Storycomic Weekly Newsletter: May 30th
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.
Founders Club patrons include amazing creators like:
Michael Winn, Higgins802, Von Allan, Stephanie Nina Pitsirilos, Marek Bennett, Donna Carr Roberts, Andrew Gronosky, Simki Kuznick, and Matt & Therese.
Explore their work:
Edith Forbes turns death into a sharp, funny mirror in The Lawnmower Lady
In my newest interview, I’m joined by Norwich, Vermont author Edith Forbes to talk about her novel The Lawnmower Lady (Rootstock Publishing). (rootstockpublishing.com)
The book begins with the death of Fay Kirkwood, a self-proclaimed grouch living on a north-country farm — raising pigs, fixing lawnmowers, and keeping people at arm’s length even when she cares about them. The twist is that Fay doesn’t exactly move on. Her consciousness lingers, and she becomes a powerless witness to the aftermath: how her words are remembered, how her choices echo, and how the people who loved (and survived) her interpret the life she left behind. (kirkusreviews.com)
Edith frames it as a comedy about death, but the humor has teeth — the kind that lets the book ask a bigger question without getting preachy: what if “heaven” and “hell” are simply seeing what our actions really did to other people? (mountaintimes.info)
In our conversation, Edith talks about writing a prickly protagonist you can still root for, capturing small-town rhythms honestly, and balancing laughter with the hard truths that show up when a life ends but the consequences keep moving.
Joan M. White’s a commoner’s prayer is poetry rooted in seasons, attention, and everyday wonder
In my newest interview, I’m joined by Joan M. White, a Shelburne, Vermont poet whose debut collection a commoner’s prayer: poems was released by Rootstock on April 1, 2026.
Rootstock describes the book as an exploration of seasons—both the natural cycles of spring, summer, fall, and winter, and the profoundly human seasons of life. The poems are tender without being soft, curious without being vague, and grounded in the kind of close observation that comes from time spent outdoors and time spent paying attention. Joan draws inspiration from plant life, wandering in woods and wetlands, and a long Zen practice that values clarity and presence.
In our conversation, we talk about how she approaches craft—how a poem can hold both beauty and urgency, how haiku-like precision changes the way a writer sees, and how a book can be spiritual without ever telling you what to think. If you’re looking for poetry that feels like real life—messy, luminous, and alive—this episode is a good listen.
Project Update: Still Slow Going
Things are still slow going with Appliance, but the project continues to move forward little by little. I’ve been keeping at the edits and revisions where I can, even if progress has been happening in smaller chunks lately.
Right now, it’s very much a matter of consistency over speed. As long as I keep putting time into it, the book keeps improving—and that’s what matters most at this stage.
Book Review: Topper Takes a Trip – A Delightfully Chaotic Ghost Story
Reading Topper Takes a Trip by Thorne Smith feels like stepping into an old black-and-white comedy where everyone is slightly tipsy, nothing goes according to plan, and the ghosts may be the most reasonable characters in the room.
This vintage paperback is packed with the kind of fast-talking, absurd humor that doesn’t show up much anymore. Poor Cosmo Topper once again finds himself dragged into supernatural chaos thanks to the endlessly mischievous George and Marion Kerby. What follows is part ghost story, part screwball comedy, and part social satire, all wrapped together with Smith’s playful writing style.
What I enjoyed most is how unapologetically fun the whole thing is. The book doesn’t worry too much about realism or logic—it’s all about strange situations, witty dialogue, and watching Topper try to maintain some shred of dignity while everything around him goes completely sideways.
Topper Takes a Trip is goofy, ghostly fun with a mischievous streak. If you enjoy old-school comedy, eccentric characters, and vintage charm, it’s a wonderfully entertaining ride.
Personal Update: Yard Sale Marathon and Big Milestones
This was an absolutely packed week. Between everything going on with work and my Outdoor Edge show, there wasn’t a whole lot of downtime—but Memorial Day weekend brought one of our favorite yearly traditions.
Elizabeth and I did our annual “how many yard sales can we possibly hit in one Saturday” challenge. Our previous record was 51 yard sales, and somehow this year we managed to beat it by making it to 56 yard sales in a single day. By the end of it we were definitely running on fumes, but it was a blast. I also managed to find a few good resell treasures along the way, which always makes the hunt more satisfying.
Another highlight of the week was Elizabeth’s spring school concert. She did a great job, and it was really nice having Mom and Dad come by for it too. Afterward, we all went out for ice cream, which felt like the perfect way to wrap up the evening. Those are the kinds of simple family moments that really stick with you.
All in all, it was one of those weeks that felt very full in the best possible way—busy, active, and packed with good memories.
Ice cream celebration after the spring concert!
It is a tradition to go to as many yard sales as possible on Memorial Day weekend. We went to 56 this year!