Hey team,

One of my favorite bands is Local H, a Chicago-based duo who had a radio hit in the '90s but have continued making records that rip for the last thirty years.

Their 2020 album was called "Lifers" and around this time, Local H's Scott Lucas also started a "Lifers" podcast that featured career musicians of similar stature: maybe have a big hit they’ll have to play for the rest of their lives, but have continued to put out quality work running on their own steam.

Clocking in to life on the road. Strapped into the rollercoaster for the long haul, doing what you have to between gigs to make it all work.

I think this is incredibly relatable for any person who works in a creative field. It is the inescapable drive to do The Work, traditional "success" be damned.

Along with this recent piece from Vulture about indie filmmakers essentially talking about the same thing — working random jobs to pay bills while your top priority is art — it made me realize all of us creating something are Lifers.

We’re doing this because it's what we do and not doing it simply isn't an option. It’s the same drive that makes me confident that AI hacks — people who want the accomplishment without the effort — will never understand why they are hacks.

Most people who are making comics, in my experience, are Lifers. In it until the very end because it is what we love to do. It’s an inexplicable compulsion.

Until the wheels fall off.

Time kills us all

There was a recent interview with Huey Lewis, who has suffered hearing loss and gotten cochlear implants. The quote that stuck out (and indeed, was the lede on most reports) was "music isn't a part of my life anymore."

It fucking broke me. Because it’s kind of inevitable. Eventually, our bodies give out despite our drive to create remaining. The one opponent we will never conquer is Time, and it will come for us all.

But in the end, this was a reminder that the Work is what really matters. It is the Work we leave behind. I cannot control when Time will catch up to me.

So making art can't be about the "likes" or any other ego-boosting carrots dangling on a stick. It can’t be about being The Best (it’s okay to celebrate yourself though).

It can't be about the fortune and glory, in as much as that exists in comics. Because that stuff is subjective and infrequent.

If it is the Work that drives you, when all is said and done, the Work will stand for itself and be the imprint you leave behind.

I'm reminded of this excellent clip of skateboarding guru Rodney Mullen from a Tony Hawk documentary about the tradeoff between the damage that can be done to yourself in pursuit of the dream.

He said:

Take care of each other and don’t take any shit,

-Joey
[email protected]
PO Box 1093, Bath, ME 04530
Buy my comics

SHITKICKERS, back at it
At long last, our rude, crude, sci-fi adventure with ‘tude is back in action. We’ve launched an all-new Kickstarter campaign for print copies of issues #1 and 2, along with some Kickstarter-exclusive items. This is Soup Dad Comics’ first foray into crowdfunding serialized comics and I’m stoked. Check it out on Kickstarter!

Somehow, SDCC Returned
I’ll be kicking around San Diego Comic Con all week long! You can find me at the Power Rangers panel and signing at the Boom! booth on Thursday and then signing at the IDW booth on Saturday. I’ve already started making my shortlist of restaurants I’d like to check out and I’m very thankful Amanda is coming this year.

POWER RANGERS UNLIMITED #3 — Final Order Cutoff is Aug. 6  
I’m proud of everything we’ve done on Power Rangers Unlimited so far, but I’m especially proud of this concept that’s been kicking around in my mind for ages and that finally got put to good use — a heist to steal Lord Zedd’s Zord, the mighty Serpentera. We’ve put together a real fun team of Rangers on this one and Alessio Zonno’s art will once again blow your minds. Pre-order here.

KILLER INFLUENCES #3 — Final Order Cutoff is Aug. 10.
This is it, the thrilling conclusion of Kylie Hart’s downward spiral — would she rather die an icon than be outed as a grifter? It’s gonna be a wild ride and it might end in catastrophe. Pre-order here.

SOUP DAD MERCH
I’ve done a run of the Soup Dad Comics “AI IS FOR HACKS & FASCISTS” design as a 3” die-cut sticker and added it to my web store — where you can also buy comics and stuff that I’ll send ya with a scribble on it.

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, well, it’s sold out... But you can still read it on GlobalComix. More on that front soon.

FIXATION by Amy Chase and Savanna Mayer 

FIXATION is the third launch in the IDW Crime line and is another unique spin on the crime genre. This one’s infused with a deep admiration for, suspicion of, and criticism of fandom and the industries that exploit it. It hits every fans’ worst nightmare: getting a peek behind the curtain and hating what you see. I loved it. This one’s got a Final Order Cutoff of 8/3, so don’t forget to add it to your pull list! Or, pre-order online. And, great news! Amy and I will be signing together at the IDW Publishing booth (#2729) at Comic-Con Saturday morning from 9:45 - 10:30am! Fresh crime comics, first thing in the AM, black as a good cup o’ joe.

TIL DEATH by Michael Schwartz, Rachael Schaefer, and Gaia Cardinali

I was a huge fan of Michael Schwartz and Ismael Hernandez’s ARMORED so when Michael sent me TIL DEATH — he described it as THE FRIGHTENERS meets HAROLD AND MAUDE — I was in. It’s a macabre and romantic story about breaking rules in the face of oblivion, what it means to love another person, the shifting of cultural norms, and a clever take on afterlife operations. I highly recommend it. And good news — it’s currently available on Kickstarter!

BLACK MONDAY

Black Monday was a brilliant show that was unfortunate enough to be on a Paramount-owned network that scrubbed it and while I will keep petitioning for a physical release, at least it’s now on Netflix and we’re rewatching it. From the creative minds behind Happy Endings is this fictionalized account of the stock market crash of 1987, but… that’s not really doing it justice. That’s the premise to start, but it evolves into a most delightfully twisty and unhinged comedy of errors that also manages to deliver cutting satire. Everyone in this show is giving A-game and it has a level of depravity that is refreshing.

PROJECT DREAD (WFH) — Nearly done scripting this. It’s a short one and a tough one.

PROJECT CURTAINS — Tony Gregori cranked out some pitch pages on this, we’re working plot-style which is new for me but very exciting! This one’s gonna be a slow burn for a minute while I tackle deadline stuff, but I’m hoping this will be the next serialized Kickstarter project after Shitkickers.

PROJECT PUKE — This one is too important to me for it not to happen and though it was very close at a publisher, they opted for a different story instead. Which brings me to…

PROJECT ENSHITTIFICATION — I’m stoked to say this got a greenlight and we’re in the midst of the paperwork. It’s evolved quite a bit from where it began, as most things do, and some of those changes were hard pills to swallow. But we endure!

*PROJECT ROSCOE — My old friend and co-creator of Footprints Jonathan Moore and I have been percolating on something for many years and at the time of this writing, we may be moving ahead pending some revisions on my end. This particular story was the first comic I ever tried to write and couldn’t; I simply was not ready to. Maybe I never will be, but at least I know for sure I am capable. Getting to square that circle and to do so with my first-ever collaborator in comics? That’s the juice. Fingers crossed on this one.

THE PEDESTRIAN  — We’re walkin’ here! I swear.

Thanks for hanging out. If you have any suggestions or mailbag questions, please drop me a line at [email protected].