Don’t Call it a Comeback
I’ve been here for years ...
Greetings,
The last Cosmic Update I posted was waaaaay back on March 22 — which, coincidentally, was also my son’s 31st birthday. A lot has happened since then, and honestly, I’m not even sure where to begin. As I mentioned in that last update, my plate has been overflowing with all things Cosmic Times, PalmCon, and the general chaos that comes with working in the comic industry (not to mention Free Comic Book Day). Naturally, I have a knack for piling even more onto that already heavy plate.
But it hasn’t just been comics and conventions keeping me busy. My daughter is graduating high school — her last day was actually today — and as a family, we’ve been caught up in the whirlwind that is senior year. Between chorus concerts, final exams, and all the other rituals that come with closing this chapter of her life, it’s been non-stop.
Will things calm down now that her last day has come and gone? Maybe … a little. But we still have a banquet, graduation itself, a party we’re hosting at the house, and we’re even taking her on a cruise to celebrate. oh … and don’t even get me started on the college plans. It’s a lot — but it’s also a once-in-a-lifetime moment, and I want her to remember it forever.
None of this has much to do with the rest of this update, I suppose. I guess I’m just a proud (and slightly emotional) dad who needed to share a bit of what’s been going on. So thank you for indulging me.
Onward …
Plans in Motion
Since the beginning of the year, I’ve been talking about the BIG plans I have for 2025 and the long-awaited #CosmicComeback — but until now, I’ve only hinted at them. Why? Good question.
Because I started 2025 with an 18-month strategy to bring Cosmic Times back as a strong, independent comic book publisher. But as many of you know — and as Kevin LaPorte and I have discussed here on this very platform — our main distributor, Diamond, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. That announcement came literally as I was preparing to roll out my plans, starting with the Kickstarter for From Blood: The Collected Edition.
The timing couldn’t have been worse. That news dropped just as the campaign launched and, to say the least, it completely derailed things. It hit me hard… really hard. Honestly, it broke my momentum — and more importantly, it broke my motivation. I had a book already in production back in December 2024, but I let the artist fall months behind… because I wasn’t steering the ship.
Then, something shifted.
I picked up a copy of Planet Death - Issue Zero, and in the back of the book, the publisher — Bad Idea — laid out their roadmap for the rest of 2025. It was bold. My first thought was, “What if something happens and they can’t deliver?” And then I answered myself: “So what?” (Yes, I talk to myself. Don’t judge.)
That moment made me stop and ask: Why am I still sitting on my plans? Why am I not moving forward?
And this time… I didn’t have a good answer.
Sure, Diamond’s bankruptcy and the uncertain buyout process have made the landscape unpredictable. It’s been tense, no doubt. But am I really going to just wait for things to “settle down”?
No. I can’t. Not anymore.
Lunar isn’t an option for me right now, and if Diamond is going to survive this, they’ll need publishers standing by them. So I’ve decided to put my best foot forward — and today, I’m officially revealing my next THREE projects:
First up: A brand-new Kickstarter launching June 10th for Arthur: The Legend Continues. The artist swears the book will be done within the next 10 days — and with me firmly back in the driver’s seat, that Kickstarter is happening.
Next: Cosmic Times returns to the Direct Market with From Blood: The Collected Edition hitting comic shops August 20th. (Look for it in the June Previews Catalog.)
Then: Void of Heroes: Volume I – The Collected Edition arrives in stores on September 10th. (That one will appear in the July Previews Catalog.)
Of course, there are still outside forces that could delay things — but I’m putting these dates out now to hold myself accountable and jumpstart the nearly dormant #CosmicComeback.
Let’s do this!!!
Looking Ahead
Will there be more?
Heck yeah!
As I said, this is just the start of a much larger 18-month plan — and I’ll be revealing more of it in the weeks and months ahead. But for now, let this announcement of these three projects be the first real step in getting Cosmic Times back on track.
In the next update, I’ll dive into what happened with PalmCon: South, what’s ahead for PalmCon: Treasure Coast, and share a few other exciting developments.
Until then…
Stay Cosmic,
Martin