Tripwire Talks To Kevin Guillotte About Inked Studio Services, Its Genesis And Evolution

Putting The Creator First

Kevin Guillotte runs crowdfunding agency Inked, a place that exists to help and assist those looking for expertise to guide them through the sometimes complicated and daunting world of comics crowdfunding. Tripwire spoke with him recently to find out more…

TW: What was the genesis of Inked?

KEVIN GUILLOTTE: The short answer is two people, TRON, three comic books, chemical weapons, moonshine, a good woman, nuclear reactors, next-generation nuclear thermal propulsion technology, spaceships, and Mars… END OF LINE.

I bet that got your attention!

That sounds like the start of a good comic, but that really is how it all started just without any superpowers. I am still waiting for those to kick in. We’ll get to “nuclear reactors, next-generation nuclear thermal propulsion technology, spaceships, and Mars” I promise. I bet you would rather hear about “moonshine” and “a good woman.” I’ll get to that too.

THE TWO PEOPLE AND TRON

We’ll start with the two people. They were my Mom, Carolyn Guillotte, and Dad, Curtis Guillotte. They encouraged me to follow my God given gift to draw and create. They always attended art shows and simply were engaged in my interest and proud parents. My Dad went to Radio Shack and got me a computer after TRON came out.

THE THREE COMICS

My Dad was in the hospital a lot when I was very young. One day in 1984, while leaving the hospital, my Mom took me by the gift shop. There it was… Warlord issue 77 – Jan 1984, my first comic love. I became a comic fan instantly at 10 years old for 75 cents! I was hooked! I drew from it constantly.

SIDE NOTE: Recently, some of the creators from Warlord issue 77 signed the cover. Dan Jurgens and Gary Cohn were the first two and Ron Randell, Trekker and Dan Mishkin, Blue Devil are lined up. (see pics of Dan Jurgens, Superman at Heroes Con, and Gary Cohan, Blue Devil at Galaxy Con). Fast forward to 1987 when I became a “comic collector” thumbing through the comic rack at 7-11 playing TRON, I found Justice Machine issue 2 and on another comic rack expedition in 1988, Alien Legion issue 6. (see pic of Carl Potts, Alien Legion at Heroes Con, and Bruce Boxleitner TRON at Galaxy Con). I have talked with Carl Potts and Chuck Dixon and from Alien Legion and Mike Gustovich and Tony Isabella from Justice Machine. So, there are two of the three people, all three comics, and TRON.

A GOOD WOMAN

The “good woman” is my wife, Melanie Guillotte, who is now our President of Inked Studios. One day she asked me if I ever wanted to get back into my art and marketing career since I had loved and enjoyed it so much.

I had become a professional artist at 16, went on to college on an art scholarship, got a BA in Liberal Arts, and started into the “Mad Men” ad firm life. After decades of award-winning marketing campaigns for banks, telecoms, hospitals, and casinos, I chose to leave the field behind and go into the Quality Inspection field. A completely different career path. More on that later.

CHEMICAL WEAPONS

So, after Melanie lovingly prodded, I started an online comic selling network called NSC LIVE TV from our basement in Colorado Springs, CO where I worked at an unnamed military facility where they disposed of chemical weapons. We only worked 2 weeks a month and got paid for 4 weeks, so I had a lot of time to fill. At that time, I got back into comics heavily because Mile High Comics, the largest comic shop in the US, became my LCS. Oh, I was a kid again, religiously making a trip every 2 weeks. When I wasn’t there, I was hunting for comics online. Melanie and I had plenty of time to travel and I was flipping comics to fund trips to comic cons.

I wanted a sales platform from a creator’s point of view and continued to look for one. Since I couldn’t find any at that time, I created one… NSC LIVE TV which later evolved into Inked Marketing and finally into Inked Studios, once we started building animations and offering more services. We have been coined “Comic Centric.”

TW: How has it grown and evolved over the years?

KG: Like a dream come true! Our vision was to offer a turn-key solution to creators within 5 years, and we’re there! We can take care of the construction and marketing of their crowdfunding campaign, build the campaign’s animation, provide them with campaign swag, printing, fulfilment and post campaign sales opportunities.

