Welcome to this week’s installment of The Beat‘s Comics Crowdfunding Round-Up! Let’s look at what happens when deep stories meet sci-fi fun!
HELLWHALERS: Book Of Leviathan
Creators: Plus One Exp
Goal: $1,500
End Date: Jun 10, 2025
Goodies: Get the Expansion pledge for $20, the complete Hellwhalers pledge for $55, the Deluxe pledge for $80, or at higher tiers, get the Devil’s Bargain pledge for $666.
HELLWHALERS: Book of Leviathan is a descent into the deepest, most imaginative corners of nautical and religious horror. This wonderfully crafted zine builds on the original TTRPG with new monsters, cursed playbooks, haunting locales, and mythic endings that elevate the storytelling experience. Whether you’re a returning soul or a first-time sinner, this campaign offers a uniquely visceral narrative that will drive TTRPG fans insane. As someone who loves cosmic horror I couldn’t help but want to go deeper into its abyss. Built with inventive mechanics, evocative art, and tangible physical rewards, from stamped fabric patches to papercraft kits and deluxe dice trays, this campaign delivers content and atmosphere to immerse even the most lenient of players. Every pledge also supports community copies, grants for indie creators, and incremental pay increases for the team; it’s all you could ask for from a campaign.
ITTO One Shot – A System Error Story
Creators: Phil Chapman (Writer/Creator)
Goal: $ $1,358
End Date: June 19, 2025
Goodies: Get the one-shot PDF for $10, the physical copy for $14, the catch-up tier for $48, or at higher tiers, get the physical catch-up tier for $71 and much more!
A lone ITTO unit is sent out into the deserted landscape with a very specific task to complete. With added bonus story, Mow-Vana!
ITTO is actually a story we mentioned a long time ago on the Round-Up, and safe to say Im happy to see it back on Kickstarter. As for why you should care: ITTO – A System Error Story explores a hauntingly beautiful world brought to life by creator Phil Chapman. This one-shot follows ITTO, a forgotten tourism robot wandering a desolate London with a mission to help, a purpose that becomes more complicated as eerie mysteries unfold. ITTO is paired with the charming short Mow-Vana! and supported by Blue Fox comics’ acclaimed lineup of robot-driven tales. The best way I can describe it is that this story is a melancholy but beautiful one, it’s a story about life shown through the eyes of ITTO, and its themes stick with you for a long time. I can’t recommend it enough, and it’s worth the effort to visit its campaign page!
Buck Rogers vs The Cyber Lords!
Creators: Alan Liska (Writer/Creator)
Goal: $1,500
End Date: June 19, 2025
Goodies: Get a digital copy for $8, there physical copy for $15, variant covers for $20, or at higher tiers get the metal cover for $40 and much more!
At Green Archer Comics we revive legends & no one is more legendary than Buck Rogers! Breathing new life into this public domain hero!
Buck Rogers is a cornerstone of science fiction and with this Kickstarter it daresto launch into a bold new era while honoring its pulp roots. In one word: fantastic. Buck Rogers vs. The Cyber Lords reimagines the original Philip Francis Nowlan stories with a 56-page comic that captures the timeless charm of vintage adventure. The creative team, led by Allan Liska and Chris A. Field, delivers a completed, beautifully illustrated book that features a gripping storyline and a variety of stunning covers from acclaimed artists. Backing this project means supporting the legacy of a hero who helped define the sci-fi genre and inspired icons like Star Wars and Ray Bradbury himself. With the public domain status of Buck Rogers opening new creative doors, this campaign offers a rare chance to be part of a revitalized legend.
Armored Vol.1
Creators: Michael Schwartz (Writer/Creator), Ismael Hernandez (Artist)
Goal: $3,000
End Date: June 26, 2025
Goodies: Get the digital copy for $15, the hardcover for $35, the trading card bundle for $50, or at higher tiers, get the complete set for $80 and more!
The surprise hit mini-series of 2024, now collected as a beautiful hardcover graphic novel, by Michael Schwartz and Ismael Hernández
Armored is a breakout supernatural adventure that’s already won over readers, and this Kickstarter is the perfect way to dive in or deepen your collection. The story blends heart and humor as 13-year-old Andy discovers a haunted suit of armor and joins forces with its ghostly knight to confront a deadly, otherworldly force. Writer Michael Schwartz (of Zombie Town and Gnome Alone) and artist Ismael Hernandez have created a series packed with emotion, mystery, and high-stakes thrills, earning widespread acclaim and frequent sellouts. This hardcover collects the entire first volume plus a rare bonus story, making it the definitive edition of a fast-rising indie hit. Honestly, what brought me to the campaign is how much fun the project seemed like, the art is great, and simply from the preview pages, it already looks like a strange and wild ride. I can’t wait to see what else Schwartz comes up with, and that’s why I think Armored is a project worth supporting.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/cloverpress/armored-vol-1-graphic-novel-by-schwartz-and-hernandez/description
Creators: Anh-Thy (Nayth) (Writer/Artist/Creator)
Goal: $5,759
End Date: July 6, 2025
Goodies: The digital copy is $20, the physical copy is $30, cover B is $30, and at higher tiers, the double set is $50.
Nayth is self-taught, I believe that’s what drew me to the project even more, because the artwork is incredible, and then we got to learn more about the project. I couldn’t get enough of it: My Little Saigon is an intimate, beautifully drawn graphic novel that explores identity, family expectations, and the pursuit of art. Told through the eyes of Mai-Anne, a second-generation Vietnamese girl in France, the story weaves present-day struggles in the Parisian art world with tender childhood memories shaped by culture, pressure, and quiet resilience. Nayth brings those personal insights and emotional honesty to every panel, drawing from their own experience as a second-generation Asian immigrant. The result is a phenomenal, fictional narrative that speaks to anyone who’s ever felt caught between worlds or burdened by silent expectations. Their art and story create a graphic novel that has the potential to connect with so many others, and that’s why I have to give the project my highest recommendation, and I can’t wait for more.
For more from The Beat’s Crowdfunding Round-Up, check out our archived posts here!
