TINY UPDATE 10/19: We're Gonna Need A Bigger Onion

“Tiny Update” is a weekly free newsletter that keeps you up to date on the latest news, comic book projects and merchandise offerings from James Tynion IV and Tiny Onion Studios.

The trouble with working on a million things at once is that once you start to slip a bit behind, all of the deadlines start to crash together. I’m working my way out of one of those car crashes right now, slowly but surely. But that’s why this is coming Tuesday rather than first thing Monday morning. I tried to get it in by end of day Monday, but life found a way (to keep me from hitting my deadlines).

I’ve always struggled a bit with taking too much work on (I’m sure this is a huge shock to all of you). For a long time it was because I didn’t want to miss out on an opportunity, and I wanted to test my limits. I actually don’t think I write very well when I don’t have a lot on my plate. There’s something in the act of juggling different projects that keeps every book alive when I sit down to put words on the page. But the issue of writing at capacity is that any unexpected interruption fucks the whole system, and then there’s not really any way to get out of it but get into beast mode and power your way through it. Getting into Beast Mode was a bit easier when I was still in my twenties. And I wish it was just the writing piling up.

There’s a whole invisible side to this business that isn’t fan-facing. I spend bigger and bigger chunks of each week on phone calls and zooms, talking about adapting my properties to new mediums, and talking to printers, or retailers, or convention organizers, or press. I work with a bunch of great editors who keep things moving at each of my publishers (even my own publisher), but there’s a lot of busy work that still falls into my hands. Handling invoices. Nailing down my schedule. For most of the last year I’ve personally packed and shipped about 80% of the enamel pins on sale on the Tiny Onion store. Part if it is that there really isn’t part of this business I don’t like doing. There are so many fascinating aspects to the comics industry, and I want to learn literally every single thing I can. If I could do everything on my own, I would. But, as it turns out, there are only so many hours in the day. And I’m supposed to do non-comic book things with some of them (or so they tell me).

BUT, all that said, I’m not giving up so easily. I have this vision of what this is all building to, and as much as I wish I could just clone myself, I know I can’t. I need more practical solutions. The Empire needs more subjects as it continues to expand, which means I need to take some time out of my schedule right now to hire the people best suited to help me keep expanding my operations over the next few months and years. I have some very ambitious goals. Ways to expand my footprint here on Substack, and in the merchandise space, and in the world of print comics. I’m trying to build a self-sustaining system that allows me to spend this next era of my career focused on executing these comics to the best of my abilities, while continuing to build my relationship with all of you on this platform and off of it.

Everything up to this moment here on my Substack has been the prelude to my real vision. I’m desperate to race to the end state, so you can all see it, because I think it’s going to be very cool and worth signing up to be a part of it monthly. You can see it starting to take shape with Blue Book and DOT: Wild Fictions both up and running, and we’ve got even more True Weird content coming… But True Weird is just ONE of the core pillars of Tiny Onion.

Another one of those pillars is Horror… And soon you’ll start to see how we plan on bringing more of my horror work to Substack. And we haven’t even gotten STARTED on the merch front. I want to thank you all for being my guinea pigs as I have tried things out these last few months, and I hope you’re all excited to CONTINUE being my guinea pigs as I continue to try things out. But in any case, I’m going to need to bring a few more key people on to be a part of the Tiny Onion family, because I’ve hit my limit of what I’m personally capable of. I don’t want to compromise on what I want to make for you all, and that means I need help.

SPEAKING OF HELP - I know over the last couple of weeks some folks have reached out because they didn’t get the email about being a Day One Subscriber (Signing up for an annual subscription to this newsletter on August 9th or 10th, ending at Midnight EST on the 10th), or being an Onion Club/Founder tier subscriber. If you could all sound off in the comment section below if you feel I overlooked you, I will dig into the back-end here on Substack and confirm whether or not you are eligible, and if you are, I’ll shoot off a message with the link to fill out your form.

Next week is going to be big here at the Empire of The Tiny Onion. I’ll be dropping the Tiny Onion exclusive HOUSE OF SLAUGHTER cover to celebrate the launch of the new series… I’ll also be dropping RAZORBLADES: THE HORROR MAGAZINE #5, and might have some extra Razorblades news for all of you horror nerds out there.

This week is still a catching up week, and to that end, I want to warn you in advance that we decided to push back the next chapter of Blue Book. Michael and I have a fun treat for you instead on Friday, while we’re hard at work on the next chapters. I WILL get you all your Thinking Bat Thoughts together this week though.

