Indivisible put out a call for volunteers to create original art for their NO KINGS campaign — and I gave it a shot!
If you’re an artist and would like to join in, check out the guidelines at nokings.org/art.
My friend Shing Yin Khor has directed an incredible short film that you need to watch right now. It’s called “Godzilla vs. Paul Bunyan” and it is fantastic.
In anticipation of Trump’s terrible tariffs, I made a few strategic purchases last month to upgrade my very old electronics. My biggest move was buying an M4 Mac Mini to replace my late-2013 27 inch iMac. The Mac Mini wasn’t as expensive as I feared, but a new monitor as good as my iMac would have killed me. So I did some research and learned about Luna Display, a little red plug-in device with associated software that lets you use an iMac as a monitor for under $100.
The short version:
I’ve got Luna Display working and it’s good enough for me to put off buying a new monitor for a while!
Small but key hack: turning wifi off on my iMac makes sure the system only connects via Ethernet, which is key.
Very happy both about saving money and keeping good electronics out of landfills.
The longer version:
To make Luna Display work with my setup, I had to stick the little red plugin into my Mac Mini and install Luna Display software on both the main computer (my new Mac Mini) and the display computer (my old iMac). I also connected the Mac Mini to the iMac via Ethernet (absolutely critical in my case!). (One quirk — I’m pretty sure you already need an external monitor in order to set everything up, because you can’t manage your Mac Mini without a monitor and your iMac won’t work as a monitor until you’ve set everything up, natch. Fortunately, I have a small, cheap external monitor that worked fine for that purpose.)
After running through the settings and enabling some permissions, the whole thing just worked — the iMac became a monitor for the Mac Mini! But there was terrible latency — meaning there was a lag between moving the mouse and seeing it actually move on screen — because the system automatically connected via internet instead of Ethernet. When I went through the settings and told the system to only connect via Ethernet, the connection improved fantastically. There’s still a tiny lag that I can see while typing, for example. But it’s miniscule and doesn’t bother me.
The main problem is that when the computers go to sleep, the connection is usually lost. So waking the computers up from sleep usually requires restarting the Luna Display program on both machines. And then the system would usually default to wifi again — even though I had it set to only connect via Ethernet. This was really frustrating — it added extra minutes every time I sat down at my desk, which isn’t fun or good.
Eventually, I figured out that turning off wifi on my iMac would disable the wifi connection and now the system only connects via Ethernet! I still typically have to restart Luna Display on the computers when waking the computers up from sleep, but they connect again immediately via Ethernet, so it’s vastly less annoying.
UPDATE!
A few more details/quirks worth sharing:
Hey, friends! It’s been a long time, but I’m back with a really exciting news – today is the final order cutoff day for DEATH OF THE SILVER SURFER #1, written by yours truly with interior art by Sumit Kumar and Frank D’Armata and covers by Dike Ruan!
The book is absolutely gorgeous and may be one of the best things I’ve written in years. You can read about it here and here and here.
Please do ask your local comic shop to pre-order a copy of the book for you today!
The tl/dr version:
I very much hope you’ll consider asking your local comic shop to pre-order a copy of the book for you. It’s gonna be good!
As an added tease, here’s a page of heretofore unreleased, uncolored art from Sumit Kumar. Just absolutely stunning — intimate, mindblowing, surreal, and entirely human. You don’t wanna miss this!
Thanks so much for your consideration!
Hey, NYC! I’m gonna be at FanFaire NYC this Saturday and Sunday – tabling in Artists Alley (412) and doing a few great panels with awesome folks like Fred Van Lente, Ryan Dunlavey, Amy Chu, Joe Illidge, and more!
My panel schedule:
Saturday, 11 am – Character Reincarnations with Amy Reeder, Amy Chu, and Ivan Cohen.
Saturday, 12:30 pm – Giving Your Characters Character with Joe Illidge and Fred Van Lente.
Sunday, 3:30 pm – Comics Are the Best Way to Tell a Story with Amy Chu, Ryan Dunlavey, and Ivan Cohen.
Come see, come see!
A cool person asked me on Bluesky for advice for up and coming comics writers the other night, and a lot of people seemed to appreciate the thread I posted in response. So I’ve collected it here so people can find it easily. Enjoy — and have fun!
Make comics. Actually make them and FINISH them and MOVE ON and make another one and another. Start small. Make a one panel comic. Make a one page comic. Make a two or three page comic. Make a five page comic. Now you’ve really learned something! Keep going.
And if you can’t find an artist, draw yourself. Even if it’s just for yourself, something you might never show anyone. Write and draw these small comics projects and you’ll learn so much.
I came up through film, and learning to do all the jobs on no budget short films was HUGE for learning.
Also read a lot. And not just comics. Go to plays, watch documentaries, learn about stuff. Literally anything you actually read and learn about anything you’re interested in will make you a better storyteller. Your little weird obsessions? That’s what makes you and your stories interesting.
Also: if a club won’t let you in, screw ’em. Find your own people and build your audience. Easier said than done, I know. Takes years, usually. But chasing after specific awards or honors or credentials can be a sucker’s game. Build your own audience, step by step.
These are lessons I learned in film in the 1990s from folks like Wayne Wang and Spike Lee. I knew that as an Asian American trying to make movies with non-white characters I was gonna have a hard time. Just had to find my compatriots and make it happen and build an audience, step by step.
Also too: regarding all those little short comics you’re making? A bunch of them will be terrible! And that’s OKAY! Give yourself permission to suck. You’re LEARNING! Genius is a myth, seriously. Everyone sucks until they really work at it and figure stuff out and get better. Embrace that!
I’m thrilled to reveal that I’m writing an AMADEUS CHO 20th Anniversary Special comic book for Marvel, celebrating two decades of everyone’s favorite underdog hero! Read all about it at AIPTcomics.com!
