FOC Week Is Here
All right, so we’re here. It’s time for the final order cutoff for From Parts Unknown coming this Monday. I’m going on all the comic sites and checking it out, seeing that I’m part of the orders due this month. The weight of it is feeling heavier than it has been this whole time. I still feel good about it.
I’m not worried, but I’m a little worried.
I’m excited to finally be here. There are still a couple of things that need to be ironed out. I like to work ahead as much as possible and get as much done as I can before these dates come around.
New Production Designer
This time we got a new production designer involved, which has been great and has been bringing the quality of the book way up. However, that’s another thing that is no longer in my own control. I’m feeling a little stressed about giving another piece of the puzzle away.
But honestly, one of the best ways to manage stress is knowing when to hand things off and knowing when you’ve reached your limit. Sometimes someone else can do it better—someone experienced who knows what they’re doing. This time I’ve got Travis Escarfullery. He worked for Bad Idea, he worked for Valiant, and now he works for Pesto Comics along with others. He’s helping out with From Parts Unknown and doing the things I didn’t have the skill to put as much effort into.
Letters Page Announcement
That includes things like the ad pages, the credits pages, and something I’ll announce right now: we’re going to have a letters page in the back of the comic. There are going to be two pages reserved for people sending in their thoughts about the book.
I’ll spill the email address right now: letters@pestocomics.com. I’d love to hear your thoughts. We will have letters pages throughout issues 2, 3, 4, and 5, and that’s something we’re going to keep doing for the foreseeable future. The book that comes after this series, Snip, will also have letters pages. So, at least for 2026, you’ll find letters pages at the back of every Pesto Comics book in stores. That’s something we don’t do on Kickstarter, so it’ll be really neat.
Atom Freeman of Prana was the one who told me to get a production designer; he said it would make me feel a lot better. And it has. Travis has found so many little fixes and corrections in terms of getting things to the printer that will make the book much more professional. I’m actually going to get him on board for more than just From Parts Unknown—I’m going to get him involved earlier at the Kickstarter level, too.
Kickstarter & Direct Market Strategy
Having this dual strategy of being on Kickstarter and in the direct market has been a lot. It’s a necessity because of how comics are funded. I can’t rely on the direct market or crowdfunding alone; both need to be humming along at full speed for this to be a successful endeavor.
By 2027, the goal is to have at least two books in the direct market. Although, the way things are going, we might have three. It requires a ton of investment on my end to get artists going, and I’m paying that out of pocket. I won’t see that money back until at least the back half of the year. It’s a huge risk, and it’s something I’ve been stressing about.
The reason I wanted to dig deeper into this today is because I have a colleague who recently left his post for his mental health. It’s a reasonable decision and I totally get it. Frankly, I’ve done that a little bit with the Instant Comic Book Podcast. I haven’t left entirely, but I had to tell Roberto that I’m the reason we aren’t posting every week. It’s been hard to dedicate two hours every week to a podcast with everything else I’m trying to do. Roberto has been doing some solo casts and carrying the torch while I can’t be there, which is great. It’s that same idea: knowing when to hand things off.
Knowing When to Step Back
I’ve also been lettering all the books myself. I enjoy it, but I think after From Parts Unknown and Snip, I’m going to look for a letterer to work with. That would allow me to focus on the things I really need to, like finalizing the scripts for Crimson Frontier.
I’ve received pages for Naked Kaiju Woman #3, so we are on track to launch that in mid-April. I told the artist, Rafael, to take his time so we can get books in people’s hands as quickly as possible after the campaign. I don’t like to launch just to launch.
Looking at the slate for 2026 through 2028, there are so many projects planned that it’s getting to be a lot. On Monday, the numbers come in. I think we’ll clear the minimum threshold of 1,000 copies to hit offset printing. There are 2,700 stores in North America, plus Diamond UK. We did a big bundle to make it easier for retailers to order, and I know at least 10% of that goal was fulfilled while I was in the room, so I think we’re in good shape.
Expectations
But who knows, right? That’s where the stress is coming in. It’s all a mystery. Objectively, I think I feel good about it, but not knowing is tough. I won’t really know until Tuesday how it’s going to go—once all the orders are in and I can compare them against my expectations and my minimums.
As I was getting at, there are three different markers: there’s the minimum threshold to hit offset printing, there’s the target I’m hoping to hit, and then there’s my personal expectation. My expectation is a little more lofty than what I actually need just to be profitable.
But this is book one of many. It’s one of five in this series, and I have plans for tons more. Frankly, I’m not too worried because this was something I didn’t even see coming. I was planning on getting into direct market distribution eventually, but I had no real roadmap until I met with Atom and the guys at Prana. We started all this planning, and now we’re here.
It wasn’t in my original business plan. I wasn’t counting on it, for lack of a better term. I expected to do this entirely on Kickstarter and recoup the money there. Usually, Kickstarter covers most of the production, but after print costs, I’m often still in the red. The goal is to get into the black and start making a profit once I hit the trade paperback stage—or at least break even. So, having the direct market is a bonus. It might actually make us profitable enough to throw that money into even more books. I was going to do those extra books anyway—I have four in production now and more than four in the planning stages behind those. I’m excited to finally have people read these ideas. And again, it all starts with Monday.
Managing the Workload
I’m going all over the place, but that’s just me managing my stress. That’s how it feels in my head; every time I think of one thing, I think of something else that needs to be done.
For example, surveys for Big Smoke Pulp should be going out this week. The digital copies are more or less ready, but I still have to tweak the ePub, which is holding me back. Because those files are ready, the printer is ready too, so I’m about a month behind on distribution. That was another thing I didn’t need weighing on me—something I could have finished earlier if I had been more focused on following up and prodding authors for their edits. I’ll take responsibility for that. I could have taken some stress off my plate, but I also needed a break here and there.
Burnout & Seeking Help
That’s why it was interesting seeing a colleague step away from their company. I won’t say who it is, but I’ve mentioned it publicly. It’s interesting to see someone achieve a dream and then do the healthy thing by saying, “This is too much all at once, I need to breathe and focus on staying healthy.”
I’ve felt burnout in the past with my corporate job. I know what it’s like to wake up and find it hard to get out of bed, even if you’re doing something you thought you wanted to do. To proactively manage this, I started talking to a therapist. I’ve never done that before, but I have benefits through my day job and I figured it couldn’t hurt. I can’t just take a vacation right now; I need to be here for this FOC and for these Kickstarters.
I’m not saying there is a right or wrong way to deal with stress, but I wanted to share how I’m dealing with it. I’m trying to get ahead of that burnout feeling.
Sometimes you have to make a decision about whether the stress is worth it. I’m a film school kid, but I don’t work in film because I decided I wasn’t willing to pay the cost involved for that lifestyle. If that’s how you feel about comics, or your career, or anything else—have a real assessment. Ask yourself: Is this what I want for me and my family?
Why It’s Worth It
For me, I know I want to get there. I’ve wanted this since I was a kid. I used to draw comic strips on regular paper and staple them together. Now, the fact that my book will be in stores this April is wild.
This is Day One of a new era for Pesto Comics. I’m excited, scared, and worried all at the same time, but I’m managing it. We have so many cool stories coming. Let’s just enjoy the good times while they’re here.
If you need help, get it. If you need time, take it. But if you need to push through, make sure you know when it’s worth it. People are here to help, myself included. We’ll talk again next week after I know the numbers.
