It’s no secret I’ve been a fan of Retrofit Comics ever since I discovered them early last year. I can’t really claim to be a Retrofit hipster though, since they’ve actually been creating and publishing amazingly unique comics and graphic novels, 45 total, since 2011. Being a smaller imprint, however, they’re seeking backers to help fund their next projects for their 2016 line with the aim of twelve total graphic novels and comic books.
Kickstarter is nothing new for Retrofit Comics, it’s actually how they got their start in the industry. It wasn’t so long ago that unless you were part of the big two publishing houses of Marvel and DC, your comic ideas were nearly impossible to get printed and plenty of great ideas had to be shelved. Jared Smith, co-publisher of Retrofit/Big Planet, said, “Creating comics is a slow and difficult process, so the other part of doing a Kickstarter is to raise money to pay our artists more in advance, instead of waiting for them to be paid royalties from sales of their comics.” This process seems to work well for the Washington D.C.-area publisher with twelve new books that seek to be the next on Retrofit’s roster:
- We All Wish For Deadly Force by Leela Corman
- Hellbound by Kaeleigh Forsyth and Alabaster Pizzo
- Elf Cat in Love by James Kochalka
- Summerland by Paloma Dawkins
- Libby’s Dad by Eleanor Davis
- Our Mother by Luke Howard
- I Thought You Hated Me by MariNaomi
- Canopy by Karine Bernadou
- Lovers in the Garden by Anya Davidson
- Sh*t and P*ss by Tyler Landry
- A currently untitled story by Sophie Yanow
- And a twelfth comic that will be announced this summer.
The books, like their authors, are diverse and include such topics as growing up with a parent who has an anxiety disorder, a quest for the Ice Sword (which somehow involves magical hot dogs), private journal entries, and a collection of short stories, among others. While every story may not be up your alley, founder and editor ( and New York Times bestselling author) Box Brown ensures that each book offers a strong, unique voice accompanied by breathtakingly inventive visuals. At $75 for a subscription of all twelve books, this is a great deal, but there are plenty of other reward levels for backers including a
Please note that while several Retrofit/Big Planet comics are appropriate for kids, many are not, so be sure to give a thorough read-through before passing any books off to the kiddos. Whether you like quirky art, comics that don’t involve superheroes, or just receiving cool stuff in the mail from time to time, you’ll definitely get your money’s worth from Retrofit. Hurry up though, the Kickstarter ends April 8, 2016!
