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!
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Check out the campaign here!
Chris Braly: Give readers the quick pitch for Calico: Unwanted Men. What kind of story are they stepping into?
H.H. German: A vigilante called PIG BATH is killing cops all across NYC. CALICO doesn’t care. His war is STRICTLY against animal cruelty. For now. I created Sigma Comics because I wanted to give animals something they’ve never really had in comics: a superhero fighting for them. A lot of the stories we tell are inspired by real cases of animal cruelty and abuse that barely get any media attention, and CALICO became my way of channeling that anger and frustration into something creative.
CALICO: Unwanted Men Trailer on Kickstarter
CB: The themes behind this series seem pretty personal and socially driven. Where did the idea come from, and what led you toward self-publishing it?
HH: I also wanted to do things differently from the mainstream comic industry, which I feel has lost touch with what made comics exciting and accessible in the first place. Growing up in The Bronx, comics helped me deal with bullying and gave me motivation to become a boxer. Now I want to create books that capture that same raw energy and emotion for readers today. Self-publishing gives me the freedom to tell these stories without compromise and keep the books affordable for fans. The whole mission behind Sigma Comics is to create entertaining stories that also stand for something meaningful.|
CB: Who do you feel this book will connect with the most?
HH: Men of all ages. This book really goes into the difficulties of being a man in today’s society. All men should read it.
CB: Your writing has a grounded, lived-in feel to it. How would you describe your creative style and process?
HH: I’m an experiential writer, like Larry Hama. I write from actual experience.
CB: Tell us a little about the creative team that helped bring this volume together.
HH: I’m the creator and writer of the series. Renato Pinto did most of the internal art, while Mithun Roy did the art on most of Chapter 4. Ichsan Ansori did the colors. Sebastian Escobar, AKA Garnabiel, did the cover.
CB: Where does the project currently stand production-wise?
HH: Already complete, we’re just waiting to get it from the printer.
CB: What has the self-publishing and crowdfunding experience taught you so far?
HH: Tons of work! But we’re ready for it, as we’re passionate about comics and fighting for animal rights.
CB: Looking beyond this release, how much more of the CALICO story do you still want to tell?
HH: This book collects Issues 15–20 of Here Comes CALICO, so we already have 20 issues, and we’re looking forward to 20 more.
CB: For readers backing the Kickstarter, what kinds of extras and rewards can they expect?
HH: Those backing the Kickstarter campaign will get stickers, posters, prints, comics, and more, as we hit each tier.
CB: Before we wrap up, is there anything else you’d like readers to know about the series or your mission behind it?
HH: When you buy our comics, you’re actively fighting against animal cruelty. Buy from us. We’re comics with a cause.
CB: Best of luck on the campaign, sir!
Check out the campaign here!
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Check out the campaign here!
Chris Braly: Welcome back to Indie Comics Showcase, Christopher! For readers just discovering The Great Cyclopian, what can they expect from issue #10?
Christopher Tamulevich: As his super friends fight over his unconscious body against the U.F.O., the Great Cyclopian is battling within his mind as Queen Sting is there to take over control of his body forever!
CB: This series has roots going back to your childhood. How did the character come back into your life, and what made you decide to self-publish the series?
CT: Cyclopian is a character that I created when I was about ten years old. He has been developed over the last decade or so, and now The Great Cyclopian is a 12 issue comic book series depicting the life of Cyclopian which I self-publish because I can.
CB: What kind of comic fans do you think will really connect with The Great Cyclopian?
CT: This series is aimed at anyone who loves superhero comics with unusual twists into sci-fi and monsters.
CB: Walk us through your creative process a bit. How do you take an issue from idea to finished comic?
CT: I start with a plot. I sketch out the plot knowing my page limit. I then script the sketched pages, adjusting as needed. Finally, I finish the art on my iPad Pro, color, letter, and publish the issue!
CB: Who else has helped bring this world and these characters to life alongside you?
CT: My wife, Diana, is my only day-to-day partner in the series, as she edits all my writing and handles fulfillment. However, the story uses several characters that were created by my friends, and they are used with permission.
CB: Where does issue #10 currently stand in production?
CT: The Great Cyclopian #10 is completed. I generally complete my books before starting funding.
CB: What have you learned the most from the self-publishing and crowdfunding side of comics?
CT: The most important thing to learn is how to sell. I am still learning. I have a real problem with giving away comics. Diana has to watch me at shows. hahaha.
CB: Looking ahead, what are your plans for the series after this issue?
CT: The series is plotted out to issue 12, and we will then be releasing a trade paperback and moving onto a new story arc with issue 13.
CB: Are there any fun perks or special campaign features tied to this launch that fans should know about?
