What is Em is for Monsters?

Em Is for Monsters is a comic set in a world not unlike our own—but appearances can be deceiving. In truth, we live in the shadow of another world. Monsters walk among us, and have infiltrated human society in its entirety. Some are shrewd businessmen, others are shambling monstrosities driven by instinct alone; yet all are united unto a singular end: the daily harvest of mortal souls, the currency of Hell. Mankind continues unaware, shrugging off its losses as fate or chance. No such rationalizations come to the minds of children, however, who can see in their nightmarish totality the monsters for what they are. Em is one such child. A kid like any other, obsessed with dinosaurs, but burdened with a thirst for knowledge that lands her in an underworld of trouble.

Follow our plucky protagonist on her murderous misadventures as she collides with Hell’s legions in a bid for mankind’s salvation.

Plus minus thirty pages of beautiful, full-colour illustrations, Em Is for Monsters is a fast-paced, action-packed romp of a read.
 
Back it on Indiegogo today!

Stephen Spinas is a freelance graphic designer, illustrator and comic book artist from Cape Town, South Africa. Over the last decade, his works have featured in a number of novels, album covers, comic books, audiobooks, advertising campaigns and product labels. A dedicated Twitch streamer, Stephen has also featured on a number of Twitch channels, including UGCZA

Em is for Monsters is an idea that has been in the works for close to three years now, but he needs your help to finish it! As a freelance artist, Stephen’s passion for comic books often has to be set aside, and the grueling hours needed to do justice to such an endeavor become harder to find. Your support will allow him to dedicate his undivided attention to Em is for Monsters, and to create a project he believes you’ll love as much as he does!

(Preview of first page.)

The nitty-gritty:

In order to work on Em is for Monsters full-time, Stephen will need to hit a target of $9990. This will go toward covering the costs of the various perks, merchandise, shipping, administrative fees, living expenses and the printing of the comic itself. The risks associated with setting aside freelance work during this period are considerable, but successfully attaining the target will go a long way toward alleviating the reservations that any artist has when setting out on a new venture. Aside from the financial risk, there are a number of challenges that Em is for Monsters must overcome before seeing the light of day. First, it is imperative that the prints are of the highest quality. This has, in part, contributed toward the necessary target. In order to ensure that the comic meets the expectations of both the artist and the backers, 115gsm paper will be used for the printing. A higher grade material than the industry standard, Em is for Monsters will be a feast for the eyes! Secondly: Deadlines! Deadlines! Deadlines! The comic book will, upon completion, be just over thirty pages. Taking on such a project by oneself is a daunting task, and could take months, even years to complete if one was unable to focus fully upon it. Being able to work on Em is for Monsters full time will, of course, play a huge role in the completion and success of the comic, and it will be all thanks to you!

(Page roughs and line work previews.)
 

The little things: 

Living in South Africa, while amazing, has its drawbacks. Each one of the backing tiers comes with a number of perks. Some of these perks include merchandise. While the merchandise itself can and will be ordered in bulk to keep costs down, shipping and couriering samples can be costly, especially when amendments need to be made. While many manufacturers cover the shipping of samples themselves, this is not always the case. These same shipping costs, which will be absorbed by the project, will add up when it comes to shipping the comic book and perks to you, the excited backer!

While Em is for Monsters is Stephen’s project, finding someone to put his thoughts into words was always going to be a challenge. Fortunately, having done work for indie publishing house Sentinel Creatives, he was able to rope author Mitchell Luthi into the project. Writing and editing costs, while relatively low compared to comparable projects, are a necessity and add to “the little things” that any campaign must take into account.

Creating a comic from start to finish is an herculean task, but sometimes the hardest part is getting the exposure necessary to fund a campaign. A small budget will be dedicated toward advertising, as well as toward promotions at the various conventions in South Africa during this time. That doesn’t mean you can’t help with promoting this campaign! Sharing panels, concept art, links or even just a mention in conversation will go a long way to making this all a success.

Costs and expenses:

The Perks:

Perk imagery is for display purposes only some of the artwork is not finalized and is subject to change. Final designs of all merchandise will be updated through the updates section.