Daniel Kibblesmith's Blog

This is Daniel Kibblesmith’s free non-Substack blog and newsletter. It doesn’t cost any money. In fact, I lose a small amount of money every day that it exists. But social media has reached its logical conclusion of being close to unusable, and I’m nostalgic for the Internet of Websites (like this one).So thank you for visiting, reading, and if you’re not already subscribed, you can sign up by clicking below to receive more exciting updates from me like this one. Subscribe Hi, all.

I went on another podcast. It’s this one:

Comedian, Podcast Mogul, and Marvel Comics Writer, Scott Aukerman has seen many movies, but (as he would be the first to admit) not all of them. Blade Trinity was a movie he apparently had not seen — or so I learned when he sent me an alphabetized list of potential movies and I did not make it past the B’s.

Blade (1998), at any given moment, might be my favorite movie. It never leaves the top three. So it was a blast and an honor to join Scott and Sprague The Whisperer on Scott Hasn’t Seen to discuss a movie that I have seen many more time than most movies I love. The mild spoiler here being: I do not love this movie.

Listen here or on the podcast platform of your choice by subscribing to Comedy Bang Bang World. That’s right, I’m behind the paywall — but so is a galactic amount of funny, weird, great comedy from many of my favorite people ever to do it. So let me ranting about how Blade 3 is “my Star Wars prequels” be the last push you needed to sign up and check it out.

Me, posing with my bird that is also named me.

‘How To Survive The Marvel Universe’ on Boing BoIng.

I’ve heard of Comedy Bang Bang — but Computers Boing Boing? I’ve heard of that as well.

My friend Ruben Bolling, also the cartoonist behind Tom The Dancing Bug, wrote a very cool feature on So You’ve Been Bitten By A Radioactive Spider: How To Survive The Marvel Universe for Boing Boing — a publication I’ve been reading since the invention of the Internet, one million years ago. Check it out here.

Revenge Of Comic Book Block Party Round-Up

I don’t really know what a “round-up” is, especially in this context. I just like it because it sounds cowboy.

Me again, for real this time. Photo by Alex Firer, but he used my phone, so I’ve decided I own it.

Thanks to everyone who came out to Revenge Of in Eagle Rock for the third annual Comic Book Block Party hosted by Patton Oswalt and Jordan Blum. If you missed it (or you were there and you’re looking for pictures of yourself) photos and highlights are still rolling out over social. Check here for even more — and see you there (again) next year.

What Else Is New?

I joined a WGA off-season softball league and I am terrible. I’m also not clear on what makes this the off-season, I never know what the score is, or how many outs there have been, or how many balls/strikes I have and it’s tremendous fun.

Another picture of me.

On Sale Now!

From Chronicle Books, cover illustrations by Kyle Hilton.

The aforementioned So You’ve Been Bitten By A Radioactive Spider: How To Survive The Marvel Universe is available now from basically any bookstore that has a phone, because they can order you a copy, so support your favorite local bookstore, and me, and a scrappy little organization called Disney-Marvel.

Makes a great gift and I’m being told is especially popular with 7-12 year olds. This sounds like a lie and I would absolutely still say it if it wasn’t true, but it turns out it’s true.

Also still on sale from a comic shop near you or digitally:

Rick And Morty Vs. The Universe #4 from Oni Press

Darkwing Duck #6 from Dynamite Entertainment

Rick And Morty: Last Mort Standing from Oni Press

Rick And Morty Vs. The Universe #3 from Oni Press

Rick And Morty: Beth ‘Til Death from Oni Press

—all available digitally or from a local comic shop near you.

Currently Reading

Careless People by Sarah Wynn-Williams and Frankenstein by Mary Shelley (ever heard of it). I’d planned on finishing it before the movie came out, but then it turned out that the movie is pretty different, which I’m guessing has never happened to a book before and especially not this exact book.

Blade Trinitily yours,

This is Daniel Kibblesmith’s free non-Substack blog and newsletter. It doesn’t cost any money. In fact, I lose a small amount of money every day that it exists. But social media has reached its logical conclusion of being close to unusable, and I’m nostalgic for the Internet of Websites (like this one).So thank you for visiting, reading, and if you’re not already subscribed, you can sign up by clicking below to receive more exciting updates from me like this one. Subscribe

Hi, all.

Today’s the day. So You’ve Been Bitten By A Radioactive Spider: How To Survive The Marvel Universe, written by me, illustrated by Kyle Hilton, is officially on sale from Chronicle Books at online retailers and bookstores near you.

This is me, speaking to you.

On Sale Now From Chronicle Books

Via Chronicle Books; Cover by Kyle Hilton

Order Now

If you already have a copy, or plan to get one, please don’t forget to flag it for the algorithm by rating and reviewing on Amazon, marking it “To-Read” on Goodreads, and leaving a few kind words on whatever other book-related social media or retailers you might use, as well as requesting your local library order a copy — which can usually be done very easily through their website.

And if you still require convincing (or just want to hype yourself up as you wait for your mail-order copy to arrive) — read on.

Via Chronicle Books:

The Marvel Comics Universe is full of action, adventure, danger, and cosmic peril. Be ready for anything with this illustrated action handbook—whether you have newly developed super-powers, you need to pilot an Iron Man suit, or Galactus is here to eat the Earth.

Kyle Hilton (via Chronicle).

Written by Marvel Comics and Emmy-nominated humor writer Daniel Kibblesmith, this official illustrated guide to surviving and thriving in the Marvel Universe uses comics-tested advice to steer readers through what to expect when exposed to gamma rays, bonding with a symbiote or—ow!—feeling an unexpected sting at the science fair. Featuring practical information such as wall-crawling tips, along with emergency information (you’ve been plunged into the Quantum Realm) and day-to-day guidance if your cat turns out to be a Flerken, you suspect someone of being a Skrull, or are facing a doombot, this is the must-have handbook as you live in the world of Marvel’s mightiest heroes.

Kyle Hilton (via Chronicle).

CRUCIAL ADVICE FROM MARVEL COMICS: What would you do if you discover you had mutant abilities, or are the only one on a heroic team without super-powers? Marvel comics writer and lifelong fan Daniel Kibblesmith finds inspiration and advice in the comics to offer tips and strategies for navigating these and many more of the reader’s own 'what if' experiences.

Kyle Hilton (via Chronicle).

IMAGINATIVE ADVENTURES: The Hulk is totally hulking out, with mayhem imminent; you’re weighing the pros and cons of legal representation from Matt Murdock or Jennifer Walters (or P.I. help from Jessica Jones or Howard the Duck); you need to speak Groot but are not fluent. This book has got you covered!

