What makes a show though successful is not just the con’s responsibility but the exhibitors/guests and the fans as well. It’s easy to praise a show when an exhibitor sells well and it is equally easy to blame the show when the exhibitor does poorly. Now the con adds to that atmosphere, usually with placement and such, but at the end of the day the exhibitor has the power to make the show successful or not.

As an exhibitor/freelancer I know I need to cover my expenses and enough to help cover next year. So generating income at a show is important, yet it is not the end game and when I learned a few things on how change my game, I found my shows getting better and better. I also learned the power of adapting. Conventions are not just about comic books anymore. Regardless of the show you go to, you find an explosion of pop-culture there. This is actually good for creators that have figured that out. It is more opportunities for you to have a good show and up your game.

As I talk other creators, and we do chat, I listen to what works and what does not. I also listen to their attitudes. I find it interesting that there are people out there that always have a miserable show, always complaining about the con, and always seem frustrated about why there table is not moving product. It seems very easy for people to lash out at the show organizers, who gave them booth space or approved them the opportunity to sell and brought people in the door, now do they need to man your booth and sell product as well. That is your responsibility to do that.

Maybe this is where you sit back and ask yourself what I can do as an exhibitor to change and up my game? How do I make it profitable? or maybe the true question is asking yourself how do I make it better for the attendees and continue to build the tribe.

I know there are creators out there, like myself that always have a good show. They might not all be money makers, but their  experiences make the show good and because of how they look at show they become successful.  I’m not here to tell you how to run your booth, I am though going to offer a few pointers on how to improve your experience and maybe help increase your profit at a show.

1. It’s not about you. One of the biggest mistakes creators, artist and exhibitors make is that they believe it is all about them. They are a guest, they paid for their spot or it was given to them. They feel they are above the con organizers, other creators and even more sadly then the fans (the very people that buy your works). They walk around with a chip on their shoulder and feel that they need to be treated in a certain way. If they don’t sell they blame everyone else but themselves and people see that, they hear and read the rants and they eventually stop coming by the table. You are literally sabotaging your own show.

So who is the experience about… well it’s for the fans, the cos-players, the families and anyone that walks through those con doors, that is a potential contact.  These are the people that will keep your career alive. By making the show experience about them and ensuring that they have a fun time  you sow the seeds for new fan bases, new friendships and support for your works.

I have seen several artist and/or exhibitors ridicule fans from their tables, or show no interest in those that walk by because they are talking to their neighbors the whole time.  That actually alienates you.

Yet I have also seen artists – extend a hand, offer a free sketch, talk to people by actually looking at them, and making themselves very available. Their tables are usually packed. They understand the value that it is not about them – but about others. People feel that vibe and they gravitate towards that.

I do free sketches as well. To anyone that asks. It’s a two minute sketch, but in that two minutes we have a great conversation and they bring their friends back. This converts, they walk away with a piece of paper with my website on it and I have a great experience. I have met some of the most incredible people over the years. I’ve been told I am crazy for offering free sketches, but my table is always packed… how crazy am I to do a 2 minute sketch for a total stranger.

Also many times before a show starts, exhibitors usually get in an hour so early to set up, as my crew and I sit and watch, we have seen a few exhibitors chew out security for not letting them in even earlier. My favorite phrase is “do you know who i am? or I am guest?” when they are still denied entrance, they sulk back to other exhibitors and 90% of the time badmouth the show. Which is a shame, because most of the time, the show itself does not control this but convention security.

2. Con’s are changing and you need to adapt…

As more and more movies come out, and as the fantasy, sci-fi, superhero and anime worlds are embraced by more and more people. Cons will grow. Yup they are not what they used to be.  No longer the big sprawling rooms of the comic boxes and artists, but huge mash-ups of creators, artists, publishers, studios, retailers and more. Each fighting for the fan that walks by the booth to stop and hopefully make a purchase. It’s easy to blame the show, to want to go back when the artist or the indy was new and had a stronger voice, yet to me that’s not upping your game. It’s making excuses.  I know several indy’s that are flourishing and growing. It’s not because we were lucky… it’s because we are adapting to the change and taking chances. We are branding and building on our worlds. So how do we do that?

* Always have something new on the table. I exhibit at about 12 to 14 shows a year. At every show there is something new on the table. A book, a print, a puzzle, something. My inventory grows and that is important. Create a reason for people to come back to your table and visit. Fans want to see your stories continue, they bought your books and prints because they were interested in what you were creating. If you don’t have anything new, they will come back for a little bit, but eventually they move on.

