Thrilling Adventure Hour (TAH) was a live scripted stage show and podcast in the style of old-timey radio. Performed monthly by a regular troupe of popular actors and comedians, the quality of the show drew a following and started attracting A-list talent such as Nathan Fillion, Jon Hamm, Patton Oswalt, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Emily Blunt, Neil Patrick Harris, Jason Ritter, Keegan-Michael Key, Christopher Meloni, Ed Helms, Nick Offerman, and the entire cast of Community, among many others.

TAH had clearly earned the respect of Hollywood’s top talent, and their live recordings were some of the most downloaded podcasts on the Nerdist network. Even still, TAH creators Ben Acker and Ben Blacker were unable to bankroll the brand’s expansion and unlock their potential as a franchise.

As their brand manager, we informed their franchise strategy on how best to achieve mainstream commercial success. To finance their evolution, we designed and launched a Kickstarter campaign for an original graphic novel inspired by the many worlds under the TAH banner. Becoming one of the most popular campaigns of 2012, over 2,500 backers pledged $192,000 in 30 days, making TAH the 5th highest grossing comics campaign in Kickstarter history and the #1 most funded campaign for an original graphic novel.

Using stretch goals to fund more growth, TAH could now afford to produce a mockumentary web series and a live concert film DVD – two long-awaited steps in high demand from the fans. Plus, with the additional exposure from the campaign, the TAH audience grew significantly across the globe, doubling monthly downloads while show tickets sold out months in advance.

While the web series and concert film went into production, the graphic novel took the spotlight. The first 5,000 copies sold out before even hitting the shelves. Bathed in critical praise and dubbed by USA Today as one of the best that year, the book was honored with Eisner and Harvey Award nominations for Best Anthology, along with another nomination for the Harvey’s Special Award of Excellence in Presentation.

Skyrocketing into the mainstream, TAH had officially become a pop cultural phenomenon. In 2014, Rolling Stone ranked The Thrilling Adventure Hour as #4 on their list of the best comedy podcasts in the world, right underneath TV heavyweights John Oliver’s The Bugle, Comedy Central’s Comedy Bang! Bang!, and IFC’s Marc Maron’s WTF. One year later on their 10th anniversary, TAH announced a world tour with sponsored performances at top venues, festivals, cruise lines, and almost every pop culture con in the US.

TAH began as a showcase for the best comedic talent in LA, not to mention a launch pad for creators Acker & Blacker. Since TAH became a success, many of the regular performers have skyrocketed into stardom. Paget Brewster stars on Criminal Minds. Mark Evan Jackson co-stars on Brooklyn Nine-Nine. Paul F. Tompkins is Mr. Peanut Butter on Bojack Horseman. Busy Phillips co-stars on Vice Principals. And creators Acker & Blacker are now on their third novel for Star Wars. TAH still occasionally performs for charity, but the legacy of TAH as one of the best comedy troupes in Hollywood will live on forever.