Perfect for:

Marvel fans looking for a fresh, funny spin on the comics

Fans of action hero handbooks and survival guides

Fans of Marvel Super Graphic, Marvel Mazes, and Thor and Loki: Midgard Family Mayhem

Format: Hardcover

Publication Date: 10/28/2025

ISBN: 9781797233543

Thanks all. Very proud. Please share this post and spread the word.

This is Daniel Kibblesmith’s free non-Substack blog and newsletter. It doesn’t cost any money. In fact, I lose a small amount of money every day that it exists. But social media has reached its logical conclusion of being close to unusable, and I’m nostalgic for the Internet of Websites (like this one).So thank you for visiting, reading, and if you’re not already subscribed, you can sign up by clicking below to receive more exciting updates from me like this one. Subscribe Hi all, Daniel again.

I don’t have a podcast, but I’m planning to appear on all of them, and these were some particularly fun and exciting ones. This first one is a BIG deal to me.

Jimmy Pardo’s Never Not Funny is very likely the FIRST podcast I’ve ever subscribed to and a genre defining trailblazer in the now ubiquitous format of Friends Talking. It was an honor and a blast to be one of the friends and do some of the talking. Listen from the top to hear how Jimmy and I met at Zanies in my embryonic “comedy nerd” days, nostalgia for the A Special Thing message board, and lots of Oak Park and Chicago talk. Or skip right to this clip about my cab driver telling me the mind-blowing truth about 9/11.

Thank you again to Jimmy Pardo and Never Not Funny, you can listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. I will be inviting myself back.

I also got to sit down with Off The Records’ B-$ (Brendon Walsh, pronounced “B-Money” or “BE money?”) and my Strip Law friend and colleague, Sean “the O'Connman” O'Connor.

The premise of the podcast is that Brendon and Sean have comedy friends over to listen to / react to / talk over a vinyl comedy album from Brendon’s vast collection of comedy records. He appears to literally have all of them, but ANYONE with a record player probably has this one — the HIGHEST SELLING COMEDY ALBUM OF ALL TIME, The First Family.

It’s a, let’s say, mild and gentle sketch record, hanging almost entirely on the strength of Vaughn Meader’s JFK impression, with obviously no idea of what’s on the horizon for America, Kennedy, or the man who fully hitched his career to him. So obviously things get incredibly dark and we blather over it like idiots. Tremendous fun.

Subscribe wherever you get podcasts. You can also check out the ENTIRE EPISODE below.

HAPPENING SOON!November 2nd 1pm - 3pm: Marvel Book Signing at Golden Apple. November 8th 11AM: Revenge Of Presents: Comic Book Creators Block Party 2025!

Now with updated signing schedule! I’ll be selling and signing books during SIGNING BLOCK B from 1pm - 2pm!

On Sale Now!

Rick And Morty Vs. The Universe #4 from Oni Press

Darkwing Duck #6 from Dynamite Entertainment

Rick And Morty: Last Mort Standing from Oni Press

Rick And Morty Vs. The Universe #3 from Oni Press

Rick And Morty: Beth ‘Til Death from Oni Press

—all available digitally or from a local comic shop near you.

Currently Listening

This Decemberists cover of Joanna Newsom’s “Bridges and Balloons,” because I am permanently on brand as having worn glasses in 2004.

Okay, enjoy listening to me talk for hours.

Hi all, Daniel Kibblesmith here.

Thank you for reading and subscribing to my non-social-media website and newsletter, just like in the legendary days of the Geocities, when Bonzi Buddies walked the Earth.

This is a free non-Substack blog and newsletter. Thank you for supporting the very 2004 act of visiting a website or reading an e-mail— and if you don’t yet subscribe to e-mail updates, you can sign up by clicking below.

Subscribe

— and be the first to hear about upcoming live events like these:

11.02.25:“How To Survive The Marvel Universe” Signing at Golden Apple Comics!

Sunday, November 2nd, from 1pm - 3pm, I’ll be signing copies of my new book So You’ve Been Bitten By A Radioactive Spider: How To Survive The Marvel Universe at my local comic shop, Golden Apple Comics in Los Angeles. Please come drop in, say hi, get a book signed, buy some comics, drop out, grab coffee next door or donuts at Voodoo Doughnut down the street. The details:

SUNDAY 11.02.251pm - 3pmGolden Apple Comics7018 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90038Parking in adjacent lot, or metered street parking.Coffee, treats and hangout space available right next door at Coffee For Sasquatch.

Coffee for Sasquatch is not an official partner with this event, it’s just where my kid and I go after we go to Golden Apple.

11.08.25:Revenge Of Presents: Comic Book Creators Block Party 2025!

Hosted by Minor Threats co-creators and all around wonderful men, Patton Oswalt and Jordan Blum, I’ve been lucky enough to be a guest since the inaugural Comic Book Block Party in 2023 and it’s my favorite “con” of the year. Con in quotation marks because it’s smaller, cooler, more fun (for me, at least) and a lot more manageable — no major planning required, easy transport, kid and family friendly. Meet creators, shop their tables, watch them speak at the panels, go inside and play pinball. I can’t recommend it more highly and I can’t wait to spend the day there. Check out the rest of the (amazing) guest creator guest list below:

I will have a SCHEDULED SIGNING BLOCK, TBD. Watch this space or follow me on Instagram or Bluesky for updates. The details:

SATURDAY 11.08.2511am DoorsRevenge Of Comics And Pinball3420 Eagle Rock Blvd, Los Angeles, California 90065.Street parking. Rideshare encouraged. New York Comic Con Round Up

I am walking here.

It was tremendous fun. Saw many friends, walked many, many, miles, sometimes while eating a bacon, egg, and cheese on a roll with hot sauce. Celebrated my birthday with Crif Dogs and Karaoke (and invited some real ringers it turns out). As always, I don’t know how to caption individual images in a Squarespace photo gallery, so keep your eyes peeled for my Eliot Rahal, Jody Houser, Jackson Lanzing, me pretending to be Jackson Lanzing, the signature of Darkwing Duck cover artist, Sarah Myer, Patrick Willems (and myself at Balthazar, looking like pre-guillotined royalty) and a special appearance by airport marketing for Tron: Ares.

On Sale Now!Rick And Morty Vs. The Universe #4

Cover by Dave Bardin.

THE END IS NEAR HERE! Our Rick And Morty cosmic comics event where Rick and Morty literally fight all universes concludes in this triumphant fourth issue drawn by Jarrett Williams and colored by Alessandro Santoro. Is Morty “real?” Is Rick worthy of love? Does rebooting the universe mean the murder decillions of sentient life forms? You be the judge (and they will be judged) when you pick up Rick And Morty Vs. The Universe #4 from a comic shop near you or digitally and via mail-order here.

