Category: Graphic Novels
Location: New York, New York
Goal Date: October 2, 2019
Currently Funded: $14,292 of $23,871
Campaign Type: All or nothing
Death Trap aims to explore problematic family relationships in a freaky, action-packed tale of revenge from beyond the grave! With the ghost of her murdered father in the passenger’s seat, Ollie enlists her adopted family of sideshow circus freaks to help her settle the score. The team behind this comic is solid, with plenty of Kickstarter experience and a veteran publisher lined up to get this book on the shelves. So why back the Kickstarter if they already have a publisher? Well, the publisher wants the team to front the creative cost, and so all the proceeds are going directly to the artists! There is a full breakdown of how the money will be spent on Death Trap‘s Kickstarter page (I love transparency).
The Death Trap Kickstarter is in the home stretch, with only seven days to go. The preview pages don’t give you much, but you do get to see Ollie in action. Really it’s the character artwork that piqued my interest. I’m loving the lineup of circus folk. They also have creative rewards, though some tiers are already sold out! You’ll see the usual rewards for comics, like an exclusive Kickstarter cover and variant, as well as getting to name a character, but they are also offering pretty interesting deals for those looking to get a head start on their own comic.
There are two USD $125 tiers where either the writer, Matt Miner, or the backups writer, Eric Palicki, will review your script (up to 24 sequential pages) and give you notes and feedback. If you’re looking for pitch art, character design, or a logo for your comic, there are tiers for that too! These tiers aren’t cheap compared to the rest, but they still offer a good deal for quality, professional work. Speaking of deals, they also have three tiers that have been discounted up to 50%, which includes the top tier where you get drawn into the book for $500. If these are too steep for you, I’d recommend backing at the $25 level for a signed copy of the trade paperback, or at the $50 level for the Eric Palicki book pack. The book pack has signed copies of his other work like No Angel, which I reviewed and quite enjoyed!
From the campaign:
Rockabilly-infused vaudeville mixed with Quentin Tarantino’s Death Proof and shot out of a circus cannon, DEATH TRAP follows Ollie and her quest for revenge on the father-murdering bastards of Davenport Amusements. Together with her adopted circus sideshow freak family, she’s got the pedal to the metal in her haunted muscle car and nothing but vengeance in her headlights.
Sure, DEATH TRAP is loaded with fun, freaks, and paranormal grindhouse action, but at its heart the book is about trying to make problematic and distant parents proud of you, something I know way too much about.
