Regarding kickstarting, the two main platforms that come to mind are:
https://www.kickstarter.com/
https://www.indiegogo.com/
...personally I prefer the first one, as it just feels easier to use. Have helped back a few comics there myself.
Regarding those other questions however, maybe you'd get some more specific advice here: https://www.newgrounds.com/bbs/forum/14
...this one is more for general questions related to the site itself.
Some general advice: a drawing tablet seems almost like a necessity these days, though some artists do manage without. If you have a really ambitious project going on it seems like a good idea with helpers, but that all depends on how much time you're willing to/can dedicate to this project, and as for software: there's so much available here I'm not sure what to recommend. I'll leave this the artists, though if you're looking to try some alternatives there's a good selection here: https://www.newgrounds.com/wiki/creator-resources
Hope that helps!