Since Kickstarter began to offer the option to check out crowdfunding projects by type, country and even county, it’s become even easier to check out comic projects from some ace independent British comic creators – but in the storm of social media, instant messaging, WhatsApp and TikTok videos, you may have missed some… so here are some hot picks!
Arks Helices 1-3 is a bio-punk noir detective story set at the end of time, where the last humans are hiding in the gravity of a corpse star as someone – or something – starts killing Arks disguised as pigeons. It centres on Moxy, a 23,000 year-old immortal, time travelling, detective hunting a killer: an artificially intelligent nuclear bomb. It’s written by Rory Collins (Children of Men, The Bourne Ultimatum, Never Let Me Go) with incredible art form the amazing Gustaffo Vargas (Image, Marvel), the two books completing the first finished storyline in the wider Arks: War of Light saga. Yes, that Gustaffo Vargas. We don’t need to tell you check out the Kickstarter link, you’re already there, right? Right!? This is the eighth Kickstarter from publisher Clicky Sprout Wife, and it appears they clearly know their stuff.
Just launched by John A. Short under his Kult Kreations imprint is a new SHOKWAVE project (Volume 9) – a brand new 48-page, American comic sized, colour & black and white anthology featuring a host of great strips from David Hitchcock, Chris Askham, Richard Pester, Adam Jakes, and John himself. We always enjoy the sheer variety of strips John puts together in these anthologies, and this one looks to be now exception. Check it out here on Kickstarter
There’s just twelves days to go to back Blitzshrieeek! 1 from David Metcalfe Carr, a designer and illustrator based in the West Midlands. The team behind the Shrieeek! comic go over the top into the front line with a story of World Gore II, drawn by Commando and Battle legend Carlos Pino.
“War comics in the UK in the 1970s and 80s fell into two camps,” David notes. “The twee DC Thomson Victor and IPC’s Valiant, full of jolly good eggs taking on the evil Hun, and the kick ass hardcore Battle and Action, with its grizzly bad ass heroes… Nowadays the only one that remains is Commando, still in the tiny pocket book format, still 64 pages and still drawn by an array of British and European artists,
“After two years of Shrieeek!, a tribute to Misty and Scream, we present our the tribute to Battle and Commando but with a horror twist Blitzshrieeek!” Check it out on Kickstarter here
Tony Foster is reviving ComicScene Magazine, offering a six month subscription offer, only available via Kickstarter. If you’re interested in comics and looking for a dedicated magazine for you, this could be right up your alley. Check it out on Kickstarter here
The exceptionally talented Rachael Smith is back, this time with Nap Comix: First Steps, bringing year two of the acclaimed webcomic to life in graphic novel form. Following up on Nap Comix, this is a marvellous love letter to the weirdness and wonderfulness of children just starting to find their own voice and personality; exploring Rachael’s son Henry becoming his own person. He walks! He talks! He has some strong opinions on… everything!
British Book Award and Harvey Award nominee Rachael Smith is renowned for making people feel less alone through her comics and so when she became a mother it was a natural progression for Rachael to record the highs and lows in delightful comic strips. The result was Nap Comix, short strips which Rachael made while Henry was napping and posted online. So many people related to Rachael’s comics that she decided to make a book. The first Nap Comix collection featured the best of those early strips, covering Henry’s first year. Now Nap Comix: First Steps continues the story where it begins to get interesting in exciting new ways…
“The book features my comic about going through a miscarriage,” Rachael says, “which went viral online and prompted such an outpouring of love and empathy from total strangers, that it’s the comic I’m genuinely the most proud of making. I’m glad it now has a proper home in this book.” Check it out here on Kickstarter
Afterlife Inc. – Imitation of Life is the latest tale from Jon Lock, in which deceased con-artist Jack Fortune travels through the looking glass in Volume 7 of the acclaimed graphic novel series. Already fully funded, it offers a tale of ambition and betrayal from the Great Beyond, featuring a superstar line-up of artists, including Raffaele Ricciardi, Afterlife Inc. Imitation of Life welcomes you to an afterlife like no other, as everyone’s favourite undead corporation inches ever closer to destruction. Check it out on Kickstarter here
Recently launched, Tom Ward is running a Kickstarter for a third collection of the utterly superb gothic horror comic, Merrick: The Sensational Elephantman. If you missed out on this cult, pulp adventure penny dreadful, comic series, there’s absolutely no excuse not to do so now, as you can back this and include Volumes 1 and 2 as add-ons. Check it out on Kickstarter here
If weird comics with plenty of bite are what your after, then you should definitely also check out The Floating God Murders by Shaky Kane and Jordan Thomas – welcoming you back to the world of Weird Work with the new 112-page original graphic novel. Oh – and if If you missed these aces creators campaign for The Gods and Monsters of Hedgrave original graphic novel don’t worry, it’s currently still open for late pledges here.
Talking of the brilliantly weird, be sure to check out Stramash Volume 1 from James Corcoran, a comic book artist from Paisley, Scotland, co-creator of Alex Automatic. On offer is a hardback collection of the original Stramash series, now in full colour, the crowdfunder smashing target immediately, supported by many enthusiastic fellow comic creators.
Stramash is a 64-page crime comic set in 1950s Glasgow, Scotland, that started off as a page a day sketchbook comic and grew from there into a three-issue black and white miniseries. The story incorporates elements of Scottish mythology and science fiction, a tale that follows Tommy who, after robbing the shipyard payroll, falls foul of local gangsters and something far worse. Inspired by comics like Criminal and Parker as well as the science fiction of writers like Nigel Kneale and John Wyndham. Check it out on Kickstarter here
Last but no means least in this round up, do check out Dorothy and Alice & The Green Looking Glass from Mike Perkins, “A story in rhyme, with adventure and cheer, I’ve been making this book for the best part of a year,” he says, and it’s just joyous fun by the looks of it! Check it out on Kickstarter here… it doesn’t take a genius to guess the inspirations!
This round up doesn’t include every British comic-related Kickstarter project – there are plenty more. Go searching for yourself!
Still Running…
• Embers by Lyndon White, an absolutely stunning looking fantasy graphic novel full of monsters and magic that sees a travelling wizard returns to his home town, to save it from a fire demon and the people who banished him as a child. We trailed it here on downthetubes and we’re surprised it hasn’t yet reached target, with just eight pages to go. Do check it out here on Kickstarter
• Death Be Praised by Paul N Neal and Rob Moran, a standalone original sci-fi comic tale with a twist in its tail told in black and white with a colour cover, which we put in the spotlight here on downthetubes – which has now hit target
This round up doesn’t include every British comic-related Kickstarter project – there are plenty more. Go searching for yourself!
- About the Author
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John is the founder of downthetubes, launched in 1998. He is a comics and magazine editor, writer, and Press Officer for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He also runs Crucible Comic Press.
Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine and Overkill for Marvel UK, Babylon 5 Magazine, Star Trek Magazine, and its successor, Star Trek Explorer, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics; and has edited several comic collections and graphic novels, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”, and Hancock: The Lad Himself, by Stephen Walsh and Keith Page.
He’s the writer of comics such as 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, Comics, Creating Comics, Crowd Funding Projects, downthetubes Comics News, downthetubes News
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