Dan Mendoza

Welcome to another edition of
PopCultHQ’s Kickstarter Spotlight!

PopCultHQ’s Kickstarter Spotlight is a feature meant to help raise awareness of Kickstarter campaigns by indie creators of ones we feel you should be aware, hot titles or issues to watch, or ones WE support and think YOU should too! From unknown publishers to creators with tenure…doesn’t matter! This is about helping promote the creators involved and their vision.

Today, PopCultHQ has the privilege in sharing with you a recently-launched Kickstarter campaign from Dan Mendoza that after a mere 3 HOURS, it was FULLY FUNDED! The Zombie Tramp and DollFace creator has a history of crushing it with crowdfunding titles from his publishing label, Still iLL Princess. The grindhouse specialist is kicking ass once again on Kickstarter with his latest installment of the Sad Girl Psycho Baby series. Nearly 500 backers and a bunch of Stretch Goals later, this campaign packs a punch with goodies: digital copies, numerous variants, prior issue add-ons, prints, sketches, and more.

Reasons to support this indie creator (besides the fact that it’s Dan frakkin’ Mendoza!):

• Years of experience producing high-quality illustrations
• Talented storyteller and world-builder
• Very interactive with fans, in person and social media
• Proven record of timely delivery of KS rewards

In a destroyed world lit by a perpetual sunset sky, a new evolution is born. New races, new blood, new rule. In this ever-changing landscape, the only constants are gangs, low riders, and Spanglish.

From beneath the rubble of the destroyed 22 castles gang, emerges a girl bent on revenge. Enter Sad Girl Psycho Baby. A girl born out of sadness, a sadness so great, that those who remain around her become suicidal. The only ones unaffected by this were her Grandma and little brother, who were taken from her many years ago.

Now all grown up and hardened by the new world, Sad Girl sets out to find the one responsible: the mysterious woman known only as Relik.

With new knowledge of the whereabouts of Relik’s right hand Girl, Turtle Tutu, Sad Girl and Sugar Pop are lead inside the mystical throwback land of DINOSAUR CASTLE by its primitive citizen, Mutsi. Dive into this 44-page adventure as these Violent Fems gear up to take down this kingdom of corruption and get another step closer to finding the Mysterious Woman known as Relik. Written and drawn by Dan Mendoza. Colors by Carlos Moreno D and Dan Mendoza.

Without further ado, here’s our interview with SAD GIRL PSYCHO BABY’s creator, Dan Mendoza!

PopCultHQ Kickstarter Spotlight:
Dan Mendoza of SAD GIRL PSYCHO BABY 3

PopCultHQ: With Sad Girl Psycho Baby 3, Sad Girl and Sugar Pop kick off the first part of a new arc, “Attack at Dinosaur Castle.” What can you share with us about the Violent Fems’ newest adventure and what they may encounter?

Dan Mendoza: At the end of issue two, the “Smile now, cry later” duo of Sad Girl and Sugar Pop met up with a cave girl that came from Dinosaur castle.

Now, before I start to make no sense at all, let me just briefly explain the world of Sad Girl for those who never read it. This title is set in the future. A post-apocalyptic world where different cities are ruled by certain gangs. The cites are called castles. Each castle looks completely different from the other. Some are Mad Max-looking, some are high-tech, and in this story arc Dinosaur Castle is a world reborn with lush vegetation and the rebirth of Dinosaurs.

Sad Girl learns that the ruler of this castle, Turtle Tutu, is the right hand woman of the villain she’s been looking for for years. A mysterious woman known as Relik. The group sneak into the city in an attempt to overthrow it and get more answers.

PopCultHQ: Continuing the trend of your Kickstarter campaigns building the Still Ill Princess line of comic books, Sad Girl Psycho Baby 3 was funded within minutes. Congrats and nicely done! To what do you attribute the overwhelming response by your backers and fans? What has the response been from fans you meet and other comic book creators you know?

