Announcing...MEDIEVAL! (And where to find Neil at New York Comic-Con)
Hey, Kids! It’s Nice Jewish Words & Comics!, the latest installment from Neil Kleid's bi-monthly newsletter with updates and info about his latest projects!
A quick newsletter to announce my brand-new comic coming this November, and where folks can find me at this year’s New York Comic-Con (October 9-12, Jacob Javits Center, NYC)!
But first…
Neil Kleid and Alex Cormack are going MEDIEVAL!
That’s right, ‘Project Mantle’ has finally and officially been announced, dear readers and friends. Introducing Medieval, a five-issue “mature readers” Arthurian baseball series from me, Alex Cormack (Drive Like Hell, Sink, Road of Bones) and Sarah Litt through our pals at Comixology Originals.
Medieval is essentially “A New York baseball fan in King Arthur’s Court”—my take on the Mark Twain classic, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court. The comic follows baseball fan and would-be contractor Danny Landau as he wakes up in sixth-century England (after being struck by a ball while attending a game), out of time with no skills other than a knack for plumbing, a love for baseball, and a penchant for violence.
After spending the next year drinking and fighting, seeking a way back home to his girl and New York, Danny’s unique form of loud-mouthed chivalry – and “The Babe,” his custom-designed iron baseball bat – gains Camelot’s attention, bringing him helm-to-boot with King Arthur, Lancelot, and Merlin, the notoriously wily magician who may have Danny’s ticket home… but whose true intentions aren’t exactly trustworthy! When cultures clash and their meeting takes a violent turn, it’s Arthur Pendragon of Camelot versus Danny Landau from the Bronx—an ale-swilling, bat-wielding brawler—as they engage in a battle of the ages.
Man, I can’t wait for all of you to read Medieval. (And yes, ‘Project Mantle’ was in honor of New York Yankees legend Mickey Mantle.) It’s a clear departure from my usual over-thought, over-written dramatic treatises about legacy and the human condition. Like the press release says, it’s loud, brash, boisterous, over the top, and out of my wheelhouse.
After writing two very heavy, dramatic books for Comixology Originals—The Panic and Nice Jewish Boys—I really wanted to write something that would let me cut loose. Something freeing and cathartic. Something brutal, bloody, and vulgar…but still emotionally grounded. If you are a fan of what I did in Kings and Canvas, then you’re going to dig Medieval. Like the other books I’ve written, it’s still about being human; a love story, really. Not chivalric romance, but about a time-lost plumber who knows just enough about Camelot and the world to be dangerous, who finds himself in a strange place and learns not only his limits, but about what he truly needs to become the best version of himself. But, of course, it’s also about baseball…a subject dear to my heart, and one I’ve wanted to write about for a while now. Oh, and it’s also a chance for me to curse my ass off.
And then there’s my fantastic, talented co-author Alex Cormack. I’ve been wanting to work with Alex ever since I first saw his chilling art in The Devil The Wears My Face with David Pepose and the satanic thrill-ride that is Drive Like Hell with Rich Douek. His brutal, gruesome, blunt, and colorful sequential art layers our shared story with such a viscous and lurid sense of violence…but also presents quieter, human moment with such a wonderful, isolating and disquieting sense of place and unplace. It shows us in a very striking manner that Danny isn’t meant for the times and must adapt until the point where we (and he) discover that he actually very much is meant for them. I am so lucky to be co-authoring this book with Alex —a Boston baseball fan by the way, so you know how much it’s eating at him, having to make a New York baseball fan the hero of our book!—and I really hope you love his artwork as much as I do. By it for the art alone.
I’m also very lucky to be working again with Sarah Litt, our genius editor, with whom I collaborated on Nice Jewish Boys. Sarah is a fantastic editor to have in your corner for when you want to push your narrative to the next level…but she’s also a ruthless cheerleader and a true fan of books and comics. Also? All of the gory parts of Medieval? Sarah begged for more blood. It’s true. If I can work with Sarah on a book a year, I will, because working with her is one of the true joys in a writer’s life. I’m also thrilled to be working again with our friends at Comixology, who are wonderful champions for quality comic books. The team there —from production to marketing to editorial —is top-notch. Alex and I couldn’t ask for better partners.
Medieval is set to be released digitally from Comixology starting November 11th, 2025, and every month through to baseball season. Here’s how to get it:
Pre-order the first issue here NOW (if you’re a Prime member, it’s FREE)
Download the Amazon Kindle app on your mobile device
Read the issue in the app on 11/11/25
Get each issue here as they come out from now through April
What can you expect from Medieval, aside from fun story and great art? Lords, ladies, knights, fights, blood, baseball, jousts, and surprises. We’ve cooked up one hell of a ride here, sports fans. Thanks for giving it a swing. We promise that Danny’s royal adventure in Camelot gets even crazier—and bloodier—after the first issue. Pretty soon our New Yorker is gonna cross paths with all sorts of legends, and you can be damn sure that Danny Landau won’t take shit from any of them, no matter who they are or where they come from. In fact, when swords meets bat, you can bet your ass that our hero will go fuckin’ medieval.
Baseball, Bronx, Britain, baby. See you in November…
…well, that is, unless I first see you at this year’s New York Comic-Con! That’s right, not only will I again be haunting the halls of the Jacob Javits Center, my hometown convention, searching for custom Lego minifies and reasonably priced back issues of Alf and Uncanny X-Men…I will also be signing TWICE during the show, giving you a chance to get a Kleid Hancock (er, my signature) on your comics, books, and graphic novels. I will also, if asked nicely, be happy to do sketches of Alf and cartoony versions of any Star Wars characters for which you have reference.
Where to find me (and Medieval) at New York Comic-Con?
I’ll be signing Medieval posters (featuring Alex’s fantastically bloody Akira homage) from 2pm-3pm on both Friday and Sunday at the Comixology booth (Booth #4454) on the show floor, alongside a bunch of cool creators:
Friday, October 10 | 2:00pm-3:00pm
Thomas Jane (The Punisher!!!), Marc Guggenheim, Lee Loughridge, Omar Morales, Pablo Raimondi, and me.
Sunday, October 12 | 2:00pm-3:00pm
Marc Guggenheim, Kim-Joy, Lee Loughridge, Scott Snyder (read Absolute Batman, yo), Omar Morales, and me.
Additionally, Alex will be live drawing at the Comixology booth on Saturday, October 11th from 1:00 – 1:30pm. Watch him create an original drawing in the booth with a chance to take home the art!
Comixology is also teaming up with Kindle for the Kindle Colorsoft Scavenger Hunt, inviting attendees (18 years old +) to visit the booths and tables of publishers and creators featured on Comixology and Kindle and unlock free digital comics, discounts, and the chance to win a Kindle Colorsoft. Check it out.
If you’re coming to the convention, please stop by and say hello! We can talk comics, and I’m happy to sign your books along with the Medieval poster and even sketch a little something. I’ll also be wandering around the Artist’s Alley both days so if you see me (I’ll either have on my kippah or a Detroit Lions baseball cap) definitely stop me to greet as nature intended: high fiving and then quickly sanitizing our hands.
Very excited to finally be talking about Medieval! This may be one of the best and most satisfying comic books I have ever written, folks. Please preorder the first issue, come see me at NYCC, and keep your eyes out for more about the comic as we near its release date on November 11th.
See you in sixth-century England, my friends!
—Neil
MIGDAL: Neil Kleid's Nice Jewish Words & Comics is free! Tell your friends, enemies and interested dragons. If you enjoyed this email, you can show Neil that his writing is valuable to you by checking out his books here and supporting independent comix: https://bookshop.org/shop/neilkleid