Welcome back to another installment of Indie Comics Showcase, the weekly blog where we signal boost a few truly independent comics that are currently crowdfunding their projects, crowdsourcing their funding in some way, or just completely self-publishing on their own. Every little bit of support for these creators matters, from a single dollar pledge to the twenty-five dollar bundle, and of course the higher tiers are usually fun too! Even if you can’t back a campaign or buy a book, you can share or tweet about these projects to your friends and followers.
On Indie Comics Showcase, we interview the creators, show off some art, and tell you how you can check out the product for yourself. Below we have some outstanding crowdfunding campaigns this week for you to learn about, enjoy, and hopefully support by backing one or more of them! Thanks for checking these out and for being the best part of Indie Comics Showcase. Let’s jump in!
Check out the campaign here!
Chris Braly: Welcome back to Indie Comics Showcase, Roland. Hit me with your elevator pitch for Cat & Mouse: Vipers!
Roland Mann: Giant child-snatching vipers are terrorizing New Orleans, pulling children from their homes in the middle of the night. In their eagerness to take on human trafficking in the city, Cat & Mouse find themselves in the thick of it. Crime, action, and drama, with a smattering of superheroics! Fans of classic Batman, Daredevil, and Spider-Man will like this series.
CB: Where did the idea for this comic come from?
RM: I wanted to see Cat & Mouse take on something a bit supernatural, since we’re in New Orleans. We haven’t seen much in the way of giant, talking snakes, so I thought that would be fun.
CB: Tell us about your style and creative process.
RM: I’m a big fan of the “Marvel method” for writing. It’s something I developed way back when I first got started in the late ’80s, thanks to the book How to Do Comics the Marvel Way. That was my bible. As I spent time in the industry, I came to appreciate the wide-open visuals that method gets from the penciller. It seems to me that the pencils/visual aspect of the story flows far more smoothly than those with a full script.
CB: Introduce me to your creative team for this project.
RM: Angelo Concepcion is the penciller, and he’s going to be getting the attention of folks very soon! He’s a recent Kubert School grad, and his work has a lot of energy to it. Cat & Mouse fans are going to love his work! Jose Fuentes is the inker. Also a Kubert School grad, his inks really bring depth and shadows to Angelo’s work. They’re really a great team, soon to be mentioned along with names like Byrne/Austin! Roberta Conroy is the colorist and — well, just look at the work! I’ve known Roberta since our Malibu Comics days when she was a colorist back then. Roberta is one of those colorists who just “gets it.” I’m blessed to be working with these amazing artists!
CB: Is the book ready to go to print?
RM: Yes, the comic is complete and ready for print! (Only a few final edits and corrections need to be made.)
CB: What have you learned from self-publishing through your work at Silverline?
RM: Self-publishing and crowdfunding both require a lot of time and energy. I know some folks think you can just put it up and let it go, but you have to push/promote every single day. It’s a lot of work!
CB: I assume there are more stories coming for this series?
RM: This story will take three issues to tell. And yes, I’m already working on the next story… the next TWO stories, to be specific!
CB: Anything else you’d like to share with our readers before we wrap up?
RM: For anyone unfamiliar with Silverline, the thing I want them to know is that we deliver. This is about campaign #35, and we have 100% fulfillment. We have always delivered. While I’m not one to promise you’ll love the comic, I really think you WILL like it. We don’t have the superstars that some other campaigns have, but we have comic creators who love making comics and who PRODUCE what we promise to produce. Give us a chance!
CB: Cool. We’re rooting for you, Roland!
Check out the campaign here!
_________
Check out the campaign here!
Chris Braly: Welcome to Indie Comics Showcase, Vinny. Let’s start with your quick pitch for Arbiter. What’s the story about?
Vinny JA: Arbiters throughout time sealed the dimensional cracks before anything could get through. However, Chris doesn’t know what he is because his teacher mysteriously vanishes. Chris must find answers before all reality breaks apart.
CB: What inspired the concept for this comic, and why did you choose to self-publish it?
VJ: This was an idea I had for many years. It’s a story that gripped me and had to be told. I decided to self-publish because it felt like the best path for me to share it. It’s suited for readers from high school age and up.
CB: Can you walk me through your creative process and how you’ve honed your storytelling style?
VJ: I’ve written a dozen scripts across different genres, and my method remains mostly consistent. I always write the ending first and let character choices naturally guide the reader toward that predetermined conclusion.
CB: Tell me about the team behind this project. Who helped bring Arbiter to life?
VJ: I (Vinny) am the writer. I created the story, wrote the script, designed the characters, and laid out some panels. Denio took all that and beautifully rendered it digitally—pencils and inks! Nankim Studios handled all the colors!
CB: How is production going? Is the book complete, or are there still steps left in the process?
VJ: I’ve finished writing the first several issues. The cover and the first five pages of issue #1 are complete and uploaded on the campaign for everyone to see! The funding will go toward completing the rest of the book and printing it.
CB: What has your experience been like with self-publishing and crowdfunding so far?
