It’s a heavy-hitting week in indie comics and pop culture. You won’t want to miss this Crowdfunding Round-Up!
Kill The Dream by Clio Isadora
Creators: Clio Isadora (Writer/Artist), Avery Hill Publishing (Publisher)
Goal: $4,029
End Date: November 20, 2026
Goodies: Digital editions start at £10, paperback editions start at £13, and bundles include a Kickstarter-exclusive sketch zine, a signed and numbered art print, and an original A5 drawing by Clio Isadora for higher-tier backers.
Can our mummy detective and his vampire sidekick escape the dungeon before a demonic cult commits mass murder and unleashes Hell?!
Kill The Dream is the latest graphic novel from cartoonist Clio Isadora, following sisters Amethyst and Parsley Mire as they return to their mother’s funeral in the isolated desert town of Jupiter Rock. Their mother, Blanche, abandoned the family years earlier to pursue her obsession with unlocking the spirit realm’s three doors of life, death and rebirth. But her followers have other plans. As the sisters discover, Blanche’s students are searching for a new vessel for her soul, pulling them into a supernatural nightmare. Following her debut Sour Pickles, Isadora delivers a contemporary horror story inspired by dysfunctional families, psychological horror, and the lasting impact of a parent’s beliefs. It’s definitely worth a look!
Merrick: The Sensational Elephantman – Volume 3 TPB
Creators: Tom Ward (Writer/Creator), Luke Parker (Artist/Colorist/Designer), Micah Myers (Letterer), Clare Lenton (Editor)
Goal: $3,358
End Date: November 21, 2026
Goodies: Digital editions start at £5, the Volume 3 paperback starts at £15, and bundles offer all three collected editions, limited-edition single issues, and additional horror stories.
Merrick: The Sensational Elephantman returns with its third collected edition, bringing readers another round of Victorian pulp adventure from creator Tom Ward and artist Luke Parker. Inspired by a fictionalized version of Joseph Merrick’s life, the series blends historical folklore with superhero conventions, secret identities and supernatural mysteries. Volume 3 collects the Puppets story arc, following Merrick as he falls into a trap set by the sinister Punch and Judy, while Dr. Frederick Treves faces the consequences of his dangerous experiments with the dark arts. With 96 pages of adventure, a cover gallery and beautifully produced paperback editions, this is a great opportunity for longtime readers and newcomers alike. Better yet, Volume 3 is designed as a jumping-on point, so you don’t need to have read the previous collections to enjoy the adventure. If Victorian horror and classic pulp storytelling are your thing, give this one a look!
The Estranged: A Sapphic Horror Thriller
Creators: Jason McNamara (Writer), Matthieu Pereira (Artist), Dave Kemp (Colorist), Konner Knudsen (Editor)
Goal: $5,000
End Date: November 11, 2026
Goodies: Digital editions start at $5, signed physical copies start at $11, and higher tiers include exclusive variant covers, appearances in the comic, and bundles featuring more than 500 pages of additional comics.
High School tore Heather and Albion apart; can a Demon bring them back together? Mean Girls meets Hellraiser.
What happens when the person you left behind becomes the only one who can help you survive? The Estranged is a sapphic horror thriller from writer Jason McNamara and artist Matthieu Pereira, following Heather and Albion, two former best friends whose relationship was cut short by a brutal killing in their hometown of Braddock, Texas. Thirteen years later, Heather returns, hoping to rebuild her life and reconnect with Albion, but a sinister presence has awakened, and locals are once again disappearing. With suspicion falling on Heather, the two must confront their past before history repeats itself. Blending supernatural horror, gore and complicated relationships, this 32-page debut promises a chilling story with a personal edge. If Mean Girls and Hellraiser sound like your kind of combination, this one deserves a look!
DEATH IS A ROOM: Illustrated Gothic Tales by Women Writers
Creators: Julie Doucet (Illustrator), Carmen Maria Machado (Introduction), Beehive Books (Publisher)
Goal: $50,000
End Date: November 4, 2026. Late pledges available!
Goodies: Digital editions start at $25, standard hardcover slipcase editions start at $100, and collector tiers offer signed and numbered editions, original Julie Doucet artwork, foil prints, enamel pins and complete collections of Beehive’s Illuminated Editions.
An exquisite collection of historic horror fiction illustrated by Julie Doucet, with an introduction by Carmen Maria Machado.
What happens when the home meant to protect you becomes the source of your greatest fears? Death Is a Room brings together nine gothic horror stories by groundbreaking women writers, including Virginia Woolf, Kate Chopin, Frances Hodgson Burnett and Charlotte Perkins Gilman. Illustrated by award-winning cartoonist Julie Doucet, the collection features haunting black-and-red linocut artwork, alongside an introduction by Carmen Maria Machado exploring the lasting influence of gothic horror. Published by Beehive Books, this 172-page collection revisits forgotten literary treasures and celebrated classics through an unsettling visual experience. For readers who appreciate literary horror, striking artwork and beautifully crafted editions, this is one worth checking out!
IMITATION OF LIFE | An Afterlife Inc. graphic novel
Creators: Jon Lock (Writer), Raffaele Ricciardi, V.V. Glass, JP Jordan and Will Tempest (Artists), Lucy Lock (Letterer)
Goal: $671
End Date: November 12, 2026.
Goodies: Digital editions start at £4 (approximately $6), signed physical editions start at £15 (approximately $21) and include the digital edition. Additional add-ons include previous volumes of Afterlife Inc., deluxe hardcover collections and a 10th anniversary commemorative coin.
Art imitates life in Imitation of Life, a new 160-page, full-color graphic novel from writer Jon Lock, creator of the long-running independent series Afterlife Inc. Following the adventures of deceased con artist Jack Fortune, the series explores an afterlife thrown into chaos after he decides to take over and run it like a business. Now, years into his leadership, the corporation is crumbling under internal conflicts, mounting crises and a growing rift among its board of directors. As Jack turns to increasingly dark measures to secure the company’s future, Elizabeth struggles to hold everything together and uncover whether their greatest enemy lies outside or within. Featuring artwork from Raffaele Ricciardi, V.V. Glass, JP Jordan and Will Tempest, with lettering by Lucy Lock, the book also showcases illustrations from University of Gloucestershire graduates! You get to support new artists bringing to life this journey into strange! After 14 years of developing the series, Lock brings Afterlife Inc. closer to its final chapter. The book is already fully funded, with additional stretch goals available to unlock!
For more from The Beat’s Crowdfunding Round-Up, check out our archived posts here!
