The 5 Types of NSFW Comics on Kickstarter
Not all NSFW comics on the crowdfunding giant are created equal.
What’s Gone Before
A few weeks back, I published a (for me) well-traveled post asking, “Are NSFW Comics Really Taking Over Kickstarter?” The topic was obviously of high interest, and I believe that interest was magnified by my somewhat unexpected findings, which I’ll summarize briefly here:
As of that post’s publication date (November 20), NSFW comics comprised a minute (6.34%) proportion of the project population in the Kickstarter Comics category.
Even given extreme funding outliers (like BRZRKR and the G.I. Joe Compendium) that skew the all-time average funding for Kickstarter Comics projects, this small set of live NSFW comics was outfunding the field by 21%.
Funding for the live NSFW comics was robust, with 70.6% rising above the $10,000 level, including a project that funded over $50,000.
The success rate for NSFW comics is substantially higher than for other comics in the category, although the 91.67% rate at that time was likely exaggerated.
If you missed that first post, check it out here:
What’s Going on Now
While I intend to revisit this deeper level of analysis of the NSFW genre in the Kickstarter Comics category on a quarterly basis, I felt that there’s also some value in breaking down that “mature audiences” segment of comics offerings based on their creative and material particulars and reviewing how each thusly defined sub-type impacts the comics crowdfunding environment.
First, though, let me reiterate my personal stance on the existence and consumption of NSFW comics and other media. I personally have no problem with sexually explicit comics, whether crowdfunded, distributed to the direct market, sold at conventions, or any combination of the above. This analysis is not a moral judgment in any sense. Rather, it’s a consideration of the actual place those comics hold in the Kickstarter Comics category and their influence on the marketplace therein.
After spending months now reviewing literally each and every project launched in the Kickstarter Comics category, it’s clear to me that there are 5 distinct sub-categories of NSFW comics routinely launching on Kickstarter. As before, for this analysis, I considered only those comics projects that include explicit sexuality and blatant sex acts (to the extent I can determine that from a Kickstarter project page), beyond brief, in-context nudity or demure or implied depictions of sexuality.
The 5 Types of NSFW Comics on Kickstarter
Let’s kick this off by listing and defining these NSFW types:
NSFW Pin-Up & Art Books
Not comics
No story or sequential art
Pages of nude/pornographic art without any aspects of story
Porn Cover Mills
A plethora of nude/pornographic cover options
Purports to be a comic but shows no substantial evidence of such (e.g., sequential art, story synopses)
Actual Adult Comics
Detailed, prominent story synopses
Spotlight on quality sequential art
May or may not feature nude/pornographic cover options
Sexualized Comics Exploiting the Public Domain/Other People’s IP
Nude/pornographic depictions of famous characters and/or stories that are either in the public domain or the property of other entities
May or may not include essential aspects of comics (e.g., sequential art, story synopses)
Money-Chasing NSFW Wannabes
Attempts to mimic the products and success of one or more of the above NSFW comics types
Poor effort/quality in the areas of art or story
High probability of AI art production
High variability in crowdfunding success
Now that we’re clear on the 5 types of NSFW comics, each deserves exemplification and consideration of its place in, and impact upon, the Kickstarter Comics category.
NSFW Pin-Up & Art Books
I’ll start with the obvious. These aren’t comics and don’t belong in the Comics category. That assertion is not meant to detract from their legitimacy as art nor from their right to crowdfund, but there’s a whole-ass Art category on Kickstarter, including 13 sub-categories, with one, Illustration, perfect for these non-comics approved by Trust & Safety for the incompatible Comics category.
I’ve established that Comics has a massive shopability problem due to the overstuffed project volume (even now, at its ebb) and very primitive search function. Dropping art books into the bloat doesn’t help the matter. Potential backers who might actually browse Kickstarter for comics properties don’t hang around for long trying to glean what’s a comic and what’s not from the perpetual 3x3 project cover doom scroll.
These projects feature some truly stunning art, much of which I’m not going to preview on this post, as there’s no advance notice of nudity/sexual content, but it’s important to me to reiterate that there’s no issue with the artistic expertise or nature of the content. This is a structural/procedural issue with how project approvals to specific Kickstarter categories are handled.
BTW, I’m especially partial to the work in Rene Cordova´s: My Beauties Sketchbook Volume II, and you might check it out if you’re not offended by such artistic depictions of nudity.
Porn Cover Mills
Many of the NSFW comics launched on Kickstarter offer an array of clothed versus nude cover variants. It’s a tried-and-true business model that clearly works and keeps those utilizing it in a secure financial position to continue making comics. That’s a good thing. Obviously, these are high-demand products in some sectors, including the direct market (comic shops), which has capitalized upon it for decades. Creators relying on crowdfunding shouldn’t be excluded from that opportunity, should they choose to seize upon it.
However, some purveyors of the aptly described “titty covers” make more of an effort than others to put some actual sequential storytelling between the…ahem…covers. For those at the low end of that effort scale, I place them in this bucket I refer to as “Porn Cover Mills”. The vast majority of their financial, creative and marketing investments are poured into these covers, with the “comics” aspect of the publication an afterthought and, often, a no-cost reprint of a previous story. Doesn’t matter, the titty covers still sell. Not a judgment, just a plain fact.
