Tales of Syzpense #69

Looking for positive visions of 2025, LEGO Locke & Key, Rom, Spacetoy, Self Help Vol. 1, and more

I put all this pressure on myself to have something meaningful to say. Some way to address what already feels like daily blasts of terrible news in this first month of 2025: the horrific LA wildfires; Neil Gaiman being reveled (again, I mean, in more detailed and disturbing fashion) to be someone far different and worse than we all thought; Diamond Comics filing for bankruptcy; the losses of luminaries like David Lynch and Sam Moore and John Sykes and Garth Hudson and Jules Feiffer and Art Nichols; and the official start of a 4-year-long sequel 75 million of us desperately hoped to never see. It’s been a lot.

So instead, I found myself staring at the blank screen, looking for a way into this newsletter again that wasn’t just promotion of an upcoming book. Some path that also led to something more productive than just wallowing in a more public way. Who wants to read that? I know I don’t want to spend even more time dwelling on all the things that have darkened the start to the year. (And I saw a nice uptick of new subscribers to start the year, largely coming my way thanks to Joe Hill’s newsletter, so thanks for signing on, people!)

And so, I’m back to muddling through and aiming to keep a focus on the things that have always been there for me when I needed ‘em: comics. Hopefully they, and this newsletter, can help provide the occasional respites and bursts of amusement amidst the burgeoning oligarchy and legislated cruelty that’s taking shape in front of all of us.

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2025: The Year That Will Be

I figured, to start the year (well, to start February, pretty much; that’s how late this newsletter is), I’d forego the spinner rack theme for one go-round and instead present a good array of images that relate to how I’m going to be spending my 2025. Visual hints at projects I’m working on, books that are coming out, and comics or related assignments that are under way but still under wraps. My form of a public vision board, meaning many of these aren’t literal but they’re at least visually connected in some way.

So as it currently stands, my 2025 will be occupied with these things. More to come as soon as I’m able — at least one of which will be announced in full in mid-February so that will be a fun one to talk about soon enough.

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Help Your Self

This week, I received advance copies of the first volume of Self Help, the wondrous LA noir tale that writers Owen King & Jesse Kellerman and artist Marianna Ignazzi put together (along with letterer/designer Ian Chalgren and colorist Fabiana Mascolo). The book came out great. It’s available everywhere on February 12, and sometime between now and then, we’ll give proper word (and visuals) about the next volume in the series.

Also, I uploaded to Image all the files for the coming Dreamweaver Giant-Syze Special comic (64 pages on classic newsprint paper) by Nelson Daniel and me. Designed by Ashley Wood, who also contributed a cover to the comic. This one’s coming in March.

Incidentally, we solicited the comic with this Nelson Daniel cover and I kinda love it for the fact that it’s so far away from the usual heroic comic cover pose… but then Nelson created the above image that feels more appropriate for a cover. Even though this one probably more closely reflects my inner self some days:

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In Other News

Okay, so 2025 hasn’t only been full of dismal news—mostly just in the big, life-affecting ways. But in smaller ways, there are at least some fun geek things on the horizon. Like this, after all this time. As the person responsible for the last Rom figure to be released — the one that was part of a larger Hasbro SDCC exclusive set in 2017 — I’m happy as can be to see that the original Rom is getting his own figure. His first since the original toy was released in the mists of the 20th century. This one goes up for pre-order in mid-February.

Really, did you ever think you’d see a day where a Hasbro commercial would end like this:

Someone built a LEGO Keyhouse! It’s certainly worth looking at all the images—the builder, Emily Cavina, did some really stunning work. And if you click the link, that will take you to the LEGO site where you can vote to try to make it become a reality (and also bypass Facebook altogether, which is an increasingly smart idea).

And speaking of Locke & Key, keymakers extraordinaire Skelton Crew Studio have been releasing a new line of literary-based keys alongside the great L&K artifacts they make. And as you might expect, they’re all lovely, and designed by not only Gabriel Rodriguez but some other great comic artists, too. And all packed in book-like boxes, which only adds to their charm. Here’re a few recent releases. I snuck in a pic of the NOS4A2 Charlie Manx plush figure they put out around, appropriately, Christmastime.

The Fortean Times magazine reviewed our complete Saucer Country collection, and that’s the best possible place to review this book:

I’m still figuring out my convention plans for the year beyond the known shows (SDCC, WonderCon, NYCC) but here’s one that recently announced I’d be one of their guests. I’ve never done a con in New Jersey before, so it should be a good time. And it has a fun connection to my past, too, since one of the convention organizers, Paul Brown, took over running Kevin Smith’s Movie Poop Shoot (long story) web site after I left as the site’s first EiC. Anyway, should be fun.

My pal Robert Crais released a new book last week (a particularly intricately plotted one, already one of my favorites of his). I went by his signing at the always-excellent Warwick’s Bookstore in La Jolla last week. Warwick’s is the country’s oldest family-owned bookstore (est. 1896!), and Bob’s events there are always a fun time. We traded copies of our most recent books:

And finally, cribbing from Jon Stewart, here’s your ending moment of zen… yours, not mine, since getting mauled by a dozen pug puppies at a pug cafe is definitely not a calming experience…