Here at Fanbase Press, we strive to provide an outlet for up-and-coming creators to promote and showcase their incredible works. With thousands of creators utilizing crowdfunding platforms like Kickstarter and Indiegogo to make those works a reality, we will highlight these talented creators and their noteworthy campaigns through #CrowfundingFridays! We hope that you will join us in giving these projects a moment of your time (and possibly your support).
Project #1: Westron: Issues 1 & 2
What it’s about: Westron is a supernatural detective horror story based in Slavic mythology. It follows the exploits of private investigator Jan Westron on cases that bring him in conflict with terrifying creatures of legend which have not been widely explored in pop-culture, if at all.
Westron differentiates itself from other supernatural detective stories in a few ways. First, it utilizes real Polish mythology as its foundation, setting the stage for creatures you probably haven’t encountered in other media very often. There are no vampires or werewolves here, no mummies or invisible men. But darker, more terrifying creatures made the worse by their unfamiliarity.
Secondly, Westron is set in Europe, mostly split between Poland and Germany, where these legends have their roots. It’s told in English, but the European setting brings a different feel and a deeper sense of history.
Lastly, Westron is two stories in one. It splits its time between the main case set in the recent past and a flashback story that, while separate, ties in and acts as a reflection of the modern story. These two stories each have their own art team to lend a unique feel, but those teams collaborate to ensure that there remains a visual harmony to help bring the stories together as one.
Click here to visit the Kickstarter campaign.
Project #2: (Space) Odyssey #1
What it’s about: Everyone has read or seen some version of this tale. The majority of fiction since has been inspired by it directly or indirectly. There’s even the upcoming blockbuster movie by Christopher Nolan coming out later this year.
So, why tell this story now and as sci-fi?
Our goal when adapting The Odyssey as a sci-fi space opera was to bring it to the 21st century and RECAPTURE the same sense of WONDER and IMPOSSIBLE ODDS that the original had in ancient times. In the 21st century, the sea has almost no mysteries left. Space does. In the 21st century, the distance between Troy and Ithaca are almost meaningless, but not if they’re separated by light-years of never-ending void. In the 21st century, we know there are no Gods who rule the world. Oligarchs do. Algorithms and AI do. And that’s why, in the 21st century, we chose to retell this story through a sci-fi prism, set in space, in a galaxy far far away…
Issue 1 tells the story of the fall of TROY, a planet protected by an impenetrable barrier that not even the combined forces of Greece and Sparta could break, were it not for Odysseus’ strategic mind. Unfortunately for him, this victory is only the beginning of a decade-long journey to return to his wife and son in his beloved Ithaca…
Click here to visit the Kickstarter campaign.
Project #3: Shrub: The Collected Edition
What it’s about: GLAAD Media Award-winning and Eisner and Harvey Awards-nominated publisher and media outlet Fanbase Press is proud to announce Shrub, an 8-issue Graphic Medicine series which will be crowdfunded by the publisher on Kickstarter.
In this middle grade adventure, readers will join Shrub who is, well… a shrub… for a cross-country trip to Hollywood! Join Shrub and a grieving brother and sister as they hit the open road in search of connection. On their journey, pit stops, wacky plant enthusiasts, uprooting, and re-routing abound.
The series was created and written by Emmy Award nominee Shane Portman (Tumble Leaf, Shape Island), illustrated by Andy Alves (Cosmic Cadets), colored by Sophia Du and Celia FitzGerald, lettered by Oceano Ransford (Eisner Award-nominated Rikki), and with consultation from comics librarian Moni Barrette.
Shrub explores the various ways that we allow grief to take root, inspired by writer Shane Portman’s experience with the loss of his father. The series features “Letting Grief Take Root” essays written by individuals with a personal and/or professional connection to grief who relate Shrub’s story to their own lived experience.
Click here to be notified when the Kickstarter campaign launches.
If you have a crowdfunding campaign that you would like to have included in Fanbase Press’ #CrowdfundingFridays series, please contact barbra (at) fanbasepress (dot) com for details.
