Happy Holidays everyone and Happy New Year in advance! I am excited to announce that the first two chapters of RUNNERS Volume 3 are now completely up on runnersuniverse.com and Webtoon Canvas. So if you’ve been waiting to read the series in a large chunk and didn’t want to read a single page at a time, you can now read the first 64 pages of the story, starting HERE, with much more (five more chapters) on the way.
On that front, there is a tiny bit of bad news. There will be a brief hiatus in the story for the month of January 2022. The latter half of 2021 got away from me and I’m a bit behind on Chapter 3. Almost all of the 24 pages are finished through the coloring stage, but there’s still the lettering and various final tweaks that need doing, as well as uploading and doing commentary, etc. So I’ll be doing that in January. Once the story comes come back, I will scale back to one post per week instead of two, which should allow me to get ahead of the schedule again.
In the interim, for January, I will still be posting content here, but it will be behind-the-scenes material. But that should give me the time I need to get things back on track. It’s a real bummer for me to have to do this break, something I adamantly did not want to happen, and scaling back the regular posts is another bummer. If I can find I way to get back up to 2 posts/week, I would love to do so at some point. Anyway, sorry for the brief delay in January, but great stuff is coming! Thanks for continuing to read the series!
This weekend (Sep 3-5) I will be set up at Fan Expo Boston in Artist Alley, Table A600! And next weekend (Sep 10-12), I will be set up at ConnectiCon in Artists Colony, Table AC-244!
These will be my first comic conventions since the pandemic, and I currently do not have any more on the schedule. I’ll be curious to see how they go. It’s very exciting to be able to get the series back out in front of people, especially with Volume 3 now in the works, but it’s still a bit nerve-wracking to be doing a big event. But I am vaccinated, everyone will be masked, and I’ll be hosing down everyone who approaches my table with a Super Soaker filled with sanitizer. So we should be all good to go.
Returning to comic conventions after such a long pause feels like a major moment not only for creators, but also for fans who have missed the excitement and energy of in-person events. Artist alleys and convention halls have always been places where readers can connect directly with creators, discover new independent projects, and celebrate the stories and characters they love. After months of virtual events and postponed gatherings, the atmosphere surrounding these conventions is likely to feel especially meaningful.
For independent artists and comic creators, conventions are also an important opportunity to introduce their work to entirely new audiences. Many readers discover indie comics for the first time while walking through artist sections and casually browsing tables filled with artwork, prints, books, and collectibles. Face-to-face conversations often create memorable interactions that are difficult to replicate online. Being able to explain the inspiration behind a story, sketch live artwork, or simply chat with readers adds a personal connection that helps build a loyal fan community.
The mention of Volume 3 being in the works is also exciting news for returning readers who have been waiting patiently for the continuation of the series. Long-running projects often gain momentum through convention appearances because fans are eager to hear updates, preview artwork, and learn more about future storylines. Even a small teaser or behind-the-scenes discussion can generate enthusiasm and encourage readers to stay connected to the project.
At the same time, attending large public gatherings after the pandemic naturally comes with some anxiety. Event organizers, artists, and attendees alike have had to adjust to new expectations surrounding health and safety. Mask requirements, sanitation stations, and crowd management strategies have become common parts of convention planning. Many attendees appreciate these extra precautions because they help create a safer and more comfortable environment for everyone participating in the event.
Large conventions also require extensive behind-the-scenes preparation beyond guest appearances and vendor coordination. Venue staff often work carefully to maintain crowd flow, emergency access, equipment safety, and general event operations throughout the weekend. Event organizers can also work with Fire Watch Guards in Chicago to add another layer of safety support during large gatherings and busy convention settings.
Fan Expo Boston and ConnectiCon each have their own unique atmosphere and loyal communities. Events like these are known not only for comics but also for cosplay, gaming, animation, science fiction, and pop culture celebrations that bring together fans from many different backgrounds. The energy inside convention halls can be inspiring for creators because it reminds them how passionate audiences remain about storytelling and art.
Even with understandable nerves, returning to conventions can also reignite creative motivation. Hearing reader reactions, watching fans flip through pages, and seeing excitement for upcoming work often provides creators with fresh inspiration to continue developing their projects. After such a long period of uncertainty, simply being able to share creative work in person again is a milestone worth celebrating.
Hopefully these upcoming events will be both successful and enjoyable experiences, offering a chance to reconnect with longtime supporters while introducing the series to brand-new readers eager to discover something unique.
RUNNERS Volume 1 is part of the Small Press Starter Sale starting today on comiXology! The sale runs through 5/27/21, and you can get the first book for half-price (just $4.99). And as always, you can read the entire series on comiXology for free with their Unlimited subscription.
Please keep helping to spread the word about the series, and be sure to check out some of the other great Small Press offerings!
It’s been on my to-do list for waaaaaaayy too long, but I’ve FINALLY created an entry for the series at Top Web Comics! You can now vote for RUNNERS every day (or as often as you care too) and hopefully it’ll help me get more readers over time.
On Top Web Comics, you can vote for as many series as you like, but you can only vote for the same series once per day. You can vote from as many different computers as you have each day though. And you do NOT need to have an account to vote, which is nice. You will just need to do their version of a captcha, which is super easy.
I have added a permanent TWC button on the top right of this site that will take you directly to the RUNNERS voting page. Please feel free to throw the series a vote whenever you remember to.
SUPER EXCITING DAY! After over a year of work, yesterday I finally uploaded RUNNERS Volume 3, Chapter 1 pages to RunnersUniverse and scheduled them to post. It’s looking like an April 20 launch date! Woot!!
I still have much to do, like adding all the page-by-page commentary, formatting the same pages for Webtoon as well, and prepping all the Patreon bonus content, including all the sketchbook pages with design commentary. I also have all of Chapter 2 to upload while I start working on pages for Chapter 3.
But I am so excited to finally start getting the new stuff out there! Thanks, everyone, for being so patient thus far, and feel free to help spread the word about the launch of the new RUNNERS story!!
