Stoned Ninja Has Kicked Off Another Kickstarter- Stoned Ninja #1 SAP


Gabriel DeRanzo and MSCA member Greg Cravens have kicked off another “Stoned Ninja” Kickstarter, and are hoping you’ll get their back by being a backer for this current comics campaign.

Stoned Ninja #1 SAP! This comics fundraiser is for The Second Advanced Printing of Stoned Ninja: A New Strain of Hero #1. It features remastered cover art by Greg Cravens and Gene Fayne.

Stoned Ninja is the story of Kazunori Takagi, a ninja who finds a mystical strain of weed that gives him super human abilities! This New Strain of Hero uses his skills to defend Reef City from evil!!

Pledges start at just $1.00, and go as high as up to $420.00. For local backers in the M-town, they also offer a no shipping fees option– just pick up your Stoned Ninja stash at  901 Comics once the copies are back from being printed.

Several stretch goals are included- and we all know how important stretching can be!

In addition to the new remastered cover art by Greg Cravens., there are also a couple variant covers being offered.

Action Figure” variant cover by Greg Cravens.

Bloody Ninja” variant cover by Dusty Jonakin.

You can get a taste of the comic (and some Stoned Ninja edibles) around town at places like 901 Comics and Whatever or by going to their websites www.stoned.ninja (if you’re 21 or older) or at www.stonedninja.com.

Lots of comics and merch to be harvested including variant covers and blank sketchcovers.

If you’re in the Memphis area be sure to say, “Hi!” (or “High..!”) and have Greg draw all over your comics at one of our monthly MSCA dinner meet-ups at Garibaldi’s (a great place to have the munchies), or at the upcoming Memphis Comic Expo(DonnieCon).

The campaign is currently at just over $2K and has already smoked its $1,000 funding goal (so to speak) which means this project will become a reality and not just a pipe dream for the Stoned Ninja team and their readers.

But the guys are looking to go even higher to unlock those stretch goals for their backers. They’ve got 26 days to go on Kickstarter and could still use a hand with this campaign.


Kickstarter profile: Stoned Ninja Comics
Websites: stonedninja.com or stoned.ninja

 

901 Comics
2162 Young Ave.
Memphis, TN 38104

$upport You Local Cartoonist$


Our own Greg Cravens has a Patreon for his webcomic “Hubris”. Patreon levels begin at $1 a month!

“As the newspapers dwindle, and webcomics are the go-to for the daily comics, Hubris! is your safe-for-work/family comic. Aside from four comic strips a week (at this point), there are links to outdoorsy videos, cartooning lessons and video, absurd product reviews by people that, frankly, abuse their outdoor/recreational gear just the way YOU do, and silly stories about mishaps out-of-doors. Join Team Hubris, read, enjoy, then go outside and play, for heaven’s sake.”

There are several different sponsorship levels, some include getting original comic strip art and caricatures by Greg.

Check out the Greg goodies at:
www.patreon.com/Hubris

You can find copies of his books in bookstores and online at Amazon, and see several examples of Greg’s advertising, illustration, syndicated strips and webcomics work on his site:

www.cravenscartoonist.com


Greg also has his comic book “Stoned Ninja” available for sale at 901 Comics.

While you’re at 901, be sure to pick up one of our  MSCA zines, or Dale Martin’s “Watusi” zines. You can also pick up the MSCA zines in town at Comics & Collectibles and The Cellar.


At The Cellar you can also purchase sketchcards by me (Lin Workman), and sketchcovers by me and Lonnie Easterling.

Each are hand-drawn and one of a kind. There are both official artist returns from companies like Topps, Cryptozoic, Breygent, and RRParks Cards ($100ea)…

…and personal sketchcards done on my own custom card blanks ($25ea).

I’ll be adding more of them and hopefully soon we can get back to drawing these at the comic shop and/or at Michaels again.

We are planning to be at the Woodruff-Fontaine House next month, and back at Garibaldi’s Pizza starting in January (fingers crossed), so be sure to get Greg to scribble on your comics at one of our MSCA monthly meet-ups!

