You may have perhaps noticed it is not Monday, it is in fact Tuesday. In middle school, Tuesday was hot dog day. The scent of steamed soggy bread with boiled meat filled the school’s hallways. It was pungent. I enjoyed hot dog day for one reason and one reason only, Swiss cake rolls available at fifty cents a pop. The late nineties were a time of plenty. Well, plenty of snack food anyway. I could go on but no one is here for my thoughts on snacks so let’s get into it. This week we will be looking at three crowdfunding projects who could use your help in reaching their goals.

1. No Straight Lines: Four Decades of Queer Comics

This Kickstarter is not for a comic, it’s for a documentary about comics. The film is inspired by Justin Hall’s 2012 eponymous anthology which chronicled the milestone works of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer comics creators. The film helps bring the anthology to life by documenting the stories and experiences of some of the creators from Hall’s Eisner-nominated anthology.

Art by Maurice Vellekoop

The film is being produced and directed by the Peabody Award winning filmaker Vivian Kleiman. Kleiman is nearing the completion of principal photography and is hopping to raise enough funds to round out the film with a few additional pick-ups and interviews. In their Kickstarter, Kleiman and company lay out what interviews they have completed and which interviews they are hoping to add with the help of crowdfunding.

The team, which includes cinematography from Andy Black and co-production from Justin Hall, has already interviewed Alison Bechdel (Fun Home), Howard Cruse and his partner Eddie and Mary Wings, among many others. With more funding they are hoping to add interviews from the pioneering creator Rupert Kinnard, Jen Camper (subGURLZ) and Scout Tran (Falling Sky).

Comics, like any medium, are at their best when they reflect the complexity and diversity of the real world, and we’re excited to have the chance to spotlight the people who are bringing that authenticity to the comics page. With your help, we can give these stories the big screen treatment they deserve. — Vivian Kleiman & Justin Hall via Kickstarter

You can watch the trailer for the film here:

The team is hoping to raise $35,000 to complete this film. The rewards available include special access to crew and production team videos and content, signed copies of Justin Hall’s anthology and more. Funding for this project will continue through May 23.

2. Raina

Raina is the story about power, the struggle to contain it and isolation. This graphic novel comes to us from  newcomer and university student Rudi Okasili-Henry. I mention that they are a student because it’s an important component of their Kickstarter campaign, not because it’s a pejorative quality. While this may be their first graphic novel and foray into crowdfunding, I believe the story of Raina is worth checking out.

Artwork from Raina by Rudi Okasili-Henry

Here’s a brief synopsis of the story:

‘Raina’ is a story that follows a young blind woman with an immense amount of power that she’s unable to contain. Due to her inability to contain her power, Vivik, her Limiter, formed a mental bound with Raina, restraining her powers and the freedom she has to use them. This resulted in her to becoming introverted, and even afraid of herself. In the novel, Raina struggles with coming to terms with an accident that cost the lives of tens of thousands of people, almost taking the life of her Limiter, Vivik – an accident she caused.

Okasili-Henry says that they are using Raina’s powers to explore feelings of anxiety, introversion, and the fear of speaking up and out. Those are certainly feelings I can identify with, as I’m sure many can. I think conveying emotional turmoil and struggle through the evocation of Raina’s power can give people a more tangible way to understand their own feelings and inner dialogue. That’s part of why comics and sequential art are so great, we are able to access our emotional landscape in new and exciting ways.

It’d be lovely to have some more information about what printer they plan to use and how they plan to publish and ship their graphic novel. It’d also be super helpful to know the size of their initial print run and a more detailed breakdown of their anticipated expenses. Hopefully we’ll see this Kickstarter updated with that information!

This Kickstarter is hoping to fund the creation of a graphic novel which will be run 36-42 pages in length. Okasili-Henry is hoping to raise $3,591 by May 29, 2018. There are a few rewards available including access to HD Wallpapers, some prints and a commissioned piece by the artist.

3. Time Cheetah Vol 2: “Ford’s Fortune”

Time Cheetah reminds me of a TV series called “Danger 5”. It was a campy Australian comedy that parodied spy and crime procedural-based dramas of the 1960s and 1980s. Much like the premise of Time Cheetah, it’s absolutely absurd. 
Gif from the Australian comedy series “Danger 5”

In Volume 2 of Time Cheetah we follow our hero, Time Cheetah on his never-ending quest to prevent criminals from altering our timeline.

Time Cheetah’s newest tale sees our hero join a secret poker game in 1900’s Monte Carlo, one that holds the fate of the American car industry at stake! He’ll have to bluff his way past colorful suspects, accounting oversights, and a deadly hangover if he wants to save Henry Ford from his own recklessness in… “Ford’s Fortune”!

Like the first volume of this series, this collection will combine several stories from the webcomic into a single book. What does this mean for you? It means all of the material for this comic is complete and ready for print. This Kickstarter is hoping to raise $6,000 to help print a full-color 80-page softcover book for your viewing pleasure. The team which produces this series successfully Kickstarted Volume 1 last year, so they have some experience in delivering on their promises.

Here are a couple preview pages for what you can expect in Volume 2:

Preview of Time Cheetah, Page 1
Preview of Time Cheetah, Page 2

Just who is behind this creation? The series is co-created by Carlos Guzman and Alejandro Verdugo and Matt Cossin. Guzman and Verdugo also co-write the series while Matt Cossin provides the artwork. Mikey Cossin is the series’ colorist, while Tom Long provides lettering. Samantha Barlin is the team’s graphic designer. You can read more about them over on the Kickstarter page.

Funding for this project will continue through May 22 and the rewards are plentiful. Pins, postcards, shirts,  and stickers await you should you choose to back this fun-filled spy tale of mystery. They’ve also provided a breakdown of where the money is going to and a detailed list of stretch goals. So if you’re into silly spy stories with suspense and surprise, consider checking this campaign out.

UPDATE: The Kickstarter for Raina has been updated to include additional information about the breakdown of costs and expenses.


Sadly, our time has come to an end. But I look forward to seeing you next Tuesday!

1 COMMENT

  1. What about JAWBREAKERS on IndieGoGo? That book looks AWESOME. I’m surprised you haven’t mentioned it already.

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