A couple of what may be bellwether projects have been funded on Kickstarter over the past couple of weeks.  In the comic category, Ashes, a graphic novel by Alex de Campi and Jimmy Broxton, raised over $32,000, easily besting a $27,000 goal.  The creators offered a five-copy bundle incorporating a signed version, plus digital versions sellable in the store.

Both digital and physical copies were offered to consumers.

Ashes is a sequel to the Eisner-nominated Smoke, which was released by IDW in 2005 (see "EW's 'Comic Books 101'").  Alex de Campi wrote Smoke, which was illustrated by Igor Korday. Jimmy Broxton, who does the art on Ashes, has worked for Marvel and DC, among others.  The story is set in a dystopic near-future London and the U.S.

Graphic novels are not the only Kickstarter projects getting funded with wholesale participation for retailers (see "Quantum RPG Funded on Kickstarter").