The Pitch
The Plot Holes are a squad of fictional warriors who transport themselves into the pages of other books, using their unique skills to save the plots in order to stop them from being destroyed. And Cliff is their newest recruit, a comic creator who's just realized his world isn't real—in fact, it's a complete fiction that literally exists inside a novel. The other members are misfits like him, pulled from unpublished books that couldn't be saved: a manga samurai, a barbarian tiger, a kid from a comic strip, and a vampire assassin. Outclassed by the other members, Cliff sets out to prove his worth to The Plot Holes as they fight to save as many books as possible. The only thing stopping them is Surge, an ex-member who's gone rogue—not only is he threatening to destroy the digital matrix containing them, he threatens to destroy the database of digital libraries all over the world!
What makes this different?
On its surface, The Plot Holes is an adventure story that treks through dozens of different genres with a wide range of characters, offering something for every kind of reader. But on a deeper level, The Plot Holes asks meta-textual questions like no comic ever has: if Cliff knows he's not real, then why does he want to survive? Is the team really “alive” if they only exist in our imaginations? And what happens to them if they die?
Still not convinced?
This comic takes Philip K. Dick, gives him a blaster, and shoves him into an adventure he's not ready for!
Who the heck is Sean Murphy?
I am the writer/artist of the blockbuster comic BATMAN: White Knight and it's sequel BATMAN: Curse of the White Knight from DC Comics. I've also worked on tons of independent titles like Chrononauts (being adapted at Netflix) and Tokyo Ghost (may be adapted at some point, but I'm not sure if I can talk about it). I've also worked on titles like Hellblazer, Star Trek, Star Wars, The Wake, and created the cult classic Punk Rock Jesus. You might have seen my work in print with me listed as Sean Gordon Murphy. That's me!
Yeah...but can I trust you to finish this project? How do I know you won't just steal my money, jerk?
Believe me, I got this! I'm a professional who's been doing this for 17 years, and I work hard so I don't let any of my readers down (and I don't need my 70k twitter followers attacking me for dropping the ball). I've had two successful crowdfunding campaigns in the past 5 years, and I'm very excited for this one!
What We Need & What You Get
- Having surpassed our initial funding goal of $50,000 we'll be printing Sean's entire original story The Plot Holes in Softcover and Hardcover editions. We've expanded the book to include a fifth "issue" of story, so 22 more pages added to the Digital, Softcover and Hardcover editions, which now clocking in at 160 pages of content, including "making of" material.
- Tiers start with digital rewards (less expensive) and build on those with hard copy versions of the book (Softcover, Hardcover and Artist Edition), chances to be drawn into the book, and original art by Sean.
- Some of the tiers will include chances to chat with Sean by Skype (or maybe even in person)!
- The book will be written and drawn by Sean, then colored by the great Matt Hollingsworth (Sean's frequent colorist of choice).
Current Softcover (160 color pages, 7x10", Smythe sewn-in binding, UV Spot Gloss on front cover)
Current Hardcover (Deluxe Hardcover, 160 color pages, 7.5x11", Embossing and UV Spot Gloss on front cover; book cover image below is not necessarily the final art/layout)
![]()
Current Artist Edition (48 black and white pages, 11x17", 80# [thick] paper, will include all 5 covers and the first 2 issues of story; book cover not necessarily final art/layout)
![]()
Stretch Goals
1. Hardcover Edition - Unlocked!
2. Artist Edition (11x17") Softcover - Unlocked!
3. Fifth Issue Added (22 more story pgs in Digital, SCs & HCs!) - Unlocked!
4. Deluxe HC and Page Count Upgrades (HC increases to 7.5 x 11" and all editions expand to 160 pages) - Unlocked!
5. Book upgrades to the SC, HC and AE editions Unlocked (see book details above for upgrades that were added) - Unlocked!
6. Dinner and Drinks with Sean - Unlocked!
7. UV Spot Gloss on Deluxe HC cover; fancy, shiny spot-finish added to certain graphic elements of the HC's front "lid" - Unlocked!
8. Upgrade from 70# to 80# paper on the Softcover - At $240K, we'll increase the weight of the paper used for the Softcover printing from 70-pound paper to 80-pound paper (thicker!).
Any added pages will affect the Digital, SC and HC versions. If there are version-specific upgrades (like a trim size increase or spot gloss) that affect one version (like the HC), we'll announce it and all backers of that perk will get the upgrades!
For International Comic shops, please contact us if you want to buy multiple copies. With the pandemic travel restrictions, int'l shipping has risen dramatically, so the Retailer Tier is for US shops only.
Cover Art for The Plot Holes
Each chapter in the book will have its own "Cover", or Chapter Break art, like a comic book cover. Here is the black and white art for Cover 1:
![]()
And Cover 2:
![]()
RISKS and CHALLENGES
If you've been following his career and seeing him on social media, then you know Sean is a straight shooter and a consummate professional. Yeah, coronavirus has thrown a wrench into the system, but we've tracked down printers and distributors who are ready to get to work! Sure, there might be logistical delays, but rest assured Sean and his team will bust their ass, work late hours, and find workarounds if they're needed. We set a generous deadline and we plan on sticking to it.
Other Ways You Can Help
In addition to backing the campaign, please share a link to the campaign on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, or whatever social media platforms you use! You can even use the Indiegogo share tools.
The more backers and funding we get, the more special the final product will be (more art, more extras, better printing quality, more types of books, etc).
