Jill Thompson’s Scary Godmother to Get Doll, New Comics If Kickstarter Funds

Scary Godmother doll prototype

Jill Thompson has launched a Kickstarter to sell fashion doll replicas of her Scary Godmother character. Isn’t she cute? If this succeeds, Thompson hopes it will be only the first product available, with more to come.

Scary Godmother doll prototype

I love this description line: “[The Scary Godmother doll] stacks up much taller and curvier than your other fashion dolls that are out there. Have a sandwich, other dolls!” Although the doll appears to be high-quality (with changeable clothes, a pumpkin purse, and her ghost cat friend), I don’t need another dust collector, no matter how pretty, so what excites me about the project is new Scary Godmother comics!

Well, a short one, anyway. If you give $5, you will get a PDF of “a brand new, 10-page, painted Scary Godmother story created specifically for this Kickstarter.” That’s for me! Actually, I’m giving $6 so I also get the digital zero issue, “made to sell the Scary Godmother TV show.”

Right now, the project is only 40% backed, but there are almost three weeks still to go. So order some comics or the doll or the cooler, more expensive rewards, like art commissions or baked goods! Jill has some really creative experience packages if you’re in the Chicago area.

Update: More than two years later, although the Kickstarter funded, the doll and the new story have yet to be delivered. Thompson no longer responds to comments at Kickstarter, which are mostly customers angry they never got these items or other rewards, although she continues to post production updates.



2 comments

  • Paul Rasmussen

    Hi,

    Back in 2013 , you were happy to run an article on how wonderful it was that Jill Thompson was running a kickstarter to produce a Scary Godmother doll.

    Now two and a half years later, no one has got their dolls, Jill’s silence on kickstarter is deafening and she refuses to respond to the people who gave her over $200,000 to produce these dolls while living the life of a minor celebrity. I wonder whether or not you might now be just as happy to put together a story about how she has let down so many of her fans who now feel that she has ripped us off and simply taken the money and run or whether you to will just put it down to her being a creative and not a business woman.

    I personally hope you actually are willing to write a piece on how she has destroyed the dreams of a whole host of children and fans.

  • As you can see above, I updated the post (2 months ago) to reflect the project’s failure, and I have posted various times on this site about various Kickstarter risks. Although I sympathize with the large number of disappointed fans, I’m not interested in leading a virtual crusade on this topic, because I don’t think it would do any good. (“Destroyed the dreams”? Isn’t that a bit hyperbolic?)

    Thompson’s behavior is terrible, but there’s no way to force her to give refunds or deliver the project items she’s skipped out on. Unfortunately, there’s a history of this kind of thing, both with Thompson (I’ve seen one of her co-creators posting in frustration about her dropping out of touch with work to be done) and in comics overall.

    In my opinion, the best thing annoyed former fans can do is just forget about it, and if any of the items ever show up, they’ll be a pleasant surprise. Pledging a Kickstarter is like lending money to family members: don’t commit anything you can’t afford to lose completely.

    On the other hand, if she still lives in Illinois, and if any of those who pledged the Kickstarter live in the same state, they should explore filing complaints with the relevant state agencies that regulate businesses in the area. That’s how the Washington state game Kickstarter was penalized for taking the money and skedaddling.

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