The SWAT KATS – FIRST EVER COMIC BOOK Kickstarter campaign by Roditeli Productions in collaboration with The Tremblay Bros. made an historic run on Kickstarter, raising an impressive $757,140 with the support of 6,778 backers. This set a new record as the biggest Kickstarter campaign for a single-issue comic book of ALL TIME, Kickstarter confirmed. Like any big-scale campaign, the second portion is handled through its pledge manager. Swat Kats – First Ever Comic Book continued its success on Backerkit’s pledge manager, reaching the $1,000,000 mark before fulfillment, and will still be collecting additional add-ons from backers and Backerkit’s pre-order until the end of May; the number can still go up!
“Swat Kats is a testament to the enduring passion of this fanbase. Surpassing $1,000,000 through our pledge manager before fulfillment even begins is extraordinary — and with add-ons and pre-orders open through the end of May, we’re excited to see how much more their community shows up.” – Rosanna Yau, Backerkit Co-Founder
Swat Kats’ debut in comics has started strongly and is already poised to become one of the top upcoming series, even before any traditional marketing plans are announced. Originally a popular cartoon created by Christian and Yvon Tremblay, Swat Kats: Radical Squadron first aired in 1993, produced by Hanna-Barbera. It has been shown in over 76 countries and remains one of the most adored cartoons of the 90s. Fans worldwide have eagerly awaited the Radical Squadron’s return for years. This crowdfunding campaign marks the initial phase of an inevitable comeback fueled by a dedicated community that never lost hope.
“The idea of launching a comic book series is something we wanted to do for a long time, as it is the opportunity to tell new stories within the Swat Kats universe. In fact, the Comic Book #1 is the first time since 1993 that we are telling an official new story of Swat Kats!” – Christian Tremblay & Yvon Tremblay, the Swat Kats Creators.
The book, created in collaboration with the original creators of the popular animated TV show, will be the first in a series of Swat Kats comics under a multi-book deal with Roditeli Productions. With SDCC being right around the corner, the future plan for the next books and more will be revealed at the show!
‘’We announced the first book last year at SDCC. Let’s be a bit superstitious and keep the tradition going… More Swat Kats collaboration between the Tremblay Bros. and Roditeli Productions to be announced at San Diego Comic Con!!!’’ – Kevin Roditeli, Co-Producer & Co-Writer of the Swat Kats Comics
The record-breaking debut issue features a stacked list of talent assembled by Roditeli, which definitely contributed to its success, including veteran DC’s Batman & Milestone editor Joseph Illidge. It is co-written by Frank J. Barbiere, known for Marvel’s Avengers, DC’s Lobo, and Image Comics’ current Ongoing Author Immortal, alongside co-writer Kevin Roditeli, recognized for X-O Manowar, Bad Omens: Concrete Jungle, and the acclaimed Washed In The Blood series, as well as his extensive publishing background, including Sean Murphy’s Zorro and the popular reboot of Popeye, Eye Lie Popeye. The lettering is by Serge LaPointe, who has previously worked on WWE, Batgirl, and Gotham Academy, and previously collaborated with Roditeli on the release of Assassin’s Creed: Visionaries through his studio, Studio Lounak.
In addition to this talented cast of writers, the art is by superstar artist Jorge Corona, following his run on another record-breaking comic series, Transformers from Skybound Entertainment, where he won Best Artist at the Golden Issue Awards 2024. Corona is also known for his work at DC Comics (Batgirl, We Are… Robin, Nightwing) and for his multiple collaborations with Skottie Young at Image Comics (Middlewest, Ain’t No Grave), including their new hit series, LOBO. Sarah Stern is assisting with the coloring; a frequent collaborator of Corona, she worked on Batgirl with him and has been coloring most of his covers.
And of course, since this was a single-issue comic book campaign, multiple artists contributed to variant covers for the Swat Kats First Ever Comic Book. These include Mirka Andolfo, Juan Gedeon, Leo Chiola, Alessio Zonno, Daz Tibbles, Preston Asevedo, Corin Howell, Filya Kenobi, Ryan G. Browne, and even Neal Adams, released in partnership with his estate (Continuity Studios).
Fans still have one last chance to secure these covers and be part of this historic crowdfunding campaign. The Backerkit Pledge Manager will remain open until the end of May, after which the opportunity to claim rewards on Kickstarter will end. Click here: SKCOMIC.COM
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