Indie and self-published comics are in a bit of a renaissance right now as the major comics powerhouses are on the decline and tools for independent creators are becoming much more plentiful and accessible. As a result, comic readers can find whatever niche comic they want to read just by going to Kickstarter or Zoop and pitching in a few bucks to whatever suits their fancy.
But, with thousands* of projects across multiple platforms, how does the average reader decide where to put their hard-earned money? Hopefully, this article will help narrow things down, starting with...
Writer: Jonathan Thompson
Artist: Attila Schwanz
Campaign Ends: March 17th
Status: 70% funded
PITCH:
A horror tale for the ages! Locked in his ocean cliff tower, an aged samurai waits for death in the form of a flesh-eating hired killer. As blades clash, their confrontation bleeds into the memories of a night long ago when everything pure was lost forever.
Our story unspools over 72 gruesome, out-of-this-world, jaw-dropping pages created by the dynamo Attila Schwanz, whose work is just as bold as great comic artists like Bill Sienkiewicz, Dave McKean, and David Mack.
WHY SHOULD I BACK IT?
This is exactly the kind of high pulp, wildly adventurous comic that Kickstarter was made for! The art is dynamic and experimental, the characters are larger than life, and the effect is out of this world. All this from a proven Kickstarter creator and it's a true mystery why this hasn't been funded already. Get this book while you can!
Writer: Daniel Gordon
Artist: Ismael Hernandez
Campaign Ends: March 31st
Status: 73% funded
PITCH:
The Lotari tribe struggle to survive in a prehistoric landscape, and just when things look like they can't get any worse, a supernatural threat from their past returns looking for revenge.
If you enjoy Genny Tartakovsky's Primal, this is going to be right up your alley! Or if you are like me and like great action (or sabretooth tigers, who doesn't love a sabretooth tiger!) this is for you!
WHY SHOULD I BACK IT?
Another ambitious project with an unconventional art style, The Crow and the Wolf is a former Action Lab property that got out while it had the chance. Now, it's being presented in its entirety to the masses on Kickstarter and it looks absolutely killer! If you (like me) like supernatrual twists on familiar settings/narratives, this comic will be right up your alley!
Cartoonist: Karl Kerschl
Campaign Ends: April 5th
Status: 400% funded
PITCH:
Tanager Ray can speak to the dead. One of a handful of young women who have this strange ability, she works as a Death Transit - a ferryman for lost souls stuck between here and the afterlife.
Inspired by Metroid and Hellboy and a LOT of manga and anime, each issue of DEATH TRANSIT TANAGER is a murder mystery in space, filled with creeping dread and kinetic sci-fi action!
The stand-alone feature story follows Tanager on the job as she tracks down an old asteroid miner's body, while the all-new Past Lives colour backup story delves into her past – who was she before she became a Death Transit?
WHY SHOULD I BACK IT?
I normally don't put the spotlight on comics that don't need the attention, but I make an exception when a book is this striking! Reading like Metroid by way of Ghost in the Shell, this book is energetic, fun, and I can't wait to put a copy in my hands. Sometimes books get absurdly funded because they deserve it, and this is definitely one of those times!
Writer: Matt Ringel
Artist: Marika Cresta
Campaign Ends: March 30th
Status: 68% funded
PITCH:
Captain Alice Carroll, USAF scientist is finally bringing her lifelong endeavor to existence. Project Looking Glass is meant to change the world forever but when it doesn’t go as planned Alice’s world is changed in ways she never expected. She finds herself in an alternate reality not too different from her own. Except for the fact that it’s a technocratic empire ruled by the Red Queen and her Hart Foundation. Now Alice must team up with an underground resistance to defeat the Queen and find her way home.
ALICE is a 4 part mini-series. Issue #1 is a 31 page full colour, American Standard sized issue printed on high quality paper!
WHY SHOULD I BACK IT?
Retellings of Alice in Wonderland are not a new concept, even in cyberpunk (The Matrix has you, after all), but the art in this book is too incredible not to spotlight! Cresta's sleek and stunning designs sing off the page and demand your attention in a world that is at once foreign and all too familiar. I'm personally extremely interested to see how this retelling plays out!
Writer: Eastin DeVerna
Artist: Kay Baird
Campaign Ends: March 29th
Status: 48% funded
PITCH:
The You Are the Future graphic novel follows two key characters from the game: Keeper Loria Thornstrum and her Ward, Fern.
Join them as they travel through a post-apocalyptic nature-takeover landscape. They must traverse the wilds, uncover the secrets of the Old World -- and keep far from the vingles -- sentient vines looking to take back what is theirs, and turn our heroes into plant food while they're at it...
In a blend of prose and beautiful sequential art, this is a story of love, hope, survivial, and family -- brought to you by the creators of the graphic novel, A. Guardian: Eastin DeVerna and Kay Baird.
WHY SHOULD I BACK IT?
We're normally pretty consistent about sticking to just comics on this website, but this combination graphic novel/board game was too enticing not to mention! Eastin DeVerna is a world class writer and we're so excited to see what he's got cooking with this project. If it was just a graphic novel, it would still be the most exciting thing on Kickstarter right now, but the board game itself looks incredible and, as a package, I don't think there's a better deal on the website at the moment.
*DISCLAIMER: Comics are selected from a very large pool of projects, some sent to us for review, some come across on the websites themselves. We tend to favor first issue comics by indie creators that haven't already hit their campaign goals 5 times over, so keep that in mind. While we feel this list is representative of projects most worth the time and money of a comic reader, it is by no means exhaustive and there are many, MANY more projects that you can and should explore on Crowdfunding sites like Kickstarter and Zoop.
-Wells Thompson, Resident Kickstarter Expert