Welcome to the Comics Crowdfunding Round-Up! The column spotlights crowdfunding campaigns by queer creators, disabled creators, women creators, and creators of color, which we think are a great investment, whether for a one-shot story or a sprawling anthology. This week’s round-up includes the latest from the female-led publisher Unlikely Heroes Studios, an all-ages story inspired by Finnish folklore, and one woman’s journey chronicling her life in comics for five years.
Are you ready to dive in? Let’s get going!
Lucifer Licorice #1
Creators: Angela Oddling, Russell Nohelty, Laurie Foster, and Sarah White
Goal: $7,500
End Date: June 6, 2023
Goodies: digital or print edition, Alchemy Merch enamel pins, variant covers, sticker sheet, t-shirts (black or cream), and original postcard or painting by Oddling
A spoiled brat prince is turned into a licorice monster by a candy witch and must learn to stop being so bitter to break the curse.
Unlikely Heroes Studios, a female-led comic book publisher, is crowdfunding a new all-ages comic series from USA Today best-selling author Nohelty and Pittsburgh Steelers illustrator Oddling, Lucifer Licorice. The comic tells the story of the eponymous hero, who, after being transformed into a licorice monster by a candy witch, sets off on an epic quest to regain his old life. Moober, a tea towel ghost, is Lucifer Licorice’s adorable companion, joining him as he travels into the bowels of heck, fights emo-demons, and does everything in his power to stop being bitter and get his old body back.
UH Studios describes the comic series as “perfect for fans of The Regular Show, Adventure Time, Stephen Universe, or Summer Camp Island.”
Zurdo – The Art of Jorge Molina
Creators: Jorge “Zurdo” Molina
Goal: $10,000
End Date: June 16, 2023
Goodies: oversized hardcover art book (120 pages), signed art book, signed art bundle or variant cover, and retailer bundle
This exclusive hardcover art book will feature Jorge’s favorite artwork from his 15 years as an artist!
Why am I excited about this book? Spider-Geddon, which Molina worked on with writer Christos Gage and re-introduced Spider-Ma’am to Marvel Comics canon (a fave). But recently, he debuted as DC Comics’ main artist on the Batman titles, working not only on interior and cover art but also designing new characters and suits for his iconic run on the Dark Knight. In this art book, Molina revisits some of his favorite artwork from his 15-year career as an artist, featuring some previously seen work from covers and character designs but also showing some never before seen personal art and behind-the-scenes process work. Backers of this project will get a retrospective on his evolution as an artist.
5500 Miles of Comics
Creators: Betje Ton
Goal: $8,000
End Date: June 15, 2022
Goodies: digital or softcover edition, bookplate (signed or signed with a sketch), five comics postcards, six illustrated postcards, portrait in Ton’s comic style, Substack annual subscription half price ($25), Let’s Be Honest, Happy Tear, Travelogue Costa Rica PDF, Travelogue Roadwork PDF, and retailer bundle
With over 250 pages of humorous and heartfelt comic journals, Betje Ton chronicles family life in Los Angeles and her move to the Netherlands during a global pandemic.
With her incredibly popular ‘slice of life’ comic strips, Ton has one of the most subscribed to Substack accounts in the comics category. According to the cartoonist, she started drawing about her daily life one evening. She didn’t stop for five years, chronicling relatable tales about homeschooling her kids while trying to work and almost setting her house on fire. This book is the best of those comics: roughly 5500 miles of comics, or 250+ pages.
Fox Fires Book Two
Creators: Emilia Ojala
Goal: $3,000
End Date: June 22, 2023
Goodies: digital or hardcover graphic novel (150 pages), copy of Book One, exclusive digital wallpaper, a bookplate signed by Ojala, vinyl sticker, bookmarks, pearlescent prints (each 8.5″x11″), set of three enamel pins, Repo plushie, an exclusive one-of-a-kind drawing of up to two characters in full color, appear in the comic as your Sielun Eläin (spirit animal, and retailer bundle
Emilia Ojala’s all-ages adventure, inspired by Finnish mythologies about a young raccoon dog’s quest to find her family continues.
From Rocketship Entertainment’s new young reader’s line Bottlerocket, comes the second book in Ojala’s all-ages fantasy adventure heavily inspired by Finnish folklore, Fox Fires. According to the creator, the Fox Fires (Northern Lights) is a gate between this world and the land of the dead, allowing souls to visit their loved ones. The comic’s main character, a young raccoon dog named Raate, wonders why it disappears and heads north to find what’s happened to Repo, the firefox whose burning fur is said to make the Fox Fires appear in the sky. Raate meets all kinds of weird creatures and new friends on her journey. But in Book Two, she will also meet her first official antagonists.
Per the Kickstarter page, “the comic addresses the relationship between humans and nature, friendships, family, self-growth, and teaching readers about Finnish folklore. So, if you’re into folklore, cute animals, and heartwarming adventures, you might like this story.”
Quindrie Press: the 2023 comic collection
Creators: Ell J Walker (Catharsis), Faye Stacey (Find a Seat), NORRIE (Flesh & Flora), and Beth Fuller (Witching Hour)
Goal: $18,496
End Date: June 7, 2023
Goodies: digital and print versions of the comics, bundles, stickers, sponsorship options, and retailer bundle
Four more brand-new comics from some of Scotland’s most exciting indie creators!
From award-winning and Eisner-nominated micropublisher Quindrie Press, four brand-new indie comics for 2023. Each book is 48 pages long and standard manga size and available to buy separately or as a bundle at a discount (hey, options are nice). The micropublisher comes highly recommended by The Beat‘s Dean Simons, who I e-mailed saying that I was bored with everything. This isn’t mainstream, and it isn’t American. Plus, Simons said that Quindrie is LGBQTIA+ friendly. So let’s check it out together, folx!
Here are some other crowdfunding projects worth checking out:
- Try Not to Die #1
- Azza the Barbed Vol. 1
- Scott Snyder Presents: Tales from the Cloakroom Vol. 2
- Dead Air #1 90s College Radio Sci-Fi With A Soundtrack
And finally, here are some crowdfunding projects that haven’t launched yet, but that are worth keeping an eye on:
- Keisuke Uyama’s bestselling LOVE LIKE THE FALLING PETALS
- The 99
- SAINTED LOVE: A gay science-fiction adventure comic
- Haunted Hill: The Complete Volume 1
Miss any of our previous Comics Crowdfunding Round-Ups? Check out the archive here!
