Swat Kats First Comic is the BIGGEST Single Issue Kickstarter Ever!

The SWAT KATS – FIRST EVER COMIC BOOK Kickstarter campaign launched on October 28th and concluded on November 29th, raising an impressive $730,571 with the support of 6,485 backers. This set a new record as the biggest Kickstarter campaign of ALL TIME for a single-issue comic book. Kickstarter officials confirmed the achievement, surpassing the previous record held by Coffin Comics, which raised $532,722 from 3,418 backers for All New Lady Death: Necrotic Genesis #1.

“It’s always a treat to see a well loved property not only get a second life on Kickstarter but to break a record at that! Kevin, Jorge, Tremblay Bros., and the entire team behind Swat Kats did an amazing job with this campaign and we’re excited to see what else they come up with.” – Sam Kusek, Senior Comics Outreach Lead at Kickstarter.

Swat Kats’ debut in comics couldn’t start on a stronger note, and it’s already on track to be one of the biggest series of 2026, even before any traditional market plan is announced. Swat Kats: Radical Squadron, before becoming a comic book, was a beloved cartoon created by Christian and Yvon Tremblay, originally airing on Cartoon Network in 1993 and produced by the legendary Hanna-Barbera. It has been broadcast in over 76 countries and has become one of the most loved cartoons of the 90s. Fans worldwide have been waiting for the Radical Squadron’s comeback for years. This comic book Kickstarter campaign was the first phase of an inevitable return, powered by the community that never gave up.

‘’After 32 years, we are deeply grateful to the fans who continue to show such love for Swat Kats. They achieved the unimaginable with this campaign and demonstrated to the world that Swat Kats remains alive and stronger than ever. It’s their record, and we will make sure to reward them for it!’’ – Tremblay Bros., Creators of Swat Kats.

The record-breaking Kickstarter campaign was by Roditeli Productions, a company founded by the prolific comic book entrepreneur and writer Kevin Roditeli (former co-founder and president of Massive Publishing). In March, he left traditional publishing to focus entirely on developing the most exciting comics for fans through his new production venture. At SDCC 2025, he unexpectedly announced that his first project under Roditeli Productions would be Swat Kats in collaboration with the Tremblay Bros. This resulted in the largest comic book debut on Kickstarter to date and the best proof of concept possible for Roditeli Productions’ business model.

‘’Creating a project like this with the fans is incredibly exciting. I am deeply grateful to the Tremblay Bros. for taking the risk and trusting me with this unique release and marketing strategy. This project had to be driven by the fans and with some of the best comic creators in the game to give Swat Kats the comics is deserved. This is the outcome when you make a product WITH its fanbase and not FOR its fanbase. This will remain Roditeli Productions’ approach!’’ – Kevin Roditeli, CEO of Roditeli Productions and co-writer of the Swat Kats comics.

The book, created in collaboration with the original creators of the popular animated TV show, will be the first in a series of Swat Kats comics under a multi-book deal with Roditeli Productions. The record-breaking debut issue features a stacked list of talent assembled by Roditeli, which definitely contributed to its success, including veteran DC’s Batman & Milestone editor Joseph Illidge. It is co-written by Frank J. Barbiere, known for Marvel’s Avengers, DC’s Lobo, and Image Comics’ current Ongoing Author Immortal, alongside co-writer Kevin Roditeli, recognized for X-O Manowar, Bad Omens: Concrete Jungle, and the acclaimed Washed In The Blood series, as well as his extensive publishing background, including Sean Murphy’s Zorro and the popular reboot of Popeye, Eye Lie Popeye. The lettering is by Serge LaPointe, who has previously worked on WWE, Batgirl, and Gotham Academy, and previously collaborated with Roditeli on the release of Assassin’s Creed: Visionaries through his studio, Studio Lounak.

In addition to this talented cast of writers, the art is by superstar artist Jorge Corona, following his run on another record-breaking comics series, Transformers from Skybound Entertainment, where he won Best Artist at the Golden Issue Awards 2024. Corona is also known for his work at DC Comics (Batgirl, We Are… Robin, Nightwing) and for his multiple collaborations with Skottie Young at Image Comics (Middlewest, Ain’t No Grave), which are coming together for the highly anticipated LOBO series. Sarah Stern is assisting him with the coloring; a frequent collaborator of Corona, they worked on Batgirls together, and she has been coloring most of his covers.

And of course, since this was a single-issue comics campaign, it also means that multiple artists contributed to variant covers for the Swat Kats First Ever Comic Book. These include talents such as Mirka Andolfo, Juan Gedeon, Leo Chiola, Alessio Zonno, Daz Tibbles, Preston Asevedo, Corin Howell, Filya Kenobi, Ryan G. Browne, and even Neal Adams, released in partnership with his estate (Continuity Studios). Fans still have one last chance to secure these covers and be part of this historic Kickstarter campaign. The Late Pledge will remain open until December 15th, after which the opportunity to claim rewards will end on Kickstarter. Don’t miss the chance to be credited in this record-breaking book. Click here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/roditeli/swat-kats-comic-book

Roditeli Productions is now seeking worldwide publishing partners for the comic book series, and the Tremblay Bros. is actively developing licensing partnerships in various product categories for the franchise. More exciting Swat Kats updates and international development are coming soon.

Author Profile

Al Mega

I'm Al Mega the CEO of Comic Crusaders, CEO of the Undercover Capes Podcast Network, CEO of Geekery Magazine & Owner of Splintered Press (coming soon). I'm a fan of comics, cartoons and old school video games. Make sure to check out our podcasts/vidcasts and more!