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In many ways, crowdfunding has become a way for projects that were too risky to ever happen to happen - with its supporters able to give creators the confidence to do something they otherwise wouldn't. While at first it was primarily the domain for small, independent companies (and individuals) to tackle their dream projects it's grown to be that and more, for larger entities to do even bigger things that even that might think otherwise is impossible.

And that's indubitably true with comics. In 2025, the crowdfunding leader Kickstarter has seen the number of comics project launches on its platform rise to its biggest yet - and the success rate, percentage-wise, is also up. And earlier this year it hosted the biggest funded comics crowdfunding campaign ever - reaching its $40k goal in its first two minutes, and ultimately garnering $4.65m from 11k+ backers over its month-long campaign. That was the hardcover reprint of the classic '80s Marvel Transformers run in a new bespoke set called The Transformers Compendium. This project was organized by Transformers comics licensor Skybound Entertainment, along with Transformers' owner Hasbro, and Skybound's publishing partner Image Comics. 

With all of that going on and Comic-Con International: San Diego looming, Popverse caught up with Kickstarter's senior outreach lead for comics Sam Kusek to talk about all of this, as well as recent new features to help protect Kickstarter backers, and the rise of AI-generated work on the platform.

Popverse: Sam, how would you say Kickstarter and the comics category have changed and evolved since you've been here?

Sam Kusek: Since I’ve joined, Kickstarter has really been in a period of rapid technology growth, with the release of Late Pledges, Secret Rewards, and the Pledge Manager. It feels like the platform is actively listening to the creators, and it’s been great to get feedback from some of our top creators about what is and isn’t working. Kickstarter is ultimately about community, and if we aren’t talking, then something isn’t working. 

Comics itself has seen a spike in projects launched this year (up 22% from last year) and a bump in success rate as well, although I know for some folks, they aren’t hitting their goals until later in the campaign. Like many things, the comics category and crowdfunding in general respond to the larger macro economy situation, and with so many changes this year, it can be tricky to navigate. But the stability in the community and our support is still there. 

Popverse: You see data in the big picture, and also see things we on the outside don't get access to. What are you seeing as the trends happening or about to happen in the comics category?

We’ve seen a few big trends in recent months -

• Big-name IPs are showing up in new ways. That includes franchises like Black Mirror, Transformers, and Rick & Morty finding new life on Kickstarter. If you look our highest-funded comics projects so far this year, the top two are IP-centric:

• THE TRANSFORMERS Compendium Set (Skybound) (#1)

• THE EXPANSE: A Little Death (BOOM! Studios) (#2)

• We’ve seen a rise in retailer tiers. More comics creators are building retail-friendly reward tiers into their crowdfunding campaigns, helping them get their books directly into stores.
• As you know, comics fans are highly engaged, and with us that’s definitely the case. We see an average conversion rate of 31% where pre-launch followers turn into backers. Notably, 29% of total funding typically comes in on day one of the campaign, and another 12% on day two, meaning many campaigns hit nearly half their goal within the first 48 hours.
• Reprints of hard-to-find issues, expanded editions of cult favorites, and deep dives into the creative process are also resonating at the moment.

Just how big were Transformers and The Expanse for Kickstarter?

Transformers and The Expanse has exceeded all expectations and with Transformers it hit its goal in two minutes. That compendium is now our most-funded in Kickstarter comics history.

We are here talking just before Comic-Con International: San Diego. What are Kickstarter's plans this weekend?

We have a lot going on, including two panels that I’m moderating.

• Friday, July 25 @ 6:30 – 7:30 PM: Industry Vets Go Independent on Kickstarter - Filip Sablik (publisher, Ignition Press), Jazzlyn Stone (director of communications, Tiny Onion), Hank Kanalz (publisher, Clover Press), Chris Thompson (Editorial, PR and Marketing Consultant),  share why they’ve pivoted to original, creator-owned work and how Kickstarter is helping them build audiences, fund their visions, and prove there’s more than one way to break in — or break out — in the industry. Room 26AB 
• Sunday, July 27 @ 2:00 – 3:00 PM: How Kickstarter Can Kickstart Your Career - Carl Choi (publisher & co-founder, 247 Comics), Kat Calamia (founder, Lifeline Comics), Charlie Stickney (Publisher/CEO, White Ash Comics), and Phil Falco (founder, Lifeline Comics) will share advice on how to concept, plan, and launch a successful crowdfunding campaign. Room 28DE 

In addition, Ignition Press is heading to San Diego Comic-Con with an immersive fan experience, The Ignition Press Room. Those who stop by the experience from Thursday to Saturday will be able to grab a free coffee from the Ignition Press x Kickstarter Coffee Bar. The Ignition Press Room will be located in the heart of the Gaslamp District at the Sinclair (643 G Street) in the Gaslamp District 

On Thursday, we are also co-sponsoring the annual CBLDF Welcome Party. 

