oh shit

i forgot the newsletter

My last newsletter came nearly four months ago, while we were about to launch our latest campaign. Sometime prior to that, I wrote in another post about how I often go in phases, especially when it comes to this newsletter.

It’s a shame, really. 9 out of 10 indie comic creators will say you need to build your own brand as a writer to get the biggest reception to your works, and a newsletter is often the biggest building block in the foundation of that plan.

But let’s play catch-up, and answer the question: “Hey Adam, what have you been up to since your last newsletter post?”

First and foremost, I launched a political career. No, really.

My wife, son, and I live in the town I grew up in. And in the year 2025, things are generally the same here as they were when I was a kid.

Three spots were open on my town’s city council election this past November. Alas, four people ran for the three seats—and guess who the odd person out was? Me.

The good news is, I lost by less than a dozen votes. I ran on a platform largely rooted in digital infrastructure, given that’s something that has been neglected a decent amount given we’re in one of the most rural counties in the state of Iowa.

I might give it one more try the next election cycle, with two more seats coming up in the 2027 election. Or I may not, perhaps the new folks in will do some great things that aligned with what I had hoped to accomplish.

Either way, my wife and I aren’t going to stop giving back to the community wherever we can…

Because we’re also in the process of starting a non-profit organization in hopes of feeding the people of Pocahontas, perhaps better known to the residents of the town as “Poky.”

The county we live in is also named Pocahontas, and Pocahontas County is one of the oldest counties in the state of Iowa. We’re a good 10 years older than the median state age.

Which is why it’s awfully unfortunate that our in-town Congregate Meals service was shuttered last fall due to cut funding. Despite being one of the oldest locales in the state, folks in town—namely, the elderly and those unable to go out for their own meals—were left without an option.

That, combined with the last government shutdown toying with the SNAP benefits of tens of thousands of Iowans, I made a post on Facebook to see which other townsfolk would be interested in helping put together a community meal to get to the people of Pocahontas for free.

Boy howdy, did folks respond. Thanks to the generosity of over 50 donors and volunteers, we were able to give out 203 hot meals (turkey, ham, and all the holiday fixin’s) to those who needed it.

Plus, we have enough leftover in the bank account that we’ve decided to turn our one meal idea—Project Feed Poky—into a non-profit organization that will do at least one meal per quarter starting in 2026.

All these words in, and I still haven’t talked about comics. But now we’re gonna talk about comics.

2026 is shaping up to be the busiest year of my comics career. Between my personal Kickstarter profile and the profile for Meltdown Press, I currently have six different projects on the release schedule.

Summit: Pinnacle #1

I previously wrote about it a little bit, but I’m fortunate enough to be one of the founding partners of Summit Comics. If you’re a frequent backer on Kickstarter, or a small press fiend, it’s likely you’ve heard of it by now.

Picture it like the first go at Valiant in the ‘90s. All titles are creator-owned, and they’re all in the same continuity. The stories we’ve been working on now are killer, and I can’t wait for you to read them.

They’ll be released as a part of Summit: Pinnacle #1, which we’ll be launching in January. The way we’re structuring things, Pinnacle sets up each “pod” of stories, which will last roughly one year to 18 months.

Please, please, please—visit the prelaunch page for Pinnacle #1 and click the follow button. We’re hoping to hit 200 prelaunch followers by the time the campaign launches in a couple weeks!

Hospice: The Curious Case of Dr. Vane

At long last, I’m starting to broaden my horizons a bit and expanding into non-superhero fare. Or, at the very least, something that’s only superhero-adjacent. My first non-RiotVerse comic!

After a brief application and pitching process, I was selected by crowdfunding maestros Travis Gibb and Frank Martin to join the Hospice Universe.

Last year, Travis and Frank launched a shared horror universe based around Rising Suns Hospice. The premise is simple: write a one-shot based around a patient in hospice. Those one-shots are then collected into a trade paperback once they’ve all been funded separately.

I’ve been blessed to work with Rolands Kalnins for this one, the one artist I felt perfectly matched the tone of the story.

The Curious Case of Dr. Vane is my entry into the Hospice Universe, and follows Aldric Vane as he’s long protected Earth from otherworldly threats as a part of the Black Sigil Syndicate; even then, his lifelong goal has long evaded him. That is, of course, until the stars align just right — and he figures out a way to finally travel across the multiverse.

Unfortunately for Dr. Vane, a multiversal demon named Aschezeral cuts his celebration short and drags him into the world of Hospice, the hit horror series from Orange Cone Productions.

The Curious Case of Dr. Vane is a 20-page one-shot for readers of pulp-style horror. Fans of shows like Supernatural and Evil, or comics like Hellboy, Justice League Dark, or Hellstorm should enjoy this story.

We’re aiming for a February launch on this one, so follow along right here.

Those are the first two projects I’m involved with next year, and I’d love for y’all to stay along for the ride.