Welcome back to another installment of Indie Comics Showcase, the weekly blog where we signal boost a few truly independent comics that are currently crowdfunding their projects, crowdsourcing their funding in some way, or just completely self-publishing on their own. Every little bit of support for these creators matters, from a single dollar pledge to the twenty-five dollar bundle, and of course the higher tiers are usually fun too! Even if you can’t back a campaign or buy a book, you can share or tweet about these projects to your friends and followers.
On Indie Comics Showcase, we interview the creators, show off some art, and tell you how you can check out the product for yourself. Below we have some outstanding crowdfunding campaigns this week for you to learn about, enjoy, and hopefully support by backing one or more of them! Thanks for checking these out and for being the best part of Indie Comics Showcase. Let’s jump in!
Check out the campaign here!
Chris Braly: Phillip, welcome back to Indie Comics Showcase! Let’s jump right in—what’s the hook for your new comic?
Phillip Diaz: Once upon a time, there lived a Gunman. His heart was cursed to rot with every soul he took. This path of revenge is one paved in bullets and blood. Follow a lone gunman who finds out how much of his soul he is willing to lose in order to get back what’s been taken from him. This weird western mixes the grit and action of the 70s spaghetti westerns with magic and myth you’d find in a fairy tale from the Brothers Grimm.
CB: That’s a striking mix of influences. Where did your inspiration come from, and what made you push forward with publishing it yourself?
PD: I’ve always loved the vibe of the early 70s spaghetti westerns with all the mud, blood, and bullets. The brutality of the twists in those stories were always so gut-wrenching. Some of the most chilling moments in storytelling have come from one of the most American genres mixed with the Italian style. So I wanted to add my own spice to the desert concoction and that, for me, was a fantastical and dark twist. Over the last few years I have been laying down the foundation of The Man With No Strings and its epic timeline. After many of my friends encouraged the creation of the story, we are finally ready to get it to the readers.
CB: Who do you think this comic will resonate with the most?
PD: This book is perfect for readers who loved the weird mystical storytelling of the 1980s and fans of the 1990s gorgeously detailed art. This series will showcase lots of action and even some fantastic horror. I’m hoping fans of Eric Powell’s Hillbilly and King’s Dark Tower series will enjoy this one.
CB: Talk a little bit about your writing style and how your creative process has shifted while working on this project.
PD: This is an interesting project because I wrote the first draft of this issue #0 story maybe 3 years ago or more—it was originally a 6-page short. Over the years it grew with many editing passes and even expanded to the ongoing series we plan it to be now. My style used to be geared more towards the crowdfunding or trade paperback format. Like in our previous book The Lost Pages Vol. 3—a full story containing 3 or 4 chapters with an ending that left room to jump into the next volume. For this new series we are treating it more like a mainstream title: around 24 pages each, ending on a cliffhanger that leads into the next chapter. Another new thing is keeping up a steady pace of production. Issue #0 is already done—proofs are printed in-house by us at Zaid Comics. Issue #1 is drawn, issue #2 is halfway finished with art, and issue #3 is written. So evolving our creative style has taken a lot of grinding and learning.
CB: Every great comic starts with a strong team. Who’s helping you bring The Man With No Strings to life?
PD: As soon as I saw Oliver Isabedra’s art, I knew that I needed to work with him. After sitting on the script for this issue #0, along with pages and pages of story notes for the series, I needed to get something drawn. I contacted Oliver and pitched him the idea for some character concepts and wow! Oliver brings a ’90s style of art that is undeniable, in my opinion. I think that’s why this story works in black and white. Oliver is a great collaborator, it is such a joy seeing pages come in, and I hope to be working with him for a long time.
CB: Where are you in the production process right now?
PD: Production is great! Like I said we have been working on this for a while now. Oliver needs his time to make these pages sing, so I give him that time. I tried not to jump the gun with announcing this before it was ready. We are aware that comic readers are used to getting burned by long waits and delays from their favorite creators, and we just don’t want to add to that pile of headaches. So, yes, this issue is already written, drawn, lettered, edited, and proofs have been printed. And once November comes we will be shipping them out!
CB: You’ve been involved in both crowdfunding and direct sales. What lessons has self-publishing taught you this time around?
PD: I’ve learned that there is no wrong way to self-publish. Evolve as you grow. Crowdfunding may be right for a certain project, but direct pre-sales can be better for others. We have successfully crowdfunded 7 projects. That helped us build a following and gain trust with a readership. Now we are in a spot where we are able to create this series ahead of time and sell directly to our readers from our own site. Now, that does not mean we are finished with crowdfunding. Down the line, I would love to bring this series to a crowdfunder and get these issues collected and colored.
