Earlier this year, Kickstarter Director of Publishing & Comics Outreach Oriana Leckert announced that the crowdfunding platform would be hiring for a new position focused solely on comics outreach. The search is over it seems, as today Kickstarter announced that Bryce Gold, formerly of Comixology, will join the platform as its new Head of Comics. With Gold’s addition to the team, Leckert’s focus will shift solely to publishing outreach.
From Kickstarter’s announcement:
As Head of Comics, Bryce will manage and curate Kickstarter’s Comics category, connect with and champion the work of promising creators in the comics community, and bring together a growing community of comics creators and supporters of comics and illustration.
Gold announced just yesterday that he would be leaving Comixology, where he worked for eight years and served as program manager and head of content for the digital publisher’s Originals line since 2020. In addition to his position at Comixology, Gold is also the founder and publisher of his own small press, Pyrite Press.
“I think being successful in this role requires an intricate knowledge of all major and minor aspects of publishing comics,” Gold said in a statement accompanying the announcement. “My experience in both the mainstream and indie comics spaces have given me a unique understanding of the needs and challenges faced by comics creators from all creative backgrounds.
“As former Head of Content with Comixology,” Gold continued, “I’ve shepherded Eisner-award winning series and creators into readers’ hands in digital and print formats, and found exciting ways to connect creators with their fans and audiences worldwide. As an indie publisher with Pyrite Press, I understand the unique obstacles faced by cartoonists and micropresses to bring groundbreaking work into the world with smaller-scale resources. My experiences have helped me appreciate the role Kickstarter plays in the comics industry as a platform that allows creators to maintain 100% of their creative independence while giving them access to the funds and community they need to bring their projects to life. I’m so excited to bring my perspective to Kickstarter and help comics creators achieve their dreams.”
Gold’s arrival follows a huge 2022 for comics on Kickstarter, in which the success rate of projects for the category clocked in at 78%, with over $30 Million raised for 2,205 successful projects. Other crowdfunding platforms like Zoop and Crowdfundr, which are focused solely on comics, have grown in scale over the past few years, and some projects that originated on Kickstarter or that failed during initial Kickstarter attempts have found greater success on those other platforms. It’s no surprise, then, that Kickstarter would want someone on the team whose sole focus is on comics in order to ensure that the growth they’ve seen continues, and that they remain competitive with the upstart crowdfunders.
Congratulations and best of luck to Gold in his new position.
