Indie Publishers Take on Free Comic Book Day with the Help of Kickstarter

It’s that time of year again!

Free Comic Book Day is a great way for publishers big and small to introduce new and casual readers to some of the titles they’re most excited about. Each year we look at the many offerings produced specifically for FCBD and ask ourselves, “Who really pulled out all the stops? Who delivered the must-have releases that everybody wants?” Especially when many shops limit the number of books you can walk away with. It’s often the cases that those top 3 to 5 books don’t include the offerings from the Big Two, particularly for those looking for something new and unusual. So, look to the smaller presses for truly inventive approaches to Free Comic Book Day. Hey, Archaia’s even putting out a free hardcover this year!

But what about the true indies? The little guys with less name recognition but often bigger ideas? Can they even take part in something like Free Comic Book Day? It seems like a luxury way out of reach.

Enter Kickstarter.

FUBAR Press and 215 Ink have teamed up to produce their own FCBD publications distributed through Liber, the new indie alternative for that sort of thing. They’ve launched a Kickstarter campaign to happen with a fairly modest goal of $1,200 clams. They’ve since met that goal, but there’s still time to contribute and ensure that even more retailers will be able to give out these books to the hungry masses. There’s still time to triple their initial goal and pick up some cool prints merchandise in the process.

It’s the latest of so many victories for indie creators and small presses made possible through crowd-sourcing. And we think that’s pretty righteous.

So, what are they bringing to the table?

FUBAR Press offers a monstrous tale of war:

FUBAR: THE DEVIL’S DANCE FLOOR.
Cover by: Steve Becker Story and art by: Jeff McComsey
The Devil’s Dance floor is a 28-page stand alone World War II story about the remnants of the British 6th Army in North Africa’s last stand against zombie Erwin Rommel’s Undead Afrika Korp. Down to the very last bullets, bombs and bayonets these battle hardened Brits are out to prove that he who dares, Wins.

215 Ink offers a double feature flip book with two short tales:

SIDE 1
VIC BOONE: SEA OF TROUBLE.
Cover by: Jim McMunn Story by: Shawn Aldridge Art by:Jason Copland
This 12 page short follows Future Portland’s notorious ex motorcycle daredevil turned private eye as he takes a vacation from the non stop robot ass beatings, femme fatale double crosses and cigarette smoking to relax at the shore… where he is immediately attacked and double crossed.

SIDE 2
APES WITH UZIS: THE PACKAGE
Cover by: Jeff McComsey Written by Mark Bertolini Art by Peebo Mondia
Created by Rolf Ledejgard
This 12 page short introduces Milford “Ecus” Lang as the premier black market delivery-monkey in the Primate Nation. After getting handpicked to deliver a mysterious package, Ecus then lands the job offer of a lifetime…is he monkey enough to take it?

Free Comic Book Day is always a fun day for the comics community. This year, make sure and try something new. Something you might not normally pick up. And remember, the Free stuff is just the icing on the cake. Support your local retailer for making these kinds of events happen. Plunk down some cash on a few things too.

For more info on these books, head on over to Kickstarter.

Free Comic Book Day is Saturday, May 5th.