Lin

“All aboard..!” Talkin’ Toons With Steve Bryant About His “Athena Voltaire And The Terror On The Orient Express” Kickstarter Campaign

New “Drawing Funny” Podcast episode is available for downloading/listening!

This episode I continue my unintentional CGS and Kickstarter theme. Over the weekend I got to talk toons, kickstarting art projects, conventions, (not) traveling, going back to school, and local weather conditions with the “Athena Voltaire” creator – Steve Bryant. We discussed his early work at gaming companies and with Action Lab Comics, and his current Kickstarter for his graphic novel- “Athena Voltaire and the Terror on the Orient Express“.

 

From Steve’s Kickstarter campaign page:

An all-new 120 page graphic novel starring globetrotting aviatrix Athena Voltaire!

Athena Voltaire and the Terror on the Orient Express finds the heroine reconnecting with an old friend during a personal trip on the famed train line. When an old foe sets a plan in motion, the voyage turns deadly, as Athena must find the source of horrific slayings that are terrorizing the passengers! Obviously, someone has to do something…

Planned for issues 9–12 of the Action Lab Athena Voltaire ongoing series, the prologue follows Athena on a mad dash to the train station. This sequence serves as a framing sequence to tell tales of the adventuress’ past.

Like every other volume in the series, Athena Voltaire and the Terror on the Orient Express works as an excellent introduction to Athena and her world. Each volume tells a self-contained adventure. Of course, when combined with the other volumes in the series, a larger story begins to take shape.

This part of the story seems like something we’re all dealing with this week..!

Best of all, Athena Voltaire and the Terror on the Orient Express is already written, drawn, and lettered, and the colors will be completed by the time that funding is completed- which is February, 25 2021!

Lots of backer rewards and stretch goal incentives!

You can check out and back Steve’s “Athena Voltaire” campaign by clicking here.

If you’ve been considering crowdfunding your comics (or other) project, be sure to check out these last three Drawing Funny episodes with Sal Abbinanti, Dave Dwonch, and Steve Bryant. We not only talk kickstarting art campaigns, but how they got started in the comics industry as well as some info on their tools and techniques and lots of pro tips in general.

I’ll have another new episode up soon where I talk with my wife Nicki Workman where we discuss her experiences with backing crowdfunding campaigns as a fan, and some toon tech talk.

Oh, and be sure to listen to Episode 13 to find out how to enter our first Drawing Funny contest and be part of an upcoming episode.

Stay safe and warm, and as always- “Stay Tooned!

Lin (somewhere on Hoth)

 

 

 

 

“Kickstart My Art” – Talkin’ Toons on the Drawing Funny Podcast

Hey, gang-

I’ve been recording, editing, and uploading more episodes of “Drawing Funny“. Episode 16 will be going up this week- if I can keep from freezing to death! Thankfully the Batcave is actually quite toasty and comfortable.

I’ve been talking with a few of the friends I’ve made over the years through the Comic Geek Speak Podcast. It just worked out that I’ve got back to back interviews with three CGS friends who are all doing Kickstarter campaigns this month! If you’ve been wanting more info on starting a comics crowdfunding campaign of your own, these guests share lots of advice. Here’s a run down of those episodes and their links, as well as some info on those Kickstarter projects…

 

 

Episode 14 – “The Hostage” by Sal Abbinanti (Run time: 1hr 45min)

Show Notes: I talk toons and kickstarting art projects with Sal “Uncle Sal” Abbinanti. We discuss his early work in advertising, self-publishing comics, representing other artists, and his first ever Kickstarter for his first ever graphic novel- “The Hostage“.

WARNING: F-bombs and other colorful language await you in this conversation with Sal.

From his Kickstarter campaign page:

By day, Sal Abbinanti is the art rep for comic book superstars Alex Ross and Bill Sienkiewicz, but by night he, too, is an artist. For more than two decades, the Chicago native has been obsessed with creating a graphic novel inspired by a visit he made to Brazil when he was in his early 20’s. Now, Abbinanti is launching a Kickstarter campaign for his dream projecta 115-page full-color original graphic novel set in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro titled THE HOSTAGE.

