crowdfunding

The 3D printing revolution is changing everything from manufacturing to medicine, but you know the real reason it rules? Friggin' action figures, man. ModiBot, a Rhode Island-based toy company focusing on print-on-demand modular action figures and accessories, has been offering fully-customizable toys and schematics via its Shapeways site for awhile. In an effort to scale up its operation and offerings, however, the company has taken to Kickstarter.

In not even a week's time, Megatokyo creator Fred Gallagher's Kickstarter project to publish a "visual novel" based on his popular manga series has not only shattered its funding goal of $20,000, it's well on its way to hitting its sort-of-a-joke stretch goal of $500,000. Who needs CMX?

Miniature monster figures inspired by Mattel/Bandai's classic M.U.S.C.L.E. line may just be experiencing a renaissance on Kickstarter. Following the success of three waves of OMFG! figures from George Gaspar and October Toys, the famed designer action figure purveyor known as The Sucklord is working to bring his own Gaspar-sculpted S.U.C.K.L.E. (Simply Unimportant Collectible Kitschy Little Eyesores) figures to life.Curious fans needn't wonder if these toys will manifest in general, as the official S.U.C.K.L.E. KS page has already more than doubled its goal since launching a few days ago. Instead, they can simply marvel at the line's intentionally offensive characters and ponder their backer level of choice.

DC Comics announced its second wave of perks for fans who donate to its We Can Be Heroescharity campaign this week, and if you like Superman, you're in for a treat alongside the normal benefits that come with helping people in need.

Back in 2010 ComicsAlliance talked to Miguel Cima about Dig Comics, his short film blending anthropology and evangelism with the express aim of getting more people -- especially Americans -- to read and love comics of all kinds. While Cima's initial roughly 20-minute short was successful at film festivals and comic conventions, it remained a labor of love as he and his team spent their own money and free time to produce and promote their message until the right financial backers could be found to bring a full-fledged feature or other substantial media project to life. Now, in today's crowd funding climate, Dig Comics is appealing to current comic readers and fans on Kickstarter to "to help educate, teach, learn, enjoy, evolve & carry on the positive, creative, comics torch into the future and beyond!" by funding a full-length Dig Comicsmovie.

DC Entertainment is kicking off year two of its We Can Be Heroes campaign with the slogan "Get something good. Do something great." The biggest philanthropic initiative in the history of DC Comics and its parent company, Warner Bros., We Can Be Heroes is meant to raise both funds and awareness for the hunger crisis in the Horn of Africa...

Folllowing two successfully crowdfunded waves of OMFG! figures, October Toys has returned to Kickstarter once again with a third round of its Outlandish Mini Figure Guys, a series that pays homage to toy lines such as M.U.S.C.L.E. and Monster In My Pocket...

A partner to creators looking for help producing, distributing and monetizing comics and related merchandise for almost a decade, TopatoCo has rolled out a similar new service focused on crowdfunding projects dubbed Make That Thing. The spin-off service's mission is to "help artists and creators design, print, store, and ship this things they make" so said creators can focus on executing

The co-creator of '80s indie sensation Nexus and the illustrator of Superman/Batman: World's Finest, Steve Rude is arguably one of the greatest comic book artists living today. Rude is active in the collectors market, where he continues to create one beautiful commission after another for us to enjoy...

Ryan Browne's God Hates Astronauts has been one of my favorite webcomics ever since the opening scene, in which a team of superheroes battles against an army of boxing bears, and one of the superheroes gets punched in the face for sixteen straight panels...