Happy New Year!

Endings, Beginnings and Mindset's Series Finale.

It would seem a bit ironic that we begin the new year with an ending, in a story about feeling powerless to change at a time when people are quite focused on change.

So hey, first off, Happy New Year to you! Did you do anything nice? Relaxing?

I myself completely checked out of this newsletter and social media, and after four series last year, spent a lot of time recovering and preparing for another busy, amazing year. It felt kind of nice to unplug from technology and social media a bit, focus on the people and things that matter. And yes, now I’ve succumbed to the trend of resolutions and empowering habit changing and all sorts of ways to improve the work flow. And of course, my first book of the year - Mindset #6, our grand series finale to our epic mind control thriller about our inability to escape technology’s grip. Kind of funny to be trying to make new habits while a finale about being controlled hits.

It’s also a bit surreal to be beginning a new year of new projects, while ending Mindset, although I know it’s only the beginning of Mindset’s journey with the trade releasing later this spring. But I’m sad it’s ending, I definitely loved telling this story and I really found a renewed love for dark sci-fi thrillers.

I did an interview recently where they asked me if the big twist in Mindset #5 was planned or if I discovered it along the way. No, it was very much planned and very much the point of the series. We wanted to look at our relationship with technology and the battle for control, and this story reveal (I won’t spoil it for you, in case you haven’t caught up yet) is very much about that conflict. This was the idea when I first conceived of the story, when I pitched it to John Pearson and later Vault Comics. And it was our focus throughout the story, to make sure John’s amazing artwork and Hassan’s incredible lettering elevated that thematic conflict, to make sure it resonated powerfully the first read through, and then the inevitable re-read after readers experience the twist and want to go back. Yeah, it’s that kind of story, in a good way.

And I hope Mindset #6 will leave just as much a surprising mark on readers. So definitely let me know what you think and if you enjoyed it! Below is a stunning variant cover by Conor Boyle, design by Tim Daniel.

I’m starting the year with six active projects, although many of them may not release until 2024. The ebb and flow of beginnings and endings, sometimes it harvests all at once and sometimes it’s wait and watch it grow season. But I’ve been fortunate enough to work with two new publishers and a roster of amazing new artists and I can’t wait to start teasing out some new artwork to share. I’m hesitant to start nicknaming projects with code names, but I may cave on that in order to talk more clearly about my process on new things.

But in the meantime, I’ve been considering talking more about the business and process of making comics - so if there are any questions or topics you are interested in, please let me know!

• Scout Comics FOREVER FORWARD #5, Arjuna Susini, Brad Simpson and Jim Campbell, is our series finale and will be out January 25th, with some great covers by Heather Vaughan and Sami Kivela.

Forever Forward #5 Covers

• Dark Horse’s BREAK OUT TPB will be out April 5th in comic stores everywhere.

• Vault Comics’ MINDSET TPB will be out April 26th in comic stores everywhere.

Good luck to all of you in your resolutions and new goals, and I truly hope you find a wonderful beginning to your new year!

And thanks for reading!

Zack Kaplan

1.10.23