The following is an interview with Adam Hodge regarding the upcoming Kickstarter campaign launch for the third issue of the supernatural fantasy series, Paxton Porter and the Agents of D.E.A.L. In this interview, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief Barbra Dillon chats with Hodge about returning to the world and characters of the series, why crowdfunding has been such a valuable resource for comics creators, and more!
Barbra Dillon, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief: You will soon be launching a Kickstarter campaign this October for the third issue of the supernatural fantasy series, Paxton Porter and the Agents of D.E.A.L. For new readers, how would you describe the overall premise of the series, and where will readers find themselves in this latest installment?
Adam Hodge: The overall premise is pretty simple and high-concept: Paxton Porter is a teenage monster hunter.
When we meet Paxton in Issue #1, she works for D.E.A.L. (Darkness Evaluation And Liberation). When something goes bump in the night, Paxton is the person you call.
Monsters, creatures, and things that shouldn’t exist are coming to life from children’s dreams, and it’s Paxton’s job to hunt them down and send them back into the shadows.
With each issue, the world becomes a little larger and more complex. In Issue #2, children’s nightmares and fears are being used to open a portal to another dark place. Paxton reluctantly builds a team to help with the growing fight against these creatures and, more importantly, to discover what these portals mean.
It turns out, sometimes, monsters are only the beginning. Paxton and her team of 10th graders are pulled into a portal by a mysterious beast, and that’s where Issue #3 begins. The team is being held captive. They need to escape, discover where they are, and find a way back home…if they can.
BD: What has been your experience in sharing this series with new and returning readers, and what are you excited for them to experience as the story continues?
AH: It’s been truly exciting to see the response to the series. The artwork of Luke Horsman really draws people to the title, and once they give it a read, people have describe it as an “’80s-style fun adventure”. If we’re pitching it in an elevator, it’s The Goonies meets Ghostbusters.
I’m especially excited to get Issue #3 going because the story takes a huge turn and the world opens up. It’s like playing an RPG and reaching a moment when you realize those first few hours weren’t the real adventure at all, they were the introduction, a tutorial preparing you for what comes next. That’s what the first two issues of Paxton Porter are an introduction to the world, the characters, and the rules before we start breaking those rules and really having fun.
BD: Why do you feel that crowdfunding has been such a valuable resource for indie comics creators and publishers??
AH: I’m very new to crowdfunding, but I’m really excited to get more involved. At SDCC this year, I saw and heard about so many fans coming to find the creators they had backed and making that in-person connection. That’s what’s so exciting to me about a platform like Kickstarter, it creates a way to find an audience that loves the art form of comics and wants to actively support those stories and the people creating them.
It’s a truly humbling and exciting experience when someone buys one of your comics and then seeks you out later because they want to read the next chapter. That direct connection between creators and readers is what makes crowdfunding so valuable to me.
BD: In light of the crowdfunding campaign, are there any particular reward tiers that you would like to highlight for our readers?
AH: This is not just a crowdfunding campaign for Issue #3, although that is the main goal. If you’re new to Paxton Porter, there are catch-up rewards that allow you to get Issues #1 and #2 and start the story from the beginning. I think making earlier issues available is really important, especially for new readers discovering an ongoing series. You shouldn’t have to jump into the middle of a story without a way to catch up. There’s also a stretch goal that I’m really excited about. I have nine handmade Paxton Porter crochet monsters (made by my niece) that escaped from SDCC. If we reach the stretch goal, I’ll randomly select nine backers to receive one. No extra pledge. No upgrade. If you’re a backer, you’re automatically entered into the drawing.
BD: Lastly, what is the best way for readers to learn more about and support the Paxton Porter and the Agents of D.E.A.L. Kickstarter campaign?
AH: You can check out the Pre-launch / campaign Page and click the “Notify Me at Launch.”
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