VJ: This is my first attempt at both. I’ve already learned so much, but there’s still more to figure out as I go!
CB: Do you have plans for more stories beyond this one? What does the future hold for Arbiter?
VJ: There are plenty of stories to tell with Arbiter. Each one will be more intense than the last. My plan is to create three-issue story arcs that build up to a climactic conclusion.
CB: Any special features or perks tied to this campaign?
VJ: Yes! The campaign includes exclusive content like a teaser cover and early pages, which fans can preview right now.
CB: Anything else you’d like to share with our readers before we finish?
VJ: I hope readers will give Arbiter a chance. It’s a labor of love, and I believe it’s a story worth telling. Thank you for your support!
CB: Good luck, Vinny!
Check out the campaign here!
_________
Check out the campaign here!
Chris Braly: Can you summarize FemBat for our readers/
Brett Cantrell: Set in a Seattle Go-Go Club in 1968, Olivia Del Ray gets bitten by a vampire at her workplace. She gains vampire powers but suffers from their drawbacks. After spending over 50 years searching the globe for her attacker, Olivia meets Professor Nigel Emery, a brilliant scientist who develops the FemBat battle suit. This suit enables her to fight monsters, demons, vampires, and anything that goes bump in the night. Enjoy 56 pages of black-and-white superhero/horror action featuring a dynamic, sexy hero with bulletproof “tatas.”
CB: What inspired you to create FemBat, and why did you choose self-publishing as your route?
BC: As a child, I was a fan of the Universal Monsters and Hammer Films. As I got much older, I wanted to see a vampiric female hero destroying evil monsters wearing a bat-like costume—something straight out of a Hammer Film. Comics are the cheapest way to express my visions. Originally, I created FemBat as a full-page weekly strip but shelved it for 20 years until I rediscovered it in my art files. It took me three years to write, draw, ink, and letter 56 pages full of action, humor, and suspense. It’s aimed at teens and adults who are fans of superheroes and horror.
CB: How would you describe your creative style?
BC: My art style was influenced by a number of great artists like Neal Adams, John Byrne, John Buscema, Gil Kane, Dave Cockrum, Barry Windsor-Smith, and Bernie Wrightson. I started drawing comic strips from daily newspapers like Li’l Abner, Steve Roper, and Flash Gordon at age six. By age eleven, I transitioned into comic books. While I often draw from memory, I also use photo and artistic references for visual accuracy.
CB: Did anyone else contribute to bringing FemBat to life?
BC: Besides working on the entire comic production myself—writing, drawing, inking, and lettering—I hired Dan Lawlis, a fantasy and commercial illustrator as well as a comic book artist, to illustrate the variant cover. Omer Garcia III provided the promotional graphics for my FundMyComic campaign. We all know each other from YouTube.
CB: Is it complete or still in progress?
BC: All 56 pages of FemBat are complete except for a redrawn pencil version of page one that will be inked by Peter Palmiotti, a 35-year industry veteran. My full-color mini-comic Enforcer Inc. vs Devastator still needs four more pages to be penciled, inked, and lettered. Additionally, twelve pages need coloring.
CB: What is your experience in the self-publishing field?
BC: I self-published my books on and off since 1996 with the introduction of The Executor & Femme Fatale flip book. There was no crowdfunding in the late ’90s and early 2000s. I like coming on different livestreams to help promote my book and I ask other creators to come on my panel to promote their books too. I never expect how much I can make in a campaign and it’s a lot of work to prepare campaigns and promote books, but I love it!
CB: What’s next after this book?
BC: I need to finish my third chapters of Executor/Femme Fatale flip books and put all three chapters into a collective trade paperback (TPB). I’m also writing and drawing a 24-page one-shot titled The CREEP: 100 Feet of Pink Perversion, which is a comedy/horror book. FemBat Volume 2 is projected for release around 2029. Additionally, FemBat Meets Devil Flyer is in development alongside plans for a quarterly book titled Enforcer Inc.
CB: Are there any special perks on this campaign you think are worth mentioning?
BC: The best bang for your buck is the FemBat Fiesta Tier at $125.00. You get all four covers of FemBat Volume 1, an 11 x 17 Apex Comix poster, an original black-and-white sketch bookmark, a 5 x 7 original color artwork piece, two prints, a bonus mystery ashcan, and a copy of the full-color mini-comic Enforcer Inc. vs Devastator. Plus, domestic shipping is free if you back the Dan Lawlis variant cover.
CB: Anything you’d like to share with our readers before we wrap up?
BC: Please subscribe to Apex Comix on YouTube (@apexcomix3200), where I do almost weekly livestreams featuring short videos, unboxings, video art demonstrations, book reviews, and promotions for other indie creators.
CB: Thanks for chatting with me today! Best of luck with FemBat!
Check out the campaign here!
_________
That’s it for this installment. If you’re a creator ramping up your own campaign or have a comic available for purchase online and you want to be featured in our weekly column, click here so we can hopefully help you get more eyes on YOUR crowdfunding comic project. Until next time, support indie comics!
