Timing for Mindset TPB
And the 1st newsletter of 2023!
Hey, it’s Zack!
It’s my first newsletter of the year. And I’m excited because in a minute, I get to talk a lot about Mindset. But where have I been for ten weeks?
I’ve been working my ass off making comics. A whole new slate of comics. Six comics in all! (I’m okay, thanks for checking on me.) And at the beginning of the year, there was this moment where Metal Society was out in trade, Mindset and Break Out were coming and Forever Forward was delayed on Issue #5. I just didn’t have anything to share, even though I’ve never been busier.
It’s interesting, and I can talk more about it another letter, but when the pandemic hit, I had a few planned comic projects go sideways. I spent all of 2021 without a single new comic, which was a bit unnerving for me, but I was working on this massive slate of new series for 2022. Four new series in all, which was a lot of freaking work. Then they all came out, and it just happened, or I let it happen, they all came out in a six month window. But then about half way through last year, I realized, oh wait. I gotta do this again…next year. Ah the life of a comic creator. From the inception of an idea to the release can be anywhere from one to two years in comics world. So I’ve found myself very busy, working on new stuff to get out for 2023 and 2024! And with everything behind closed doors, I opted to keep my head down for the first quarter of the year here. But now I have BREAK OUT and MINDSET coming in TPB, and I get to talk a lot about them. I also have some conventions and signings coming up! And by the summer, I’ll get to start talking new comics. So let’s talk Mindset!
All six issues of our sci-fi mind control thriller, Vault Comics' MINDSET TPB, are being collected into graphic novel this May 31st (not April 26th as previous listed), and there are less than 2 weeks left to pre-order the trade, by FOC March 26th/27th.
If you are a fan of graphic novels like DEPARTMENT OF TRUTH or NICE HOUSE ON A LAKE, movies like SOCIAL NETWORK or TV shows like SEVERANCE, then MINDSET is for you and your readers.
MINDSET is about a group of tech geeks who discover a form of mind control, put the science into a meditation app to help users break their technology addictions. But after a wake of murders, a series of mind games, and a cult following of a billion users, they must ask the question – are they helping people or controlling them? It's a murder mystery, an edge-of-your-seat thriller and one crazy mind control adventure!
And after eight comic book series, Mindset has been my biggest series to date, with over 30,000 of Issue #1 printed. It's one of Vault Comics best-selling comics of 2022 and the reviews have been incredible.
10/10 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ "For my money, Mindset is one of the best books being published." - BIG COMIC PAGE (READ REVIEW HERE)
10/10 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ "An uncompromising and engaging vision. A terrifying look in the dark mirror we all need." - COMIC BOOKCASE (READ REVIEW HERE)
10/10 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ "Mindset is a form of brainwashing itself, drawing one in and leaving one with a desire for more." - COMIC WATCH (READ REVIEW HERE)
10/10 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ "Turns the entire genre on its head." - COMICBOOK.COM (READ REVIEW HERE)
10/10 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ "A terrific science fiction tale, creepier because it hits so close to home." - MAJOR SPOILERS (READ REVIEW HERE)
9.5/10 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ "I would argue that Mindset is the very best comic series of the year." - AIPT (READ REVIEW HERE)
"An imaginative, unrestrained triumph." - CBR (READ REVIEW HERE)
"One of the most compelling and relevant books on the stands." - COMICS BEAT (READ REVIEW HERE)
The team and I are so freaking proud and passionate about this book!
Just two years ago, Eisner-winning artist John Pearson (Department of Truth, Blue in Green), prolific letterer Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou and I decided to take on the premise of mind control through an examination of how our devices effect our every day behavior. But it seems today this topic is more timely than ever. As we're watching social media networks change before our eyes, it seems platforms and apps are more focused than ever on furthering our addiction to technology. Does this book solve this problem? No, not really. But it does reveal a horrifying truth we all know! Mind control is real!
Well, can you really stop using your phone?
Personally, I'm losing the battle of phone addiction, but hey, at least I wrote about it!
When we set out on this journey with Vault Comics, we knew if we wanted to tackle the very familiar device of mind control, we had to do something inventive and fresh. Staging the story in modern Silicon Valley around a mind control app was a good start.
But not only did we hope to create a thrilling mystery and a provocative character drama, but we tirelessly tried to use the comic book form to elevate the story. We wanted to stay commercial and easy to read, but the pages are full of thought-provoking artistic devices to amplify the themes of control, duality and reflection in the story, and tons of subtle easter eggs in the thriller that will allow for great re-readability. Basically, we put a lot of thought into this comic.
And the results in the art are, well, freaking breath-taking...
Hey, I told you I'd be talking about mind control. And, I know that's a strong dose of "read this book" but we're very proud of it and we believe in it. And with FOC around the corner, just under two weeks, March 26th/27th, now is the time to order this book!
Scout Comics Forever Forward #5 did release after shipping delays, I believe it was February 22nd, so you can now find all five issues out in stores and available for order. The graphic novel is not set to collect until the fall, so if you want to read our time travel adventure, FOREVER FORWARD is fully available now.
Dark Horse Comics’ BREAK OUT is set to release April 5th, but there is some early signs that date might also bump due to shipping delays. Welcome to the current world of comics. But it will be out in comic shops this April and in book shops late April or early May. More as I hear it.
Lastly, I have two comic conventions coming up: WONDER CON, this March 24-26 and C2E2 this March 31-April 2. There is a strong chance I might get an early box of Dark Horse’s BREAK OUT that I can have at my Artist Alley tables. If we’re friends or if we’ve never met, come say hi - I’d love to chat comics!
I hope to see you at a con, I’ll also be doing San Diego and New York this year. And if I miss you, find me online! I just did a great interview with GateCrashers that you can find online.
And if you have any questions for me or want to hear me talk more about something, let me know - just reply or comment to this newsletter. Until next time…
Thanks for reading!
Zack Kaplan
3.15.23