Indie Comics Showcase #324: The Spectacular Skum-Bagz, & American Radical

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 us the quick pitch, Charles. What kind of world are readers stepping into with The Spectacular Skum-Bagz?

Charles Robinson: In a world where conspiracy theories are true and Donald Trump has named himself the God Emperor of the United States, Rusto Rebel and Da Mad Trapper must stop Charli Butter and his mole rats army from doing the GEOTUS’s bidding.

CB: How did this project come together, and what led you to join the team as a co-writer?

CR: Me and the other two writers just kept bouncing ideas off of each other for this one. The other two writers, who are local Miami rappers, have self-published eight issues of their own comics and brought me in to help as a writer.

CB: Who is this comic really geared toward?

CR: I would say 18 years old. There is a lot of violence and absurd political humor.

CB: What does your creative process look like when you’re building out a story like this?

CR: We came up with a basic outline for a six-issue arc. We typically storyboard it out and send it to our artists, and if something comes to mind that we think would be funny or a good Easter egg, we can always add it. The story kind of organically changes slightly as we move through finalizing pages.

CB: Who else is involved on the creative side of this book?

CR: We have a cover artist and an interior artist for this book. We have a couple more artists working on other issues that are in production. Dirty Doe and The Filth are writing and producing the book with me (Charli Butter).

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CB: Where are things at in terms of production, and how far along is the series overall?

CR: The book is done. We printed 20 preliminary copies and sold out at my convention called PlasticonExpo in about three hours. We are currently halfway done with issue 2 and about one-third of the way done with the origins issue.

CB: What have you learned so far from the self-publishing and crowdfunding side of things?

CR: For one, it is very expensive and more of a labor of love. Trying to see if we can have the books fund themselves.

CB: Looking ahead, how far does this story go—what’s planned beyond the first issue?

CR: We have a six-issue story arc planned, and we have the origins issue in the works as well. Also, we have a couple issues in the works after the first six-issue run.

CB: Are there any special features or perks tied to this release that fans should know about?

CR: We have trading cards in production for the crowdfunding perks. This issue has two covers as well as virgin variants, holo-chrome, and red foil lettering.

CB: Before we wrap, anything else you want readers to know?

CR: Give our crowdfunding a glance and please support so we can tell our entire story. The first issue drops you right into the action, so there isn’t a lot of exposition—you will learn more about the story as the issues progress.

CB: Good luck on the campaign!

Check out the campaign here!

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Check out the campaign here!

Chris Braly: Let’s start with the big idea—what’s the core concept behind American Radical?

Dean Garris: What were the “long train of abuses and usurpations” from the Declaration of Independence? Was the rebellion really just about tea? This book is aimed at answering those questions through the eyes of one of history’s most enigmatic figures, Benjamin Franklin.

CB: What drew you to Benjamin Franklin’s story, and why did this feel like the right time to tell it?

DG: I have admired Benjamin Franklin as a historical figure my whole life, and the story of his turn from British loyalist to radical revolutionary has always fascinated me. I’ve always thought it would make a great story, and I have not seen this aspect of his life explored anywhere else, especially not in comic book form. With the country’s 250th anniversary this year, it convinced me now was the perfect time to tell this story.

CB: Who do you see connecting most with this book?

DG: If you enjoy reading about history, especially Revolutionary War-era American history, then this book is right up your alley. If you enjoy characters who are challenged to change their understanding of the world, then this book is right up your alley. Lastly, if you want to discover the birth of the American identity and how it took shape, then this book is right up your alley.

CB: Can you talk a bit about your artistic style and how your creative path led you here?

DG: I have been drawing since I was a kid, and was inspired by artists like Mort Drucker, Jim Davis, Todd McFarlane, Walt Simonson, and also Disney-style animation; basically anything that looked cool and was hand drawn attracted me. I stopped drawing in my 20s and fell into other creative fields as life took me in different directions, but during the COVID lockdowns I began drawing again and reignited my passion for cartooning. I don’t try and draw photo-realistic images as that is what photography is for, in my opinion. Instead, I like to lean into the cartoon aspect of illustrating, and I absolutely love the language of comic book art. Panels, word balloons, framing, dynamic eye flow, and sequential storytelling are more interesting to me than how “real” something looks.

CB: What did your team look like on this project?

DG: I (Dean) am a one-man show, though I would like to work with a talented colorist at some point, as coloring is the weak spot in my cartooning toolkit.

CB: Where are you in the production process, and what did the timeline look like for getting this book finished?

DG: The book is complete, and I have reviewed the proof. Everything is ready to be printed and shipped. I began researching and writing this book back in March of last year. I began pencils in early January of this year and finished the inks by the end of February. I attempted to color the book throughout April but was ultimately unsatisfied by the results, so I decided to keep the book in black and white for its first print run.

CB: What has the self-publishing and crowdfunding experience taught you so far?

DG: The biggest challenge for me over the last few years as an indie comic creator has been marketing. Getting the book “out there” requires a healthy dose of persistence and luck, and I haven’t had much luck on my side. Hopefully I can crack the code of how to market my books so that readers who would enjoy them can discover them.

CB: Looking ahead, do you see this as a one-and-done story or part of something bigger?

DG: American Radical works as a stand-alone story and can be enjoyed as such, but I did also plan for it to work as a three-part series. If I can raise enough to unlock the stretch goal, then I will begin work on the sequel, aptly called American Rebel.

CB: What kinds of perks or extras are you offering with the campaign?

DG: The campaign for American Radical has some great perks! Backers can pick up digital copies of the book, physical copies of the book, a special “Sons of Liberty” T-shirt, America’s 250th anniversary swag, and can even pick up other books by me in a special Book Bin reward.

CB: Before we wrap up, anything else you’d like readers to know about the book?

DG: This book is not just a great story with twists and turns but also functions as an illustrated history book. I use actual quotes from Benjamin Franklin and others throughout the story, with a bibliography section in the back. The literary license I use in the narrative is very minimal, as I try to keep as close to the actual historical events as possible.

CB: Good luck with this great looking project!

Check out the campaign 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!