Category Archives: Crowdfunding

January 29, 2025 · 7:08 pm

Black Panel Press Needs Your Help: Andrew Benteau Interview

Black Panel Press Needs Your Help! Go to GoFundMe right here.

Black Panel Press is an indie comics publisher with a global market. Since its founding in 2017, it has delighted readers with such gems as the graphic novel, Al Capone. In fact, 2024 was the best year ever for Black Panel Press with over 5,000 books sold and receiving the prestigious JLG Gold Selection for Shadows on the Ice. But things have taken a turn. Diamond Comics, Black Panel Press’s distributor, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, owing the publisher over $28,000. Through no fault of their own, Black Panel Press finds itself in a tight spot and has launched a campaign on GoFundMe. Every bit of help counts so, if you are a fan of excellent comics, please donate.

I got a chance to chat with Black Panel Press founder Andrew Benteau. We went over what has happened and what the future holds. Right now, a flow of cash is much needed for such essential needs as paying royalties to creators and to pay for printing for upcoming titles. With your help, the publisher will be able to get back on track and be able to focus once again on creating quality comics.

Here are four titles to look forward to in 2025 and 2026:

Hanging on by a Thread

Pushing Buttons

Disconnect

Pavil’s Mask

This company has been a labor of love for seven years. We’ve published incredible, unique graphic novels by creators from all over the world, many of whom have told me how no other publishers would publish their books. Comics are important; we need more of them, not less.

We understand that times are tough all around. If you can share this, great. Even better if you can donate. Your help means a lot.

Thank you so much for your support.

— Andrew Benteau on Black Panel Press

Black Panel Press is an indie graphic novel publisher based in Canada, with distribution in the United States through Diamond Comic Distributors. The company was founded in 2017 by Andrew Benteau with the goal of bringing exceptional international graphic novels to North American readers.

In late 2016, Andrew met José Jover, the editor in charge of the French publisher Tartamudo Editions at the Salon BD in Paris. Shortly thereafter, a partnership was struck to import their original graphic novel titles to the United States and Canada, a market which has traditionally been dominated by superhero stories. Since then, Black Panel Press has published titles by creators from all over the world, including Mexico, Lebanon, China, France, Italy and the United States.

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Filed under Comics, Crowdfunding

Tagged as comics, Entertainment, graphic novels, Media, Pop Culture, Publishing

May 6, 2020 · 7:40 pm

Indiegogo: THE EIGHTH, a New Adventure Comic

THE EIGHTH

The Eighth is a very impressive new comic book (now on Indiegogo) by Adam Lawson (writer/director of the YouTube Original series Escape The Night, and the gaming shows Tabletop and Spellslingers) and Lawson’s longtime collaborator, Jorin Evers. First, this is the premise: an epic adventure featuring two teenagers, David Wells and Emma Adachi, who unlock a piece of ancient Sumerian armor, but mismanage its power and end up committing murder. Before they know it, they find themselves on a terrifying journey to change or destroy the world with no going back. Now, the goal of the current Indiegogo campaign is to collect all the issues of the comic book into a glorious 200-page glossy trade paperback. As Adam Lawson puts it:

For almost two years, Jorin and I have slaved away on the pages completing five of the eight issues and given away all of our free time. With your contributions, we can take this across the finish and deliver into your hands, in stunning glossy print, the 200-page story of David, the 8th and his misfit friends.

David & Emma

Taking a close look at the first issue in this series, I see a well-paced story that got my attention right from the start. Writer/creator Adam Lawson and artist Jorin Evers deliver a gritty story playing with teenage wasteland tropes that ring very true. David is the math whiz who is being raised by his mother and aunt. Emma is a teen who ran away from her foster family and lives in the same house with David. Things look pretty dire and bleak. But there’s something about both David and Emma that leaves the reader wondering. There’s that touch of strange that means everything. Infused with just the right doses of horror, science fiction, and dark fantasy, this all adds up to a most unique and compelling story.

Out to save the world.

It will be up to David to see if he can rise to the challenge. As they say in scientific circles, the cat in the box is both alive and dead up until the box is opened. David makes the choice to open the box and find out. All along the way, the reader gets deeper into the action and more involved with the characters in unexpected ways. For instance, aloof and quiet Emma has got quite a steamy crush on David. The art by Jorin Evers brings it all to life with vivid energy. Lawson and Evers nicely set it up and then, bang, the reader is rewarded with a new twist on the superhero mythos. That twist is definitely there with just the right set of circumstances. Like any good thriller, it all comes down to being careful for what you wish for. But what’s the fun in being so careful, right? That’s the devil’s bargain that David and Emma will have to deal with. The promo material already alludes to a cosmic connection with Sumerian antiquity. Well, without spoiling anything, Lawson and Evers bring you a superhero story for a new generation, full of ugly truth and full of righteous fury. The Eighth truly feels like something new, a fresh take on superheroes, and that’s saying a lot.

