The right idea can have a massive impact on an entire industry — and that’s what Vault Comics and Zoop seem to be banking on with a brand-new endeavor. Beginning today, the two companies are joining forces for a new crowdbuilding campaign called Barbaric “Join the Horde” Crowdbuilding Campaign. You heard that right; it’s not crowdfunding but building. The project, already up and running, will go through through Tuesday, April 5th.
Fans who sign up for the campaign will get access to free perks and exclusive purchasable perks. It’s an ingenious idea meant to shift the focus away from the funding to fandom (and in opposition of how other crowd-based websites operate). And it’s just that simple: as more fans show up, more rewards will be unlocked. We’re talking swag, rewards from the Vault library, and access to a limited number of special early-bird gifts. These rewards will never be produced again; once they’re gone, they’re gone for good.
To get insight into this generally novel approach, I spoke with the Wassel brothers, Adrian (Vault’s editor-in-chief) and Damian (Vault’s CEO). The pair talk about the project’s origins, the larger value of the campaign (for fans and creators), and even some possible other crowdbuilding plans.
AIPT: I love the idea of “Join the Horde” and the Crowdbuilding Campaign. It’s not about funding but fandom. How long has this been in the works? This is a big idea!
Damian Wassel: Thanks for sharing our enthusiasm for this one. The answer depends on what you mean by “in the works”. How long have Adrian and I been kicking around some version of this concept? Probably four years, thinking through the best approach and trying to avoid the obvious traps. How long have we actively been working with Zoop to put something together? Since October.
Adrian Wassel: Like so many endeavors in this business, the big idea has been around for years. Making the idea real happened quickly once we had a partner that saw the potential. I don’t want to prattle on too much, but I’m genuinely excited for how much this opens the doors between indie comics creators and fans. Often, indie comic book series have dedicated fandoms who don’t get much opportunity to join together around the story they love and see that support enrich it. There’s no funding goal here. It’s really as simple as: the more Barbaric fans show up, the more they convince friends to try the series for free, the more cool stuff we can keep offering them.
Courtesy of Vault Comics.
AIPT: Fans who sign up can read Barbaric: Born in Blood #1 digitally for free. The first issue is also free to retailers…how are you guys doing this and staying out of the red?!
DW: It’s all about trying to land a big enough audience. That’s pretty much the extent of it. So, maybe you would call this a Field of Dreams strategy? It worked out well enough for Costner in the end. I have confidence we’ll see equally exciting results.
AIPT: What are some of the perks you’re most excited about in the “Join The Horde” Crowdbuilding Campaign?
DW: I am, first and foremost, a reader. So, nothing excites me more than beautiful special editions of books. We have some awesome exclusive editions available in the campaign. I also love extras and behind-the-scenes looks, and we have some really special unlockable rewards that will give fans a deep look into how Barbaric has come together as a comic. The thing is, we know we are not our own target audience. So we’ve packed the campaign full of things for all sorts of fans. Whether you love digital freebies, enamel pins, or special edition t-shirts, we’ve got something for you.
AW: I already spend all day with my nose in the books, so I want the t-shirt! The t-shirt we’ve been planning is so badass and the quality is unreal — legitimately, it has to be custom cut and sewn here in the U.S. to do the full edge-to-edge art like we want. That sort of quality is expensive to produce. But that’s what makes this Crowdbuilding Campaign so rad: we’re not asking fans to fund it. We simply believe that if enough fans show up and see all the incredible tiers and unlocks we’re giving away for free, many will be stoked to buy a shirt or a pin to support Mike, Nate, and the life of the series.
AIPT: I know folks sometimes get nervous when “digital’ comics are involved. How does the campaign support local comic shops?
DW: Well, I think you may have answered your own question by calling attention to our free-to-retailer initiative around our key titles. Since we launched that initiative, we have given away hundreds of thousands of new comics to our retail partners. At retail value, that’s more than $1.25 million worth of comics. The goal of our Crowdbuilding Campaigns together with our free-to-retailer initiative is to ensure that every fan, everywhere has a chance to read our books.
AW: Vault’s already given 1.25 million reasons why we care more about supporting local comic shops than any other publishing partner. And we’re not slowing down. Barbaric: Born in Blood #1 is available free-to-retailers right now. For years, retailers have asked publishers: what are you doing to promote and build fan bases? Well, here we are. We are actively building a Barbaric fanbase. We’re amassing the horde of barbarians. And we’re making sure our retail partners are equipped with the stock they need at our expense. We’re putting our money where our mouths are. There’s a reason we equipped stores with the free #1, a $10 TPB volume one, and bundle discounting on our trades. We’re being the most active publishing partner in direct market comics at answering the aforementioned question.
Courtesy of Vault Comics.
AIPT: Is there a portal or a place for the fandom to come together? I could imagine a chat being hugely cool for something like this.
DW: We’re actually in the quiet early stages of rolling out a whole new Vault online community. We’ll be using that to create a space for fans and supporters to interact with one another and the creators of Barbaric. Folks can check it out at this link.
AIPT: I noticed “Join the Horde” is in quotes. Does this mean you have other Crowdbuilding Campaigns in the works?
DW: At this time, we can neither confirm nor deny these allegations.
Damian Wassel
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