The 100-Week Deadline
100 weeks.
That’s how much time I’m giving myself to make Pesto Comics a full-time, full-fledged publishing house.
You don’t just wake up one day and own a publishing empire; you build it brick by brick. Starting next week, we add one more with the launch of Snip. The first brick was actually laid in 2023 with Unlimited Udo. That was my first real jump into making comics—learning the ropes, figuring out how to work with printers, managing the ins and outs of shipping, and becoming part of the comics community.
Fast forward to today, and Pesto Comics is making a massive leap into the direct market with From Parts Unknown coming in April, right before Free Comic Book Day. But to feed that retail pipeline, we have to completely re-engineer how we do Kickstarter campaigns. We aren’t just crowdfunding a book; we are building a production engine that ensures Pesto Comics has a constant presence on your bookshelves.
Where Snip Comes In
We’re changing the game for this campaign. We aren’t just launching Issue #1; we’re shipping Issues #1 and #2 together.
As a reader, I don’t love waiting months just to see where a story is going. By releasing both issues at once, you’re getting a massive chunk of this existential, action-packed sci-fi tale upfront, all with beautiful art by Ricardo Pacini and JP Jordan.
Our goal is to have this entire story in your hands by this summer. This is about building trust and showing that Pesto Comics can deliver high-volume, high-quality content at a professional pace.
Because this is a Kickstarter, we’re doing things you just can’t do in a retail environment. The main covers for Snip are the same ones you’ll see in comic shops later, but we don’t need a UPC or a massive title to compete with Batman or Spider-Man on a crowded shelf.
These versions feature minimal text to let the artwork breathe. Plus, we have Kickstarter-exclusive homage covers in strictly limited quantities. These are definitive collector editions, and once they’re gone, they’re gone.
The 2028 Deadline
100 weeks is a short time to build a dream. To make it happen, I need your support over the next four weeks. For the direct market expansion, the 2028 deadline, and the future of Pesto Comics to work, this campaign needs to succeed. When you back Snip, you’re getting an incredible story, but you’re also laying the foundation for an independent studio.
Thank you for being here. We’ll talk again soon.
From Parts Unknown #1 - Pre-order until March 30th!
Share these codes with your retailer to make sure they have your copy…
Snip #1-2 - Launching NEXT WEEK!
Naked Kaiju Woman #3 & 4 - March 2026
Crimson Frontier 1 & 2 - April 2026
Prime Cut #1-2 - May 2026
Super Secret Epilogue
As always, I like to talk a little more freeform here.
One thing I could have explored deeper is that 100-week deadline. Right now, a lot of this is being subsidized by my full-time job. I work in IT in healthcare in Canada. It’s a good job that has served me well, and I’m happy doing it for the most part. However, I’d love to put more energy into getting comics out there.
With the new deal with Prana and getting these books into the direct market, I feel like if I could just focus on writing and production, I could make this a real big thing. Part of that 100-week goal is moving beyond just my own work. I’d love to find other people with cool stories—even artists I work with now who have their own tales to tell—and help publish them.
I look at companies like Mad Cave as a great example. It started with Mark London doing his own books, and he expanded that into a successful company with creators like friends of mine, who have also worked for Pesto Comics.
The roadmap is there.
The Production Pipeline
The plan right now is to make From Parts Unknown successful, with Snip following right behind it in the direct market. We hope to have Snip on shelves by August so we don’t lose that monthly spot. There is more coming this year, too: Prime Cut, Crimson Frontier with Daniel, and other projects in the early stages.
By the end of the year, I hope to have two books a month. It doesn’t sound like a lot compared to Marvel’s 20 books a week, but they have the power of Disney. I am here in my basement without that production power or the time of a full-time job. My goal is to make more time. Does that mean I quit or go part-time? Maybe I take a leave of absence; I don’t know yet. But I know if I don’t set a timeline, I’ll never get there. I’m setting the deadline: 100 weeks.
Final Thoughts
I’m a day late this week. I hoped to get things out on time, but the script wasn’t where I wanted it. Sometimes, you just have to ship—especially with videos. Comics are less ephemeral; once they exist, they are part of the catalog forever, so I spend more time making sure they are correct. With videos, I need to be more comfortable putting them out when they are “close enough.”
I miss the weekly cadence. I feel like I’m missing from the world for a week at a time. I might keep the videos bi-weekly but move Substack and audio back to weekly. We’ll see.
Lastly, I still need to fulfill Big Smoke Pulp. Volume 2 might be the last one for a little while until I can give the authors the attention they need. I should have the digital versions out by the end of February. I’m also doing a road show for From Parts Unknown, dropping off promo materials at comic shops in Southern Ontario and working with Prana to reach shops across North America.
Thank you for being here. Head to the link in the description or bit.ly/snip1comic to grab those exclusive covers. We’ll talk soon.
