Saving Comic Books Pt. 1

With all that's being said about how digital comics and digital media in general are destroying the comic book industry, I think it's a good idea to talk about some ways that people are trying to save the traditional comic book medium. This is the first post of what will be a several post series that looks at unique ways comic book lovers are putting their passion into saving the industry.

Dave Banks over at Wired recently posted an article that talks about how Kickstarter, the online public funding platform, may help save the comic book industry. While I think his title is a little bit of a reach and his article never actually gets too much into how Kickstarter can help the industry, his overall message gives readers something to think about. I got to thinking a bit more about how Kickstarter and sites like it can really help keep comic books, especially independent comics, alive.

A quick search on Kickstarter shows that there are more than 177 comic book related projects that need funding. Some, like the New Brighton Archaelogical Society project that Dave Banks discussed, are an attempt to fund new books in an existing series. Others, such as Diagram for Delinquents, are trying to fund video projects revolving around comic books.

Some of these projects have already been fully funded, while others are struggling a bit to get off the ground. Regardless, it's clear that Kickstarter not only offers a way for independent comic book projects to get publicity, but also a legitimate way to get funded. Even though it is not a fix-all for the industry, I think it gives a certain amount of hope to those who produce good work and want a chance to get it out into the hands of people across the globe. By putting the power to fund projects in the hands of the consumer instead of the middleman, Kickstarter gives those that don't have industry connections an even playing field with the rest of the industry. Also, Kickstarter helps keep the independent spirit alive by simply having a place that gives new ideas a public stage.

In Part 2 of this post I will look at several other ways that people are hoping to save the comic book industry. If you have thoughts or ideas on this subject please leave comments.

Tags: Independent Comic Books, Kickstarter