Hi everyone,

In this edition of my randomly released every few months newsletter:

• A mysterious upcoming graphic novel I can't talk about yet (but really want to)
• The Chairs' Hiatus Revised Edition and Companion Book finally gets a permanent home
• A deep dive into one of DC's wildest recent books
• Why everything on the internet suddenly got worse
• Portland's new cartoon museum opens its doors
• A local comics shop that needs our help
• A Portland shop with signed Incredible Doom books

Let's get started!

BuyOlympia

First, I wanted to share something useful right away: BuyOlympia is a great local business here in Portland that carries my books, prints, and a few of the original mini comic slipcase sets that Jesse Holden and I made. They are the only place to get signed sketched in copies of the Incredible Doom series.

BuyOlympia has supported independent creators for years, and every purchase through them helps keep work like this going. They stay afloat with holiday sales so I thought now was a good time to bring them back to everyone's attention.

They've also got the super rare hand-assembled mini comic version of Incredible Doom, as well as prints to go along with the series that you can't get anywhere else.

There's lots of great stuff.

On Patreon

I've been sharing a lot more behind-the-scenes moments on Patreon lately—studio check-ins, work-in-progress illustrations, and honest updates about the creative process without the pressure of every post needing to be monumental.

I'm also making some stuff that's normally work available to all patrons, like the revised edition of The Chairs' Hiatus with a special Companion Book and early materials from projects in development.

If you're interested in the messy, unpolished, day-to-day reality of making comics—the kind of stuff that doesn't fit neatly into announcements—Patreon's where that lives. 

I have some big news about my next graphic novel coming very soon. I'm not allowed to talk about it yet, but boy is it exciting. I'll be telling Patreon about that first.

Here's a preview page because I can't help myself.

🔗 LINKS YOU MIGHT LIKE

Behind the Scenes: Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen

I love making videos. I don't get to do it as much as I like. When I joined Helioscope Studio, I asked my studiomate Steve if there were any comics that had interesting "making of" stories that I might make a video about for the Helioscope YouTube channel. He instantly recommended the book he made with famed comic writer Matt Fraction: Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen. It's one of the most inventive and experimental comics DC has published in years. So I spent a few months having a blast making an incredibly deep dive into the creation of that book, and the video we put together is pretty great.  We dug through Matt's notebooks, Steve’s unused cover sketches, early versions of pages, and captured the whole creative process. Go watch it. It's really cool. 

I also made a fun short out of a deleted scene showing how Steve used his studiomates as reference models. 

The deluxe hardcover is back in stock at the Helioscope shop, signed by Steve and sketched in, plus additional signatures from several artists depicted on the ornate cover of the collection—including me, since I'm on there. I could not, unfortunately, get my dog (who is also on the cover) to sign them. He's the real get.

"Did You Enjoy It?"

Jon Stewart talks about his first show and a 3 a.m. realization that changed everything. I love this. 

The Chairs' Hiatus - Revised Edition

I recently revisited my first graphic novel, The Chairs' Hiatus (originally completed in 2011), and created a lightly revised edition with redrawn panels, tightened layouts, a new opening page, and a few additional pages with the intention of showing it to publishers. That never happened, but I think it's a pretty cool version of the story.

For those who don't know, the story follows Mary and Nel, best friends and bandmates in the rock duo "The Chairs," until Mary mysteriously abandons music, fame, and their friendship to work a lousy job in a new city—only to have two people show up on her doorstep determined not to let her disappear.

The revised edition now includes the 28-page companion book—extra comics and illustrations of The Chairs from back in the day, created by me and several other talented artists and writers. This booklet was originally printed as a Kickstarter reward, but now it's available digitally alongside the revised story. I'm glad it has a more permanent home and I think fans of the comic will enjoy it.

It's $3 to buy a PDF, or it comes with membership.

Northwest Museum of Cartoon Arts Opens in Portland

Portland's new Northwest Museum of Cartoon Arts had its ribbon-cutting at 322 NW 8th Ave. The space features six sections celebrating Portland's comics history, including exhibits on Helioscope Studio, queer cartoonist Rupert Kinnard, and Joe Sacco's journalism work. The museum opens to the public on December 9th—absolutely worth a visit if you're in town. I wrote a bit about being at the ribbon-cutting. Also, here's a great article about it from OPB.

Cory Doctorow's Enshittification 

If you love Incredible Doom, you know I appreciate a good story about how the internet works—or, increasingly, how it doesn't—which is why I'm excited about the new book from Incredible Doom supporter, the legendary author and activist Cory Doctorow: Enshittification: Why Everything Suddenly Got Worse and What To Do About It. (bookshop.org affiliate link) Cory didn't just diagnose that creeping feeling that every major platform is dying; he gave it a name that sticks, describing the inevitable decline where services prioritize users, then leverage users for business customers, and finally abuse everyone to maximize shareholder profits, a brutally accurate summary of why the digital world feels like it's crumbling. The book offers a concrete plan for fighting back.

In a classic move, Cory actively protested Audible/Amazon’s monopoly by funding an independent, DRM-free audiobook via Kickstarter. Since Amazon demands DRM, locking your purchase to their service and holding readers hostage, Cory ensured listeners truly own their book, demonstrating the very principles he writes about in the most direct way possible.

Books with Pictures Needs Help

Portland's Books with Pictures—an Eisner Award-winning comics store that's been a vital part of the community—is facing serious financial challenges. Owner Katie Pryde has launched a GoFundMe to raise $42,500 to get current on accounts. They serve underrepresented comics audiences and focus on readers over speculators, which means they're doing this my favorite way. If you can't donate, consider buying comics from them as gifts this season.

Reuters

Meta's $16 Billion Scam Ad Problem

A disturbing Reuters investigation revealed that Meta projected 10% of its 2024 revenue—about $16 billion—would come from ads promoting scams and banned goods. Internal documents show Meta delivered an estimated 15 billion "higher risk" scam ads daily to users, and only bans advertisers when 95% certain they're fraudulent. For everyone else, they just charge higher rates and keep profiting. Did I mention I'm on Bluesky and Mastodon?  

Thanks for sticking around and for supporting these weird projects.

-Matt