How much is the “middle man” really worth?

Lately, several independent comic book creators have been asking this question about crowdfunding platforms such as Kickstarter and Indiegogo. Sure, any first-time creator will probably benefit from the “discovery” web traffic on those platforms, but once that creator has linked up with an audience, the fees collected by crowdfunding websites really start to add up.

Comic book artists Patrick Thomas Parnell (Johnny Phantasm) and Ethan Van Sciver (Cyberfrog) and aspiring creator Eric July have all started laying the groundwork for their own independent online storefronts, while creators Doug Ernst (Soulfinder), Tim Lim (Kamen America) and others have already established their own direct-to-consumer website via Iconic Comics.

Now, the creative team behind Airith have fully cut the cord between them and Indiegogo, and created their own, direct-to-consumer website via Shopify.

Following this move, Airith.com is now the only place to grab Airith books and merch, as the Indiegogo in-demand pages are now closed and the third installment in the Airith series (“Tape 3”) will be sold exclusively through the website.

Not only will the move to Shopify mean more money in the creators’ pockets, but there will also be a number of additional benefits for consumers, too, including coupons, referral bonuses, and a rewards program. There are even plans for “secret items” that will be available only to the most hardcore fans.

You can check out the Airith.com website here, where you can also sign up for news and updates on Airith Tape 3 and the site itself as it develops. You can read our previous coverage of Airith here.

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