5 Signs Empty Comics Kickstarters Must be Better Curated

Kickstarter campaigns without art or story are clogging the Comics category

Since I began crowdfunding my own self-published comics via Kickstarter in 2011, it’s always been my assumption that, before I submit a campaign to Trust & Safety for approval, that campaign needs to feature at least the following elements:

1. Art samples from both the cover(s) and interior pages

2. A brief but informative story synopsis

3. Basic data on the end product (page count, binding style, proportions, etc.)

Basically, it only made sense that, before they’d approve a comic concept for crowdfunding, Trust & Safety would want to see actual evidence that I have the ability and the intent to actually produce a comic. Well, that was apparently a bad assumption on my part.

Just a snippet from my last Kickstarter page, which includes cover art, interior art, and comic specs.

Right now, there are at least thirteen projects in the Kickstarter Comics category that include none or almost none of this essential information. At the bottom of this post, I list each of these, along with basic info on each, and each is hyperlinked to its Kickstarter page, so you can see for yourself the total lack on proof that an actual comic is in production for these campaigns. I excluded from this list campaigns that show more than one page of sequential art but no covers or vice versa (there are several).

You may ask, “Why is this a concern?”

It’s a concern because these campaigns, along with others nearly as suspect in terms of actually, ultimately yielding a comic, appear in the same search results as Comics campaigns that are yours or mine that provide real cover art, genuine interior sequential art, story synopses, and an idea of what the finished comic will look and feel like. They clog up the search, frustrate potential readers/backers with the utter lack of useful information, and give the idea that all Kickstarter-funded comics are as barren of intriguing and fun details. When the comics marketplace consists of 300+ campaigns to choose from, and a substantial proportion of those look like money-grabs for an idea without even basic proof of concept, prospective supporters are only going to wade in so far before they’re sick of dredging bottom.

The entire Kickstarter page (sans Kickstarter cover image) for a Comics campaign launched a couple of days ago

During my daily slog through the Kickstarter Comics category, in which I summarize the real comics being funding over at my The Comic$ Crowd Substack, I come across several of these empty comics Kickstarters each week, and it’s honestly baffling that they get approved by Kickstarter staff for crowdfunding. Allow me to share the most obvious evidence that better curation of Kickstarter comics is necessary, as culled from my daily reviews of the category.

Among the 13 referenced Kickstarter Comics projects:

1. There are two (2) total sequential art images;

2. There are zero (0) cover art images;

3. There is one (1) total project update;

4. There are seven (7) funding goals between $4000 and $25,000;

5. There are thirteen (13) ambiguous mission statements/project goals.

Those are your five (5) signs projects in the Comics category must be better curated. Seriously, these Kickstarter crowdfunders expect backers to support a comic concept on the basis of no preview art, no follow-up project updates, outrageous funding goals, and ephemeral wishes to make comics without actually doing so. It’s not difficult to determine why nine of them are less than 15% funded and one already cancelled funding. These campaigns should never have been approved in the first place. If I submitted a campaign for approval without these basic elements, I would expect it to be denied.

Another Kickstarter page utterly vacant of art or actual information on a comic in production

Instead, why aren’t these creators denied by Trust & Safety, then referred to resources to advise them on basic comic creation and essential Kickstarter project organization? Why not refer them to a bastion of free and real Kickstarter crowdfunding information and guidance like Tyler James’ ComixLaunch podcast and website? I don’t begrudge these aspiring creators their desire to make comics, but submitting and then abandoning half-baked comics Kickstarters is helping neither them nor those of us with legitimate publications to fund and publish. In fact, it diffuses the quality of the entire platform and is one source of the big hit real comics self-publishers have taken to crowdfunding proceeds in the past 2-3 years.

Of course, these dead-on-arrival campaigns are only one factor in bloating the Kickstarter Comics category, but their place in the problem - and constructive and compassionate resolutions to - warrant consideration, discussion, and intervention. Soon, I’ll similarly make some observations and recommendations about the dollar-ridden role of comics “super-creators” in this very same condition impacting us all.

Following are the campaigns in the Comics category surveyed for this post:

Mota Man volume1

• No cover or finished interior art on Kickstarter page

• Launched: September 4

• Ends: October 21

• Backers: 3

• Goal: $2500

• % Funded: 5%

• # Updates: 0

Chuck The Monk - Here and Meow

• No cover or interior art on Kickstarter page

• Launched: September 3

• Ends: October 31

• Backers: 24

• Goal: $4356

• % Funded: 32%

• # Updates: 0

Venti Lady: The Rise Of A Giantess

• No cover or finished interior art on Kickstarter page

• Launched: September 18

• Ends: October 17

• Backers: 19

• Goal: $534

• % Funded: 141%

• # Updates: 0

Side Walks Comic

• Only one piece of sample art but no cover art or convincing evidence an actual comic is in production

• Launched: September 17

• Ends: October 22

• Backers: 19

• Goal: $15,852

• % Funded: 13%

• # Updates: 0

KANYEN ISSUE#2

• Only one piece of sample art but no cover art or convincing evidence an actual comic is in production

• Launched: September 17

• Ends: November 1

• Backers: 0

• Goal: $5000

• % Funded: 0%

• # Updates: 0

Códice Infinito 7

• No cover or finished interior art on Kickstarter page

• Launched: September 16

• Ends: October 16

• Backers: 12

• Goal: $1522

• % Funded: 12%

• # Updates: 0

Weeping Maple; Volume 01

• No cover or finished interior art on Kickstarter page (Cover posted in update later)

• Launched: September 14

• Ends: October 14

• Backers: 2

• Goal: $5000

• % Funded: 1%

• # Updates: 1

Expand JamRock Universe. Release More Comics. Get Animated

• No cover or interior art on Kickstarter page

• Launched: September 11

• Ends: November 10

• Backers: 0

• Goal: $25,000

• % Funded: 0%

• # Updates: 0

I, COMIC: Fostering Literacy in Carceral Communities

• No cover or interior art on Kickstarter page

• Launched: September 8

• Ends: Canceled September 27

• Backers: 10

• Goal: $10,000

• % Funded: 1%

• # Updates: 0

Harper Rocks! Comic, Prints and stickers!

• No finished interior art on Kickstarter page

• Launched: September 24

• Ends: October 31

• Backers: 7

• Goal: $802

• % Funded: 37%

• # Updates: 0

Torrent - Book 1

• No cover or interior art on Kickstarter page

• Launched: September 24

• Ends: November 13

• Backers: 14

• Goal: $5000

• % Funded: 36%

• # Updates: 0

Cade, The Graphic Novel

• No cover or interior art on Kickstarter page

• Launched: September 26

• Ends: October 26

• Backers: 2

• Goal: $300

• % Funded: 10%

• # Updates: 0

Oh No! Mr. Momo - A Comics Compendium

• No cover or interior art on Kickstarter page

• Launched: September 27

• Ends: November 26

• Backers: 0

• Goal: $600

• % Funded: 0%

• # Updates: 0

Have an amazing week!

• Kevin