This fall, we return to the world of Justice Warriors for the most important election of our lifetime. It’s been long in the works and I’m pleased to officially announce: JUSTICE WARRIORS: VOTE HARDER will be an original graphic novel out September 10, 2024, from Ahoy Comics.
Bubble City is having its first ever mayoral election and mutant cops Swamp and Schitt are pulled in to special duty to protect the vote from the people. Ben Clarkson and I have been hard at work, along with our colorist Felipe Sobreiro, to top our first volume of the series and bring you an election year satire for the ages.
As I told ComicBook.com
"Justice Warriors: Vote Harder takes the feel of paranoid political thrillers of the 70s and updates it for the online age of conspiracy, partisanship, and the desire to break out of the confines of the ballot box to do something far more radical," Matt Bors told ComicBook.com in a statement. "Unlikable candidates. An unfair media. And a system designed to prevent real change. It's the most important election of everyone's life—and possibly their last."
There are some preview pages and much more about the story over at ComicBook.com, but how about this cover?
Needless to say, I’m thrilled we get another opportunity to bring you more Justice Warriors. The satire, the action, the deranged mutant society in this world, is exactly what I want to be working on right now. I left political cartooning a few years ago, but you can bet all the commentary I would have for this miserable year before us has been refracted back into our world of (literal) shit cops, backbiting elites, and a crazed media.
Justice Warriors: Vote Harder is open for pre-orders. Call your local comic shop or bookstore and request it or order online at the various places listed on this Simon & Schuster page.
I’ll have much more to share and talk about in the months to come. For now, let’s get in a word about my other mutant satire comic book…
Toxic Avenger
Today I turn in my script for The Toxic Avenger #3 as the artist works on issue #2 and colors and letters come in for issue #1. This is my first project working on a character I did not create and I am having a blast—the whole team is turning in impressive work at every stage and that is and challenging me to up my game.
This series drops in October and there will be much more to share down the line. For now, it is head down at the desk to bring you these two books in the Fall. Artist Fred Harper is on point for this series: his wild expressions, globulous contortions, and scritchy inks are perfect for Toxie. Fred is always sharing bits of art in his newsletter, so be sure to give him a follow.
Here is one of my own recent Toxie drawings, made for “fun” which is a driving force behind many of my recent drawings. I’ve been drawing a lot this past year, unearthing an evolved style that has me moving away from the look of my editorial cartoons. I have released basically none of it, though I’ll start larding up this newsletter with new drawings soon. In fact, I have another below.
TCAF
I’ll be tabling at TCAF this May 11 -12 at the Toronto Public Library. Come say hi—it’s free! I have tabled at this show a few times over the years—it’s where I met Eleri Harris, which led to our decade-long collaboration at The Nib. This will be my first show in Canada since moving here in 2020 and I recently realized that TCAF is now my regional con, so I expect to be there a lot in the coming years.
Spawn Drawings
Spawn #350 recently hit shelves and not only is it a record-breaking run for a creator-owned comic, but it marks my record-breaking run as a comic book reader. I have read Spawn monthly since May 1992. I’m not going to defend myself! It’s normal!
I was asked by Four Color Comics in Virginia to contribute a sketched cover to their annual charity and I chose Spawn #1. Nine-year-old me and 40-year-old me are both equally pleased. The image was based on a recent drawing I made on my iPad one night, inspired (I believe by edibles) to conjure the more horrific Spawn I see in my visions.
Panel of the month
I leave you with some E.C. Segar. I hope you have a good sandwich in your life, if not today, then soon.
Can't wait
Looking forward to your public domain Wimpy series in 2025!