Yesterday I was riding my bike, as I do, to my local coffee shop. I was trying to be eco-friendly and use my water bottle. I felt real smug about it. As I began to lock up my bike I noticed water leaking from my bag, which is not a thing you generally want to have happen. It’s certainly not something you want to have happen when your work computer is sitting in that very same backpack.

To make a short story longer than it needs to be, my laptop is no more.

It has ceased to be.

That made my Monday, and now Tuesday, quite exhilarating. Who am I without this laptop attached to me like an extra appendage? Pretty much the same person, albeit slightly more annoyed. Anyway, that’s yesterday. Today is the day I get to bring you all some lovely new crowdfunding projects.


1. Neither Here Nor Hair Anthology

This is an anthology by 14 Australian creators about yes, you guessed it, hair.

Hair isn’t something many of us spend a lot of time thinking about until we well, do.

In the early 2000’s I was (as they say) going through it. As a result of stress and anxiety I began losing a lot of my hair, big old chunks of it. I went to a specialist who told me it was because of my birth control. I told him I didn’t take birth control and he opted to not believe me and went on with his day. Losing my hair unraveled me in ways I never thought hair could. It was so closely attached to who I am, to how I am. That’s why I love the idea for this collection. It’s worthwhile to examine our complex relationship to our hair and how social norms manifest and wrap themselves up with what is (or isn’t) on our head and body.

The concept for Neither Here Nor Hair was born out the minicomic Disgusting by Alisha Jade. Jade, who is also the creator of this Kickstarter, decided to collect stories from other comic creators after the enthusiastic response they received from their comic.

In our society we are constantly marketed ideas about hair, whether on our heads, face, armpits, legs, and everywhere in between, but we’re rarely given the chance to talk about our experiences. There is a hunger for real and relatable perspectives about this sometimes small thing that can be such a big deal in our lives, and I think comics is the perfect medium for it!

This anthology will be printed in black and white and will run 128-pages in length. Cover art has been provided courtesy of the Eisner-award nominated Reimena Ashel Yee (The Carpet Merchant of Konstantiniyya). Below I’ve included some preview pages of what Jade and company have in store for this anthology, but you can find more on their Kickstarter campaign page.

Trichophily by Michel Gerencir
Memento by Ele Jenkins
Dwelf Princess Goals by Sarah W Searle

Jade is hoping to raise $3,747 to fund the printing and publication of this anthology. I am truly excited to see this topic explored from numerous angles and perspectives. Backer rewards include the obvious, a PDF version of the anthology and softcover is available for around $11. Should you be interested in donating more to this campaign, you’ll find yourself able to snag additional comics, prints and handcrafted t-shirts. Funding for this Kickstarter will continue through May 27.

2. MADNESS IN CROWDS: The Teeming Mind of Harrison Cady

Beehive Books wants to publish this monster of a collection featuring the work of the legendary illustrator and cartoonist Walter Harrison Cady (1877–1970). Harrison Cady’s work, according to Beehive Books, has not received its proper due. This is their effort to correct the historical comic record and compile Cady’s work into a beautiful collection everyone can enjoy. This book is a whopper people. We’re talking over 176 pages at 10×14” here. This is the second entry in Beehive Books biography collection of forgotten artists and illustrators. The first book in the series featured the art of Herbert Crowley.

Cover mock-up by Maëlle Doliveux. Final design work will be by Paul Kepple and Headcase Design.

Beehive Books explains the importance of Cady’s work throughout their crowdfunding campaign, along with providing images of his artwork. Here’s some of what they had to say:

Over the course of a 70 year professional career, he created countless overflowing worlds, bustling with life and energy and detail and chaos. His illustrations were generous, abundant, warm and humane. There was never another artist like him. He specialized in frenzied crowd scenes, in which each tiny character came armed with their own distinct personality and a sense of humor that projected off the page. A committed political progressive, Cady frequently made cartoons about women’s suffrage, injustice and the exploitation of the working classes.

The biographer for this book is Denis Kitchen, founder and publisher of Kitchen Sink Press and the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. Kitchen was elected to the Will Eisner Hall of Fame in San Diego back in 2015. Beehive Books, for those unfamiliar, is a small press founded by Josh O’Neill and the Society of Illustrators Medal-winning artist and designer Maëlle Doliveux.

Below you’ll find some of Cady’s magnificent and complex works:

A feast for the eyes if there ever was one.

 

There’s so much happening here, a commentary on society, greed and wealth by Harrison Cady.

 

Beehive Books wants to help preserve and educate comic fans on the works of Harrison Cady.

The rewards for this project are pretty darn neat if I do say so myself, and I have, so there. There’s a special slipcover edition, statues, postcards and over-sized fine art prints. Each reward is considered and thoughtful, which makes sense as Beehive Books is pretty seasoned at running Kickstarter campaigns (nine of them to be exact).

Special edition resin figurines

Publishing a book of this size and scope doesn’t come cheap. The team has compiled all the artwork and has everything else required for printing priced out. They are hoping to raise $60,000 to bring you all this massive book about an artist whose work has gone largely forgotten. This project will continue funding through June 5.

3. WWAC is Moving

This is not my usual crowdfunding fare but it’s worth a mention all the same. Women Write About Comics (WWAC) is a purveyor of fine comics journalism, commentary, and criticism. They are moving hosts for their website and have some technological associated expenses. WWAC is run by a dedicated group of volunteers who have recently expanded their coverage to include movies, TV and games with two sister sites. Here’s why they are seeking outside sources of funding, in their own words:

The cost of moving WWAC to a new host, including all the background work to transfer seven years worth of archives, is more than we can handle on our own, so we’re asking for your help to get us over that initial hump. Our transition will also involve designing a layout that can handle the site.

The folks at WWAC are hoping to raise $1,500 to help cover moving the site over. Should you choose to contribute, you’ll have the opportunity to receive some original zines and comics produced by WWAC’s sister publication, Bleeding Heart Press. There isn’t a lot else to say about this particular crowdfunding project, it’s just an opportunity to help a respected and dedicated group of people continue to flourish and expand.


That’s all for me. Now, if you will excuse me, I will attempt in vein to boot up my lap top.

2 COMMENTS

  1. Yowch! Commiserations, Andrea. I’ve done somethings in beneficience for the environment that have been/resulted in greater costs. Just screw the environment, sometimes.

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