The Show Must Go On
Live Streams, Conventions, and the Cosmic Road Ahead
Greetings,
The Live-Stream Is BACK ON!
The live-stream with old friend Kevin LaPorte of Flatline Comics that we had to cancel is officially back on and I’m really excited about this one.
Kevin and I will be diving deep into the future of indie comics in 2026 and beyond: crowdfunding, publishing strategies, shifting reader habits, and what creators should be preparing for as the landscape continues to evolve. Expect a candid, forward-looking conversation - not theory, not fluff, but real talk from two folks actively in the trenches.
The stream takes place THIS Tuesday, January 27th at 9:00PM Eastern over on Kevin’s Substack and the NEW SubstackTV app!
Set a reminder, bring your questions, and come talk comics with us.
The stream will be hosted by Kevin — so make sure you’re following his Substack!
In Other Cosmic News…
CFCC Was Absolutely Awesome!
This past weekend I attended the colossal Central Florida Comic Con, kicking off the 2026 convention season. This show delivered on every level, energy, attendance, organization, and community, I couldn’t have asked for a better way to start the year.
Huge credit to show promoter Ben Penrod, the always-on-top-of-it Katie Keely, and comic book coordinator Lan Pitts. Every year I’m impressed by how smoothly this show runs. The CFCC staff is truly remarkable.
But beyond the logistics, CFCC always gives me something even more important: time with the comic community.
As always, I got to hang with Steve Conley, trying to figure out how to make comics better … and … make better comics. Sadly, our friend Mark Romero was under the weather, so his Attic Door Media partner Cici Affini had to fly solo as we went out to enjoy the deliciousness of LoveBird Almost Famous Chicken and later reconvened at the hotel bar with John Crowther to solve (or at least aggressively debate) the problems of the universe.
On Sunday, I was joined at the booth by the insanely talented Javier Lugo, and I was reminded just how cool it is to have an artist drawing live at the booth, watching people stop mid-aisle to see art come to life never gets old.
I also got to catch up with a ton of incredible creators including Jackie Sonnenberg, Marcus Roberts, Steve Altier, Nick Casbarro, Travis Gibb, pro-wrestler Ray Lloyd (Glacier), and so many more that I know I’m forgetting.
All in all?
An incredible weekend — and I’m already looking forward to returning January 15–17, 2027.
You can check out all the photos and videos from the show over on the Cosmic Events page at the Cosmic Times website.
Upcoming Events
With our first show of the year in the books, our convention calendar is officially filling up:
Collective Con - March 27–29, 2026 - Jacksonville, FL
Mandel Fan Fest - May 23, 2026 - West Palm Beach, FL
InfinityCon - July 12–13, 2026 - Tallahassee, FL
Tanoshii Con - August 22–23, 2026 - Daytona Beach, FL
We’re looking to add more - especially shows outside Florida - so keep an eye out for announcements and check out the Cosmic Events page on the Cosmic Times Website.
Speaking of Conventions…
PalmCon Updates
Our own one-day celebration of fandom and fun, PalmCon: South, is coming up fast on April 11th at the Dr. André Fladell Civic Center (formerly the South County Civic Center).
We still have a few tables available inside and will be opening outdoor vendor spaces soon. Keep an eye on the PalmCon: South website and our socials (Instagram | Facebook | X) — announcements are dropping next week.
Also … PalmCon: Treasure Coast is officially returning to the MidFlorida Event Center in Port St. Lucie on November 14th & 15th, 2026. Tables and booths are now available via the PalmCon: Treasure Coast website.
Tickets for both PalmCon events will be available soon.
One Last Thing
My friends Matt Knowles and Steph Cannon are launching a new Kickstarter VERY soon and I invite you to check it out. This Kickstarter is for their swashbuckling adventure series TATSUMI: The Serpent Mistress. The campaign is for the second issue, but you can score both.
The prelaunch page is now live - check it out!
Thanks for reading this latest batch of Cosmic News. I wish I could reveal more… but the wheels of destiny turn slowly.
Tune into the live-stream … I have a feeling a few extra nuggets may slip out.
Stay Cosmic,
Martin