Dreamweaver Comic

Want more comics by, for, and about women? Us too. Welcome to Averno. Dream with us.

Scarlett hasn’t always had a home. But when the Shadow Mothers appear and whisk her away into the woods, she discovers a world she never believed possible- not even in her wildest dreams. She learns to walk between the worlds, to build a home for the other children of the woods, to survive through the darkest nights and weave a shimmering world of secrets, a world that will be her safe haven and her worst nightmare. 

Since we were little, Raquel and I have loved comics and graphic novels. But we didn’t always see ourselves represented in them. The comic industry is notorious for its often-problematic representation of women and it’s lack of female artists/writers. In a recent study by The Beat, over 50% of comic book readers were women, compared to about 16% of artists. By the success of Nimona and Lumberjanes, it’s clear that there is a market for interesting, nuanced stories of women and queer folks. With Dreamweaver, a story thoroughly entrenched in the stories of girls and women, we hope to contribute to this artistic conversation. 

Dreamweaver, although a complete story in and of itself, is a part of a larger universe- Averno. Averno is a new transmedia franchise by, for, and about women. With a team of over 15 female artists, Averno seeks to redefine fantasy and expand the limits of what we imagine a genre can do. Encompassing musicals, comics, virtual reality, novels, and so much more, Averno is a collaborative story that seeks to intertwine women’s stories with the mythic, the fantastic, the horrific, and the beautiful.

We will be using this campaign to defray upfront costs of printing and pay our wonderful artists! We believe that women should be paid fairly for the art they are creating, and we want to make sure to support our artists throughout the process of bringing this story to life. 

Our team is comprised of two badass young women- Morgan Smith and Raquel Martinez. 

Morgan Smith is a novelist, playwright, and activist whose writing has been published in the US and internationally, winning over 20 national awards. Writer of Oceanborn, an internet-famous fantasy musical called "sweeping and confident" by the New York Times, Wayward Sisters, an upcoming musical about paganism in the deep south, and Delirium, an upcoming musical about nightmares coming to life, Morgan's writing is thoroughly entrenched in the mythic women of past and present. 

Raquel is a digital artist from Spain. She is a self-taught artist, beginning her career with an old computer and a ball mouse. She loves to draw fantasy, particularly female characters. She is extremely excited to work on this project, as it combines her love for fantasy with her passion for representing badass women in comic!

We are SO appreciative of all of our incredible backers- you guys are the ones who truly create the change in this industry. With your support we can make a way for more female artists and creators- you guys are the first step!