[Since jumping into comics crowdfunding in March, I’ve received 12 projects in paper form. Some have arrived digitally, but I’ll wait until the paper copies arrive because I’m that type of luddite. This “Year in Review” will catalog each one…and I promise to be done by New Year’s Eve!]
I gather that miniseries of all sorts like to have a climactic point right at the middle of the tale, to give the readers/viewers a thrill and prep them for the back half of the story. Consider Matt Mair Lowery’s Thoughtscape Comics #1 that type of book.
Simply put, it might be my favorite crowdfunded book of 2021 — definitely top three.
Thoughtscape Comics is a 44-page, perfect bound, color and black & white science fiction anthology. With four stories (two of which are first installments of longer stories) and some really fun/creative faux futuristic advertising, Mair Lowery packages not just some of his sci-fi stories in between two covers but really delivers a larger reading sensation. As I learned from his Substack newsletter, he attributes this to having identified a graphic designer as part of his creative team early on as a key person in creating the look of the book. Smart move. The book is as nice a physical presentation as anything else I read this year, but the deliberate thought put into design puts it over the top.
The stories are as follows:
- Thoughtscape 2319: The story of Odessa Query, an individual who helps harvest thoughts from around listening posts around the galaxy. What happens when one of the posts has a problem? Great art and coloring.
- A Spy Without A Face: An black and white action sequence involving Lifetech, a corporate presence felt throughout the book.
- Adorable Orphans: An ironic, cautionary tale conflating the “American Girl” craze with parental disengagement…offered with a delicious, cartoony art style.
- Ex Post Facto: A Dash Varrick Misadventure: An almost psychedelic tale presented in a style reminiscent of classic Bill Seinkiewicz. If I’m reading it right, Varrick is either an assassin or the clean-up man after an assassin does his thing. Varrick’s a bit of a screwball, and of course things don’t go well.
This book didn’t hit any stretch goals, but it was great nonetheless. If you want a copy for yourself, try looking for one at Mair Lowery’s site.
~ Prior Entries ~
Day 2: Branches Entwined & Broken
Day 3: Take the Monkey and RUN! #1
Day 4: Time Before Time – Process Edition
Day 5: Flytrap – A Time Travel Adventure
Have you considered checking out my small press comics and stories?
Phoenix Productions 
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