Before I dive in, I’d like to wish all of those who celebrate the US Holiday, Independence Day (aka The Fourth of July) a very happy and safe holiday weekend. For those who don’t: happy weekend!
EMERGENCY CAMPAIGNS NOTICE!!!
A Quick List of Crowdfunding Campaigns Ending in the next 10 Days or Fewer:
Immortal Coil Issue #1: Mythic Gods & Eldritch Horror (ends July 3rd)
JAZZ: Juggernauts Against Zealous Zealots #1-2 (ends July 4th)
PRIVATE DANCE #1-3: spicy comic where fantasy & reality meet (ends July 12th)
Prescription Paradise #1 - A Supernatural Crime Thriller
A zombie drug dealer gets revenge after overdosing on a bad batch of drugs.
From the campaign:
Prescription Paradise #1 is a 52-page square bound graphic novel that is a gritty anti-drug crime story. I concieved the idea as a response to the opioid epidemic and I hope it provides some much needed catharsis to those who have been affected by it. It features beautiful illustrations by Marco Perguini and letters by Es Kay.
A zombie drug dealer goes for revenge after overdosing on a bad batch of drugs. It’s The Wire meets The Walking Dead.
What Stokes has crafted here is one of his more entertaining thrillers that I’ve had a chance to preview. Full disclosure: I’m working on the trade dress and publication design for this volume1. I’m also a reader of all of his titles to date (Intrusive Thoughts being one of my personal faves), so it stands to bear that I’d back this one, too.
The art by Marco Perguini is terrific, too! It has a raw edge to it akin to Frank Miller’s work, with well-placed blacks and usage of negative space and incomplete line work. If I tried this it would look like an unfinished mess with splats of ink dropped onto the page instead of the refined work Perguini provides here. It fits the story very well.
I recommend Decay: Prescription Paradise!
BACK IT HERE: http://kck.st/3xxozOP
PRIVATE DANCE #1-3: Spicy Comic Where Fantasy & Reality Meet
The breakout comic series continues with a steamy and exciting new issue about the dancers at a New York strip club.
From the campaign:
The third issue of Private Dance features a longer story than the first two. This time, the main story is 34 pages rather than 26/28 as we saw in the first two issues.
Private Dance takes you into a New York strip club as we meet the dancers, customers, and bouncers, discovering that there is more to the fantasy than meets the eye.
At work, they create a fantasy for customers that you have to see to believe. However, when we take a closer look, there are a world of stories to explore in the real lives of these dancers.
I’ve been reading Private Dance since the first issue hit, and it’s one of my favorite series from Pat and the Cheeky Comics crew2. I have several friends who are amateur and professional pole dancers, who own pole arts dance studios, and professional pole athletes including one who won the Arnold Sports Festival Talent Show (and another who won the Junior Division). Unlike what media has depicted for a long time (and even today, still), these are human beings most of whom have a passion for the work as much as any other athlete or dancer or worker. As such, they, too, have real human lives.
Private Dance digs into that last part very, very well. Yes, it shows the sexy, the fun, and the risqué, but the characters and their lives drive these stories. It’s really good! And for as good as the story is, Yishan Li’s art is just f*cking incredible. Great characterization & expression, gorgeous line work, clean, clear backgrounds and atmosphere. So so so good.
Check out this latest issue of Private Dance — live on Kickstarter today! — and see for yourself. You can get the back issues here, too.
BACK IT HERE: http://kck.st/3zdvSLI
Jim Starlin's BREED Omnibus
From the campaign:
Half-human/half-demon Ray Stoner's journey of discovery in learning more about his demonic heritage takes him through a Shaolin temple in Tibet in the mid seventies, fighting alongside Central American rebels in the eighties, encountering guest stars from across the Starlin-verse like Dreadstar, Oedi, Wyrd and Kid Kosmos, and confronting a mystical 'Breed' and his 'Fathers', who have dark designs for Earth.
All three volumes of Jim Starlin's blood-drenched saga Breed are collected here for the very first time in this must-read 550+ page hardcover omnibus! The newly scanned and color-corrected book will feature new intros, spreads, chapter breaks, unused art and concepts.
I became a Starlin fan once the first copy of Strange Tales featuring Adam Warlock was shown to me. I’ve been a cosmic comics geek ever since reading all of the Marz & Lim Silver Surfer runs, all of the Infinity War-related titles, the Abnett & Lanning Guardians of the Galaxy, Nova, Quasar… and so on.
I’ve only read through a single copy of Breed in my life (so far), but it’s Starlin. And I wasn’t into the mystical, bloody books like this or any of the Vertigo line of that same era.
So, here I am recommending it and looking to support it myself. It’s already funded and Zoop will be doing the fulfillment. I’ve backed (and launched) campaigns on Zoop and they do a great job with getting stuff to backers. Get your copy ordered today!
BACK IT HERE: https://zoop.gg/c/thebreedomnibus
CTRL+Z #1-4 - SERIES FINALE
THE FINAL ISSUE of an action sci-fi comic for mature fans of The Matrix and Ready Player One!
