On Wednesday, independent comic book creator and Splatto Comics founder Richard C. Meyer launched a crowdfunding campaign for DO AS YOU’RE TOLD: The Ballad of No, a new 26-page book that takes place in the PANdemIC universe. At the time of this writing, the artwork is already complete and the project is 100% funded, so there’s nothing stopping the book from going to press in July.

Written by Meyer and illustrated by Kelsey Shannon (Norah’s Saga), DO AS YOU’RE TOLD is inspired by recent, real-life events and follows the adventures of an escaped mental patient who finds himself comfortably at home on the chaotic streets of modern, urban America.

Here’s the official breakdown of DO AS YOU’RE TOLD taken from the book’s Indiegogo campaign page:

Ripped From The Headlines!

Here’s a list of Actual Events that inspired this crazy story:

• Sword-wielding Dallas man beaten by mob after attempting to defend his favorite bar
• Salt Lake City man threatens crowd with Bow & Arrow
• McAllen man threatens protesters with Chainsaw
• Brooklyn lawyers burn NYPD vehicle with Molotov Cocktails
• Activist calls for riots and then cries to police when his neighborhood is attacked
• An “autonomous zone” set up in Seattle…where the police aren’t allowed
• Media & Government encouraging people to gather in large groups… just days after shaming them for going to the beach

My main challenge was to create a story that accurately portrays the times we live in…without being outdone by some new form of lunacy!

Speed was crucial to capture current events. But it is also part of the aesthetic. Necessary to capture the raw emotions of “these trying times.”

Backers can get a copy of DO AS YOU’RE TOLD and a pinup poster for $15. If you have a bit more cash to spend, you can also pick up an additional copy of the book, a “NO” face mask, and a 2-pack featuring a copy of PANdemIC if you missed out on that campaign.

Interested? You can check out some sample artwork below or visit the full DO AS YOU’RE TOLD: the Ballad of No Indiegogo campaign page here.