A Fistful of Comics: Crowdfunding Roundup, June ‘21

With the return of long days and a renewed ability to see friends without the rampant risk of causing a biological incident, I can practically feel my will to work on creative projects returning to my limbs. Given how much there is on Kickstarter this month, I get the sense I’m not alone. If you like industry secrets, queer narratives, or, uh, dogs what fight good, read on.

Good Boy #1: Old Dog

Christina Blanch, Garrett Gunn, Dave Lentz, Kit Wallis
Source Point Press
Ends June 26

Okay so sometimes you start making a list with a vague theme in mind, get two items in, and then come across a comic where the pitch is, “what if John Wick was about the dog instead of Keanu Reeves.”

I’m gonna be honest, I haven’t thought too hard about Good Boy. The colors are sick, Kit Wallis’s art coaxes a satisfying amount of emotionality out of a canine face, and the preview sequences seem fun. I hope there’s like, moderately less wife death than in John Wick proper and I hope that the comic absolutely never explains how the dog became bipedal, but ultimately I am naught but a follower of my whims and my whims tell me that this pitch rules.

Filth & Grammar: The Comic Book Editor’s Secret Handbook

Shelly Bond, Sofie Dodgson, Laura Hole, Imogen Mangle
Ends July 3

Shelly Bond has edited many a heavy-hitter monthly comic over the course of her 30-year industry career, and she’s now shoving all that well-earned institutional knowledge into a 160 page handbook for you, dear reader! Filth & Grammar promises to inform and educate on every part of the comics process, and to cover everything from “traditional periodicals to web comics, graphic novels, and zines.” I would have given anything for this book when I was 19, trying to find where I could wedge my logistics-oriented brain into the comics world… and while I’ve since moved away from both editorial and the cape comics grind, I’m sure this book will prove invaluable to kids who find themselves in a similar position.

Working In: The Arts

CHIP Collective
Ends July 6

Working In: The Arts was the second book in the industry-secret theme I was originally trying to follow, and also the second book I would have loved to have as a confused college kid trying to make big career decisions. Ashling Draws and Cat Laird, who make up CHIP Collective, have pulled together an incredible anthology of personal stories, philosophies, and experiences from professionals working across the arts. While the anthology itself is presented in comic form, it includes stories from folks working in games, photography, textiles, animation, comics, and more!