Earlier this week, Archie Comics started a Kickstarter campaign to raise $350,000 to fund the first six issues of three new comic book series: Jughead, Betty & Veronica, and Life With Kevin.
However, the backlash from fans and industry professionals was immense, with several comic book shops threatening to boycott Archie’s entire comic line. This isn’t the first time that a major publisher has attempted to use crowdfunding for its comics, but Archie’s insistence that it was an “independent” company that needed the funding only seemed to inflame passions against them.
Today (via Comic Book Resources), Archie has responded to the criticism by canceling its Kickstarter campaign. Before the close of the campaign, Archie had raised $34,506 from 642 backers.
“The conversation, at least in some circles, was no longer about funding these great new launches,” said Archie Comics Publisher and CEO Jon Goldwater. “Once that happened, we decided it was time to stop. While we don’t mind putting ourselves under the microscope or answering questions, the creators involved didn’t deserve that level of negative attention. Though we fully expected to get funded, we felt it was time to step back.”
Goldwater indicated that the three new series will still be published, with Jughead by writer Chip Zdarsky (Howard The Duck) pushed back to October. The new Betty and Veronica series by Adam Hughes, and Life with Kevin by Dan Parent and J. Bone don’t currently have new release dates.
What are your thoughts on Archie’s crowdfunding adventure? Let us know in the comment section below!
