These days, I'm not spending as much time in front of the camera. But the consolation prize is I get to spend more time talking comics in other forums, like our Discord community. Last week, someone asked everyone for their Top 3 comics on the pull list at the moment. After thinking about it for a while, I came to a shocking conclusion. Comics have been in a great place for the past 18 months or so. We've got the Energon Universe at Skybound, the Ultimate Universe at Marvel, and the Absolute...
11 days ago • 3 min read
Spring Cleaning isn't fun. It's especially not fun when you just moved, and you're not really cleaning. Instead, I'm finally unpacking the last 15% of boxes in the house. Stuff we didn't need at all right away, that I now have to find a good place in the house for. Thankfully, we finally bought a minivan, so the inevitable trips to Goodwill and the local trash dump will be that much easier. I've got less than 4 weeks until I have to return to my day job, and I'm determined to have a catalog...
17 days ago • 4 min read
This weekend was pretty productive for me. Besides typing this newsletter days early, I also organized all the Marvel comics I've been piling up since the move and redeemed the digital codes I'd left sitting. I started to read the X-Manhunt event, but opted to pick up Bitter Root: The Next Movement #1 instead. How good was it? Let's just say I spent an extra $4 for a digital copy, just to show you this spread: Sanford Greene just doesn't play fair. This issue didn't disappoint at all. It...
26 days ago • 3 min read
Yesterday, I learned I was a recipient of the 2025 Comics Criticism Mini Grant. Each year, Tiffany Babb, her family and a small group of donors accept applications for those doing work in comics criticism in print, audio or video. Each awardee (determined by the number of donations) receives $250 to further the work they do in comics. When I saw the Google Form reposted on my feed via Greg Pak, I figured I’d take a shot in the dark. I never thought I’d win, but at least I would expose my work...
about 1 month ago • 2 min read
Check out my picks for New Comic Book Day 3/19/25! Happy New Comic Book Day! This week is absolutely stacked, and I feel sorry for everyone like me who was already a little overwhelmed. From new entries like DC x Sonic The Hedgehog and Absolute Flash to ongoing events like One World Under Doom, we've got a lot of reading to do this week. But paint me red and call me a sucker, because I'm here for all of it. An Unexpected Return Last week, Marvel released Reggie Hudlin's blockbuster Black...
about 1 month ago • 2 min read
To be a collector is to ignore a thousand red flags at one point or another. To be a comic collector is to ignore a billion. Right now, I've got about 150 single issues sitting near my desk, and I'm about to add 12 more this Wednesday. My typical routine is: Buy a bunch of comics. Scan all the Marvel comics for their Free Digital Codes. Read Marvel on my iPad Read DC Comics via the DC Infinite Ultra subscription... also on my iPad. Gather my single issues once a month and file away in short...
about 2 months ago • 2 min read
Man.. February is over already! While there's not much to mourn since it's Black History Month all year long around here, that means it's been nearly 3 months since the last interview on Comics Are Dope (The Podcast). I know I should give myself grace, as I had a pretty good reason for breaking the weekly streak. But on the internet, momentum is everything. Suddenly, posting Episode 58 feels a lot like posting Episode One -- and I'm Jar Jar Binks. I do have a few interviews I never got around...
about 2 months ago • 1 min read
Oh, hey! Long time no e-mail, huh? Last time we did this, I was 10 days away from closing on a home. Today, I'm just over 2 weeks removed from having a new baby. To say life has been a blur would be an understatement. My video production has come to a screeching halt. I actually filmed an unboxing the other day, but it was comically terrible. So bad, I deleted even the raw footage of it from my hard drive. It felt like the video creator's version of coming back too soon from a sports injury,...
2 months ago • 2 min read
Some time in the next few weeks, I'm going to have to pack all my family's belongings into a moving truck and into our (hopefully) forever home. Of course, my entire comic collection is coming with us. Some terrible habits over the years meant I had to spend a week just organizing my books. But that part is done, and now I can pack up all the boxes. As tempted as I am to just hire a moving company, I have trust issues. I'm already over this process, and never want to do it again. Check out my...
5 months ago • 1 min read