Ready for Action
The fire horse wields a liquid sword
I’m back! Apologies for being MIA the last two months of the year. There were a couple reasons for that.
I got married! After the very stressful and lovely wedding week, it felt nice taking a break from social media and spending extra time with my new wife. Don’t get me wrong, I still did a whole bunch of drawing – just not with the added stress of posting and hoping for someone to see it. The other reason for a break was simply because I needed it. The year has been long and mostly fruitful, but it was time for a short detox as I gear up for 2026.
Year After Year
The conventions of 2025 were solid. The most notable ones were STAPLE! in Austin (my personal favorite) and Heroes Con in NC, which takes the cake for the year’s busiest and most stressful event. I also loved returning to C.A.S.A. for the second time – great people and a really cool venue.
Artistically speaking, I made comics! That’s my biggest creative win of the year. In fact, that’s my biggest win every year. I understand how important and enjoyable storytelling is for me, even if I don’t sell a copy, and 2025 was no exception. Raise a glass if you made a comic. Cheers!
So, what’s next? Does the comic maker guy return in 2026? Should I make a trailer for it like Avengers: Doomsday is doing just to announce that a high-profile billionaire actor is coming back?
Have no fear, of course I’m coming back. I’m already back and working on something epic. According to the Chinese Zodiac, 2026 is the year of the FIRE HORSE. Sounds metal, right?! The horse symbolizes freedom, passion, determination, creativity, and a drive to break from stagnation. Yeah, I’ll buy into that. In 2026, I think that I will focus much more on creating rather than doing shows – maybe something like an 80/20 split. My current project is a long one. It will take lots of focus. But it feels right, and I’m ok with putting touring on hold for a bit so that I can make the book.
I’m sorry for being coy about the new project. I’m not quite ready to spill the beans yet. I’ve recently got some advice from an industry professional to be selective when posting about a new project, which totally makes sense when you’re in the early/development stages. For now, I’ll leave you with a few things that are inspiring the foundation of this new project. Any guesses?
Speaking of the conventions for 2026, while I’m not planning on doing many, my Houston-based creator crew and I are planning to do something BIG for Comicpalooza – sort of a catch all for many of us. The theory is, instead of each of us doing many shows individually throughout the year, why not band together and do something epic once or twice. As of now, Comicpalooza is my only scheduled show for 2026. It will be a fun experiment!
The Photo Book
I’m about halfway through my “Polaroid” sketchbook. I’m still loving this thing. It’s the perfect size for painting memorable moments. Some scenes are visually interesting; some are just capturing everyday life. Here are a few of my favorites.
You’re Only Cool If You Were In a Band
I picked up Holler by Jeremy Massie at Heroes Con. He was a great dude and I instantly connected to the graphic novel when he asked the question, “Were you ever in a band growing up?” I answered yes, and he said, “This book is for you.” Jeremy was 100% correct. Holler captures the ins and outs of being in a high school band and navigating adolescence while hoping for something greater after those awkward years. The book realizes the nostalgia of high school band days in short story form. It will seriously have you reflecting on your childhood. Jeremy’s cartooning captures the 90s perfectly. His chunky brush lines and design-minded coloring really bring the world to life while making it feel like the kids in the book love reading Love & Rockets.
Holler was published by Dark Horse last year. Highly recommended for alternative comic fans and the grunge kids at heart.
That’s it for now. Happy New Year! See ya in the next one!
Thanks for your time,
Nico
Congratulations! I also like the idea of creating more than doing shows. That was me in 2025 👏👏
Congratulations Nico. Best of wishes to and your wife. Looking forward to seeing what you create next.The inspirations have me excited. Your sketches are fantastic. Happy New Year!