Marvel Studios co-founder David Maisel’s new Ekos comic book universe immediately doubled its fundraising goal on Kickstarter, becoming the latest in a string of incredibly successful comic book projects funded through the platform. Within hours of launching, the campaign for Ekos Vol. 1 has raised nearly $100,000, far exceeding its original goal of 50k.
The Kickstarter for Maisel’s highly anticipated comic book project launched today, and completely shattered its funding goal, with over five hundred donors indicating an incredible level of support for Ekos Vol. 1 and the ambitious comic book world that it is set to introduce.
Now that Ekos has well-surpassed expectations for its campaign, it has been made clear to anyone hesitant about backing projects like this that audiences are as excited by new concepts, and unproven properties, as they are by familiar franchise fare.
Marvel Studios Co-Founder David Maisel’s “Ekos” Doubles Its Kickstarter Goal On Its First Day
517 Backers & $93.610 In Pledges – And Counting
David Maisel is a Duke University alum who helped self-finance and self-produce Marvel Studios, executive producing many movies in the first wave of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Phase One. His newest endeavor is Ekos, which is being promoted as “The Graphic Novel Event of the Year”. Set to be published by Aspen Comics, Ekos is inspired by the creations of Geoff Johns and the late Michael Turner, boasting a creative team of writer J.T. Krul, artist Alex Konat, inker Mark Roslan, color artist Peter Steigerwald, and letterer Josh Reed.
The synopsis for Ekos Vol. 1 reads as follows:
Ekos introduces a new superstar in Grell, who embarks on a journey to discover the world of Ekos. On his journey, Grell encounters many of the beloved characters from Michael Turner’s legacy, including superstars Aspen (Fathom) and Grace (Soulfire), as they join forces with Grell on a shared mission. This marks the first time these characters have all come together in the same universe.
The project will also feature cover art from comic legends like Alex Ross, Joe Quesada, J. Scott Campbell, Jerome Opena, Kendrick Lim, Francis Manapul, David Mack, Khary Randolph, Suya Oum, Joe Benitez, and the aforementioned Konat and Turner. Ekos is a project that was first teased back in 2003, but after Michael Turner’s passing, nothing came to pass until now, as the new project seeks to honor Turner’s name and legacy by bringing his vision to life.
Ekos Quickly Becomes One Of The Most Highly Anticipated Comic Projects
Michael Turner’s Legacy Backed By A Talented Team
Without a single issue available to read yet, over 500 backers and counting are behind this project. The reason why is simple: it’s because of who is behind this project and it’s because of the sentiment behind this project. A talented team featuring award-winning creatives led by the Marvel Studios co-founder was always going to be enough to hook some readers, but knowing that this exists to extend the legacy of Michael Turner is heartwarming enough to fund, especially readers who have been waiting to see Ekos since 2003.
Source: Kickstarter
Ekos Vol. 1 is still available to fund for another 36 days on Kickstarter.