“When I was 25, I spent six months living in Rio de Janeiro,” said Abbinanti. “I was a starry eyed, full of shit college kid who went there for a Brazilian vacation of samba, nightlife, and beaches. To see the level of poverty, suffering, and death in Rio de Janeiro was eye opening. I will never forget it. THE HOSTAGE is my tribute to the amazing country and especially to the kids living in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro.”

Loosely inspired by the culture and religions of Brazil like the Umbanda and the Candomblé, Abbinanti has been building the world of THE HOSTAGE in his studio for over 10 years—sketching characters, panels, and scripting pages. Abbinanti’s unique art style and vibrant color choices create a spellbinding effect. THE HOSTAGE tells the story of a group of street kids who are abandoned by society. Dying every day from poverty and gang violence, the kids join together and summon a mystical spirit—THE HOSTAGE—who will protect them and avenge the deaths of their friends.

THE HOSTAGE Kickstarter campaign includes limited edition lithographs from Alex Ross, Bill Sienkiewicz, Jeffrey Alan Love, Sanjulián, Geof Darrow, and Eric Powell, as well as tiers with original sketch cards, postcards, and bookmarks by Abbinanti.

The crowdfunding campaign is live now and concludes on February 25th, with pledge tiers ranging from a digital edition available in both English and Portuguese (translated by Kelsey Trotta), to The Complete HOSTAGE Package, which includes an 11×17 original drawing by Sal Abbinanti and a complete set of lithographs by all guest artists.

For updates, follow Sal on social media or on Kickstarter at the links below:

“The Hostage” Kickstarter by Sal Abbinanti – kickstarter.com

Alex Ross Art  www.alexrossart.com

Sal Abbinanti on Twitter – @SalAbbinanti

Sal Abbinanti on Instagram – @salabbinanti

Mercury Comics on Twitter – @comics_mercury.

 

 

Episode 15 – “Party Monster” Dave Dwonch (Run time: 1hr 19min 52sec)

Show Notes: I talk toons, kickstarting art projects, married life, health issues, and “real nerd $#*+” with the man with the golden couch, Party Monster Supreme – Dave Dwonch. We discuss his early work with Action Lab Comics, his upcoming “Jenny Zero” mini-series with Dark Horse Comics, and his current Kickstarter for his graphic novel- “SPORES: The Broken Circle“. Dave has been a man on the move!

WARNING: F-bombs and other colorful language and adult situations await you in this comics conversation with the man with the golden couch, Dave Dwonch.

From his Kickstarter campaign page:

The continuing adventures of private school kids trapped in a VERY different kind of apocalypse. Prom was just the beginning…

From the creators of Mind Palace and Prom of the Dead comes the next installment of the coming-of-age horror series SPORES: THE BROKEN CIRCLE!

When last we saw the surviving students of the Pineview Academy, they had survived the worst night of their lives, aka Prom Night. Now, just one day later, Erika, Travon and Shauna are on the road looking for safety in an ever-increasingly hostile world. Little do they know that the worst is yet to come as the ‘friends’ they abandoned the night before are coming for them.

Dave Dwonch (co-creator of the upcoming Dark Horse series “Jenny Zero“- see below) reunites with Santi Guillen (Mind Palace) to continue the “SPORES” saga with more twists, turns and betrayal than any teen drama has any right to contain!

All or nothing. This project will only be funded if it reaches its goal by Sun, March 7 2021.

JENNY ZERO #1 Sex, Drugs, and Giant Monsters!

Meet Jenny Tetsuo, the hard drinkin’, hard partyin’ daughter of beloved superhero, Mega Commander Zero. After washing out as the military’s top Kaiju-killer, ”Jenny Zero” now lives the celebutante life with her hotel heiress and publicist best friend, Dana Sheraton. But when the massive creatures return, Jenny must decide if she can sober up and save the world!