* Make your work marketable. This is understanding who you are selling to. I have talked to creators who show me their children’s book, which they sit next to another of their book full of images that are offensive to be people and they wonder why parents won’t buy their children’s book. Even when they explain it’s not like their other books.  If you want to sell to kids or all ages… than make sure your table or booth represents that. Kids are the browsers – parents are the one’s that make the buying choices. I’m not talking censorship… i am talking about learning how to market. Learn what to have on your booth and table and what your audience is.

* Step up your booth presentation. Appearance is everything. A table with a few stapled ashcans or zines, will not have the same success as someone who printed a book semi-professionally. Even print on demand offers opportunities for you to have a good professional looking product. Also make the booth or table inviting, you need to be approachable, which means that you need to become approachable.

* Stop hiding behind your sketchbook or sketch pad. Yes people like seeing you draw but when you hide and do not  interact you are creating exhibitor suicide. Start asking questions when people come by your booth. One of the most influential people I have ever seen, will always shake hands and asks them their names. He makes them feel important. He creates an experience for them.

* BRANDING – and I am not talking about tattoos. I am talking about learning to create an image of you. Something people will always remember about you. What is the experience that you will create for the fan that comes by. Branding does not have to be expensive either. A simple table cloth, a couple of nice banners and a fun experience.  Some people like 19xx, little vampires, Steam Crow have this down to a tee.

* Be your own artist… meaning start selling your own work, rather than superhero head shots. Seriously if you can stand and be apart be different you will do better than the artist that draws like everyone else.

* You can’t hide anymore. Understand that due to the internet, kickstarter and webcomics fans have much more personal interaction with creators. Some creators cannot handle this. You can’t hide behind your publisher like before. So learning a few interactive social skills will go a long way.

* TREAT IT LIKE BUSINESS AND NOT A HOBBY! Indy’s, artist, creators if you want to be successful at a show, treat it like a business because that is what it is. If you treat it like a hobby, you will never be able to put your full attention towards your dreams.

* Broaden you shows Ok this important- In AZ Phoenix alone there are over 30+ shows and events a year this is way too much. Though I would love to go to all of them- I personally only hit 3. I find when you saturate your own neighborhood, you stop growing. You need to travel a little. You need to hit shows you can drive too out of state. Stay with family or friends, cut your expenses as you can, but get out of your hometown at times. Your audience will grow. The first show or two will be tough in new cities but as you return and you return with NEW STUFF your audience grows. This is important.  It allows you to find new clients and sell material that your neighborhood has already seen for the last 5 years.

* THE WINGMAN Take someone to work the show with you. Pay them in food and lodging. It makes travel easier. They sell for you and you can be the artist/creator that you need to be. The wingman takes a lot of stress off you as they help with setup. If they are talker as well it will help with sales. Just remind them they are there to help you. Plus it is great to have a second pair of eyes on your booth.

3. The kids are your future…

One of the saddest things to watch, is creators ignoring kids or people that cannot afford to buy. Parents pick up on this right away. They are literally pushing away their future fans. I remember an experience I had with an artist I admired. I just wanted to thank him for his work. I was a supporter of his books and had bought many of them. He must have been having a bad day… but the negative experience was enough that I stopped buying his works and even stopped visiting his table. His attitude completely turned me off.  These kids might not have money, but they will one day. Treat them well and always be friendly and they will return and eventually they starting collecting your works. You don’t have to give things away… you just show interest in them. Appreciate them and you will influence them.

Since I give away free sketches… I see kids come back to my table each year. I am usually one of the first places they go to. They have thought about an idea all year long. Some of these kids I have been doing sketches for for the last 15 years now have kids of their own and are adding my works to their children’s rooms.

Because we make the experience about them, they in return support us. I am grateful for those opportunities, those simple interactions and the lasting friendships that have been created.

4. Everyone is important that stops by the booth. 

Notice a trend… it’s about putting others first before you. It is amazing how a little kindness, a little interaction will go a long way in making a show successful for an exhibitor. Even the comic stores and retailers could learn from this.

5. Cos-play is actually helping the cons… have a little fun with them

Todd Nauck (Nightcrawler, Teen Titans) taught me this. He loves them and enjoys them… takes photos with them. The cos-players bring the convention to life. They add a little element that is very needed. They are artist in their own right and they have really made my shows a lot more fun. Think about it – the cos-players bring your favorite characters to life and they help create a buzz for the show.

