Storycomic Weekly Newsletter: July 4th
ALWAYS POSTED A WEEK EARLIER ON PATREON
🚨 Storycomic Patreon Update for Creators 🚨
If you're an author, indie comic creator, game designer, or storyteller looking for more visibility, the Storycomic Patreon is one of the easiest ways to get your work in front of a growing audience.
For just $5 a month (about the price of a cup of coffee), you get some real promotional benefits:
🎙 Front-of-the-Line Recording Access
I’m often booking podcast interviews three months in advance, but Patreon members jump to the front of the line. This is especially helpful if you have a time-sensitive launch, Kickstarter, or new release coming up.
🔗 Permanent Show Notes Promotion
Your website or project link will be included in the show notes of all interviews as long as you’re a member.
📣 Social Media Promotion
We’ll regularly help promote your projects across Storycomic’s social media channels.
And remember, the Storycomic podcast has over 30,000 downloads, so it’s a great way to get your work discovered by readers and fellow creators.
For the cost of a coffee each month, you get promotion, visibility, and priority booking.
If you’re a creative looking to grow your audience, it’s a pretty great deal.
👉 Join us on Patreon and let’s share your story with the world.
Shifa Safadi’s Sisters Alone is a survival story with a breaking heart
In my newest interview, I’m joined by Shifa Saltagi Safadi, the National Book Award–winning author of Kareem Between, to talk about her new middle-grade novel in verse, Sisters Alone.
The premise is immediate: two sisters are trapped alone in their rural home during a dangerous blizzard. Their father is away for work, the storm cuts them off, and suddenly Rama and Leena have no power, no food, no shelter, and no one to rely on but each other.
But the storm is not the only danger in the book. Rama and Leena are also grieving their mother’s death. Leena has withdrawn into memories and quietly blames herself, while Rama feels responsible for holding the family together even as anger and intrusive thoughts overwhelm her.
Told in powerful verse, Sisters Alone explores survival, grief, sisterhood, and the quiet strength it takes to keep going. In our conversation, Shifa talks about why this story needed the shape of verse, how she balances danger with emotional safety for young readers, and what happens when two sisters finally have to see each other clearly.
For readers who love middle-grade books with suspense, heart, and emotional depth, this is one to watch.
Jonathan Ball and GMB Chomichuk bring cosmic horror to Image Comics with The Eye Collector
In this interview, I’m joined by Jonathan Ball of Stranger Fiction and GMB “Greg” Chomichuk of Alchemical Press to talk about their new Image Comics series, The Eye Collector.
The premise is wonderfully strange: during the Apollo 10 mission, humans make wishes over the Moon, and that act draws the attention of an ancient being. From there, the story opens into cosmic horror — not just jump scares or monsters, but a deeper unease about desire, perception, and what people will sacrifice to get what they most secretly want.
Image Comics has described The Eye Collector as a kaleidoscopic, Lovecraftian thrill ride, and the creators are clearly leaning into what comics can do that other media cannot. Jonathan has said each issue is built to stand alone while feeding a larger, multi-generational story, and Greg has described the series as an experiment in comics storytelling — one where the page itself feels like it is watching you.
In our conversation, we talk about building horror through visual perspective, how their collaboration works, and what it means to create a story that asks: what does seeing cost?
For fans of weird comics and cosmic horror, this one is worth a look.
Project Update: A Slow Week
It was a slow week on the project front. I didn’t get as much done as I would have liked, but that happens from time to time.
Still, the ideas are there, and I’m keeping things warm in the background. Sometimes the slower weeks are just part of the process before the next productive stretch kicks in.
I also blame the puzzles… (see the personal update)
Graphic Novel Review: Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow – A Story Worth Sharing
Some books are fun to read because of the story. Others become memorable because of who you share them with. Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow was both.
My daughter Jordan, who is ten years old and has become my regular comic book reading companion, and I decided to read the graphic novel before seeing the new movie. There's something special about experiencing the source material first and then comparing it to the film afterward. As I'm writing this, we still haven't seen the movie—that's the plan for this weekend—but I'm already glad we made time for the book.
What surprised me most about Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow is how much heart it has. Yes, there are space battles, strange planets, and all the adventure you'd expect from a Supergirl story, but beneath all of that is a thoughtful tale about courage, loss, compassion, and choosing who you want to be. Kara isn't simply a superhero here—she's a fully realized person carrying the weight of her past while trying to help someone else through theirs.
The artwork is breathtaking. Every page feels like it could be framed, with sweeping landscapes and expressive characters that pull you into the story. It's one of those graphic novels where you occasionally stop reading just to admire the illustrations.
Reading it alongside Jordan made the experience even better. We found ourselves talking about the characters, their choices, and what might happen next. Those conversations are one of my favorite parts of sharing comics with her.
Whether or not the movie follows the graphic novel closely, I'm happy we started here. Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow stands on its own as a beautifully written and illustrated story. It reminds us that the best heroes aren't defined by their powers but by the choices they make, and it gave my daughter and me another great adventure to experience together. I'm looking forward to seeing how it translates to the big screen this weekend.
Personal Update: Puzzles, Podcasts, and a Busy Summer Rhythm
It was another pretty packed week, but in a good way. I had a little bit of an uptick in eBay sales, which was a welcome change, and I was also able to spend more time getting caught up on my podcast uploads. Having a healthy backlog and staying ahead on releases always gives me a little extra peace of mind.
This week also marked that in-between time for the kids, when school has ended but summer camp hasn't quite begun. That meant plenty of trips to Grammy and Grandpa's during the workday. The kids always enjoy spending time with them, and it's nice knowing they're making memories while Edith and I are working.
One hobby that has made a surprising comeback for me lately is doing puzzles. I really got back into them this week, and it's been a relaxing way to unwind after a busy day. Once I finish a puzzle, I usually turn around and resell it on eBay, so it's a hobby that almost pays for itself.
The funny part is that puzzles have created an unexpected challenge for my eBay business. I use my display table to photograph my listings, but when a puzzle is spread out across it for a few days, it temporarily becomes a puzzle table instead of a photo studio. That slows down my listing process a bit, but it's a tradeoff I'm happy to make. Sometimes it's nice to step away from the computer, fit a few more pieces together, and enjoy the process.
All in all, it was a full week of work, family, podcasts, and a hobby that has found its way back into my routine. It's been a nice balance, and I'm looking forward to seeing what the rest of the summer brings.
last week’s puzzle
this week’s puzzle