How An Organized Approach Led Matthew Schofield to a Nearly $9K First Kickstarter
by Clay Adams
This month, I talk to Matthew Schofield, an animator, storyboard artist and director who has worked on films such as Cats Don't Dance, Prince of Egypt and The Iron Giant. He's been working on the history-making animated TV show The Simpsons for over 20 years and is currently the Supervising Storyboard Director on the show. An avid, lifelong comic book reader, in 2017 he began writing and drawing his own superhero comedy webcomic, Steamroller Man!
In this edition of the ComixLaunch Spotlight, you'll learn:
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How ComixLaunch Pro helped Matthew prep his first launch
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Why he believes in giving away his work for free
- His brilliant but simple trick for conquering the dead zone
- Plus: The ONE thing he wishes he'd planned for
Connect with Matthew:
Read Steamroller Man for Free:
Social Media:
Follow Matthew on Kickstarter:
Get a FREE Steamroller...
How ComixLaunch Helped Will Allred Serialize His Long-Form Comic Book on Kickstarter
by Clay Adams
This month, I talk to Will Allred, a writer, professor, and technologist. He created Crossover Division and Diary of Night and contributed to the Eisner-nominated Comics through Time and multiple other academic books on comics. Will received his Ph.D. in English from the University of Arkansas and is a longtime member of the nonprofit Grand Comics Database Project, having served for several years on its Board of Directors. Will is an avid reader and is a lifelong fan of the comics medium. He also enjoys teaching and spending time with his wife and twin sons.
In this edition of the ComixLaunch Spotlight, you'll learn:
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How ComixLaunch Pro helped Will find his creative team
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Why having a community of like-minded creators can help your business grow
- Creative ways of finding cover artists for your next campaign
- Plus: Lessons learned while serializing a long-form comic book
Connect with Will:
...
Why Brian J. Lambert Joined ComixLaunch AFTER Raising $100k on Kickstarter
by Clay Adams
This month, I talk to Brian J. Lambert, an award-winning author and creator of Justice. He has worked both writer and editor on numerous indie projects, including Unlikely Heroes Studios' The Sundering, Greg Anderson Elysee's Is'nana The Were-Spider, Danny J. Quick and 4th Wall Productions' Aceblade, Concept Moon Studios' After Image, written by Robert Jeffrey, and the indie-crossover events, Nightfall and the upcoming Epiphany Engine. Brian's early influences include Todd MacFarlane, Dan Jurgens, Mark Waid, and Dwayne McDuffie. His latest campaign, for Air Force Ones, raised north of $13,000 on Kickstarter.
In this edition of the ComixLaunch Spotlight, you'll learn:
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How ComixLaunch Pro helped him up his crowdfunding game
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Why you need a marketing budget
- Who you should--and SHOULDN'T-- be marketing to
- Plus: Insights gleaned through raising $100k on Kickstarter
Connect with Brian:
Website:
Social Media:
...
How Jack Harris, Jr. Raised $16,000 in His First Kickstarter Ever
by Clay Adams
This month, I talk to Jack Harris Jr, the creator and author of Terminus Veil, which is produced by his company, Clash Digital Publishing. Clash was founded on three key principles, which are high quality artwork, diverse characters from different backgrounds, and explosive, thrilling action.
Terminus Veil delivered all of the above--plus $16k in funding for the first-time creator.
In this edition of the ComixLaunch Spotlight, you'll learn:
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When it comes to your mailing list, quality definitely beats quantity
- Strategies for using Instagram to power the Dead Zone
- How to get influencers to share your campaign
- Plus: The one thing Jack would do differently if he could do it all over
Connect with Jack:
Website:
Social Media:
Instagram: @terminusveil
Follow Jack on Kickstarter:
Get Issue 1 of Terminus Veil Free:
Would You Like to Learn the Strategies...
How Ted Sikora Created a Comic Book Universe on His Way to Raising $100k+ on Kickstarter
by Clay Adams
This month, I talk to Ted Sikora, a Cleveland/Akron based comic book writer and filmmaker. He is the president of Hero Tomorrow Comics, and the creator/writer/letterer of Tap Dance Killer, Punchline & the Vaude-Villains, Bloom, and creator/co-writer/colorist/letterer of Apama The Undiscovered Animal.
As a filmmaker he directed and co-produced the dark comedy indie feature Hero Tomorrow, and the feature doc Move On! Ted has directed hundreds of shorts in realms of documentary, music videos, and education.
He also wrote the libretto, principle music and lyrics for the horror show musical Nothing Like Vaudeville.
In this edition of the ComixLaunch Spotlight, you'll learn:
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How ComixLaunch helped him work smarter, not harder
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Why it's important to stay on top of what's working on Kickstarter RIGHT NOW
- Plus: how a con appearance led to the best two hours of education he’s ever had
Connect with Ted:
Website:...