6. Remember it’s still not about you.

When exhibiting just remember you are there not just to create income (that is still important but if it’s the sole reason you are there it can make for a miserable show). If you create an experience for the attendee’s, if you reach out to them, and make them feel important… they will support you. When you make it all about you… when you put yourself above everyone else and start demanding, it just shows how shallow you are and you miss out. To some this might not be important for. It’s a choice they make, yet I have found that by putting others first my show experiences have become incredible.

You would be amazed by what a little kindness can do for your business.

7. Understand the con organizers are people just like you…

The con is not out to get you, I promise.  Those that run the con cannot always take your personal call. THAT IS OK, they have enough to worry about (city policies, attendee/exhibitor safety, high-profile guest, logistics, etc…) your personal phone call to complain why your booth doesn’t have an extra chair, needs to be handled with the people in charge of that. The con has responsibilities to make sure that you have the info and resources you need to exhibit. Yet at the end of the day… you are in-charge of making your booth successful.

Con-organizers try to do just that, organize a show. They try create an infrastructure that is effective for both attendees and exhibitors. Sometimes it does not always work right. But it doesn’t help your cause as an exhibitor when you yell, name drop or treat these volunteers like garbage. In fact it just makes the experience bad all around. You just need to take a deep breath and let them figure it out. They usually do. The kinder you are – the more likely you will get your issue solved and rather quickly.

To badmouth a show right there and not give them a chance to improve during the day doesn’t help the cause.  Now the volunteers need to make sure they have the information available as well. Yet at the end of the day we are all just human beings trying to do our best.

Problems arise – but most problems will not ruin your show. Your personal attitude will ruin a show.

You make the show fun or not…

Honestly you are in-control of how you react at show to the experiences that are thrown your way. You make it fun or not. If you put the attendees first, if you make the show enjoyable for them – they make it enjoyable for you. They best shows have been because of this mentality.

There is so much more to talk about for exhibitors. I’ve only scratched the surface, but the goal is that exhibitors have a successful show, that conventions organize a successful show and that attendees have an incredible time.

So the next con you exhibit at… change your thought process and make the show about them. If you make about the attendees you will almost always have a successful show. Find ways to interact and get out of your comfort zone. Be mindful that you are one of many exhibitors all trying to do the same thing… grow your business. What will make it work for you is how you will be able to stand apart and make the experience incredible for someone else.

Keep creating..

Trav

Shop Talk: The power of Webcomics and why stores, publishing companies, hobbyist and the old indy publishing model doesn’t get it yet.

This last year has been quite an eye opener for me. These last two years have really been a break out for indy/webcomics. Many of these creators have found how to make their stories a good income source and some cases a permanent income source. Being one of them I have found how vital it is for the print and web industries to work together. They need each other.

Creators of outstanding stories need to be paid for their efforts. Yet the distribution for independents is facing some uphill battles. Diamond is no longer friendly to them and most comic stores stock the top 4 or 5 publishers in this order Marvel/DC, Image, Dark horse, Archaia Entertainment (which i love), and then well known independents, minor independents (only about 3 to 5% on the list if that) and then well you get it. Indy’s are not high the list. Plus all the indy distributors are drying up. Does this mean that your books won’t get into a store- not always- but it is the biggest uphill battle you have to face. Plus the return on your work is low… So really what is the motivation for an indy publisher these days. Well it might surprise you.

Several indy creators have found a way to carve out a nitch in the industry. We have found a way to bring in income as well and we all for the most part have the same mind frame on how to make it work. Yet it goes against the grain and very slowly an industry that refuses to change in way of doing business is starting to take notice. Yet, I am not writing this for the industry, I am writing this for the indy’s, with hopes that you to can make your dreams of being a story creator become a reality.

So let’s talk shop.

As an artist, I need to make a living. It is what I do. There are peaks and valleys in my career. I have to constantly promote and many times listen to the negative feedback that seems to stalk artist about our goals being unrealistic. Yet it all boils down to 2 things.

First- Dont tell me how bad you want it, show me.

Second- This is a career not a hobby. For the most part webcomic-hobbyist disappear after a few years. Those that treat it like a job – stick around.

With that being said how do I make my comic into a webcomic that generates income, builds my artistic career, and fulfills the needs of my fans.

