I grew up in a crazy cat lady home. We had so, so many cats. And this is my every single tail (so far).
The Catalogue is an ongoing collection of short comics that shares the stories of cats that have been a part of my life.
As a cartoonist who specializes in autobiographical/memoir comics, telling stories that are true to life is not only a cheap form of therapy, but also a wonderful way to revisit and celebrate fond memories. The comics range from cute to curious, sad to silly, and everything in between. The Catalogue is my way of honoring my furry family.
Volumes 1-3 of The Catalogue were originally published between 2016-2017 as saddle-stitched mini comics (32-36 pages each), and they are almost OUT OF PRINT!
I need your help to make one final print run of these comics!
What will you get for supporting this campaign?
When you back this project, you will be able to grab a bundle of ALL THREE volumes of The Catalogue, along with the option to purchase other comics or goodies made by me! (More on that below)
These three books contain:
- 9 short stories about...
- 10 different cats, totaling...
- 100 pages of comics!
See preview pages AND more about the cast of cats below. ;)
Also, every backer receiving a physical reward will also get a FREE set of dinosaur pun stickers AND a trio of cat bookmarks as my thanks to you!
Why do I need help with a reprint?
My funding goal has a very narrow purpose: Help me cover the cost of re-printing these three comics. That's it! Any print run costs a significant amount of money upfront, and these funds will help me to offset that cost AND keep the price of each mini-comic nice and affordable. This will also be a smaller scale print run, which means each copy costs a little more to print - and that each copy is a bit more precious, so guarantee yourself a copy through this campaign!.
Why is this the final reprint?
You ask a lot of great questions. The simple answer is that I am tidying up the number of books that I have available for sale. Maintaining a large stock of different comics gets expensive and cumbersome, so I am ready for one last ride with these three beloved books. This will be a limited print run before the comics, in their original mini-comic form, are finally out of print.
Will there be more volumes of The Catalogue?
Yes! Truth be told, this project has been on the back burner as I worked on other comics (available as add-on rewards as part of this campaign!), but I have an enormous list of stories waiting in the wings for the many, many cats I have not yet featured. A kitten who battled bees? Babysitting an exotic Bengal cat? Committing light fraud to save an elder mom cat? We've barely scratched the surface, and I would love to continue.
My goal was for The Catalogue has been for it to be an ongoing series, so it may take the form of another mini-comic, a webcomic, or maybe even a complete collection in the future! I hope you'll enjoy these comics and look forward to even more like them.
Check out preview pages from The Catalogue!
Rewards (+MORE COMICS!)
If you're looking for a little something extra when you back this campaign, I've got you! You have the option of purchasing illustrated prints, enamel pins (limited stock), and even more comics.
WANT MORE COMICS?
- Weird Me: Once upon a time, I was the moderately successful teenage webmaster of a "Weird Al" Yankovic website. This is my story of growing up online at the turn of the century. (See preview pages here)
-
The Phantom of Eternia: A true story about Karaoke, Skeletor, and the Music of the Night. I found myself in the clutches of Skeletor's unshifting musical gaze, and in much the same predicament that befell the heroine of Phantom of the Opera -- enclosed is the tale of my fate. (See preview pages here)
- Oh, The Things You Won't Know!: A Seussical ode to a drunk girl's night out; the details of which she'll know nothing about. This parody comic provides a cautionary tale for those who may be entering college or any other questionable phase of their life. (See preview pages here)
- Apricot Dumplings: Uncovering the mystery of a family death on a contentious, once-in-a-lifetime mother/daughter visit to the homeland. This short graphic memoir is an Austrian travelogue that explores the nature of family connections. (See preview pages here)
You can also choose to add a copy of Dirty Diamonds to your pledge. Dirty Diamonds is an all-girl comic anthology edited and published by Claire Folkman and myself! Each volume features semi-autobiographical comics from women and femme comics creators from around the world, all based on a unique theme.
- Dirty Diamonds Omnibus: Issues #1-4 (Alcohol, Jobs, Travel, Break-Ups) - 152 pages (See preview pages here)
- Dirty Diamonds #5: Comics - 112 pages (See preview pages here)
- Dirty Diamonds #6: Beauty - 208 pages (See preview pages here)
- Dirty Diamonds #7: Imagination - 234 pages (See preview pages here)
- Dirty Diamonds #8: Sex - 208 pages (See preview pages here)
- Dirty Diamonds #9: Being - 224 pages (See preview pages here)
- Dirty Diamonds #10: Death - 244 pages (See preview pages here)
WANT A PRINT?
If some wall art is more your style, you can also choose from a variety of prints:
- Tea-Rex print - 8.5" x 11" on vellum cardstock (featuring the same artwork as the stickers that all backers purchasing a physical reward will receive)
- It's Okay to Not be Okay print - 8.5" x 11" on vellum cardstock
-
Ladies of Sci-Fi print
- 4" x 5.5" on vellum cardstock
- Choose from one of 14 available designs!
WANT SOME SWAG?
If you would like to get your hands on some wearable art, you can also choose from pins and a keychain that are leftover from past crowdfunding campaigns!
Time to meet the cats!
Meet the 10 cats that are featured (so far) in The Catalogue!
- Dinghy: A sandy calico who started her life on a hurricane-swept island in the Caribbean.
- Brut: A tabby cat with an unexpected gift to share.
- Pumpkin: My first cat, a plump orange and white boy with the sweetest heart.
- Big White: A black & white cat who spends equal time on his feet and with his belly up.
- Demon: A mischievous and lovable gray cat
- Sophie: A luxurious black cat with an independent streak
- William & Blinky: Brothers who were dropped at our doorstep
- Kitten & Ozzy: My two current cats, aka the "Intern Cats" for all of their extremely helpful behavior as I make comics
Campaign Risks
Let's be bold here: There are just about zero risks.
The books will be re-printed no matter what, so the main risk is that the for-saleprice of the comics will need to be a bit higher to offset printing costs without these funds. Otherwise, I am a veteran of crowdfunding, having run and fulfilled 8 highly successful campaigns. I know what I'm doing, so I hope that your only concern is how quickly you can get your hands on a copy of these comics!
About Me
Kelly Phillips is a cartoonist from Philadelphia, and
the creator of the comic series "Weird Me" about her teenage
years as the moderately successful webmaster of a "Weird Al"
Yankovic fan site. She is also the co-editor and publisher of the
award-winning all-girl comic anthology
Dirty
Diamonds. She likes cats and outer space, and continues
to channel her embarrassing personal history into comics as a cheap
form of therapy.
Her work has appeared in several award-winning comics anthologies, including: Drawing Power (Abrams Books), Sweaty Palms, and The Illustrated Al: The Songs of “Weird Al” Yankovic (Z2 Comics).
See more of her work at kellyphillips.net.
