Welcome to The Beat‘s new, weekly Kickstarter round-up! Each week, we’ll collect comics crowdfunding projects that we think are worth your time and money. If you see something you like and you have the funds to back it, go for it! Otherwise, sharing the link can be a huge help to these creators. In case you missed it, many of these projects are still raising funds, too.

Saffron: Spacetime Academy Adventures #1


Goal: $1,956
Ends: Monday, May 6 at 6:59 p.m. ET
Creators: Samuel George London & Rosie Alexander
Whilst on holiday, Saffron Sizemore falls through a wormhole and suddenly appears at the Spacetime Academy For Fundamental Representatives Of NEXUS or completely coincidentally, SAFFRON for short. Once at SAFFRON the academy, Saffron the girl manages to enlist herself into the academy and as well as training to become a spacetime officer, she tries to find her way back home but no one knows where, or even when Earth is.
Click here to back this project.

Cromwell Green #0


Goal: $1,300
Ends: Monday, May 13 at 10:13 p.m. ET
Creators: Michael Wooley & Jessica Kobe
32 pages of black & white, underground comic goodness wrapped in a glossy color cover! Cromwell and his younger sister Cali are moving to the mysterious oceanside town of Krakenport. WHO are the STRANGE people that live there?? WHAT is all this MYSTERY mumbo jumbo?? WHY can’t Cromwell Green just hang out and PLAY GUITAR?? Start his BAND?? LISTEN to MUSIC?? You know… important stuff?? Guess you’ll have to read the comic book to find out. (Cromwell Green is intended for mature audiences.)
Click here to back this project.

The Traveller: A Steampunk Adventure Comic


Goal: $5,217
Ends: Wednesday, May 15 at 5:06 a.m. ET
Creators: Neil Gibson, Tasos Anastasiades, Jan Wijngaard, Hass Otsmane-Elhaou
THE TRAVELLER is a story about Iosef, a poor shepherd from Georgia at the turn of the 19th century. Lonely and depressed, with only diseased sheep to his name, Iosef decides to end his life. But strange things are about to happen to him… Before he can pull the trigger, an otherworldly traveller appears before him. In panic Iosef shoots him, killing him. Searching through this visitor’s possessions, Iosef accidently puts on a gauntlet that clamps to his arm, binding to him. In a panic he hits the gauntlet, activating it and sending him to parallel worlds. In exploring many worlds, he tries to find somewhere that he can be happy and find his true calling – but the results aren’t what anyone would expect…
Click here to back this project.

Waiting: A Comic Anthology


Goal: $10,000
Ends: Thursday, May 16 at 10 a.m. ET
Contributors Include: Courtney Boone, Sami Brice, Alex Sammas, Jordan Scribner, Mei Lian Hoe, 9 others
A comic anthology that explores the interactions, adventures, and emotions we have as we wait for life to happen. Waiting is a full color comic anthology geared to young adults and contributed to by a diverse pool of artists. Since our creators are so diverse I wanted them to have the advantage of being able to tell their stories without filter. Due to that, our anthology is filled with stories that convey a lot of heart, some raw, some mature, some gritty, some so sweet it’ll give you a tooth ache!
Click here to back this project.

Hotdog Water: A Comics Anthology


Goal: $4,000
Ends: Friday, May 17 at 2:59 a.m. ET
Contributors: Morgan Hampton, Dave Law, Nate Lawler, Anne L. Boydston, Anthony Mauro, Spencer Mauro
Hotdog Water is like gumbo. It’s got a lot of things that are incredible on their own, but combined they stimulate your senses in a way that’ll hopefully inspire you to cook up your own creations. This is the first of a three part anthology because we’re #BrokeBoiz. Issue one is roughly 30 pages and it’ll have three vastly different stories from three different creative teams. We’re really leaning into this potluck thing. 
Click here to back this project.

Pretty Little Dead Girls: The Graphic Novel, Vol. 1


Goal: $6,400
Ends: Friday, May 17 at 8:43 a.m. ET
Creators: Mercedes M. Yardley, Orion Zangara, Matt Stockwell, Steve Canon
 “Bryony Adams is the type of girl who got murdered.” Thus begins Pretty Little Dead Girls: A Novel of Murder and Whimsy written by Mercedes M. Yardley. Enter the world of Bryony Adams, the illustrious Star Girl, who is fated to be murdered. As she flees from the sentient desert that is calling out for her blood, she moves to Seattle where she meets a band of quirky characters who would do anything to save her and a likable serial killer bent on destroying her. Pretty Little Dead Girls was released with great success initially as a novel, and now we (Mercedes M. Yardley and artist Orion Zangara) would love to bring it to you in a different medium: a graphic novel.
Click here to back this project.

Strangebeard 2: Electric Bugaboo (and Reprinting Vol 1, Too)


Goal: $9,716
Ends: Saturday, May 25 at 4:30 p.m. ET
Creator: Kelly Tindall
Strangebeard 2: Electric Bugaboo is a 128-page story that collects Parts Six through Ten of the Strangebeard epic webcomic, which you can read at Strangebeard.com right now. A complete arc starting with Jenny’s hunt for The Merchant King and his mechanical t-rex/pirate ship Shiprex, it continues through to the epic battle between Jenny and both Boss Bradshaw (The Electric Pirate) and the sea monster Sargassus.
Click here to back this project.

Magical Boy Basil #4


Goal: $4,500
Ends: Sunday, May 26 at 11:59 p.m. ET
Creators: Jill Hackett & Rebeckah Murray
Magical Boy Basil is an LGBT+ webcomic about undercover teenage magicians who fight monsters. (In order to maintain the balance of the universe, of course.) It’s an ongoing series split into chapters, available to read online at www.magicalboybasil.com. This Kickstarter aims to fund a print copy of issue #4.
Click here to back this project.

Altered Comics


Goal: $7,000
Ends: Tuesday, May 28 at 9:05 p.m. ET
Creator: Steven Plumb & Lanham “Red” McCallum
Altered Comics is a new unique interactive comic experience. The story follows our two main characters, Steven and Red as they make sense of a world that has completely changed, even if they cant remember how or why. Our writers and artists are only part of the magic of this tale, the rest comes from YOU. Each month for a full year (12 issues) we will release to our loyal fans and subscribers a choice, a fork in the road of the story if you will. Once the vote is tallied then the story will be finished accordingly. Whether it is which mission they choose, who they will save or which one of them dies you the viewer has the ultimate say. What could be better than controlling the destiny of our two heroes in a world where super heroes, giant monsters, evil megalomaniacs and mysteries abound? 
Click here to back this project.

Future Girl #2


Goal: $9,716
Ends: Tuesday, June 4 at 12:00 p.m. ET
Creators: Ross Dannenberg, Jenn Arledge, Juli Crowder, Miranda Davila, Melissa Capriglione, Tanya Bobrowski, Nikki Sherman, Missy Pena
Born of Democracy… Defender of Free Will… The Future Is Watching. After a fateful encounter one distant Halloween night, Future Girl discovers there’s more to being a hero than a flashy costume or billowy cape. Aided by her faithful sidekick – the ever anxious Steadfast – and guided by The Horologist – an ancient and mysterious clock maker – Future Girl stops evil in its tracks no matter where or when it may strike. She is a warrior for truth, a beacon for justice, and defender of the human spirit.
Click here to back this project.