Welcome to this week's installment of The Beat's Comics Crowdfunding Round-Up! This week we've got five high-quality projects from well-known creators and publishers, from crime graphic novels to all-ages supernatural adventure tales. Let's get right into it!

NARCO (original graphic novel) + PLASTIC: DELUXE EDITION

Creators: Doug Wagner (writer), Daniel Hillyard (artist), Dave Stewart (colorist), Laura Martin (colorist), Ed Dukeshire (letterer), Erika Schnatz (designer), 12-Gauge Comics (publisher)
Goal: $20,000
End Date: November 18th, 2021
Goodies: Digital and physical copies of the new Narco GN, a deluxe edition hardcover of Plastic, a version of Narco with a cover made of metal, original art, other books, and more.

NARCO, a 136-page original graphic novel by Doug Wagner, Daniel Hillyard, and Dave Stewart + PLASTIC: DELUXE EDITION Hardcover

This campaign's a two-fer, including both the brand-new graphic novel Narco and a deluxe edition, expanded hardcover collection for Plastic, both by Wagner, Hillyard, and Stewart. The two books are set in the same 'universe' as well, so that's kind of cool. Plastic was originally released in single issues by Image Comics, and Robert Kirkman called it "the weirdest shit I've ever read," and coming from him that's saying something. You can read the full first issue of that series online, and a 22-page preview of Narco is up on the Kickstarter page. 

Become a backer here.

The Nightcrawlers - Volume 1

Creators: Marco Lopez (writer), Rachel Distler (artist), Ablaze Publishing (publisher)
Goal: $6,000
End Date: December 10th, 2021
Goodies: Digital/physical copies of the book, a poster, original art, and the chance to be drawn into the book

If you think aliens replaced your teachers or your neighbor might be a vampire, then there's only one group to call for help: The Nightcrawlers.

This all-ages hardcover graphic novel comes from Eisner-winner Marco Lopez and up-and-coming artist Rachel Distler, and follows a group of kids tasked with protecting their town from supernatural and otherworldly elements. It's a great premise, and the preview on the Zoop campaign page is instantly engaging and establishes a fun, exciting vibe for the book.

Become a backer here.

LADY-BIRD BEGINS!

Creators: Fabrice Sapolsky (writer), Dawn J. Starr (writer), Daniele Sapuppo (artist), Lissa (cover artist), FairSquare Comics (publisher)
Goal: $3,000
End Date: December 10th, 2021
Goodies: Physical/digital copies of the book, variant covers, an art print, an enamel pin, and original art/sketch covers

Two young women sharing the same amazing powers are fighting for their freedom though they live 100 years apart!

This campaign is for a print collection of the century-spanning series originally released digitally via Inkr, plus exclusive process and behind-the-scenes material. FairSquare Comics is dedicated to telling diverse stories from historically marginalized creators, and Lady-Bird Begins follows two women with a mysterious link, both of whom are trapped in different ways. 

Become a backer here.

FOULBROOD 1 & 2

Creators: Christopher Sebela (writer), Claire Roe (artist), Hank Jones (colorist), Hassan Ostmane-Elhaou (letterer), Jasmine Walls (editor)
Goal: $15,000
End Date: December 11th, 2021
Goodies: Digital/physical copies of the first two issues, variant covers by Tyler Boss, Joshua Hixson, & others, other books from the creators, personal videos from Sebela's dog, Zola, commissioned artwork, and a chance to co-write a project with Sebela.

A rural crime odyssey of four worlds drawn together by bees, crime and bee crimes. By Christopher Sebela & Claire Roe.

Chris Sebela is having a great year, between Dirtbag Rapture from Oni Press, his new Comixology Originals series .Self, and now this Kickstarter for a crime comic that looks and sounds awesome. Even if the book didn't, though, I'd be on board with this campaign solely for the reward of a personalized video from Sebela's dog. Look at this cutie!

(You can find more pictures of Zola on Sebela's website.)

Become a backer here.

Avery Hill Publishing Spring 2022 Line

Creators: George Wylesol (cartoonist), Taki Soma (cartoonist), Claire Scully (cartoonist), Avery Hill Publishing (publisher)
Goal: £12,000/~$16,092
End Date: December 8th, 2021
Goodies: Digital/physical copies of all three books, bookmarks, and previous books from the past few years of the Avery Hill catalog

Three amazing new books: '2120' by George Wylesol, 'Sleeping While Standing' by Taki Soma, and 'Outer Wilderness' by Claire Scully.

Avery Hill Publishing has put out some great books recently, including Zoe Thorogood's The Impending Blindness of Billie Scott, Tillie Walden's Alone in Space, and plenty of others. Their Spring 2022 catalog includes a trio of titles from interesting creators in a variety of formats, from Wylesol's 500-page RPG-esque graphic novel, to Soma's 100-page autobiographical collection, to Scully's 32-page conclusion of her illustrative Avery Hill series. They're vastly different projects, and all worth checking out and supporting.

Become a backer here.

Here are some already-funded projects worth checking out:

And don't forget to check out last week's campaigns:

And finally, here are some projects that haven't launched yet, but that look to be worth keeping an eye on:

Miss any of our previous Comics Crowdfunding Round-Ups? Check out the archive here!