There are a number of smashing comic projects on Kickstarter well worth your attention right now, some that we’ve already highlighted recently, such as the latest for Death Sentence Liberty. But there are several more…
How about a generous mix of adventure in the 18th century, for example, in Flintlock Book Six from Time Bomb Comics, the independent publisher behind the Gerry Anderson-inspired SPECTRUM, on sale now in newsagents, and much more?
Publisher Steve Tanner has put together the biggest collection of stories yet in one perfect-bound, volume – 68 pages of action from creators Gareth Sleightholme, Carlos Angeli and James Gray, with Rob Jones lettering throughout.
“Flintlock is a regular comics anthology series with a difference,” Steve enthuses. “Each book tells stories featuring a unique range of genuinely diverse characters in an Eighteenth Century shared historical timeline.
This period, 1701 to 1800, was the era of highwaymen, pirates, samurai, exploration and upheaval. Those one hundred years encompassed some of the most tumultuous changes in world history involving some of the richest personalities, and is one of the inspirations for the stories and characters that feature in Flintlock.
“Reaction to the previous Flintlock books has been phenomenal,” he continues. “I’m delighted that so many people are enjoying the stories and the concept behind it. The previous five Flintlock books were all successfully launched through Kickstarter and I’m hoping Flintlock Book Six will be equally well received by backers old an new.”
Pre-ordering Book Six through this campaign can also get you some very unique special rewards for doing so, exclusive to backers and not available to mass-market when it’s published in September 2022. Check it out here – the project has already hit target 24 hours after launch.
For something completely different, check out Bristol-based Illustrator and Design r Joe Latham’s utterly mind-blowing project, Lustration & Other Stories – An Anthology Of Short Comics, which, unsurprisingly, has captured the imaginations of a good many of you already – an anthology of short stories treading the line somewhere between fantasy and slice of life.
Joe has been teasing this work on his web site, Instagram and Twitter for a while, and grabbed plenty of deserved attention in the process, and you can check out his Kickstarter for a beautiful-looking 70-page, A5 Sized, Perfect Bound collection here, and join over 250 fans who’ve helped it attract close to £7000 in support.
If you prefer something silly, how about A New Canon, collecting together all 19 episodes of the Star Wars inspired comedy for the first time, written and drawn entirely by Paul B. Rainey, VIZ Comic cartoonist and winner of the Jonathan Cape/Observer Newspaper/Comica Graphic Short Story Prize?
Whether you love or hate Star Wars, or you can take it or leave it, that doesn’t matter. A New Canon is the comic-book for you! Check out this sometimes risqué title here.
Prefer something creepy? How about Volume Three of Adam Lumb’s fantasy thriller, The Tide: Witness Protection in Hell – a tale centring on Milas Clay, warden of the north, who finds herself protecting the witnesses of a savage crime against evils both human and demonic? Adam spent the pandemic honing his art and storytelling, bringing new layers to his work in this new story, and you can check out the results here.
There’s still time to back the eagerly-anticipated SKRAWL 2 Comix Mag, too – a comic magazine featuring the SKRAWLLORDZ and special guests, offering an engaging mix of comics, interviews, features.
Issue One was, frankly, terrific, and Issue Two looks great, er, too!
SKRAWL 2 will feature sequential strips from all the SKRAWLLORDZ, who are: Mark Hughes, Russell Mark Olson, Nick Prolix, Martin Simpson, Pete Taylor, and Gustaffo Vargas – and additional material from their guests.
Lined up for SKRAWL #2 is David Rubín (Cosmic Detective, Rumble), Anna Readman (Metallic Dynamite), Norm Konyu (The Junction) and Jordan Thomas (Weird Work, Frank at Home on the Farm). Editorial Legend Shelly Bond (Filth & Grammar) is the subject of the Big SKRAWL interview and Leah Moore (Morrison Hotel) and Owen Sherwood (The Incredible Flight of Tony Featherneck) will provide the mag with an illustrated short story.
All this not enough to grab you? Not weird enough? Then here’s one to watch out for, coming soon, albeit from a US publisher, IT’S ALIVE!, but featuring the work of British legend Bryan Talbot…
IT’S ALIVE!, run by Drew Ford, will soon be launching a Kickstarter to publish the first ever collection of The Nazz by Tom Veitch and Bryan Talbot. Expect a big announcement once the campaign is live over on their social media – Facebook, Instagram and Twitter… be ready for your mind to be blown!
Kickstarters Mentioned…
• Death Sentence Liberty – read our separate news item here
• Lustration & Other Stories – An Anthology Of Short Comics by Joe Latham
• A New Canon by Paul B. Rainey
• Skrawl 2
• The Tide: Witness Protection in Hell
• Coming Soon: The Nazz from IT’S ALIVE!
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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, US Comics
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