Hey all! I’m deep into Kickstarter prep for my own campaign, so quick intro this month. This month is bursting at the seams with incredible projects, and my wallet is weeping. Read on so yours can too.
Love, Joolz: Manic Pixie Nightmare Girl
Jules Rivera
Ends February 23
Jules Rivera is kind of a jerk, and she is deeply okay with that. This collection of square-format, slice of life comic strips makes no attempt to be nice, but rather propels itself forward with a grim sort of self-actualizing determination. The book is 124 pages long and perfect bound, and Rivera’s artwork matches her humor in deadpan grayscale with pops of bright color. You can also read the whole webcomic right now—it’s packed with strips about surfing, relationships, and Rivera’s Latina experience, online (this is one of my favorites).
Naked Body: An Anthology of Underground Chinese Comics
Yan Cong, Jason Li, R. Orion Martin
Paradise Systems
Ends February 27
Naked Body is the first major anthology of Chinese comics to be published in English, and it looks extremely cool. The rules for the original anthology, organized in 2014 by cartoonist Yan Cong, were that the stories must each be 5 pages long, and all the main characters must be nude. And people turned out—the resulting book was 100 pages long, with a broad range of styles and stories. Now, R. Orion Martin and Jason Li are working with Yan Cong to translate the book and bring it over to the US. At the time of this writing, the book is funded, but hasn’t yet hit the $15,000 stretch goal that will allow the team to include an insert with the original Chinese text along with the physical books… So uh, back it, because I want that.
Destiny, NY: Volume 3
Carola Borelli, Jim Campbell, Shannon Lee, Elisa Romboli, Pat Shand
Space Between Entertainment
Ends February 28
Destiny, NY is about magical girls in love, only they’re, like, in their thirties and jaded and already did the whole magical girl thing. Volume 3 is the longest volume yet, split into two acts on either sides of the country. The art—for the whole book—is already done, so all that’s left to do is send the book to the printer and handle fulfilment (which Shand & co. are remarkably and consistently speedy about, to the deep awe and vague horror of anyone else who has had to deal with 300+ backer Kickstarter before). You can also grab the two other books in the series via the campaign, but the entire premise of Volume 3 is a very general spoiler for their endings… so maybe just dive in and snag ‘em quick if you’re intrigued.
Verse: Book 1
Sam Beck
Ends March 1
The art in Verse is decadently beautiful, and I want it in my eyes always. Book 1 is the first print installment of Sam Beck’s ongoing webcomic, which will be printed in full color in a trim 6″ x 9″ paperback. I haven’t yet read Verse, but I’m very, very sure it’ll be stealing a morning from me very soon—Beck’s way around color and environments make me so excited to dig in, and her artwork seems perfectly suited to Verse’s story of magic, journeys, and belonging.
COSMIC LOVE
Rachel Perciphone & Jennie Wood
Red Stylo Press
Ends March 1
COSMIC LOVE is a celebration of Florence & the Machine, organized by the same folks who did BAROQUE POP. 80 pages of comics by a slew of great creators, all inspired by a specific Florence & the Machine song and capped with a cover illustration, inspired by the same song, by Rachel Perciphone. COSMIC LOVE debuted at Flame Con in 2018, and the current Kickstarter is meant to fund a new print run and distribute the book to people who couldn’t make it to or missed the book at the convention. All the contributors also donated their time and work to the anthology, so once fulfillment is done, the remainder of the print run will be split amongst the contributors.
Never Satisfied: Book 1
Taylor Robin
Hiveworks
Ends March 2
Never Satisfied is a comic about a grumpy nonbinary mess trying their very best to crush the competition and become their city’s next magical representative. They’re joined by an incredible cast of colorful (both visually and personality-wise) characters, including their competitors in the magical competition and those competitors’ animal companions. But, as always, there’s more going on than meets the eye…
Book 1 covers the beginning of Robin’s webcomic, introducing readers to the characters and the brewing weirdnesses at the edges of their world. It’s quick-humored, bright, and incredibly fun to read—and Hiveworks is facilitating the publishing and fulfillment, so the campaign is in capable hands.
Spirit’s Destiny
Julie Anderson, Lashawn Colvin, Dorphise Jean
Short Fuse Media Group, LLC
Ends March 3
Spirit’s Destiny is Dorphise Jean’s baby: an ongoing superhero comic focused on a Haitian woman who better represents her culture than mainstream comics’ general infatuation with voodoo. Issue #1 was released in 2016, and this campaign is meant to fund a reprint and the print run for issue #2, which features a creative team made up entirely of black women. The second issue is all ready to go to print, too, and if it does well Jean fully intends to keep the story going.
Peter Pan, Crime & Punishment, & The Blazing World
Rebekka Dunlap (& Margaret Cavendish), Brecht Evans (& J.M. Barrie), Dave McKean (& Fyodor Dostoevsky)
Beehive Books
Ends March 7
It’s always a good day for me when a new Beehive Books campaign rolls around. In this round, the small press is working to put together new illustrated editions of three classics: Peter Pan, Crime & Punishment, and The Blazing World, with illustrations by some of the industry’s foremost talents. This is actually the second round of Beehive’s illustrated classics—you can find the first on their website—and their books are always stunningly designed and constructed. They ain’t cheap, but they’re worth it (and you can pick up some gorgeous enamel pins through the campaign, too, which are a little more affordable).
DIE HIBI DIE VOL. 0
Royal A. Dunlap
Ends March 12
The campaign for DIE HIBI DIE is brutally and blessedly straightforward, with just a couple reward tiers and a single, very cool, book. The story follows a community of Beastmen, ensconced deep in the Apexelago jungle, and the feral human child who wanders into their midst. The people of Tatibah village commit a huge taboo and raise the child, hoping to teach them their civilized ways. The story is 48 pages, black and white, and the paperback edition will include bonus groundwork sketches in addition to the main comic.
Sharks!
Sophie Hodge & Christian Talbot
Unbound
Funding until complete
Sharks! Facts! Jokes! They’re all here, bound in a new hardback edition—plus bonus comics that have never been seen online, and probably never will be. Created by actual funny people Christian Talbot & Sophie Hodge, Sharks! includes a whole lot of facts and fiction about our favorite swimming muscles with teeth, and it’s up to you to figure out which is which.