1. Give it away for free online. What? Give it a way for free are you nuts? How does one make money when you are giving it away for free online so everyone can read it? Simple…. You are building an audience. Most indy’s don’t have audiences, except their friends and families. Honest fact.  So if no one knows your story exists, how can they buy it when it comes out in print?

The power of giving your story away for free helps you on many fronts. The first is audience growth. You jump from being just a small local story teller to an international story teller. If the work is clean, the story good, and updates consistent people keep coming back. They become attached to your world and many want you to succeed that when you do print books and create digital books they support them.

Next it gives people a reason to remember you, especially in-between issues. The longer the wait in between books the quicker people forget you exist, no matter how good the story is. Regular updates help keep people invested in what you are creating and motivates you to keep producing-

The big companies are starting to offer online- but a lot of them charge. That’s fine. I will still offer my tale for free, because I want more and more people to become familiar with my story and my art.

2. The power of community. For the most part the webcomic community is pretty open. In fact several of the successful creators are always willing to give advice. Jason Brubaker of remind has created and entire site dedicated to making webcomics and comics. The web comic is also very supportive of one another. We plug each others comics, yet this is usually by taste. DONT BE PUSHY- if someone doesn’t plug you it might be because we are also picky. I plug webcomics I read, yet I am a stickler for story and good illustrations.

Be willing to plug others as well, without expecting anything in return. It’s get’s noticed. Those that expect things find out that people avoid them.

We also all are trying to tell our own stories. Each different and unique. This creates a common bond, as we all try to be successful in our story telling. Be respectful of this the web can be rather harsh at times as people push their own agendas.

There is also many creators who have created tutorials or blogs and how to make it work. You just have to find them and read them. I already linked to a great set of resources with Jason.

Stay away from comparing. Everyone is at their own spot in the game and sometimes the biggest killer of a webcomic is the creator itself. You got to focus on your own game not someone else. Let other creators inspire you to improve yourself and then apply what you learn, but keep it your own style and creation.

3. Patience- Your audience will show up. You just have to put the time in to make it happen. Like planting a garden, the fruit of the labor does not happen overnight. It takes time. Audiences start small. Yet there are many ways to plug your work. You need to be consistent with your updates and art. Don’t disappear or be unreliable, that kills the audience quick. Sometimes it can take several years before your audience grows and you start generating income. Stick it out.

4. Print still sells- Print books will never go away. In fact the web and print work very well together. Yet you can just throw in out on a whim – you need to build up your audience. Once your audience has grown, it might be time to print. The cool thing is many indy’s no longer use stores and distributors. We build our own stores and sell from there, we are cutting out distributors and sales are direct. It gives me a chance to offer a store a bigger cut, if they want to carry it, but as the web audience grows, you find that you dont have to be in a small comic shop. Plus there are other ways to get into bigger stores.

Just be careful about jumping the gun. Establish your comic and your audience first. Build up the page count and pull from there and add tidbits here and there.

Yet you still have to print the books. Hence the power of kickstarter. The key to success with kickstarter is the importance of building an audience and having a good looking product. (ok there is more but you have to read about it in my kickstarter topic here).

5. You still have to push your comic- Once you have to comics- you head to cons. Start small. Once again we see the importance of building up an audience. People find you though, especially fans. It is quite cool when people you have never met in a city come up to you and say they have been following you for year and want to support you. Just make sure when you come back the next year you have something new for them. The killer of most small press is they are a one book press… This is solved if you are doing a web comic and can keep producing books.

Is it fool proof…. no. It’s constantly evolving and changing. We need to adapt and honestly it is those creators that can adapt that survive. Patience, and the drive to figure things out. Yet that’s what makes webcomics a possible realistic source of income. You just got to put the effort into your own work.

Is it easy… no. Will you get frustrated… yes. Will you almost quit…possibly. Yet in the end, if you are willing to put the effort in and are willing to show people that you want it bad enough – you will make it happen. Things only look better for webcomics, especially with more and more support options out there to help with getting the word out. You will might be pleasantly surprised.

There is so much more to this. I plan to go into it as well because I want to see others succeed. I believe in the webcomic/kickstarter model. I am product of it working. I think now is the time for more great stories to get out there, just be true to work and your updating schedule. Treat it like a job and in time (no destination given cause we are all different) and it will eventually become one.

Are webcomics good for the industry- you bet they are… in fact they are breathing new life to a broken model already in place. They bring in new readers to comics and help reach audiences that normally would never know that your work exist.

