Comics creator and entrepreneur C. Spike Trotman doesn’t like doing things the easy way. She built her company, Iron Circus Comics, on crowdfunding, back in the days when people thought that was the equivalent of raising money with a begging bowl. More than 40 successful projects later, she’s running one of the largest independent comics imprints left standing. A few years ago, she expanded into animation with a project called Lackadaisy, now a huge hit. So it is no surprise that Iron Circus just announced a collaboration with game creators Indiepocalypse to launch a series of videogames, bringing together comic creators and developers, under the new banner of Iron Circus Games.
C. Spike Trotman, founder/publisher, Iron Circus Comics
“Making video games is an ambition I’ve harbored for years, even though I was totally clueless as to how to go about it,” said Trotman. “I’m used to doing everything myself, so I tried to teach myself programming and spent huge piles of time that I don’t really have, but my ambitions would always outstrip my abilities.” She said that when Indiepocalypse founder Andrew Baille (better known as Pizzapranks) reached out with the possibility of a partnership, she leapt at the chance.
“Since 2020 I’ve been releasing a monthly alternative indie game anthology called Indiepocalypse,” said Baillie. “Indiepocalypse features games from 10 developers each month, 9 from open submissions and one that is newly commissioned. There is also a companion zine that is primarily designed for “demoing” the anthologies, featuring pages for each game, post-mortems, and a cover from an artist working outside of games. I started Indiepocalypse with the goal of supporting and highlighting developers making games in the independent, self-published, no-budget space and can’t imagine a better partner for this project than Iron Circus.”
The project, which launches on BackerKit today, is looking to raise at least $10,000 to develop short, casual desktop videogames in collaboration with Iron Circus comics creators.
“These kind of games feature a unique level of creativity that is difficult to get across in a big, corporate-style project,” said Trottman. “It’s the same with the kind of comics we do. In both camps, the indie world is where the most interesting stuff is being done.”
According to the announcement, the following titles will be part of the BackerKit campaign and made available to project supporters at the $30 level. Each is a collaboration between a comic maker and a game developer.
· Clown Angel Dragon, by Emily Koonce and Paloma Dawkins
· Interactive History of Coumpuvations and Interactive Software, by PIZZAPRANKS and John-Charles Holmes, a curated, retrospective collection for Coumpuvations and Interactive Software, a famous, defunct game company that enjoys a dedicated following of diehard fans to this very day… and never existed. It features a series of short games throughout the company’s fictional history
· Spellbound: A Magical Mystery, by Robin and Elefluff, a magical organization and puzzle game with a hidden mystery
· Taleteller, by Jess M. and Farbs, in which a young apprentice must save his cursed, tale-telling teacher in this narrative-driven, exploratory 3D adventure that blurs the lines between picture book and videogame
· Teething, by Kel McDonald and Ren, where you’re the parent of a young werewolf. Puppy-proof your home before the next full moon, or face the consequences!
· Voluntary Commitment, by Evan Dahm and exodrifter: You’ve been involuntarily committed to a strange facility against your will, and under dubious circumstances. Meet and befriend other interesting characters as you try to stay under the radar of the wardens, and escape the facility for good!
Additional rewards are available at different levels of the campaign, according to Iron Circus.
“There’s a lot of variation in terms of how the collaboration works,” explained Trotman. But behind the effort is Iron Circus’s long track record of successfully delivering crowdfunded projects, even expensive and ambitious ones like Lackadaisy. “We set due dates, and if they don’t meet the dates, they’re out. I don’t slow the train down for people who can’t make deadlines.”
Asked if generative AI will play any part in the game development, Trotman replied, “Absolutely not.”
For fans of offbeat videogames, comics, and ground-level creativity in general, the approach – and success – of Iron Circus is encouraging. “I’ve had a lot of conversations with people outside of the publishing world who say that they’re interested in doing something different and it turns out to be just a lot of talk,” said Trotman.
“Iron Circus Animation’s success with Tracy Butler and director Fable Siegel for the Lackadaisy animation was largely due to our shared insistence that we do it ourselves, on our own terms. And that’s the same spirit as the Indiepocalypse project. These are not corporate games. We’re not chasing a four quadrant audience. We’re creating weird and beautiful games that we would want to play, and inviting the Iron Circus family to join us on this journey.”
Promotional image for a BackerKit campaign for the collaboration between Iron Circus Comics and … [+]
