Tales of Syzpense #84

Dreading the Hall H, sold-out Moonshine, gay Paree, and a Pride-full Spinner Rack

“I’m 58 and I’ve never voted,” said the guy standing next to me.

He showed up at the local No Kings protest about the same time I did, and armed with the same kind of sign (um, none; but that changed quickly after a kindly woman also standing nearby handed us a couple of extras she made.

“One World,” mine read. His had a pro-science message. The woman who made the signs was a scientist at a local cancer lab that recently had its funding pulled.

Not that anyone grilled him but the guy started rationalizing his “I’ve never voted” stance, claiming that he always felt like all politicians in both major parties were equally corrupt and didn’t represent him. He was born in the Philippines and came to America when he was five and considered himself American through and through. Except for the voting part.

But enough was enough, he said. He finally felt so inspired by the daily calamity that he decided to come out and join the local march. (It wasn’t a march so much as it was people standing and talking and finding shared common ground — being generally anti-chaos — and waving at people who drove by and honked their horns.

Still, he said he had to lie to his wife, who is staunchly pro-choice and deeply religious. He said she wouldn’t allow him to come but he came anyway. He said he would vote next time, and the time after that. It all felt hopeful in the moment, people from such diverse backgrounds and belief systems all uniting to, if nothing else, stand for a little while with like-minded people who just want to live their lives without one maniac dominating their every thought.

Like I say, it was hopeful in the moment. And then the chaos continued and an utterly unnecessary war looms on the horizon.

And with all of that, there is no smooth way to segue into talking up a comic book that hits its final order cut-off on Monday. So instead, let’s acknowledge that comics and books feel like an increasing trifle in a complicated and ugly world, but with that remains the need to distract ourselves from screens and news and terror, if only for a little while.

Yes, this is the conundrum of book promotion — anything promotion — we’ve all been contending with since 2016 or so.

But hey, I’m very proud of the work we did on the admittedly goofy and somewhat creepy DREAD THE HALL H, and so amidst everything going on in the world, if you want to look away from the news long enough to let your local retailer know you’d like a copy of this comic, well, that would be a nice thing. Here are the convenient codes you’d need for each of the four covers, too.

Those covers are here:

The comes out the week prior to the San Diego Comic-Con next week, and if you’re coming to the show, not only will we (Jordan Hart, cover artist Maria Wolf, and me) be signing copies but we also have a full Dread the Hall H panel, too. At both the signing and at the panel, we’ll be handing out special Dread the Hall H lanyard and badges, and we’ll all be sharing fun convention horror stories on the panel, and will be inviting audience members to do the same. So if you’re looking for a way to channel your daily dread, well, come see us, it’ll be fun. In the moment.

SATURDAY, 7/26/25

5:00PM - 6:00PM DREAD THE HALL H: (FICTIONAL) COMIC CONVENTION HORROR STORIES!—Everyone has experienced the joy and anguish of trying to get into their favorite over-sold panel, and now there’s a new comic celebrating those highs and lows in heightened horrific fashion! Join Dread the Hall H co-writers Chris Ryall and Jordan Hart, alongside cover artist Maria Wolf, longtime convention staple Tim Seeley, and guests to be named later, as they share spirited convention stories both real and fictional in celebration of both comic cons in general and their new horror anthology in specific! Best of all, every guest in attendance will get a free one-of-a-kind Dread the Hall H lanyard and badge, too! Room 23ABC

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Moonshine Big Feat

Hey, we sold out issue 1 of Moonshine Bigfoot! Just in time for issue 3 to come out, too.

That is to say, the issue is sold out at the distributor (yes, we still have some of those!) but you can prolly still find copies at local shops, so why not check out all three issues (four in all, but issue 4 won’t be out til early August). Issue 3 looks like this:

Here’s a particularly nice page without lettering so you can appreciate all the cameos in that second panel. If you recognize them all, well, you’re clearly a person of wealth and taste.

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Gay Paree

I spent a week in Paris last week and it was quite lovely. As soon as they develop a cure for gout, I plan to move there and live out the rest of my days eating nothing but fresh baguettes, fine cheeses, dried meats, and assorted chocolates and wine.

We did the things you do in Paris, beyond eating your way across the city, like seeing the art and the cathedrals and, for me, as many bookstores and comic shops as I could. But really, what’s most impressive about Paris is the gorgeous ancient architecture:

I did spend ample time in Pulp’s Comics. The shop was great, and even had a few of my books, which makes it greatER. But it’s also on a street filled with other bookshops selling new Bande-Desinee and used books and comics and toys and art. So I basically shop-hopped up and down the street for a couple hours one afternoon and it was great.

Also, for anyone dreading the long lines and crowded panel rooms at Comic-Con next month? Trust me, it could be worse. It was worse.

I realize this is a terrible travelogue so far. But you’ve seen all the good stuff in much better pictures than I took. Still, if you want something pretty, albeit a spot equally crowded as the Louvre, here’s one view of Claude Monet’s bridge and garden in Giverney. It was worth the drive even though our tour guide admitted he’d never been to Monet’s house before and only took the job as tour guide because his wife made him. he was kind enough to point out exactly one highlight as we drove through the city and out into the country.

“The side of the tunnel we’re about to come out of,” he said, “is the spot where Princess Diana died.”

Cool. And with that one sentence, he showed us he knew more about that tunnel than he did Claude Monet’s work or residence. So we got to discover it with him.

Oh, and I saw the real source of Jack Kirby’s inspiration for The Thing back in the early ‘60s: a sculpture by Auguste Rodin. Who knew Rodin was even aware of the effects of cosmic rays back in his time?

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A Pride-Full Spinner Rack

It’s late in the month but I’ve been away, so just catching up now — Happy Pride to all who celebrate!

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