Blister: A Rad Punk Rock Comic about Growing Up In The 90s
Blister is a teenager in a punk band looking for his place in an evolving world. He thinks he’s got things figured out, but he is continually challenged by everyday issues—you know… girls, jerks, and the age old question, “Am I punk enough?” Can one ever really be punk enough? Answers to these questions and how Blister navigates his world along with his conspiracy theorist best friend and bandmate, Harvey Schnieder, whom he refers to as a “perpetual fifth-grader” puts punk in perspective and rebellion within reach.
WS: What is your goal and why that goal amount?
Eric Cockrell: My goal was $1,000. $1,000 was sort of a challenge to me. It’s not a lot of money in terms of creating a comic book and your typical comic book Kickstarter, but it is quite a bit more than I have ever sought on the platform. I knew to raise that much money I’d have to force myself to find an audience. Most people could beg thier family and friends for a few hundred dollars, but $1,000 was going to require going out to the places that my potential fans are, and interacting there.
WS: Why is this project important to you?
Eric: Blister is a project that I’ve been working on for the better part of a decade. I wrote the novel in 2015, and released it last year. I got a ton of great feedback on it, which was exciting. They say write what you know, so with the book I dug deep into my past experiences and used those to sculpt a lot of the situations and feelings the characters encounter. Using those experiences turned it into a very personal experience.
WS: Why go through Kickstarter?
Eric: Kickstarter is powerful. I’ve done a couple for two other projects, so it was comfortable. Also, Kickstarter is the most popular, so more people browse it, and if you send people to it, there is a good chance that person has used it before.
WS: What makes your Kickstarter stand out?
Eric: I think I put together a very honest product. There’s a ton of sci-fi and superhero stuff out there, but there aren’t a lot of books like Blister. So, while it might not have the demand a genre like sci-fi has, I do believe it has an underserved fanbase.
WS: Will this be an ongoing series?
Eric: Yes! I have exciting plans for the second issue that I am unable to announce at the moment. But if I have my way you will be seeing Blister for a very long time.
WS: How are important are you stretch goals?
Eric: I love this question! I think often times stretch goals are just made to milk people and pull in more money. Maybe there’s nothing wrong with that. The idea of a Kickstarter is to get money. I just like the idea of greatly adding to the product. So, my first stretch goal is adding bookmarks and stickers. Honestly, that’s not a very big deal. But my second stretch goals was so big that I felt like I needed a goal in between. The second goal is to record a music EP of the Blister band, and give it to every single backer in a digital format.
Jim Steinkraus (Sketch Middle/The Bigger Empty) produced the title track as Blister for the novel release last year, and we’re bringing him back to finish the Bad Hand EP from the book. On that track Jim is joined by Mike Felmumlee of Smoking Popes, and Reuben Baird (Sketch Middle). I added that track to a recent update on the Kickstarter at www.blisterpunk.com
WS: If you saw this project, pretending it wasn’t yours, what would do you think of it and how you would react to it and why?
Eric: Oh my god, I’d love it. Setting aside how much of it is personally linked to me, I just love music, and comics, and punk rock. I’d be all in!
WS Bonus Question: Give em the pitch, creator
Eric: Blister is like the Wonder Years of 90’s punk rock. It’s a coming-of-age story of two kids that are in a punk rock band. I think it oozes with punk rock attitude, and is ripe with teen angst. And it’s fucking hilarious. Check out the preview at www.blisterpunk.com and pledge today!