Heroes Emerge!

THE EIGHTH has got just what you’re looking for in a story that’s not afraid to blast through the page. Check out the Indiegogo campaign right here. And you really need to check out the animated book trailer, only available by visiting the Indiegogo campaign.

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Filed under Comics, Comics Reviews, Crowdfunding, Indiegogo

Tagged as comic books, comics, Comics Reviews, Dark Fantasy, Entertainment, Fantasy, graphic novels, Horror, Indiegogo, Media, Pop Culture, Publishing, Sci-Fi, Science Fiction, superheroes

February 25, 2019 · 2:45 pm

Kickstarter: ART BLOCK webcomics anthology starts March 4, 2019

ART BLOCK

We are in a golden age of comics, specifically webcomics. We all have our favorites that we follow. Cartoonist David Daneman brings together some of the best work out there. Last year he presented Launch Party which proved a success. This year, it’s Art Block, with a whole new group of talent. A Kickstarter campaign in support of this new project launches March 4 and runs for a month. Check it out right here.

“Projects like this are the reason we get up in the morning. When David calls, we’re in.”

—Jonathan Kunz & Elizabeth Pich, War and Peas

Tech Specs:

~88 pages

~75 strips from 25 different artists

–Full color interior
~$20.00 (usd) + shipping/handling

–Ships anywhere in the world

In 2017, Montreal-based cartoonist David Daneman realized he had found a niche to fill in the comics ecosystem. The type of comics he loves, short and funny gag-strips, are increasingly published but rarely in anthology form. Under the name The Original Content Collective, Daneman published the 2018 proof of concept book, Launch Party, and paid all of his contributors a fee per comic plus a share of the profits. Building on the success of Launch Party, Daneman returns this year with Art Block, a new anthology with a new crew of cartoonists and including some very impressive titles: Poorly Drawn Lines, Cassandra and The Perry Bible Fellowship, to name a few. Kris Wilson, author of Cyanide and Happiness, will write the introduction.

ART BLOCK

List of Artists

Ah, Mince!
Boumeres
Cassandra
Cheit.jpg
The DaneMen
Fail By Error
Good Bad Comics
Good Bear Comics
Grumpy
Gudim
Heropie
Honeydill
Hotpaper Comics
Jamie Squire
Kraan Komix
Lizz Lunney
Lollibeepop

Mondo Mango
Mrs. Frollein
Perry Bible Fellowship
Poorly Drawn Lines
Red Dot Comics
Rustled Jimmies
Tiny Snek
Underpants and Overbites

The Art Block Kickstarter is ready to rock!

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/229526019/1243589993?ref=752605&token=41943ca7
http://daviddaneman.com

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Filed under Comedy, Comics, Comix, Crowdfunding, David Daneman, Humor, Instagram, Jokes, Kickstarter, Social Media, Webcomics

Tagged as Comedy, Comic Strips, comics, David Daneman, Entertainment, Gags, graphic novels, Humor, Instagram, Jokes, Kickstarter, Media, Pop Culture, Publishing, Social Media, Tumblr, webcomics

March 27, 2018 · 11:00 am

Kickstarter: LEMONADE SUMMER, LGBTQ Comics (Ends April 7)

LEMONADE SUMMER by Gabi Mendez

“THERE ARE STORIES ABOUT KIDS AND GROWING UP, AND THERE ARE STORIES ABOUT THE LGBT EXPERIENCE; BUT THE TWO DON’T OFTEN INTERSECT IN A POSITIVE WAY. LGBT ISSUES AREN’T JUST ADULT ISSUES! MY STORIES ARE FOR ALL AGES: POSITIVE STORIES OF KIDS AND YOUNG ADULTS NAVIGATING LIFE AND HELPING EACH OTHER WHILE NOT IGNORING THEIR IDENTITIES AS TRANSGENDER, BISEXUAL, NON-BINARY, LESBIAN, AND MORE.” – GABI MENDEZ, AUTHOR

A Kickstarter campaign is running now and ending on April 7th in support of Lemonade Summer by Gabi Mendez. This is an all-ages graphic novel about queer children, adolescents, teens and young adults coming of age in positive environments and finding supportive communities. The book is 136 pages with full color covers and chapter covers. Each story is a monochromatic color scheme mirroring the sun from noon to dusk, reflecting the characters’ growth in the book. The stories feature young, queer characters who grapple with the conflicts of their own worlds.

