscrowd.substack.com/subscribe

Kevin here, coming to you with the new comics launched on Kickstarter for Monday and Tuesday, January 26th and 27th, 2026. So, a little more robust Tuesday than I expected for even in January. Between Monday and Tuesday, we had 26 launches in the comics category. That’s more than I thought we would have. There are definitely some worthy choices in there. I found four that I want to share with you as ‘Comics I Like’, and I’ll talk about those in just a few minutes.Disney Comes to Kickstarter ComicsAmong all the releases from Monday and Tuesday, there was one giant corporate release from Dynamite Entertainment featuring Disney villains. I’m trying to remember if there was another Disney property launch that wasn’t a Marvel art book or something like that. So this is kind of a first, at least by my recollection. I don’t recall any other Disney properties making a big splash on Kickstarter from even a third-party publisher like Dynamite. You would think Marvel would be doing this since they’re part of Disney, but I know they outsourced some of their Disney publishing rights to other publishers, and here we are with Dynamite. It looks like a good project.It’s not one that I chose as a /Comic I Like’. There’s just not a lot of interior artwork there to make a decision about. You’re pretty much relying on the intellectual property or Disney fandom to make that decision. They’re not crazy expensive, but they’re expensive, and this is a corporate campaign, so the pricing of the tiers is pretty high. Self-Disclosure of Generative AI Use in Kickstarter ComicsWhat I want to talk about today was generative AI in comics. Now, I know this is a hot-button topic. The term ‘AI slop’ gets thrown around left and right, regardless of how the AI is being used, but, here, we’re going to talk about things objectively. We’re going to look at what’s actually happening with generative AI in comics. I recently made a post where I revealed that, based on my daily reviews of comic launches on Kickstarter for the past year and a half, only one campaign has actually resulted in a comic book featuring interior sequential art generated using AI technology.As I mentioned at that time, there was another campaign around the same time as the one that was successful in producing a book that still hasn’t been fulfilled, and it was not as carefully laid out, nor as meticulously planned. You could tell from the campaign page it just wasn’t at the same level as the one that not only funded, but produced three comics in a year, three actual books produced from that in a year. There’s only one property that did that. Now, that doesn’t mean that generative AI isn’t used in comics on Kickstarter all the time. It is, and as you should know, you’re required to self-disclose if you’re using generative AI in your comics on Kickstarter. It’s the honor system. In my opinion, the more important factor here is, are people using generative AI being honest about it, self-disclosing as Kickstarter requires, in order for backers to make informed choices? If you don’t want comics with generative AI involved in the artwork or the imaging, you should be able to know that, so you can make a choice.If you’re curious about it, you should be able to know that it’s generative AI that’s involved in the art and how it’s involved in the art. So, down at the bottom of every campaign page, there’s a self-disclosure aspect if you used AI. Now, I’m fairly confident that there are a lot of creators who are using it in some capacity that aren’t disclosing it, who are obscuring the fact that they’re using generative AI. And I have to tell you, I’m surprised that there are as many who honestly disclose it as there are. It would be easy not to, because nobody’s checking, nobody’s policing this at Kickstarter. So, I respect the people who admit that they’re using generative AI, even in little bits and pieces, parts of covers, things like that.But the vast majority of the usage now, at this point in time, is for covers. And the vast majority of that usage is in the not-safe-for-work (NSFW) category. So, let’s look at a couple of examples of self-disclosure statements for AI in a couple of not-safe-for-work projects that were launched just in the past couple of days.And we’ll start with Nolan Hartsoe’s Pyromantic No. 2 dark fantasy comic, a NSFW book currently funding over $6,000. That’s pretty good for just a couple of days on the platform. The AI self-disclosure statement for this project:So, are you using it for the cover? Are you using it for character concept designs? Are you using it for interior sequential art? This is where you can answer that question. They want to know if you are using copyrighted materials from other artists that are being used by the AI generator, or if you’re using copyrighted elements of other artists’ work in the generative process. That’s how I interpret that.This campaign’s response is pretty vague, but this is a pretty vague area of the whole AI situation at this point in time. I do applaud this creator just for acknowledging the use of AI. It’s fairly obvious if you look at the cover art, simply because it’s just a little too symmetrical, a little too perfect, and it’s a very stereotypical style that you see with generative AI art. Beautiful covers, however, very obviously AI-generated covers.So, maybe the creator didn’t feel they had a choice but to acknowledge that they used generative AI to create these covers. Yet and all, they don’t have to admit it on Kickstarter, but they did. So, here we are, and at least the honesty should be acknowledged. And you can make your own decisions whether to back this campaign, given the use of AI art on the covers.Let’s look at another example from the same launch day. Okay, this one is called Valentine vs. the Man-Eater, number one through three, not safe for work, horror noir. It’s funding just slightly behind at $5,229 with 106 backers. So, roughly in the same echelon of funding, roughly just as successful. But let’s look at their answers to the questions:Okay, pause.You should know what medium your cover artists are using. Okay, and generative AI is its own medium at this point. It’s not going anywhere. Let’s not argue that. But you should know how your cover artists are generating their covers, how they’re making these images. Bottom line, that’s your responsibility as a publisher, even as a self-publisher.And I’m not sure that being confident about that means that it’s not happening. Most generative AI uses text-to-image generation with heavy editing on the backside. If you’ve actually used generative AI, if you’re speaking from a standpoint of understanding and knowledge about this technology, you know that 99.9% of the time, a text prompt is not going to give you a workable, professional-looking cover or panel because AI is not going to generate a page of sequential art.It just doesn’t work that way. Every panel is its own piece of art, if you’re using it in that fashion. You have to know that if you have somebody working with generative AI to create covers or any art for your project, that text-to-image generative AI is probably involved.I feel like they’re skirting the issue here, not necessarily being deceptive, but it’s such a sensitive subject. It’s such an explosive subject that creators are honestly hesitant to put themselves out there as actually using it when it’s fair game right now. I know that it’s frowned upon, but it’s here, it’s probably not going anywhere, and going after creators who use it in any little sense at all is not productive.If you’re looking at Kickstarter campaigns, scroll to the bottom of the Kickstarter page and see what their self-disclosure about AI. In fact, there’s a makeshift table of contents on every Kickstarter page based on how you put in your headers and how you answer the questions about AI that automatically includes ‘Use of AI’ in that table of contents at the upper left of the Kickstarter page. If you look there, you can just click that and see what they’re disclosing and make a decision on your own without the angst, without the bile, that normally comes with this topic. We’re in a position at this point that we can objectively assess whether AI is being used and decide whether to back that campaign, support that creator or not, and just go our happy way. My point here is to share with you the AI disclosure on Kickstarter so that you can find it and make your own