Hi all!

We're back with the Lifeline Comics newsletter!

We've got some exciting things to talk about this week - including a guide for how to make a comic book anthology on Kickstarter, our thoughts on the newest Flash movie, our two newest Kickstarters, and more!

Let's get into it!

Announcements

As always, we'll start with announcements relating to our comics & merchandise.

We'll start by announcing the Kickstarter collecting the season finale of Slice of Life and take a deep dive into our current campaign - Pansexual, Non-Binary, and Lesbian enamel pins.

Slice of Life: The Kiss Hits Kickstarter next Monday!

Following the success of Rainbow Canvas, the season finale of Slice of Life launches on Kickstarter on June 26th! A gritty anime protagonist, Lady Vengeance, comes to life and finally kisses the cheerleader in this Queer WEBTOON!

Slice of Life continues with the moment you've all been waiting for...THE KISS! Our newest issue has an exclusive story from Lucy's past where you'll meet her first crush - the first appearance of a character who will have a larger role in Slice of Life #5 and beyond!

And if you support the campaign at a physical level on the first 2 days of the campaign, you'll be automatically put into a raffle for a chance to win our discontinued "Couple" Keychain featuring our leads, Lucy and Yuriko. So be sure to follow our pre-launch page!

Follow the Project: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/comicuno/slice-of-life-the-kiss

Pansexual, Non-Binary, and Lesbian Enamel Pins are LIVE on Kickstarter

It's been truly humbling that you've not only connected to our comics, but our enamel pins as well. So much so that we've been able to make multiple sets of pins for Kickstarter and comic con/pride events.

And this time around we were able to expand our Rainbow enamel pins to include: non-binary, lesbian, and pansexual.

Please sound out in the comments what designs you'd like to see next. You're truly what makes the creation of these projects possible.

Support the Project: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/philfalco/rainbowpins2?ref=2nbk35

How to Make a Comic Book Anthology

With four anthologies under our belts, one of the most common questions we get is "how do you make a comic anthology"?

While there's no one "correct" way to put together an anthology, we thought it would be fun to talk about the approach that we take.

So let's outline our method, informed by both our experience making anthologies AND by participating in comic anthologies run by other creators.

Our Goals

Let's start by talking about why we make anthologies.

The answer is pretty simple...we love reading them. We literally talk about another anthology (Tales from the Cloakroom) later in this newsletter.

We love the variety you get when you read an anthology. We love seeing different creators' takes on the same (or similar) topics. And more than anything, we love hearing different voices and giving creators the opportunity to tell their stories.

It's been so rewarding collaborating with all types of creators - from powerhouse veteran creators like Sterling Gates and Gail Simone, to creators whose first published work appeared in our anthologies.

If you're thinking about putting together an anthology, the first question you should ask yourself is what your goals are - because the best way to make a good anthology is to know what YOU love about anthologies.

Decide Your Topic

An anthology doesn't necessarily need an overarching topic or theme...but it definitely helps to have one.

As is the case with everything, branding is essential to creating a sellable product. For example, it's much easier to sell a horror anthology if the anthology has a unifying identity. "Horror" is so ubiquitous that it is almost meaningless. But specificity can immediately give your anthology character.

Let's look at two real-world examples from friends and follow creators of ours: David Schrader & Clay Adams' Nightmare Theater, and David Doub's Texas Horror.

Both are horror anthologies, but they're given their own character and identity by their branding. Nightmare Theater evokes horror cinema across the ages while Texas Horror finds specificity in setting - and all of the interesting cultural and visual themes you can play with in that setting.

Not every story featured in your anthology necessarily needs to perfectly embody your theme (for example, in both volumes of Bi Visibility, there were some stories that were less about bisexuality as an identity and moreso about queer romances/experiences facilitated by bisexuality). But you should always have the "identity" of your anthology in mind when you're putting it together. And you should make sure that you deliver on the themes and elements that you're promising your readers.

All of this isn't to say that an anthology can't find success with a more "general" topic. But from our experience, the key to success is storytelling - both of the comics featured in your anthology, and the story of the anthology itself.

