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 and pitching in a few bucks to whatever suits their fancy.
But, with over 10,000 projects* running at any given point in time, how does the average reader find the right Kickstarter to support? Hopefully, this article will help narrow things down, starting with...
Writers: Toren Chenault and Candace Rugg
Artist: Alec Smith
Campaign Ends: December 15th
Status: 50% funded
PITCH:
During the Great Depression, FDR's New Deal never got signed. Hell, it never got made. Instead, the President was killed and the world spiraled into further chaos. That was until a certain group of people decided to take matters into their own hands. Decided that America wouldn't destroy itself because of it's own greed. It was The Banks. They put their heads together and formulated a plan to save America. Their secret? Fiscal responsibility would be the MOST important thing in this new society. And it is. Fast forward nearly 100 years later and we have the most prosperous, peaceful empire to ever exist in the history of the world.
But it's never that simple.
No one is exempt in this new world. Old people, teenagers, businessmen, it doesn’t matter who you are or what you do. The banks have complete authority. Fiscal negligence is a crime punishable by death. There are five federal banks that split control throughout the country. They work in complete cohesion to make sure America stays on top.
Sara De Santa has been reporting on the banks since she was in college. Some call her a nuisance, but most consider her a threat. And when the banks get hacked for over 3 TRILLION dollars, everyone is looking Sara's way. N$F will show you just how deep the corruption is and how far the banks will go to get their money.
WHY SHOULD I BACK IT?
Banks controlling every part of people's lives? Money and one's proximity to it hijacking people's autonomy and usurping government using corruption? Corporate oligopoly? How do these wacky creators come up with these silly ideas. Chilling parallels to day-to-day live aside, this comic is moody, stylized, and wonderfully realized. The world building is thorough and the talent on hand promises a fascinating view into a dystopian world. Speaking of...
Editor: Anthony Pollock (Soda and Telepaths)
Campaign Ends: December 27th
Status: 50% funded
PITCH:
Producing the End of the World is a 160-page, full colour anthology, collecting stories from a diverse group of up-and-coming comics talent. Each story explores a different post-apocalyptic scenario, with focus ranging from the most intimate and human moments to the most epic and awe-inspiring cataclysmic destruction. With so many tales from so many unique voices, we guarantee there is a story for everyone in this world-ending collection.
WHY SHOULD I BACK IT?
We somehow managed to pick the lamest post-apocalypse to live through, so we may as well read about some more interesting ones. There's a wealth of creative talent on board and a determined visionary at the head of the project that ensures, if nothing else, this book is going to be a really interesting read.
Writer: Dave Cook
Artist: Steve Gregson
Campaign Ends: December 19th
Status: 350% funded
PITCH:
BPM is the first Team Beats project, and it stars two martial arts cops - the hot-headed Maya Wickburn and her jaded friend Rick Diavola - as they fight to crush an evil crime Syndicate in Stone City during one crazy night of action in 1993.
Along with their butt-kicking friends from the Belt Action Dojo, Maya and Rick uncover the Syndicate's evil plot to unleash a strange new drug onto the streets of Stone City - a mysterious substance that reacts to music, called BPM.
Maya and her fellow fighters gear up to crush the Syndicate, and along the way they fight a huge cast of enemies straight out of retro fighting games, including ancient ninja clans, corrupt cops, wrestling bartenders, punk biker gangs and much more.
WHY SHOULD I BACK IT?
I'm a sucker for video game nostalgia comics in the vein of Scott Pilgrim (I do, after all, co-write MechaTon), so I do feel personally targeted by BPM. The art style is rough in all the right ways, the story is knowingly over the top, and whole vibe has a Streets of Rage arcade feel that I can't get enough of. Add to that the creative mind behind the wildly successful Killtopia, and it's hard to argue that this comic isn't a winner.
Writers: Misty Graves & Steve Urena
Artist: Lane Lloyd
Campaign Ends: January 29th
Status: 60% funded
PITCH:
Twis' the year 2045, and Santa is leaving/Christmas behind-/He’s just stopped believing.
He is giving up his magic./He is going away./He is planning one final ride in his magical sleigh…
But, all of a sudden, there arises a clatter!/His toy-making machines are making everyone scatter!
The robots are taking over, and AI is snotty!/They’re judging everyone to be extremely naughty!
Can Saint Nick stop the bots in his North Pole arena?/Find out in the holiday horror-comedy comic X-MASCHINA!
WHY SHOULD I BACK IT?
There might be no style in indie comics more distinct than that of Lane Lloyd, whose flat cartoonish style manages to hit just the right balance between simplistic, expressive, and abstract. The premise is as promising as it is entertaining, and the only way it could feel more appropriate in this bizarre world we live in is if it was also Christmas time...Wait, it is? Hooray!
Editor: Brent Fisher
Campaign Ends: January 14th
Status: 0% (launches December 14th)
PITCH:
The Color of Always is a 140-page curated comic collection of illustrated personal stories about LGBTQIA+ love. Its primary mandate is to enshrine our stories in paper and print as testimonies, heirlooms, evocations and evangelisms for queer creators and readers, with a secondary mission of conveying these precious and essential journeys to others as a bridge towards greater understanding, empathy, emotional comprehension and compassion.
I hope you join us in celebrating them all.
WHY SHOULD I BACK IT?
This project has everything an anthology needs to succeed: A fantastic and clearly defined theme, both new and established talent showcasing original ideas, and a dedicated editor pulling out all the stops to make the book as great as it can be. Add to that the massive wealth of add-ons and features from artists like Skylar Patridge, Fell Hound, and Val Halverson and there's just too much here not to make it rain all over your laptop (credit card and paypal are preferred, though).
*DISCLAIMER: Comics are selected from a very large pool of projects, some sent to us for review, some come across on the site itself. 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 Kickstarter.
–Wells Thompson, Content Editor