How Alton Simpson Got His Comics Into Shops and Raised More than $150,000 on Kickstarter
by Clay Adams
This month, I talk to Alton Simpson, a writer, director, actor, editor, composer, producer, and media creator who started making short films in 2004 with his company 3 Heads Productions. He’s produced commercials that have run on Comcast as well as short films for the Philadelphia and New York City 48 Hour Film Festival. In 2010, he wrote, produced, and scored his first full length film which played in the Philadelphia Independent Film Festival, and now his films can be seen on Amazon Prime. His music has been used in commercials for Youtube Content and Comcast TV Commercials and has been streamed over 1 million times. He writes the ongoing comic and graphic novel “Vampires of New Jersey” as well as the shared universe titles Blackjack, Werewolves of Brooklyn, Witches of Westchester and Bunny Goes to Space. Over ten campaigns, Alton has raised over $150,000 in crowdfunding.
In this edition of the ComixLaunch Spotlight, you'll learn:
- "long...
Mad Cave Talent Search Winner Sarah Cooke Talks Serializing Her Comic on Kickstarter
by Clay Adams
In our first video spotlight, I talk to Sarah Cooke, winner of Mad Cave’s 2023 Talent Search and the 2023 Negative Space Women’s Comic Book Writing Competition. She's the co-creator of the award-winning sci-fi web series My Human Experience. Her published works include No Spell Lasts Forever, Olive and the Ogre, and an essay in How to Analyze & Review Comics: A Handbook on Comics Criticism. As a comics reporter, she has written for Marvel, DC Comics, Women Write About Comics, CBR, Voice of Youth Advocates, WTAP Television, and more.
In the Edition of the ComixLaunch Spotlight, you'll learn:
- how small steps lead to big things
- why Kickstarter is a great platform for audience growth
- plus: Sarah's best advice for new creators
Connect with Sarah:
Substack:
sarahlindseycooke.substack.com
Social Media:
Instagram: @sarahcookewriter
Twitter: @sarahcookewrite
Follow Sarah on Kickstarter:
How Mike Connell (Over)Funded The First Issue of His Comic Book on Kickstarter
by Clay Adams
Mike Connell was stumped.
He knew his campaign for FERAL #1: THE BEAST WITHIN would be very different from his previous Kickstarter. For one, this would be the first in a series, not a standalone book.
Second—and more importantly—it was for a single issue floppy rather than a full trade.
Mike knew he needed to price it so the numbers made sense, but every time he crunched them, he came out closer in price to the trade than felt comfortable.
Worried about how his returning backers would feel about it, Mike wondered…
“How much should I REALLY charge for my single issue comic?”
In this edition of the ComixLaunch Spotlight, you'll learn:
- how to serialize your comic book on Kickstarter
- how to build buzz ahead of your launch…and one surprising place to do it
- Plus: how to price your single issue comic book on Kickstarter
How to Serialize Your Comic Book on Kickstarter
...How Randy Stone Grew His Audience and Serialized His Comic On Kickstarter
By Clay Adams
For Randy Stone, the struggle was real.
Serializing his comic, BULLET ADVENTURES, on Kickstarter was a constant juggling act.
Social media posts, always trying to reach a wider audience, balancing family life with two young kids and a full time job outside of comics... it never felt like he had enough time to put into promoting his projects.
And with only so much time on the clock, and so many hours in the day, Randy was left wondering…
“How can I do it all?”
In this edition of the ComixLaunch Spotlight, you'll learn:
- tips for serializing an ongoing comic book on Kickstarter
- the power of team-ups to grow your audience
- plus: time management for busy crowdfunders
Tips For Serializing an Ongoing Comic Book on Kickstarter
Despite the stress, Randy was keenly aware of the benefits of serializing his comic through crowdfunding.
“One big benefit is that you start to build a back catalogue where people can...
How Chris Brimmage Used FOMO and the Power of NOW to beat the Kickstarter Dead Zone
by Clay Adams
Chris Brimmage felt gobsmacked.
His sixth Kickstarter campaign, for two prose novels in his MANDRILL P.I. series, had gotten off to a hot start, but a few days in, the Dead Zone had already settled in.
As the days went on, he realized he was in for a longer dry spell than usual, and if he wanted to inject some life back into his campaign, he’d have to get creative.
But all the while, he couldn’t help but wonder…
“Is this the new normal?”
In this edition of the ComixLaunch Spotlight, you'll learn:
- how to build excitement during the Dead Zone
- why FOMO is your friend
- plus: balancing work/life/comics and the power of NOW
Are Longer Dead Zones the New Normal on Kickstarter?
Chris had heard the chatter from other creators online:
The Kickstarter Dead Zone was hitting faster and lasting longer these days. He chalked it up to a few different possibilities.
“Creators in...