CBNAH: We Kick It With Kickstarter and 'Kid Havoc'...

'Kid Havoc' on Kickstarter

Kid Havoc tells of a boy trapped in a world torn by social hierarchy as he's forced to live underground with the rest of his people - deemed unworthy by the Monarchy to live on the surface. In this tale of caste, the boy, Isaac, finds himself torn between youthful curiosities of chasing fireflies through streets and tunnels, and between the social war that keeps his people oppressed and underground. As the war continues, a secret press develops under the name Kid Havoc to spill propaganda to overthrow the Monarchy. While it is up to Isaac to find his way to the top layer to spread their propaganda in this political yet emotional tale, he battles with his child-like sense of curiosity and follows these fireflies deep beneath their city...only to uncover an ancient horror that will change the course of the war!

Yeah…that blew my mind away. Throw that concept in with the amazing art of indie-artist, Eric Scott Pfeiffer, and a novel ideal called 'fashion'...And there you have it...KID HAVOC! It's a comic series and clothing company created by Eric, a freelance illustrator based in Richmond, VA and Fernanda Chavez, a freelance fashion designer based in Los Angeles, CA. They tell an immersive story intricately spun through a series of comics and limited clothing lines. All items are designed and inspired from elements within the story and all artwork is pulled from the next issue so that the apparel will act as a teaser, or sneak peak, into what will happen next in Kid Havoc. Since the characters progress through the story, the clothing will progress alongside them, changing and adapting to the character's new surroundings. Issues will be released bi-monthly with small runs of clothing released in-between giving insight into what will happen next in the storyline.

KID HAVOC KICKSTARTER PROMO

Here’s my interview with Eric, the talented –

1. Can you explain more about Kid Havoc? - 

Kid Havoc is an industries mash-up of comics and fashion. It’s a way for us to merge the storytelling abilities of each unique medium.

2. Why use Kickstarter? As an indie freelancer in the US, is funding that hard to get for projects? - 

I don’t think Kickstarter is just about funding. The fact is we could get funding from other avenues i.e. investors etc, but Kickstarter allows us to build a fan base while simultaneously gathering funds to start our project. With this system you know before you launch that you have a solid customer base to start with. Plus, what you owe them in return is a good, honest product and not just money with interest tied to it.

3. What inspired you and your team to go on a comic line and a fashion route? - 

Right now the team is just Fernanda Chavez and I. We freelanced together in the past for a defunct clothing company. Through the years Fern gathered the skills and connections necessary to start her own line. When she asked me to produce artwork for her line I pitched her idea of what is now Kid Havoc. At the time it was a little different. I think we wanted to produce two sides of the same story told through a men’s line and women’s line, each with their own comics.

4. Could you elaborate on the fashion part of this? – 

The fashion side of the project is meant to be as vital to the story as the comic itself. The story is told in its entirety through the issues so you could read through all of the trade-backs and not feel like you were missing anything. However, since the issues are released every other month we are releasing limited runs of clothes in between those months that actually foreshadow what is to happen in the next issue. These moments of foreshadowing are seen through the artwork featured on the clothes as well as the actual design of the clothes. For instance the jacket you may be wearing could play a vital part in a characters design that has yet to be introduced.

5. How's the art scene in Richmond? -

Incredible. There’s really something fundamentally different about having so many talented and professional artists in such a small city. You can walk into one of the best comic shops on the east coast and see one of the greatest working illustrators and one of the best indie publishers browsing comics and not think twice about it. There’s a community surrounding these tight-knit groups in such a small atmosphere that creates a healthy competition as well as a strong support system. With Kid Havoc I’ve benefited from this first hand. I’m not lying when I say I seriously could not have done any of this without my friends in Richmond.

-Interviewer, Renaldo Matadeen