By Rebecca Oliver Kaplan
Welcome to this week’s installment of The Beat’s Comics Crowdfunding Round-Up! This week we’ve got five high-quality projects from well-known creators and publishers, from crime graphic novels to all-ages supernatural adventure tales. Let’s get right into it!
Mi Hija, La Catrina: La Novela Gráfica / The Graphic Novel
Creators: Danie Casillas
Goal: $1,494
End Date: March 31, 2022
Goodies: Limited edition keychain, printed comic, limited edition sketchbook or a limited edition sketchbook + commission
Cómic independiente mexicano, de Webtoon CANVAS a impresión. Mexican Independent comic, from Webtoon CANVAS to print!
After noticing that one of the most recognizable symbols of Día de los Muertos, La Calavera Catrina, created by the Mexican illustrator Jose Guadalupe Posada, wasn’t the main character in any movies about the holiday, Casillas started the all-ages webcomic to tell the Queen of the World of the Dead’s story. Every 15 days Cati is reborn as a Catrina who must learn to rule the world of the dead. However, in the land of the living, she couldn’t get by without her best friend Jorgito because everything she touches dies.
Glambassador Peach- Queer Comic
Creators: Jennie Gyllblad (illustrator), Matt Warner (writer), Pixie Peach, Ai Valentine, C Bedford, Aru, Paul PJ Johnson, Lady Boris (tattoo artist), Nikki (letterer), Janine, and Skyeknot Art
Goal: $1,980
End Date: April 21, 2022
Goodies: limited edition cover variants, original sketches from the artists, unique original art work from Jennie Gyllblad, digital comics, physical comic, Pixie Peach and Matt Warner signed comic, stickers, postcards, bookmark, badges, and 30 second personalized thank you video from Pixie Peach along with a signed print and polaroid
A science-fiction smut comic embracing diverse queer identities featuring the art of leading indie artists.
This NSFW campaign begins with, “When earth needed a real fucking hero…she came. Again. And Again.” I am a trans queer furry with an affinity for the musical artist Peaches, this campaign from Hellbound Media is designed for me. Is the cosmic queer adventure for you too? Yes? My lips are sealed. If not, you can feel good about supporting LGBTQIA+ sex workers and smut artists.
Leaf PEEPERS
Creators: Shelby Criswell (artist, letterer, they/them) and Mark Bouchard (writer, they/them), with Emmett Nahil (editor, he/him)
Goal: $8,000
End Date: April 7, 2022
Goodies: digital or printed edition of the comic, embroidered patch, a limited number of copies of the duo’s previous books, and limited editorial and commission slots
A couple’s woodland getaway is disrupted by the creature that calls the forest home.
This stood out immediately to me because artist Shelby Criswell is attached to the project, but then I read the description… And got even more excited for the queer, romantic horror-comedy! “Leaf PEEPERS pokes fun at contemporary queer culture from inside the house, combining the always-stoned, often-intimate relationship dynamic present in Simon Hanselmann’s Bad Gateway with the over-the-top schlock of Evil Dead 2.”
Dead Dreams: The Lucid Chronicles #1
Creators: Brittany Matter (writer), Dailen Ogden (artist), Liana Kangas (variant cover artist), Gabriela Downie (letterer), Heather Ayres (editor), Hari Conner (layout artist), Sasha E. Head (designer), AndWorld Design, Drew Wills (flatter) and James B. Emmett (marketing coordinator)
Goal: $3,500
End Date: March 29, 2022
Goodies: digital comic, variant covers, enamel pin, bookmark, portrait
In the vein of Orphan Black and Fringe, Dead Dreams: The Lucid Chronicles #1 is a 32-page sci-fi thriller where parallel worlds exist, dreams are drugs, and doppelgängers dare to change the world. Interesting premise, ‘nuff said.
The Night Bell
Creators: Jillian Dudley (writer) and Maria Savko (artist)
Goal: $5,000
End Date: March 31, 2022
Goodies: digital and print editions
A feminist, gothic horror graphic novel.
The Night Bell is a gothic horror graphic novel set in 1945, Post-WWII America, and examines themes of oppression, abuse, and workplace harassment. Dudley’s goal is to empower victims and survivors of workplace harassment to come forward. Not only does the artwork remind me of the photograph from the morgue above my mother’s bed when I was growing up (a good association), but also by supporting the Ukrainian artist, Savko, you can help give one woman a sense of normalcy and security during this difficult time.
Here are some already-funded projects worth checking out:
- Diary of the Astro-Nudes
- The Boy with Nails for Eyes
- Poorcraft: The Funnybook Fundamentals of Living Well on Less
- Egoraven: Heir of the First Unicorn #1 – 4 & Prequel Story
And finally, here are some projects that haven’t launched yet, but that look to be worth keeping an eye on:
- Moistly Harmless: How to Appreciate Newts and Salamander
- David F. Walker’s IMPOSTER SYNDROME
- Carmen: The Graphic Novel
- QUETZALCOATL Vol 1: A Latinx Comic
Miss any of our previous Comics Crowdfunding Round-Ups? Check out the archive here!