determinations about whether to support or to not support a campaign. The general culture around generative AI right now, the general uproar around it, makes people afraid to confront it head on.I just don’t think we have to address things that way. We can have a constructive discussion and acknowledge that it’s being used widely in comics - and much more widely than anybody’s willing to acknowledge because they don’t want to get attacked. Do your own research. Look through these campaigns and see what people are doing with it. Arm yourself with knowledge about how generative AI is actually being used now. You’re going to see it’s a very narrow lane. There will be more. I’ve ventured into that arena myself just to see how it works. Can it be done? It can be done, but you have to know how to make comics.It can be very bad if you don’t know how to make comics and how to use digital editing software on the back end to actually make images look like they belong together and to generate some sort of visual consistency. Otherwise, you’re just going have a mess of three legs and six fingers on each hand and characters that don’t look the same from one panel to the next. But that doesn’t mean it’s not there. It doesn’t mean it’s not going to play a larger role in the industry going forward. This is the world we live in now. Not going away.Digital comics didn’t go away. Photoshop didn’t go away. Illustrator didn’t go away when the same types of uproars erupted around those around those tools.Comics I LikeAll right, let’s talk about the comics that I found that I think you will like from Monday and Tuesday. White Ash 1 to 10 (and a half)We’re going to start out with White Ash 1 to 10. “The long-running hit fantasy series about elves and dwarves in Pennsylvania returns with two all-new issues.”Of course, this is from Charlie Stickney, who’s been running White Ash Kickstarter campaigns for some time now. Obviously doing very well with a goal of $15,000. Already almost doubled that in just a couple of days at $29,339. 751 backers.“Welcome to White Ash, a small smudge of a mining community in western Pennsylvania where the secrets are buried even deeper than the coal under the mountain. If you’re a fan of Supernatural, Twin Peaks, or Lord of the Rings, you’re going to love getting to know our mysterious town.”Now, Charlie and his team always kick out just amazing covers. This is a 70 plus page supersized issue containing chapters 9 and 10, so you’re getting a lot of content here.The interior art sequentials match the sophistication and the beauty of the covers. Just really terrific stuff. Lots of interior art samples, lots of story information, everything to pull you in just really good.And then you can download all 52 pages of chapter one as a preview. So you can see what you’re getting into and it’s going to be good. So look at the rewards real quick.You can get the digital editions of issues 9 and 10, which are the new pieces of content for this campaign for 11 bucks. That’s really cheap by Kickstarter standards. Really nice. And you can get print copies of 9 and 10 for $22 shipped. And they’re looking at delivery in June of 2026. So very fair pricing for Kickstarter.When you’re talking about 70 pages of content for 22 bucks on Kickstarter, that is more than fair. That’s really beneath the average price per page in the Kickstarter comics economy right now. So highly recommend.The Complete GODS OF AAZURN! Lovecraft Style HorrorAnd then we will go to The Complete Gods of Aazurn Lovecraft style horror, a printed creepy cosmic horror graphic novel available only on Kickstarter from a friend, longtime colleague in the self-publishing arena, published one of our first stories way back in the day, Gary Scott Beatty. “Three gifted orphans are forced into an evil coven, aiding ancient gods who want to ravage our world. Will they gain their freedom and defeat the hideous eldritch gods before mankind is doomed?”Gary’s been carrying on this story and stories like it for well beyond a decade, probably more. And this is a big collection of his stories and he makes terrific stories. My partner Amanda has drawn for Gary several times. We collected some of those into one of her Amandatory collections in 2025. Terrific, just great horror writer, really off the wall story concepts. Look at this interior art: half-man, half-spider, really gorgeous Lovecraftian takes on monsters and situations.Awesome. Can’t recommend Gary’s work enough. Longtime comic creator who delivers. You will get what you back. He has a Complete Gods of Aazurn digital bundle for $22. You can get the complete printed book for $29 plus shipping with delivery in April of 2026. That’s right around the corner. I can attest we’ve worked with Gary for many years, either as colleagues, as creators in his books that he distributed direct to comic shops back in the day, and Amanda’s worked with him as a co-creator and you will get what you pay for. You will get it when he says you’re going to get it. Totally dependable. Really gorgeous work.Support Gary. Support great independent self-published comics. TATSUMI: The Serpent Mistress #1-2 A Swashbuckling AdventureAnd then, third, in no particular order, from our friends at Insymmetry Creations LLC, Tatsumi, The Serpent Mistress No. 1 and 2, A Swashbuckling Adventure.The Last Remaining Daughter of a Fallen Empire’s Hellbent on Retribution and Revenge, for fans of Pirates of the Caribbean, One Piece. With an initial funding goal of $3,900, they’ve raised $2,581 on 74 backers. This one ends on February 13th, so still plenty of time to support it.I know Matt and Steph and crew make terrific, gorgeous comics. Just look at the sample art with the characters, the crew, character introductions. “Deep in the heart of the port of Albassus sits one of its most popular establishments, the Sidequest Tavern. Weary travelers head there to take a load off while other raucous and cantankerous patrons are there to hear the finest music around. One of the bands that frequents their stage is the dread crew of Oddwood.”Cool stuff. Lots of options. Lots of different takes on the characters.Just terrific coloring and design on these sequential art samples, full-size sequential art samples. I can see with my eyes without squinting. Thank you. Look really great. Very pirate adventure themed. Let’s check out the rewards. You get the PDF for Tatsumi No. 2 for $5. Very fair. You can get the PDF catch up of 1 and 2 for $10. You can get a single print issue of No. 2 for $13 plus shipping. Scheduled to arrive in May.32 pages for Tatsumi No. 2. That’s a lot of content. Looks great. Go support these guys. Dino Knights: The Complete ArcAnd lastly, but not leastly, Dino Knights: The Complete Arc.Issues 5 and 6 deliver an epic conclusion to the arc.”This is from fellow SubStacker Zach Chapman. Looking for $3,000 in initial funding. Almost there with $2,951 raised so far. 69 backers. Ends on February 26th. Almost a full month of fundraising left to go. They’re going to nail it.“Dino Knights is an ongoing epic science fiction, authority, and fantasy comic book series. Dinosaurs, knights, time travel, and evil robots. Issues 5 and 6 are the epic conclusion to the first arc.”Not to mention issue 6 is an extra long issue jam packed with 36 pages. Nice synopsis. Check out the sequentials here:Fun. Awesome artwork reminiscent of Saturday morning cartoons. Very action packed. Very expressive. Fun to just even look at. You can tell what’s going on in this comic just by following the panels. You almost don’t need the words. You can tell how bombastic a concept this is from the covers. The Arthurian dinosaur concept.Really cool. Really high concept. Really fun.Which is something that I really try to find when I’m looking for comics to support on Kickstarter. There’s often not a lot of fun. And these are definitely fun comics.Let’s look at the rewards. Issues 5 and 6 in digital for $11. That’s very consistent with what we’ve seen from other campaigns that we’ve reviewed today. And then likewise for the physical copies. Issues 5 and 6 main covers $22 plus shipping to be delivered in March 2026. Issue 6 is jam-packed with 36 pages.Extra long issue. All right. That wraps it up for comics launched on Kickstarter for Monday January 26th and Tuesday January 27th 2026.Please go take a look at these campaigns and support them. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecomicscrowd.substack.com/subscribe