Bear with me as I dig my way out of deadline hell. Rest assured that a bunch of these deadlines are for projects you’ll be seeing coming to life right here on Substack, very soon now…

Just locked in what is likely my last domestic signing of the year! If you want to get a book signed by me in 2021, it’ll be here, or at Thought Bubble in the UK early next month. Next week is not only the launch of HOUSE OF SLAUGHTER, but also DC VS VAMPIRES! So pick up both and let me sign them for you! Can’t wait to see you there!

BATMAN #115

W: James Tynion IV / A: Jorge Jimenez / C: Tomeu Morey / L: Clayton Cowles / Cover A: Jorge Jimenez & Tomeu Morey / Cover B: Jorge Molina / 1:25 Variant: Arist Deyn / AE: David Wielgosz / E: Ben Abernathy

Batman and Miracle Molly are all that stands between Gotham City and absolute insanity! But an unhinged Simon Saint brings all the resources of the Magistrate to bear on the Dark Knight…is victory at hand for the Scarecrow?

BATMAN SECRET FILES: PEACEKEEPER-01 #1

W: Ed Brisson & James Tynion IV / A: Josh Hixson / COVER A: Rafael Sarmento / COVER B: Tyler Kirkham / 1:25 Variant: Rafael Sarmento AE: David Wielgosz/ E: Ben Abernathy

Picking up after the events of Fear State: Alpha, follow Sean Mahoney, a.k.a. Peacekeeper-01, in the wake of his exposure to highly potent Fear Toxin at the hands of the Scarecrow! Now, dosed with terror and facing a lifetime of fear and insecurity, Mahoney has found himself frantically reflecting on his past as a GCPD officer, and then as a prison guard at Arkham Asylum—all while desperately attempting to keep his mind from fracturing. Will Peacekeeper-01 give into fear…or become terror incarnate?

Batman: Their Dark Designs SC

W: James Tynion IV/ A: Guillem March, Tony S. Daniel, Jorge Jimenez, Rafael Albuquerque/ C: Tomeu Morey, David Baron/ L: Clayton Cowles/ E: David Wielgosz, Jamie S. Rich, Ben Abernathy

It’s a new day in Gotham City, and it’s anything but the same old Batman. With Bane vanquished and one of his longtime allies gone, Batman has to pick up the pieces and step up his game. He has a new plan for Gotham City, and he’s not the only one. Deathstroke has returned as well—and that’s just the start of a conspiracy that will rock Batman’s world. Who is the mysterious master criminal known as the Designer, and what dark secret do they share with The Joker, Penguin, Riddler, and…Catwoman? And what do their machinations mean for Gotham? Plus, meet Punchline—The Joker’s new partner in chaos!

Collects Batman #85-94 and Batman Secret Files #3

SOMETHING IS KILLING THE CHILDREN Deluxe HC Book 1

W: James Tynion IV/ A: Werther Dell'Edera/ C: Miquel Muerto/ L: AndWorld Design/ Cover: Werther Dell'Edera/ E: Ramiro Portnoy, Jonathan Manning & Eric Harburn

This deluxe edition hardcover collects the first 15 issues of the Eisner Award-nominated horror series from GLAAD Award-winning author James Tynion IV (Department of Truth, Batman), artist Werther Dell’Edera (Briggs Land), colorist Miquel Muerto (Bury the Lede), and letterer AndWorld Design (Martian Manhunter).

• One of the best Sci-Fi/Horror comics of the last decade, Ezra Claytan Daniels’ UPGRADE SOUL is getting a collector’s edition hardcover, coming out in the next few weeks. You should get a copy.

• This week sees the release of the latest volume of RECKLESS by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips. I read this over the summer, and continue to be in awe at how effortless Ed and Sean make it look. If you are a fan of very good comic books, you owe it to yourself to pick up all of these volumes.

• My pals Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly have a Kickstarter up and running for their new project with Dailen Ogden - WIFWULF. I was given a sneak peek at the insides of the book, and they are absolutely gorgeous. I can’t wait to get my hands on a hard copy!

• This week ALSO sees the release of Cliff Chiang’s INCREDIBLE new DC Black Label series, CATWOMAN: LONELY CITY. I am very burned out on Superheroes, but this lit up all of the dormant parts of my brain… Bound to go down as an all-time great Gotham City story. Pick it up.

And that’s it from me, folks. Be good to each other out there. I’m counting down the days until Friday when I get to see DUNE on the big screen with some pals. Before then, I just need to write 80 kajillion pages of comic books for all of you. I won’t let you down.

James Tynion IV
Brooklyn, NY
10.19.21