At the CBLDF welcome party, the Ignition Press x Kickstarter Coffee Bar, at our panels and as we walk the convention floor, we’ll also be handing out a brand new zine designed specifically for comics creators. The zine is packed with crowdfunding advice from myself and other Kickstarter creators like Richard Fairgray, Spike Trotman, Sebastian Girner, Kat Calamia, Mira Ong Chua, Charlie Stickney, Phil Falco, and Stephen Kok.

Kickstarter in its early years had the reputation of being the place individual creators who couldn't get funding elsewhere could go to get crowdfunding. Now we see places like BOOM!, Skybound, and more using it - also to get funding - but as more of new model of taking pre-orders. As someone who's worked at a publisher doing Kickstarter, and now at Kickstarter working with publishers, what do you think prompted this growth?

As I see it, this growth really is a result of the loss of conventions during COVID. One major direct-to-consumer channel, where special editions and unique items would normally drop, had to go away, for good reason, but the gap was still there. So Kickstarter became a safer, and in some ways, more wide-reaching solution, as we are a global marketplace.

What would you say to the fans who feel that having a major corporation doing a Kickstarter feels off?

I understand how you feel however, there are two points that I want to make people aware of:

1. These campaigns bring a lot of new backers to the platform, and we are making a concentrated effort to point those people to other campaigns, focusing heavily on independent works. Just because someone comes for Power Rangers or Transformers doesn’t mean that they won’t stick around to see what else is there. 
2. More and more major corporations are using Kickstarter to fund projects that frankly might not make as much sense if it just came out through the direct or book market. The reach we have allows them to take more risks and produce better books and collectibles for their fans because there is just more security in how many people they could reach. 

Could you see someone like Marvel or DC doing a crowdfunding campaign at some point directly?

It’s not outside of the realm of possibility, but it would have to be the right thing. It would have to resonate with fans & feel like a unique product. In some ways, there is already a Marvel & DC presence with the Clover Press Artbooks, which highlight specific artists from both houses. I think those are great examples of what can be done to speak directly to fans. 

Any of us who have participated in Kickstarter offerings for a significant length of time probably have at least one that was funded, but the project fell apart. Since your time at Kickstarter, have there been any changes to help protect consumers more and to help these KS organizers manage their projects more effectively?

Yes. Right now at Kickstarter, we are launching more updates to our platform than at any other time in our history. We’re really pushing hard on innovating for our community.

One of the biggest updates this year is the launch of our Kickstarter Pledge Manager. Built directly into the Kickstarter experience and constantly evolving based on creator feedback, our pledge management tools allow for creators to more easily manage and deliver on the promises they need to fulfill to their backers post-campaign. It even includes a Tariff Manager to help creators apply additional charges transparently and fairly.

We’ve also been focusing on updating our fraud detection systems, including more details about a creator’s track record on their project page, and expanding how we notify backers on projects where there are significant fulfillment failures and a creator hasn’t followed our rules. 

We recognize that backers want more transparency, accountability, and assurance when supporting projects—and we’re committed to meeting those needs.

AI-generated art is becoming more and more prevalent. In 2023, Kickstarter put out a policy that allows AI-generated products on the platform if it's disclosed upfront and if the KS organizer says they have the consent of the owners of the work the AI-generated material is based on. How has that been for you?

Before launching the policy, we spent time asking our creators and backers what they wanted from us as the landscape for AI evolved, and what we heard was “transparency.” People wanted to know upfront if AI was being used in a project and how.

Our policy requires a creator to disclose their use of AI so that backers know what they’re supporting. It’s also important to add that projects that are fully generated using AI are not permitted on the platform, and that if a creator fails to disclose their use of AI honestly and accurately, that’s also a violation of our rules. 

I’ve found that comics creators are upfront about it, and those that aren’t are noted, contacted, and if they are found to be using AI without disclosing, are asked to cancel and redo their campaign within the proper rules. 

Last question, and probably the biggest one for the people looking to get funding through Kickstarter, and those of us looking to support and buy things on Kickstarter. What do you think is the biggest X-factor in the success of a comic project on Kickstarter?

There isn’t a single silver bullet here, but in my experience, there are a few things that I think continue to create stable success: 

1. Original art tiers continue to be very popular, either as sketchcards, remarques, or backers being drawn into the book. 
2. If creators are able to, selling backlist titles or bundles of their previous work is also a great way to continue to build an audience over time. 
3. Clarity of information about shipping & other logistics on the page. Backers need to understand their total financial commitment and if they are going to be charged upfront, later on etc. No matter what it is, helping them know, helps everyone in the long run.  

Get ready for what's next with our guide to upcoming comics, how to buy comics at a comic shop, and our guide to Free Comic Book Day 2025.