Maintaining Perspective

Pesto Comics - Audio Edition

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Maintaining Perspective

Audio-only posts are BACK! (In-between videos)

Adriano Ariganello

Feb 12, 2026

A Return to the Audio Format

Hello and welcome to Pesto Comics Audio Edition. (If you’re listening while you’re reading along.)

It’s something a little different, but also kind of the same. I used to do the audio entries for about a year before I really got into the video side of things. If I’m being entirely honest, doing the video version of things has really changed the way that this newsletter is written.

I really try to be a lot more tight and deliberate with what I’m saying—so much so that I’m actually back to reading a script when I do my videos. I’m always trying to make sure that I’m really on point and keeping the video as quick as possible. I just want to make my point, show a few cool visuals, and get out of there.

There are a few challenges with that, especially when it comes to editing. With audio, I can be a lot more liberal about where I make my cuts. That means I can be a lot more freeform when I’m talking, like I am now. All of this is just preamble to say that I’m doing something a little new: we’re still going to have videos every other week, and in the weeks in between, I’ll do these audio podcasts.

One thing I’ve been doing for a long time is taking the audio of me talking freeform, taking the transcript, and cleaning it up to use as the actual written post. (Like I do here!)

That probably won’t change for the videos or the audio, but just know that you’re still going to get content every week. If I’m being honest with myself, I really miss being out there and having the conversation with you guys. Nothing makes me happier than when you guys are in the comments letting me know what you think and how you feel about everything happening with Pesto Comics nowadays.

The Launch of “Snip”

Now, if you’re a stalwart Pesto Comics fan, you know that we launched Snip yesterday. This is not just another campaign. This is the first time that we’ve tried launching two issues at the same time. Though we technically did it with From Parts Unknown #4—as those were two issues combined into one book—this is actually two completely separate issues. These are two books that will be shipped to you individually, with separate bags and boards, for two totally different chapters of this story. They aren’t just mashed together; they are definitively separate.

You might be asking: with the direct market and From Parts Unknown coming in April, what is the plan with Snip? Why are we still going all-in with Kickstarter? Really, the goal is to hit both markets. One thing I’ve learned very clearly is that the folks that back things on Kickstarter aren’t always the folks that go to stores.

Sometimes you get people who do both. I am one of those people. I have my pull list at actually two different comic shops—one locally and one a little bit out of town—because I get certain books from one and certain books from the other. I try to spread the wealth! But the truth is, I’m still going to stores and picking up my weekly pulls while also subscribing to digital services like Shonen Jump, GlobalComix, and DC Universe Infinite Ultra. I’m reading the books as much as I can, though I’m falling behind if I’m being entirely honest. I’m always at the library picking up trades to catch up on books I’m a decade behind on.

Why Kickstarter Matters

I’m trying to keep up with everything “comics” as much as possible, but I know there are people who only do Kickstarter and people who only go to the store. I’m trying to reach everyone.

With Snip, you are getting a special preview. This is for the big fans—the people who love Pesto Comics and want the exclusive covers you’ll never be able to pick up in a store. These comics are low print run, so they’re digitally printed. With digital printing, you get a little bit higher resolution, for lack of a better term. When you’re printing at high volumes (offset printing), it’s old-school printing press style. Digital printing is pinpoint; it’s a little bit better, and the paper quality is a little more premium.

Don’t get me wrong, the price reflects that. Because the print runs are so low, the cost of creating these comics ends up being a lot higher. That said, your support on these books is what makes us getting to the direct market even possible.

Progress and Perspective

I feel like everything I’m saying now, I’ve said in some form or another on socials, but why am I here today? Why am I just repeating myself?

As I look at it, it’s day two of our campaign for Snip. We have 55 backers and are just above $1,900 (Canadian) in support. So, it’s doing well. Is it doing “Naked Kaiju Women” numbers? Absolutely not. Naked Kaiju Women would’ve crossed this within the first hour. Mind you, that’s a totally different book. That’s a Kickstarter exclusive because we can’t have a “naked lady book” on store shelves, obviously.

But also, it just has a huge fan base. Fortunately, I will say as an aside, I appreciate all the wonderful comments I’ve received about that book. People told me they thought it was just going to be a “booby book,” but it ended up being a lot of fun in terms of the depth and characters. The fact that people actually care about what happens to Claire and everyone in that universe really means a lot. I’m glad you’re getting something more out of it than just some “dirty drawings” from Rafael—who, don’t get me wrong, is really good at those too.

Back to the point: we are on day two, and I’m reflecting. I’m not expecting the same success as Naked Kaiju Women; that would be unrealistic. If I’m comparing apples to apples, I should be very happy with Snip. This is the best-performing Kickstarter we’ve had for a new series kickoff. If we’re looking at all issues, From Parts Unknown #4 was outpacing this just a bit—at this stage, it had about 80 backers and $2,500 Canadian.

There are reasons for that. I was better about doing ads then, and I wasn’t “muddying the waters” by pushing a Kickstarter and a direct market release at the same time. But it’s still doing very well. It’s all about maintaining perspective.

The Mental Game of Crowdfunding

I set a modest Kickstarter goal—a round $1,000—and we crossed that within a couple of hours. The fact that it happened so quickly is very comforting. I did have a hope in the back of my mind that this would grow faster or be a “self-starter” that didn’t need a big push, but I had to launch with what we had to maintain my schedule for the direct market.

Fortunately, the people that followed the pre-launch ended up backing. There are still 28 days to go. I need some help from the Kickstarter algorithm, so I’m going to see what I can tweak to get more eyes on the campaign.

For my mental health, I usually keep the campaign open on one of my many screens and watch the numbers roll in. When it’s static for large portions of the day, it becomes stressful and I feel an urge to push it along. But now I have a safety net. The Kickstarter is here to cover production so I can pay Riccardo and JP. I’m not worried about paying myself right now; that’s a goal for the future. I talked about my 100-week plan last week (now it’s 99 weeks), and I have plenty of time to make that work.

What’s the Point?

It’s all about framing. Give yourself a break. I could be upset that I’m not past 100 backers yet, but realistically, this is a stepping stone. This is one brick of many. If you have your own goals and you’re not getting as far as you hoped as quickly as you hoped, just know that’s okay. You’re slowly building.

And if you’re just a fan, know that any support you give is huge. Even if you just got the “Issue 1 Only” tier because you didn’t want to buy two issues upfront, I appreciate you. You’ve parted with your money and taken a risk on a relative unknown.

For those of you who are there every time, who used the discount codes I shared in the emails—thank you. It’s absolutely humbling. I know financially speaking things can be tough, and people always say “comics are dying,” but they’ve been dying since forever! There’s never a perfect time for the economy, so I appreciate you putting your earned dollars toward amazing comics so I can keep artists working.

Thanks for Everything

Thanks for being here. It was a bit more rambly than I intended, but I wanted the opportunity to speak freely. Tell me if this is something you’re enjoying or if you’d rather I stick to the edited videos. I won’t take offense! I just hope this is resonating. I’ll try to come back with clearer topics, but I like it being loose—like we’re chilling by a campfire.

I’ll be back next week with a video. If you haven’t checked out Snip, please do. If you’ve backed us before, check your email for your discount code. If you’re new, there’s an early bird deal where I’ll send you a copy of Crazy Little Thing Called Love as well.

And please, go to your comic shop and let them know you want From Parts Unknown. Even if you backed it on Kickstarter, the direct market version is like a “Director’s Cut” with refined dialogue and updated balloons.

Comics are great. You guys are great. Thanks for being here, and we’ll talk again next week.