One in a Crowd: Toon In, ATX!

Like many artists, Austin's creative community is increasingly turning to crowdfunding platforms to cover developmental costs. For potential backers, it can be hard to navigate all the sites out there, so we scour the web for local projects. Remember, do your own due diligence before you back anything.

Who's raising the funds?

Local cartoonist Phil Machi for his 'Toon In, ATX! animation convention.

What's the project?

After throwing a successful event at a local art gallery last year celebrating his animation podcast Stay 'Tooned!, Machi is hoping to level up the party and turn it into a full-blown animation convention at Ao5 Gallery on May 8, replete with VIP guests, local animation companies, fun activities and more, all with the expressed goal of showcasing "the unsung heroes of animated film and TV." Animator Casey Mosman, who has worked on such shows as Teen Titans Go! Vs. Teen Titans, and Joe Rothenberg, creator of Nickelodeon's Gumwad Island, will be in attendance: With more support Machi plans to invite additional high-profile guests.

Target

$5,000 by March 15.

What are the perks?

$5 gets you a framing credit at local Ao5 Gallery and a 'Toon In, ATX! sticker – $10 adds a postcard on top of that. For $25 you'll get your name in the program, and for $50 you'll get a logo enamel pin. Finally, for the ultra-generous, $100 will get you all of the above and a 'Toon In, ATX! T-shirt to boot. Help make this event go from paper to real life via Machi's Kickstarter page now.