Back in the 2000s, two crazy kids named Laura Hudson and Tim Leung decided to create Wizard magazine for people who loved all kinds of comics, not just superheroes. The result was Comic Foundry magazine. It ushered in a new generation of comics readers and creators, with cover stories on figures like Brian Lee O’Malley and Matt Fraction. Hudson edited Comics Alliance, one of the most influential comics websites of all time, and codified the next wave of socially relevant comics. But then both Hudson and Leon went on to more traditional media careers. Hudson spoke to Wired and Leon spoke to Entertainment Weekly. Leon jumps back into the comics world with two great books on geek infographics: Marvel Super Graphics and Star Wars Super Graphics.
But now the duo is back! Teaming up again for a whole new era! Leong and Hudson are the writers of EXPLOIT, a new four-issue techno-thriller coming out in the spring from Mad Cave. They are joined by artists Emiliana Pina (Immortal Red Sonja), Rebecca Good (The Old Guard) and Frank Cvetkovic (Blue Palo Verde), with variant covers by Veronica Fish (Blackwood, Slam!).
Described as a mixture of “news editor grit and technology-fueled paranoia,” EXPLOIT is set in a familiar world where algorithms and billionaires rule, where the truth is hard to find.
Don’t bury the lede. Let’s bury the enemy.
Kirby Kuo may be behind on her true purpose in life, but no one would call a 30-something journalism intern old-fashioned. When Kirby uncovers a shocking secret about high-tech millionaire Cole Saxon, he does what he’s always wanted to do and go public. But the violence and revenge that followed seemed to be something she never expected. It’s a showdown between Kirby, his agoraphobic roommate, and the writing staff of the defunct magazine RIOT. To bring justice to a world where the rich can get what they want without any repercussions.
“For me, Exploitation became a way to cope with how unstable life has become, how unstable reality seems, and how little we can do about it,” Laura Hudson said in a statement. “The world of exploitation is also plagued by conniving tech billionaires and corrupt politicians, but it focuses on people who want to use the resources and skills available to them to fight back, often at a cost. The comic is a little more dramatic and absurd than the world we live in, but unfortunately not by much. The comic is also much more fun and narratively consistent than reality. We hope readers enjoy this.”
Tim Leung said: “This is a very personal story for us. We’ve worked behind the scenes at some of the biggest magazines in the world and seen them up close. We didn’t know what to do with all the emotions that come with seeing the industry you love slowly being destroyed. So we channeled them into exploiting modern technology like never before. At its core, Exploit is a story of rebellion: fighting back when you feel like everything is closing in on you. We started writing this book in 2020 at the beginning of the pandemic, when you feel like everything is closing in on you, and we felt like we could take Exploit to find that light, that hope, that strength.”
If you’re ready to enjoy 90’s zine culture and 00’s nostalgia mixed with 20’s charm, Explaoit might be for you.
Exploit #1 will arrive on March 4, 2026, and FOC will arrive on February 9, 2026. Pre-order from your local comic shop, retailer, or directly from Mad Cave.
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