Crowdfunding comics: Brisbane trio drawing support from fans

Three Brisbane cartoonists are using crowdfunding as a way of financing their comic art projects.

Throughout October 2012, Brisbane cartoonists Zac Smith-Cameron, Alexis Sugden and Stuart McMillen will be using crowdfunding to finance their comic art from web user investors.

With not a caped superhero to be seen, the three projects showcase the diversity of Brisbane comic art, and the possibilities which the comics medium offers in 2012.

The projects range from the Ashcan Comics manga compilation Iron Style, the graphic novel fiction of My Sister's Voice by Alexis Sugden, and the non-fiction Rat Park by Stuart McMillen about the science of drug addiction. Despite stylistic and thematic differences, the three cartoonists are united by their Brisbane home base and their use of the crowdfunding model.

 “It’s all-or-nothing”, Stuart McMillen said about using crowdfunding. “We each have set campaign targets and deadlines. If we don’t meet our targets within the time period, the projects don’t succeed. No money changes hands, and the comics do not get made.”

McMillen has set a target of $6,000 to create Rat Park from scratch, while Ashcan Comics is seeking $5,500 to reimburse the Iron Style compilation writers and artists for their hard work. Sugden's goal is $1,000 to print and distribute the already-completed My Sister's Voice.

“We are encouraging fans to invest in our projects by offering a range of reward items”, said Zac Smith-Cameron. “Fans who contribute smaller amounts get rewards such as digital copies of our comics. However, we also offer other merchandise packs including books, posters and t-shirts. We will even draw custom artwork for fanatical supporters with large pledges!”

“Crowdfunding lets fans directly support the artistic projects which interest them”, said Alexis Sugden. “It is great that readers can support my art directly, and that the expenses like printing are covered upfront.”

Potential investors are advised to get in quick with their pledges: Rat Park and My Sister's Voice have campaign deadlines in early November, while Iron Style's campaign closes in January 2013.

Information about the three projects:

·         Iron Style: a compilation of manga stories by publisher Ashcan Comics.
Originally a Japanese art form, manga has been adopted and adapted by Australian writers and artists. Iron Style is a showcase of the best of Australian Manga in 2012.
Zac Smith-Cameron is the co-founder of Ashcan Comic Collective, based in Brisbane.

·         Crowdfunding: pozible.com/ironstyle Main website: ashcan.com.au

·         My Sister's Voice: a fiction comic by Alexis Sugden which follows the lives of three women. When Polina goes missing, her sister Anna won’t rest until she is found. With her mother in tow and her grandmother’s ghost guiding the way, Anna spends more than a year at sea searching for her sister.

·         Crowdfunding: pozible.com/mysistersvoice Blog: alexisdraws.blogspot.com

·         Rat Park: a non-fiction comic by Stuart McMillen about research into drug addiction. McMillen uses the medium of comics to explore scientific, environmental and social issues. Rat Park is about 1970s animal experiments of Canadian psychologist Bruce Alexander. The infamous ‘Rat Park’ studies challenge our assumptions about addiction.

·         Crowdfunding:  pozible.com/ratpark Main website: stuartmcmillen.com

Zac, Alexis and Stuart are available for media interviews, photo opportunities, podcasts and the like. Please contact Stuart McMillen: stuart@stuartmcmillen.com

Zac Smith-Cameron, Stuart McMillen and Alexis Sugden

This image downloadable via http://j.mp/T0hOV8 Higher res available upon request.

Iron Style by Ashcan Comics teaser image

My Sister's Voice by Alexis Sugden teaser image

Rat Park by Stuart McMillen teaser image

Hello 2012

Hi all,

It's been too long! I should make it a new year resolution to update my blog more often!

I've been pretty busy. I've learnt how to do 3d animation now and I'm working on webisodes for Polly Pocket. It's a lot more fun than I thought it would be. :) And it's nice to be on a series, I get to do heaps of character animation; my favourite type!

Also, I've updated my show reel with my Sydney work and other 2d stuff, go check it out, there's a link to the side of this page. No 3d in it yet, I have to wait for the episodes to air.

My spare time's been pretty busy, too. I've been doing heaps of quillings, I'm preparing for the Brisbane Suitcase Rummage in Febuary: http://suitcase-rummage.blogspot.com/

Come along and buy some quillings! I also have some for sale in my Etsy, (there's a link on the side of this page) and I take commissions.

Here are some quillings and some recent art:

Thanks for reading,
Lex

PS. I've also been learning the ukulele. It's pretty much the best instrument ever.

Happy Halloween

My halloween pumpkin for this year:

Okay, so last year, I carved my very first pumpkin. I found a picture of Ruby Gloom and told my skeptical beau that I was going to recreate it, pumpkin style. I didn't do too bad a job, either.

So this year, I carved Neil Gaiman and Amanda Palmer onto a pumpkin. Because I love them so damn much and they've both inspired me and brought SO much joy into my life. That, and I really like the promotional art for 'An Evening with Neil Gaiman and Amanda Palmer', and I thought it would be perfect to carve onto a pumpkin.