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecomicscrowd.substack.com/subscribe

Hey, it’s Kevin, here to update you on launches in the Kickstarter Comics category between Friday, January 23rd and Sunday, January 25th. I know I’ve been away for a couple weeks. I’ve been slacking, dealing with some, well, let’s just say seasonal related sinus and respiratory things, but I’m pretty much over all that. I took a little vacation that was much needed. Got down into what I thought would be warmer climates in Florida, but it was actually colder than it was at home while we were there in Orlando. We had a good time though, and I look forward to going back sometime in the near future, but it was nice to take a break. Gonna try to come back here in 2026 refreshed and stay on track a little more, stay on time with updates a little more. It’s been a little spottier, and the reason for that is that I’m working harder to make my own comics, which is the entire reason I’m dealing with comics on Kickstarter in the first place. I do make my own comics. I have a Kickstarter right now that ends TODAY at 8 p.m. Central, so I hope you take a look at Darkwoven.So, you can consider this Comics Crowd episode to be sponsored by my new comic Darkwoven, which I really do hope you’ll support and help me keep the Comics Crowd going. I’m here not just because I’m interested in crowdfunding, but because I’m a participant in crowdfunding, so please keep that in mind and do help me by subscribing to this channel on Substack.Project Volume is Up It looks like things are starting to ramp up again as of today, as of the recording of this on January 26th. The comics category is back up to 195 projects. It was down in the 110’s here right at the end of December, first of January. We’re seeing that annual rise in projects. By the end of January, and by March, you’ll be back probably in the high 200’s, low 300’s in terms of project volume.That’s a lot. It’s been nice to not have quite as much to cover, but I’m sure with Tuesday being today, it’s always the heaviest launch day of the week. We’re going to see a surge over 200 would be my guess, and that’s great.Hopefully, we’ll get a greater proportion of really good comics in that mix. There were some pretty interesting ones over the weekend between Friday and Sunday. I picked out three that I’ll go over here shortly with you and show you some of the art, talk about some of the particulars of those projects.And So Are Empty ProjectsThere was the usual mix of empty projects. Those are projects that I refer to as empty because they are missing essential elements of what it takes to make a comic. They’re missing either cover art, sequential art, or story synopsis, or multiple of those.I saw a couple released over the weekend that had none of those, that were just blocks of text for lack of a better word. There’s a cover image and blocks of text that just got auto-approved by Kickstarter. I know they’re being auto-approved because for the first time in years, my last two projects that I submitted to Kickstarter were auto-approved, which honestly shocked me. At this point, it’s probably been 10 or 12 years since I had auto-approval for one of my projects, despite having a squeaky clean 100% fulfillment record. Amanda and I pride ourselves on fulfilling our campaigns within four to six weeks at the end of the campaign. We hit that goal almost every time unless there’s an issue with the printer, because we do not go to Kickstarter. We do not prepare a campaign to go to Kickstarter unless our book is finished or within a page or two of being finished before we even launch. That’s how we handle our business. Right now, I’m finishing up Darkwoven, and I have a couple pages to letter, but all the final art is in. The covers are done. It ends tomorrow night, and I will place an order with our printer on Wednesday morning. So, we want to make sure that’s done.Now, in all of our campaigns, and I would say a majority of the campaigns on Kickstarter, there is evidence enough to consider that a comic will actually be made at the end of the whole process of crowdfunding and pre-press and creation and production and so forth. But some of these projects don’t have that guarantee, because there’s not proof. There’s either not a cover, or there’s not sequential artwork, which is what defines a comic book, or there’s not a story synopsis. And if you don’t have all of those three things, in my opinion, your project is not trustworthy enough for me to feel certain that there’s going to be a comic at the end of the road here. 100 FAQ On Making ComicsI do want to point out one interesting project that’s not technically a comic, but is worth your time. It is called 100 FAQ on Making Comics: Know the Basics, Avoid the Blunders. This is a how-to guide on entering the comic world as a creator from Shelley Bond, who is, of course, a legendary editor who worked for multiple decades, or most of two decades, at Vertigo for DC Comics, which of course is where Sandman from Neil Gaiman and The Invisibles and Doom Patrol and other works from Grant Morrison were produced, and she worked on some of those. And there’s just a wealth of knowledge there for something that’s not a comic. I don’t usually make recommendations about non-comic campaigns that end up in the comics category. Although this one does belong there, it’s still not a story. Most of my recommendations are going to be, or all of my recommendations are going to be for comics that actually involve stories. But this deserves your attention if you’re interested in being a comic creator on a different level, if you’re interested in getting into the mainstream world of publication distribution.Those are deep waters, shark-infested waters these days. Distribution is a hot mess, as people say. It’s unpredictable. It’s changing underfoot as we speak. I’m not going there right now, but if you decide to do that, this might be a good resource for doing that, and I do recommend that you check it out. I’ll go over some details of it in just a few.The Comic$ Crowd in 3DBut that kind of sets the stage for where we’re at right now. I’m going to try to do more of these videos. I feel like I’ve gotten behind on The Comic$ Crowd for a number of reasons, being busy making my own books. I’ve tried to up my production in terms of being a writer, in terms of being a designer of comics, and you’ll see more content from me this year than you have before. I’m going to try the video route, and you’ll still see the same information from me. But with Substack TV launching, I