Via Oni-Press:

"DEATH, RETCON, REBOOT, REBIRTH . . . IS THIS FINALLY THE END OF RICK AND MORTY?! They’ve finally burned every bridge and alienated every possible ally. They’ve seen too much. They’ve DONE too much. This version of Rick has crossed too many lines. He can’t be allowed to continue. At least, that’s what the Parmesan Universe seems to think! And perhaps she is right. As Rick finds himself on the verge of annihilation . . . universes collide! Trillions of lives lost! But perhaps there is still hope—hope for Rick-demption! Is there time to restore order? Can Rick really undo all the horrors he’s visited upon existence? Can we finally go back to pronouncing Parmesan correctly? The galaxy-sized summer event of 2025 is almost over . . . and creators Daniel Kibblesmith (Loki) and Jarrett Williams (Speed Force) will forever grapple with the aftermath!"

STILL On Sale Now!

Darkwing Duck #6 from Dynamite Entertainment

Rick And Morty: Last Mort Standing from Oni Press

Rick And Morty Vs. The Universe #3 from Oni Press

Rick And Morty: Beth ‘Til Death from Oni Press

—all available digitally or from a local comic shop near you.

Currently Watching

Everything I hoped.

Currently Reading

Early in this, but reportedly a posthumously published, satirical faux documenting of the Kennedy assassination, with a forward by Bowman friend, Jonathan Lethem. More here.

Follow me on Goodreads here.

Currently Listening

Revisiting the They Might Be Giants live/greatest hits album, Severe Tire Damage.

This was one of my first and favorite CDs.

Okay, I think that’s everything. See you at Golden Apple and/or Revenge Of.

Hi all, Daniel Kibblesmith here.

Thank you for reading and subscribing — and if you don’t subscribe, you can sign up right now by hitting the button below. The button also automatically kills one stranger and delivers you a million dollars. Or, possibly, delivers a stranger a million dollars and then I forget what happens to you. But it’s probably fine.

Subscribe I Will Be At New York Comic Con 10.08 - 10.12

Should be fine.

New York Comic Con starts in a couple days and I have done very little packing or planning. Mind you, I don’t have a table, or anything to sell there, so preparing for New York Comic Con, for me, mostly involves packing one suitcase with the correct amount of underwear, and zero Ebola monkeys or explosives (or exploding Ebola monkeys). Then I just have to remember to carry that suitcase onto an airplane at an agreed upon time. None of these events are sure things, but I’m optimistic. Monkeys make a noise that reminds you that they don’t like being in confined spaces with dynamite. It’s a defense mechanism.

New York Comic Con is a little exhausting. It’s a difficult place to inhabit physically. It’s roughly the same attendance as San Diego Comic Con, packed into a much smaller space — The Javits Center, forever cursed as the location of Hillary Clinton’s 2016 non-victory party. After Hillary lost in 2016, she gave a solemn speech, after which it would have been inappropriate to release, what I assume, would have been a prepared balloon drop.

Subsequently, I became and remain obsessed with the idea of a balloon drop that does not drop.

Obviously, you need to prepare a balloon drop in the event that you win — and Hillary Clinton and her team felt very confident that they would win. I think it’s a fair assumption to say that a balloon drop was planned. Some evidence: I don’t feel the need to post pictures of politicians on my own website, but there are some very funny, formerly viral photos of Hillary and Bill Clinton reacting with real or faked astonishment at the balloon drop that closed out the 2016 DNC. They stare upward, mouths in the shape of O’s, seemingly amazed at the very idea that this many balloons could exist in one place, much less fall semi-spontaneously from the heavens above. Or — again — pretending. This seems like a logical moment to try to recreate (or top) on election night, given that it was probably the last moment of the campaign to go viral in a somewhat positive way.

But what happens to the prepared balloons that don’t fall? Are they easier to bring back down when kept in the netting that’s holding them in place? Could they be returned in that same packaging and repurposed for another red, white, and blue themed victory party, like a French team’s indoor soccer game? It’s hard to imagine there could be another appropriate event nearby, and so soon. Maybe a down-ballot candidate who had a smaller budget and a better night.

Or do they do a sort of “controlled balloon drop” after everyone has gone home, like a S.W.A.T. team safely detonating a suspected explosive device? Do the maintenance workers still get to enjoy it for a moment before they start sweeping them up? Extending their arms and letting the balloons tumble down over themselves, like secret midnight Presidents. Or do they just stand there, leaning on brooms, with clock-watching resignation toward another chore to be performed? Sweeping up the hubris of the wealthy and powerful. Systematically popping their dreams one by one so they take up less space in the dumpster.

The Javits center is a haunted house — and every time I’m there, I notice myself reflexively glancing upward to see if there are any balloons still remain impossibly trapped in the rafters. The floating ghosts of 2016, clinging to a ceiling so high that the future can’t reach it, trying not to look down at the reality that awaits them should they one day fall.

So I try to chipperly welcome the plastic lightsabers accidentally smacking me in the face, the fifteen minute lines just to get on escalators, and the Hodor cosplayer, literally blocking hundreds of con-goers with the giant door strapped to his back.* Because I am hyper-conscious that I am not having the worst day that anyone has ever had in that building.

To contact me at New York Comic Con for signing books, crashing panels, or actual business, please send me a message via my website here. I am especially interested in writing the new Spider-Man movie, Spider-Man 2: This Time It’s Spider-Man.

On Sale NowRick And Morty Vs. The Universe: LAST MORT STANDING!

Cover by Dave Bardin.

Written by Alex Firer and illustrated by Fred C. Stresing (co-written by me), the longtime Rick & Morty comics team (and current creators of The Doughboys comic) make their triumphant return to the franchise that forced them to ask themselves, “AM I MAN, OR AM I MORT?” In this issue, they finally, bloodily answer that question.

This the third and final of our tie-ins to Rick And Morty’s first ever comics event, Rick And Morty Vs. The Universe — A fourt-part (three-tie-in) series about Rick and Morty literally fighting the universe. Alex and Fred’s installment finds Morty on a mysterious island on the margins of reality where he must win a battle royale with ninety-nine other Morty’s in order to escape back to the real world as a real boy. Who will survive and Mort will be left of them?

Collectible alternate covers gallery below, featuring covers by Troy Little, Flops, Tom Fowler, and interior artist Fred C. Stresing

Impossible to believe you’re still unconvinced. But just in case, here are the official details from Oni Press:

A RICK AND MORTY VS. THE UNIVERSE TIE-IN EXTRAVAGANZA!