Page From “Strays”

“In the summer of our dreams, young pirate runaways learn to accept each other regardless of gender presentation. The new girl in town finds solidarity in female friendship. A roller derby unexpectedly lights the spark of a first-time crush. Friends find confidence in their own voice, and teens face the uncertainty of growing up.”
— Gabi Mendez

Kickstarter Goal: $15,000 currently funded at 40%
Kickstarter Ends: April 7
Support this Kickstarter campaign right HERE.

“We chose to crowd-fund this project to allow us to donate copies to schools, libraries, youth centers and other organizations that would not normally be able to access this book. Currently, our backers will allow us to donate 65 copies.”
— Gabi Mendez

This book is part of Cow House Press. Visit them right here.

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Filed under Comics, Crowdfunding, Gay, graphic novels, Kickstarter, LGBT, LGBTQ, Queer, Young Adult, Youth

Tagged as comic books, comics, Crowdfunding, Entertainment, Gay, graphic novels, Kickstarter, LGBT, LGBTQ, Media, Pop Culture, Publishing, Queer Youth, Young Adult, Youth

August 1, 2016 · 1:01 pm

Seattle Focus: Kickstarter campaign for satire, ‘Mack Stuckey’s Guide to the Center of the Universe’

This is NOT “Sleepless in Seattle”

Mack Stuckey’s Guide to the Center of the Universe

A Kickstarter campaign has been launched (ends 8/28) for the illustrated novel, “Mack Stuckey’s Guide to the Center of the Universe,” a dark satire set in Seattle. This isn’t your “Sleepless in Seattle” or “Singles.” Join the campaign right here.

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Filed under Crowdfunding, Games, Geek Culture, Henry Chamberlain, Humor, Jennifer Daydreamer, Kickstarter, Microsoft, pop culture, Satire, Seattle, Sex, Social Commentary

Tagged as Crowdfunding, Entertainment, Games, henry chamberlain, Humor, Jennifer Daydreamer, Kickstarter, Media, Microsoft, Novels, Pop Culture, Publishing, Satire, Seattle, Sex, Social Commentary, Tech, Writers, Writing

April 26, 2016 · 6:30 am

Kickstarter: Seymour Chwast’s AT WAR WITH WAR

“At War with War: An Illustrated Timeline of 5000 Years of Conquests, Invasions, and Terrorist Attacks” by Seymour Chwast

Bob Dylan and Joan Baez flanking a Seymour Chwast poster, 1964. Photo: Courtesy SVA Picture Collection.

Legendary graphic designer Seymour Chwast has chosen to run a Kickstarter campaign in support of his latest book project, “At War with War.” Kickstarter, at its heart, is community based. And the issue of war resonates with each and every community. What Chwast has done is review war in a unique way by illustrating five centuries of conflict, chaos, and violence on a continuous timeline. The book is made up of 35 two-page spreads featuring a series of Chwast’s black-and-white pen-and-ink drawings and woodcuts. The Kickstarter campaign will run from 26 April to 7 June 2016. You can find it right here.

Anti-war poster by Chwast, 1968

Subversive. Personal. Obsessive. Radical. There is no mistaking the work of Seymour Chwast. As co-founder with Milton Glaser of Push Pin Studios, he led a revolution in graphic design producing bold, vibrant work that pushed the limits of nearly every visual medium: posters, advertisements, book jackets, magazine covers, album covers, product packaging, typography, and children’s books. His pioneering role as a designer, author, and activist continues to influence and inspire 21st-century designers.

Seymour Chwast and Milton Glaser at Push Pin Studios, 1968

For more than six decades, Chwast, who celebrates his 85th birthday this year, has used his signature blend of design, illustration, and social commentary to wage a campaign against war.

Excerpt from AT WAR WITH WAR

Chwast finds, “It’s the ongoing relentlessness of the thing, the seemingly never-ending urge to resolve disputes with deadly conflict, century after century. That’s the nagging notion through the years that keeps bringing me back to the subject of war.”

Excerpt from AT WAR WITH WAR

Among Kickstarter rewards offered to backers, Chwast has opened the doors to his archive, with both new and vintage items. Included among the special items are three of Chwast’s personal copies of his first antiwar publication, A Book of Battles, which he self published in 1957; his Vietnam War era poster “War is Good Business, Invest Your Son”; and a one-of-a kind four-color mechanical for a book he wrote with Steve Heller.