CT: The most special thing has to be the opening night challenge! Christopher has long hair that runs down his back that he has cherished for years, but if the campaign fully funds ($1000) on May 6th by midnight, he will get a proper crew cut!
CB: Looks like it’s time for a trip to the barber. Congrats!
Check out the campaign here!
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Check out the book here!
Chris Braly: For readers hearing about DREAM FEEDS for the first time, what’s the core idea behind the book?
Ben Nabors: DREAM FEEDS is a sci-fi horror about dreams as social media content. A startup invents a device that records and sells your dreams. A teenager from rural Appalachia, tormented by his own dreams, uploads them to the platform and becomes an overnight sensation. As his audience grows, the line between his sleeping and waking life collapses, and the nightmares that made him famous take on a life of their own.
CB: The concept feels both futuristic and uncomfortably believable. What inspired the idea, and why was self-publishing the right route for this project?
BN: I created DREAM FEEDS to explore our relationship with new technology through the final frontier of social media content: our subconscious. The idea of recording and sharing our dreams is thrilling on the surface, but underneath it asks something deeper: what happens when we turn our subconscious into a product? I think this technology is inevitable, we’ve got VC business models to exploit it, and it scares the hell out of me.
I self-publish because I come from independent film, where you won’t make anything if you wait for permission. I started making comics because this medium can do things film can’t, with pacing, the silence between panels, and the reader’s relationship to time on the page.
CB: What kind of readers do you think will really connect with this story?
BN: It’s for readers who like character-driven horror with a sci-fi underpinning — the Videodrome / Black Mirror / Eighth Grade intersection. If you read books where the scary part isn’t the monster chasing you, but the thing inside yourself, this book is for you. It skews older YA and up. Teens will connect with Joshua’s story, but the themes around commodification and privacy hit hardest for adults living inside the algorithm.
CB: The visual style of the book really stands out. Can you talk a little about your creative process and how you and Dalts approached the look of the series?
BN: DREAM FEEDS is my third comic (following Translunar and Frontierra), but my first with artist Dalts Dalton. Dalts approaches each page like fine art with ink and brushwork across large-format paper. There’s a real tactile nature to the work, which has been important to us now more than ever due to all the synthetic comic art entering the space.
CB: Tell us more about the creative team behind the book and what everyone brought to the project.
BN: Dalts Dalton is the artist and colorist. He’s a São Paulo-based illustrator and Art Director at ESPN/Disney, with work in Heavy Metal and Dark Horse. Everything in the book is hand-drawn and hand-inked on large-format paper, which gives it a raw, tactile energy you can feel on the page. I met Dalts through his regular collaborator, Magenta King (who draws another series for THIS IS IT called Translunar). For this book, we have two variant cover artists: Pedro Cobiaco (Batman: Gargoyle of Gotham) and Marcelo Costa (Radiant Black). I handle the writing, editing, and production.
CB: What does your production workflow look like from script to finished comic?
BN: My workflow: I write screenplays because it’s kind of the way I think about story, then I adapt those to comic format and share with Dalts. I share a ton of image references and film stills from things I watch, and Dalts and I design characters and environments together. Then he thumbnails the book. His thumbnails are incredibly detailed, and excellent guides for the final art. For the inks, he translates his sketches with brush and ink onto paper by hand, then scans those full sheets back into the computer for digital color work.
BN: We print digitally on heavy textured stocks because we want to make something that feels meaningful in the hand. I like the book to feel like a physical object worth holding, not disposable.
CB: What have you learned most from the self-publishing and crowdfunding side of comics so far?
BN: The biggest lesson is that the marketing is constant and with all the noise in the world, you have to keep talking (and loudly) to be heard. People love the work when they read it, they just need to hear about it first. I’ve also learned that convention floors are a great testing ground for a pitch. If someone stays and talks, you know you’ve got something. And practically: artwork is everything.
CB: What’s next for DREAM FEEDS and the larger THIS IS IT lineup?
BN: DREAM FEEDS Book 2 is in production. We’re also launching the Translunar Book 2 crowdfunding campaign in early July. The imprint has three titles in three different genres: Translunar (post-AI sci-fi), Frontierra (supernatural Western), and DREAM FEEDS, and each one has a second volume coming. The plan is to keep building the catalog and the audience together. We’re in development on a new action adventure title, as well, and currently seeking an artist.
CB: Before we wrap up, is there anything else you’d like readers to know or where they can follow your work?
BN: I started making comics because I believe the medium can do things no other art form can. Three books in, I’m more convinced of that than when I started. If your readers want to follow the imprint, we’re at thisisitcomics.substack.com — and the first chapter of Frontierra is free at grouptheory.com/frontierra-free
Check out the book here!
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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!
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