Crowdfunding Comics: ‘Lackadaisy’ Prohibition-Era Webcomic Now Funding

Iron Circus Animation, a new off-shot of Iron Circus Comics, has launched a new crowdfunding campaign on BackerKit for new editions of graphic novel for the Eisner-nominated Lackadaisy by Tracey Butler. As well as the books, they aim to also create  Lackadaisy plushes, and an all-new, 10-minute Lackadaisy animated short, directed by Fable Siegel, that will continue the story begun in the Lackadaisy 27-minute animated pilot and has racked up nearly 10 million views. The campaign is now live on BackerKit.

Check out the full pilot below:

Here’s more on Lackadaisy:

“Set in St. Louis, Missouri in the midst of Prohibition, Lackadaisy features an eclectic cast and a charming, but crime-filled, speakeasy tucked away in a cave beneath the Little Daisy Cafe. Patrons who flash the club symbol from a deck of cards are granted all the moonshine and music they desire. The story features action and adventure, comedy and crime, and a colorful cast of jazz cats, including the Lackadaisy’s freshly-widowed proprietor Mitzi May, jazz fiddler and rumrunner Rocky Rickaby, bespectacled hatchetman Mordecai Heller, and jazz-baby flapper Ivy Pepper.“

The new Iron Circus campaign will include:

• New, lush, 11.25″ x 10.25″ hardcover editions of Lackadaisy;

• The Lackadaisy Essentials, an art-and-lore volume highlighting the scenes and characters of the Lackadaisy universe.

• Limited edition plushies of Lackadaisy’s chaotic protagonist Rocky Rickaby, and fan-favorite criminal kitty, Mordecai Heller.

• A new animated episode feature a top shelf cast including Michael Kovach (@kovox) as Rocky Rickaby, Belsheber Rusape (@BelRusapeVO) as Calvin “Freckle” McMurray, Lisa Reimold (@lisareimold) as Ivy Pepper, Ashe Wagner (@TheQueenViking) as Mitzi May and SungWon Cho (@ProZD) as Mordecai Heller.

Here’s more on the history of this fan-favourite, award-winning comic and creator and former game artist Tracy Butler:

“(Tracy) conceptualized and began work on Lackadaisy as a webcomic in 2006 after researching the history of her St. Louis surroundings, and being inspired by her love of jazz music, and 1920s aesthetics. Tracy co-wrote the script for the animated pilot with director Fable Siegel and oversaw a lot of the ensuing creative direction on the project.”

Speaking of the pilot’s reception, Tracy Butler said:

“The reception to the Lackadaisy pilot has been truly overwhelmingA crew of over 150 artists introduced Lackadaisy’s world of gangsters, flappers, jazz musicians to millions of viewers around the world. That kind of success has encouraged us to continue to tell the story of these off-kilter cats in the only way we know how: with complete creative independence.

If you want more animated Lackadaisy, supporting this BackerKit is the most direct way to make sure that happens! Independent funding like this is the best way to ensure we have the freedom to create this series on our own terms, and see it through to its true conclusion.”

Fable Siegel added:

“Our three years of experience running a studio has taught us a lot about the animation process and given us a great idea of what we want to do going forward to create more animated episodes of Lackadaisy. So, we’re keeping things very simple with the campaign: any stretch goals for this project will be in the service of creating more animation.”

You can also catch the trailer for the new Season 1 BackerKit campaign that’s just landed below:

Iron Circus’ Spike Trotman said:

“The internet is rife with stories of animated series and films debuted with great fanfare and promise, but are shelved, fumbled, canceled, locked in a vault, pulled from streaming, or left to die on the vine, sometimes for no reason other than to balance the books of a corporate merger, or earn a tax break. We don’t want that for Lackadaisy. We want to retain ownership, direction, and oversight. We want to make more of what millions of viewers have already come to love about our animation. And beyond that? We feel we’ve come to the fore at a potentially critical moment for the future of independent animation. We have a chance to help establish the new normal. We don’t just want to do this, we want to prove it can be done. And to do that, we’re going to need your help.”