With our creator-first approach and doing good work for good people is just good business mantra, we have been very blessed to grow and evolve. We noticed that campaigns needed a better “attention getter,” in the fight for attention in social media space, so roughly 3 years ago we started building animations which spawned, Fallout Studios. Fallout Studios started with two extremely talented animators, Morgan Quaid and Eddie Mordred. Both are true wizards who bring your pages to life, and myself! When we would put our heads together it was truly magical! It didn’t feel like work. Just tonight when I unveiled a new animation to a creator duo the instant reaction was “I have to say: we’re blown away.”

MOONSHINE BIGFOOT

2023 contained Zach Howard’s Moonshine Bigfoot, one of the wildest and most fun campaigns we were privileged to be a part of to date!

The team of Steve Ellis (pencils), Zach Howard (writer, inks), and Nelson Daniel (colours) came together to bring us this octane-filled, mayhem-inspired tale of a Bigfoot, his girl, and his passion for doing what’s right in all the wrong ways. Not to mention an uncanny ability to outsmart the law and those pesky Bigfoot hunters.

Zach and I quickly became friends and after talking about muscle cars with him, my 70 Nova became the inspiration for one of the main character’s cars (see page from Moonshine Bigfoot for Crank’s car debut). Crank’s car blended my “next-generation nuclear thermal propulsion technology” job with my love for building muscle cars. What a trifecta (Comics, Cars, and Rockets), which was where the campaign’s tagline “Moonshine, Muscle Cars, and Mayhem!” was born. I have the original inked page for Crank’s 70 Nova debut and the cover inks hanging up in our studio.

That year I attended C2E2 in Chicago, IL to help Zach and his team promote the book’s campaign launch. During that weekend a conversation that Zach and I had will always stay with me. We talked about that “pivotal moment” in our careers where we witnessed “something magical” that would have a hugely positive effect on our careers. That is why I had started Inked… to give creators a chance to have that “pivotal moment.” Zach talked about his moment being the creation of Wild Blue Yonder and I talked about for Inked that moment was June 20^th, 2022, with the launch of The Exiled. I named our internet company “PIVOT” after that conversation.

The Moonshine Bigfoot trailer has become a legendary benchmark video for Fallout Studios.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH Moonshine Bigfoot

“Inked Studios created a stunning animation and a campaign strategy that had my project funded within hours! Their knowledge and passion for the industry are unmatched.”

Zach Howard – Hellboy, Wild Blue Yonder, The Cape, Aliens, Marvel/DC

To get your octane drenched copy of Moonshine Bigfoot from image comics visit a comic shop near you!

Good work for good people gets more work from good people.

“After seeing a very impressive comic trailer for Moonshine Bigfoot, I contacted Inked Studios. They delivered an action-packed trailer for our campaign that brought SIGNA to life with excitement and energy!”

Andrew Griffith – Transformers, M.A.S.K., Micronauts, Highlander, Vampirella, Godzilla, Star Wars Adventures, and GI Joe: A Real American Hero

“Inked Studios built us a kick-ass trailer, working with us to get our vision across, in the best way possible—expanding and improving our ideas. On top of that, the team provided us with invaluable insights and tips on promoting our Kickstarter on social media—and, of course, among the Inked network! We couldn’t have hoped for more!”

John Barber – SIGNA Writer/Co-Creator, Old Man Logan, Marvel Zombies, Kick-Ass, Stephen King’s The Dark Tower, Ultimate Spider-Man, Spider-Man, Doctor Strange, Star Wars, The Punisher, X-Men, G.I. Joe, Bill and Ted, and Back to the Future (with creator Bob Gale)

CLICK HERE TO WATCH SIGNA – Full Trailer

In the 2024 crowdfunding campaign season, we found that creators had “post campaign needs, between campaign needs, and off season needs,” so PIVOT was born. PIVOT is redefining post-crowdfunding campaign success with creativity, adaptability, and innovative strategies! At PIVOT, we transform crowdfunding victories into lasting success by designing custom Shopify stores that showcase your comics. Our expert team crafts visually stunning, user-friendly storefronts that captivate audiences and elevate your brand.

There will be a major announcement later this year on the company and site where all this will be offered in one place… one click. These services all come from Team Inked members. Each person on our team brings something to the table and we are all stronger for it.

TW: What was the very first project you worked on?

KG: Let’s go back 5 years or so. When COVID hit we decided to host an online comic con which was a huge success. People missed cons. On the last panel we were talking with Monty Moore, a 30+ year veteran of the comic industry, and he told us about a book he wanted to do called LOCO HERO. He and I talked after the panel, and he was the very first campaign. The campaign raised $50,423 from 670 bakers. Monty is still with us today, 13 campaigns, and 5 years later.

