The State of Comics Crowdfunding
I Had a Chance to Chat with Sam Kusek, Kickstarter's Outreach Lead for Comics About All Things Comics & Kickstarter
So, how are comics doing today?
The industry was rocked last week by Diamond Distributor’s bankruptcy news, as publishers, creators and retailers sort through what exactly that situation is going to mean for the industry going forward.
While it’s very difficult to imagine that the company that has been synonymous with direct market distribution for the last 40+ years finding itself in dire financial straights is a good sign for comics, the reality is, most independent creators in 2025 are not relying on Diamond to get their books to the public.
No, today, it’s Kickstarter and crowdfunding that most independent comic creators see as the irreplaceable platforming. And the good news is, the state of comics on Kickstarter is STRONG!
I had a chance to spend an hour chatting with Sam Kusek, Outreach Lead for comics on Kickstarter, about the state of play for comics on the platform. In the conversation, Sam shared that comics had an up year in 2024, not only posting a new all-time most funded project in the category, but also seeing the most projects launched, the most total funding raised, and the highest success rate for projects launched to date.
That said, Sam and I discussed some of the current challenges Kickstarter is facing, whether it be how to handle the proliferation of NSFW content in the category, the explosion of AI in creative fields, and increased competition from other crowdfunding platforms actively trying to poach Kickstarter talent.
Check out the full State of Kickstarter Comics interview with Sam Kusek here.
-Tyler James
ComixTribe Publisher
P.S. Speaking of Kickstarter, our firs big comic book launch of the year will be for the next collected edition of SINK: CITY OF KILLERS.
We’d love to ask your help in getting our prelaunch follower count up!
Please click here to follow the new campaign and score exclusive DAY ONE bonuses!
Great pod, as usual, Tyler. Really appreciate the kind words and the mention.
I'm at 963 backed on Kickstarter and wouldn't be shocked if I make that quadruple digits by years end. So many great indie books to read - though I tend to go digital as shipping to Canada can triple the price.
It's still early for that poll, but seeing 0 folks saying they'll buy comics at conventions makes me feel a lot better about scaling back that part of the business. With table fees having gone way, way up, it's feeling less reasonable to fight to get into those shows.