thought it’d be a good time to make the switch, and there will still be the text version of The Comic$ Crowd, but we’re also going to have this video version release at the same time. So, you’ll have the option of reading, or watching, and even listening, because I’ll be also using this same audio feed as a podcast.So, lots of options. I hope you’ll stick with me, support me by either subscribing to the Substack, or supporting my comics work on Kickstarter, so that I can keep doing this. I enjoy doing it.I enjoy being a resource. I enjoy knowing the landscape of Kickstarter in a different way, because I’ve spent these days over the past year and a half browsing through, pouring over all of these Kickstarter projects, every one that launches every day. Even if I’m not posting, I’m still seeing what’s there, and I do bring that information to my post later on.New Kickstarter Comics Lead IncomingI apologize for being away for a couple of weeks, but we’re back on track. I’m going to get this format worked out, so that there will be multiple options for you to consume this information, for you to be privy to what’s going on in the Kickstarter comics category. And we’ll talk more about that, because there has been a major change, a major shake-up, with the Kickstarter Comics lead leaving the company right after the strike that went on here just a month or two ago.So, they’re going to have to find a replacement for Sam Kusek, as he went back into the publishing world, and I’m wish him the best of luck there. But there’s going to be a shake-up, and we’ll talk more, possibly in the next post, about what that means for the category, and how that may impact some of the concerns that I have voiced, and that a lot of you have agreed with over the past year or two in the Kickstarter comics category. Hopefully we’ll see some changes and progress in making things better.So. with no further ado, let’s talk about comics I like, and get some recommendations in your hands. Comics I LikeWitchmazeStarting with Witchmaze. It’s described as a 144-page graphic novel.“The Wizard of Witchmaze does battle with the mysterious Starling Queen. Nothing is what it seems.“Looking for $2,732 in funding. This is a project from the UK. 64 backers so far, and it’s already surpassed its funding goal in just a couple of days, at $3,231 US. This is coming from Simon Jacob. It’s his first creative project for Kickstarter. Some nice thumbnails, kind of stylized art, little story synopsis. Actually pretty detailed.“When the island realm is threatened with invasion by the advancing hordes of the mysterious Starling Queen, the High King is obliged to seek the help of the reluctant Wizard of Witch Maze and the magical horses he’s able to summon.” So Mr. Jacob is doing a dual role of art and writing, so that’s pretty cool. Lots of talent there.And one thing I noticed looking at this project is there’s not any real useful sequential art samples, but what’s there is good enough to make a recommendation. I think here’s one small thumbnail of some black and white sequential pages. A photo of those, not scans, but really detailed art.Some really nice panel arrangements. Looks good to me. The covers are equally small, hard to make out even on a large screen like I’m looking at, but there’s enough there in the composition and the style that I really like, enough to recommend.Looking at the basic rewards, digital edition of the 144-page graphic novel is $11 US. A print edition, shipping from the UK is $22 plus shipping, which is going to be hefty because overseas shipping is crazy right now.Solar The Sovereign #1And then we have Solar of the Sovereign number 1 from Konkret Comics. Not the first time I’ve recommended something from these guys at Konkret. “A man on fire must find a way to uncover a major plot to destroy the world as we knew it.”$1,200 funding goal for Solar of the Sovereign. They’ve already just about tripled that at $3,287 with 79 backers just a few days in. That’s good news for them. Congratulations. “A powerful new hero entering the concrete universe, a cosmic force driven by responsibility, justice, and raw energy.” Sounds cool.And one thing I can say about the Konkret Comics guys is that they know how to make a superhero cover. These are spectacular covers, awesome composition, beautiful use of light and color, lots of sequential images where you can see that these guys know how to make a comic. They are lettered nicely. The story flows panel to panel. Angles change, perspectives change, just really great looking work and nice story summaries. Let’s look at rewards. $15 for one cover and it looks like we don’t have a digital option. No, you do, but it comes with a t-shirt. That’s too bad.Let’s see if there’s a page count. And no, no page count. The Chef: A Fairy-Tale of Culinary ProportionsAnd lastly, we have The Chef, a fairy tale of culinary proportions.A coming-of-age graphic novel set in Singapore’s culinary world with a goal of $8,678. It’s struggling a little bit on the jump here at $1,074 raised with just 22 backers, but this is a cool looking project from Dennis Chong, which is his first effort for a Kickstarter comic. But really interesting, character-driven, expressive artwork as you can see from the cover here.Just really interesting artwork, interesting layouts, interesting use of panels and panel shapes. The sequentials and the understanding of how to make sequential art is clear here. Lettering is nice and a little unique to itself, but easy to read. Not clunky, doesn’t distract from the art, but look at some of the breakout panels and the faces. Really nice to look at. Stands out from a lot of the other work.It’s a 126-page graphic novel,with 24 pages of behind-the-scenes information. So, nice big graphic novel. Let’s look at the rewards. Print copy is going to run you 27 bucks American. Looks like this is from Singapore, so if you’re getting that, you’re going to pay quite a bit of shipping, but worth it. Does not look like there’s a digital option for this book, which is a shame. You’re going to pay through the nose to get this thing here, and it may be worth it.It looks like a great project. I’m not going to not recommend it just because of where the creator is, but I would suggest getting a digital reward out there, especially when you’re shipping from overseas, especially in the modern situation where shipping internationally is so crazy expensive. It looks like a worthy project, and I suggest you take a look. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecomicscrowd.substack.com/subscribe