“Inked Studios was instrumental in the launch and success of my first Kickstarter and have repeatedly been a great marketing arm for Maverick Arts delivering results again and again. I feel their input comes from a place of experience, knowledge, and genuine passion on comics and the pop culture industry. I highly recommend their services!”

Monte Moore – Creator of Loco Hero, Blood N’Bullets, Artist for IDW, DC, Disney, Sony Online, Image, Coffin Comics, The Mandalorian, and Moore

I will forever be grateful for Monte believing in me and what Inked could do! He is the match that lit the fuse which has helped so many creators. It is a wonderful feeling thinking about that first team up with such a gifted creator. To quote Monte, “EXPECT MOORE!” Hat’s off to a legend in the art world and someone I am privileged to call my friend.

TW: What kind of services do you offer?

KG: With Inked Studios and Fallout Studios we offer personalised support, engaging collaboration, and tailored solutions, empowering creators’ visions to come to life through our cutting-edge graphic design, mesmerizing animations, campaign strategies, and brand development.

• KICKSTARTER CONSTRUCTION
• GRAPHIC DESIGN
• ANIMATION
• CAMPAIGN STRATEGIES
• PUBLIC RELATIONS
• PROJECT MANAGEMENT

We understand the relentless pursuit of dreams in this ever-evolving media landscape, and together, we have helped our clients, everyone from fresh-faced creators to seasoned industry titans and established publishers, secure over $2 million in funding.

Here’s a few other testimonials from people we have worked with:

“Inked Studios has been an absolute game-changer for my Salty Roos Kickstarter! From start to finish, they brought my vision of mutant kangaroos reigning supreme to life in ways I couldn’t have imagined. Their team’s expertise, creativity, and attention to detail were spot-on.”

Erick Anderson – Creator of the Salty Roos Comic Book Series

“I had my most successful Kickstarter launch to date with Inked Studios, in both number of backers and amount of funding raised. The campaign promotion was professional and very successful. I reached new fans in new places and grew my audience. Their “one stop shop” approach to Kickstarter was hugely helpful and saved me a ton of time and energy. They definitely know the comic book industry and were helpful throughout my campaign. Give yourself a break and let Inked Studios handle the details!”

Kurt Zauer – Creator of Spectress & Sabanion, Ruxy Vampire

“I’m sure you’ve heard the old adage and motivational cliche, ‘How do you eat an Elephant? One bite at a time.’ Elephants kick, bite, and have huge tusks. Running a Kickstarter campaign is a lot like eating an elephant. They saved us from all the pitfalls and helped us not only successfully meet our goals but wildly surpass our expectations. We highly recommend Inked!”

Creators of Rogue Nation: Jeff Johnson – The Amazing Spider-Man & James Robinson – League of Extraordinary Gentlemen and creator of Starman

After the start of PIVOT, came our most recent addition to services which comes from our Vice President/Operations, Pete Steiner, owner of Comicker Press, a publishing company. Pete can now produce the “swag” for campaigns such as shirts, bookmarks, lanyards, etc. This now gives creators a one-stop shop from start to finish and beyond all from our team.

TW: How did you gather the team together?

KG: The team was built organically actually. As we met more and more creators and really gelled with one, we asked them to join the team. Each team member brings unique experience and a matched love for uplifting fellow creators.

You can put a face to Team Inked by visiting https://www.inked.marketing/team-inked.html and read about each of their unique skill sets and experience including Mason Guillotte, our youngest who joined Inked Studios last year as a Campaign Specialist.

You may recognise Al Mega from Comic Crusaders, the amazing podcast with a huge following or Rusty Gilligan with his epic resume of experience includes Marvel (Captain America and Spiderman), DC, Image, and Disney, to name a few. Let’s not leave out Heavy Metal.

At the core of every comic group are the two unsung heroes: a writer and an editor to keep. I will tell you right now I can write, but can’t edit my own stuff to save my life, but other people’s writing errors jump off like the Matrix to me lol… On that note we have a dynamic duo to cover those roles. May I introduce Chuck Pineau, our Writer/Editor. Chuck has more than 100 credits to his name, having worked with such companies as Antarctic Press, Markosia, Scout Comics, and more. Some of Chuck’s own works are Belial and Essence House.

