Ambrosia #1 — Kickstart Your Hunger

There are 203 live comics projects currently on Kickstarter, each an attempt at catching lightning in the bottle. I’ve been watching the site for a while now. Mostly lurking, occasionally backing. Last year’s Kickstarter Strobe Light series featured some of my favorite crowdfunded comics, titles I promoted for no other reason than I believed they had a good story to tell.

Today I want to share another campaign — my own! Yesterday I launched a Kickstarter for Ambrosia #1, a sci-fi comic book about a food smuggler in a future where food is illegal and eating is obsolete. It is a collaboration that stems from a lifelong friendship between myself and the series’ illustrator, Noah Graham. He and I grew up together, since preschool, surrounding ourselves with back issues of Wizard, battling it out in our action-figure fight club.

Two decades later we reconnected over an idea that began with a nebulous discussion about a “ronin chef.” The character who would become Oliver Benjamin, Ambrosia‘s protagonist, hatched from the desire to craft a sci-fi swashbuckler presented as a folk hero. Oli is our spacefaring Zorro, our far-future Robin Hood. Ambrosia is his saga.

Ambrosia #1 on Kickstarter

Just over 24 hours into our campaign, we are off to a humble yet encouraging start — 15% of our goal has been met. I know all too well that the remaining 85% isn’t going to just fall out of the sky. We have 28 days left to prove Ambrosia is a story worth telling, 672 hours to introduce readers to Oliver Benjamin and his cause.

Our first issue follows Oli as he is pursued by the authorities, sending him on a blistering chase throughout the orbital city of Olympus. Ambrosia, as a series, chronicles the insurgency that boils over as Oliver’s exploits awaken a subdued populace. A floppy copy of Ambrosia #1 starts at $10, with the digital download costing $5.

Sharing the word is as critical as backing is as we strive to meet Ambrosia #1’s funding goal. Any feedback, signal boosting (we’re @POVComics), or pledging would be very much appreciated. Expect a detailed write-up on the whole Kickstarter process, pass or fail, after the campaign concludes!