Kickstarter Campaign: DSM-10 by Mark Belktron

Mark Belktron is an Attorney, DJ, and Writer living currently in the Capital Region and is running his first  Kickstarter campaign for his comic book DSM-10. Mark is also the Executive Editor of the DC Comics in the 80s site, which we talk more about in an interview soon to be posted. 

Days Left: 13 Backers: 37 Goal: $5,000 Currently Funded: 33%

DSM-10 is at the cross-section of mental illness, nihilism, superpowers, and having a good time. It’s impossible to tell the complete stories of these people in one issue, but we want to introduce them to the world.

What was the inspiration for DSM-10

My inspiration was I lived in Brooklyn in the mid-2000’s, and there were people I knew, artists and musicians, and it’s just things that would happen. People were dealing with their mental problems, their lives, and it wasn’t healthy. I want to explore that with levity, but also touch on how hard it is to deal with life sometimes.

Who are the characters and what is the main storyline The characters are:

• Depresso – who deals with depression, and has been alive since the 1700s. He’s immortal and he just wants to be done.

• Agora – who can teleport anywhere, but deals with crippling agoraphobia and never wants to leave the house.

• Quantum Alchemist – can literally do anything, but he’s so A.D.D. he can’t pay enough attention.

• Load – has the ability to eat anything, like steel, grenades, but always thinks he is fat, even though he is thin. So he can’t eat anything without freaking out.

• OCD – the group’s benefactor, and he is a telepath who needs to do everything 4 times, so then everyone hears his messages 4 times, every time.

• End is Nigh – a party bad boy who has minor schizophrenia, that he can project onto others.

• Sardonic Man – he talks to plants

• Dystopia – a nihilistic girl who is incapable of emotions, but can give people uber cranial ecstasy.

• Lawyer Bear – their lawyer

The main storyline is they get into fights, go to therapy, go to a party, get wasted, and then learn something about themselves. — Tell me about the artist John Gagliano and how you got to work with him

John Gagliano is one of my best friends ever. I got working with him because we used to drink a lot of beers and I threatened to beat him up if he didn’t draw my comic. I kid. He’s just the best person ever. He’s an art director for a great company in NYC called Overthrow and has an illustrator site: http://johngagliano.com/. — What are the goals of the Kickstarter?

First of all, we want to print this comic up, travel to Cons and get it to people, and eventually tell more of the characters’ stories. Kickstarter is great for creating a community and getting your work into people’s hands who care enough to put some money down. 

As your first Kickstarter, what have you found to be your experience thus far?

Kickstarter is kind of scary but fun. It’s so great to see people support you. It makes you love them more. It’s weird. We hope it will make it to our funding number, but you can’t help but think “What if no one cares?” But it’s really cool so far. Hope anyone who reads this checks it out, and is interested, and throws some support. THANK YOU!

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Please consider supporting this project, I have!