Welcome to this installment of The Beat’s Comics Crowdfunding Round-Up! We’ve got five diverse Kickstarter projects, from an all-women and nonbinary anti-patriarchy anthology about purity to a children’s picture book that combats the negativity of the messaging of anti-gay legislation. Check it out!


The Dark Side of Purity

The Dark Side of Purity Comics Crowdfunding

Creators: Heather Vaughan (cover artist), Rio BurtonAmy Chase (writer), Giulia Lalli (artist), Miranda Leyson (letterer), Sadie Hartmann (forward), Ai JiangSage Tyrtle (writer), Damon Barret Roe (writer), Lindz McLeod (writer), Dany Rivera (artist), Jenny Fleming (artist), Elyse Russell (writer), Fell Hound, Antonia Rachel Ward (poet), Mariateresa Susca (artist), Robyn Singer (writer), Kristin Cleaveland (writer), Michaela Oteri (illustrator), Sarah Allen Reed (artist), and many more contributing to the prose and poetry book
Goal: $12,000
End Date: July 8, 2022
Goodies: Physical edition at regular retail price, digital edition, and graphic novel variant covers

An anti-patriarchy anthology of prose, poetry, & comics taking on the idea of purity from the POV of women & non-binary creators.

This anthology includes stories by an all-women and non-binary creative team about the traditional values of “purity,” “chastity,” and “womanliness,” published in two volumes. The first book is a collection of prose and poetry, and the second book is a collection of comics and graphic poetry.

This Kickstarter aims to fund the work and pay creators so that Band of Bards Comics can have the collection’s mass distribution sales benefit NARAL, a pro-choice organization. If the campaign is successful, all profits from non-Kickstarter sales can be donated to the organization.

Become a backer here.

Don’t Say Gator™ — An LGBTQ+ Anthem for the Everglades

Don't Say Gator

Creators: Douglas Killingtree
Goal: $10,000
End Date: July 10, 2022
Goodies: Autographed picture book, library pack, and “Don’t Say Gator” bookmark, canvas tote, fanny pack, t-shirt, patch, lanyard, backpack, and patch

A colorful, uplifting, and musically-inspired picture book that celebrates queer kids are standing proud in the face of bigotry.

OK, this isn’t technically a comics crowdfunding project, but it’s about an important issue. LGBTQ+ youth are four times more likely to consider, plan, or attempt suicide, and political attacks on the queer community only increase the likelihood. The musically-inspired book, Don’t Say Gator, from Mascot Books is about staying true to yourself, despite being told to remain silent. The book has a QR code inside the front cover to access sing-along and karaoke versions.

Become a backer here

Producing the End of the World Issue 1 (72 Epic Pages)

Producing the End of the World Comics Crowdfunding

Creators: Louis SouthardDomenico Pagano (artist), Rob Gaughran (artist), Rob Pilkington (writer), Elodie Chen (artist), Aubrey Jeppson (writer), Jeremiah Schiek (artist), Scott Dunn (writer), Paul Gori (artist), Adam Burt (writer), Richard Kemp (artist), Alex Dandino (writer), Chris Maiurro (artist), Rob Jones (letterer), Anthony Pollock (editor), and Gary Proudly (assistant editor)
Goal: $4,935
End Date: July 5, 2022
Goodies: Half of the anthology is offered at the lowest tier, digital or physical edition, variant covers, podcast per each short story where both the writer and artist are interviewed, scripts of each short, and Soda and Telepaths will run your Kickstarter campaign

A post-apocalyptic comic book anthology for fans of Love Death and Robots, Heavy Metal and Death.

From Soda and Telepaths, Producing the End of the World is a 72-page anthology about what happens after the apocalypse. (No, it’s not Left Behind, it’s better.) The stories range from “Down with Something,” a commentary on how Donald Drumpf handled COVID-19, to “Dark Storm,” an end-of-the-world story for hurricane survivors, to “The Last Song Played Will Not Be Freebird,” about what the last song played on Earth should be.

Become a backer here

The Phantom of the Opera, a graphic novel

The Phantom of the Opera

Creators: Becky Laff
Goal: $12,000
End Date: July 6, 2022
Goodies: Digital wallpaper, high-resolution PDF copy, print edition, three exclusive 11 by 17-inch pin-ups, signed copy of the book, a piece of original art from the book, and add-ons

Book 1 (of 2) is a graphic novel adaptation of Gaston Leroux’s 1910 masterpiece.

Becky Laff has been presenting Gaston Leroux‘s The Phantom of the Opera: A Graphic Novel on WEBTOON for the past four years. Unlike other adaptations, this graphic novel aims to tell the story as it was written, a gothic horror. Although Laff has made changes to the original story, her graphic novel presents the story as Leroux wrote it, “a destructive relationship that relies on addiction and abuse to sustain itself, wrapped within the façade of theatre, music, seduction, and, of course, gas-lighting.” 

I’ve seen a ballet at the Palais Garnier Opera House in Paris, France, and the detail in Laff’s rendering of the iconic theater captures its haunting beauty and extraordinary luxury. Also, I love that the Kickstarter tiers are named after theater tiers. (Full disclosure: Leroux’s novel is also one of my favorites—maybe it’s a Rebecca thing.)

Become a backer here.

The Tale of Tsarevich Ivan, The Fire Bird, and The Grey Wolf

The Tale of Tsarevich Ivan, The Fire Bird, and The Grey Wolf

Creators: Izzy Carroll
Goal: $1,231
End Date: July 7, 2022
Goodies: PDF copy, hardcover copy, and signed limited edition

An illustrated adaptation of a classic Russian Fairy Tale.

Growing up, one of my favorite fairy tales was The Tale of Tsarevich Ivan, The Fire Bird, and The Grey Wolf by Alexander Afanasyev. The famous Russian folk tale has been adapted into illustrated editions on several occasions, including by the Russian illustrator and stage designer Ivan Bilibin, who also did work for the Ballet Russes, including the costume designs for the company’s adaptation of the story. The new illustrated edition by Carroll brings a much different art style to the story that pays homage to Bilibin’s art and costume designs.

Become a backer here.


Here are some already-funded projects worth checking out:

And don’t forget to check out last week’s comics crowdfunding 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!