fantagraphicsIt has been a rough last couple of months for the folks at Fantagraphics, the Seattle-based comic book and graphic novel publisher founded in 1976.

Fantagraphics founding partner Kim Thompson passed away in June, leaving some big shoes to fill. Thompson edited Fantagraphics’ European novels, and his death resulted in the cancelation of 13 titles set to publish in 2014.

That put the company in a tough spot in terms of revenue projections for next year. Now, the 20-person team at Fantagraphics is asking their devoted fans for help to keep production of 39 titles on schedule this spring and summer.

The publisher launched a Kickstarter to raise $150,000 by Dec. 5, and so far, so good — contributions have topped $140,000 already.

“We are not going to bullshit you,” co-founder Gary Groth wrote. “If we were a big corporate publisher (or perhaps an avaricious smaller one), we’d have plenty of money to weather this temporary crisis. But, we’re not. Ours is and always has been an intrinsically difficult commercial enterprise, and we have survived due to a combination of good taste, sheer will, good luck, and reasonable business acumen.”

Fantagraphics, which publishes its own titles in addition to classic reprints, is offering up an array of pledge rewards, from a Peanuts gift book to a Cartoon Art Museum membership to an art portrait of you or your pet.

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