Martin T. Pierro & I discuss the recent, unannounced, apparently randomly targeted ‘Kickstarter After Dark’ newsletter and its implications for the future of NSFW comics and the rest of us who rely on crowdfunding access in the Comics category. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecomicscrowd.substack.com/subscribe

Thank you to everyone who tuned into our live video! Martin T. Pierro & I appreciate the participation. We plan to do this more often!Please share your thoughts on and experiences with the direct market in the comments section. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecomicscrowd.substack.com/subscribe

Find Kevin LaPorte at:thecomicscrowd.substack.comkevinlaporte.substack.comFind Amanda Rachels at:Flatline Comics on WhatNotAmanda on InstagramAmanda on PatreonLinks to recommended Kickstarter comics referenced in the podcast:Chainsaw Nosejob - A Rhinoceros Body HorrorArthur: The Legend Continues - Final Issue + Complete SagaVOLTESSA! A Gothic Sex Comedy in the Frankenstein UniverseSomeone's Died At Adventure Mountain (Issue 2 of 6)Planet Of 1000 MoonsLinks to The Comic$ Crowd posts referenced in the podcast:https://thecomicscrowd.substack.com/p/new-comics-creators-are-struggling?r=20hdnbhttps://thecomicscrowd.substack.com/p/why-are-some-kickstarter-comics-campaigns?r=20hdnb This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecomicscrowd.substack.com/subscribe

Find Kevin LaPorte at:thecomicscrowd.substack.comkevinlaporte.substack.comFind Amanda Rachels at:Flatline Comics on WhatNotAmanda on InstagramAmanda on PatreonLinks to recommended Kickstarter comics referenced in the podcast:Arthur: The Legend Continues - Final Issue + Complete SagaBeauty #2 The Flower of Imperial GracePRIVATE DANCE: LAS VEGAS #1 - a new spicy miniseriesLinks to The Comic$ Crowd posts referenced in the podcast:https://thecomicscrowd.substack.com/p/another-nsfw-kickstarter-deadbeat?r=20hdnbhttps://thecomicscrowd.substack.com/p/one-nsfw-porn-cover-mill-super-creator?r=20hdnb This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecomicscrowd.substack.com/subscribe

Audio summaries of my analysis of each and every project launched on Kickstarter for the January 22-23, 2025.Get these updates via email or the Substack app daily by subscribing at: thecomicscrowd.substack.comLinks below for EVERY Comics project that launched on Kickstarter on those dates:COMICS I LIKE (recommended):Blam & Glam comic issues 1-10 + Figures by Richard MorganSlight Return | A Supernatural Rock N' Roll Thriller by Marcus McNealSky Guy and The Altitude Adjustors - Issue #1 (Steampunk) by Alin Silverwood/PopSkull PressPantheon #1 - A New Age Superhero Comic Heroic Shenanigans Volume 3 by Andre BurkleyBereavement - a sci-fi murder mystery with a touch of Pixar by Bruno CatarinoMiskatonic High 25 - The Breakfast Club vs. Cthulhu by Mike SheaTales From Toxic Pond #1-4: An EC Inspired Horror Comic Book by Daniel J TorresSîan: Thief of Khor-Shavarah #1 by Craig A. TailleferHorus in Hell #1-3: A Demented Saturday Morning Cartoon by Allen & WillMy Sexy Witch Academia #1-3 - A Magical NSFW Story! by Mr. Smile ComicsI, DRAGON Trilogy - Medieval Fantasy Graphic Novels Box Set by Alien BooksEVERYTHING ELSENot Comics:INSATIABLE! - An Erotic Celebration of Women Who Love to Eat - An art bookMissing Most Elements of a Comic:The Shift ProjectScion of the scrap Heap Issue # 1W.E.I.R.D.O.S.: Volume 1Earth DragonsJust Not Enough There to Inspire Confidence:PHANTOM REALM: DREAM.FIGHT.SURVIVE. #1!!!Dark Pink ComicsHeroic Shenanigans Volume 3Pure Intent #3 + Mistress Izumi's ADULT LessonsCrooked Little TownCAN11 + NARUTOBUSClose, But Not Quite There:The Little Mermaid & The Pirate Queen #1 - Sapphic AdventureSCORNWOOD - A Graphic Novel (surrealism/horror)Juiceman Issue #9 : Mind FreakThe Salvaged She-Newt Issue 9Haunted Safari: Monster's ParadiseAstralmon: Starborne S1 – An Interactive Webtoon AdventureLet's Hunt Monstas! The Series!!! No.2 This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecomicscrowd.substack.com/subscribe

Audio summaries of my analysis of each and every project launched on Kickstarter for the January 18-19, 2025.Links below for EVERY Comics project that launched on Kickstarter during that week:COMICS I LIKE (recommended):DEAD TECH Issue 1-2 by Nukem ComicsThe Ballad of Utopia by Mike HoffmanMacabre Tales #2- Horror anthology comic book by Mysterious Books HawaiiClosetWorld by Matt YocumCambiantes volumen 1 by Joshua HernandezCocaine-Stripper Stronghold Issue #1 and novel by Josh NealisWho Killed Sarah Shaw | A True Crime Inspired Graphic Novel by Marcus JimenezCthulhu vs. Uncle Sam #1 and #2 by Scott HarrisAlways Punch Nazis Omnibus by Ben FerrariDead Nipples || Living Scars by WackydoodledevonGrimm Space: 3 Little Piglians - a sci-fi/fairy tale mystery by Frank MartinEVERYTHING ELSEJust Not Enough There to Inspire Confidence:SENTINEL MAX COMIC - 130 PAGES OF COMIC BRILLIANCEThe Thresher: Issue 1Close, But Not Quite There:SHAKA: Nephilim Curse Vol. 1Blood Magic Tales This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecomicscrowd.substack.com/subscribe

