How to Reinvent Your Long-Running Comic Series
As your comic hits higher and higher issue numbers, let's talk about the importance of switching up the way you pitch and market your series!
Hi Lifeline Comics Readers!
This week, we’ll be talking about how comic creators can make the most of their long-running series by reinventing and rebranding with each new issue in order to capture new fans!
We’ll also talk about our recent trip to Las Vegas, the WNBA game we attended, our last Pride Festival of the year, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, Aliens: Romulus, and more!
Let’s get into it!
How to Reinvent Your Long Running Comic
Phil: One of the biggest traps we see new Kickstarter creators fall into is using the same exact pitch for each issue of their comic series.
It’s something that Kat and I even did ourselves earlier in our careers — using effectively the same Title and Subheader on each new issue’s Kickstarter page without any attempt to shake things up.
And in some extreme cases, we’ve even seen creators use the same exact Title, Subheader, AND EVEN THUMBNAIL across multiple issues of their comic.
So with HAUNTING having just launched its seventh issue and Nightmare in Wonderland about to launch its second issue, we thought this would be a great opportunity to talk about the importance of shaking up the pitch for your long-running comic series over time.
The Value of a New Pitch
Our series like HAUNTING and Like Father, Like Daughter are getting up there in issue count - the latter launching its ninth issue next month. And over the lives of these and our other comic series, we’ve learned that one of the worst things you can do for your long-running title is to use the same exact pitch with each launch.
Each new issue is a chance to pick up new readers and new fans. By shaking up your pitch - even slightly - you have the opportunity to appeal to a whole new set of readers who could potentially pick up your series.
This is one of the cornerstones of MARKETING your comic. Existing readers who are already fans of your series will come back for it. But something as simple as using different keywords to pitch the next issue of your comic can attract a whole new demographic of readers.
Varying Your Keywords - Examples!
To use an incredibly simple example, for our HAUNTING #6 Kickstarter, we put extra emphasis on Zombies — highlighting them in both the title and the thumbnail for the first time in the series. Zombies have been an element in HAUNTING since our second issue, but not one that we had spotlighted in the top-level marketing of the series to that point.
And the results of this simple emphasis on “zombies” became clear to us very quickly. The new backer percentage for HAUNTING #6 was higher than most of our previous issues. And several first-time backers specifically mentioned being fans of zombies in their Reward Surveys for the project.
Nearly every issue of HAUNTING up to that point had zombies in it already. But simply shaking up our marketing and using “zombies” as one of our keywords allowed us to introduce HAUNTING to plenty of new readers who specifically gravitate towards zombie media.
We did the same exact thing with The Beast & Snow #2. While our first issue was marketed largely on “Snow White” and “Vampires”, we took the opportunity of our second issue to spotlight the “Werewolf” and, more specifically, the “Vampire/Werewolf Romance” elements of the series.
Which brings us to back to HAUNTING #7. This time, we chose to focus on the Possession element of the series and Ghost Hunter Hope’s queer relationship. Both elements were introduced all the way back in Issue 5 but take a more central position in both the story and marketing of this newest issue. And if the first week of launch is any indication, the new pitch is definitely resonating with readers and has helped to make this HAUNTING’s strongest launch to date!
Conclusion
One of the great things about comics is that the serialized release format is an intrinsic part of the medium. Each new issue is a new opportunity to shake things up. Just think of how many times you, as a comic fan, have seen a cool issue at your local comic book store and picked it up on a whim. You want to give readers the chance to do the same with your own series.
So don’t get comfortable and complacent! Interrogate each new launch to look for a new angle you can pitch with while still maintaining the identity of your series. If you do it right, you’ll engage new readers AND make existing readers more excited for the continuation of the story they’re already enjoying.
Signing at Baltimore Comic-Con
In case you missed it, Hairology was nominated for a Ringo Award! So we’ll be at Baltimore Comic-Con to attend the award ceremony.
And while we’re there, we’ll be doing a one-hour signing in the Guests section on Saturday, September 21st from 5-6pm EST! If you’re attending the convention, definitely stop by our table to say hello!
What have we been up to?
It’s been a pretty busy few weeks since our last post! Let’s talk about what we’ve been up to!
Las Vegas Trip!
Kat: Our friend group all turn thirty years old in 2024, so we decided to take a Vegas trip to celebrate the milestone. And we had an absolute blast!
Celebrating Our 30th
Phil: If there’s one thing that Kat, me, my fiancé Julius, and our friend Rocco all love, it’s gambling! So a birthday celebration in Vegas was a no-brainer for us!
We spent six days in Vegas seeing the sights, playing the games, and having fun with each other. We even got to do some research and planning for an upcoming comic that will feature a casino in a pretty big way 🤐.
Kat and I always try to make a pit stop at the local comic book store when we travel. So we got to peek into Alternate Reality Comics — a really awesome store not too far from the strip — on new comic book day!
Omega Mart
Phil: My personal favorite excursion during our trip was checking out Omega Mart in Area 15. An “alien grocery store” experience that just gets weirder and weirder the longer you spend in there.
