The Edge Off is a new 28 page one-shot comic book coming from Cabal Comics. The purpose of this campaign is to raise funds to cover printing costs so we can bring the project to life. It is written by Fraser Campbell with art from Iain Laurie, colour art by David B. Cooper and lettering by Colin Bell.
The Story
Mob enforcer Lee Butler was always the old man’s favourite, but now the old man is gone and Eddie, the son who always felt usurped by Lee, is calling the shots. When Lee wakes up to find himself spiked with a new designer psychotropic and his daughter kidnapped, he figures Eddie has worked out Lee’s been moonlighting for one of his rivals. Desperate to get his daughter back, Lee sets off into a swirling nightmare of danger and double cross, his perceptions fried, unable to tell which monsters are real and which are imagined. As the night unfolds, Lee finds himself compelled to run a violent gantlet towards a confrontation that will force him to face up to every terrible decision he’s ever made.
“Taken Meets Eraserhead”
The Edge Off combines Fraser’s love of noir and action with the dark imagination of artist Iain Laurie and channels their mutual love of David Lynch, films such as "Performance" and "The Long Good Friday" and the comics of Charles Burns and Daniel Clowes.
The Kickstarter has a target of £1,400 which will be used to cover printing costs. It features exclusively priced treats like original pages from the comic, commission slots from artist Iain Laurie and a variant cover by none other than Frank Quitely (All Star Superman, Batman, X-Men, The Invisibles, We3, The Multiversity). We are also lucky to have another variant by fantastic artist Garry Brown (The Massive, Batman, Black Road, Crude), plus we have some fun ideas for stretch goals if we’re lucky enough to go beyond target.
What’s the Buzz?
We’ve been lucky enough to get some amazing feedback from some industry pros and advance reviews from some brilliant comic websites. Here’s what they have to say:
“If you’ve ever wanted to watch a version of Taken directed by an especially weirded out Lynch then The Edge Off is just for you. Beautifully illustrated, disconcerting images accompanied by a story with as many turns as the Monaco Grand Prix - a masterpiece of dreamscape comic story-telling.” Mike Perkins (artist on Captain America, Thor, X-Men)
“Meet The Edge Off -- one part Elmore Leonard and one part David Lynch. What if Eraserhead was a rough crime thriller? What if that noir hero stepped out of the shadows on plenty of pharmaceuticals? Don't miss it! Find out!” Steve Orlando (writer of JLA, Supergirl, Midnighter, Virgil)
“Man alive! THE EDGE OFF is a fantastic roar to a bitter end. Savagely paced and flat-out brutal. Great work.” Brian Level (artist on Amazing Spider-Man, Deadpool, Constantine: The Hellblazer)
“A gripping narrative, and a fascinating example of writer/artist symbiosis.” John Lees (writer of And Then Emily Was Gone, Sink)
“Creepy and trippy and something to behold.” Jason Copeland (artist on Judge Dredd, Kill All Monsters)
“You’d be an absolute idiot to miss out on this one.” Big Comic Page (full review here)
Creators
Fraser Campbell is the writer of comics Alex Automatic, Sleeping Dogs, and Splendid Grins and publishes work under his own Cabal Comics imprint. His comic Alex Automatic won best UK Single Issue at Edinburgh Comic Con in 2017.
Iain Laurie is best known as the artist behind Iain Laurie’s Horror Mountain and the smash-hit indie horror And Then Emily Was Gone. He also contributed to DC’s Love is Love anthology in 2017.
David B. Cooper is a colourist from Glasgow, Scotland. In addition to colouring books such as Alex Automatic, Forged and Double D, he has written and self-published comics Face Down In The Mud and Dead Silence.
Colin Bell letters comics for publishers such as Image, Dark Horse and Boom! Studios. However, Colin is best known for his work as writer on the acclaimed all-ages comic Dungeon Fun.
Original Art Rewards and Commissions
As well as the chance to grab the comic, we're offering the chance to own some of the original art by Iain Laurie. There are three one-of-a-kind pages available currently but we may expand this if it proves popular. As well as this, Iain is offering some strictly limited commission slots - 5x A4 slots at £30.00 and 5x A3 slots at £50.00 - all coming with a print copy of the comic.
Risks and challenges
The comic is complete and ready for print. This is my third Kickstarter (following Alex Automatic #1 & #2) and obviously anyone who has backed those projects knows we can be trusted to deliver on campaign pledges. As always, commission delivery dates should be taken as a guide and may change slightly, but we’ll endeavour to get these out as quickly as we can. The comic will be sent to the printers as soon as funds clear and will hopefully be ready to send out at some point in June or early July.
Postage
A quick note of caution regarding postage – if you are considering an original page or an A3 commission postage will be expensive. Obviously you’ll see how much on the reward level but we wanted to make sure you are all fully aware before buying. Postage costs seem to be forever on the rise, especially for outsize items going abroad. Hopefully that doesn’t put you off, but please do bear it in mind.
Questions about this project? Check out the FAQ
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Funding period
- (30 days)