Author: matthewephotography@yahoo.com
Mad Cave Studios’ young adult label Maverick has announced a new queer beat-em-up romantic comedy debuting next spring. Today, The Beat can exclusively reveal Beat Every 1-Up, a graphic novel written by Ran Pitts, illustrated by Joe Hunter, and text by Frank Cvetkovich. Beat Every 1-Up follows Terror Princess Helia, a warrior who fights to save her fiancée who has been kidnapped by the villainous ape Gogo. She is joined by her friend and bodyguard, the ice witch Sidra, but as they grow closer during their harrowing journey, they realize their feelings for each other may be more than platonic.…
In November, Street Noise Books will publish Hybrid, a thoughtful graphic novel written and art directed by Jamie Mustard and illustrated by Francesca Filomena. Today, The Beat can share an exclusive preview of the book ahead of its debut. Set in a version of Los Angeles that is both familiar and unfamiliar, “Hybrid” offers a poignant commentary on who is ignored under capitalism. Here’s the full synopsis: Set in an alternative, futuristic Los Angeles, it tells the story of an artist who finds beauty in the ugly and noble hope amidst incredible poverty, drugs, violence, and conflict. Hybrid shows us…
On Tuesday, Clover Press launched a Kickstarter campaign for the final two issues of the eight-volume collection of Ruben Bolling’s multi-award-winning comic strip “Tom the Dancing Bug.” The campaign quickly surpassed its $2,000 funding goal and more than quadrupled within hours. Two new volumes of Tom the Dancing Bug collect strips published in the ’90s. Tom the Dancing Bug: Secret Origins collects strips from 1990 to 1994, and Sex, Tom the Dancing Bug, & Rock ‘N’ Roll collects strips from 1994 to 1998. Each volume is an 8″ x 9″ softcover that matches the previous volumes in the set. The…
Titan Manga, an imprint of Titan Comics, has announced the release of a manga version of Uketsu’s bestselling horror novel Strange Pictures. This work was brought to life by artist Noriyuki Aiba (also known as Noriyuki Aiba, whose credits include the “Hypnosis Mic -Division Rap Battle-” side DH&BAT). The 160-page first volume will be released on June 2, 2026, and retails for $12.99. Strange Pictures, first published in 2022, is a Japanese mystery horror novel written by popular YouTuber Uketsu and translated into English by Jim Lyon in 2025. The novel is structured around a series of paintings, each of…
The first thing you see when you get out of Custom House tube station is thousands of cosplayers. Every single one of them has put in time, effort, money and mental bandwidth into costuming characters they love, or at least like the designs of. As you walk towards the Excel, you will see ornate prop designs and complex costumes, ranging from simple clothes to intricate sets of armour. You will see people of all ages, ranging from children to older folks, of all sorts of different ethnicities and gender identities. This is what you see as you enter MCM London…
Parents looking to give their young readers something fun and tooth-rotting Halloween for them should look no further than SPOOPS: The Little Spirits of Hollywood. Written by prolific voice actor AJ LoCascio and illustrated by Laurie A. Conley, the book follows a young girl named Holly Hollowell, who is forbidden from enjoying the Halloween festivities by her strict dentist parents. Luckily for Holly, a magical fairy known as Spoop arrives to turn things around and teach her parents the true meaning of Halloween. I had the great pleasure of interviewing Locascio at San Diego Comic-Con just a few months ago,…
The next volume of the isekai manga series that inspired Crunchyroll’s hit anime series is scheduled to hit bookstores next month. Working for God in a Godless World Volume 4 will be published by Titan Manga, an imprint of manga specialist Titan Comics, on November 18, 2025, and will retail for $12.99. Titan Manga first announced in 2024 that it had licensed the otherworld series Working for God in a Godless World. This story, written by Aoi Akagi (Welcome to the Classroom of Merit) and illustrated by Hisashi Son, is about working for a god in a godless world. Yukito…
Image credit: Jason Brown, midlifegamergeek.com We continue reading the Halloween-inspired Plants vs. Zombies comics and reach Volume 4. Here, the zombies Plant and Dr. Zomboss are determined to fend for themselves, but their respective friends/bosses must guide them and teach them how to protect themselves, with predictably comedic results. It’s still light and trivial, with some gentle pun-based humor. It’s great for the younger readers it’s aimed at, but doesn’t have much to offer older readers. The backstory features more surreal subject matter (such as the origins of several different zombies), a faux children’s book style in some cases, and…
“Cartoons about illnesses and disabilities (mental and physical) have increased significantly over the past two decades, as people have recognized the immediacy of the form and its diagrammatic ability to express realities and sensations that are difficult to express in other ways. The ability of comics to diagram, that is, to represent, show, and convey objects in space and time, is useful to the authors of different kinds of stories.” -Why Comics by Hilary Shute Comics have an amazing ability to move seamlessly between the imaginary or figurative and the real. When we read comics, we take for granted that…
Syzygy Publishing and Image immerse horror fans in a spooky, seasonal atmosphere with the holiday-themed horror anthology Dread the Halls 2025 #1. Today, The Beat can share an exclusive first look at the story “Yule” from co-creators Jordan Hart and Luana Vecchio. The collection includes cover artwork by Vecchio, Maria Wolfe, and Toby Willsmer, as well as a wraparound “gift tag” variation by Hart. Cover A: Maria Wolfe Cover B: Luana Vecchio Cover C: Jordan Hart Cover D: Toby Wilmsmer Here’s the full synopsis for Dread the Halls 2025: Dread the Holes strikes again this Christmas season with a gift…