By Zack Quaintance — Welcome to the latest edition of Baby’s Got to Back, our monthly list of Kickstarter highlights. Before we get into the 10 comics Kickstarters that I am most intrigued by for the month, I must first apologize for not having the usual interview with a featured project. Look, I sent some emails, some emails were not returned, and also I’m in the process of moving so this job for which I earn no money suffers just a bit.

But enough of my bad (maybe good?) life choices! Let’s get on to this month’s Very Excellent list…

Kickstarter Comics March 2021 - PICK OF THE MONTH

However! Just because I don’t have an interview done, does not mean that I’m throwing the PICK OF THE MONTH concept out entirely. Far from it. Today I’m actually proud to highlight a new project from former site contributor, my pal Jarred Luján. It’s The Twin Blades, and I’ve been so excited to back this since Jarred told me about the idea before there was even an artist attached. It’s got so many great ingridients, from Aztec mythology to big old swords, and Jarred’s skills and excitement for the work speak for themselves.

Highly recommend this one!

PICK OF THE MONTH
The Twin Blades
Writer: Jarred Luján
Artist: Julio Suarez
Colorist: Rocco Langg
Letterer: Gabriela Downie
There have been four previous suns over four previous earths...each one born of the gods' sacrifice and each destroyed by the gods' conflicts.
When the gods came together to create the Fifth Sun, the Soul Guide of the Dead, Xolotl, refused to perform his own sacrificial rite. Jaded after millenia of destruction and death, Xolotl hid away and watched his family sacrifice themselves in the name of hope for life beyond themselves.
Xolotl, alone and ashamed, became racked with guilt, causing him to weep so intensely that his eyes fell from his head and descended to the center of the newly forged universe: the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan.
Seeing an opportunity to redeem himself, to honor the sacrifice of his family, Xolotl guided the Aztecs to forge two macahuitl, imbued with a piece of his own godhood. The Left and Right Eye of Xolotl, entrusted to twin siblings to wield together in defense of the Fifth Sun, became known as...The Twin Blades.
Back It Now: The Twin Blades on Kickstarter

Other March 2021 Comics Kickstarters to Back

2021 Publications From Birdcage Bottom Books
Writers: Various
Artists: Various
The 2021 Birdcage Bottom Books publications will include a punk-themed anthology, a graphic novel, and four mini-comics.
Too Tough to Die: From “tired of being pushed around” to “just plain tired”, the TOO TOUGH TO DIE anthology explores the spectrum of what it means to be an aging punk through personal stories by some of the best cartoonists around. Shifting perspectives on angsty rebellion, the importance of community, persistent racism within the scene, appearance and identity and more are covered within this nearly 300 page tome.
Everything Is Super: Everything is Super follows the misadventures of Lloyd the Human Hemorrhoid Herman as he stumbles through contemporary life in a dead end, backwater superhero town. Volume one collects issues one through four. Recommended for mature audiences.
And more!
Back It Now: 2021 Publications From Birdcage Bottom Books

Chronicles of the Immortal Swordsmen.jpeg

Chronicles of the Immortal Swordsmen #1
Writer: Peter Shiao
Artist: Gabe Sapienza
Colorist: Irma Kniivila
Letterer: Deron Bennett
Written by Peter Shiao, with art by Gabe Sapienza, colors by Irma Kniivila and letters by Deron Bennett, the double-sized first issue follows Phil Du, a young man whose heroic reawakening into an ancient order of supernatural warriors coincides with a new civil war and a cataclysmic occurrence known as The Reckoning.
Phil Du feels a yearning in his heart for something so awe-inspiring and indescribable that it overwhelms him. But his life is filled with struggle. While he bides his time with parkour and as Ironpond, his alter-ego in a virtual fantasy game, he is beginning to have visions of strange things -- like immortality.
Back It Now: Chronicles of the Immortal Swordsmen #1 on Kickstarter

The Day The Klan Came to Town
Writer: Bill Campbell
Artist: Bizhan Khodabandeh
Foreward By: P. Djeli Clark
The year is 1923. The Ku Klux Klan is at the height of its power in the U.S. as membership swells into the millions and they expand beyond their original southern borders. As they grow, so do their targets. As they continue their campaigns of terror against African Americans, their list now includes Catholics and Jews, southern and eastern Europeans, all in the name of “white supremacy.” But they are no longer considered a terrorist organization. By adding the messages of moral decency, family values, and temperance, the Klan has slapped on a thin veneer of respectability and has become a “civic organization,” attracting ordinary citizens, law enforcement, and politicians to their particular brand of white, Anglo-Saxon, and Protestant “Americanism.”
Pennsylvania enthusiastically joined that wave. That was when the Grand Dragon of Pennsylvania decided to display the Klan’s newfound power in a show of force. He chose a small town outside of Pittsburgh named after Andrew Carnegie; a small, unassuming borough full of “Catholics and Jews,” the perfect place to teach these immigrants “a lesson.” Some thirty thousand members of the Klan gathered from as far as Kentucky for “Karnegie Day.” After initiating new members, they armed themselves with torches and guns to descend upon the town to show them exactly what Americanism was all about.
Back It Now: The Day The Klan Came to Town