Rollicking writers Daniel Kibblesmith (Loki) and Alex Firer (The Onion) and artist Fred C. Stresing (Adventure Time) run headlong toward [INSERT TOP-SECRET CLIMAX HERE] as Rick and Morty’s galactically gargantuan summer event pits Morty against Morty against Morty for all the marbles! As Rick tries (and fails) to trigger a reboot of reality . . . where the hell has Morty been? Just fighting for survival in a teenage boy’s dream/nightmare—a real life battle royale for ultimate Morty supremacy against all the non-canonical Morties of this void in an eternal life-and-death game of Capture the Key—the key that will unlock the massive door in the massive wall that imprisons them all here while the Non-Canonical Ricks have their serious adventures. Our Morty is smarter and more competent than these losers. He’s a REAL BOY. And he can be again . . . he just needs to get that key and escape!

—and an extremely positive review from AIPT comics:

Rick and Morty vs. the Universe: Last Mort Standing #1 isn’t just a savage satire of continuity and comic book death, but a deeper look into the self-loathing that drives Morty Smith’s entire life. With Rick and Morty vs The Universe hurtling to its end, it’s still great that we can get character-focused one-shots like this. I hope Oni Press continues to explore the weird, wild world of Rick and Morty by digging deeper into the titular duo and everyone surrounding them.

Read the full review here, and purchase Rick And Morty: Last Mort Standing from a comic shop near you or digitally for the device you’re staring at right now.

Currently Watching

Karate Kid Legends is a movie for very young children who can also handle a lot of violence and are somehow nostalgic for the early 80s [complimentary]. My kid immediately started doing improvised moves on her bed, so, it’s doing its job.

Follow me on Letterboxd here.

Currently Reading

Not even the first of the X-Men/Star Trek: The Next Generation crossovers, but the first to be written as a novel rather than a comic book. I haven’t read those comics (yet) or any other Star Trek novels, but I can tell you confidently that Planet X is a book by and for the insane. Possibly the book I have owned the longest without finishing, I finally hit the insomnia-to-nostalgia sweet spot that allowed me to pick it up and have my life changed — for the first twenty or so “wtf” pages. Then it becomes an incredibly tedious slog, the kind you could get away with before we all had phones.

One energizing point comes when two security officers, named Ditko and Kirby, survive a phaser barrage that takes out their colleague, a Lt. Wayne — and a callback to Lt. Wayne a few pages later, missed by the editor, refers to him by his original name of Lee. These were the kinds of now extremely distracting and gratutious references you could get away with in what is primarily a Star Trek novel in 1998 (again, no phones). But even at that time, killing off Stan Lee was apparently a bridge too far. Bridge and energizing are not Star Trek puns. They’re just words I needed.

I was pretty sleepy when I powered through the ending, but I’m pretty sure they’re implying that Storm and Picard had sex.

Follow me on Goodreads here.

Currently Listening

On repeat. In what I anticipate will be a lifetime of my daughter hijacking the radio, we have accidentally discovered, via a Siri misunderstanding, a sped-up cover of ‘Helpless’ from Hamilton, or as a four-year-old might call it: “The Schuyler Sisters Where The One In The Bluey-Green Dress Is Getting Married With A Flower Crown, But It’s Rock And Roll.”

Okay, I think that’s everything. See you at NYCC.

* This is real, I saw this. You looked cool, but you literally dressed up as the door from the TV show that blocks people’s path? Cosplay jail. I sentence this man to a hundred years of normal clothes.

Hi all, Daniel Kibblesmith here.

Thank you for reading and subscribing — and if you don’t subscribe, you can sign up right now by hitting the button below. The button also automatically kills one stranger and delivers you a million dollars. Or, possibly, delivers a stranger a million dollars and then I forget what happens to you. But it’s probably fine.

Subscribe I Will Be At New York Comic Con 10.08 - 10.12

Should be fine.

New York Comic Con starts in a couple days and I have done very little packing or planning. Mind you, I don’t have a table, or anything to sell there, so preparing for New York Comic Con, for me, mostly involves packing one suitcase with the correct amount of underwear, and zero Ebola monkeys or explosives (or exploding Ebola monkeys). Then I just have to remember to carry that suitcase onto an airplane at an agreed upon time. None of these events are sure things, but I’m optimistic. Monkeys make a noise that reminds you that they don’t like being in confined spaces with dynamite. It’s a defense mechanism.

New York Comic Con is a little exhausting. It’s a difficult place to inhabit physically. It’s roughly the same attendance as San Diego Comic Con, packed into a much smaller space — The Javits Center, forever cursed as the location of Hillary Clinton’s 2016 non-victory party. After Hillary lost in 2016, she gave a solemn speech, after which it would have been inappropriate to release, what I assume, would have been a prepared balloon drop.

Subsequently, I became and remain obsessed with the idea of a balloon drop that does not drop.

Obviously, you need to prepare a balloon drop in the event that you win — and Hillary Clinton and her team felt very confident that they would win. I think it’s a fair assumption to say that a balloon drop was planned. Some evidence: I don’t feel the need to post pictures of politicians on my own website, but there are some very funny, formerly viral photos of Hillary and Bill Clinton reacting with real or faked astonishment at the balloon drop that closed out the 2016 DNC. They stare upward, mouths in the shape of O’s, seemingly amazed at the very idea that this many balloons could exist in one place, much less fall semi-spontaneously from the heavens above. Or — again — pretending. This seems like a logical moment to try to recreate (or top) on election night, given that it was probably the last moment of the campaign to go viral in a somewhat positive way.

But what happens to the prepared balloons that don’t fall? Are they easier to bring back down when kept in the netting that’s holding them in place? Could they be returned in that same packaging and repurposed for another red, white, and blue themed victory party, like a French team’s indoor soccer game? It’s hard to imagine there could be another appropriate event nearby, and so soon. Maybe a down-ballot candidate who had a smaller budget and a better night.

Or do they do a sort of “controlled balloon drop” after everyone has gone home, like a S.W.A.T. team safely detonating a suspected explosive device? Do the maintenance workers still get to enjoy it for a moment before they start sweeping them up? Extending their arms and letting the balloons tumble down over themselves, like secret midnight Presidents. Or do they just stand there, leaning on brooms, with clock-watching resignation toward another chore to be performed? Sweeping up the hubris of the wealthy and powerful. Systematically popping their dreams one by one so they take up less space in the dumpster.

The Javits center is a haunted house — and every time I’m there, I notice myself reflexively glancing upward to see if there are any balloons still remain impossibly trapped in the rafters. The floating ghosts of 2016, clinging to a ceiling so high that the future can’t reach it, trying not to look down at the reality that awaits them should they one day fall.

So I try to chipperly welcome the plastic lightsabers accidentally smacking me in the face, the fifteen minute lines just to get on escalators, and the Hodor cosplayer, literally blocking hundreds of con-goers with the giant door strapped to his back.* Because I am hyper-conscious that I am not having the worst day that anyone has ever had in that building.

To contact me at New York Comic Con for signing books, crashing panels, or actual business, please send me a message via my website here. I am especially interested in writing the new Spider-Man movie, Spider-Man 2: This Time It’s Spider-Man.

On Sale NowRick And Morty Vs. The Universe: LAST MORT STANDING!

Cover by Dave Bardin.

Written by Alex Firer and illustrated by Fred C. Stresing (co-written by me), the longtime Rick & Morty comics team (and current creators of The Doughboys comic) make their triumphant return to the franchise that forced them to ask themselves, “AM I MAN, OR AM I MORT?” In this issue, they finally, bloodily answer that question.

This the third and final of our tie-ins to Rick And Morty’s first ever comics event, Rick And Morty Vs. The Universe — A fourt-part (three-tie-in) series about Rick and Morty literally fighting the universe. Alex and Fred’s installment finds Morty on a mysterious island on the margins of reality where he must win a battle royale with ninety-nine other Morty’s in order to escape back to the real world as a real boy. Who will survive and Mort will be left of them?

Collectible alternate covers gallery below, featuring covers by Troy Little, Flops, Tom Fowler, and interior artist Fred C. Stresing

Impossible to believe you’re still unconvinced. But just in case, here are the official details from Oni Press:

A RICK AND MORTY VS. THE UNIVERSE TIE-IN EXTRAVAGANZA!

Rollicking writers Daniel Kibblesmith (Loki) and Alex Firer (The Onion) and artist Fred C. Stresing (Adventure Time) run headlong toward [INSERT TOP-SECRET CLIMAX HERE] as Rick and Morty’s galactically gargantuan summer event pits Morty against Morty against Morty for all the marbles! As Rick tries (and fails) to trigger a reboot of reality . . . where the hell has Morty been? Just fighting for survival in a teenage boy’s dream/nightmare—a real life battle royale for ultimate Morty supremacy against all the non-canonical Morties of this void in an eternal life-and-death game of Capture the Key—the key that will unlock the massive door in the massive wall that imprisons them all here while the Non-Canonical Ricks have their serious adventures. Our Morty is smarter and more competent than these losers. He’s a REAL BOY. And he can be again . . . he just needs to get that key and escape!

—and an extremely positive review from AIPT comics:

Rick and Morty vs. the Universe: Last Mort Standing #1 isn’t just a savage satire of continuity and comic book death, but a deeper look into the self-loathing that drives Morty Smith’s entire life. With Rick and Morty vs The Universe hurtling to its end, it’s still great that we can get character-focused one-shots like this. I hope Oni Press continues to explore the weird, wild world of Rick and Morty by digging deeper into the titular duo and everyone surrounding them.

Read the full review here, and purchase Rick And Morty: Last Mort Standing from a comic shop near you or digitally for the device you’re staring at right now.

Currently Watching

Karate Kid Legends is a movie for very young children who can also handle a lot of violence and are somehow nostalgic for the early 80s [complimentary]. My kid immediately started doing improvised moves on her bed, so, it’s doing its job.

Follow me on Letterboxd here.

Currently Reading

Not even the first of the X-Men/Star Trek: The Next Generation crossovers, but the first to be written as a novel rather than a comic book. I haven’t read those comics (yet) or any other Star Trek novels, but I can tell you confidently that Planet X is a book by and for the insane. Possibly the book I have owned the longest without finishing, I finally hit the insomnia-to-nostalgia sweet spot that allowed me to pick it up and have my life changed — for the first twenty or so “wtf” pages. Then it becomes an incredibly tedious slog, the kind you could get away with before we all had phones.

One energizing point comes when two security officers, named Ditko and Kirby, survive a phaser barrage that takes out their colleague, a Lt. Wayne — and a callback to Lt. Wayne a few pages later, missed by the editor, refers to him by his original name of Lee. These were the kinds of now extremely distracting and gratutious references you could get away with in what is primarily a Star Trek novel in 1998 (again, no phones). But even at that time, killing off Stan Lee was apparently a bridge too far. Bridge and energizing are not Star Trek puns. They’re just words I needed.

I was pretty sleepy when I powered through the ending, but I’m pretty sure they’re implying that Storm and Picard had sex.

Follow me on Goodreads here.

Currently Listening

On repeat. In what I anticipate will be a lifetime of my daughter hijacking the radio, we have accidentally discovered, via a Siri misunderstanding, a sped-up cover of ‘Helpless’ from Hamilton, or as a four-year-old might call it: “The Schuyler Sisters Where The One In The Bluey-Green Dress Is Getting Married With A Flower Crown, But It’s Rock And Roll.”

Okay, I think that’s everything. See you at NYCC.

* This is real, I saw this. You looked cool, but you literally dressed up as the door from the TV show that blocks people’s path? Cosplay jail. I sentence this man to a hundred years of normal clothes.

Hi, all.

Daniel here, with some comic books that I wrote for you. First up—

ON SALE NOWRICK AND MORTY VS. THE UNIVERSE #3 !

This is a good one. Rick gets kicked out of continuity and ends up in the realm of the NON-CANONICALS, a real “dirty dozen,” if you will (minus three). Once there, Rick has to lead this “squad” (if you will) on a “suicide” mission (if you will), to sneak their way back into reality — if the 90s-esque, musclebound cyborg monstrosity known as BLOODRYK doesn’t permanently cancel them first … permanently.

Check out the cover gallery above, featuring covers from Dave Bardin, Troy Little, Flops, Tom Fowler, and series artist THE Jarrett Williams. More via Oni-Press:

ENTER: BLOODRYCK! Rick and Morty’s infinite secret crisis across many, many (and then some) Earths is about to get REALLY crazy as chaos-incarnate creators Daniel Kibblesmith (Loki) and Jarrett Williams (Speed Force) launch an overmuscled, overpowered, self-aware, power-fantasy version of Rick hell-bent on killing every other copy of himself into the midst of Rick and Morty’s first-ever summer event!

In order to escape, he’ll have to recruit an expendable squad of NON-CANONICAL RICKS all from outside of continuity. You’ve heard of the DIRTY DOZEN, now meet the NON-CANONICAL NINE! For those of you in the back: Yes, that’s nine—count ’em—nine obscure Ricks from outside any continuity we’ve ever encountered before. And all of them are on the run from Bloodryck! 

Wait, this is the first appearance of BLOODRYCK and THE NON-CANONICAL NINE, too? If you’re thinking what we’re thinking, surely this comic will be worth one billion dollars one day. Buy three (and thank us later)!

Order a copy directly from the publisher here, digitally, or from a local comic shop near you.

Also ON SALE NOWRICK AND MORTY VS THE UNIVERSE PRESENTS: BETH ‘TIL DEATH!

Cover by Dave Bardin.

“For the Beth and Jerry-Heads out there!” Written by Rick and Morty comics vet, Jake Black, co-written by me, with art by Suzi Blake and color art by Meg Casey. Beth ‘Til Death is the second of our three tie-ins to Oni’s Rick And Morty Comics Event, Rick And Morty Vs. The Universe!

Variant Cover by Troy Little.

Via Oni Press:

A RICK AND MORTY VS. THE UNIVERSE TIE-IN EXTRAVAGANZA! Mad-with-power co-writers Daniel Kibblesmith (Loki) and Jake Black (Sonic the Hedgehog) join totally-run-amok artist Suzi Blake (Aggretsuko) for the next seismic special tying together Rick and Morty’s first-ever summer event!

With the impending nuptials of Prime and Parm Universe, love is in the air, and Jerry, being Jerry, has a stupid idea. Things have been rocky with Beth lately, what with separating and getting back together and then the arrival of Space Beth. So to return to solid ground with their marriage, Jerry is going to re-propose and ask Beth to renew their vows. One problem: Jerry doesn’t know which Beth is the one he married. Actually, no one does!

Direct from the publisher here, digitally here, or (preferred) from a local comic shop near you.

I also talked about both of these on Instagram or TikTok — check it out and give me a follow there, but if you’re reading this, it’s like you already followed me there first and just found out that people are still making websites in 2025.

COMING SOON: ME TO NEW YORK COMIC-CON!

Pictured: Me making myself comfortable at Eliot Rahal’s table last year. Too comfortable.

I will not have a table. But I will be present from Thursday 10/8 - Sunday 10/12, walking around like a cryptid. It’s your job to spot me. Thursday tickets still available here.

Hey, also — thank you for reading and/or subscribing to this and forward and share it with friends. If you’re not already subscribed to e-mail updates, do so by clicking the button below. You can also leave comments. Ideally, this website becomes more popular than Bluesky (and I can leave Bluesky).

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“We should embrace the ‘Star Trek: The Next Generation’ future of delivering each other individual e-mails on chunky tablets with physical buttons.”

— Daniel Kibblesmith

Uh-oh.

Hi, all.

For ten years (!!) , Oni Press has released Rick and Morty comics from powerhouse artists and creators, including some of my favorite writers/buddies like Kyle Starks, Alex Firer, and Tini Howard and now me (Daniel). But all good and/or deranged things must come to an end. It is an honor and a huge amount of responsibility to be the writer who gets to blow it all up. We’re killing characters. We destroyed their house and possibly their universe. We’re adding and obliterating canon and lore left and right.* And now, arriving in December of 2025, its—

RICK AND MORTY: THE END!

Check out the cover gallery above, including the collectible blacklight variant by Dave Bardin, in case anyone wants to be the first person ever to experience Rick and Morty while they’re high.

Official details via Oni Publishing:

"Oni Press, the multiple Eisner and Harvey Award-winning publisher of groundbreaking comics and graphic novels since 1997, in partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery Global Consumer Products, is proud to announce RICK AND MORTY: THE END #1 (of 6) — a new six-issue comic series launching Rick Sanchez and his grandson Morty out of the cataclysmic aftermath of this summer's colossal RICK AND MORTY VS. THE UNIVERSE comics event … and into a head-to-head confrontation with the greatest challenge they've ever faced: the end of all things – and each other!

"THIS TITLE IS NOT SOME KIND OF ARTFUL METAPHOR, FOLKS! After 10 years and 100+ issues, the beginning of THE END starts here as acclaimed writer Daniel Kibblesmith (Loki) and artistic annihilator Jarrett Williams (Speed Force) prepare to unleash a fantastically fatal finale for RICK AND MORTY!

"Rick Sanchez, the most wanted man in this and every other universe, is on the run. With a bounty on his head, every government, military, pirate, mobster, bounty hunter, bail bondsman, religious institution, theater troupe, circus clown, and endangered species is on the hunt to bring in Rick – DEAD OR ALIVE. The only one who can bring Rick in warm is the one person who knows him best: Morty Smith. But Morty's not the only Smith hot on Rick's trail . . . "Space Beth" Smith is determined to bring Rick in, and she doesn't particularly care how. Now it's just a question of who can get to him first…!

"Re-uniting maestros Daniel Kibblesmith and Jarrett Williams amidst the fallout of this summer's colossally destructive RICK AND MORTY VS. THE UNIVERSE (on sale now!), THE END begins the next must-read chapter in Kibblesmith and Williams' groundbreaking re-evolution of RICK AND MORTY … and sets the stage for a cataclysmic finale the likes of which this dimension … or the next one … or the one after that … has never experienced.

"Featuring covers by Dave Bardin (Wolverine), Troy Little (Cult of the Lamb), Tom Fowler (Books of Magic), and many more top-secret talents ready to R.I.P., get a front row seat to a fatefully final Rick and Morty adventure this December – only in a comic shop near you!"

RICK AND MORTY: THE END #1 (of 6)
WRITTEN BY DANIEL KIBBLESMITH
ART BY JARRETT WILLIAMS
COVER A BY DAVE BARDIN
COVER B BY TROY LITTLE
COVER C BLIND BAG-LESS VARIANT (TOP SECRET!!!)
WANTED POSTER VARIANT (1:10) BY PHIL MURPHY
VARIANT COVER (1:20) BY TOM FOWLER
BLACKLIGHT VARIANT (1:50) BY DAVE BARDIN
BLUE SKETCH VARIANT AVAILABLE
ON SALE DECEMBER 3, 2025 | $4.99 | 32 PGS. | FC
IOC: 10/25/2025
FOC: 11/10/2025

Pre-order now from your local comic shop.

Also COMING SOONDARKWING DUCK #6

Cover by Brandt & Stein

St. Canard’s Daring Duck of Mystery is BACK in a new, old adventure that flashes back to Darkwing’s secret (and possibly totally made up) origins. In our second-ever installment of The Secret History of Darkwing Duck, we learn how Darkwing became the world’s greatest master of disguise?

Or did he, because — funny story on this one. I came up with this premise based on a misremembering of the lyrics of the theme song:

Cloud of smoke and he appears

The master of surprise

Who's that cunning mind behind

The shadowy disguise?

At no point do the lyrics actually say “Master of Disguise,” and in fact, are only referring to his day-to-day costume as a “disguise” with a cunning mind behind it. A fact, gently pointed out to me by none other than Darkwing Duck creator Tad Stones, who has been enormously helpful on this project (as you can imagine) as well as drawing covers for every issue (collect them all).

But once you accidentally hear “Master of Disguise” and it sticks, it’s a great excuse to write a face-swapping showdown pitting Darkwing against none other than rarely-seen fan favorite villain Camille Chameleon — in a Prestigious turn-of-the-century setting that evokes bloodthirsty rivalry between stage magicians. Might be a good idea for a movie someday.

Via Dynamite

THE DUCK OF A THOUSAND FACES!

As St. Canard's most streetwise freelance defender, Darkwing Duck is famed for his ability to infiltrate even the most secretive of criminal conspiracies - and not always by accident! His unequalled reputation as a master of disguise now precedes him - but it wasn't always that way.

Variant cover by Ciro Cangialosi

Find out how the Fearsome Fowl first learned the clandestine arts of concealment in this all-new Untold Tale of Darkwing Duck - and witness the novice crimefighter's first face-off with Camille Chameleon!
Committed cosplayers DANIEL KIBBLESMITH, TED BRANDT, and RO STEIN put their finest fake beards forward in Darkwing Duck #6 - all cloaked in camouflaging covers by BRANDT & STEIN, ALESSANDRO RANALDI, NICOLETTA BALDARI, CIRO CANGIALOSI, and original animated show creator TAD STONES!

Pre-order now from your local comic shop or directly from the publisher.

ALSO COMING SOON: ME

More details here. I’ve had the honor of participating in this event every year so far and it’s always a true blast. If you can’t handle the giganticness of San Diego Comic-Con, but want the same experience in a single action-packed, yet extremely manageable day, this is the event for you. Meet creators, buy things, get things signed, PLAY PINBALL, and introduce your young kids or boy/girlfriends into the world of con attendance without having to hurl them into the deep end. Jordan Blum and Patton Oswalt and the Revenge Of crew have put together something really special and I hope it lasts forever and I’m always a part of it. Start making your plans, now!

And NOT coming soon, because it is in The Past:Long Beach Comic Con Roundup!

As always, I don’t know how to add comments to gallery photos, but see pictured: Comics writer, journalist and co-director of the con Lan Pitts and comics writer David Pepose and I all talking Spider-Man and then posing together like Spider-Man.

Thanks for reading and/or subscribing and tell your friends. If the content of this post is potentially of interest to them, forward it. If you’re not already subscribing to receive these updates in your inbox, sign up by clicking the button below. The more eyeballs I have here, the less I need social media which is not getting better.

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“*Comic book canon.”

— Daniel Kibblesmith

Found on Google Images. If anyone knows the original artist, please let me know so I can credit them.

Hi, all.

Move over, Toyotathon. Shove off, Lobsterfest. Blow your brains out on the front lawn, Happy Honda-days. There’s finally a Fake Capitalism Holiday that everyone can feel good about, because you only need about $5.00 - $15.00 to participate. Welcome to—

“Three-New-Comics-August!”

In what I think might be a personal record (although I’m not sure, because comic book people are not famous for keeping track of minutiae), I have written or co-written three comics that are on sale in this, the month of August, 2025. Here their official pictures and names:

On Sale NowRick And Morty Vs. The Universe #2

We kill a major character in this issue, but I don’t know if that’s a big deal in Rick and Morty. It might be weird if we don’t do it. This is part two of our epic Rick and Morty comics event from Oni Press, comprised for a four-part series and three one-shot tie-in issues co-written by myself and some of my favorite new and fan-favorite Rick and Morty comics’ writers (as you’ll see later in this very blog post).

Cover by Dave Bardin.

Via Oni Publishing:

THE COMIC BOOK EVENT 13.7 BILLION YEARS IN THE MAKING IS JUST GETTING STARTED!

Chaotically cosmic creators Daniel Kibblesmith (Loki) and Jarrett Williams (Speed Force) are about to turn everything you know about RICK AND MORTY upside down . . . along with several billion nebulae).

Wow, well. Rick and Morty have certainly %&$@ ed things up. 

The wedding is clearly off and the Parmesan Universe is out for blood. The Smith family find themselves on the run and they can’t even use portal tech to escape! The only person Rick and Morty can turn to now is Mr. Poopy Butthole, who is still harboring some hard feelings toward Rick. Sheesh, is there anyone Rick HASN’T pissed off?

Nevertheless, Rick will need his help in order to carry out his plan to REBOOT THE UNIVERSE. Did you think we were joking about this being an EVENT?!?

On sale now. Digitally here, mail order here, or from your local comic shop.

Also On Sale NowRick and Morty Vs. The Universe Presents: Summer of Love

Remember those one-shots I mentioned? This comic is really special. Scripted by my friend and one of my favorite comics creators Jody Houser and co-written by me, Summer of Love is Jody’s first Rick and Morty script and according to Jody, her first comedy script, which is unreal and intimidating because it turned out very, very funny.

Pair that with incredible exciting/hilarious/disgusting art from comic artist, animator and designer Phil Murphy, and you have a perfect one-and-done comic book story focused on Summer Smith and our favorite semi-obscure female characters from the Rick and Morty universe, including, I think, the first reappearance of one of my favorite characters, Planetina.

Cover by Dave Bardin

Via Oni Press:

PORTLAND, OR (JULY 11, 2025) – YOU’RE INVITED TO THE ULTIMATE DESTINATION WEDDING!

Oni Press, in partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery Global Consumer Products, proudly invites everyone to experience the cataclysmic fallout of RICK AND MORTY VS. THE UNIVERSE firsthand in the first of three tie-in specials from a rotating cast of iconoclastic talents in RICK AND MORTY VS. THE UNIVERSE: SUMMER OF LOVE #1 – coming to comic shops everywhere on August 6th! 

Bridging the gap between July’s RICK AND MORTY VS. THE UNIVERSE #1 and August’s RICK AND MORTY VS. THE UNIVERSE #2, event maestro Daniel Kibblesmith (Loki) joins Eisner Award nominee Jody Houser (Stranger Things, Star Wars) and explosive artist Phil Murphy (Star Trek vs. Transformers) to deliver a dazzling detour into the heart of cosmic sisterhood—complete with destruction, violence, bad decisions, and truly distasteful bachelorette party favors!

Also available for pre-order digitally, or shipped to your house, or (do I even need to say it) from your local comic book store. Check out the gallery of preview pages below (they’re great, reading them will make you want to buy the comic so you can read the rest and find out who dies in this one as well).

