Comics Crowdfunding Round-Up: OUT OF STYLE, BOYISH² and 3 more projects that we love!

Welcome to the Comics Crowdfunding Round-Up! The column spotlights crowdfunding campaigns by queer creators, disabled creators, women creators, and creators of color, which we think are a great investment, whether for a one-shot story or a sprawling anthology. This week’s round-up includes a comic created on a Nintendo 3DS system, an all-ages story inspired by Filipino folklore, and a butch x butch yuri manga anthology.

Are you ready to dive in? Let’s get going!

Ordinary World Series

Creators: Taylor Blossom
Goal: $500
End Date: August 6, 2023
Goodies: Softcover graphic novel of Ordinary Volume 1 and/or Ordinary Volume 2, a digital copy of the bonus chapter featured in the first volume, and a digital copy of extra pieces of art

I made Ordinary World completely on the 3DS and was hoping to turn the story into a series with the support of this campaign!

Do you remember the Comic Studio app for 3DS? How about the Game Boy Camera? Back in 2011, when Nintendo’s 3DS first appeared in stores, Caleb Coellner wrote on Comics Alliance about the possibility of someone using the 3DS to make comics. Fast forward to 2023, and Blossom has done exactly that, publishing the series originally on WEBTOON. Now, she is trying to crowdfund print editions of Volumes 1 and 2 of the highly-rated WEBTOON about a serial monogamist in her early 20s.

Become a backer here.

Comics from the Kitchen

Creators: Sophia Hickerson, Dan Membiela, Luke Henderson, Aaron Brown, Tom Lynott, Alex D. Cruz, Kyle Lawrence, Hazicrazyartist, Wren Rios, Rowena Zahnrei, Sarah E. Steinberg, Jimmy Gaspero, James Greatorex, Alondra Araujo, Dave Hingley, Alberto Valesco, Bridget Southwood, Mark Liebrecht, Kamiab Ghorbanpour, Pareefae, Simon Mackie, Al Kratina, Amy Noseworthy, E. Talemi, Christian de Matteo, Jack van Thomme, Claudio Ghirardo, Daniel G Wilson, Sam Purata, and Kylar Merrell
Goal: $4,000
End Date: July 13, 2023
Goodies: Digital and/or physical editions, a 4×6 art print, a handwritten recipe card, PDFs and/or physical editions of Foreign Press books, and a retailer bundle

This is a unique combination cookbook/comic anthology that not only captures 20+ amazing stories, many of which are taken right from their creators’ memories, but it also includes delicious recipes.

LAST CALL! This is a unique combination cookbook/comic anthology includes over twenty stories and recipes, from comfort foods like Alberto Valesco’s lasagna to family recipes like Jimmy Gaspero’s dad’s meatballs to decadent desserts like Rowena Zahnrei’s cannoli cream layer cake, and international recipes like Wren Rios’ pinchos del puente. I always love this combination of cooking plus comics, and including the memories triggered by the creator’s favorite foods is a unique take on the genre.

Check out this cute tweet (I know, I know, but some cis and trans folx don’t have Blue Sky yet):

IF YOU’VE been seeing my tweets about the comic I wrote in the COMICS FROM THE KITCHEN Anthology on @WeAreZoop it’s about my dad’s meatball recipe and I surprised him today with the comic for him to read. @James_Greatorex @fpresscomics @KylarMerrell @jordanplosky @ComicBookYeti pic.twitter.com/jf2llhhodZ

— Jimmy Gaspero (@jimmygaspero) June 18, 2023

Become a backer here. 

Out of Style

Creators: Devi Putri Megwati (Creator), Sajan Rai (Cover Title Type & Treatment), and Zainab Akhtar (Editor/Publisher)
Goal: $19,041 (adjusted for 
End Date: July 26, 2023
Goodies: Digital and print editions of the book, printed fabric straps, and a fantastic sticker sheet with over ten stickers

Follow the lives and styles of Mila, Yul, and Hana as they navigate home, school, and work via stunning illustrations and comics!

Long live ShortBox. Out of Style‘s logline doesn’t lie: this art book does look stunning. The story follows the three young Muslim women and gives readers a glimpse into their lives as they go to school, work, spend time with family and friends, shop, and more. The Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign reads, “Out of Style is also an unfettered celebration of young Muslim women simply being themselves -goofy, passionate, sporty, anxious, lazy, stylish (the list goes on) – beyond the boundaries of othering perceptions.”

Become a backer here. 

Petro Graphic Novel, Book 2

Creators: Ken Lamug
Goal: $1,500
End Date: July 28, 2023
Goodies: Digital and/or physical edition, signed volume, sticker pack, bookmark, thank you in the back of the book, a signed volume is gifted to a Las Vegas school, and an 11″x17″ limited edition Petro print

An Asian/Filipino-Themed Fantasy Adventure!

As part of Crowdfundr’s KidLit event (why am I learning about this now?), Lamug launched the Petro, Book 2 graphic novel campaign. The Petro – based on a popular lazy character (Juan Tamad) depicted in traditional Filipino lore – stories are deeply rooted in the Philippine ethos, with characters and creatures inspired by local pre-colonial indigenous stories and folktales. The first book Petro and the Flea King was selected for the 2020 Library of Congress National Book Festival by the Nevada Humanities, meaning it was selected to represent the local literary heritage of the US state.

“In this sequel, Petro returns to everyday life after overturning the Flea King’s invasion,” reads the description of the graphic novel. “There’s nothing much to do besides daily chores and school… which Petro finds absolutely boring. One day he meets a street dog and a new friendship blooms. Their playful fun takes a turn when his four-legged friend disappears. In his search, Petro follows clues and unravels a more significant problem that pulls him back into the mythical world of Filipino lore.”

Become a backer here. 

Boyish² – Butch×Butch Yuri Anthology

Creators: Natsuo Musumi (Project Leader)

Goal: $9,706

End Date: August 28, 2023

Goodies: 

WLW comic (Yuri manga) artists gather from around the world to collaborate on a shared dream!

I am new to manga, but I am learning there is still a need to diversify the WLW scene. After the widely successful butch x butch yuri manga anthology, Boyish², this Kickstarter campaign wants to continue to pave the way for a brand-new era of unique lesbian comics by crowdfunding a second installment of butch x butch one-shot stories. Several talented international manga authors have combined forces to create approximately 160 pages of quality butch x butch yuri manga featuring characters from all corners of the LGBTQIA+ community.

This project will be published in English and Japanese.

Become a backer here.

Here are some other crowdfunding projects worth checking out:

And don’t forget to check out last week’s campaigns:

And finally, here are some projects that haven’t launched yet, but that look to be worth keeping an eye on:

Miss any of our previous Comics Crowdfunding Round-Ups? Check out the archive here!