So there is life for the indy’s. You can survive the comic industry and still make a dent as indy. You can still get your story out there and sell your books. You just get creative , go against the grain and not be afraid to offer your comic for free.

Keep creating-

trav

Understanding Kickstarter and why small press thrives off it (especially webcomics)

I want to talk about Kickstarter. Why I am for it and how people can make it work for them… I realize that a lot of you might not know me or my comic. You probably wondering where I get off talking about Kickstarter and why I think it is fantastic for the industry or how to make it work.

My name is Travis Hanson. I am a fantasy illustrator. I write and illustrate a webcomic called Bean, which was nominated for an Eisner in 2011, it is a black and white epic fantasy tale of a dishwasher. I also do fantasy illustrations that focus on the power of imagination. I have been at it  for 15 years. Now, what does that have to do with Kickstarter? Well, in the last two years I have put together three successful Kickstarter campaigns for the bean and now I have finished successfully my 4th campaign, which reached it’s target goal in 4 days of 11k.

Since then I have been asked how it works and have people suggest that they need to do a kickstarter. I am excited for them- but at the same time I caution them. Kickstarter is a rough exciting road. So be prepared for the emotional roller coaster that comes with it. Also it can be a successful way to get projects off the ground and if you use it the right way it creates many opportunities for creators that were not always there.

So how does a small press, unknown, indy creator, like myself be able to make Kickstarter work? Why do we thrive off of it?

Well that is because I understand what Kickstarter really is. It is a funding platform for creators who want control over their work. Anyone, who has a creative project dealing with the arts, can use it and it doesn’t matter who it is, as long as you follow their guidelines. They encourage you to do as many projects as you want… yet you can only do one at a time…. which is cool. So with the understanding of what Kickstarter really is, it’s hard for me to get upset at the movies, big games or big names that want to use it as well to fund their ideas. Kickstarter  allows creators to connect with their fans in a way that was not present before, produce work they want full control over and hold creator responsible to finish his plan if the project funds.  This is understanding is crucial to making this platform work. It is important to note, Kickstarter is not a publishing house, distribution center or marketing firm. That is the sole responsibility of the creator. It’s your idea so you need to take ownership of it.

A fan, or pledge, chooses for themselves if they will back a project or not. There is no force and if you don’t like a certain project, for whatever reason, than you don’t have to back it. That means if people want to support indy guys, like me, and small press, or maybe their favorite artist they can find us and back us. Honestly I can’t blame the million dollar campaigns because they have an established fan base… all I can do is find a way to make Kickstarter work best for me.

As a funding platform Kickstarter has  made it possible for creative people to get their works out there and give their dreams a start. Not all projects will fund and most reasons for this  deal with rushing the project out there without preparing on how you the creator will market it to your fan base. Especially if you don’t have one from the beginning.  Some projects catch fire and shoot the moon and some, like mine and many others just make our goals and allows us to continue to follow our dreams. There are people uncomfortable with this work model. Established artists and designers that are afraid that the market will be flooded with subpar work, maybe the true fear is they are afraid their own fan base will diminish. I doubt it. In fact I have found that some incredible work is being produced and that I am finding a lot of hidden talent that needs to be noticed, that would have otherwise not been,  through the world of Kickstarter. The world is changing on how ideas are be found, be willing to change with it. This is not print on demand, this is about funding a project, which takes a huge burden off creators.

So in reality I am writing this for the indy creator, the one that has a dream and wants to see that dream become a reality. I hope that you take to heart what I say. It could probably save you some time and money and a little heartache. I hope you realize that all Kickstarter is is a way to crowd fund your books, music or other art projects, effectively taking off the burden of having to have funds to do something.  The catch is that you still have to do all the rest of the work involved in seeing it to completion, which can be a lot of hard work, but in the end so worth it…  Now if your planning one, here are some guidelines that have worked for me. Mind you there’s a lot more to talk about and we can chat all day long.

1. READ and LEARN all about Kickstarter. A lot of people talk about this crowd funding platform and have no idea how it works. Kickstarter has a very easy question and answer system.  They lay it all out there and remind you it’s an all or nothing platform. You either make the goal or not.

2. Plan it out. Don’t just jump into it thinking your idea is so fantastic, that people are going to leap at the chance to fund you. This is why people fail. They jump in without preparing. They have no fan base, or trust that social media will do the job. It helps, but you can’t rely on it. FB alone will only allow about 7% of your following to see your posts. When I did my first Kickstarter the book was nearly finished, and it had been online as a webcomic for almost two years before I even considered crowd funding. I planed it out from the beginning and made sure that I could deliver what I promised.

