Kickstarter is pretty much a never ending process for both creators and consumers. Kickstarter has become a prolific platform for comic creators because it allows for new and established creators to put out their products and gain presales that allow them to roll the creation costs into the presales so they can kill two birds with one stone. For a lot of creators the Kickstarter platform is the only realistic solution to fully financing a book. I’m not sure that is the case for Pond Scum but I truly believe in the ideas behind Pond Scum and I feel like Rats and Crows is a publisher that is dedicated to making great comics and that is all that I need.
Rats and Crows have brought some really killer titles; Sane6 and most recently Masks, both of which have blown me away, and I feel like Pond Scum has the potential to be just as good. Pond Scum is more than just a new title however; in their own words it’s “ the perfect mix between the traditional SuperHero universe and the individual creativity of independent comics.” I feel like this has infinite potential for not just creativity but also for collaboration, in fact, the Kickstarter starts with two books.
The first book is Blood, Skulls, and Chrome #1, a gritty looking story about a biker gang that gets involved with Mexican drug cartels. I’m not sure if it’s because their both Rats and Crows books but this premise and the look reminds me of Sane6; a gritty realistic BA story with layers to not just the story but the art as well.
The second book is Frankenaut #1, about a Frankenstein looking astronaut that has some adventures in space as some sort of test subject or something. This book looks like it has a funny twist to it but it’s sure to bring a Sci-Fi twist to this new universe.
Both of these books are thirty two pages and represent two different parts of the Pond Scum Universe and their plan is to stretch the intro into eight different books culminating into one big crossover event. Every creator maintains the right throughout the Pond Scum Universe, even through the crossovers, and I truly believe that this is only something that is achievable by indie creators. Indie creators know the challenges and understand the importance intellectual properties have for the creators. This can’t be a cooler idea and frankly I feel like it could be a new direction for a publisher like Rats and Crows or at the least an amazing way for artists to collaborate and bounce ideas off each other.
As always I try to put my money where my mouth is and back the Kickstarter’s I write about. They have an impressive array of rewards and a ton that include other Rats and Crows books that I have reviewed and purchased, so basically there something for everyone. Beyond having a ton of options the options are affordable and include a lot. Only eight dollars they offer PDF’s of not just both books but Sane6 Wreckage and Pond Scum Comics Digital Artwork Book. That has to be the deal of the century because just two of those books are worth that much digitally.
If you feel like helping out Pond Scum Comics in their Kickstarter and helping me out to get my rewards then head to their Kickstarter, Rats and Crows website, and follow Pond Scum Comics on Facebook for updates and news.
