According to Publisher’s Weekly ” Kickstarter has become the dominant crowdfunding platform in the comics space, with some 3,414 projects raking in a total of $46.5 million in 2024. That year, more than 67% of comics projects were successfully funded—the highest success rate by category of any type of Kickstarter project.”
Over the years I’ve backed 36 Kickstarter projects, some launched by my former illustration students. Usually, I back at the digital level with an outlay of $10-$20.
I’m backing the Outlaw’s Apprentice by Chris Schweizer. His Kickstarter is a case study on how to craft a successful campaign. His drawing and storytelling are brilliant, too. His goal was $2,500. He’s now reached over $35,000, more than 1400% of his original goal.
This campaign ends Friday, July 31 at 12:39am
Like most Kickstarter campaigns the Outlaw’s Apprentice has stretch goals, various add-ons at different levels, and Chris has blown past all but one. That means my modest contribution will get me a map, paper figures, stickers and a keychain, besides the book. His one remaining stretch goal is a noble one. If he reaches $40,000,(and I bet he does), Chris is donating a copy of Outlaw’s Apprentice: Broken Blade to every public library in Kentucky, as well as every public middle school and high school library in Kentucky that requests one. (This campaign ends Friday, July 31, 2026 at 12:39am
Daniel Patrick McCloskey (BeanCan Dan) is my son and he has a Kickstarter ending shortly,August 1, 2026. He’s had one graphic novel, Cloud Town, published by Amulet/Abrams in 2022. Despite glowing reviews Abrams passed on the sequel, so Daniel launched a Kickstarter. He met his initial goal of $1500 on day one. He’s up to $4,254 with a week to go at the time of this writing.
The main characters in Friends in Stormy Weather are high schoolers, so the book is designed to look like a school composition book. Daniel’s most unique stretch goal is a glow-in-the-dark friendship bracelet. Last I heard Dan’s original shipment of bracelets got lost is customs, but he will figure that out.
Daniel was recently interviewed by Henry Chamberlain on the Comic Grinder podcast. The Comic Grinder and The Comics Beat both had nice things to say about Daniel’s Kickstarter.
Aptly, Dan’s Friends in Stormy Weather includes drawn contributions by some of his cartoonist friends. Namely: Nate McDonough, Kane Lynch, Mary Kalcic, Camden Yandel, S.S. Julian, Josue Cruz, and John G.
Dan’s Kickstarter can be supported for as little as $10. That gets Friends in Stormy Weather Part 1 and Part 2 in Digital/ PDF format + a thank you in his email blast to hundreds of readers!
Illustration Concentration 