I even bought some proper tools this year! Last year I just used a kitchen knife and a screwdriver. :P

I posted a photo to Amanda Palmer's wall and Neil Gaiman's wall. On Neil Gaiman's wall, it was in the section made up of fan posts. Then he put it up in the section made up of his posts. And more than a thousand people like it. O_O

Wow. Seriously. I am so amazed and thrilled that so many people like it. Best of all, Neil Gaiman likes it! I hope Amanda Palmer likes it too. :)

(I cannot simply refer to them as 'Neil' or 'Amanda', even if I were to write their names a million times over in this post. They are simply too awesome.)

Anyway, it really made my day, I am so happy! :D

Lex

P.S. Last year's pumpkin:

Bats and Birds

Oh man, it has been far too long since I updated my blog. I fail at blogging.

My excuse is that I've been busy working. Really, I've just been neglectful. :P I went and worked at Mighty Nice in Sydney, then I've been back at Liquid again. But my contract is about to run out, so I'll have all the time in the world to blog. Well, until I find another job.

Mighty Nice was pretty great! I had a really good time working there, I'd love to do some more work with them. Although I did get pretty homesick. But it was only for five weeks, so not too bad.

Check out this animatic I made in 2009? 2010?
Click here!

Also! I got another tattoo! :D

The design is based off work by William Morris. I love love love bats and have since I was about seven, I think. Long time. This took about two and a half, three hours and really hurt. :P Although not as much as my back tattoo. We ran out of time to finish it, so it'll be getting coloured in two weeks from now. I can't wait! My beau came with me, held my hand and read Harry Potter to me the whole time. <3

Okay, that's all for now, I'll update with some art soon!

Lex

Drawing

Greetings internet!

Before I start, I'd like to say that my honours film is now online. There's a link on the side of this page, just click on Viola. Burn the Witch was my third year film, feel free to check that out also.

I've been getting so much done lately! I'm currently without work and instead of wasting my time, I am using it so, so well. How am I using it well? You ask. By drawing all day. Oh yeah!

I've mostly been working on my graphic novel. It all gets inked by hand on A3 pages, then scanned and altered in Photoshop. That's wear I put in the red. Check out a page:

I don't have a scanner big enough for A3, but I found on Facebook a free creative space for the young people of Brisbane, called Visible Ink. http://www.facebook.com/?ref=logo#!/visibleink It's a pretty great place and I had a rather enjoyable afternoon drawing there.

I've also been working on some pre production for an idea that I have for a short animation. I'm pursuing funding for this, because I really want to make it.

Check out the main characters, Faye in the stripes and Marina with the long hair.

To colour the outlines I followed a tutorial by one of my favourite artists, Katie Hanahan. Check out the tutorial: http://ktshy.deviantart.com/gallery/?offset=24#/d3aaii7 and her blog: http://ktshy.blogspot.com/

ALSO. I got a kindle and it is the best thing ever. EVER.

Well, it's time for some 'breakfast' and drawing.

Lex

Arts and Music

Oh man, I have been neglecting my blog! I am pretty lame that way.

I have been kinda busy though, working at Liquid Animation again. It's been fun! I quite enjoyed the project, which involved cut out 2d animation and hand rawn animation, which I love. I certainly know ToonBoom pretty intimately now, a lot better than I knew it before. Also, working on a Cintiq was SO GOOD. I should really get one, I would do a lot more digital art if I had one.

But my contract is about to end and I'm not sure if there is enough 2d work to keep me there for the moment. But it's not all bad! I had started learning 3d before I was working there again, so I'm going to continue with that. As well as doing my own art, of course. Because I am feeling pretty damn inspired lately!

This weekend will (hopefully) be a weekend dedicated to working on my graphic novel. I inked up the first page and it is looking might fine. I need a bigger scanner though, so that I can scan it in and fix it up. I'm going to be making Polina's hair red in Photoshop, rather than during the inking stage.

My scanner may not be big enough, but here are a couple of photos to give you a peek:

(My apologies, I really am the worst photographer.)

And here are a couple of train sketches from my trip home today:

(I really need to draw from life more often.)

And a work in progress picture inspired by my new favourite thing to listen to:

The album is Nighty Night by 8in8. Download it here for only a dollar (or more): http://music.amandapalmer.net/releases

It's Amanda Palmer, Neil Gaiman (he actually sings on this), Ben Folds and Damian Kulash. Their goal was to create eight songs in eight hours. They made six in twelve, which is still incredible and they sound AMAZING. Seriously, pay the dollar, listen to the shit and you won't regret it.

Anyway, I have things to do, so I shall go off and do them!

Also, I have an idea for a short animation...more to come on that later...

Paintings and a Shoe

It's been a while since I updated...oops!

So here are some paintings I created for Queeriosity:

They're meant to hang from left to right, not from top to bottom like this. But oh well! Anyway, Queeriosity was a festival that a friend of mine was helping to organise, and he suggested that I submit some art. So I created some new paintings and also submitted a really big mixed media/oil pastel drawing that I created in highschool.

These paintings are each based on fairy tales. Can you guess which ones?

I also made an entry for the Footlocker Art Prize:

Click on the link and have a look!

Bats! By: alexisdraws

Also, I've been coating my quillings and they are on the verge of being sell-able! So close! Soon you will be able to buy them on Etsy. :D

Also again, I have a job again (as an animator, hurrah!) so I am really going to have to be more disceplined with my spare time, so that I can keep making my art and witchcrafts. Here's hoping I use my time well!

Okay, that's all for now.

Lex