After ninety issues and twenty collections at Image Comics, 20 issues at Comixology Originals and one trade collection at Dark Horse Comics, Comicraft’s next Elephantmen comics will be published by… Comicraft via Kickstarter.

The campaign for Elephantmen: Yvette, a brand-new 48-page adventure written by Comicraft studio founder Richard Starkings, with interior art by Axel Medellin, has already hit its target, ending on 2nd June 2024. Don’t miss out, and do check out the add-ons – they’re fantastic!

The latest chapter in the long-running Elephantmen scifi adventure story, which made its debut back in 2002, centres on Yvette, one of the saga’s most popular characters who led the French Resistance against the Elephantmen in 2239, when the war they were created to fight was being waged throughout Europe.

Long time readers will be excited to learn this story features not only Yvette but Ebony Hide, Hip Flask and Shorty, and a character perhaps you weren’t even expecting…

“22 years ago, long before crowd-funding, long before social media, I published the first issue of Elephantmen, Hip Flask: Unnatural Selection, under the Comicraft imprint. Now it’s time to go back to basics and for Comicraft to publish a new bumper issue of Elephantmen on Kickstarter.” says creator and writer Richard Starkings.

“This campaign is a first for us, but Elephantmen has been available in comic shops since 2002,” Richard also said, “and there are over a hundred issues available in more than twenty paperback collections. But you don’t have to know anything about the Elephantmen universe to read and enjoy this new standalone adventure.” 

Rewards include a whole grab bag of add ons, including stickers, prints and digital options, plus a gorgeous 24″x 36″ screen print by The Goon creator Eric Powell, ready for framing, as well as exclusive original watercolour paintings by Elephantmen artist Axel Medellin.

If you’re new to Elephantmen, this could be a great place to start diving into the story. Head over to Kickstarter to see more preview pages, and make a pledge.

You can also check out the latest collections here on AmazonUK (Affiliate Link).

“After this new issue, later in the year we will be crowd-funding the second Comixology Originals collection,” Richard reveals. “The print rights to the series have reverted to Comicraft, so expect that and some special POD collections later in the year!”

And what about the long awaited final issue of the Hip Flask series by Ladrönn? “I’m happy to say that Ladrönn has finished issue #5 of the series,” says Richard, ” a”and we are putting the finishing touches to that this summer!”

Richard Starkings is the creator/writer of Image Comics’ Elephantmen and co-creator of The Beef and Ask for Mercy! The former Editor-in-Chief at Marvel UK, he’s worked as a lettering artist on just about every mainstream comic book you might care to mention since the mid 1980s, including Astro City, The Avengers, Batman: The Killing Joke and Spider-Man, and his company Comicraft currently letters a whole bunch of comics, from Conan the Barbarian to League of Legends and Star Wars Adventures.

Comic book and concept artist Axel Medellin has worked for Heavy Metal, Metal Hurlant, Zenescope and Boom! Studios, among other stuff, as well as Elephantmen series.

• Check out Elephantmen: Yvette on Kickstarter

• Check out the latest Elephantmen collections here on AmazonUK (Affiliate Link).

Web Links

• Elephantmen: Facebook / BlueSky / Instagram / Threads / Twitter
• Comicraft: Facebook / BlueSky / Instagram / Threads / Twitter

• Richard Starkings:  Facebook / BlueSky / Instagram / Threads / Twitter
• Axel Medellin: Facebook / BlueSky / Instagram / Twitter
• Abigail Jill Harding: Facebook / BlueSky / Instagram / Threads / Twitter
• Carlos Dearmas: Facebook / BlueSky / Instagram / Twitter
• Boo Cook: Facebook / Instagram 
• Eric Powell: Facebook / Instagram / Threads / Hive

John Freeman

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: Comics, Creating Comics, Crowd Funding Projects, downthetubes Comics News, downthetubes News

Tags: Axel Medellin, Comicraft, downthetubes News, Elephantmen, Eric Powell, Richard Starkings