Kevin here, coming to you with the new comics launched on Kickstarter for Monday and Tuesday, January 26th and 27th, 2026. So, a little more robust Tuesday than I expected for even in January. Between Monday and Tuesday, we had 26 launches in the comics category. That’s more than I thought we would have. There are definitely some worthy choices in there. I found four that I want to share with you as ‘Comics I Like’, and I’ll talk about those in just a few minutes.

Disney Comes to Kickstarter Comics

Among all the releases from Monday and Tuesday, there was one giant corporate release from Dynamite Entertainment featuring Disney villains. I’m trying to remember if there was another Disney property launch that wasn’t a Marvel art book or something like that. So this is kind of a first, at least by my recollection. I don’t recall any other Disney properties making a big splash on Kickstarter from even a third-party publisher like Dynamite. You would think Marvel would be doing this since they’re part of Disney, but I know they outsourced some of their Disney publishing rights to other publishers, and here we are with Dynamite. It looks like a good project.

It’s not one that I chose as a /Comic I Like’. There’s just not a lot of interior artwork there to make a decision about. You’re pretty much relying on the intellectual property or Disney fandom to make that decision. They’re not crazy expensive, but they’re expensive, and this is a corporate campaign, so the pricing of the tiers is pretty high.

Self-Disclosure of Generative AI Use in Kickstarter Comics

What I want to talk about today was generative AI in comics. Now, I know this is a hot-button topic. The term ‘AI slop’ gets thrown around left and right, regardless of how the AI is being used, but, here, we’re going to talk about things objectively. We’re going to look at what’s actually happening with generative AI in comics. I recently made a post where I revealed that, based on my daily reviews of comic launches on Kickstarter for the past year and a half, only one campaign has actually resulted in a comic book featuring interior sequential art generated using AI technology.

As I mentioned at that time, there was another campaign around the same time as the one that was successful in producing a book that still hasn’t been fulfilled, and it was not as carefully laid out, nor as meticulously planned. You could tell from the campaign page it just wasn’t at the same level as the one that not only funded, but produced three comics in a year, three actual books produced from that in a year. There’s only one property that did that.

Now, that doesn’t mean that generative AI isn’t used in comics on Kickstarter all the time. It is, and as you should know, you’re required to self-disclose if you’re using generative AI in your comics on Kickstarter. It’s the honor system. In my opinion, the more important factor here is, are people using generative AI being honest about it, self-disclosing as Kickstarter requires, in order for backers to make informed choices? If you don’t want comics with generative AI involved in the artwork or the imaging, you should be able to know that, so you can make a choice.

If you’re curious about it, you should be able to know that it’s generative AI that’s involved in the art and how it’s involved in the art. So, down at the bottom of every campaign page, there’s a self-disclosure aspect if you used AI. Now, I’m fairly confident that there are a lot of creators who are using it in some capacity that aren’t disclosing it, who are obscuring the fact that they’re using generative AI. And I have to tell you, I’m surprised that there are as many who honestly disclose it as there are. It would be easy not to, because nobody’s checking, nobody’s policing this at Kickstarter. So, I respect the people who admit that they’re using generative AI, even in little bits and pieces, parts of covers, things like that.

But the vast majority of the usage now, at this point in time, is for covers. And the vast majority of that usage is in the not-safe-for-work (NSFW) category. So, let’s look at a couple of examples of self-disclosure statements for AI in a couple of not-safe-for-work projects that were launched just in the past couple of days.

And we’ll start with Nolan Hartsoe’s Pyromantic No. 2 dark fantasy comic, a NSFW book currently funding over $6,000. That’s pretty good for just a couple of days on the platform. The AI self-disclosure statement for this project:

So, are you using it for the cover? Are you using it for character concept designs? Are you using it for interior sequential art? This is where you can answer that question. They want to know if you are using copyrighted materials from other artists that are being used by the AI generator, or if you’re using copyrighted elements of other artists’ work in the generative process. That’s how I interpret that.

This campaign’s response is pretty vague, but this is a pretty vague area of the whole AI situation at this point in time. I do applaud this creator just for acknowledging the use of AI. It’s fairly obvious if you look at the cover art, simply because it’s just a little too symmetrical, a little too perfect, and it’s a very stereotypical style that you see with generative AI art. Beautiful covers, however, very obviously AI-generated covers.

So, maybe the creator didn’t feel they had a choice but to acknowledge that they used generative AI to create these covers. Yet and all, they don’t have to admit it on Kickstarter, but they did. So, here we are, and at least the honesty should be acknowledged. And you can make your own decisions whether to back this campaign, given the use of AI art on the covers.

