https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/whelon/astrokitty-in-urfspace
San Francisco, CA — May 14, 2025 — Illustrator and cartoonist Chuck Whelon has launched a new Kickstarter campaign for his latest art book, Astrokitty in Urfspace: The Art of a Rock Star Fashion Icon. The project brings together years of sketchbook work, comic experimentation, and watercolor-based illustration into a visually explosive volume chronicling the rise of a cosmic feline glam goddess — and the strange world she polices.
A follow-up to Whelon’s cult indie series Urfspace — including titles like Urfspace: Cartoons of the Future, Urfspace Heroes, and Urfspace Beyond: Into the Radlands — this new volume marks a bold evolution in both visual style and thematic depth.
Astrokitty is a tall, elegant, humanoid feline with white fur, leopard spots, and a black-tipped tail. She’s a time cop by day, rock star by night, and the glamorous commanding officer of Space-G3n, her punky clone-sister, bandmate with a scrambled neural implant and little grasp of what’s actually going on. Together, they straddle the line between chaos and perfection — mirroring themes of duality, transformation, and unclassifiable identity.
“Astrokitty sprang into my head in 2022 and just wouldn’t leave,” says Chuck. “She embodies everything I love about art — boldness, contradiction, curiosity, and style.”
The book includes:
- Full-color reproductions of ink and watercolor illustrations, many made with archival materials and exhibited in San Francisco galleries
- Comics and character designs from the Urfspace universe
- Sketches, process pieces, and raw visual storytelling
- Links to music and painting videos from The Future Sounds of Urfspace, a companion album created with friends
Fans of sci-fi, fashion, mutant superheroes, and experimental comics will find something to love — but this isn’t just for genre-heads. Astrokitty in Urfspace is also about embracing strangeness, letting art evolve in public, and exploring identity through images rather than explanations. It juxtaposes the traditional with the technological, contrasting subject and technique.
The Kickstarter campaign runs through June 5, 2025 and offers exclusive rewards including personalized books, original artwork, and an all new digital EP from cartoon band Astrokitty & The Urfspace 5.
Back the project at: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/whelon/astrokitty-in-urfspace
About the Creator
Chuck Whelon is a British-born cartoonist based in San Francisco. He’s best known for the Pewfell comic series and his puzzle books and games, as well as his independent Urfspace series, which blends science fiction satire with unique art and a dry sense of humor. His work has appeared in galleries, bookshelves, magazines, and strange pockets of the internet.
The artwork in Astrokitty in Urfspace is hand-made, with many pieces drawn live on-camera using traditional ink and watercolor techniques, with little underdrawing.
Videos of the drawing process are available on YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram (@urfspace), offering a glimpse into the spontaneous, unfiltered process behind the work.
Cover:
Additional Art:
More at: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/whelon/astrokitty-in-urfspace
