Kickstarter and similar sites like Indiegogo are a great benefit to people. Whether you’re trying to bypass the middleman and get your project going or trying to fun a charity project, these are great sites. Personally, as a creator I’d go with Indiegogo since you still get the money even if you don’t reach your goal, but I can see how both sites have scam potential as well. You do need to check into what you’re backing. Backers aren’t the same as investors, and the project creators have to hope they get enough starting capital and can hopefully continue on their own to become successful at their goal. It’s still a gamble for all parties involved but what in life isn’t?
The backers try to come up with rewards to people who fund the project, whether to encourage backers or thank them for helping support their dream project. Occasionally I see projects that I would love to fund…but even though I have a decent income now I’m still trying to catch up to debt from the past few years. While this is almost finally done, I still have this year’s conventions to prepare for and get equipment for both my videos and my comics. Either way I have no money to spend on these projects. What I do have is a blog where I can point those who have money to fund some really good projects and get some rewards I won’t.
Stripped
I’d like to see this done if only because there’s a great article potential here: newspaper vs. webcomics, something that (thanks to a recent Doonesbury strip which led to a strong response from the webcomic community) is a discussion topic in the comic strip community. Beyond that, you’re looking at interviews with some of the greats in the comic strip business: Bill Watterson (Calvin & Hobbes), as well as Jim Davis (Garfield), Cathy Guisewite (Cathy), Mort Walker (Beetle Bailey), Mike & Jerry (Penny Arcade), Matt Inman (The Oatmeal), Jeff Keane (The Family Circus), Ryan North (Dinosaur Comics), Lynn Johnston (FBOFW), Zach Weiner (SMBC), Scott Kurtz (PvP), Scott McCloud (Understanding Comics), Richard Thompson (Cul de Sac), Jeph Jacques (Questionable Content), Stephan Pastis (Pearls Before Swine), Bill Amend (Foxtrot), Kate Beaton (Hark! A Vagrant)–and yes, I totally copy/pasted that from the promo. That’s a lot of people. The biggest deal is Watterson since he doesn’t do a lot of interviews and seems happy in retirement.
The movie itself is pretty much done. The money is going to license certain clips they want to use, interviews from other sources and clips of shows based on strips being the big ones. There are more clips on their page.
Mini Comics Included!
I couldn’t get the video to embed so here’s the gist on this one: MINI COMICS INCLUDED is a collaboration started by comic creators Tim Seeley, Steve Seeley, and Michael Moreci. Remember the fun you had with comics, toys, and cartoons as kids? That’s what we’re bringing back! Imagination! Excitement! Heart! We grew up on Kirby and He-Man, Toth and G.I. Joe and are now putting that exuberance and wonder into this unique project. Funding for this Kickstarter will enable the production of SIX ALL-NEW comics (listed below). Each comic will be 16 pages, printed individually, sized to the format of the mini-comics that frequently accompanied toys, way back when (Starriors, Dino Riders, Micronauts, etc). (Yes, copy/paste.)
Now anyone who has read either this site or my cross-posts to Reviewers Unknown are already aware how much I enjoy those little things, so an homage to those (like the often mentioned Switch Runners, which is more of a full-sized comic emulating a cartoon) I’m in favor of. As a bonus, they’re making the toys that go with it! I wish I had money for them to take, so instead of shutting up I’m telling everyone else about it.
So there are two really good projects I would love to see completed. I’ll keep an eye out for more of these kinds of projects, since I can’t support them financially but can support them with the power of…reaching 100+ people. Hey, you never know.
BW Media Spotlight 