Audio summaries of my analysis of each and every project launched on Kickstarter for the January 15-17, 2025.Links below for EVERY Comics project that launched on Kickstarter during that week:COMICS I LIKE (recommended):A Real Slobberknocker #1-2: A Pro Wrestling Comic | Make 100 by James Ferg ComicsTHE BIG LIE by Fabrice SapolskyBáthory by Leslie Téjlor by Embassy PublishingCircuits, Seduction, Revenge! - Issue 1 by Devil's Due EntLunation #1-2 by Jolzar EntertainmentSinister Support Services by Mike WheelerDurruti Shadow of the People #1-#3 by Autonomous CollectiveEVERYTHING ELSEJust Not Enough There to Inspire Confidence:Swamp Mysteries ComicBLEGH: GatekeeperLooking Over The Cliff: Dark FantasyFate's UltimatumHeroes Battle the Darkness of Evil for the Fate of the WorldTrifeca Issue #1: Prologue To CreationNSFW:Rose Thorn #1 (Mature Graphic Novel)Night of the VampiranhasFallen Leaves #4LUXURA, CAVEWOMAN & PRYMAL: JUNGLE BOOGIE V01LoL NSFW Arts: Evelynn Comic #1 with 100+ NSFW Artworks !Close, But Not Quite There:Cinecrypt: Horror ExpressMake 100: ASTRAL VENGEANCE – RED LABEL EDITION (UNCENSORED!)The Dragonfly Issue #1-5 From Vegas to the Moon Part 1Teddy Scares - Issues 1 & 2SHI: GATECRASHER KICKSTARTER EXCLUSIVE!Bridges Comic Book Issue #1Saloon #1 Muhammad Ali: The Greatest Comics Biography of All TimeEXTINCTION SAGA #2: THE CORPSDEVIL-GIRL #1: SORROW - NSFW Supernatural Revenge Horror 18+ This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecomicscrowd.substack.com/subscribe

Audio summaries of my analysis of each and every project launched on Kickstarter for the January 14-15, 2025.Links below for EVERY Comics project that launched on Kickstarter during that week:COMICS I LIKE (recommended):From Blood: An Action Packed Graphic Novel | Make 100 by Cosmic TimesAcausal Collected Edition by John WardHEIRS OF ISILDUR: The Perilous Prospects 1-4 (of 5)|Make 100 by Insymmetry CreationsIf a Tree Falls by Emerald Valley EntertainmentEgoraven: Heir of the First Unicorn #9🦄Mature Fantasy Drama by Daphne LagePsyche: A Graphic Novel by Caroline L SmithCalifornia, Inc. #1-4 (The Complete Series) by Arthur N. Ebuen (Studio 12-7)Kid Cretaceous #1-2 [MAKE 100] by J. Michael MillerConrad Van Cottonmouth #2 by Michael ConnorsDrumsticks of Doom: BotSM issue 2(of 3)+ All Previous issues by Jon WesthoffSansha & Blanco: #1-2 🐕 by Ray ChouVanya: The Lost Warrior #1-8: a NSFW sci-fi/prehistoric tale by Bad Bug MediaA Town Called Collegeville by Clyde K.DEADSKINS! A zombie horror comedy western for mature readers by FRIED ComicsStabbity Bunny: Stabbity Ever After #1 (Remastered) by Richard RiveraTHE PRINCE IN THE BASEMENT by Mira Ong ChuaNYMPHOBOTS - NSFW Sexy, Sci-fi, Action! by Paul VeenstraShentu: Memories of Spring by Allen WuHere Be Monsters Bundle by BonesbunnsPILLOWHEAD Issue #1 by Dom Gomez This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecomicscrowd.substack.com/subscribe

A full week’s worth of audio summaries of my analysis of each and every project launched on Kickstarter for the week of December 24-29, 2024.Links below for EVERY Comics project that launched on Kickstarter during that week:COMICS I LIKE (recommended):Amazon Arrow: Immortal Reign NSFW #1 and Cosplay BonusEVERYTHING ELSE:FRIGHTS & DELIGHTS IIBoobs #3Naughty Adventures Vol 1 & 2 Huge NSFW Anthologies of comicsThe Adventures of Pom Pom & FleurShiverShockWizard Punk Act 1: Bag Of Infinite SongsAres Issue #1 This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecomicscrowd.substack.com/subscribe

