💥 Welcome to Comictopia — a celebration of creativity and collaboration from a diverse group of writers and artists collectively running comic book crowdfunding projects from July 18th -August 8th.
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Alright folks, gather 'round! Your friendly neighborhood artist, Steve Rude (the one with the crippling art supply habit!), is back with a brand new sketchbook project: The Art of Steve Rude 2025 Sketchbook!
This bad boy's hitting crowdfunding in January, and lemme tell ya, art supplies ain't cheap. That's why your support is golden!
Speaking of gold, be sure to check out our Patreon page – those dedicated dudes and dudettes get some special deals during the launch.
And hey, while you're at it, head over to our launch page (www.steverude.com/2025skb) and sign up for the Backerkit livestream! We'll be dishing all the juicy details about the sketchbook and maybe even throw in a few laughs.
Now, to keep this humble dude motivated, let's hear it! What kind of goodies would make YOU excited for the next crowdfunder? Hit that poll and let your freak flag fly! (Select all that apply)
We just wanted to let everyone know that work on the comic is currently underway, and to say thank you to everyone for their patience. We joined onto the comictopia project on rather short notice, but during the campaign it became clear that while we love Backerkit for our fulfillment solution, we've just built up too much of a an audience on Kickstarter to try and move everyone over here. So we will be launching issue 1, the full issue, over on Kickstarter next month, and we will have enough art to finalize assembly of the ashcan very soon.
Artist Antonio Baldari also had to take on another gig unexpectedly but is back working on CSR, and also contributed this awesome cover for the upcoming full length issue.
So hopefully if everything lines up right, you will have the ashcans in hand just as everyone is starting to talk about the first issue, before it goes to press. This will also get a wide circulation through comic book stores nation/world-wide, making this limited ashcan release something special. As soon as the new kickstarter pre-launch page is live we will share that too. More to come soon!
We're still hard at work finishing the book. Melissa is doing an amazing job on the interiors. Natalie and I will be finishing our lettering pass of the script once we're through our respective holidays.
I don't have much I can share in this update, so how about some behind the scenes shenanigans?
Scroll down for shenanigans - as they may contain spoilers~
Just a quick update as we get close to the holidays. The colorist is sending in pages (slower than we'd like but they are coming in). We know everyone is eager for an update - so here are a few example pages from Gordon Purcell's throwback story so you can see it is moving along:
We are pushing the colorist to confirm the ETA for the final pages. As soon as we know that - we'll get this ook lettered and off to press.
Thanks for your patience and happy holidays to all!
I'm excited to update you on our progress! I'm doing stellar work on the interior illustrations, and the results are simply amazing. (If I do say so myself)
After 2 months sick, I'm eagerly diving back into our lettering work pre-holiday, ensuring every page is perfect.
All the finished artwork is lettered (you know I write as I letter, no script) It's been a wild ride, and we can't wait to show you what we've been up to! So I will.
Here's a sample page of the new stuff.
The next step is to re-read the whole story up to now, then draw the last pages, then letter them! I'll get as much done before Christmas then start up again after new year! Thanks for all your support and for sticking with us. Your enthusiasm keeps us motivated every step of the way!
The books have all been packed and are going to be going out this week! I know you guys have been eager, and I know we're a little late on our target, but they are finally coming out!
We apologize for the wait, but we promise you're going to have a cool comic you're going to enjoy!
Thank you all! You should be seeing tracking numbers popping up here in Backerkit as labels get printed and books start shipping.
Just to say that last Thursday, I received my loot pack and after carefully checking for everything, I didn’t receive my Ambassador card and t-shirt voucher.
Please advise.
Thank you!
We’re thrilled to share some exciting updates on BLITZ, our indie-focused creator magazine!
After multiple discussion with out printer, reviewing costs, stock, and quality of print — we've made our final decision and are upscaling BLITZ to an impressive 10 x 13 inches in size — the same format as Rolling Stone!
Why?
Because we believe comics are just as much rock n' roll, and they deserve to make a bold statement. This larger size gives us the perfect canvas to highlight breathtaking artwork, design stunning splash pages, and push the boundaries of visual design.
We’re also embracing a unique retro vibe with old-school newsprint. The tactile quality of this paper will harken back to the golden age of comics while delivering something fresh and distinctive to modern audiences.
In terms of content, we’ve locked in our format to include:
Three feature articles profiling amazing comic creators—leaders of the indie industry whose work inspires and defines the scene.
Original comic showcases highlighting incredible talent from around the world.
Plus, we haven't forgotten all the other stuff we've promised like..
The Creator Universe Handbook insert, is a tip of the hat to 'you know who' but instead showcases creator-owned characters and where to find them!
Inspired by IMAGO, an Italian magazine that was published from 1960-1971, we're experimenting with some ideas. We want to expand these backer extras to include a few unique items that create a kind of limited variant edition of the magazine. A kind of indie comics loot bag. More on this in the new year!
INSPIRATION: ROLLING STONE & IMAGO
While working on issue 1, we're also mapping out issues 2-8 and couldn’t be more excited about the creators we’re bringing on board! Leaders in their craft combined with up-and-coming artists, entrepreneurs, journalists, and designers, are joining the BLITZ movement, helping us craft something truly special.
We’re endlessly grateful to our backers for their patience and support as we take the extra time to refine and elevate this project. With your backing, we’re making BLITZ a magazine that celebrates indie comics, the creators behind them, and the fans who champion their work.
We'll be back in the new year with more details, art, and more. Till then we're wishing you a wonderful holiday season, but stay tuned—BLITZ is about to make some serious noise!
The Battle for Thuneworld TPB campaign is officially CLOSED! The last of the International orders went out today! You should be receiving tracking information very soon, if you haven't already.
If, heaven forbid, the mail carrier decided to gift you a really bad day and your package arrives mysteriously damaged, please let us know immediately. We'll send a highly trained comic book ninja to retrieve it. Just kidding... sort of.
In the meantime, have you checked out our 12 Days of "OMG I HAVE TO HAVE THIS" sale? It's the perfect opportunity to stock up on some amazing comics and merch. Did I mention $10 Nexus shirts up to 4XL?
And because Jaynelle put in over 100 hours between mailing the last of Battle for Thuneworld Crowdfunding and getting Black Friday and Cyber Monday up we're giving her a small break - all 12 days are now UP and active WHILE SUPPLIES LAST through Dec 17th. Last day to order for Free Shipping for Christmas is Dec 15th.
Thanks for your continued support and helping to keep Steve is art supplies! Next campaign is our 2025 Art of Steve Rude crowdfunder coming January 2025:
I've been so busy with Thanksgiving and family trips, I'm a couple weeks behind on this update... but both campaigns for Alice: Lost in Wonderland and FishTales Volume 2 are all shipped out! other than the unavoidable couple backers that still haven't filled out surveys those campaigns are finished, and they went faster and smoother than ever before. Now it's time to start ramping up for next year and... The wait is almost over! What happened after the attack on station 46? Will Virgil be okay? Will cpl Waters survive?! You will get answers to all these questions and find new depths to the mystery afoot when you go to GOMRFISH.COM and follow the prelaunch page so you don't miss out on the final issue of the "First Shift" story arch.
