By Tyler James, Publisher of ComixTribe, Creator of the ComixLaunch Comic Book Crowdfunding Planner
The comics industry, like most, is living through a period of economic uncertainty. The cost of living is rising, major publishers are scaling back, and the recent bankruptcy of Diamond – the longtime backbone of comic book distribution – has shaken the direct market to its core. And yet, in the midst of all this instability, comics on Kickstarter are thriving. In fact, the comics category just notched its most funded project of all time with Skybound’s $4.6+ million (£3.5+ million) Transformers Compendium launch, and the comics category’s overall success rate continues to climb – outperforming games, tech, publishing, and more. How is that possible? Because comics and crowdfunding aren’t just compatible – they’re a perfect match.
Now, this probably comes as no surprise to those of us who’ve been running comic book Kickstarters (and helping others do the same) for years. The Covid pandemic really underscored how robust crowdfunding could be, even while major distribution channels went pencils down and comic book conventions had to pause. In this article, I’ll break down why crowdfunding works so well for comics, why all creators should include crowdfunding as a part of their overall distribution strategy, and how a tool like the ComixLaunch Comic Book Crowdfunding Planner can help them maximize their success.
1. Comics Has the Most Repeat Creators on Kickstarter
One of the biggest predictors of Kickstarter success is experience. Comics leads all categories in the number of repeat creators – folks who come back again and again to fund new issues, collected editions, or entire series.This speaks volumes. It shows that crowdfunding isn’t just a one-time gimmick for comic creators – it’s a business model. And one that works.
In the UK scene, creators like my pals Fraser Campbell (The Edge Off, Alex Automatic) and John Lees (SINK) have built strong followings through recurring Kickstarter success. Each campaign builds trust, grows their mailing lists, and lays the foundation for the next one. I think it’s precisely because comic creators recognize that crowdfunding isn’t simply a one-time cash in, but rather a renewable resource when done right, that the category continues to thrive.
I built the ComixLaunch Planner with this in mind… that every launch is an opportunity to learn so your next launch can be even better. It’s not just as a one-time-use journal, but as a repeatable system creators can use for every campaign they run – tracking what works, what doesn’t, and setting themselves up for long-term growth.
2. Great Crowdfunding Pages Rely on Visual Storytelling, and That’s Where Comic Creators Thrive!
Kickstarter is a visual platform. And who better to harness its power than comic creators?
A strong campaign page needs compelling images, eye-catching headers, and clear communication. Fortunately, most comics creators are already fluent in the art of pairing words with pictures. That’s literally what we do!
Where other categories struggle to create dynamic, engaging Kickstarter pages, comic book creators are turning covers, character designs, and preview pages into powerful marketing tools. However, the best comic book pages take things up enough, and tap into the power of social proof, critical endorsements, reviews and more to build trust-worthy projects.
The ComixLaunch Planner includes proven checklists and cheat sheets to guide creators through the building blocks of a standout campaign page – including project image optimisation, reward graphics, and how to use your sequential art as a sales asset, not just a storytelling one.
3. Comics Creators Are Realistic About Their Goals
One of the biggest reasons campaigns fail on Kickstarter? Overreaching. See, shooting for the moon is NOT a great strategy on an all-or-nothing platform. But comics creators tend to be practical. We know what it costs to print 500 copies of a 32-page issue. We know how long it takes to letter a page. And we’re usually the ones wearing multiple hats – writing, editing, marketing, fulfilling – so we’re less likely to fall for wishful thinking.
This grounded approach means comics campaigns are often built around attainable, well-researched funding goals. Creators know that three out of four comic projects will raise less than $10K (about £7500), and so they are cool with breaking up large projects into smaller serialised launches that the audience they have can fund. That realism leads to better budgeting, more successful campaigns, and ultimately, fulfilled promises.
The ComixLaunch Planner includes a built-in budget tracker and funding goal setting tools to help you run the numbers early – so you can launch with confidence, not guesswork.
4. Self-Publishing Has Always Been Part of Comics Culture
Comics has a rich history of independent publishing. From zines at local cons to underground British comics like Deadline and 2000AD, creators have been carving out their own distribution channels for decades.So when Kickstarter emerged, it wasn’t a huge leap for comics creators to embrace it. Unlike in other publishing industries, there’s little stigma around self-publishing in comics. If anything, it’s a badge of honor, as some of our biggest legends are creators like Eastman and Laird, who debuted a little black-and-white one shot at a local comic con, and it turned into a billion dollar Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise.
Crowdfunding simply formalised what many comics creators were already doing: making great stuff, promoting it themselves, and finding their audience directly.
5. Comics Kickstarter Isn’t Just a Platform – It’s a Community
Perhaps the most powerful reason comics thrives on Kickstarter is the strength of its community.
Unlike in some cutthroat categories where creators see each other as competitors, the comics Kickstarter scene is refreshingly collaborative. Creators cross-promote each other’s projects, share backer updates, swap advice, and celebrate each other’s wins.
It’s not uncommon to see UK and US creators teaming up on anthologies, cover swaps, or livestream panels to boost each other’s launches. I’ve had creators tell me that Kickstarter was the first place they truly felt part of a supportive comics community.
The ComixLaunch Planner reflects this community-first mindset, encouraging creators to identify fellow campaigns for cross-promotion, track outreach, and keep notes on creators they’d love to collaborate with in the future. And in promoting the planner this month, I’ve opened an invitation to any creator with a live project this month to join me for a daily live stream to promote it. It’s just a small way to give back to a community that’s given me so much.
Final Thought: Your Next Comic Book Launch Starts with a Plan
Despite the craziness in the global economy, the reality is there has still never been a better time to crowdfund comics. The tools are better, the audiences are bigger, and the community is more welcoming than ever.
But success doesn’t happen by accident. It comes from strategy, consistency, and a willingness to lead. And for many creators, making the comics is the easy part. The reality is, it takes an entirely different set of skills to launch and sell a book than it does to make one.
And that’s why I created the ComixLaunch Comic Book Crowdfunding Planner—to give creators a proven, step-by-step framework to plan, launch, and fund their best campaigns yet.
Whether you’re preparing your first campaign or your fifteenth, having a clear plan (and a place to track it all) can make the difference between falling short and exceeding your goals.
Comics and crowdfunding belong together. And with the right tools, you belong in that 70%+ success rate, too. I’m rooting for you, and can’t wait to see what you launch next!
Tyler James is the publisher of ComixTribe, the writer of The Red Ten and Epic, and is the host of the ComixLaunch Podcast, which has taught thousands of creators how to harness the power of Kickstarter to bring their dream projects to life. Tyler recently released the Comic Book Crowdfunding Planner on Kickstarter, helping hundreds of comic creators launch better comic book Kickstarter projects. Tyler has successfully managed 39 Kickstarter campaigns since 2012, raising over $1.39 million in funding and has delivered over 23,000 awesome rewards to happy backers!
Want to take your next launch to the next level?
Check out the ComixLaunch Comic Book Crowdfunding Planner and start building your best campaign yet…
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