Glarien of White Ash #1
Writer: Charlie Stickney
Artist: Romina Moranelli
Colorist: Fin Cramb
Letterer: Conor Hughes
Glarien follows the stories of two women and the different paths they take to overcome life-altering tragedies. Jumping from the elf realm of ancient Alfheim to the gritty streets of New York City circa 1971, two seemingly-unrelated tales will slowly weave together to reveal a critical piece of White Ash's complicated past. Oh, and because Glarien is involved, expect carnage... lots and LOTS of carnage.
For those readers coming from White Ash, we do want to reiterate, Glarien is a more MATURE book. White Ash follows Aleck and Lillian, two PG-13 characters in an R-rated world. Glarien is an R-Rated character... in an R-rated world. And as such, to appropriately tell that story, there are themes that are intrinsic to her character that need to be explored. But perhaps the best way of showing you all what Glarien is all about is to jump right into an...
Back It Now: Glarien of White Ash #1 on Kickstarter

Hunt for the Solavore
Writer: Grant DeArmitt
Artist: Lane Lloyd
Like a vampire needs blood, so the ancient evil known as THE SOLAVORE needs the energy of a sun. Absent for centuries from the far-off galaxy of the Morrigen people, the Solavore had disappeared into the realm of myth. But now, with one of their solar systems facing a cosmic loss, the Morrigen are learning that the Solavore is not only real... but hungry.
For years, the Galactic Kingdom of the Morrigen had been protected by its latest ruler, the brave and brilliant KING THEOSIS. Committed to the freedom and safety of his people, King Theosis has lead the Morrigen through decades of darkness, striving toward a future of progress and peace. But after so many battles, Theosis's beard has gone white; the grip on his sword has grown weaker. And after a devastating personal loss, Theosis must summon a strength he's never known to defeat the worst threat the Morrigen have ever seen.
Fortunately for Theosis, his husband ABBINOIR will be there to help. Wise and compassionate as any ruler his people have served, Abbinoir is Theosis's personal strength. While the king is looking out for the kingdom, Abbinoir looks out for its king. And though he's been doing it for all of Theosis's reign, every new threat weighs more on his mind, none more so than the Solavore. After all, how can you protect a man who must protect a kingdom?
Back It Now: Hunt for the Solavore on Kickstarter

The Preserve #1
Writer: L.A. Chavez
Artist: Taylor Keith
Colorist: Crystal Pandita
Letterer: Lettersquids
What if hunting became the biggest sport and television event in the world? In a world where most animals have been hunted to extinction, technology now allows people to create whatever monster they want for their bloody entertainment. Hunters from all over the world rise to the challenge to earn a spot in the world finals of The Preserve! For the former champion, Winston Abara, and his artist, Rachel Lin, their journey to victory will for more than glory and riches, but the chance to save their home. Yet the primal allure of the game is powerful, and despite going against Winston's belief in the natural order of life, will he succumb to the evil influence of...The Preserve."
Back It Now: The Preserve #1 on Kickstarter

They Call Her…The Dancer #1
Writer: Kat Calamia
Artist: E.V. Cantada
Colorist: Danny Faubricio Sanchez
Letterer: Matt Bowers
At first glance, They Call Her…The Dancer is about analyzing the similarities and differences between dance and martial arts. Dance is something that is seen as beautiful, but many don’t think about the pain that is done to one’s body to truly be a dancer. Martial arts are thought of as violent because it’s a form of “fighting”, but there’s also a dance like quality to this work of art.
But once you dig deeper, the reader will quickly realize that The Dancer is actually a story about mental health. Mia is forced to face her own childhood trauma of witnessing her parents’ murder when she becomes the enemy that she once dedicated her life to fight against. The Dancer is a morally gray story that shows that good and evil aren’t so black and white.
Back It Now: They Call Her…Dancer #1

SfSX: Terms of Service Graphic Novel
Writer: Tina Horn
Artist: G. Romero-Johnson
Colorist: Kelly Fitzpatrick
Letterer: Steve Wands
Cover Artist: Tula Lotay
SfSx: Terms of Service is the brand new original graphic novel by the creatives that brought you SfSx: Protection, with some exciting new additions to the team! SfSx (Safe Sex) is a sci-fi comic book series as erotic as it is witty, as gruesome as it is thrilling, as political as it is deeply emotional. SfSx: Protection introduced us to a dystopian America ruled by the ultra-conservative Party, and the queer sex rebel underground known as the Dirty Mind. After their previous adventures in sex, love, and torture left them separated and traumatized, our Dirty Mind heroes must face new state sanctioned nightmares in SfSx: Terms of Service.
ToS brings the same combination of sensual thrills, fetish imagination, and political subtext that fans of SfSx have come to love. Both a continuation of the series' world-building and a stand-alone graphic novel, this intelligent and colorful dystopian satire is perfect for fans of Ex Machina, "San Junipero,” and Pose.
Our hero Avory, now incarcerated at the Pleasure Center, is introduced to Redistro, a new social program created by the villainous Inspector Wilder and Dr Powell. Designed to serve a twisted men's rights movement, Redistro involves uncanny sexpots and warped pleasure tech. As Avory attempts to break the system from the inside, her crew holed up at the Dirty Mind’s secret headquarters hack into a virtual world, with highly personal consequences. What follows involves seductive cyberspace, hot hookups, kinky A.I., the fight for liberation, and much more.
Back It Now: SfSX Terms of Service on Kickstarter

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Zack Quaintance is a tech reporter by day and freelance writer by night/weekend. He Tweets compulsively about storytelling and comics as Comics Bookcase.