Bonus Episode: What About Crowdfunded Comics?

What About Crowdfunded Comics? By Matthew Murray 🦇 and Mara L. Thacker

Published in Comic Books, Special Collections, and the Academic Library edited by Brian Flota and Kate Morris

Read the full book chapter.

Notes

1. Caitlin McGurk and Jenny E Robb, “Comics in Special Collections: Purposeful Collection Development for Promoting Inclusive History,” in Comics and Critical Librarianship (Sacramento, CA: Litwin Books, 2019), 169; examples of crowdfunded comics providing a platform for marginalized voices include Black Comix Returns: African American Comic Art & Culture, Bystander: Stories, Observations & Witnessings from South Asia and Sensory: Life on the Spectrum—An Autistic Comic Anthology
2. Todd Allen, “Is Kickstarter the #2 Graphic Novel Publisher?,” PublishersWeekly.com, July 10, 2012, https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/comics/article/52925-is-kickstarterthe-2-graphic-novel-publisher.html.
3. “Kickstarter Stats,” Kickstarter, accessed August 12, 2021, https://www.kickstarter.com/help/stats.
4. Chris Arrant, “These Are the Titles Driving Kickstarter Comics to Their Biggest Year Yet,” gamesradar, July 21, 2021, https://www.gamesradar.com/these-are-the-titles-driving-kickstarter-comics-to-their-biggest-year-yet/.
5. “Monthly Ranking for Patreon Comics: Ranking for Top Creators by Month,” Graphtreon, accessed August 12, 2021, https://graphtreon.com/monthly-ranking/comics.
6. “Ended on Ulule,” Ulule, accessed August 12, 2021, https://www.ulule.com/ discover/?categories=bandes-dessinees&offset=0&statuses=ended&languages=fr.
7. Oriana Leckert, “Pow! 2020 Is the Best Year Yet for Comics on Kickstarter,” Kickstarter.com, October 20, 2020, https://www.kickstarter.com/articles/2020-is-the-best-year-yet-for-comics-on-kickstarter.
8. Kat Calamia, “Should Major Publishers & Creators Be Crowdfunding Comics alongside Independent and DIY Creators?,” GamesRadar+, September 22, 2020, https://www.gamesradar.com/should-major-publishers-and-creators-be-crowdfunding-comics-alongside-independent-and-diy-creators/.
9. While Image Comics is a well-known comics publisher, they tend to operate more like self-publishing than many traditional publishers as they do not pay page rates or advances, provide minimal editorial oversight, and charge a flat publishing fee.
10. “Drainers—An Underground Graphic Novel,” Cloudscape Comics, Kickstarter, accessed January 12, 2021, https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/cloudscape/drainers-an-underground-graphic-novel; Robert Jeffrey II, “Route 3: Vol 1,” Kickstarter, accessed January 12, 2021, https://www.kickstarter. com/projects/1484007393/route-3-vol-1; Richard C. Meyer, “‘No Enemy, But Peace’ Graphic Novel,” Kickstarter, accessed January 12, 2021, https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/863672719/no-enemy-but-peace-graphic-novel; “Are You Ready for War in the Neighborhood?,” Ad Astra Comix, Indiegogo, accessed January 12, 2021, https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/1856162.
11. A “stretch goal” is an amount above the initial amount asked for at which point additional rewards are “unlocked.”
12. A “tier” is a level of support tied to a specific amount of money.
13. The campaign for “Atomic Robo and the Spectre of Tomorrow HARDCOVER” lists “Fifty copies for Libraries + another Print in Print Set!” as a stretch goal in an image but doesn’t describe these goals in text anywhere on the project page.
14. Rachel Seeger, “SPROUT: A Wordless Comic Book for Kids,” Kickstarter, accessed January 12, 2021, https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1511570919/sprout-a-wordless-comic-book-for-kids.
15. Tom Humberstone, “Solipsistic Pop 4: Maps,” Indiegogo, accessed January 12, 2021, https://www. indiegogo.com/projects/solipsistic-pop-4-maps#/; Becca Hillburn, “7 Inch Kara Volume 2: An All Ages Watercolor Comic,” Kickstarter, accessed January 12, 2021, https://www.kickstarter.com/ projects/beccahillburn/7-inch-kara-volume-2.
16. Isaac Cates, “Cartozia Tales: Ten Issues,” Kickstarter, accessed January 12, 2021, https://www. kickstarter.com/projects/1765342446/cartozia-tales-ten-issues; “Life Finds a Way,” Cloudscape Comics, Kickstarter, accessed January 12, 2021, https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/cloudscape/ life-finds-a-way.
17. “Aztlan Graphic Novel,” Astlan, Kickstarter, accessed January 12, 2021, https://www.kickstarter. com/projects/aztlan/aztlan-graphic-novel; Joamette Gil, “Mañana: Latinx Comics From the 25th Century,” Kickstarter, accessed January 12, 2021, https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/powerandmagic/manana-latinx-comics-from-the-25th-century; “Chicken Soup and Goji Berries,” Cloudscap...