It was such a unique experience stumbling across different “portals” behind grocery store freezers or inside camping tent displays. If you’re even a little bit a fan of Sci-Fi or Escape Rooms, we can’t recommend Omega Mart enough to Vegas visitors.
Kat: I’m so glad I went into Omega Mart knowing absolutely nothing about it. Artistically there are so many weird things to do there that are a perfect opportunity for photo ops, but also just for the sake of experiencing something weird.
Las Vegas Aces!
Kat: Just like many other basketball fans, I’ve discovered a love for the WNBA this year! So when we went to Vegas, I knew I wanted to stop by and see an Aces game to witness the likes of A'ja Wilson, Kate Martin, and Kelsey Plum in action.
It was cool to have my friends join me for the ride to see a glimpse of why I enjoy basketball so much! It was a fun night - we even got free bobbleheads!
Jersey City Pride + South New Jersey Gay Pride (Last Prides of the Season)
Kat: September marked the last prides of the season! You will be missed, but we’re already excited to start gearing up for Pride 2025.
We’ve done both Jersey City and NJ Pride in the past, and it’s awe inspiring to see how much they have both grown over the years.
Especially NJ Pride! It took place in a beautiful park and is a very up-and-coming event for South Jersey.
“When I Was Young” Packing Party
Phil: We had the pleasure of writing a two-page story in “When I Was Young” - a charitable queer anthology put together by our good friend, Michele Abounader - earlier this year. And a couple of weeks ago, we met up with Michele to help her get the ball rolling on fulfillment for that campaign!
Kat and I are in a near-constant state of fulfilling our own projects, so we were happy to step away from our own books for a day to help Michele get more than half of the campaign’s books shipped out in one day!
Media
And let’s discuss some non-comics media!
Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice
Phil: Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is probably the movie I was most excited for this year. I quite like the original 1988 film. And a sequel a whopping thirty-six years later with most of the original cast and Tim Burton returning was such an intriguing concept - one that I’m happy to report ended up being a lot of fun!
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice definitely captures the spirit of the original film. It’s very funny, with Catherine O’Hara absolutely stealing the show as Delia Deetz in every scene that she’s in, and Michael Keaton delivering another great performance as the titular demon. Newcomer Justin Theroux also delivers plenty of laughs as Lydia’s slimy fiancé and the “Ortho” stand-in of the film. Not every joke lands (including many of the sequences involving father, Charles Deetz), but most of them do.
And while not as fully-realized as the humor, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice does have heart as well. Jenna Ortega’s Astrid captures the teen rebellious spirit of Teen Lydia from the first film. And her relationships with her family are interesting, layered, and get some stand-out moments throughout the film.
I’m of two minds about this sequel’s handling of Winona Ryder’s Lydia Deetz. On the one hand, it’s almost sad to see the once-spunky goth teen grown into a pushover shell of the person she once was. But on the other hand, it makes for an interesting story about how trauma changes people and how Lydia needs to reclaim her voice — something that Delia tells her directly when referencing all of the trouble she gave her stepmother as a teen. I think that if just one or two more scenes had been spent on Lydia’s regaining her confidence and her spunk, I would have left the theater a lot more satisfied with Lydia’s arc. But as it was, I have conflicting feelings.
This is emblematic of my biggest problem with Beetlejuice Beetlejuice — these is just TOO MUCH GOING ON. There are far too many characters and far too many subplots. If we trimmed one or two of the subplots entirely - take your pick of Beetlejuice’s Ex-Wife, Astrid’s boyfriend, or Wolf’s (Willem Dafoe) manhunt - then the other subplots and character arcs (mainly Lydia’s) could have had much more room to breathe. None of the subplots were bad, per se. Just in such heavy competition with one another that it would have been nice to have more space to explore them.
All-in-all, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is a good film and a very good sequel. It had the potential to be great if some of the fat was trimmed. But it’s still a fun watch that manages to capture the spirit of its predecessor without telling the exact same story all over again.
Alien: Romulus
Kat: Alien Romulus is one of the most visually intriguing movies of the Summer! It’s a love letter to the first two movies (especially Alien as it leans more into horror.). But finds that perfect balance of not being a regurgitation of those classics as they introduce new characters and lore to the long running franchise.
The downside, even for a less than 2-hour runtime, there are many chunks of this movie that just…drag. They could have used this time to better develop the characters. It’s a bit frustrating because the direction shows a lot of potential for a strong dynamic that the script never fully follows through on.
Phil: A refreshing new installment of the Alien franchise that leans more heavily into the horror genre of the original 1979 film than it does into the “action sci-fi” of the sequels that precede it.
The Xenomorphs in this film are scarier than they’ve been in a long time - with a number of really tense and memorable sequences. My personal favorites involve our leads sneaking through a room full of Facehuggers (which is some of the best use we’ve gotten of Facehuggers to date) and trying to kill a cocooned Chestburster before it emerges as a fully-fleshed Xenomorph. Alien: Romulus makes very effective use of every stage of its central alien.
