Welcome to this week’s installment of The Beat‘s Comics Crowdfunding Round-Up!
Let’s look at what happens when California becomes a corporate wasteland, a Conan love letter, an exploration of our own humanity, and much more!
California, Inc. Trade Paperback
Creators: Arthur N. Ebuen (Writer), Dave Law (Illustrator)
Goal: $6,200
End Date: November 13, 2025
Goodies: Get the digital copy for $18, a signed physical copy for $35, the retailer bundle for $45, and much more!
©alifornia, Inc. is a story about a corporate country still in its formative years, a brand new country that fights wars within factions that are fighting to shape this new nation. Creator Arthur N. Ebeun has created a world that is unique, incorporating a seceded ©alifornia that has created its own water source, ensuring their independence. It’s phenomenal, using Silicon Valley as their largest revenue source, and implementing a massive military presence that has been privatized to these factions, Arthur is able to tell a deep story that pulls from real events, albeit extreme levels, and produces a story that is unforgettable as it is unbelievable.
King of Kush
Creators: John Evans (Writer), Fabricio Guerra (Artist)
Goal: $2,000
End Date: October 30, 2025
Goodies: You can get the digital copy for $3, the physical copy for $7, the variant covers for $12, or at higher tiers get the “Warrior’s Bundle” for $25
The story is finished. The art is complete. The King of Kush is ready, now it’s time to bring it to you. Follow Alara, the Lion of Kush
I won’t lie, I’ve been on a current fantasy binge lately, just absorbing as much as i can from what I could find. It’s part of the reason King of Kush stood out to me, its clearly inspired by Conan, and after skimming through the project page, I couldn’t help but want more.
The epic comic’s protagonist, Alara, the Lion of Kush, is destined to unite the ancient Medjay tribes to forge a powerful nation. Fighting against a perilous desert, dark magic, and even gods, this story based in the heart of the Nile River Valley only has more to deliver. Their art seems like something spit out of the swords and sorcery handbook, and any fan of D&D, Conan, fantasy, or even adventure novels will get something out of this campaign.
Concrete Cosmos: A tale of humanity’s legacy
Creators: Hobbes Wholihan (Creator/Writer)
Goal: $2,000
End Date: November 14, 2025
Goodies: Get the digital copy for $5, the physical copy for $10, the “Artist Print Edition” for $30, and the cosmic edition for $100.
If all of humanity left Earth, how do you think you’d be remembered?
Concrete Cosmos is deceptively cute; its art style gives it the feel of a children’s book while the story inside has a melancholy depth that allows the reader to explore their own demons. That’s putting it lightly. The story follows Stargazer, a robot designed to guide humanity through the stars; however, its dream is destroyed when it is left behind. Wholihan makes Stargazer face why humanity left Earth and explore the kind of impact we have had on each other. It’s amazing, and something worth investing your time in. Make sure to check it out before it’s too late.
Super Hero Incognito Toilet Sanitation
Creators: Johnny Busa (Writer)
Goal: $1,000
End Date: November 1, 2025
Goodies: Get the digital copy for $5, the physical copy for $10, a signed copy for $20, or at higher tiers get the sticker bundle for $25 and much more!
A 52-page parody one-shot about the team that cleans up after superheroes — keeping hero restrooms clean, one flush at a time.
I admit, the photo of a hero on a toilet made me chuckle; however, its intended effect worked. I was interested to say the least. What I got was a project that felt like the second coming of Damage Control, all in a Sunday newspaper cartoon strip. I was enamored. The project focuses on a city bursting with superheroes, and in that city, there’s one team that handles what nobody else wants to: the bathrooms. Even if they’re not the most important team, without them, everything goes down the drain in more ways than one. It might seem strange, but it gives off the vibes of a Captain Underpants comic meant for adults, and I believe that’s why the project is halfway to being funded, and for that reason, it deserves to be here on this week’s roundup.
Artichoke Knight
Creators: Alex Newton (Writer/Artist)
Goal: $1,199
End Date: November 11, 2025
Goodies: Get the first ruin of the comic for $24, the finished ocmic for $12, a signed copy for $31, or at higher tiers get the entire series as a digital copy for $31 and much more!
Two friends set off across a strange neon-medieval world to build the restaurant of their dreams.
Artichoke Knight follows a road trip story about two friends who adventure through the neon-medieval world all in the hopes of building the restaurant of their dreams. Charlie and Cherry enter the cookery combat competition every year, and every year Cherry wins while Charlie is always a distant runner-up. It’s meant to be an exploration of our own relationship with challenge, with the forces that fight against our own dreams.
This comic asks what you are willing to put up with to succeed at your dreams, and I can’t help but be enamored with that idea. Check out this campaign if you’re looking for something unique in a fantasy world of our own imagination, check out the project asap because time is running out!
For more from The Beat’s Crowdfunding Round-Up, check out our archived posts here!
