Making the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals accessible to everyone through the universal language of comics!
Reading With Pictures – in partnership with PCI Media Impact and PVBLIC Foundation – is working in close coordination with the United Nations and an unprecedented international coalition of comics publishers and cartoonists to produce a comic that will engage and inspire millions of readers around the world. Help us make this important project a reality!
Today’s spotlighted partner is NBM. NBA is offering a set of Signed and Numbered editions of The Fairy Tales of Oscar Wilde by comics legend P. Craig Russell. You’ll find a full description in the Rewards Section below at the $170 level. Also available from NBM at the $42 pledge level is a set of two digital graphic novels: the Eisner Award nominated “Dog Butts and Love. And Stuff Like That. And Cats,” and “Louise Brooks, Detective.”
Before we can share Comics Uniting Nations with the world, we actually have to make it. And that won’t be easy, because we’re not just making one comic, we’re making seventeen of them. One for each of the Global Goals.
Each ten-page comic will be produced by an international team of cartoonists working in concert to create a compelling call to action. We’re also partnering with an unprecedented coalition of comics publishers (Seriously, check out our publisher partner list down the page!) and acclaimed talent from around the world to generate a series of single-page comics designed to introduce the Global Goals to the world at large.
We’re also giving the whole thing away. To ensure the widest possible distribution, the finished product will be made available for free in multiple languages under a Creative Commons license that will allow anyone, anywhere to host and distribute the content in digital and/or print format so long as no one profits from the exchange or alters the content. Our ultimate goal is to reach upward of 100 million people worldwide.
But we can’t do it alone.
We’re pursuing institutional grant funding, but the process moves slowly. Too slowly, in fact, for us to meet our fast-approaching September release deadline.
Which means that it’s up to you – the fans – to make Comics Uniting Nations a reality. Becauseyou are the early adopters. You are the vanguard of comics culture.
And with your help, comics will unite all nations!
Primary Goal: $60k – Four Stories
This lets us retain the crew of seasoned editors, designers and educational experts we’ve recruited to oversee the entire project. It also funds the creation of four comics in the six official UN languages plus Japanese. We would then use those four comics as a proof-of-concept to help us procure grant funding for the other thirteen. This won’t pay for everything, but it at least gives Comics Uniting Nations a running start.
Stretch Goal: $190k – All Seventeen Stories
This isn’t actually a single stretch goal. Rather it’s thirteen of them, because for each additional $10k we raise, we unlock production on a new comic until all seventeen are fully funded. It sounds ambitious, and it is, but we believe that you’ll make this happen. Because you’re fans, and you already know that comics can change lives because comics changed yours. Now we ask you to help us do the same for millions of others worldwide.
Reading With Pictures has been assembling a team of experienced and acclaimed comics creators from around the world to illustrate the Global Goals:
We are still actively recruiting talent for Comics Uniting Nations. Interested creators may query here.
Check out our website to learn more about our project and our coalition of non-profits, publishing and creative partners. And find out how YOU can join the cause!
$25 – A Digital Copy of Comics Uniting Nations – Kickstarter Exclusive Edition
A digital copy of the Comics Uniting Nations project, including the PSAs and pinups. This edition will include materials exclusive to this Kickstarter campaign, including behind-the-scenes process layers and creator commentary. Fulfillment by our digital distribution partners, comiXology and Humble Bundle.
Plus, a 1-year Pro membership at GoComics, providing unlimited, ad-free access to some of the most beloved comic strips on earth.
$31- Teshkeel Digital Bundle
Digital comics fulfilled by comiXology
$40 – Papercutz Lego Ninjago Digital Graphic Novel Bundle
Digital graphic novels fulfilled by comiXology
$42 – NBM Digital Bundle
$45 – Reading With Pictures Bundle
Plus, a digital copy of Comics Uniting Nations – Kickstarter Exclusive Edition and a 1-year Pro membership at GoComics.
$50 – BOOM! Studios Digital Bundle
Digital comics fulfilled by comiXology
Plus, a digital copy of Comics Uniting Nations – Kickstarter Exclusive Edition and a 1-year Pro membership at GoComics
$70 – IDW Digital Bundle
Digital copies of the trade paperback collections fulfilled by comiXology:
Plus, a digital copy of Comics Uniting Nations – Kickstarter Exclusive Edition and a 1-year Pro membership at GoComics
$125 – ONI Ultimate Digital Bundle
Digital comics and digital trade paperbacks (for the Comixology platform)
Plus, a digital copy of Comics Uniting Nations – Kickstarter Exclusive Edition and a 1-year Pro membership at GoComics
$170 – NBM Fairy Tales of Oscar Wilde Bundle
$1,000 – Josh Elder Presentation and Workshop
Josh Elder, founder of Reading With Pictures and Comics Ambassador for the US State Department, will provide an entire day’s worth of programming – including cartooning workshops and educator seminars – to an audience of your choosing.
Travel and lodging costs are not included in this reward and will be at the expense of the party pledging.
$5,000 – A Cameo Appearance in Comics Uniting Nations
Become part of the story by having yourself or someone of your choosing drawn into one of the 17 Global Goal comics in a cameo role.
Plus a digital copy of Comics Uniting Nations – Kickstarter Exclusive Edition and a 1-year Pro membership at GoComics.com
$10,000 – Make a Story Happen
Get us one huge step closer to our goal by covering the costs for one of the seventeen comics! You will be recognized in the acknowledgments for your generous contribution.
Plus a digital copy of Comics Uniting Nations – Kickstarter Exclusive Edition and a 1-year Pro membership at GoComics.com
The primary challenges for this project are funding and time frame. If we have the funding, the staff is in place and it’s just a matter of entering full production mode and assuming the normal risks associated with producing a series of comics.