Yesterday, I posted a video updating the general public about what I've been up to lately. If you read this briefing regularly, you already know. I'm busy being a family man, yada yada yada. But I also hinted a bit at some things to come on the channel. I've been searching for ways to include more book reviews in my heavily compressed schedule, and I think I've found just the trick in YouTube Shorts and Instagram Reels. Look, Ma! I'm in 16x9 format! While I've been hesitant to join the...
11 days ago • 3 min read
Long time no newsletter, huh? It's been one of those months. Field trips. Recitals. Graduations. I haven't had a weekend without a calendar event since Easter Sunday. The last time we talked, I told you I was going back to my day job the following Monday. It makes sense that I haven't had the time to type out an update since. But there's a light at the end of the tunnel, and it's called SUMMER VACATION! Nothing says "I had a day off" like St. Louis ribs cooked for 5 hours. Yes, it's a random...
18 days ago • 3 min read
My favorite retail holiday is just a few short days away, and I'm excited about it! Since you're a die-hard who subscribes to the e-mail list, I'll spare you the full story for an 18 millionth time. But Free Comic Book Day is what got me into comics 6 years ago, and it's probably the best chance we have all year to add new fans to our numbers. Besides being a fun, family friendly way to spend your Saturday morning; Free Comic Book Day also gives established readers their first glimpse at...
about 2 months ago • 2 min read
Not long ago, I wrote about a series of "Dope Comics With Something to Say." As a general rule, I love it when comic creators find a way to put real world perspectives in the pages of funny books. After all, learning through literature has been a thing since we were sitting in a circle hearing Mother Goose rhymes. But a few recent reads have had me flip-flopping on my position a bit, and now I'm scratching my head trying to articulate myself. I already told you how I felt about Tom King's...
about 2 months ago • 2 min read
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...
2 months 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...
2 months 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...
2 months 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...
3 months 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...
3 months ago • 2 min read