Budget, Budget, BUDGET!

Making comics is expensive. Making comic anthologies is expensive...AND a bit confusing.

Before you even start putting together your anthology team, you should work out as precise a budget as possible. That means knowing how much you are able to spend on art, writing, lettering, covers, printing, etc. And knowing how many pages you are aiming for with your anthology.

Working on an anthology means that you have a lot of contributors to balance - all of whom deserve to be compensated for their work. So get those Google Sheets ready and prepare to be as on-top of coordinating all of the moving pieces as you can be.

Some anthology creators will compensate their contributors after the release of the anthology and based on its performance. As long as all contributors are informed of and agree to this method in advance, there is nothing wrong with taking this approach. But it is not our preference.

We've found it a more rewarding experience to agree to a fair rate with our contributors in advance of putting together the anthology. This ensures that contributors are paid a fair rate for their contribution and gives us a more concrete sense of our budget for a given project.

Take Submissions / Round up Contributors

Once you have a sense of your topic and your budget, it's time to decide how you're filling up your anthology!

We've taken two approaches to this in the past: Open Submissions and Direct Creator Outreach.

For Hairology and Bi Visibility, we opened submissions for 1-2 months to allow creators to apply to be contributors in the anthology. We outlined the topics and themes of the anthology and asked that artists apply with portfolio samples, and that writers apply with completed scripts.

We found the "complete script" approach preferable to just asking for loglines or past samples of writing. It's more work to read all of the scripts, but it immediately gives us all of the information we need about the writer's voice, style, and how their contribution could fit into the finished product.

For Rainbow Canvas, we used direct creator outreach. This involved creating our "shortlist" of queer Webtoon Canvas creators of whom we were fans (it was a long list). Then whittling down the selection pool and reaching out to batches of 3-5 creators at a time. We slowly filled out the book by this method until we'd built our full team.

There are costs and benefits to each method, and neither is necessarily better than the other. But we tend to prefer open submissions as a means of giving first-time creators a chance to show their stuff.

A hybrid approach is always an option, as well!

Curate the Book

Once you have your submissions and/or your creator shortlist, it's time to curate the book!

You need to have both a "macro" and a "micro" view of the anthology as you go through this process. You need to look at every story as an individual unit (What are this story's themes? How is the reading experience for this individual story?), and as part of a greater whole (What bases does this story cover that other stories don't? How well does this story contribute to the overall theme of the anthology? Does this story provide diversity of voice/genre/tone?)

We've found it helpful to make a list of desired "topics" to cover before we ever even begin reading submissions. It doesn't necessarily need to be a comprehensive list, because some submissions will undoubtedly surprise you and offer perspectives you didn't account for. But having a rough list of topics that you know you want to touch on in your anthology can help with the curation.

For example, we had a long list of topics we wanted to cover in "Hairology" (i.e. a story about body hair, one about hair in the workplace, a story from a trans person's perspective, etc). Going into our curation with this perspective helped to guide our organization of the submissions. Not every topic that we listed had a submission (or a script that we enjoyed). But since we went in with a long list of desired topics, we were able to ensure that we covered a wide breadth of different stories.

We also utilized this time to pair up writers and artists. Some writers applied with artists and some artists applied with a script, but most applications to our anthologies have been individual writers or artists. When pairing up teams, we asked similar questions to those we did when reviewing scripts: How does this art style fit the story in questions? Does this art style contribute to the variety of the book?

We don't want every story to look or read the same, so we make sure to keep this in mind when pairing up teams!

Create the Book!

Once you have your team together, it's time to work out your schedule!

Decide on your production schedule - and leave some wiggle room. Somebody inevitably will fall behind. It happens, and it's okay. Just know your goals and when you need each piece of your product to be completed.

If you're taking the Kickstarter route, is your goal to have the entire book complete before the Kickstarter launch or end date? Is your goal to crowdfund and then create the full book? If the latter, maybe it makes more sense to get a preview page or two from each story and to complete the book post-Kickstarter.

Whatever your path, be upfront with your collaborators and (eventually) your backers.

