Crowdfunded Comics and my Contributions.

 

One thing I have always stood by is that I support independent creation, in written, illustrated, and any other visual form. I will always pride myself on being an independent writer because it gives me freedom and control over my own work, not some publisher. When the Comicsgate movement kicked off, and with it a wave of independently created comics and graphic novels, I was on board with it, because I understood why they were doing it.

I saw, like many, some of the amazingly shit writing and art that had made it into modern comics, specifically Marvel and DC. The worst part about that is there are so many examples I could cite here. Everyone has their own worst moment/s when they saw these examples in a comic and shook their head. I always remember the one that was the start of it for me.

Yeah. Angela Queen of Hel.  A comic so badly written, especially when it forced in unwanted pop culture references, and weird moments like above, as some sort of humour, it was shitcanned after seven issues. And then, there's this one.

A cheap dig at any reader who disagreed with X23 taking over from the then-dead Logan as Wolverine. The funny thing was, I didn't actually mind the choice because it made sense to me. The biological daughter taking over her father's mantle. The problem was that the writer was not as good at his craft as he thought he was. I stopped reading the book after issue six, and the series was eventually canceled. I don't remember what issue it was, nor do I care to look it up, but one of the final stories involved Laura fighting to save a trainload of turkeys.

Really?

It's been a long time since I have read anything from the mainstream comics industry, and I do not miss it. I started backing various crowdfunded comics when Comicsgate appeared, starting with the original Jaw Breakers and then Cyberfrog. Now, I remember the issues surrounding them and their lateness, and I was more forgiving at the time because it was something new. But, nowadays, there are crowdfunded comic campaigns appearing like bubbles in soapy water, all trying to reach a monetary goal of varying degrees, and it gets hard to keep track of them. I have backed a lot, and fulfillment has been different with each one, but I reached a point last week where the whole thing finally pissed me off.

Why?

Most of the campaigns have been very late. One was around four years late, and I had to pony up additional postage costs to actually get the book. Another I backed has had two of the three-part story fulfilled, but the second part took that long to reach me, I had to reread the first issue to remember what happened. As for part three? Its Indiegogo was supposed to have launched about two years ago but never showed. Other projects I have backed with assured multiple parts of the story have taken so long to appear that my interest just died.

But then, there were the ones that brought about the writing of this post.

The first is a thirty-two-page comic that was due February 2021. I complained about the lateness and was offered a meek apology which meant little, since the creator had launched other campaigns during the wait. When I asked for a refund, it was refused for not being in the budget.

The second is a sixty-page comic that was due in October 2020. There have been sparse updates and my request for a refund has so far gone unanswered.

The third is a forty-eight-page comic that was actually completed, quite late. But, judging from the comments on the campaign page, international backers (including me) never received their copies. No explanations were given, comments were not addressed, and assurances from the creators on Twitter have so far resulted in nothing.

The fourth one pissed off everyone who backed it. A forty-eight-page comic, due way back in 2019, that took almost $41000 (£34000) and never appeared. I only backed the digital copy because the postage was simply too high, something I am grateful for in hindsight. As far as I am concerned, this one was a scam. The creator simply disappeared, as far as I can tell. The only trace of him is a locked Twitter account.

As a result, I decided enough is enough. I will only be backing books from creators who have fulfilled in a reasonable time, or have stuff I really like and don't mind an additional wait. Most others I will not go near because my enthusiasm for their work has gone and the postage costs have risen to stupid amounts. The images from the top of this post, and above this paragraph are from one of my favourite books, Mary Boys. Both the campaigns, for the origin comics and the full graphic novel, were fulfilled in good time, delivering quality books with great art and story. I will back anything from that creative team and even had the pleasure of meeting them last year, where we became friends.

I find it a shame I reached a place like this, but here we are. If you are running a crowdfunded campaign, fulfilling it needs to be a priority. Failing it and your backers not only taints you and your work, but also puts the whole crowdfunded scene in a very bad light. My wallet is now shut to most of these endeavors until things improve, but whenever that could be is up in the air.

And finally, for anyone who suggests I run a crowdfunded campaign to see how I do, I did. I had one for my seventh novel, Niven's War. I completed it and shipped all copies to my backers three months before the deadline, even after I had to put my own money into the postage costs when the prices went up.

