This is the Land of Confusion
This is the world we live in and these are the hands we're given.
Greetings
I honestly don’t even know where to begin...
The situation with our longtime distributor, Diamond, continues to be in flux. When they first filed for Chapter 11, I hit the brakes on our BIG “Cosmic Comeback” for 2025. But after some encouraging news that a buyer had stepped in, I jumped back in with both feet—setting a date for our next Kickstarter, ramping up new projects, and initiating the solicitation process with Diamond once again.
Then... the shake-up came.
The new owner of Diamond, Ad Populum, began what some described as a “bloodbath”—clearing house and letting go of people with decades of experience, including several trusted contacts I’ve worked with for years. It was a gut punch. And it came just one week before From Blood: The Collected Edition was set to go live for preorder.
Now, I find myself uncertain. If comic shops place orders for From Blood, will Diamond—or whatever it becomes—be in a position to fulfill them? That’s assuming orders do come in.
I’ve been speaking with someone at Diamond who’s been kind but understandably vague. The future is unclear. There are no promises—just a “we’ll do what we can” during the restructuring. Of course, I’m rooting for Diamond to emerge stronger, or for something even better to take its place... but there’s no real indication of that happening right now.
So what can I do?
I move forward … always forward.
Until someone gives me a definitive reason to do otherwise, I’ll continue promoting this book as planned.
So with that said ...
From Blood Hits Stores This August!
At long last, From Blood: The Collected Edition is heading to comic shops on August 6th!
Written by James Whynot, Zach Bassett, and myself—From Blood is a high-octane psychological thriller packed with action, mystery, and raw emotion.
Locked away for years in the shadowy depths of the Grove Mental Institution, the man only known as Patient 27 is a riddle wrapped in raw, uncontrollable power. No one knows his name. No one dares uncover the truth. All they know is to keep their distance, because crossing him means facing an unstoppable force of nature.
If you’ve yet to dive into the world of From Blood—or you’ve been waiting for the collected edition—now’s your chance. Simply head to your local comic shop and ask them to order the book using the Diamond Order Code: JUN251131. Once they place the order, all you have to do is wait until August 6th, and the book will be in your hands!
Please support this release by ordering through your local shop—your support means everything right now.
Mandel Fan Fest Magic!
We had an amazing time last Saturday at the Mandel Fan Fest hosted by the Mandel Public Library in downtown West Palm Beach! This FREE family-friendly convention was bursting with creative energy, community vibes, and smiling faces.
Erick and the entire team at the library did an outstanding job organizing the event. It was great to connect with old friends, make new ones, and celebrate everything we love about comics and pop culture. If you’ve never been to the Mandel Public Library, trust me—it’s a state-of-the-art facility worth visiting, even when there isn’t a comic con happening!
New Arthur Variant Cover Revealed!
As we countdown to the June 10th Kickstarter launch for the final issue of Arthur: The Legend Continues, we’ve unveiled an exciting new variant cover—and you need to see it!
The incredibly talented Ben Perkins delivers a powerful image of our titular king squaring off against a massive robotic dragon. While there may not be an actual dragon in this issue, the artwork suggests a tale untold—a glimpse of a possible past adventure that sparks the imagination.
This stunning variant will be one of FOUR covers available when the Kickstarter goes live. To make sure you don’t miss the launch, hit the button below to head over to our Kickstarter prelaunch page and click “Notify me on launch.” That way, you’ll get an alert the moment the campaign kicks off.
Believe it or not - there is a lot more to talk about … but I feel I have already stuffed this Cosmic Update full of comic book goodness. In about a week I’ll be off the grid for a few days, so expect ANOTHER Cosmic Update to hit Substack very soon … until then …
Stay Cosmic,
Martin