Woah, mega-launch Tuesday is back in a big way, and on the first Tuesday of the year, no less. Not only were 18 new projects launched in the Kickstarter Comics category, but the vast majority of them are…AWESOME. That’s right, a genre-diverse set of drops happened, and I’m separating the best from the rest. That means today’s update is broken into two posts to allow me to give enough space to these real comics really deserving of your attention.But we’ll start with the projects I can’t endorse:A pair of pin-up books that are not comics.:HEROINES AFTER SUNSET Issue #1Thrill Trigger: UncensoredA pair of empty campaigns guaranteed to not result in production of actual comics:Graphic Novel "Pachacuti"PREDATIONA pair of novice projects from developing creators that aren’t quite there yet:BROOK-CITY: An Action/ComedyORDER OF DRACULA # 1-5: THE DEATH OF DRACULA horror/Make 100An otherwise impressive corporate project that is simply overpriced beyond reason:Robert Venditti & David Laphams HANK HOWARD, PIZZA DETECTIVEComics I LikeAction-Adventure:American Yakuza - NSFW Murder Mystery in Japan (Acts 1-3)ByCharlie 查理 McElvyJoin us on a violent, sexy trip to Japan to solve a murder. The action intensifies and the mystery multiplies as we dive deeper...The Low-Down:Goal: $3500End Date: January 31, 2025Estimated Delivery: February-March, 2025No. Pages: 20Lowest Digital Tier Price: $5Lowest Print Tier Price: $15Expert-level cover art & designTerrific interior art, color & compositionStory-first approach to mature comicsI backed this one.The Press Guardian & Clock: Classic Pulp Heroes Return!ByAllan LiskaTogether for the first time two iconic pulp heroes join forces to battle Nazis. If you love golden age comics this is for you! Make 100The Low-Down:Goal: $500End Date: January 25, 2025Estimated Delivery: February, 2025No. Pages: 32Lowest Digital Tier Price: $5Lowest Print Tier Price: $10Dynamic interior art, color & compositionFun, retro-style pulp actionComedy:The Bubble Gumshoes - An All-Ages Comedy MangaBy Chris HillTabitha and Emily, a pair of hard-boiled middle school detectives, must get to the bottom of a case of missing cookies!The Low-Down:Goal: $3500End Date: February 13, 2025Estimated Delivery: February-March, 2025No. Pages: Not specifiedLowest Digital Tier Price: $5Lowest Print Tier Price: $15Great grayscale interior art & compositionAttractive cover art and designRefreshingly different story take compared with most manga options on KickstarterIt’s Fun To Kill People #1-2 - A Dark Comedy ComicBy Anthony D. StokesFollow the hijinks of a poorly adjusted kid who has a pair of serial killers as parents.The Low-Down:Goal: $3000End Date: January 24, 2025Estimated Delivery: April-May, 2025No. Pages: 24Lowest Digital Tier Price: $5Lowest Print Tier Price: $13Awesome, stylized interior art, color & compositionTop tier cover art and designFinally, some legit dark humor finds its way to Kickstarter ComicsHorror:Frankie: Boy Monster #4By Eli SchwabAn all new Frankie: Boy Monster adventure written by Morgan Herron with amazing art by Jorge PeñaThe Low-Down:Goal: $4500End Date: February 6, 2025Estimated Delivery: March, 2025No. Pages: Not specifiedLowest Digital Tier Price: $5Lowest Print Tier Price: $12Bombastic cover art & designStylized, captivating interior art, color & compositionDiscounted catch-up rewards tiersFun take on the monster genreICE & BONE #1 & 2: A SAMURAI ACTION-HORROR | MAKE 100ByAaron Wroblewski5th in the series. Set in 16th Century Japan. Anarchy reigns. Revenge took Nakaaki beyond BLOOD & FIRE, now there is only ICE & BONE...The Low-Down:Goal: $3500End Date: February 6, 2025Estimated Delivery: September, 2025No. Pages: 28Lowest Digital Tier Price: $6Lowest Print Tier Price: $15Edgy cover art & designDeceptively simple, badass interior art, color & compositionCatch-up rewards tiersAwesome genre mash-up done in high styleThe Passenger of U-977 - A Horror Graphic Novel - Make 100By Joseph OliveiraA mysterious passenger aboard U-977 plunges its crew into terror on a 66-day submerged journey. WWII ends, but their nightmare begins.The Low-Down:Goal: $1872End Date: January 22, 2025Estimated Delivery: April, 2025No. Pages: 108Lowest Digital Tier Price: $10Lowest Print Tier Price: $20Seriously perfect cover art & designWatercolor-inspired, fascinating interior art, color & compositionShips from the UKMature story based on real eventsI backed this one.NSFW:MADEMOISELLE DE SADE #3 -THE TERROR!-By Tuco El BuitreAn Erotic Journey Through 1794 Paris: Blood, Corsets, Big Wigs and the Guillotine! PRINTED EDITIONThe Low-Down:Goal: $724End Date: January 14, 2025Estimated Delivery: April, 2025No. Pages: Not specifiedLowest Digital Tier Price: $6Lowest Print Tier Price: $19High-style cover art & designClassic Vertigo-inspired interior art, color & compositionShips from ItalyErotica endemic to a real narrativeSci-Fi:A Place Where Time Doesn't Exist #1: A Sci-fi AdventureByCurtis ClowHumanity is going extinct. A small crew must find the cure on a strange alien planet at any cost.The Low-Down:Goal: $3000End Date: January 31, 2025Estimated Delivery: June-July, 2025No. Pages: Not specifiedLowest Digital Tier Price: $7Lowest Print Tier Price: $13Truly gorgeous cover art & designStylized, dynamic interior art & composition with a wild purple-dominated paletteLove seeing weird sci-fi back on KickstarterTHE FINAL FINAL FRONTIER Number1: A GAME OF DEATHBy EPHKThe unbelievable (yet true) first official adventure of the infamous Starship USS PEQUOD and its valiant crew!The Low-Down:Goal: $13,456End Date: February 6, 2025Estimated Delivery: October, 2025No. Pages: 48Lowest Digital Tier Price: N/ALowest Print Tier Price: $25Awesome, retro cover art & designStylized, fully painted interior art, color & compositionShips from FranceAgain, LOVE seeing weird sci-fi back on Kickstarter, even in sexy parody formSuperhero:Capable #1-7: The Final Issue | MAKE 100ByJonathan HedrickThe series finale of Jonathan Hedrick's bold superhero story that asks "What if people gained powers opposite of their disabilities?"!The Low-Down:Goal: $517End Date: February 6, 2025Estimated Delivery: February , 2025No. Pages: 60Lowest Digital Tier Price: $6Lowest Print Tier Price: $11Great cover art & designDetailed, dynamic art, color & compositionA much-needed, different take on superheroes This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecomicscrowd.substack.com/subscribe

A full week’s worth of audio summaries of my analysis of each and every project launched on Kickstarter for the week of December 24-29, 2024.Links below for EVERY Comics project that launched on Kickstarter during that week:COMICS I LIKE (recommended):Amazon Arrow: Immortal Reign NSFW #1 and Cosplay BonusEVERYTHING ELSE:FRIGHTS & DELIGHTS IIBoobs #3Naughty Adventures Vol 1 & 2 Huge NSFW Anthologies of comicsThe Adventures of Pom Pom & FleurShiverShockWizard Punk Act 1: Bag Of Infinite SongsAres Issue #1 This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecomicscrowd.substack.com/subscribe

