- Soup Dad Comics
- Posts
- #10: Intentions for 2026
Hello,
2025 was rough, I’m sure you’ll agree. I have nothing to offer or reflect on there. I hope you are doing your best to celebrate your little victories and the people you care about where you can. Tell your bros you love them, smooch your pets, hold hands even if your palms are sweaty, kiss even if you’ve got morning breath. It’s all we got.
I do feel as though the events of the past year have given me resolve to be more focused and intentional about The Work in 2026, so I thought this end-of-year issue of the Soup Dad Comics newsletter would serve as my intention setting for the year to come.
It used to be I would poo-poo anything so ethereal as manifestation or intention setting and all of that metaphysical new age-y stuff, but the me of Today sages and lights candles and meditates and has realized that it works, actually? Or at least, it doesn’t not work. It’s the 2020s, don’t we need all the fucking help we can get?
I was talking with a close friend recently about the challenge of moving beyond your view of people as they were when you were actually in their lives day to day. Before you moved, or they went to work someplace else, or you broke up, whatever it might be. Memories of people trapped in amber that don’t evolve in step with who they actually are. Or, for some, don’t match memories distorted by a social media projection of who they would like to put on display.
But this isn’t high school, or college, and you can be and do whatever the fuck you want.
For me right now it’s living by the same principle as the slime of GHOSTBUSTERS II: negative energy begets pure negativity, positive energy begets pure positivity. Being cynical in a cynical world just makes you a conformist, anyway, and conformists suck. It’s much cooler to try and be useful.
Where was I going?
Support (more) 100% independent art. I’m a longtime Kickstarter user/enthusiast and I think I’ve backed more projects this year than ever. I think the future of comics is very firmly rooted in the Lifers, as it always has been, those who will be putting out their comics by hook or by crook. But truly, with media conglomerates trying to gobble up other media conglomerates, rich AI fuckos getting richer by the second by lying to the public, destroying the planet, and ripping off artists that have more talent in their pinky toes than in an entire board room full of suits, it’s more important than ever to support the people who have something to say and who’s voices may not be platformed in the mainstream. By the same token I am hoping to do more crowdfunding this year.
Professional development. I’ve enrolled in a drawing class at a local adult education center. I’ve been practicing my lettering and coloring skills when I am able. It is important to me to understand the work my collaborators do to be able to better communicate with them about our work together. I would also like to start doing more of these things myself on the aforementioned independent projects, a place to experiment, fuck up, and learn.
Write and draw new minicomix. I made my first comic in college, called CANCER & FUN, that was a minicomic I printed and stapled at Kinko’s, featuring comic strips starring a sentient neurotic cigarette and depressed ashtray. There was also a (poorly drawn) adaptation of Steve Martin’s “The Smokers” from his 1979 essay collection CRUEL SHOES. Inspired by my talented friends and creators who toil over their own intensely personal minicomix, I am eager to get back into this habit — hopefully with some improvement over the me of 20 years ago.
More time for cool shit outside of comics. This was the busiest year I’ve had in terms of comics, and while I am grateful and excited to be harvesting some fruit from the tree that’s been growing for nearly two decades, it is also going to get busier and in 2026 I need to prioritize balance. Alone Zone time, saying no to things, having true time off away from the screen, being cozy under blankets watching movies. I’ve found it a struggle to balance my day job with an increasing comics workload and, you know, being a present and active participant in human life, but I think I’m getting there.
I have other things I’m looking forward to, of course — including a really cool comic that I can’t wait to show off — but the intentions above center my longterm goals.
Big projects will come and go, readers will dip in and out, but the work continues in perpetuity, and it’s important to be able to execute it with the resources available to me should publishing karma dry up or the tech overlords finally achieve their dream of eradicating creativity in the name of efficiency.
But we won’t let that happen, right?
Until the death,
-Joey
[email protected]
PO Box 1093, Bath, ME 04530
Buy my comics
MIGHTY MORPHIN POWER RANGERS: ZORD QUEST — On sale Dec. 31! Happy New Years, have a Power Rangers comic!
THE PEDESTRIAN VERTICAL SCROLL EDITION The new vertical scroll version of THE PEDESTRIAN is still rolling out over at GlobalComix! Check it out.
THE PEDESTRIAN THREADLESS SHOP is still available for all your PEDESTRIAN needs. And as always, if you haven’t snagged a copy of THE PEDESTRIAN yet, it’s available in my web store and on GlobalComix.
I hadn’t seen THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW since I was a teenager. Until a recent rewatch, I couldn’t remember what was actually in the movie and what was from an old VH1 original movie about Meat Loaf. But I’d definitely never seen it live — until earlier this month when Amanda and I went to a local production of THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW by a Maine theater company called Rocky for Equality that aims to raise money to support local queer-owned businesses. Just a really fun, cool way to make a difference — and bring ROCKY HORROR back into my life.
Maybe I’m in the wrong crowds, but I hadn’t heard any chatter about this show at all until Amanda got the recommendation and we watched it over the last few weeks. It is easily one of the best shows of the year. The characters are rich and complicated in a way that feels authentic to what we know about human beings. It’s funny, psychedelic and morally complex. I fucking loved it and I love my wife for having impeccable taste. Watch on HBO Max. I hope they put it out on disc before the Netflix bullshit happens.
PROJECT SLICE-N-DICE (WFH) — Art is trucking along and it’s coming together great. Just saw the first pass at the issue #1 cover and it’s going to be sick. I’m in the midst of scripting the last issue, which will be primed for delivery just after the new year. I believe it’s release should be in the summer, so hopefully you’ll be hearing more soon!
PROJECT ROLLERCOASTER (WFH) — This wild ride has taken some very exciting turns and wound up in a place I am truly stoked about — the biggest project I’ve been able to tackle in comics thus far. Things are coming together quickly, the team I’m working with rules, and it’s gonna be rad as hell.
MADAM — At the printer! Just approved the proof today, in fact!
THE PEDESTRIAN — I wish there was some cool news to share on THE PEDESTRIAN front, but we are just forging ahead on mapping out the future!
SHITKICKERS — Zoop is telling me everything is at their fulfillment center and going out soon. I’ve heard it at least five times previously, so until the comic is in my hands, I remain skeptical and sorry to any backers that are reading this. Know that it will not happen again.
PROJECT PUKE — This one is still burrowing into my brain, but on the back burner while I wait for some editor feedback and focus on more pressing deadlines instead.
Thanks for hanging out. If you have any suggestions or questions, please feel free to drop me a line at [email protected].