If there's one lesson to take away from this write-up, it's this: there is no one way to make an anthology. But as long as you are communicative, thoughtful, patient, and a good planner, you'll find the way that works for you!

What we've been up to...

Washington D.C. Pride

Last year we did some local prides (New York Pride and a few New Jersey events included) and had such a blast that we knew that we wanted to add even more queer events to the calendar in 2023.

Washington D.C. has to be one of our favorite prides WE'VE EVER DONE! It was just so awe inspiring to celebrate pride in the middle of literal history. The capital building was a gorgeous backdrop for such a beautiful day.

And this quickly became one of our BIGGEST and most profitable events, selling 31 mystery boxes, close to 150 enamel pins, and SO MANY COMICS!

See you next year, Washington D.C.! This won't be the last time we'll be at your pride.

Media Consumed

Let's talk about some media!

The Flash Movie

Spoiler Free

Kat: I went into The Flash with no expectations. Putting all the Ezra Miller drama to the side, there wasn't anything that particularly excited me about this movie. As a fan of the Arrowverse, I already had my fair share of Flash and Supergirl stories. And I'm very neutral on the Michael Keaton Batman movies.

And now with all that preamble out of the way, I was actually pleasantly surprised by this movie. Was it the best superhero movie I've ever seen...hell no. But did I have a fun time with it? ...yeah. There are so many action/superhero movies out there that are super bloated and do not warrant a 2+ hour run time. Flash on the other hand (no pun intended) is actually pretty well-paced. There weren't many moments I felt bored, and they had an interesting take on time travel/multiverses that I'm actually glad didn't tie too heavily to a "bigger picture".

I'm still not sure this is a great Flash movie as Michael Keaton steals the show on multiple occasions, there aren't many comic book deep cuts, and Ezra Miller doesn't quite embody Barry Allen, but it's a solid popcorn flick if you're looking for some nostalgia in your life.

Phil: Like Kat, I also went into this movie without much in the way of expectations. I was excited to see Michael Keaton in the Batman role again (I love, love, LOVE those movies), but other than that, there wasn't much I was excited for.

As is often the case with new tentpole superhero movies, the most common takes I've seen on The Flash is either that "it's the best superhero movie of the year", or "it's absolute garbage". Maybe these are just the loudest, most polarizing voices breaking through the crowd (as usual). But I think (hope) most would agree that neither sentiment is true.

The Flash is a solid (if bloated) movie. While the first act runs a little overlong, once Barry begins his time-traveling misadventures, I think the movie finds its footing and is pretty well-paced. Any time things begin to slow down, a new character is introduced in an exciting way to inject energy back into the movie. The direction is very solid and makes me an even bigger fan of Andy Muschietti. And while the often-criticized CGI looks pretty wonky sometimes, I actually think this is one of the few movies where uncanny CGI didn't take me out of the movie. If anything, the Speedforce/time travel sequences looking so bizarre helped to set them apart from all of the same things we've seen in other places (particularly the Arrowverse).

Michael Keaton, as I hoped, was fantastic. Great both in and out of the Batman suit. And seeing all of the staples of his stint as Batman (his Batmobile, Bat Cave, Bat Wing, and that amazing rubber Bat Suit) really warmed my heart. I think the script struck the perfect balance of making him funny enough to fit the tone of The Flash without taking away from the character he was playing. I would definitely love to see more of Keaton's Batman in the future, unlikely as that may be.

Miller delivers a decent performance. Not every joke lands. And I think the decision to have them take on a dual role was a pretty bad one - even before the more problematic aspects of Miller's character came to light. But they carry the movie well enough, even if it doesn't really feel like the traditional "Barry Allen" character to me. And any time their performance (or the audience comfort level with Miller) gets shaky, the movie throws another toy at the view (be it Batman, Supergirl, Zod, or even a few surprises) to keep things moving along smoothly.

The Flash isn't a great movie. But it is a fun movie - and, I would argue, a good movie. One that leaves you with plenty to talk about once the credits roll - which is a lot more than I can say about Shazam! Fury of the Gods or Black Adam.

