As their Kickstarter draws to a close, B7 Comics is closing in on £30,000 to create its all-new Dan Dare graphic novel First Contact by Alex de Campi and Marc Laming, coloured by Michael Woods. Now, they’re offering two limited edition models as add-ons based on elements of the three book project – one of them based on Marc’s take on the Mekon.
The campaign unlocked their first stretch goal, a set of exclusive double-sided bookmarks showcasing Colonel Dan Dare and his arch-nemesis, The Mekon, last week, which will be included with every physical reward placed so far, as well as any new pledges that come in between now and Wednesday. So backers will not only have a brand-new Dan Dare graphic novel to enjoy, you’ll also have something suitably stylish to keep your place while reading it.
If the project hits £30,000, the hardcover edition of this first Dan Dare graphic novel from B7 Comics will get a foil cover. £32,000 raised will gain backers a set of six collectible postcards; a very fitting way to celebrate the artwork being created for Dan Dare: First Contact.
Two New Rewards for the Final Week of the campaign. For £175, B7 Comics have added the option to pledge for a copy of the Hardback Edition plus a limited edition Anastasia 3D Spacecraft Model, Dan Dare’s spacecraft, as depicted in the new graphic novel and designed by artist Marc Laming, custom-designed exclusively for this Kickstarter campaign by Redflare Model Studios, approximately 12 inches in size.
Or, for the same pledge amount, how about a copy of the hardback edition and a Mekon 3D Figurine, again designed by Marc Laming?
This is a 3D-printed and painted resin figurine of The Mekon on his hover chair, and, like the Anastasia model, each one also comes with a numbered and signed Certificate of Authentication.
Both models, limited to 25 each in number, will ship in November 2026 to the UK (estimated P&P £10) and the rest of the world (estimated P&P £30). Shipping will be charged at time of dispatch.
The Mekon and Anastasia models are also available as add-ons without the Hardback book – but there are only ten each of these. Get yours quick!
“We’re into the final week now, and this is where every bit of support really counts,” say B7 Comics, who are all fired up to bring a British comics icon back to life. “The closer we get to those next stretch goals, the more we can make Dan Dare: First Contact into something genuinely special.
“So please, tempt your friends. Corner your fellow comic fans. Casually mention it to anyone who looks like they might appreciate interplanetary adventure and beautifully drawn science fiction.
“Thank you again for helping bring this project to life. Thank you so much for your support. Every pledge, every share, every comment, every bit of encouragement has helped get us here, and we’re hugely grateful. This campaign has already gone far beyond what we dared hope, and there’s still time to make this final stretch even bigger.”
• Back Dan Dare: First Contact right here on Kickstarter
Spaceship Away!
Dan Dare: First Contact is a new graphic novel offered as an ebook, paperback and a premium Kickstarter-exclusive hardback, for collectors who like their adventures with extra heft.
The story is powered by Writer Alex de Campi (Rogue Trooper: Ghost Patrol, MADI), Artist Marc Laming (Star Wars, Endeavour), with colour from Michael Woods, and B7 Comics (part of B7 Media), makers of the critically acclaimed Dan Dare Audio Adventures, and publishers of graphic novels including Hancock: The Lad Himself, Mr Jones’s Smoking Bones, and the sci-fi thriller Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies.
Kickstarter Exclusive Paperback editions will have a cover by Chris Weston and the Exclusive Hardback edition cover has been painted by J.H. Williams III.
Inspired by its roots in Eagle and the creative genius of Frank Hampson, this all-new adventure, already scripted, is still what Dan Dare does best: big wonder, bigger danger, and characters you’ll genuinely root for. It’s the thrill of stepping into the unknown, the shock of discovering you’re not the centre of the story, and the pulse-racing rush of trying to survive first contact when the odds look impossible, and turning back isn’t an option…
• Back Dan Dare: First Contact right here on Kickstarter
Declaration: John Freeman, publisher of downthetubes, is Managing Editor of B7 Comics
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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, British Comics - Current British Publishers, British Comics - Graphic Novels, Comics, Crowd Funding Projects, downthetubes Comics News, downthetubes News
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