Who or what is Chief Rocka?
CHIEF ROCKA is an indie comic book by Tom Syverson and Ben Marlowe. This is the first issue of a planned six-issue mini series, and it's the product of nearly a decade of close friendship and collaboration.
We came up with the idea for this comic when we were both just a few months out of college. At the time, we both faced a situation that has become a cliché for the Millennial generation: that volatile cocktail of career anxiety, student debt, and general aimlessness. We spent our shared quarter-life crisis trying to stay afloat, and channeled all our energy into conceiving this very project.
Ten years later, we see this story as a metaphor for our own struggles, and we think that many others will see themselves in it too.
Who do you two think you are?
Tom is a freelance writer living in Brooklyn. Briefly, for a time, he was a corporate lawyer type too, until he decided to take another path. Nowadays, he writes about politics and culture for outlets like Paste Magazine, Quartz, and Splice Today.
Ben is an international award-winning animator and artist living and working in Los Angeles. He's been featured in numerous competitive and curated shows, festivals, and galleries around the world. Lately, much of his work has been for NPR's Snap Judgment and Stones Throw Records.
How 'bout you make me an offer I can't refuse?
On our first campaign, we're excited to offer up the first issue of the series. It's 22 pages of madness, ideas, and Ben's delicious art.
This is your chance to get in on the ground floor with a one-of-a-kind moment in graphic storytelling: the first appearance of CHIEF ROCKA, that lovable two-bit occult hustler!
We're asking for funding for two reasons:
(1) to fund the printing, shipping, and promotional costs of producing hard-copy comics, stickers, and posters - $1,500
(2) to fund and support the artistic labor necessary to illustrate the second issue - $3,500
The central item is a high-quality printing of our very first issue. We've seen the publisher's proof, and we can report that it's a gorgeous and glossy product. For those interested in supporting the campaign a bit more, we're also offering additional perks including posters, stickers, and for the true connoisseur, original artwork on canvas by Ben Marlowe.
What on Earth possessed you to do this?
We're asking for help funding this project because being a freelance artist isn't easy. Over the past 10 years, Ben has built a freelance career doing animations, printmaking, and music videos for a wide range of clients. Ben depends on his freelance income to buy food and a roof over his head each month. Every project counts.
When it comes to his real passion—drawing this comic book—the work is incredibly labor intensive and time consuming. Financially, it'll be impossible for him to spend the time and energy necessary to complete the next issue (let alone the full mini-series) unless he can justify turning down some freelance gigs in the meantime.
We're looking for support from people who love comics with a unique voice, and who want to see this project reach its full potential. We have a big story to tell here and hope the world is ready for it!
Is there any risk or downside to throwing in with Chief Rocka?
Nope! Every page of the first issue is already complete, and we just need to send a check to the printer. The same goes for the additional perks we're offering (the stickers and poster), except for the original artwork by Ben. He hasn't physically carried out that project yet, although he does have some devilish ideas. Additionally, Ben likes to communicate with a client before beginning on commissions. So, if you're seriously interested in purchasing original artwork from Ben, please feel free to contact us to discuss.
If there's any risk at all, it relates to whether or not you'll ever get the chance to read all six issues of what we have planned. Tom has the whole saga outlined, and we promise that there is a wild, complex, and heartrending story to come. But we can only tell that story if the interest is there.
We want this campaign to fund the second issue, and the next campaign will fund the third, and so on. Whether or not we can afford to complete the eventual mini-series—to tell the full story of Chief Rocka's rise, his fall, and his unlikely comeback—depends entirely on the response we get here.
But the first issue, a wild and satisfying story in its own right, is guaranteed. And we think you're going to love it.
I'm Onboard! What Else Can I Do?
Please, please, please share with your friends, cohorts, enemies, and most of all, anyone who likes weird comics!