Milky was a Kickstarter that I discovered days before it failed to fund. You may have had a similar experience yourself, finding something good and knowing that you could probably help the campaign succeed by pointing friends at it, knowing that those friends would appreciate the tip but also being horribly aware there wasn’t enough time to do any of this.
Milky did not raise enough funds during its Kickstarter campaign. Later, creator Joshua Saxon penned a guest article for the site called What I wish I knew before my comic book Kickstarter failed. It’s been a popular post and worth a read.
There’s more than a happy twist to this particular tale. Saxon returned to Kickstarter and reached target. The first issue of Milky is a thing (and you can browse the first six pages on the campaign page. You can even pop over to Milky Comic.com and register for a heads up for the issue 2 Kickstarter (worth 50% in early bird pledges). I’ve done just that.
I really enjoyed Milky.
Just one milkman versus the whole friggin’ universe
I remember milkmen. They would drive down my street here in Scotland, on little rattling carts and put out bottles of milk by doorstops. Fresh milk delivered to you before the days of the internet. I heard recently that the model is making a come back.
Milky isn’t set in the past. The first few pages make that clear as the milk van trundles into a scene of fire and crashed cars while the occupant in the passenger seat check to see if ‘Apocalypse’ is trending as a hashtag on Twitter. It isn’t
Our hero, Vikinder Singh, also known as Milky, asks the pertinent question; “Why is everything on fire”.
In the first issue of Milky we get to find out. The comic is 24-pages long, and the first six drop us straight into the action. Then we rewind one day before everything kicks off and we get to re-meet Milky as he attempts to complete his morning round.
It’s a good format. The action at the start sets the scene for what I hope all four issues of Milky will give us, we’re hooked, and then we’re reeled slowly back into some character introductions and personality development. After all, Saxon has a job on his hands trying to convince would-be readers that the adventures of an insecure milk delivery man will be worth investing time into.
A racist old granny, a drunk maybe-friend and an opinionated red-head are all quickly introduced and shape up to be an interesting cast. I think a good way to tell the quality of an author is to see how quickly they can bring their characters to life. It takes Saxon just a few panels.
Of course, Joshua Saxon isn’t the only talent in this project. Gian Fernando has provided some quality illustrations, equally crucial for bringing characters to life in a comic strip. DC Alonso does the colours and, gosh, this is a bold comic. Colours here are strong and defiant. The plot hasn’t made it clear how capable the heroes/survivors are, but the art makes it seem as if we’re moving into superhero territory.
The cover, by Unai Ortiz De Zarate, brings that conflicted juxtaposition to life. There’s the blood and broken glass of a horror comic, there are the timid eyes of Milky peering through the letterbox and then the star glow on the doorknob and uncompromising colour tones that promise action.
I’m delighted the second Kickstarter was a success. I think the whole Milky series will be worth my time. I just need to make sure I don’t stumble back to the project too late the next time around.
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