Next up and the most recent team member, Brian Cochran, writer/press. Brian has spent the better amount of two and a half decades within the world of writing. Pushing himself by being attached to multiple Hollywood studios and publishers for prose and comics alike.

We have been called “The Crowdfunding Avengers!” I think it has a ring to it.

TW: What challenges do each project you work on throw up for you and how do you solve these?

KG: It hasn’t been easy. We are heroes when the campaigns do well, (92%+) of the time, and targets/blamed the (8%) when they do not. Marketing itself is a tricky business and then toss in the niche of being able to do that for comics, graphic novels, games, cards, and movies well that takes a very diverse and skilled team.

We do a “The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly” style assessment of each campaign we do. Once you do this nearly 200 times you refine and build to a point where it almost becomes natural. Sure, we get the occasional curve ball, but that keeps us humble and not complacent in the ever-changing landscape of social media.

TW: You have been involved with so many other people’s creative endeavours so as an artist yourself, does this make you want to jump back in and do your own projects?

KG: Yes, I have my own projects underway, and I whittle away at them in between campaigns and in the “off season.” My area is space and horror. Which part of the reason why will become apparent in the next answer. You write what you know as they say right.

I am hoping to put the polishing touches on a few things later this year.

TW: The crowdfunding space has exploded over the past five years or so. How have you coped with adapting to this?

KG: NUCLEAR REACTORS, NEXT-GENERATION NUCLEAR THERMAL PROPULSION TECHNOLOGY, SPACESHIPS AND MARS

We took a three-step approach. Step one was expanding the team and services. Step two was Melanie, and I finding a good work, work, and life balance. I say “work, work,” because I still hold a day job as many creators do. Not because I have to, but because I enjoy building amazing technically advanced things like nuclear reactors that power rockets in space. Yes, that is not science fiction. You could literally call me a “rocket scientist” and you would be kinda correct. Ok, not really, but it sounds cool. I do currently work on the “Mission to Mars” project that NASA announced publicly a while back. And yes, I deal with “nuclear reactors, next-generation nuclear thermal propulsion technology, spaceships, and Mars” for my day gig.

I have wanted to work with NASA since I was around 6 or 7 years old, playing with Legos building rockets, lunar bases, and spaceships. With my nuclear construction experience I was a prime candidate to join their project. It was the fifth stone in the Infinity Gauntlet, so I had to do it. I had done Chemical, Petro-chemical, weapons demilitarisation (Yes, like on the movie The Rock.), vitrification (fancy term transformation of a substance into a glass) at the old Manhattan Project site. That makes aerospace #5. SNAP… Ok we’re all still here, so I’ll the story lol

When I took the job, Melanie became our Co-Founder/President to run the day-to-day business and Pete Steiner, a teammate and good friend became our Vice President/Operations.

“Our Team Leads dive into the core of your project, creating the campaign’s most vital elements. Our campaign page structures allow your content a thriving opportunity to connect with your ideal audience enabling the content to tell the story you creatively envisioned.”

Melanie Guillotte – Co-founder/president, Inked Studios

See, I think she’s a keeper. It doesn’t hurt that she is gorgeous as well. Ok, I threw that in for brownie points, but it is true. She was my ace in hole when I met Neal Adams. He was smitten with her, so we all had a great talk. A famous actor one time leaned over and said, “I see you married well like I did.” It is a common occurrence lol

By Melanie and Pete taking on lead roles that let me become the c0-founder/creative director and focus with creators, our artists, and animators on the team in the evenings.

Finally step three. We stay up with the current trends and stay engaged with the pulse of the industry.

TW: You have built up a reputation as one of the most respected companies offering this kind of service but there are a lot of scammers looking to take advantage of people. What are the warning signs that someone is a scammer and how do you avoid falling for this?

KG: First off, thank you for those kind words! As they say, “It’s not easy or everyone would do it.” The team and I regularly travel to the comic con circuit meeting with creators and discussing what solutions we offer.

In those talks the “everyone is a scammer” thinking is truly the first hurdle we must overcome to prove we are not scammers to potential creator clients. I answer a ton of questions about this topic almost daily.