From the campaign:
CTRL+Z is a four-issue sci-fi action comic book series intended for mature readers*. We are returning with a brand new issue! Set in a world where Humanity has migrated to a simulation called Cyberscape, this comic is perfect for fans of titles like The Matrix and Ready Player One!
The Admin has captured the Source and created an evil Argos! Can our protagnoist Eidolon take out her biggest foe along with her mentor to save the real and virtual world? Meanwhile, Puma and Mallard decide to live their final moments at the Top of the simulation. But will they sit back and let Cyberscape burn? Find out in the FINAL CTRL+Z Issue!
Another title I was lucky enough to discover with the first issue! This is a terrific sci-fi series and Chris’s ambitious plot somehow manages to remain both coherent and consistent throughout the four issues. I would’ve been happy if he took it to eight, but that’s just me…
Epiphany Engine
A 192 page graphic novel featuring an incredibly amazing collection of Black Comics Characters & Creators from across the globe!
From the campaign:
This is the campaign for the unprecedented EPIPHANY ENGINE Graphic Novel which is the first ever crossover of its kind and a history-making project.
On August 31, 2023, the call went out from Advent Comics CEO Tony Kittrell and was answered by visionaries across the globe! From that, one of the greatest undertakings in modern comic book history began and the formation of this project was cemented as creators signed on to help put this dream project together.
The EPIPHANY ENGINE project represents a long discussed collaboration between Advent Comics CEO Tony Kittrell and other Comic Book Publishers such as Danny J. Quick 4th Wall Productions, Roosevelt Pitt Amara Entertainment, Michael Watson Freestyle Komics, Tyler Forrest Martin Godhood Comics, Jiba M. Anderson Griot Enterprises, Lonzo Starr Konkret Comics, Bradley Golden Second Sight Publishing, Tyrone Jackson Sovereign Comics, Sebastian A. Jones Stranger Comics, Andre Batts Urban Style Comics, Brian J. Lambert Wingless Comics, Frederick Littles Wise Acre Comics and many others. The different companies and creators wanted to come together to tell an engrossing, entertaining story plus bring along what they felt was some of the great talent already burning up the Black Comics scene. This project boasts a cadre of award winning or nominated writers/creators representing awards such as the Will Eisner Awards, the Ringo Awards, the Hugo Awards, and is the largest collection of Glyph Comics Awards winners and nominees in a single publication...EVER! The project even includes prestigious television and film awards such as the American Film Institute Award and the Writer's Guild of America. There is even a property in this crossover that is in the permanent collection of the Smithsonian Museum of African Art! We invite you to join us, support the campaign and follow along on this exciting journey of struggle, loss, perseverance and the celebration of FAMILY!!!!
To one and all, we proudly bring to you…
EPIPHANY ENGINE is a 192-page, original graphic novel composed by some of the best, most talented African American Creators in the Comic Book Industry. Dubbed "The Dream Team", these creators represent Black Excellence in every aspect of the game. Basically, this is a vision powered by creative excellence.
This is one of the most anticipated OGNs in indiecomics history — not an exaggeration! I can drop all the hyperbole you could want but I think it’s enough to say this is the most-unprecedented moment in all of indiecomics history.
Period.
BACK IT HERE: http://kck.st/3VvUxmj
Slice of Life: A Coming Out Story
A CLOSETED CHEERLEADER finally learns to ACCEPT HER SEXUALITY and her feelings for the anime character who CAME TO LIFE!
From the campaign:
When gritty anime protagonist, Lady Vengeance, is brought to the real world by a super fan, she'll learn there's more to life than darkness and revenge...and she'll find love with the super fan's twin sister - a closeted cheerleader.
Slice of Life is a queer romance that deconstructs the "slice of life" genre, unpacking the importance of "day in the life" narratives to tell a larger story about the meaning of life from the point of view of a formerly-fictional character.
This new 60-page Coming Out Special collects Chapters 27-35 of the Webtoon - plus a brand new 4-page Bonus Chapter not available on Webtoon/Tapas (more on that later)!
Slice of Life #5 focuses heavily on Closeted Cheerleader Lucy's coming out journey. Still reeling from her first kiss with Yuriko, this issue is all about Lucy coming to terms with her sexuality and learning to love herself again.
I’ve been a fan and friend of Kat & Phil for almost 6yrs now. It’s crazy. But, they helped me manage my relationship with our pan daughter and for that, I’m ever-thankful. We never had a connection issue, but to have a comics series that speaks to my child as well as me? Yeah, that shit slaps.
BACK IT HERE: http://kck.st/4bvYkpE
Well, that’s it for this post! I’ll drop more crowdfunding campaigns in two weeks! I hope you enjoy these!
Work-for-hire. No royalties or trailing revenues, so no direct benefit to me if you back it or buy it. I already got paid. 😂😎
My favorite, if you must know, is I Summoned Cthulhu to Fund My Kickstarter 🔥