Brett Uren, creator of the horror comic Kuzimu, has posted an Indiegogo campaign for you to give him money so he can visit the New York Comic Con. From his pitch:
[Kuzimu] was first self-published as a webcomic, then as the first independent comic published through Graphicly's digital platform. Now this year it is being released as 194-page full colour graphic novel (paperback) by indie publisher 215 Ink, in stores and at Baltimore/New York Comic Con. I am looking to raise $1750 for travel to and accommodation in New York for Saturday 13th and Sunday 14th October.
I have 3 other Kuzimu Graphic Novels planned and would love to have the full story see the light of day. Naturally, this depends on not only sales of the book but also awareness of it. If there is a perfect place to do this, it is at Comic Con, where I can turn the press, fans, and comics professionals onto my work.
Getting a comic to this stage largely on my own has taken a toll on personal finances, relationships, and my health to a degree. It is make or break time to take it to a higher level. I need some help to raise the money to get me and my pencils to the next step toward a career in comics.
In return for you giving him money, he'll send you signed copies of his book, t-shirts, or sketches. So far, he's gotten about $500 of his $1750 goal from four people, and the campaign hasn't budged in the last six days.
I'm not surprised to see someone attempt this kind of crowd-funding, but it strikes me as scraping the bottom of the barrel. Yes, making money from the arts is hard. Budgeting for standard marketing expenses, like personal appearances, is even harder, especially if you don't live near New York City or Portland, Oregon. (Brett's in the UK.) But if you can't afford to go to a convention, don't go. Find other ways to gain attention for your book and yourself ' I'm told that the internet is very helpful for this, especially if you can build a noticeable public persona.
Seriously, at a large convention, as New York has become, you're one drop in a very big ocean. It's going to be difficult to catch the attention of 'press ' and comic professionals'. Especially if, like so many other young creators, you've chosen to start your career with a personal epic spanning 800 or so pages. Much better to aim small, grow slowly but steadily, and only spend money you can afford.
Also, the book was solicited in the June Previews catalog, which means it should have come out last week. From what I can tell, it didn't.
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