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(and their close relative, graphic novels) have a foot in each of two rapidly chang- ing
indus- tries: Art and publishing. While the big names in comic book
publishing—just like their mass mar- ket book counterparts—are rushing to hold onto their footing as eRead- ers and iPads edge out the paper-
and-ink book market, there's one group of comic creators that is embracing tech- nology and all its benefi ts: Indies. From the underground comix move-
ment of the 1960s to the Xerox-produced zines of the '80s, indie comic books have been around for decades. But in recent years the Internet has made it exponen- tially easier for independent artists to share their smaller, more personal proj- ects without having to rely on a major publisher to fi nd an audience. One of the most powerful tools indie
comic book artists, writers and publish- ers have at their disposal is crowdfund- ing, which allows them to raise money by soliciting small contributions from individual donors, who in turn receive rewards, such as a copy of the fi nished product. Last year saw crowdfunding come into its own, with 27,500 backers on the crowdfunding site Kickstarter donating a total of $1.7 million to comic
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book projects, resulting in 267 projects that reached their funding goals in 2011. T is DIY approach to raising money
lets artists create projects that fully ex- press their creativity in a way that might not be possible with a larger publisher.
For proof, look no further than Cursed Pirate Girl, one of Kickstarter's biggest comic book success stories to date. Due to the incredibly detailed nature
of Cursed Pirate Girl's pen-and-ink art, it can take artist Jeremy Bastian up to two weeks to create a single page—a luxury that most large publishing companies, which aim to put out a new issue in each series on a monthly basis, wouldn't
New York-based comic artist Abby Denson is the author of Tough Love and Dolltopia.
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Abby Denson
Greg Frederick Abby Denson