Creating the fan base was crucial. The webcomic allowed for that, as well as going to cons, and constantly posting art. People knew it was coming and were on the look out. At the end in my questionnaire I asked if they would be willing to support another one and 98% said yes. So in 8 months when we did 2nd one and I prepared it just like the first one. If you want to have a successful Kickstarter make sure you are prepared, I cannot stress this enough.

Webcomic creators get this. We know the audience builds over time and if you look a lot of very successful Kickstarters were webcomics. We also know that our audience can be fiercely loyal, when we are loyal to them. Something small press needs to get through their heads and that our audience is world wide. We would love to be in stores, but at the same time are figuring out our fans do not mind buying direct. The game is rapidly changing.

Understand your audience… some audiences have a very narrow appeal, while others have mass appeal. Zombie eating cheerleaders work well for some but probably don’t work for people wanting a book for their 4 year old. NSFW material narrows the field a bit and some stuff is so far out there that people just cant connect to it. So, figure your audience out and market to them.

3. Make it look presentable. Take time in the design. Be upfront and make the updates worth it. Look at other successful Kickstarters and see what they did to make the goal. Look at their layout on their pages. They took the time to make it visually appealing. I back projects that take the effort to make it look nice, interesting and clean.  Make it clear on your dates and make sure you are upfront about everything that involves this project. Your fans and pledges are supporting this and want to feel that they are apart of it as well. Be open about struggles and timetable. For an indy the more info you give, the more people are likely to support you.

4. Make a realistic goal. If you can get your book printed for 5k and shipped for another 1.5 k than ask for 8k (covers the Fees you pay as well) and not for 30k. This is to fund your project not a lifestyle. If you make your goal that is awesome, if you blow it out of the water that is fantastic. Only look at stretch goals once you achieved your initial goal. Seriously, don’t get greedy when you plan it out. If it goes viral that is an added bonus… but look at funding your project first.

5. Honesty- It’s all about honesty…. Your pledges come first. Not second after you get it into book stores. Your backers are the most important thing about your project. One of the reasons I have had four good projects fund, is because I am upfront and my backers know they will always be first. They also know that I personalize the rewards for them, I want them to have an incredible experience.  I understand they are taking a risk and so I make sure I honor that risk.

6. Prepare yourself for an emotional roller coaster and if it doesn’t fund how to get back up and try again. It’s one wild ride and not all projects fund, so be ready for it.  If it doesn’t fund reevaluate it, how do I tweak the idea to make it marketable and better, refocus the presentation or fix the reward system. Just because it does not fund, dose not mean it is a bad idea. It means it just needs to be reworked.

7. Remember – Kickstarter is a platform for crowd funding art projects. It’s not a publisher, not a warehouse, not a production house, not a marketing firm,  it is just a platform. You are all of those. You are using Kickstarter to see if there is enough support to help get an idea off the ground and take the burden of production costs.

8. You are the marketer. Blog it, Share it, Tweet it… you are the one responsible to letting people know that it is out there. You will be up against a lot of of projects trying to do the same thing. Enjoy their success and support them. Supporting others is good karma and don’t beg for successful projects to promote yours while theirs is still going. They are focuses on trying to make theirs work. Ask them after theirs is done to promote yours. You are the one at the end of the day that will push you project. If you find champions, they will help. Also if your project is appealing enough, it begins to push itself.

Kickstarter is a great program. It really does give small press, indys, creators, pros, a chance to follow their own ideas and see their own dreams and stories to completion. It opens doors and makes creates artistic freedom and ownership to those designers that feel that it has been taken away from them or that might not have ever had the opportunity to succeed before.

It’s not for everyone. It scares some people and companies, so they try to discredit it. Yet it also empowers and like I said before I have found some of the most incredible stories, incredible projects, and incredible dreams being accomplished through this platform. Not by seasoned pros but small press and indy/webcomic creators. Some great projects are out there. I would encourage you to search through them. Find ones you like, find new talent out there waiting to be discovered and most importantly support them.

Sure big name artists and companies will be there, but  if you look a little you will find what really makes Kickstarter special and will be pleasantly surprised.

Keep creating.
trav

To see my finished kickstarter project go to TRAVIS ADVENTURE KICKSTARTER PROJECT!