Nova Scotia-based graphic novel publisher Conundrum Press has launched a crowdfunding campaign to help finance the printing costs of a forthcoming anthology in the wake of budget cuts to the province’s publishing industry.

30 x 30: Thirty Years of Conundrum Press is a 360-page book that collects all 25 of the graphic shorts in the publisher’s Conundrum 25 pocketbook series in one 8.5 x 11 volume. Publisher Andy Brown committed to printing and publishing the book in advance of learning in February, along with all of the other independent publishers based in Nova Scotia, that the $700,000 Nova Scotia Publishers Assistance Fund would be eliminated from the province’s 2026-2027 budget.

All of the money Conundrum received through that program, which was “a significant amount,” went towards Conundrum’s printing costs, Brown says. Because of the nature of publishing workflows, Brown had committed to publishing 10 books this year before learning that a portion of the money he planned to use to pay for the production and printing of the anthology would not be available to him.

The anthology, which has already been printed, is headed to stores this week in advance of its May 21 publication date.

Brown launched the Crowdfundr about a week ago. The campaign will run until July 1, with a stated goal of raising $20,000.

Depending on the value of the donation, contributors can choose to receive one of a series of perks, including a copy of the anthology or one of 10 bundles of backlist titles. Brown tells Q&Q he wanted to be able to offer contributors something instead of just asking for money, and likens the process to a Dickensian subscription that has the added benefit of getting Conundrum’s backlist titles into the hands of readers.

“There’s boxes of unsold books, some going back 20 years,” Brown says. “They’re only on the shelf for two months but they’re just as awesome now as they were 20 years ago.”

The campaign has reached 11 per cent of its fundraising goal as of April 20, but Brown says he already considers it successful for shining a spotlight on Conundrum Press and the work it does in local media.

“It’s just reminding people I’m still here after 30 years,” Brown says. “So in that sense it’s a success.”