Moving Forward
An update from our studio in which we strap in for the carnival ride, prep for a cryptid invasion, and endorse cancelled TV shows
Hello y’all–
I don’t know about you, but I made it to about January 57th before I realized that 2025 was going to be a relentless fire hose of all-caps energy. And now we’re supposed to keep this shit going for February?! Please.
It reminds me of a time many years ago when I was at a county fair in Tennessee. My friends and I went for the demolition derby, but were inevitably seduced by the fried Twinkies and demonstrably unsafe attractions. My bff and I got on one of those Top Spin-style rides and watched as the gentleperson operating the machine walked away for a smoke break that lasted… I’m guessing 2-3 hours? Let’s just say we were spinning much longer than is probably recommended by NASA or whoever is in charge of regulating carnival rides.
When we finally got off the Top Spin, I felt like hot trash. Like lay down in the back seat on the ride home trash. And guess what, the effects of that turbulent ride never fully went away! In fact, I have to take a pill every day of my life to treat the Mal de débarquement syndrome that my doctor thinks was triggered by that wild little spin.
What am I trying to get at here? Enjoy the 2025 ride, folks! And if you survive, I recommend following up with your primary care physician…
I want to offer my most sincere appreciation to everyone who supported our 2024 Holiday Benefit for the Appalachian Funders Network. Thanks to your generosity, we raised $1,200 in support of the AFN Hurricane Helene Response Fund!
Major love to everyone who wrote with kind words of support, donated directly to the fund online, and came by Peel for our in-person event. And a big shout out to all of the New Futurists artists whose work was featured in our silent auction!
Update: 2024 Visionary and Paid Rewards
Y’all. I’m SO excited for what The New Futurists are cooking up in 2025. But first, we’re working hard to put a button on 2024.
I’ll be schlepping myself to the post office this weekend to get the rewards in the mail for our 2024 Visionary subscribers. Y’all are precious gems and I would totally give you a kidney if you needed one. But just so you know, I recently learned that you can smush your internal organs by wearing shapewear too often, so… you might want to look for a backup donor.
Luis and I are also hard at work on the layout and production business of The Omniverse Guidebook: Volume 1 – which will go out to everyone who was a paid subscriber in 2024! We hope to have an update on the printing and shipping of that book for the next installation of “Moving Forward.”
American Gothic: The Hand of Poe
Every time I see pages for American Gothic: The Hand of Poe, I am viscerally excited to share them with you. And praise be to Cthulu, the wait is almost over! Later this month, Ezequiel and I will bring you an introduction to this volume of American Gothic with a special behind-the-scenes look at the development of the project. Stay tuned, gentle readers!
Into the Omniverse Series 2: The Supernaturalist’s Notebook
Also coming right around the corner is the next installment of our Omniverse trading cards! For series two, we’ll turn our attention to the paranormal creatures that populate the uncanny world of the Omniverse. Can you identify the differences between a Central Appalachian Woodbooger and the Sasquatch of the Pacific Northwest? Fear not, gentle reader, in “The Supernaturalist’s Notebook,” our team of parabiologists will guide you through everything you need to know about the rich diversity of cryptids, critters, and haints lurking in the dark corners of creation.
And I’ve honestly just scratched the surface of the things we have in the hopper for 2025.
I have some musical content on deck that I am just dying to share. I have to finish up the short stories that accompany the songs— and I’ll be damned if I’m not the slowest prose writer on the planet. But know that I’m toiling away, trying to polish up some very special offerings in the “Pearl Valley Incident” series. We’re also developing a series of multimedia projects currently codenamed “Project Sycorax.” And finally, whether you like it or not, I’ve started adapting some of my academic writing for a popular audience. Who even knows if I’ll see that one to fruition, but don’t say I didn’t warn you!
Lord have mercy, I love Neko Case. Nobody writes a sad banger like her. Just this morning I received an autographed copy of Neko’s new memoir The Harder I Fight the More I Love You from my bff (yes, the same person from the Top Spin— find you somebody who can do both). I haven’t been this excited for a celebrity memoir since… maybe ever? Don’t take my word for it: the reviews all rave.
I was trying to remember what I’ve watched since we last checked in and the answer is: not much. (Note to self: make more time for tomfoolery.) Look: I’ve been a sucker for a good procedural drama for as long as I can remember. If you dig a good David Simon vibe, might I recommend Get Mille Black from HBO and BBC Four? The writing is tight, the cast is stellar, and the production work had me hooked. No word on a second season yet, but the first one stands on its own merits. Oh, Hubby Jon and I also very much enjoyed The Franchise on HBO, though I just read that it won’t be picked up for a second season. Dumb. But if you want a bone-chilling look behind the scenes of tent pole movie magic, give this one a spin. I have to admit that knowing the finale cliffhanger will never be resolved fills me with some Top Spin-style dread, if I’m being honest.
Oh honey, if you have any interest in art, get thee to your local bookstore and grab a copy of The Marvel Art of Russell Dauterman. Long-term readers know that this ‘stack could very easily pivot to being a Russell Dautmerman fan blog. This collection from Clover Press is a visual feast and the book nerd in me is absolutely in love with the attention to detail that went into this edition. We backed the book on Kickstarter and got a giant print of Dauterman’s X-Men Hellfire Gala designs that I can’t wait to show you when it gets back from the framer! Don’t sleep on this stunning book, folks!
And finally, what are you listening to? If you care to follow along, here’s a link to our 2025: Q1 playlist in Apple Music. You’ll note it’s very heavy on end-of-2024 offerings currently, so hit me with any hot recs to freshen up the groove!
Watch this space for some exciting new work and until then, I’ll see you in the funny papers!
Ben Bolling
Chapel Hill, NC
2/4/2025
That Poe art looks sick. When does the comic start back?
Can't wait you guys! 😊😊