From Dave Dwonch (Cyrus Perkins and the Haunted Taxi Cab, Mind Palace), Brock McKinney (MAD Magazine, Full Moon Deadly Ten films) and superstar in the making, Magenta King comes a new hero for a new decade!

You can pre-order this miniseries through your local comic shop or online retailers through Diamond Distributers.

Publication Date: April 14, 2021
Format: FC, 32 pages; Miniseries
Price: $3.99
UPC: 7 61568 00695 7 00111
SPORES: The Broken Circle (Kickstarter campain)www.kickstarter.com/projects/thebrokencircle/spores-the-broken-circle/
Dark Horse Comics (Jenny Zero miniseries)www.darkhorse.com/Comics/3007-355/Jenny-Zero-1#prettyPhoto
Dave Dwonch on Facebookwww.facebook.com/dave.dwonch
Dave Dwonch on Twitter@davedwonch
Dave Dwonch on Twitterwww.instagram.com/davedwonch/
Episode 16 – “Athena Voltaire” By Steve Bryant (airs later this week)
I talked to Steve Bryant yesterday (Sat.2/13), and will have the show up this week. We discuss his latest Kickstarter for “Athena Voltaire and the Terror on the Orient Express” comics and graphic novel.

From his Kickstarter campaign page:

A graphic novel starring globe-trotting, Nazi-punching, monster-killing adventuress Athena Voltaire!

An all-new 120 page graphic novel starring globetrotting aviatrix Athena Voltaire.

“Athena Voltaire and the Terror on the Orient Express” finds the heroine reconnecting with an old friend during a personal trip on the famed train line. When an old foe sets a plan in motion, the voyage turns deadly, as Athena must find the source of horrific slayings that are terrorizing the passengers!

Planned for issues 9–12 of the Action Lab Athena Voltaire ongoing series, the prologue follows Athena on a mad dash to the train station. This sequence serves as a framing sequence to tell tales of the adventuress’ past.

Get “Athena Voltaire and the Terror on the Orient Express” as 4 individual Kickstarter-exclusive comics (ATHENA VOLTAIRE ongoing series issues 9–12), and the variant covers: the retro variant (issue 9), the Mike Norton variant (issue #10), the homage variant (issue 11), and the Bobby Breed variant (issue 12)! Plus the PDF of “Athena Voltaire and the Terror on the Orient Express” and the Kickstarter-exclusive print. Lots of other items, incentives, and combinations available- it’s cray-zee!

You can find out more about Steve and his Kickstarter at:

www.stevebryantcomics.com/

www.kickstarter.com/

 

“Feeling lucky…” Then listen to Episode 13! (Run time: 18min 13sec)

I was going to use a bit of the MSCA Zoom meeting but had some technical difficulties- but Idid  announce the details for our first “Drawing Funny” contest (listen to win a set of MSCA Zines, Samurai tee by me, and some MSCA and Drawing Funny swag). I also give a few art tips, and I discuss some of what I’ve learned from my days of self-publishing comics.

Regrets, yeah- I’ve had a few, and few enough to mention here on this episode.

Oh, and in Episode 12 – “The Dirty Dozen (or so)” I’ve got a few reviews and reading recommendations for you- “WINK” by Rob Harrell, “The Impending Blindness Of Billie Scott” by Zoe Thorogood, and the NCSFEST are my recommendations- but I also review “Hit-Girl In HOLLYWOOD” by Kevin Smith (and don’t really recommend it so much). I also have some MSCA news, say goodbye to some local Memphis talents- George HuntAnthony Biggers, and Chris Jarman, and say good riddance to 2020. (Run time: 26min 21sec)

You can find all of the Drawing Funny Podcast episodes at www.drawingfunny.com or most anywhere you like to listen to podcasts. Be sure to like, subscribe, and share!

If you have a project you’d like to discuss on the show and/or have featured here on our website please let us know through our social media accounts or by contacting me or MSCA president Kevin L. Williams at midsouthcartoonists (at) gmail (dot) com.

Stay tooned!” (and stay warm!)

Lin