A full week’s worth of audio summaries of my analysis of each and every project launched on Kickstarter for the week of December 24-29, 2024.Links below for EVERY Comics project that launched on Kickstarter during that week:COMICS I LIKE (recommended):Amazon Arrow: Immortal Reign NSFW #1 and Cosplay BonusEVERYTHING ELSE:FRIGHTS & DELIGHTS IIBoobs #3Naughty Adventures Vol 1 & 2 Huge NSFW Anthologies of comicsThe Adventures of Pom Pom & FleurShiverShockWizard Punk Act 1: Bag Of Infinite SongsAres Issue #1 This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecomicscrowd.substack.com/subscribe

A full week’s worth of audio summaries of my analysis of each and every project launched on Kickstarter for the week of December 16-23, 2024.To automatically receive daily updates and analysis of the Kickstarter Comics market, please subscribe. Paid subscribers receive audio editions of each daily update as they’re produced.Links below for EVERY Comics project that launched on Kickstarter during that week:COMICS I LIKE (recommended):Cereal Killer #1-2: an immature murder mysteryThe Exorcist Club #1-3 - A Spicy Supernatural ComicEVERYTHING ELSE:"Bombastic Sexy Girls"Magi's Grace 1 & 2The Northern PatriotShaolin Nun All-Ages EditionsArchie Comics Golden Age Facsimile CollectionNIPPY #1 - 2HOT SUMMER - an EROTIC parody comicEclipsed SkiesBronwyn: Short Story CollectionBreaking Into Comics + How-To Self Publish ReturnsComic book mystery boxes for a mobile comic book storeEclipsed Skies: Rebirth of the LightJungle Jade #1-4 - Action-packed NSFW Comics and Hardcovers!Theater 7 #4The French BaronThe Prince in the Garden 02: BL/Queer ComicComic Book ConservationThe Lustful Blade of the Celestial FrontierSeductive BiteJourney to Bring "Rise Of Denji" to the World!The Coyote on PeyoteLunar Smoke: Silent Night - Xmas Special! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecomicscrowd.substack.com/subscribe

No time to read or just wanna get the day’s Kickstarter Comics news while you drive or jog or work? Well, starting today, I’m delivering the What’s New in Kickstarter Comics post in text AND audio editions. Of course, the text edition will always be free to read for anyone who subscribes to or follows The Comic$ Crowd Substack. The audio edition will typically be available only to paid subscribers after today, just one paid perk I’m adding in the coming weeks. Much like a podcast, I’ll include relevant links in the text associated with each audio post. Now, listen up and enjoy!To visit the Kickstarter page for any of the projects below, simply click on its title.Yesterday’s NewsThe past few days delivered a surge in NSFW comics launches that actually increased proportionately yesterday, when 4 out of the 5 Thursday drops were either primarily sexual in theme or action-adventure comics with heavy sexual aspects to story and marketing. One of these, The Art of Sun Khamunaki - Artbook Vol 3, is an art book/porn cover mill, so not a comic in any sense. The Flawless Five #2 is also a porn cover mill but makes at least a sorta-kinda effort to be a comic, with a paragraph of story synopsis and a page of sequential art that’s far less attractive than the scrolling, progressively nude cover options by Flower XL.OG sexy cover producers, Zenescope Comics, get into the NSFW mix with the White Tiger: Claws, Paws & Outlaws One-Shot. While technically not a porn cover mill, they do offer prints that are nude variants of their covers. They showcase some really nice interior art for this anthropomorphic action-adventure, as does the manga-inspired Good Blood Money #1 - NSFW action/thriller, which unabashedly leans into porn cover mill territory.All four of these NSFW campaigns are funded within their first day on Kickstarter, totaling more than $41,000 between them as of this morning. There’s definitely no shortage of demand for these types of projects, and that’s more than I can say for the fifth launch of the day, HELLBOUND ISSUE 2 COMIC BOOK, a gothic horror that clearly uses digitally manipulated photos for the artwork rather than traditional art drawn by, y’know, an artist. 2 backers and $46 so far.By the NumbersTotal # Live Comics Projects on Kickstarter: 167Total # Comics Launches for This Date: 5# Live Projects by Comics Sub-Category:* Anthologies:* Graphic Novels:* Comic Books: 5* Webcomics:* No Sub-Category:# Comics Launches by Genre:* Action-Adventure: 2* Comedy:* Fantasy:* Horror: 1* NSFW/Porn Cover Mill: 2* Sci-Fi:* Slice of Life:* Superhero:* Supernatural:* Thriller:* Various:* Western:Comics I LikeWhile there’s some great, sexy art on the cornucopia of NSFW covers scattered across Kickstarter yesterday, there’s really nothing compelling or fun on the story side of the equation, at least nothing to warrant the ‘Comic I Like’ treatment.Have a great weekend!* Kevin This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecomicscrowd.substack.com/subscribe

I totally intended to post this video update yesterday when I recorded it, but my video editor would not cooperate. Switched to an easier, less finicky app today, and here we go. I do want to share a fully textual list of the criteria I’m using for the “Comic I Like” designation, so check’em out:* A compelling story concept based on information provided on the Kickstarter page* Appealing art on the cover and interior pages based on clearly visible images provided on the Kickstarter page.* Skilled execution of basic comic crafting techniques (lettering, coloring, cover dress)* Basic end product specs for the comic (e.g., page count, proportions, binding)* Fair pricing of the basic comic rewards (e.g., digital and/or print copies of the comic being funded)* A reasonable fulfillment window (less than 6 months)* (NEW) No outstanding fulfillment on more than one previous Kickstarter campaignNow, back to summarizing the other 18 comics that launched yesterday!To receive summarized, curated lists of the actual comics launched on Kickstarter each day, please subscribe! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecomicscrowd.substack.com/subscribe

All to isolate the real comics from the glut of non-comics and projects that won’t yield comics, so YOU can find the stories you’re looking for.The Comics Crowd is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and follow the crowdfunded comics market, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecomicscrowd.substack.com/subscribe