Crowd Funding Watch: ‘Magpies’ Tackles Love and Loss [Video]

Kickstarter and IndieGoGo have become a popular way for emerging and even established artists to get their potentially otherwise unpublishable books to readers. That isn't to say, of course, that these books don't deserve to be circulated and enjoyed -- far from it! That's why ComicsAlliance dedicates this special column to titles that are worth funding, and a separate series following-up on successfully executed projects.

This week: Magpies by Sara Lando, a story about love and loss told from two different perspectives. Keep reading to see What Is It, How Much It Costs, What You Get, When You'll Get It, and Why You Should Care.

What Is It: A 160-page, hardcover, full-color book told from the story of two characters; a depressed woman on the main pages, and a jubilant man on the alternate pages. As noted in the introduction of the book, Magpies is heavily inspired by artists like the great Dave McKean (The Sandman, Cages).

How Much It Will Cost: $20,000 to print the book in Italy, rather than China, so as to grant Lando more control over the process. This is likely more expensive than most printing projects, but hey, Italy is in the midst of the European recession, so spread the wealth!

What You Will Get: $40 for a copy of the book, plus a bandana (I dunno, maybe it's European thing?), which is arguably more than what a typical book of similar specifications should cost, but keep in mind the printing cost and the fact that it's being shipped half way across the globe.

When You Will Get It: March 2013, fairly soon for such an ambitious project -- that is, if it's funded in the next two weeks. But the process is expedited by the fact that Magpies has already been completed. In fact it's already available digitally as a PDF for which you can name your own price or, if you like, download for free.

Why You Should Care: Even though IndieGoGo gives creators the option of flexible funding, where they get to keep all funds raised no matter if the goal is met, Landon has chosen for fixed funding, similar to Kickstarter. This way if the project doesn't meet its goal, all monies pledged will be returned automatically, and demonstrates Lando's seriousness about the funding goal.

You can read more about the Magipies project at its official IndieGogo page. In the meantime, check out these gorgeous preview pages: