Hey all, it’s been a while since my last update, which is partially because I don’t want to throttle you with repeat emails, and partially because I’ve been busy. I got married in June, and have  been working at a small firm while wrapping up my last semester of law school. 

But that doesn’t mean I haven’t been quietly plugging away on comics in the interim of course. In fact, I think 2026 could be my biggest year in comics yet! I’ve got a number of shorter projects locked in for 2026, none of which I’ve been cleared to discuss publicly yet…BUT I also have a short comic coming out in a couple of weeks. It’s a TRUE WEIRD story called “An Encounter with the Michigan Dogman” and you can find it in the back of RED BOOK #3 out from Tiny Onion / Dark Horse on 12/24/25. Olivia Stephens drew it, which was an absolute dream collab for me. Aditya Bidikar lettered it. If you have any familiarity with Aditya’s work, you’ll know that they crushed it as well. 

Beyond that, you’ll see some comics scripted by me on stands throughout 2026 (one should be getting announced in a few weeks, too).

On the BUSINESS AS USUAL front, we just kicked off chapter two. We’re posting 2 pages of that weekly over on my website every Wednesday. (Though after this week, we’re taking a short break until the holidays are through.)

Here’s the start of chapter 2: https://www.barkmouchard.com/bau-2

And here’s a link to the start of the comic, in case you need to catch up: https://www.barkmouchard.com/bau-1

Oh yeah! And when the comic wraps (sometime in Q1 of next year), we’ll be launching a pre-launch page on Kickstarter to bring you a physical edition of the comic! I’m really excited for everyone to see what we’ve been working on as the story progresses, but if you’re one of those types who likes to read it when it’s done, or prefer reading comics physically, you’ll have ample opportunity to do so. 

I’m also working on getting my first prose novella through its third round of edits, before I send it out for blurbs and whatnot. It’s sort of taken a backseat to comic work and studying for the bar exam, but I’m hoping to finish up revisions before the summer. 

2025 FAVORITES

READS:

I read a pretty decent amount this year, but a lot of it was for research, or fond re-reads. My favorite book released in 2025 was Mattie Lubchansky’s graphic novel SIMPLICITY. Nearly done with Lee Lai’s CANNON and am really enjoying that as well.

LISTENS:

It was a great year for music. Five of my favorite records were:

• Wrong Side of Heaven - End It

• Let God Sort Em Out - Clipse

• Revengeseekerz - Jane Remover

• s/t - Saoirse Dream

• NEVER ENOUGH - Turnstile

(Honorable mention to Combat’s re-recorded and remastered Christmas album, Gold Lang Syne!)

Here are fifteen of my favorite tracks (from fifteen different artists) from this year:

• DU$T - Angel Du$t

• Chains & Whips - Clipse ft. Kendrick Lamar

• Psychoboost - Jane Remover ft. Danny Brown

• Well, Whatever It Was - Joyce Manor

• Pale Horse - End It

• something cool - Saoirse Dream

• GOD IS BUSY - Psycho-Frame

• Who’s Having Fun? - DRAIN

• Empty Shed - The Taxpayers

• The Demon of Unreality Limping Like a Dog - The Callous Daoboys

• No Separation - MSPAINT

• SUNSHOWER - Turnstile

• Evil Eye - Pinkshift

• Hates You - xweaponx

• Bug - Remember Sports

WATCHES:

I was really blown away by two movies in particular. WEAPONS was immaculate. Loved it. BUGONIA was so insane, I was pretty pissed I didn’t think of it first (something that rarely happens to me). Anyway, these are my favorite ten films released this year.

• WEAPONS (dir. Zach Cregger)

• BUGONIA (dir. Yorgos Lanthimos)

• SINNERS (dir. Ryan Coogler)

• BRING HER BACK (dir. Michael & Danny Philippou)

• TURNSTILE: NEVER ENOUGH (dir. Brendan Yates & Pat McCrory)

• THE LONG WALK (dir. Francis Lawrence)

• MICKEY 17 (dir. Bong Joon Ho)

• PEE WEE AS HIMSELF (dir. Matt Wolf)

• KINKI (dir. Koji Shiraishi)

• COMPANION (dir. Drew Hancock)

(Honorable Mention to SORRY, BABY dir. Eva Victor. I really enjoyed it, but it was a tad quiet for me.)

Anyways, keep up the good work. I’ll see you in 2026.

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- Mark