Prepare to eat dirt! Earthworm Jim is coming back in comic book form.
Hot on the heels of an announcement that ’90s gaming icon Earthworm Jim is making a comeback on the upcoming Intellivision Amico game console, creator Doug TenNapel has launched a crowdfunding campaign for a new graphic novel on IndieGoGo.
Crowdfunding is arguably the best way to make a living in comics these days, and 1990s nostalgia is hot. Both came together for an incredibly impressive $100,000 plus 24-hour debut when Earthworm Jim: Launch the Cow, well, launched on May 13th.
Earthworm Jim: Launch the Cow is the definitive origin story of the video game hero, according to TenNapel.
This isn’t Eisner-Winner Doug TenNapel’s first six figure crowdfunded comic book project.
TenNapel is no stranger to six figure crowdfunding campaigns for his comic book projects. Last year he launched Bigfoot Bill on IndieGoGo, which racked up nearly $200,000. Given that Earthworm Jim has a large built-in fan base, and that the campaign has over $150,000 after just a few days, it’s realistic to assume that Jim will easily make over $200,000.
Prior to switching to IndieGoGo, TenNapel had several successful crowdfunding campaigns on Kickstarter.
IndieGoGo is the new go-to for crowdfunded comics?
It’s interesting to note that many comics creators are switching to IndieGoGo from Kickstarter, despite the latter boasting $16 million in crowdfunded comics in 2018. IndieGoGo was often seen as an “also ran” for comics creators who couldn’t launch a campaign based on geography or some other reason.
However, more and more IndieGoGo campaigns are racking up impressive six figure numbers. This is in stark contrast to the declining mainstream comic book industry.
Weirdly enough, most mainstream comics blog barely cover the IndieGoGo campaigns, while giving plenty of coverage to Kickstarter campaigns that do significantly less in funding.
There’s still a demand for comic books, clearly, but not enough to sustain a dwindling number of comic book retailers. Direct-to-consumer seems to be the way of the future for those who still wish to create comics for a living.
Earthworm Jim: Launch the Cow is scheduled to drop in December of 2019.
Now, go watch a cow being launched while you wait.
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