Seymour Chwast, at work, 2016

Be part of a significant book, “At War with War: An Illustrated Timeline of 5000 Years of Conquests, Invasions, and Terrorist Attacks.” The Kickstarter campaign seeks funding for the production of the book, which will involve a master letterpress printer and a specialised process used for creating fine and limited editions. At War with War will include an introduction by former editor and publisher of The Nation, Victor Navasky and edited by renowned graphic design writer, Steven Heller.

Excerpt from AT WAR WITH WAR

The Kickstarter campaign runs run from 26 April to 7 June 2016, and you can find it right here.

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Filed under Crowdfunding, Edward Sorel, Graphic Design, Kickstarter, Milton Glaser, New York City, pop culture, Protest, Push Pin Studios, seymour chwast

Tagged as Anti-War, Art, arts, Books, Crowdfunding, Design, Entertainment, Graphic Design, Illustration, Kickstarter, Media, Pop Culture, Posters, Protest, Publishing, Push Pin Studios, seymour chwast, War

February 20, 2016 · 1:15 pm

Kickstarter: Luminous Ages #1

An Australian comic with an ambitious vision will appeal to fans of fantasy and dragons. The series goes by the name, “Luminous Ages.” This is a spirited work created, written, and illustrated by Anthony Christou. I think this first issue goes a long way in setting the tone to a free-wheeling adventure. It’s not so much what I have read in the actual text thus far that I’m too concerned with. I’m mostly intrigued with a drive and energy running throughout. I expect good things to come as Christou delves further into his saga. He seems to genuinely be invested in the genre. If you are interested in such things as what a character’s “mage trait” is, then this comic could be for you. If you’d like to jump on board and help Christou develop his series further, be sure to visit his Kickstarter campaign, which runs through February 29th, right here. For ongoing information, be sure to visit the official site right here.

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Filed under Comics, Crowdfunding, Kickstarter

Tagged as Australia, comics, Crowdfunding, Entertainment, graphic novels, Kickstarter, Media, Pop Culture, Publishing

February 20, 2016 · 9:00 am

Indiegogo: Drew Ford and COSMIC WAVES

Drew Ford has been in the comics industry for many years. He has worked with various independent publishers and led the way to bring back a number of quality comics and graphic novels at Dover Publications. Now, he is returning to bring back his own work in comics with the anthology, COSMIC WAVES. It is a collection of six science fiction stories written by Ford with artwork by an assortment of talented artists. Check out his crowdfunding campaign at Indiegogo, running thru March 11th, right here.

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Filed under comic books, Comics, Crowdfunding, Indiegogo

Tagged as comics, Crowdfunding, Entertainment, graphic novels, Indiegogo, Media, Pop Culture, Publishing

July 21, 2014 · 5:11 pm

Comics Grinder Campaign Continues at GoFundMe

I want to thank Tom Spurgeon for his mention today at The Comics Reporter of my campaign to help sustain and grow what I do here at Comics Grinder.

It’s a pleasure to write about the comics medium and share with you my insights in various ways right here. I love writing, in general, and that’s never going to stop. And I love creating comics and that’s not going to stop. In fact, I have much more to share with you in the years to come, not less. I am hardly going away. I’m blossoming. But I’m still getting the word out there on what I do and I could use some better resources. Just like anyone building something special, it does require time and money. And so, I decided to put together a GoFundMe campaign. I hope you will take a moment to visit and consider making a donation, any bit will help this campaign along. You can find it right HERE.

And, say, later on today or the next day, you think to yourself, “Yeah, I think I will help out Henry Chamberlain continue to grow and expand all the things he does at Comics Grinder,” well, the campaign is easy to find. You can Google it. Or just remember the site’s name, GoFundMe.com, followed by my site’s name with a hyphen in between:

Crowdfunding is an essential tool these days. I could really use your help. Thank you! You can find all the details here.

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Filed under Comics, Crowdfunding, GoFundMe, Henry Chamberlain, The Comics Reporter, Tom Spurgeon

Tagged as Art, Artists, arts, Blogging, Blogs, Cartoonists, comic books, comics, Crowdfunding, Entertainment, GoFundMe, graphic novels, Media, Pop Culture, Social Media, The Comics Reporter, Tom Spurgeon, Writers

June 30, 2014 · 5:36 pm

Minicomic Feature: SMITH TOWER by Henry Chamberlain

Here is a minicomic I recently completed that features Smith Tower, a Seattle landmark celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. In this comic, Smith Tower is a character in its own right. We follow a number of characters who are searching for answers. Among the searchers, two main characters emerge. We can’t be sure how these two are connected but, as fate would have it, their paths become inextricably linked. Whether that is cause for celebration or concern, remains a mystery. For fun, let me wax on for a bit on this new work, minicomics, and the art process.

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