A Fistful of Comics: Crowdfunding Roundup, September ‘21

A crop of an illustration from Wang XX's Seal Comics. A white seal eats a strawberry, its eyes big and round with shock. Other animals (a manatee, an octopus, and a... flower) sit around the table with the seal, some also holding strawberries. Think I've Still Got It, Wang XX, Paradise Systems, 2021. The column title lettering is laid over the artwork, and reads “A FISTFUL OF COMICS” in big yellow text. Below, in red, reads “CROWDFUNDING ROUNDUP, SEPTEMBER ’21.”

Welcome to September! I’m counting my blessings this month—my building in NYC survived Hurricane Ida’s fallout relatively unscathed (though other folks still need help), the east coast summer humidity has finally abated, and the roster of crowdfunded projects in the comics space this month is a dangerous, dangerous bounty. Each of the three spotlighted projects below is near and dear to my heart—read on for trans euphoria and the best of community comics!

When I Was Me cover. On a background of yellow clouds, a person with black hair and an undercut luxuriates in the fresh air. Three more people smile in the background. When I Was Me; Eve Greenwood & Alex Assan (editors); Quindrie Press; 2021. Cover by C.A.P Ward.

When I Was Me: Moments of Gender Euphoria

Alex Assan, Spire Eaton, Eve Greenwood
Quindrie Press
Ends September 29

Sometimes, if you think about how much you want a project to exist for long enough, extremely cool people will make it happen and you don’t even have to do it yourself. When I Was Me is that project for me—an anthology of full of trans folks telling stories about triumphant, euphoric moments in their gender experience. As a trans person, it can be easy to become submerged in dire news stories and awful statistics, but I have always been buoyed by the current of fierce celebration that pierces through the mainstream media hum—and this book is a physical, archivable manifestation of that joy. We deserve to celebrate, and we deserve to be seen doing it!

When I Was Me brings together 70 contributors who hold identities all across the trans umbrella. The book is 96 pages long, full color, and includes everything from poetry to illustrations to comics. 50% of post-campaign sales of the book will be donated to trans support organizations in the UK, and during the campaign itself backers can choose to buy an extra book to donate directly to Books Beyond Bars UK (or another similar organization, depending on the quantity of donations).

 

A panel from Drawn to Home. Rendered upside-down, a truck speeds down a highway. The caption reads, "Homelessness. It has a way of turning your life upside down…" Drawn to Home, 2021. Artwork by Joe Mruk, from "Thanksgiving."

Drawn to Home

Jay Poliziani
Ends October 31

Drawn to Home is an anthology of stories from people who have experienced or are experiencing homelessness. Each of the comics is drawn by a Pittsburgh artist, marrying visuals with the storytellers’ words. The anthology is already complete and the first run has been printed (the organizer let me know he’s ready to send my copies out as soon as I provide my address!); this campaign is to fund the printing of further copies for wider distribution to community centers, libraries, and schools.

On a more personal note, I spent my young adulthood in Pittsburgh, and while I never really dove into the local indie comics community due to a combination of shyness, differing interests, and just being terminally online, I know how incredible the folks contributing to this anthology are. The book’s mission is good, and I can pretty much guarantee the comics will be too.

 

A photo of Diskette Press's new Detroit office. A spacious, gray-carpeted room houses filing cabinets and shelves for paper and print materials. On the left, a wide window with roomy counter space lets in bright sunlight.

Diskette Press Moving & Expansion Fund

Carta Monir, EJ Thomas
Diskette Press
Runs until funded

Diskette Press, publisher of Trans Girls Hit the Town and Dead Parents’ Society, is moving to Detroit! Helmed by Carta Monir and EJ Thomas, Diskette is a truly incredible micropress that curates, prints, and publishes trans work that the world desperately needs. Diskette Press currently “operates” out of a garage in Ann Arbor, MI, but the space is poorly wired, cold, and entirely without a bathroom—any one of which would be an extremely difficult environment to run old, finicky printers in, but the combination of all three has made actual printing all but impossible in the Covid-ridden Michigan winters.

If you follow Monir’s twitter at all, you know that her love for both old, weird printers and the trans community are palpable. Diskette is the obvious product of those two loves, and the press provides an invaluable service to its readers and authors alike. If you can, please lend a hand in getting Diskette’s printer menagerie and staff to Detroit and a final, stable space to grow.

 

And more!

The Pale Ch.1 Remastered. Ends September 23.
Destiny, NY 5th Anniversary Art Book. Ends September 24.
Seal Comics (Think I’ve Still Got It). Ends September 28.
Twisting Time Anthology. Ends October 1.
Blaze Beyond the Pale. Ends October 7.
Celestial Bodies 2: an extra large LGBT+ body positive Zine. Ends October 26.

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Zora Gilbert

Zora Gilbert

Zora Gilbert cares a whole lot about words, kids, and comics. Find them at @zhgilbert on twitter, and find the comics they edit at datesanthology.com.

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