www.ComicBookPage.com

Long time listener/friend of John and Bob, first time poster*.

Hey, everyone!

My Kickstarter funding campaign went live on Thursday. I'm looking to use Kickstarter as a way to produce more issues of my independent comic series, Athena Voltaire. If you're unfamiliar with AV or my work, check out the AV Kickstarter page (link below), and it will fill you in.

Kickstarter is a terrific site where creative folks can get funding for their projects by offering special incentives (like original art, deluxe editions of books, etc) to folks who pledge their support. Think of it like PBS, but instead of tote bags, you can get an AV cover, interior page, a sketch from me, and more!

Please stop by the site and check out the rewards (and hear the spiel...including some footage shot here in Atomic Tiki Studios).

Go here now! http://kck.st/bker7o

Thanks, guys!

* I hate the fact that my first post is me shilling my wares, but I hope that by acknowledging it, I take some of the awkwardness out.

Steve Bryant wrote:Long time listener/friend of John and Bob, first time poster*.

* I hate the fact that my first post is me shilling my wares, but I hope that by acknowledging it, I take some of the awkwardness out.

Maybe your post will be spared, Steve. Before I read it I also thought how sad that your first post was a shill.

fwiw, I signed on to Steve's campaign a few days ago. Athena Voltaire is some cool pulpy stuff and I'd like to see some more of it.

plus, this kickstarter thing is an interesting idea and I want to see how it works out.

In fairness to Steve, I asked him to come over and post this thread on our forum. I thought it would be better coming direct from him instead of me starting the thread.

That said, I've been a long time fan of Athena Voltaire, and I am supporting this project as the "Sharpshooter"! I get this piece of art (it will be the cherry on top of the big stack of pages from Athena Voltaire that I've previously acquired from Steve):



Whee! Hey everyone, if you've not checked out Athena, give it a try.

It's good, fun, swashbuckling, adventure with a strong female lead character who is a really credible kicker of Nazi (bleep)!

Steve Bryant wrote: * I hate the fact that my first post is me shilling my wares, but I hope that by acknowledging it, I take some of the awkwardness out.

This might be your first post, Steve, but you are a long time member of the Comic Book Page community and a long time listener and friend of the show.

I think this is a very interesting way approach to that funding barrier that slows down too many creator owned properties. I encourage our listeners to check out the link and support Athena Voltaire.

Let us know who this approach works out, Steve. There are a ton of great creator owned properties that could benefit from this method of funding the content creation for more issues. This is the sort of pro-active "voting with your wallet" in an affirmative and positive manner that I'd like to see take off.

awesome art Bob! I still have to pick my page.

Killer stuff, Steve.

Thanks for the support/pimpage, Bob and Trev.

I knew you'd find the Kickstarter model interesting, John. For those of you who aren't, well...John or me...I've emailed John probably a dozen times (AT LEAST) asking for numbers on this or that indie book, over time, to try and get a handle on how some of these things trend out over time, or through various publishers. And John loves to know how things work...so we tend to descend into process junkie-speak.

And it's a great time, I might add.

The Kickstarter model potentially seems to help lessen the blow, in terms of breaking even, or possibly—dare I say it?—making a profit in independent comics.

For me, the real challenge was to make sure that the incentives were proportionate to the level of support. I didn't want to give away a comic if someone pledged $20, y'know?

We started with a $10 pledge (for that, you get your name in the comic, PDF copies of both issues and access to a behind-the-scenes blog). The $25 pledge gets a sketchbook (like artists sell at shows for $10 to $20), plus all the $10 incentives. The $50 reward is everything from the $25 reward, plus $31 worth of books, etc. And we escalate from there, all the while trying to match value with contribution.

I think that if creators can find a way of making something like Kickstarter worth their readers' time/money/effort, it's a great way to finance a book. I know a lot of people who are watching my campaign with an eye toward doing it themselves.

If I can spare anything you know I'll put something in Steve!

This is a commission I had from Steve a couple of years ago and I'll be getting another as soon as I remember to email you as well!



Also I just posted about it here too: http://www.lordshaper.com/?p=2439

Less than $1000 and 41 days to go (of the $7000 needed)......

Please consider supporting, even for $10 if you can....thanks!