So, I'm Becoming... a Weeb.

 

Yeah. That is something I never thought I would write. But, it is strange how these things work out.

Of course, I was very much aware of the anime genre, as most people were. I had seen the likes of Akira, the first Ghost in the Shell movie, Apple Seed, and Wicked City, but had not delved into it much more than that. These days, I am all about seeking out new things to watch or read, either for my own entertainment or to draw inspiration from. For years, I have been friends with both Peta, my regular cover artist, and her husband, Andrew. The pair of them have been huge fans of the anime genre most of their lives, and have been prodding me over the years to delve into it more and more.

Well, I finally jumped in towards the end of last year. A small series appeared on Netflix, set in the Cyberpunk 2077 world, called Edge Runners. I was hesitant at first, since I knew little about the source material, but was soon glad I watched it. The writing for the show was brilliant, and I became invested in the main character, David, and his journey through the hostile world. The support characters were a mixed bunch, but my favourite, and that of many others, was Rebecca. She was a trigger-happy, slightly insane, member of the gang David joins, but was also intensely loyal and had the back of everyone around her. To say any more about it would risk spoiling the story, so I won't do that. But, I was so invested in it and the characters, that when the end arrived, it hit me like a sucker punch, finished off with a bittersweet finale. I have seen many other reviews, especially on YouTube, of how the series impacted the person behind them. This video summed it up best for me.

Next was the series, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex.

Andrew sent the complete series box set to me for my birthday last year. At the time of writing this, I have finished the first series and am trying to find the time to watch the second, but it has left a mark on me, nonetheless. The numerous missions The Major and her crew go on, especially those revolving around The Laughing Man, were some intense viewing. This was made cooler to me because, like Edge Runners, the episodes were around twenty minutes long. To be able to tell a good story in that time frame, and yes, there were two of three-part stories, was a show of some amazing writing. And, like Edge Runners, the ending of season one was something of a gut punch. Again, I will not spoil that. Check it out for yourselves.

This brings me to the reason I chose to write this blog piece. Andrew, being the nice man that he is, gifted me another anime to watch for Christmas. One that has had the most impact on me.

Yes. Demon Slayer really floored me. After announcing I had started watching it, Andrew and Peta were keen to hear my views on the series. As with before, the writing in this series has been so excellent that it sets a standard, especially compared to some Western writers. What captivated me the most was the relationship between the main character, Tanjiro, and his sister, Nezuko. He is dedicated to her, and his mission to save her, and she is both dedicated and loyal to him in their continuing journey.

Nezuko herself is a silent character, besides her little grunts and breaths, but the looks she gives her brother and those around her, speak a thousand words each time. One scene that forever sticks in my mind is when she is given a choice of whether to stay behind or continue on her journey with Tanjiro. She responds with a loving look to her brother and the gentle joining of her hand with his.

Beautiful. 

These days, I look for the small character moments in stories, and not the huge action sequences, because they are what makes a great story in my eyes. That moment has stayed with me, not only for the reason I said earlier, but also because I have not seen anything like that in western storytelling media for a long time. A lot of it seems so soulless to me and comes across as style over substance, usually made to shove on a streaming service somewhere. The writing in the animes I have watched is usually dramatic and endearing, much like Nezuko herself. Will it inspire me in my writing? I hope so, but time will tell.

I have heard numerous stories of how anime is beating western comics in sales, but I've not really looked into it too much. I would not be surprised if this is definitely true, but it certainly seems to be the case. The Demon Slayer movie took $506.5 million at the box office in 2020, making it the highest-grossing movie that year, pissing over everything Hollywood churned out. It has also become the highest-grossing movie in Japan, having beaten Spirited Away, which was an amazing feat in itself. I am definitely on board with this story and will enjoy watching it to the very end, whenever that will come.

Finally, I was reminded of something I saw on Twitter a while back when writing this. The post reported that a comic shop was closing, something which was obviously a shame. The pictures accompanying it showed what remained on the shelves. The western comic shelves were still full, but the manga was picked dry.

These scenes really do say a thousand words about what is going on in modern entertainment, much like Nezuko herself.