On the negative side, the movie stalls a bit in its first arc. After an intriguing introduction to our leads, there’s a bit of meandering before we get to the alien action that carries the rest of the film. I didn’t love the third act twist villain, but it didn’t lose me completely.
And while the side characters in this movie aren’t particularly engaging, leads Rain (Cailee Spaeny) and Andy (David Jonsson) are both engaging and well-acted enough to carry the film. I would definitely be interested to see both of them in future Alien films to see how they can evolve further from their intro in this debut.
Alien: Romulus is a strong sci-fi horror movie and worthy entry into the Alien franchise. If you’re looking for some scary aliens, Romulus will deliver in spades.
Rhett & Link’s Wonderhole
Kat: Rhett & Link are the founding fathers of new media and have stood the test of time with their balance of comfort and innovation. Wonderhole is a love letter to their career as a duo and their work on Good Mythical Morning.
Every episode starts out with an easy-going premise and very pitchable YouTube video - let’s take a lavish plane trip, can you taste a cloud, etc. But as each video unravels it leans more and more into the absurd. The best episodes are the ones that strike the balance between your average YouTube video and scripted television without diving too far into artsy mythology.
Wonderhole is not completely new watcher friendly, but is a fun departure to their regular programming as a high brow concept for longtime fans with themes that the duo have explored all along like the power of friendship and childlike wonder.
Comics
Let's discuss some comics we've enjoyed recently!
As always, we'll spotlight a Direct Market Indie Book, a DC or Marvel book, a Kickstarter book, and a Webcomic!
Indie Comic: Grommets (Image Comics)
Kat: Grommets sucks you into a time period that you’re either nostalgic for or engrosses you into a subculture you want to learn about more. As someone who didn’t grow up in the 80’s, I’m in the latter group.
Slice of Life comics are such a rarity in the direct market, but who better than Rick Remender to shine a light on the genre. Grommets uses skating culture as a backdrop to tell a larger story about what it’s like to be the new kid in town. You're trying to find your own identity, but you have no anchor to a person, place, or thing.
Brian Posehn perfectly balances grunge with the lighter tone of slice of life to tell an easily digestible story about teen life before the internet.
Marvel Comic: X-Factor
Kat: There has never been an X-Factor book that I’ve been able to fully get behind…until Mark Russell and Bob Quinn.
Russell is the king of political satire, and one half of the team behind one of my favorite titles, Second Coming. And I was just as excited for Bob Quinn on art as a follow up to Kill Your Darlings (the best indie book in 2023!).
X-Factor #1 didn’t disappoint with hightail action (and kills) mixed in with mutant social commentary. It’s reality television meets the X-Men, setting up some big stakes for your favorite C-list characters.
Webcomic: Forget Me Now (BL)
“The story of a boy who lost his memories and must piece his life back together.”
Phil: A Boy Love mystery romance that follows Elliott, who wakes up one morning with complete amnesia only to find another man in his bed, Rei. From here, Elliott tries to piece together the details of his life and his relationship to the enigmatic Rei.
This webcomic has a strong set-up that really grabbed me from the more somber and artistic first chapter. I was surprised to find that later chapters took a more comedic “rom-com” approach compared to the more earnest and introspective opener.
That’s not to say I don’t enjoy comedic beats. But I think I was surprised by the shift in tone as the series progressed after the premiere delivered an artistic and dark depiction of the moment Elliott lost his memories.
That said, I appreciate the intrigue of the series and am enjoying the mystery angle as Elliott slowly learns more about his life and his relationship. I would recommend this webcomic to folks who like a mix of lightheartedness and seriousness in their romance stories.
Read “Forget Me Now (BL)” on Webtoon!
Kickstarter: BY THE HORNS Vol. 2 Hardcover
“Collecting the RINGO Award-nominated fantasy series about a rash warrior, a telepathic wolf pony and an eyeball trying to revive magic!”
Phil: A deluxe graphic novel collecting the epic fantasy comic BY THE HORNS, which was originally distributed as single issues by Scout Comics. This collection is brought to us by superstar team Markisan Naso, Jason Muhr, and Steven Canon — the latter two of whom we’ve had the pleasure of working with on past variant covers for Nightmare in Wonderland and Slice of Life.
I’m a big fan of hardcover collections of series I enjoy, and this one even has a Kickstarter-exclusive cover options featuring art by Tim Seeley. Don’t miss out!
Check out “BY THE HORNS” on Kickstarter!
In Closing
Thanks for reading this newest post! Let us know in the comments or in our DMs if you agree with our sentiments on marketing later issues of your long-running comic series!
And be sure to check out our current campaign — HAUNTING #1-7 — and to follow the prelaunch page for our next campaign — Nightmare in Wonderland #1-2!
Subscribe above for biweekly updates on our future projects!
Current Kickstarters:
HAUNTING #1-7: Return of the Possessed Ex-Girlfriend (ending 10/03)
Nightmare in Wonderland #1-2: Exes-to-Lovers Sapphic Romance (launching 9/16)
Next Cons/Events: Baltimore Comic-Con (09/21 - 5-6pm EST)