*Slight Spoilers from the first thirty minutes of the movie to follow*

I would be remiss not to mention a big nitpick I had in the first act of this movie: this marks the second DC movie in a row (following Shazam! Fury of the Gods) where Wonder Woman shows up for a single scene, the movie makes a couple of "wow, she's really hot" jokes, and she then flies out the movie.

Somehow, The Flash does this in an even more annoying way than Shazam! (where at least she was a literal deus ex machina that affected the plot in some way). Here, she's just a vehicle for Bruce and Barry to act like idiots for a minute and ogle at her.

This is a trend that I seriously need DC movies to abandon. I love Wonder Woman (her 2017 movie is one of my favorite movies) and I love Gal Gadot in the role. So it's disappointing to see her reduced to a "she's so hot" joke twice. It's a disservice to the Wonder Woman character, to the other DC characters who become slack-jawed caricatures in her presence, and to the audience who are excited to see her in the role again only to be fed the same hollow, unfunny joke that we saw a few months ago.

Comic Recommendations

Let's recommend some comics! As always, we'll share a Direct Market Indie book, a Marvel or DC book, a Kickstarter book, and a Webcomic!

Indie Comic Book: Mighty Morphin Power Rangers

Kat: It's not too much of a secret that I love Power Rangers! It was a superhero show with actual diversity, and as a kid that meant the world to me. Then as an adult I honestly just fell in love with the corniness. And then with the comics: Power Rangers did something I never expected to see in my lifetime, a seriously toned version of the team.

And I don't mean "dark". I don't need Kimberly to give a Watchmen styled monologue. The comics doesn't forget the lightness that we all loved from the show, but then also adds a level of depth and mythology building that the live action version didn't have a chance to accomplish.

There have been four creative teams on this book since its launch in 2016, and there isn't one that is disappointing. Each creative team does a wonderful job at building on the previous run, while also adding their own voice to the franchise.

DC Comic: Batgirls

Kat: This book has really grown on me in the way Burnside Batgirl grew on me. I really like that I can look back at it and see that it's distinctly different from other superhero runs and it really tried its darndest to hit a different type of audience. The comic really found its stride towards the end when it focused on Stephanie and Cassandra's shared trauma. I really love their friendship and glad we could get to see their bond on a monthly basis.

Kickstarter: Scott Snyder Presents: Tales from the Cloakroom Vol. 2

Kat: We spent a whole newsletter talking about how to create a comic book anthology that we thought we'd also plug an amazing anthology series on Kickstarter. Scott Snyder has always been so giving to the comic book community and especially up and coming creators. He has a class that he does through his Substack, and his talented students created a comic book anthology of their own to showcase all of what they learned during his classes. It's a brilliant initiative!

Back This Project: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/tfcr2/scott-snyder-presents-tales-from-the-cloakroom-vol-2?ref=user_menu

Webcomic: It's Kind of a Funny Story

Phil: A chance encounter at a bar on New Year’s Eve changes multiple lives forever. Alex and Jon, both at low points in their lives, find exactly what they're looking for in one another in this beautiful story of love, friendship, and family.

We had the pleasure of working with "It's Kind of a Funny Story" creator, Sarah Turner, on "Rainbow Canvas", and I'm glad to finally have the opportunity to gush over her Webtoon!

I absolutely love the series' consistent ability to balance comedy, seriousness, and cuteness - but also to tackle serious topics in a mature and realistic way.

This series is more than just a straightforward romance. It's a story about connection (and reconnection), and about finding yourself and overcoming challenges with the support of friends and loved ones.

Read "It's Kind of a Funny Story" here: https://www.webtoons.com/en/challenge/its-kind-of-a-funny-story/list?title_no=681303

In Closing

Thanks so much for reading this newsletter!

Current Kickstarter: Rainbow LGBTQ Enamel Pins - Nonbinary, Pansexual, Lesbian

Next Kickstarter: Slice of Life: The Kiss! (June 26th)

Next Conventions:

Phil’s Socials: Twitter | Instagram

Kat’s Socials: Twitter | YouTube

Read “Slice of Life” on Zestworld: https://www.zestworld.com/LifelineComics/slice-of-life-gl