As a creator here are a few things you can do to protect yourself:

• We get bombarded with emails offering services all the time. When we ask for more information, it’s generic and vague so start there. Ask detailed questions.
• I would suggest asking the person and/or group for examples of their previous work. Not just them saying they did something amazing, but actual proof like we provide. Our boiler plate is at the bottom of most of our campaigns and we send out a Solutions Guide, so ask them if they have a brochure and rates (which we send out as well).
• Ask if they have a website or testimonials, all of which we provide.
• Go look at their profile. That will tell you a lot about how “real” they are.
• Ask for an NDA (Non-Disclosure Agreement). If they are a professional company, they will have one.

It won’t take you long asking questions before the scammers run out of answers.

TW: Can you see crowdfunding continuing to expand and get bigger over the next few years?

KG: It has expanded each year with more and more companies providing platforms and more and more creators putting their projects on them. This makes the field harder and harder each year and makes companies like ours a very needed and valuable asset to a creator.

TW: What are the pros and cons of using crowdfunding rather than traditional means?

KG: Creators go to crowdfunding for four basic reasons:

1. Visibility
2. Time Suck
3. Proof of Concept
4. Money

Sometimes it is a mix of all three.

Visibility is a huge pro with the help of a company like ours. That is our specialty! You can market directly to the comic buyer with a very polished and professional campaign.

Next is time. Proper crowdfunding takes a great deal of time. Time is a very valuable commodity to creators. By our studio doing the “heavy lifting” that lets creators get back to creating. Creators don’t have time to make the comic, build the campaign, and market it. We also teach them time saving techniques.

“Proof of Concept,” which many publishers or movie studios want to see before they pick-up your project can be proven with a successful crowdfunding campaign.

And finally, money. Creators either need to raise the capital to finish, print the project, or pay themselves back.

A couple of more pros are crowdfunding can mean not giving up partial ownership of your IP. Think of the audience as investors. Going with a crowdfunding platform also allows you to market your product online without the cost of building a full website.

Yes, there are a few cons. The model of “all or nothing” scares creators, so you have to set a realistic goal. You need to plan. There’s a myth that you post your campaign on a crowdfunding site and money from complete strangers falls out of the heavens. Sorry, that is a total myth. Crowdfunding platforms are not pachinko machines. There is work involved, but it can be successful with the right mindset, planning, and the help of professionals who know the business and have a proven track record.

Do not launch a crowdfunding project without the proper preparation, planning and pre-launch plan. There are only two ways to go. One is a slow build “pre-launch ramp up” and the other is a “pull the marketing grenade pin.” We have had multiple successes with each approach. Just this week I asked a team to push back their launch and after they reviewed the reasons that I pointed out they could see a delay made good business sense and a greater chance of success.

Next, some backers have become jaded by the lack of “follow through” with some comics never going to print. You have one chance to make a good first impression, so go to print.

Finally, scammers are by far the biggest con of the crowdfunding game, which is why you asked the previous question.

TW: What was the best crowdfunding campaign you have seen, either one you have been involved with or another campaign you weren’t directly involved with?

KG: The best crowdfunding campaign we were directly involved with was The Exiled for Adam Lawson, Wesley Snipes, & Keith Arem which raised $142,403 from 1,047 backers. At the time that put us in the top 5 comic campaigns on Kickstarter ever.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH The Exiled

“Inked has been the best pound-for-pound marketing and campaign consultation I have ever received! I have now raised nearly $1m through crowdfunding. I am sad it took me this long to find them. They pay attention to things you miss they help craft and promote in an organic and seamless way. There are not enough good things to say about the Inked Studios Team, but I will close by saying they also do amazing animation, which completely uplifts your campaign. Stop thinking about hiring them and just do it!”

Adam Lawson – Co-Creator/Writer of The Exiled, Creator of The Kill Journal, The Eighth, and Kids & Monsters

“Now I want to close by saying that our team is all top shelf creators that genuinely care about uplifting fellow creators. That is the main reason why they are a part of Team Inked. Join us in this adventure where creativity knows no bounds, and let’s make magic happen together! We can’t wait to hear from you and to welcome you into our vibrant family! A huge thank you to Joel Meadow and Tripwire for allowing me to talk about what we love to do.”

Kevin Guillotte – Co-Founder/Creative Director, Inked Studios

Find out more about Inked Studios online at www.inked-studios.com and ask for a Solutions Guide, brimming with services, spectacular campaign examples, eye-catching animations and testimonials.