CB: Do you envision this as a long-running story, or something with a clear conclusion?
PD: I am planning a long run for The Man With No Strings that includes a definitive ending. This character will evolve throughout the issues, we will meet some old friends from his past along with fresh new nightmares that he will have to gun down. There is a wide timeline that we will ride through, exploring what our gunman is after and why he thirsts for revenge.
CB: Let’s talk goodies—what kind of extras or perks are you offering fans for this release?
PD: Yes! On our pre-order campaign we have a special No Strings T-shirt and tank top as well as a few extra items. The 11×17 wanted poster printed on canvas is a great add-on. For the first time we are offering a magnet starring The Whittler. The Whittler is a silly name that our friends in our live stream chat have dubbed the mysterious gunslinger from the series. We love all the support from our chat, so we had to honor them with the magnet with crazy art from Rich Ayala of Roach Balls fame. Along with those we have our painted 3D printed Shelbeans. (Don’t ask, you’ll need to see to understand.) As for variants, we are now offering a retro newsprint version with a throwback cover and old-school paper interiors for only $10. And for all you artists out there, we are printing blank sketch covers of the book.
CB: Before we wrap up, anything you’d like to say directly to readers who may be discovering your work for the first time?
PD: Thank you all for checking out the start of our newest series. We have our past books on the Zaid Comics site as well, shipping out the same week of order. Also don’t forget to sign up for our newsletter to be the first to know when new sketch cards or original art drops!
CB: And finally—when does the campaign end?
PD: Campaign ends October 31st, 2025.
CB: Looks great, Phil!
Check out the campaign here!
Check out the campaign here!
Chris Braly: Roberto, welcome to Indie Comics Showcase! Let’s start with the big picture—what’s WhiteOwl 3 about?
Roberto Rodriguez: WhiteOwl 3: A brutal mercenary recruits our superhero to save an innocent woman from the claws of a psychotic FBI detective who is hellbent on his trail.
CB: That’s a tense setup. Where did the idea for WhiteOwl come from, and what made you decide to self-publish it?
RR: I wanted to break into the world of comics. The idea originated from clunky depictions of heroes being forced to do the ultimate deed: ending a life. I wanted to see how it would look when a hero crossed this line because of forces outside of their control, and how one can come back from that.
CB: Who do you think this series is best suited for?
RR: This comic is suited for fans of street-level, gritty, and mature superhero stories.
CB: Tell us a bit about your storytelling style. How have you developed your creative process over the course of making this series?
RR: I started the first issue of this comic back in 2022. I think I’ve grown a lot since then and have learned to implement various storytelling tactics to not only inform but guide the reader as the story unfolds. This is the best part of storytelling for me—introducing beats that will unequivocally give you information, then flipping that information to give you a completely original and unexpected experience.
CB: Every creator has their collaborators who help bring the project to life. Who’s working with you on WhiteOwl 3?
RR: The team is just my artist Alberto Garcia and me. He is great and communicative. I had to switch artists from the first two issues to Alberto on WhiteOwl 3.
CB: How’s production going on this latest issue?
RR: The book is completed. I ran a Kickstarter campaign with it and it was successful! I am now waiting on the physical copies to start shipping them out. It is a 44-page book and the copies should arrive by the end of this week.
CB: What have you learned from self-publishing and crowdfunding through this journey?
RR: To be consistent and to enjoy the process. This is tedious, time-consuming, and somewhat exhausting. But you must find ways to make it work for you.
CB: Beyond WhiteOwl, what else do you have in the works?
RR: I have many ideas for one-shot comics. I have an action intergalactic rom-com in the works, as well as a psychological thriller—both one-shots. I also have a horror-fantasy comic titled Faint. This is a post-apocalyptic story of a world forgotten by God. Angels and demons enter the world and enact cruel violence in his name. This is an ongoing series, and issue #2 is slated to release around mid-October.
CB: For backers who support the campaign, are there any extras or perks they can look forward to?
RR: There are catch-up tiers, as well as posters, stickers, and magnets!
CB: Good luck!
Check out the campaign here!
_________
That’s it for this installment. If you’re a creator ramping up your own campaign or have a comic available for purchase online and you want to be featured in our weekly column, click here so we can hopefully help you get more eyes on YOUR crowdfunding comic project. Until next time, support indie comics!
***
English (US) · 