Shadowbinders
{{Short description|Webcomic}}
{{notability|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox webcomic|
| title = Shadowbinders
| author = Kambrea "Geeky Sparkes" Pratt & Thomas "Kneon" Pratt
| url = {{URL|https://shopclownfish.com/collections/all}}
| status = Ongoing
| began = {{Start date|2010|08|27}}
| ended = April 10, 2018 (Original Run)
| genre = Steampunk, Fantasy
}}
Shadowbinders is a young adult fantasy webcomic that features a number of steampunk themed elements. The comic is written and drawn by husband and wife Kambrea "Geeky Sparkles" Pratt (writer) and Thomas "Kneon" Pratt (artist), who has worked on Disney comics for Gemstone Publishing.{{cite news|last=Long |first=Dan |title=Punxsy couple's web comic growing in popularity |url=http://www.chron.com/news/article/Punxsy-couple-s-web-comic-growing-in-popularity-2181354.php |accessdate=25 June 2013 |newspaper=Houston Chronicle |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110925000908/http://www.chron.com/news/article/Punxsy-couple-s-web-comic-growing-in-popularity-2181354.php |archivedate=September 25, 2011 }}{{cite web |url=http://coa.inducks.org/creator.php?c=Thom+Pratt&c1=qmaker |title=Thom Pratt on INDUCKS |accessdate=2012-06-18 }} According to a television interview on WTAJ-TV, the current storyline came about when the Pratts mixed two different story ideas together.{{cite news|last=Pellas|first=Dawn|title=Shadowbinders: A Comic Book Series from Central PA!|url=http://wearecentralpa.com/fulltext?nxd_id=392432|accessdate=25 June 2013}} Since its publication, Shadowbinders has been covered and reviewed by comics media outlets such as Comic Book Resources{{cite web |url=http://robot6.comicbookresources.com/tag/shadowbinders/ |title=Shadowbinders on Robot 6 |accessdate=2013-06-25 }} and Sequential Tart.{{cite web |url=http://sequentialtart.com/reports.php?ID=8043&issue=2012-02-06 |title=Sequential Tart review of Shadowbinders, Vol. 1 |accessdate=2013-06-25 }}{{cite web |url=http://sequentialtart.com/reports.php?ID=8376&issue=2012-09-17 |title=Sequential Tart review of Shadowbinders, Vol. 2 |accessdate=2013-06-25 }}
Overview
The comic launched on August 27, 2010 and was initially updated at the rate of 2-3 pages per week. A graphic novel containing the first four chapters was released in October, 2011, and a second in August, 2012 containing Chapters 5 and 6. Digital versions of both graphic novels were made available on the ComicsPlus app by {{Proper name|iVerse Media}} on October 31, 2012.{{cite web |url=http://comicspl.us/new-releases-for-october-31-2012/ |title=ComicsPlus New Releases For October 31, 2012 |accessdate=2012-11-01 }} An omnibus collection of the first six chapters of the comic was also published in October 2012.{{cite web |url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17159315-shadowbinders |title=Shadowbinders Book One on Goodreads |accessdate=2013-06-25 }}
Originally published on www.shadowbinders.com, the comic was part of Keenspot from 2012-2013 until returning to its original URL. The last posting to the website was on April 10, 2018.
In March 2021, the Pratts announced on their YouTube channel that funding for a reprint of the first two omnibus volumes of the book would be obtained via the crowdfunding site Indiegogo.{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/post/Ugzndanr67mPKLq_2R94AaABCQ|title=Clownfish TV |website=YouTube |accessdate=2021-03-02 }}
In 2023 a pre-order campaign Vol. 3 was launched on their site for July 2024 release.
Characters
Mia White (protagonist) is a 17-year teen aged Earth girl who is transported to the world of Belatyr via a magic ring left to her by her deceased grandfather.
Crimson Rhen is a brash, arrogant, narcissistic mage and captain of a famous airship called The True North.
Tristan Barret is both the "brains and brawn" of The True North. He's Rhen's first mate.
Elaina is an apparently wealthy young woman with a mysterious past who is staying onboard The True North.
Andrew Mason is a young orphan boy that Crimson Rhen has taken under his wing.
Winston is a strange rabbit / lemur hybrid called a "feeb."
Kickstarter project
In November 2013, the Pratts attempted to use Kickstarter to fund a prequel to Shadowbinders called Crimson Rhen of The True North.[http://www.bleedingcool.com/2013/11/16/a-digital-comics-kickstarter-thatll-teach-us/ "A Digital Comics Kickstarter? That'll Teach Us!" ]BleedingCool.com. Retrieved 2013-12-18. The campaign is most notable for popularizing the term "Kicktrolling", as a backer pledged $10,000 to their campaign and then subsequently backed out.[http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/kneon/crimson-rhen-of-the-truth-north/posts/681517 "Kicktrolling" update on Kickstarter]. Retrieved 2013-12-18. The trolling incident garnered media attention on several comic book blogsJohnston, Rich. [http://www.bleedingcool.com/2013/12/03/kickstarter-fail-crimson-rhen-gets-kicktrolled-over-thanksgiving/ "Crimson Rhen Gets Kicktrolled Over Thanksgiving."] BleedingCool.com. Retrieved 2013-12-18.MacDonald, Heidi. [http://comicsbeat.com/kicktrolling-is-on-the-rise-as-funders-become-scammers/ "Kicktrolling is on the rise as funders become scammers"] The Beat. Retrieved 2013-12-18. as well as being front-paged on popular tech sites such as Hacker News[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6844538 "Kicktrolling" on Hacker News.] Retrieved 2013-12-18. and Golem.de.Sobiraj, Lars. [http://www.golem.de/news/kickstarter-kicktroll-bringt-comicproject-zum-scheitern-1312-103152.html "Kicktroll bringt Comicprojekt zum Scheitern."] Golem.de. Retrieved 2013-12-18.
Despite being featured as a Kickstarter Project of the Day,[http://shadowbinders.com/were-kickstarters-project-of-the-day/ "We're Kickstarter's Project of the Day!"] Shadowbinders.com. Retrieved 2013-12-18. and being mentioned on high-traffic sites such as io9Davis, Lauren. [http://io9.com/crowdfund-original-novels-by-fanfiction-writers-and-a-f-1474430691 "Crowdfund original novels by fanfiction writers and a Frank Cho artbook."] io9.com. Retrieved 2013-12-18. and USA Today,Matheson, Whitney. [https://www.usatoday.com/story/popcandy/2013/12/05/crowdfunding-kickstart/3879855/ "Kickstart some art: Cool projects that need our cash."] USAToday.com. Retrieved 2013-12-18. the Pratts ultimately decided to cancel funding so as to avoid another potential trolling incident.[http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/kneon/crimson-rhen-of-the-truth-north/posts/690155 "Thank you and good night."] Retrieved 2013-12-18. In 2022 the project was resumed and crowdfunded on Indiegogo.
Collected Publications
- {{citation | title = Shadowbinders, Vol. 1 | year = 2011 | publisher = Clownfish Media | isbn = 978-0-615-55750-2}}.
- {{citation | title = Shadowbinders, Vol. 2 | year = 2012 | publisher = Clownfish Media | isbn = 978-0-615-68804-6}}.
- {{citation | title = Shadowbinders Book One (Omnibus) | year = 2012 | publisher = Clownfish Studios, LLC | isbn = 978-1-622-09386-1}}
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{official|http://shadowbinders.clownfishtv.com/}}