From the solicit:
- Join Amadeus, Hercules and the Renegades on the eve of World War Hulk!
- Return to the era of the Totally Awesome Hulk as Amadeus and his sister Maddy Cho discover a long-hidden secret that might just break your heart.
- Finally, Amadeus in his Brawn era tackles a shocking new threat – and emerges in a whole new form?
A quote from yours truly!
“I’m a little stunned that Amadeus Cho has been around 20 years now and absolutely thrilled that we’re celebrating with this big one-shot,” Pak shared. “I knew we had something special when Tak Miyazawa sent in his very first awesome designs of Amadeus and his pup and scooter back when, but I don’t think any of us could have predicted how the character would absolutely take off. Huge thanks to everyone who’s ever picked up a story with this scrappy underdog and enormous love to every artist, editor, and writer who’s ever contributed to his saga—especially Tak for co-creating Amadeus, Mark Paniccia for editing most of his stories, and Incredible Hercules co-writer Fred Van Lente for telling so many of Amadeus’s key stories with me!”
The book will be drawn by Tak Miyazawa, Creees Lee, and Jethro Morales. The cover above is by Derrick Chew; the cover below is by Leinil Yu. Please do ask your local comic shop to pre-order it for you today!
A few comics creators with Kickstarters have reached out to tell me they’ve gotten emails from someone pretending to be me. The emails come from a gmail address and attempt to start a conversation about the recipient’s Kickstarter project.
These emails are not from me. I am not emailing people out of the blue about their Kickstarter projects and I do not use gmail for public communication. My best guess is that whoever is doing this is trying to set people up for an overpayment scam.
If you get one of these emails, DO NOT INTERACT. It’s not me.
I’m honored and grateful to have had the chance to contribute to the LA STRONG charity comic for victims of the Los Angeles fires. The book’s edited by the great Mike Marts and Sarah Brunstad and published by Mad Cave with a massive list of amazing contributors. Please do ask your local comic shop to preorder the book today – it hits shops on March 19.
The official press release:
LA STRONG:
Mad Cave Announces Creative Lineup for LA Fire Relief Anthology
A powerhouse lineup of comic creators unites for LA Strong, a charity anthology dedicated to supporting wildfire relief efforts in Los Angeles
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
FEB. 10, 2025, (PORTLAND, OR) — In response to the devastating wildfires that swept through Los Angeles last month, Mad Cave Studios is proud to announce the creative team behind LA Strong: A Charity Comic for Victims of the Los Angeles Fires, uniting an all-star roster of creators to support those affected by the disaster.
Curated by Mad Cave Studios EVP Mike Marts and editor Sarah Brunstad, LA Strong brings together some of the most powerful voices in comics to tell stories of resilience, community, and hope in the face of adversity. Featuring contributions from Barbara Kessel, Brian Azzarello, Brian Michael Bendis, Christos Gage, Dan DiDio, Daniel Kibblesmith, Frank Tieri, Greg Pak, Jimmy Palmiotti, Jody Houser, Marv Wolfman, Paul Cornell, Rob DenBleyker, Sina Grace, Stephanie Phillips, Steve Orlando, Alex Cormack, Alison Sampson, Amanda Conner, Christian Ward, Geraldo Borges, Ian Churchill, Michael Avon Oeming, Nico Leon, Rian Gonzales, Salvador Larroca, Sami Kivelä, and many, many more. Together, as a community, we can be LA strong for one another! 100% of the profits will be donated to relief efforts.
All proceeds from LA Strong will be donated to creators affected by the disaster. In addition, Mad Cave Studios joins Dav Pilkey, Forefront Books, Ingram Content Group, and Macmillan Publishers in supporting Binc’s matching gift effort with a $10,000 contribution—ensuring that every donation made has double the impact, up to $45,000. The Book Industry Charitable (Binc) Foundation’s California Wildfires Fund is a nonprofit dedicated to assisting booksellers in need, which provides direct financial assistance to booksellers, comic shops, and store employees displaced or impacted by the fires.
The comics community has always united in times of crisis, and Mad Cave Studios is proud to support LA Strong: A Charity Comic for Victims of the Los Angeles Fires in its vital mission.
Together, we can create meaningful change! LA Strong will be available in shops on March 19th and is now available for preorder.
For more information about the Binc Foundation and how you can contribute, visit https://bincfoundation.org/.
Get the latest news on Mad Cave Studios on social media, or visit www.madcavestudios.com to check out the full lineup of new releases, licenses, and celebrated creator-owned titles!
For additional press queries, please contact Don’t Hide PR, Melissa Meszaros: melissa@donthidepr.com.
Mad Cave Studios, established in 2014, is an independent publisher committed to providing the very best in graphic storytelling. Mad Cave’s catalog includes a captivating blend of licensed, creator-owned, and original works, created by a diverse cast of storytellers focused on cultivating impactful character-driven narratives. Mad Cave Studios is the parent company to Maverick, Nakama Press, and Papercutz, enriching the literary landscape for readers of all ages.
Thrilled to report that SAM WILSON: CAPTAIN AMERICA #2 hits comic shops today! The book was written by Evan Narcisse and Greg Pak (hey, that’s me!) with interior art by Eder Messias, colors by Fer Sifuentes-Sujo, letters by Joe Caramagna, cover by Taurin Clarke, and editing by Alanna Smith and Danny Khazem.
From the official solicit:
After Eaglestar shows its true colors, Sam tangles with their big, red and furious head of security. But another player is about to enter the fray: Josiah X! He’s got a new mission and a new look – but is he there to help Sam or pursue his own agenda?
Check out a gorgeous preview here and ask your local comic shop to hold a copy for you today!