As a Canadian creator whose largest market is south of the border, the entire tariff situation has been a nightmare. The United States has imposed import taxes on a huge range of goods from a long list of countries. On top of that, it has abolished something called ‘de minimis,’ a policy which exempted small shipments—like comic books—originating in ‘favored nations’ under existing treaties (like Canada) against taxation or customs duties.

Making matters worse, is that the tariff situation is completely unpredictable. I have lost count of how many times rates have changed, which goods have been exempted and then re-included, and what paperwork is required to prove country of origin—documentation that my printer for Dead Air, for example, hasn’t been able to provide.

Then there’s Europe’s new law regarding product safety. All imports are required to certify that they meet EU safety regulations, and somehow, this includes books. The process for doing this means having a representative physically located in Europe who will certify whatever it is you are trying to sell, which is an added expense that particularly hurts smaller operations like this one, in addition to the paperwork required to clear that hurdle.

All of this to say: the future of comic book crowdfunding, for me, looks extremely volatile, and more challenging than it was in the past. With lead times being what they are for printing after a campaign, it’s simply not possible to predict what the tariff environment will look like at any point in the future, which makes it too risky right now to invest in hard copies of a new book.

Does this mean I’m going to stop making comics? HELL NO! But it is going to change my approach to how I bring my new book, Model UN, into the world. Specifically, I’m going to try, for the first time, to run a Kickstarter that exclusively features digital rewards. This means that the book and any bonus swag will exist solely in formats that can be email, downloaded, or otherwise electronically transmitted to supporters.

I’ve never done this before, and it’s going to mean a whole bunch of research and planning so I can make sure to offer a digital-only campaign that’s just as appealing as a traditional print offering. If ANYONE has any suggestions as to what you’d like to see in a digital Kickstarter campaign please email me — I would love to hear your ideas.