Let’s look at another example from the same launch day. Okay, this one is called Valentine vs. the Man-Eater, number one through three, not safe for work, horror noir. It’s funding just slightly behind at $5,229 with 106 backers. So, roughly in the same echelon of funding, roughly just as successful. But let’s look at their answers to the questions:

Okay, pause.

You should know what medium your cover artists are using. Okay, and generative AI is its own medium at this point. It’s not going anywhere. Let’s not argue that. But you should know how your cover artists are generating their covers, how they’re making these images. Bottom line, that’s your responsibility as a publisher, even as a self-publisher.

And I’m not sure that being confident about that means that it’s not happening. Most generative AI uses text-to-image generation with heavy editing on the backside. If you’ve actually used generative AI, if you’re speaking from a standpoint of understanding and knowledge about this technology, you know that 99.9% of the time, a text prompt is not going to give you a workable, professional-looking cover or panel because AI is not going to generate a page of sequential art.

It just doesn’t work that way. Every panel is its own piece of art, if you’re using it in that fashion. You have to know that if you have somebody working with generative AI to create covers or any art for your project, that text-to-image generative AI is probably involved.

I feel like they’re skirting the issue here, not necessarily being deceptive, but it’s such a sensitive subject. It’s such an explosive subject that creators are honestly hesitant to put themselves out there as actually using it when it’s fair game right now. I know that it’s frowned upon, but it’s here, it’s probably not going anywhere, and going after creators who use it in any little sense at all is not productive.

If you’re looking at Kickstarter campaigns, scroll to the bottom of the Kickstarter page and see what their self-disclosure about AI. In fact, there’s a makeshift table of contents on every Kickstarter page based on how you put in your headers and how you answer the questions about AI that automatically includes ‘Use of AI’ in that table of contents at the upper left of the Kickstarter page. If you look there, you can just click that and see what they’re disclosing and make a decision on your own without the angst, without the bile, that normally comes with this topic. We’re in a position at this point that we can objectively assess whether AI is being used and decide whether to back that campaign, support that creator or not, and just go our happy way.

My point here is to share with you the AI disclosure on Kickstarter so that you can find it and make your own determinations about whether to support or to not support a campaign. The general culture around generative AI right now, the general uproar around it, makes people afraid to confront it head on.

I just don’t think we have to address things that way. We can have a constructive discussion and acknowledge that it’s being used widely in comics - and much more widely than anybody’s willing to acknowledge because they don’t want to get attacked.

Do your own research. Look through these campaigns and see what people are doing with it. Arm yourself with knowledge about how generative AI is actually being used now. You’re going to see it’s a very narrow lane. There will be more.

I’ve ventured into that arena myself just to see how it works. Can it be done? It can be done, but you have to know how to make comics.

It can be very bad if you don’t know how to make comics and how to use digital editing software on the back end to actually make images look like they belong together and to generate some sort of visual consistency. Otherwise, you’re just going have a mess of three legs and six fingers on each hand and characters that don’t look the same from one panel to the next. But that doesn’t mean it’s not there. It doesn’t mean it’s not going to play a larger role in the industry going forward. This is the world we live in now. Not going away.

Digital comics didn’t go away. Photoshop didn’t go away. Illustrator didn’t go away when the same types of uproars erupted around those around those tools.

Comics I Like

All right, let’s talk about the comics that I found that I think you will like from Monday and Tuesday.

White Ash 1 to 10 (and a half)

We’re going to start out with White Ash 1 to 10.

“The long-running hit fantasy series about elves and dwarves in Pennsylvania returns with two all-new issues.”

Of course, this is from Charlie Stickney, who’s been running White Ash Kickstarter campaigns for some time now. Obviously doing very well with a goal of $15,000. Already almost doubled that in just a couple of days at $29,339. 751 backers.

“Welcome to White Ash, a small smudge of a mining community in western Pennsylvania where the secrets are buried even deeper than the coal under the mountain. If you’re a fan of Supernatural, Twin Peaks, or Lord of the Rings, you’re going to love getting to know our mysterious town.”

Now, Charlie and his team always kick out just amazing covers. This is a 70 plus page supersized issue containing chapters 9 and 10, so you’re getting a lot of content here.

The interior art sequentials match the sophistication and the beauty of the covers. Just really terrific stuff. Lots of interior art samples, lots of story information, everything to pull you in just really good.

And then you can download all 52 pages of chapter one as a preview. So you can see what you’re getting into and it’s going to be good. So look at the rewards real quick.

You can get the digital editions of issues 9 and 10, which are the new pieces of content for this campaign for 11 bucks. That’s really cheap by Kickstarter standards. Really nice. And you can get print copies of 9 and 10 for $22 shipped. And they’re looking at delivery in June of 2026. So very fair pricing for Kickstarter.

