Welcome to this week’s installment of The Beat‘s Comics Crowdfunding Round-Up! Let’s look at what happens when deep stories meet sketchbook art, rave culture, a kids’ anthology, and two more projects you’ll love!
Cloud Town: Friends in Stormy Weather
Creators: FAIRSQUARE GRAPHICS LLC
Goal: $900
End Date: May 22, 2025
Goodies: For $35, you can get the Friends in Stormy Weather bundle, a mini zine mailer for $20, an exclusive dust jacket for $65, or, at higher tiers, the studio BeanCan super fan bundle for $85 and much more!
Cloud Town: Friends In Stormy Weather originally caught my eye because of creator Daniel McCloskey‘s art, and it’s engrossing once you start looking into it. His art only adds to the sketchbook look, and learning that the story does take place within a school makes it all the more perfect.
That’s why it makes sense to me that the crowdfunding campaign has surpassed its goal with 14 days left, and, quite frankly, it deserves a lot more attention. McCloskey has come up with something unique, focusing on a story about how tragedy can sort out conflict and change who we are as people through the guise of giant robots, monsters, and school. The best part is that this standalone zine is only the tip of the iceberg, with more detail included in McCloskey’s original Cloud Town books, which you can look into more on their campaign page. Don’t miss out on something truly special; the zine is worth checking out if you’re a fan of detailed stories, robots, profound change, or even a supporter of some phenomenal art.
Acid Box
Creators: Avery Hill Publishing
Goal: $5,337
End Date: May 30, 2025
Goodies: Get the digital copy for $17, the physical copy for $12, a signed bookplate bundle for $27, or, at higher tiers, the tote bundle for $47 and much more!
A messy, time-travel adventure through club culture from Sara Kenney, James Devlin, Emma Vieceli, and Ria Grix.
Acid Box is a 200+ page graphic novel that blends rave culture, sci-fi, and raw humanity into a visually striking, emotionally charged adventure. A powerhouse team of UK comics talent makes it, and it can be described as 24 Hour Party People meets The Wizard of Oz—a wild time-travel quest powered by friendship, music, and mayhem. Whether you’re nostalgic for ‘90s clubbing, love messy, relatable characters, or believe in the power of youth-led creativity, this book is for you. It’s a comic that genuinely celebrates community, collaboration, and the joy of making change through art. I can’t recommend backing this crowdfunding campaign enough!
Let’s Go! A Kids Comic Anthology
Creators: Kids Comics Unite
Goal: $3,300
End Date: May 25, 2025
Goodies: Get the digital copy for $15, the basic book for $25, the create a critter tier for $75, or, at higher tiers, a 30-minute Q&A with the author, consultation with the creatives behind the book, and more!
Join 31 international creators working together to make this adventurous comic anthology for young readers of all ages!
Let’s Go! A Kids Comics Studio Anthology is more than just a fun, fantastic graphic novel, it’s meant to be a powerful reminder of why nurturing a love for reading and writing in kids matters now more than ever. In a time when digital distractions are everywhere, stories that spark curiosity and creativity are essential. This 160+ page all-ages collection, created by an international community of passionate storytellers, shows what happens when kids’ literature is driven by imagination and collaboration.
With 28 vibrant, original comics aimed at middle grade readers, Let’s Go! encourages young minds to dive into books and maybe even dream of creating their own. The project was practically funded overnight, and it’s clear that crowdfunding has more than doubled its initial goal, which is more than enough proof that this project is one to look into.
Knapsack Magazine, Volume 2: Butter
Creators: Lucky Pocket Press
Goal: $28,000
End Date: May 29, 2025
Goodies: Get the digital magazine for #15, the physical copy for $38, the magnet+print bundle for $60, or at higher tiers, get the Vol 1+2 bundle for $70 and much more!
The second entry of KNAPSACK MAGAZINE, a love letter to serialized comics magazines of the ’90s & ’00s, by Lucky Pocket Press!
We couldn’t be happier to feature Knapsack Magazine in our crowdfunding round-up for the second time and with good reason. With its second volume, Knapsack continues to prove it’s one of the most unique and exciting zines on the market today.
Brought to life by the brilliant team at Lucky Pocket Press, Volume 2: BUTTER is a 230+ page celebration of comics, illustration, and weird-kid nostalgia, channeling the spirit of early manga anthologies like Shonen Jump and Shoujo Beat. What sets Knapsack apart isn’t just its visual charm or inventive themes; it’s the comic’s heartfelt commitment to handmade art, serialized storytelling, and a community of bold, original voices. Every page is a love letter to creativity, from fold-out posters to tear-away recipe cards.
In a time when supporting small presses and artist collectives is more important than ever, Knapsack feels like a warm, buttery reminder of what makes indie comics so magical. I can’t help but give it my highest recommendation because even a glimpse of the project will make you fall in love with the magazine.
The Comics Courier, A Comics Criticism Journal [Issue 2]
Creators: Tiffany Babb (Creator/co-Writer/editor)
Goal: $4,500
End Date: May 31
Goodies: Get the digital copy for $5, the physical copy for $9, the limited edition print for $21, the physical backer (Courier Pencils) tier for $50, and more!
We’re thrilled to welcome The Comics Courier back into our roundup for its second issue. It is a publication that’s quickly becoming essential reading for anyone serious about comics criticism. Spearheaded by editor Tiffany Babb and featuring a powerhouse roster of contributors including Rob Salkowitz, Adrienne Resha, Rosie Knight, Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou, and The Beat‘s very own dynamic T4T duo, Avery Kaplan and Ollie Kaplan, The Comics Courier offers smart, passionate, and accessible writing in a beautifully designed print newspaper format, and I do mean STUNNING format. It is one thing to collect something, but to have it look like art, that you can frame, says so much about this project.
In a media landscape where in-depth comics discourse often gets buried, The Comics Courier stands out as a unique space where critics can dig deep, celebrate the medium, and hold it to a standard with raw critiques. It is such a vital, twice-a-year snapshot of what matters in comics, and I couldn’t be more proud to feature it again. If you believe comics are worth discussing, debating, and documenting, this project is worth backing.
For more from The Beat’s Crowdfunding Round-Up, check out our archived posts here!