I Summoned Cthulhu to Fund My Kickstarter is a satirical and allegedly autobiographical series by Pat Shand and Pat Mulholland that supposedly details how Shand became successful and pokes fun at the crowdfunded comics industry. Published by Shand's own Space Between Comics, it was, of course, funded on Kickstarter.
In 2012, Pat Shand has just scored his first major comic-writing gig, writing two pages in Angel (IDW). Attending Comix-Con for the first time as a creator alongside his loyal buddy Twon Ficaro, he assumes he's going to be swarmed with fans.
This does not happen.
Feeling dejected, he and Twon reluctantly accept an invitation from Charles Stickney to attend a little get-together that promises to reveal the secret to success in comics. And it turns out the secret is getting a patron god. For a little blood to the right god (in Shand's case, the Waifu Goddess), the patron gods grant their worshipers instant funding on Kickstarter.
Under the spell of the Waifu Goddess, Shand soon becomes rich and famous. But his ego and desperation get the better of him, and he soon discovers that all that blood was going somewhere he never expected. No points for guessing where.
This series contains examples of:
- Adam Westing: Shand heavily exaggerates how desperate and egotistical he was back in 2012.
- Brand X: The series features a number of thinly-veiled parodies of indie comics, including Horny Elves (a parody of Glarien), Prophecy Lesbians (a parody of Shand's own Destiny, NY), and Fairy Tale Fucktape (a parody of Grimm Fairy Tales.)
- Creator Career Self-Deprecation: In real life, Destiny, NY is Pat Shand's longest-running title and has been consistently crowdfunded by his loyal fans for over a decade. In this series, it's got the less-prestigious title of Prophecy Lesbians, and he had to make a literal Deal with the Devil to secure funding for it.
- Deal with the Devil: In order to secure funding for his comic, Shand resorts to making a blood sacrifice to the Waifu Goddess.
- Exactly What It Says on the Tin: It's called I Summoned Cthulhu to Fund My Kickstarter, and it is, in fact, about a man summoning Cthulhu to fund his Kickstarter.
- Shout-Out: The first issue includes nods to fellow crowdfunders like Charles Stickney and Travis Gibb.
- Small Name, Big Ego: In 2012, Shand is convinced that he's on the cusp of stardom just because he got a gig writing two pages in Angel.
- This Is Going to Be Huge: In 2012, Shand cheerfully tells Twon that he's finally hit it big, because he's got a gig on Angel and everyone loves Joss Whedon. In reality, of course, Whedon's career imploded in 2017 and he became a pariah in the industry.