When you’re talking about 70 pages of content for 22 bucks on Kickstarter, that is more than fair. That’s really beneath the average price per page in the Kickstarter comics economy right now. So highly recommend.

The Complete GODS OF AAZURN! Lovecraft Style Horror

And then we will go to The Complete Gods of Aazurn Lovecraft style horror, a printed creepy cosmic horror graphic novel available only on Kickstarter from a friend, longtime colleague in the self-publishing arena, published one of our first stories way back in the day, Gary Scott Beatty.

“Three gifted orphans are forced into an evil coven, aiding ancient gods who want to ravage our world. Will they gain their freedom and defeat the hideous eldritch gods before mankind is doomed?”

Gary’s been carrying on this story and stories like it for well beyond a decade, probably more. And this is a big collection of his stories and he makes terrific stories. My partner Amanda has drawn for Gary several times. We collected some of those into one of her Amandatory collections in 2025. Terrific, just great horror writer, really off the wall story concepts.

Look at this interior art: half-man, half-spider, really gorgeous Lovecraftian takes on monsters and situations.

Awesome. Can’t recommend Gary’s work enough. Longtime comic creator who delivers. You will get what you back. He has a Complete Gods of Aazurn digital bundle for $22. You can get the complete printed book for $29 plus shipping with delivery in April of 2026. That’s right around the corner.

I can attest we’ve worked with Gary for many years, either as colleagues, as creators in his books that he distributed direct to comic shops back in the day, and Amanda’s worked with him as a co-creator and you will get what you pay for. You will get it when he says you’re going to get it. Totally dependable. Really gorgeous work.

Support Gary. Support great independent self-published comics.

TATSUMI: The Serpent Mistress #1-2 A Swashbuckling Adventure

And then, third, in no particular order, from our friends at Insymmetry Creations LLC, Tatsumi, The Serpent Mistress No. 1 and 2, A Swashbuckling Adventure.

The Last Remaining Daughter of a Fallen Empire’s Hellbent on Retribution and Revenge, for fans of Pirates of the Caribbean, One Piece. With an initial funding goal of $3,900, they’ve raised $2,581 on 74 backers. This one ends on February 13th, so still plenty of time to support it.

I know Matt and Steph and crew make terrific, gorgeous comics. Just look at the sample art with the characters, the crew, character introductions.

“Deep in the heart of the port of Albassus sits one of its most popular establishments, the Sidequest Tavern. Weary travelers head there to take a load off while other raucous and cantankerous patrons are there to hear the finest music around. One of the bands that frequents their stage is the dread crew of Oddwood.”

Cool stuff. Lots of options. Lots of different takes on the characters.

Just terrific coloring and design on these sequential art samples, full-size sequential art samples. I can see with my eyes without squinting. Thank you. Look really great. Very pirate adventure themed.

Let’s check out the rewards. You get the PDF for Tatsumi No. 2 for $5. Very fair. You can get the PDF catch up of 1 and 2 for $10. You can get a single print issue of No. 2 for $13 plus shipping. Scheduled to arrive in May.

32 pages for Tatsumi No. 2. That’s a lot of content. Looks great. Go support these guys.

Dino Knights: The Complete Arc

And lastly, but not leastly, Dino Knights: The Complete Arc.

Issues 5 and 6 deliver an epic conclusion to the arc.”

This is from fellow SubStacker Zach Chapman. Looking for $3,000 in initial funding. Almost there with $2,951 raised so far. 69 backers. Ends on February 26th. Almost a full month of fundraising left to go. They’re going to nail it.

“Dino Knights is an ongoing epic science fiction, authority, and fantasy comic book series. Dinosaurs, knights, time travel, and evil robots. Issues 5 and 6 are the epic conclusion to the first arc.”

Not to mention issue 6 is an extra long issue jam packed with 36 pages. Nice synopsis. Check out the sequentials here:

Fun. Awesome artwork reminiscent of Saturday morning cartoons. Very action packed. Very expressive. Fun to just even look at. You can tell what’s going on in this comic just by following the panels. You almost don’t need the words. You can tell how bombastic a concept this is from the covers. The Arthurian dinosaur concept.

Really cool. Really high concept. Really fun.

Which is something that I really try to find when I’m looking for comics to support on Kickstarter. There’s often not a lot of fun. And these are definitely fun comics.

Let’s look at the rewards. Issues 5 and 6 in digital for $11. That’s very consistent with what we’ve seen from other campaigns that we’ve reviewed today. And then likewise for the physical copies. Issues 5 and 6 main covers $22 plus shipping to be delivered in March 2026. Issue 6 is jam-packed with 36 pages.

Extra long issue. All right. That wraps it up for comics launched on Kickstarter for Monday January 26th and Tuesday January 27th 2026.

Please go take a look at these campaigns and support them.

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