Mendoza: Thank you. The response I get from my ever-growing army of fans is always a positive one. I call them my “Still iLL Army.” I share a close bond with them and try to keep them all on a more personal level than what you get from a large company. I work hard for my fans and they work hard for me. I stand behind my art and stories and never listen to the naysayers that don’t understand the genre of stories I make and enjoy. In the Indie world of Comics, I feel it’s a bit split into two areas and the area that I’m in is the “Bad Boy” one. It’s not a title I chose, but rather it chose me. I’m just a guy that likes gritty grindhouse and horror genres. Because of this, I’ve been dubbed by certain people and even companies as a “Bad Boy/” I don’t mind this at all, though. I’ve been called this for 10 years now and my brand just keeps getting stronger and stronger.

PopCultHQ: As the series continues towards Sad Girl’s eventual face-off with Relik, it looks like she’s amassing quite the crew. With the Psycho Girl series, the Sugar Pop and LiL Six Kannibal Kitty Kickstarter campaigns, plus seeing your Sexy Sinister Six stretch goal cover, the Psycho Girl Universe is growing and continues to be fleshed out (no pun intended). How much of this Universe have you mapped out? Besides new characters, could we see any familiar faces making future appearances?

Mendoza: Yes. Me and Knightmare Lynch (Kannibal Kitty writer and creator) have fleshed out a lot of the stories we write to almost how many issues there are going to be, to almost all the twists and turns. As far as any familiar faces, only time will tell.

PopCultHQ: The current campaign has unlocked most of the stretch goals already with only two remaining. Given there’s still 3 weeks until the campaign ends, have you planned any additional stetch goals to which people can look forward?

Mendoza: Yes. I always write out on my notebook before every campaign of all the possible freebies and stretch goals; as the campaign increases in size, so do the goals. There are a few traditions that we’ve started at Still Ill Princess, and one is the large 4-inch enamel pin. This usually comes free to every single physical backer around the 60K to 65K mark. You get a new one with a new main character every campaign. But, of course, my notebook always has a lot of secret surprises written down for when the numbers skyrocket.

PopCultHQ: With the Still Ill campaigns, the creatives have changed allowing you to work alongside fellow creators Knightmare Lynch and TMChu. In Sad Girl Psycho Baby 3, you’re back tasked with writing, illustrations, and some color work (w/ Carlos Moreno D). Could we see more team-ups with you and various creators, perhaps any of whom you worked with on Zombie Tramp (like TMChu) or DollFace?

Mendoza: Yes. It’s all a great possibility. I’ve met and worked with a lot of artists in my career. I know which ones are diligent and which ones aren’t. To step foot into Still iLL Studios, you must be a diligent one. I definitely have my eye on a few and there is already a 4th Still iLL Title in the works.

PopCultHQ: What is up next for Dan Mendoza and Still Ill Princess? Any signing appearances, conventions, and/or cover work which fans should keep on their radar?

Mendoza: Yes. Here is my convention list for the 2020 year:

• January 11th-12th Long Beach Comic Expo
• March 20th-22nd Toronto Comicon
• March 27th-29th Fan Expo Dallas
• April 10th-12th WonderCon
• April 16th-19th Megacon Orlando
• May 16th-17th Comic Con Revolution Ontario
• August 7th-9th Fan Expo Boston
• August 27th-30th Fan Expo Canada
• October 16th-18th Dallas Fan Days

For cover work this year, I am taking a pretty big break on it and trying to get more built for my own label. But some cover opportunities pop here and there that I can’t turn down. For instance, last year i jumped on two TMNT covers, one Conan and a Vampirella. But I’m a big Lady Death fan and over the years, I’ve become pretty tight with Brian Pulido (a fellow indie Bad Boy) and the fine people at Coffin Comics, so I always make room to do projects with them.

PopCultHQ: When you make convention appearances, can fans pick up any of the previous issues featured on your Kickstarter campaigns? Especially blank variants for sketches!

Mendoza: Yes, yes, yes. When I do shows, I always try to bring as much as I can. It depends if I fly or drive, but I definitely try to bring copies of every issue. A new person becomes a Still iLL fan every day and we are always prepared to provide what they need.

Special thanks to Dan Mendoza for speaking with us about his latest project. So head on over to the new Still iLL Princess Kickstarter campaign and get with SAD GIRL PSYCHO BABY! With just under three weeks left, guaranteed to be funded, and a lot of sweet stretch goals unlocked for backers, there’s no better time than NOW to immerse yourself in the Sad Girl Universe. 

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