I have an addiction. Well, more than one, really. But if you take away caffeine, books, collectible toys, and music, then you’ll probably notice that I have a thing for comic books and all of the accoutrements that go along with being a comic nerd. And do you know what’s the best part of being an adult in this day and age? No, not that. No, not that either. Geez, it’s obviously the fact that fans can get in on the ground floor of up and coming comics through crowdfunding! For the record, it was in the title of this article but I’ll give you a pass since I’m excited to be able to introduce you to this Kickstarter Spotlight for Glow #1! See, if I ramble on long enough there’s usually a point to be made.

But seriously, this project comes to us from the leaders of the group that has continually kicked ass with their Skies of Fire series, all of which were funded through Kickstarter, too! I think I may have mentioned them a time or two, like here, here, and also here. But with this new comic, they’ve taken an entirely new direction. Focusing in on a pair of siblings, this adventure will explore not only a futuristic world where technology and magic have coexisted but they’ve gone so far as to give it its own language. Prominently featured within the art, this extra feature allows the team to tell stories inside of their primary tale, drawing the reader deeper into the world of Glow.

If you have not heard of Michael S. Bracco, you are certainly in for a treat! Previously having published such titles as Novo and Adam Wreck through Alterna Comics, I only discovered Bracco’s work about two years ago while reviewing the first chapter of his web series, The Creators. I was amazed at the quality of storytelling and illustrations that this comics creator was offering – for free – online, and surprised that no publisher had yet snatched his series up.

Check out the synopsis and interview with Bracco below.

It takes more than skill and money to create a comic book. It takes passion and persistence, most likely in equal amounts. That’s exactly what the creators behind Black Suit Of Death The Series – Issue #1 have going for them. It’s a story with a science fiction background but shrouded in the mysteries of the ancient world. For this story is no less than the origin of the Grim Reaper!

Without spoiling anything, the story is as follows: thousands of years ago, a distant planet suffered from overpopulation. A scientist is therefore tasked with solving the energy crisis. Building a biomechanical suit that takes the life force of the unworthy and sends it into the planet to sustain the occupants, the scientist is denounced and exiled with his creation to the primitive planet of Earth. Passing from one bearer to the next for millennia, a new mythos of death is born: The Grim Reaper. Who will be the next recipient and what will they do with it? Well, that’s the point of this comic and Kickstarter campaign!

A few years back I interviewed a self-published author by the name of Rob J. Hayes over at SF Signal. Shortly after the interview, Hayes’ series was picked up and published by Ragnarok Publications, a genre fiction publisher that I hadn’t really heard too much about. I began looking into them a bit, and what I found really impressed me. These folks have been putting out some amazing work in the realm of science fiction and fantasy.

Aside from the regular selection of published novels, Ragnarok has used Kickstarter to release some fantastic anthologies (Blackguards: Tales of Assassins, Mercenaries, and Rogues; Genius Loci: Tales of the Spirit of Place) and, most notably, Kaiju Rising: Age of Monsters. Almost doubling their intended goal of $10,000, Ragnarok knew they needed to eventually release a companion anthology series — an answer to their Kaiju menace. Thus, Mech: Age of Steel was born.

I’m a regular supporter of campaigns on Kickstarter, as you may know. I support it financially as a backer, just like many of you do, and I try to shine a little light on many of them here at Geeks of Doom through Kickstarter Spotlight articles such as this one. But this little crowdfunding campaign is different from most.

The whole purpose of Kickstarter Secrets is to help other campaigns raise more money and create more enthusiasm with backers. As a company, Kickstarter helps fund a lot of various ideas, but many of the failed campaigns could have done better under different circumstances. And that’s what this campaign is all about!