As an example, take My Metal Girl #3, a currently funding NSFW comic that offers 21 nude or clothed cover variants but devotes only 7 sentences and 3 (decidedly unsexy) sequential page samples to what little story awaits behind the cover work. They’re just selling the covers. Fine, if you’re cool with that being your creative output, or, more likely, your source of income, but let’s call it what it is. And there’s typically no shortage of this type of NSFW comic on the platform.
Actual Adult Comics
At the other end of the continuum of content substance exist the real comics that, coincidentally, feature sexual themes and overtly sexual content within the scope of actual storytelling. These are the R-rated and NC-17-rated stories of the (usually) self-published comics universe, and it’s great to see this particular corner of the NSFW genre thriving on Kickstarter.
There are a few prime examples of this upper end of the NSFW comics market currently live on Kickstarter, spearheaded by the guy who’s essentially spearheaded the movement. Pat Shand’s PRIVATE DANCE: DOWN SOUTH and DEATH GODDESS OF CTHULHU each headline their Kickstarter campaign pages with a meaty scroll of intermingled story description and accompanying interior art samples. You know up front what’s happening between the covers, such that what’s on (or, more likely, off…) the covers is more intriguing when you see them down the page.
What’s more, the interior art is of high quality that competes with and complements that on the cover. It’s not an afterthought, sacrificed as grist to the porn cover mill (see what I did there?). Is that a value judgment with regard to porn cover mills? Yes, yes it is. I’ll always advocate for the merits of real storytelling in the Comics category over the alternative.
Sexualized Comics Exploiting the Public Domain/Other People’s IP
This one crosses the boundaries of the other types of NSFW comics defined herein, but it is distinguished by the sexualization of characters and/or stories that are not original to the creators. Weirdly, at least to me, the inhabitants and situations of Oz, Wonderland, and Neverland are frequent targets for these publications, but so are modern pop culture characters, particularly superheroes. Some of these projects are also pin-up/art books. Others are porn cover mills. A few even cross over into the territory of legit comics stories. Still and all, they capitalize on the existing popularity of these established characters and situations.
A prime example is live on Kickstarter right now. X-FEM #1 makes absolutely zero effort to disguise the fact that it’s a porn comic in which all X-Men are females and are all sexually involved with each other. The costumes are the same. The existing relationships are depicted (some in new…um…positions). X-Fem is certainly not the only project to ride this approach to a 5-figure funding total. Other frequent flyers in the Kickstarter Comics category make a killing just squeezing out pin-up books consisting entirely of any nudely enmeshed combinations of female superheroes in whatever bizarre scenarios they can conjure.
But I have questions:
How do they get away with it?
How does Kickstarter justify greenlighting a project that’s an obvious violation of Marvel’s existing trademarks and copyrights?
Why doesn’t Marvel drop a cease and desist on these creators?
Are they protected by parody laws?
I’m genuinely curious.
Money-Chasing NSFW Wannabes
In the immortal words of Chris Rock, “Yeah, I said it.” This may surprise you, but there’s an element within the comics community that sees the success of NSFW projects and wants nothing but to cash in on it, themselves. With no effort. With no talent. With even less thought. Just drop unclothed females on covers and watch the cash roll in, right? Well, sometimes, maybe.
On November 28, I authored a post about Supra Cat - A NSFW Comic, a comic chasing the money using AI-generated covers and interiors even I could best in a drawing competition, and I suck at drawing, believe me. As of today, that project boasts 5 backers and $53 (of $1578 needed) in funding, which is more than it deserves. If you missed that post, I’ll link you below:
Supra Cat is not the only offender in this vein, however. Anytime there’s a financially successful venture in any arena, the base pretenders show up to stake a claim. It comes with the territory, as it’s said, but we don’t have to celebrate it. Call them what they are. I can’t, in good taste or in good conscience, post any of the three images posted on the Kickstarter page for Ms. Ravishing Vol 2- Wax Attack, but just know that one, the cover image, crudely depicts a fully clothed male character assaulting a nude and bound female character with burning wax. There’s nothing titillating or exciting or sexually joyful in this image or the story it intends to promote. It’s just gross. It’s low-brow. It’s exploitative. It was approved for crowdfunding in the Comics category by Trust & Safety.
Closing Thoughts
With the high visibility of NSFW comics in the crowdfunding community, they receive a disproportionate amount of scrutiny and an even more skewed level of blame for the reduced funding currently experienced by long-time creators of comics in other genres. There’s value in assessing which brands of NSFW comics actually contribute value of their own to the crowdfunded comics community and which need to be identified as truly problematic or simply mis-marketed by placement in the wrong Kickstarter category. Easy changes could make a lot of this better.
Really enjoyed this read.
While I'm not using kickstarter for my NSFW comics (I'm just publishing them directly through Amazon), still this was very useful and informative article for me! Thank you!