A year plus into this terrible pandemic, it’s no wonder there are some great crowdfunding projects coming in thick and fast from a huge number of comic creators, craving deserved attention. Here’s just a few worth checking out…
Firstly, well you really don’t want this lot turning up on your doorstep, unless it’s as the free limited art print that’s the first unlocked stretch goal as part of Time Bomb Comics’ Harker: The Book of Solomon Part Two pre-order campaign.
Offering a plot from Roger Gibson and Vincent Danks, with Andrew Richmond, that includes museum break-ins, a twisted serial killer, sex scandals and dangerous car stunts, you don’t want to miss out on this exciting second volume of a two-part story, presented in a 68 page, full colour, perfect bound graphic novel.
In addition to the graphic novel, get exclusive prints and original artwork rewards, and a copy of Part One as well if you need to catch up.
Fancy a bit of horror? Then look no further than The Crying Boy, a modern gothic supernatural story from Niall O’Rourke, with art by Rob Moran and other artists.
Set in Queens, New York, The Crying Boy follows Nadia, a young widow and her son Samir as they move out of Brooklyn following the brutal murder of her husband. Relocating to an apartment in Forest Hills, Queens, they find an old painting of a sad, young boy presumably left by the previous tenants. Samir is drawn to the painting. but it is far from a depiction of innocence – it is the vessel of an ancient evil… a demon. All who fall under the painting’s spell suffer torment as the demon tries to enter the physical realm by possessing Samir. Will Nadia be able to overcome her fear and depression and save Samir?
Talking of horror, EMMY-nominated writer Mike Garley is seeking support for a massive 250-page plus of Samurai Slasher stories – a book he plans will include the original trilogy of graphic novels, as well as six additional stories, all-new pinups, and a whole bunch of extras, making this the most comprehensive collection of the smash hit indy horror comic series ever.
In case you needed reminding, the Samurai Slasher is an unstoppable killing machine who hacks, slashes, and stabs his way through anyone that’s stupid enough to get in his way. The comic is a mixture of horror, comedy, and the bizarre type of storylines that you’d expect to find in an 1980s B-movie.
With this Kickstarter, you can also get yourself a copy of The Samurai Slasher Game – a social/drinking game designed to be played in person or over the internet. One of you will play as the Samurai Slasher, as everyone else tries to survive, in an all-new, one-and-done adventure! Check it out here.
After the rousing success of their sixth issue, the silly and stupendous “Bad Kitty”, a quick reminder the team behind the Sentinel pocket comic digest title are bringing back the stars of their very first issue, space couriers Doyle Braddock and RHLSTP. “Issue one was such a hit and we loved doing it, so another rousing buddy action comedy was just asking to be made,” says Ed Doyle. Check out the latest crowdfunding campaign for this ongoing project here. The campaign ends on Tuesday.
Driven mad by illegal Government experiments, a young agent believes he is the robot super-spy hero of 1970s TV show, Alex Automatic. If you missed out on this bonkers, award-winning action adventure comic from Fraser Campbell, well, there’s good news – a collection is in the works, which you can support here,
Alex Automatic Volume One: Where Is My Mind? is a graphic novel coming this summer collecting the complete opening arc of the psychedelic super-spy adventure series so far. Featuring over 220 pages of pulsating action, Alex Automatic is written by Fraser Campbell, with art by James Corcoran, colour art by David B. Cooper and lettering/design by Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou, Aditya Bidikar, Rob Jones and Colin Bell. Heck, there’s even an Alex Automatic theme tune courtesy of Allan J Swan!
Finally… fancy a 50th anniversary celebration of Octobriana, a comic character David Bowie was going to make a superhero movie about, and who Billy Idol has a tattoo of?
50 years since her debut, celebrate the return of one of the most enigmatic comic book characters that you’ve never heard of with Octobriana With Love, an all-star, 64-page, full colour softcover graphic novel showcasing several unique takes on the cult underground Russian superhero by an exciting mix of creative talent.
Stu Taylor and team, who have a dedicated Octobriana web site here, have been working on the book for the past six months and came to Kickstarter asking for support to cover production and distribution costs. In return, they plan to deliver a fun, action-packed book with high production values, as well as some Kickstarter-exclusive bonuses.
Well, Kickstarter-savvy comic fans clearly wanted some of that – the project was fully funded in just two hours, no doubt persuaded by the offer of strips featuring art from the likes of Simon Fraser and Marc Laming. You can still back it here!
The founder of downthetubes, which he established in 1998. John works as a comics and magazine editor, writer, and on promotional work for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He is currently editor of Star Trek Explorer, published by Titan – his third tour of duty on the title originally titled Star Trek Magazine.
Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Babylon 5 Magazine, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics. He has also edited several comic collections, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”.
He’s the writer of “Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies” for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs” with Dave Hailwood.
Categories: British Comics, Crowd Funding Projects, downthetubes Comics News, downthetubes News
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