On Sale 8.20.25Darkwing Duck #5

Very excited for him (and us) to be back. Our Darkwing Duck comics return to shelves this month, and this one is full on Saturday Morning Cartoon gimmick issue. On the train to San Diego Comic-Con last year, I was sitting near some acquaintances who work in animation as they talked about classic tropes. They mentioned — in this order — shrinking and getting sucked into cyberspace. And I thought to myself, “Welp, that’s issue four and five.” Dead to rights. But for a character with a particular focus on getting dangerous can you think of a more dangerous place right now than … The Internet?!

Cover by Darkwing Duck creator, Tad Stones.

Via Dynamite Comics:

WE'VE GOT TO STOP MEETING LIKE THIS!

In this issue: Fate conspires to throw Darkwing into conflict once again with the malevolent Megavolt! Could this be a sign that the high-voltage villain is really the arch-nemesis of DW's dreams? To find out, Darkwing will have to strap on a pair of oversized goggles and try to thwart Megavolt's virtual heist in the newfangled digital realm known as "The Internet"!

Cyberspace veterans DANIEL KIBBLESMITH, TED BRANDT, and RO STEIN power up their modems and prepare to pwn the n00bs with Darkwing Duck #5 - featuring leet cover warez from BRANDT & STEIN, MARK BAGLEY, NICOLETTA BALDARI, CIRO CANGIALOSI, and original animated show creator TAD STONES!

Pre-order digitally here, via mail order here, or (again) from a local comic shop near you.

The above cover is by THE creator of Darkwing Duck Tad Stones, but you can and should collect every cover — from Mark Bagley, Brandt & Stein, Ciro Cangialosi, Nicoletta Baldari. It’s technically Disney merchandise, which means people have to collect it. Check out the gallery below.

As always, thank you for reading and/or subscribing to this. Tell friends! Forward them this URL or Newsletter (depending on how you received it). If you’re not already subscribing to receive these updates in your inbox, sign up by clicking the button below.

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No one I know wants to be on social media, we all want to be on our own blogs again. Ask anyone. Ask yourself.

“Happy Honda-Days is a rip-off of Toyotathon.”

— Daniel Kibblesmith

Hi, all.

Via Netflix and Titmouse Animation.

If you’re online at all, you are probably familiar with the extraordinary comedy writer Cullen Crawford, who also happens to be my good friend, frequent collaborator, current boss and — if he keeps his grades up — future President.

If you’re not familiar with Cullen’s work — yes you are. Because you have definitely seen this hilarious and immortal tweet that he will never be able to shake.

Via Twitter (R.I.P.).

Cullen is a comedy genius (the most useful kind of genius) and I feel like I have been waiting a very long time to finally scream this news on his behalf. Coming to Netflix in February 2026, he has created what I fully believe is the funniest TV show in decades. You’ve heard of Leaving Las Vegas, but GOING to Las Vegas? Say hello to Strip Law.

Via Netflix and Titmouse Animation — Your new TV pals, heroes, and secret sexual fixations.

VIA Variety:

“Uptight lawyer Lincoln Gumb (Scott) is too boring to win cases in Vegas until he teams up with local magician/hedonist Sheila Flambé (James) to bring some flash and pizzazz to the stupidest cases the city can throw at them.”

The series hails from creator and executive producer Cullen Crawford (“Star Trek: Lower Decks,” “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert”). Steven Fisher and Trevor Engelson also executive produce along with Chris Prynoski, Shannon Prynoski, Ben Kalina and Antonio Canobbio for Titmouse Inc.

The Strip Law voice cast, Adam Scott, Keith David, Janelle James, Stephen Root, Shannon Gisela — and MANY MORE.

Via Variety: Leigh Kelly; Courtesy Image; Gianna Dorsey; Courtesy Image; Courtesy Image

Did I mention I am also one of the writers? Or was that just strongly implied?

I am honored (and occasionally disgusted) to write for this insanely smart, funny, and (often to our own surprise and disappointment) warm and loving show, made for and by comedy fans, and scripted by some of the funniest, most passionate, and just plain fun people I have ever been lucky enough to spend this much time with. Comedy juggernauts like Sean O’Connor, Emma Del Valle, Edgar Momplaisir, Lauren Maguire, Miles Woods, Andrew Mueth, Tamara Yajia, Branson Reese, Julie Greiner and MORE! (“More” is Creator and Executive Producer, Cullen Crawford).

But Strip Law is more than just writers. This is one of those cartoons that has pictures as well. I strongly recommend following the Instagram account of Strip Law Art Director, Tyler Rice for gorgeous and unsettling imagery that will prepare you to be buried up to your neck in the Nevada desert that is the visual world of Strip Law.

Via Cullen’s Bluesky Account: “Logo for strip law above a skeleton in a tux with a hole in its skull surrounded by cards. in the distance the Vegas Strip glows like the beautiful terrible embodiment of the collective American id.”

Actually, that caption gives you an extremely accurate summary of the vibe of the show.

This all sounds great, but February 2026 feels so far away? How can I help Strip Law NOW?

Glad I pretended you asked. You can start hyping yourself up for Strip Law in a proverbial jackpot of ways, including word-of-mouth (the only thing that definitely works) and sharing social posts, like this one I put on Bluesky, this other one I put on Instagram and this very blog post or newsletter (depending on where you are reading this). But even better than hyping up yourself and your friends, how about hyping up Strip Law’s corporate overlords themselves?

How I assume it will arrive.

If you are a current Netflix subscriber — and, statistically, you are — you can click this link to visit the placeholder page for what will be Strip Law’s home on Netflix. Once there, click the button with the little bell icon that says “Remind Me” to transform it into a checkmark that says “Reminder Set.”

This will tell Netflix’s algorithm that everyone who pushes this button has vowed to stay alive long enough to watch at least the opening credits Strip Law (which are amazing).

It’s a weird time to be making and promoting anything, second seasons are far from assured, even for shows that are hits. People are also weird about comedy these days, as evidenced by the recent crop of Emmy Winning Comedies that are not funny and Emmy Winning Dramas that are comedies. Viewers in this day and age get nervous about letting themselves go, fully surrendering to a show, and having a relaxed good time — maybe fearing that they’re wasting that time if the show is not crammed with the homework and vegetables of being “important.”

Strip Law is, by design, not important. But it is, paradoxically, a masterpiece. The animation is gorgeous and ambitious, the writing is hilarious and ambitious. This is the kind of non-stop laugh-out-loud COMEDY-comedy for fans of I Think You Should Leave, Detroiters, probably a ton of British shows, and whatever season of The Simpsons you like the best (that one is my favorite, too). So please set a reminder to tune in February 2026, when, I assume Netflix wants people to watch this show on Valentine’s Day, alone.

Strip Lawfully Yours,

Daniel