Dear Diary (to My Friends),

Back in July I started off my update saying: “If all goes according to plan (he says, knowing very little in his twenty-two year comic book career has gone exactly as planned), this month will be the last month of my current status quo in my professional career.”

Well, it all went according to plan, and for the last several months I’ve been officially serving as Publisher of Source Point Press.

As I’ve said in numerous interviews (all which can be found on the PRESS page of this very site), I never set-out to run a publishing company, choosing to focus on my own work and using what I bring to the table to help other publishers.along with the creators I worked with and the other creators on the label.

When it became evident that after a tumultuous few years that  Source Point Press, was very considering closing their doors, I did some serious soul-searching and stepped-up with a proposal on how to relaunch the company. Again, my intent was not to be the one leading the charge, but here we are… and here I am.

After working in this industry for over 20 years, I felt I had a pretty good grip on what I was getting into. In a lot of ways I did… and in a lot of ways I didn’t, but thankfully — as requested — Source Point Press co-founder agreed to stay on as Chief Creative Officer to help with his institutional knowledge and experience. Furthermore, after Atom! Freeman and I both quietly sizing each other up for a few years, Source Point Press became one of the first publishers to join with PRANA Direct Market Solutions too support the publisher in the Direct Market (comic shops). I’ve also reopened the publisher’s relationship with Simon & Schuster to start getting all the upcoming graphic novels we’ll be publishing into book stores and Amazon again after they’ve had their first round of releases in comic shops.

It’s a lot of bookkeeping, and a lot of spread sheets, but even when it’s hard I remind myself of the privilege of having this responsibility. Right now we’ve got about 40 books on our release schedule and we’re already looking into 2027 for our release schedule of graphic novels primarily in the genres of horror, speculative fiction, and pulp: “Comics with a sharp edge.”

Speaking of comics with a sharp edge, while my writing time has been unquestionable impacted by my increased work load as Publisher, I’m fiercely dedicated to two new book launches of my own in 2026:

My long-promised graphic novel FROG SWEAT will be my next new book I’ll be launching, ideally this spring. As I’m writing this Les Lindon Garner (co-creator of our Ringo Award nominated graphic novel HOMESTEAD) is reviewing the scripts for the first few chapters of what is easily the most-dread-laden book I’ve written to date. Think “Bayou-based body-horror” for this one, which is my first series to firmly take place in the NIGHTMARE WORLD universe since TALES OF MR. RHEE. If you were a fan of the NIGHTMARE WORLD stories “The Guns of Love Disastrous” you’ll be happy to know we’re returning to our runaway Mafiaso lovers Johnny and Bridget to see what they’re up to now that they’re on the lam… and the horror that ensues when they accept a map from a certain Mysterious Stranger. There’s some exclusive news for you for reading this. Haha!

My other book I’m committed to launching in 2026 is HOPE Volume 3. I’ve been anxious to return to this one since that bombshell cliff-hanger at the end of HOPE Volume 2, and I can’t wait to work with illustrator Sally Scott on this one. I’m not going to tease anything else about this one aside from this promotional image and one warning anyone who reads this series should be accustomed to by now: Things aren’t going to get any easier for Hope. Heh.

That aside, all Kickstarter backers have received their copies of RSVP: E.S.P. by me, Josh Malerman, Joshua Ross, Colin Johnson, Dave Lentz, and Drena Jo. I think we really captured lightning in a bottle with this one, and I’m sincerely hopeful we can all reunite to do another graphic novel soon.

TALES OF MR. RHEE Volume 6: “Blood for Blood” by myself, Austin McKinley,, Colin Johnson and Drena Jo also wrapped-up a fun and successful Kickstarter campaign, making the latest volume of my longest-running series available as a Kickstarter Exclusive hardcover to backers. I’ve made no secret about how close to my heart TALES OF MR. RHEE is, and this newest volume may very well be the best volume of the series to date. It’s equally funny and brutal, so expect to have a lot of big emotional responses when you read this one, friends.

That being said, I should get back to my “to-do” list as both a Publisher and a writer… especially with my return to the road starting  next weekend. Before I do, though, I want to say THANK YOU for your continued support of my work. If you haven’t already, be sure to subscribe to my monthly newsletter on the front page of this very website so that we can stay in touch a little more often outside this twice-a-year update and the algorithms of social media,, as I’d very much like that, ya’ hear?

Your friend in comics,
Dirk Manning

“What do you mean you only look like that on the Internet?!?”