The Kickstarter for Namesake: Book 3 has been funded almost three times over, in a tremendous success for independent comic artists Isabella Melançon and Megan Lavey-Heaton. Namesake has been running since 2010, and updates Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.
“Namesake is the story of Emma Crewe, a woman who discovers she is a Namesake, a person with the power to travel to other worlds, places we know on Earth as fantasy and fairy tale lands. This power has rules, Alices always go to Wonderland, Wendies always go to Neverland. Each Namesake has a specific destination and mission, in order to keep the multiverse balanced. But Emma goes to Oz in the stead of the expected Dorothy, unveiling a magical conspiracy plot that’s more than 100 years in the making, with Emma and her unique powers at it’s core.” (Kickstarter)
The first and second Namesake books were also funded by Kickstarter. Namesake: Book 1 was funded by 432 backers in 2012. Namesake: Book 2 was funded by 664 backers in 2013. In sharp contrast, Book 3 has 904 backers, four days before the campaign closes. Not only that, but the campaign has surpassed its final stretch goal of $50,000, which unlocks a secret reward. The previous stretch goals were 20,000 (a bookmark added to all tiers), and 40,000 (reprints of the first two books in both softcover and hardcover).
It’s likely the wait has something to do with it. It’s been four years since their last Kickstarter, and the comic’s readership has been rising with the story’s stakes. The sheer amount of new readers is also obvious when looking at the Kickstarter pledges. An amazing 229 backers pledged to receive all three current print books in softcover, which is probably the most efficient way to get caught up!
Namesake deserves its success, too. It’s a beautifully crafted comic, and the books have just as much love poured into them as the digital art.
Who’s excited for more Namesake? Comment below.
