Making comics is often more costly and difficult than people realize. It’s easy to look at crowdfunds running up the score and thinking it’s all profit, but Kickstarter comic creator Dave Cook outlined exactly how difficult it is. His Killtopia series became popular on Kickstarter, with over 1,000 backers for the latest issue, but he’s still managed to be in the negative having to contribute his own funds toward his indie comics.
On a thread on X, Dave Cook explained his situation, stating, “This is how much of my own money I’ve spent on making comics since August 2023 – even after hitting over £150k on Kickstarter since 2014.Makes my heart sink every time I see that number go up. It’s little wonder why I’m slowing down this year. No idea why I’m still doing this.”
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With this, he posted his ledger of the last three months being negative by 2,007.84 pounds (approximately $2,500), and having a balance of debt of 14,478.51 pounds (approximately $18,000).
He continued, “I’ve heard from many indie writers in a similar situation but it tends to not get discussed on social like this. I sometimes wonder if we’re all putting on too brave of a face in public for fear of it looking like we’re failing – which is not healthy at all.”
The main problem is rising costs in the industry, which are happening across the board from printing, to art production, and finally to shipping costs. Dave Cook said, “Prices are rising to an unsustainable degree and the economy is forcing our collaborators to raise rates (which they 100% should be doing 👍). The knock on effect is that comics get too expensive to make, and the price of comics can only go so high until people stop buying them.”
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Even though he doesn’t mention the political situation, inflation across the world has been driven by the Biden Administration’s draconian economic policies which have created a lot of problems for not only Americans, but the rest of the world as it’s dependent on the U.S. dollar. Not only has it hurt the production side, but it’s also created less disposable income for potential backers, who are having to pick and choose their comic purchases more than they did a couple of years prior.
Dave Cook concluded that the comic industry might be too tough for him to ride out, stating, “I really don’t see any easy answers to this issue. I can honestly see myself leaving comic writing behind in the near future if I can’t work something out. I can’t be the only one in this situation. If you are too, I hope you find a way to make it work.”
While creating comics is difficult, many creators go into campaigns offering far too much without understanding the total costs of their product compared to what they offer as a price. Many creators underestimate how much all these components cost, especially in a changing market.
Remember that comics cost a lot to produce, and just because someone has a Kickstarter that says it’s making 15,000 pounds, doesn’t mean that’s the profit they’re making.
What do you think of Dave Cook’s talk about costs after his successful KIlltopia Kickstarter comic projects? Leave a comment and let us know.
People think crowdfunding is all beer and skittles, from the outside looking in. Running it as a profitable business long-term is challenging as any other endeavor.