People are asking questions about process and inspirations and why I make this decision or that one and I’m trying to be more open with this kind of info. Therefore, I’ll talk a bit about the Group Isolation cover and my thought process behind it. If anyone has a particular piece that they would like to see talked about all you have to do is tell me.

So there it is. Its pretty simple and straightforward but I had to start somewhere and plus this will work as another advertisement for the pre-order that is getting close to selling out.

It was always going to be black and white but I was originally thinking a way different look…as you see below

The one person that saw this correctly said it looked like an album cover for a nu-metal band. They were right and I abandoned it immediately and started to think of something more in the style I normally draw.

I wanted a central figure but I did not want them to seem at ease and wanted them to look a little out of place to go with the isolation theme. I extended her neck and set her eyes wide apart to give her a less than human look. She is still clearly human but very awkward looking, or at least that was my goal. She is very skinny adding to her uneasy appearance. She is normal at a glance but the more you look the more obvious the oddities are. I intended her as a representation of myself.

Since the word “group” is in the title, and there were multiple contributors, I needed more than just my awkward self representation in the center so I added the figures on the outside. I made sure to space them so you cant tell if they are together and I drew them black and featureless so looking at it you can’t tell if they are coming toward her or going away. You can’t tell if they are friend or foe. They are all at the hour between dog and wolf. I didn’t curate the entries down as specific as a lot of anthologies do as I like things a little more random, a little more varied, a little less safe. I hoped to show this with those figures. Everyone is on their own and in it together at the exact same time. Group Isolation.

There isn’t much more to talk about with this one and I am feeling less confident doing this as I go, so I’m going to wrap it with an advertisement, but if you liked this idea and want to see more let me know. If it lets you post photos in the comments feel free to ask if you have questions about other stuff I've posted or you can use my chat or just DM and say “I want to know about this one” and I’ll make one of these for it.

So now the pitch….there are about 20 copies of Group Isolation Vol 1 left for pre-order. They are strictly limited to 100 total copies, all hand numbered. This includes the contributor copies. Its 50+ pages of short stories, poetry and art from a variety of voices from Substack. Featuring short stories from , , and and poetry from and . I’m doing the art work and design. Its being published through my micro press. Pre-order from Paper Gun Press

I will note that this is volume 1 which means there is more to come.

All contributors were paid ($50) for the permission to print their work in the single print run and the authors retain full rights to their work.

Let me know if you want to see more stuff like this. I guess people are interested in knowing more than I share, but you’ll have to let me know what it is you want to know!

Also my subscriber chat is open if you want to ask questions or talk about sandwiches and rubber ducks.

Greetings everyone!

Hopefully you know that Group Isolation Volume 1 is available for pre-order at the newly launched Paper Gun Press Site! The response to the pre-order has been phenomenal and we are down to less than 30 copies available for pre-order. I had intended to put 10 in a local record store but have decided to go ahead and add them to the available inventory for pre-order which puts us at 29 copies left to grab. Once they are gone that is it as it is only being released as a single 100 piece limited run, with each copy hand numbered and signed by me. I would love to get some signed by everyone but as we all over the world the cost is prohibitive.

This is just volume 1 of what will be an ongoing collaboration from distinct voices here on Substack. I am happy that the first volume includes some amazing talents and I can’t wait to get their work into people’s hands.

Volume 1 features:

and

PRE ORDER GROUP ISOLATION HERE

PRE ORDER GROUP ISOLATION HERE

Thanks for looking and don’t forget to check out the Paper Gun Press site. Look around. Buy some art. Submit a pitch.

Feel free to send us your pitch if you think you have something that fits what we do. We accept pitches for comics, short fiction for zines, novels and basic weirdness. We like work that is dark, funny, sad, angry, strange, punk, noir, western and occasionally horror. We are not looking for polish as much as pulse. Please do not send AI products, fan fiction or fantasy. We are a very small press so please give us 60 days to reply to pitches.

The first release from Paper Gun Press is a gritty anthology of short stories, poetry and artwork. It is strictly limited to a print run of 100 hand numbered copies with no digital version. After contributor and promo copies there are just over 80 available for pre-order ahead of a Sept 4th, 2026 release date. Available in the US only at this time for $15 plus $5 shipping. If it doesn’t sell out in pre-order copies will be available for international shipping after the release date.

Available for preorder only on Substack

PREORDER NOW

Featuring the talents of

and featuring artwork and design by

Just click the link below to reserve your copy!

PREORDER GROUP ISOLATION

Group Isolation will have a new volume published twice a year and all will be limited to 100 copies each so don’t miss out on the first one.

PREORDER GROUP ISOLATION

Here we have Them Cops and Operation Shitkicker. Both written by featuring characters he created in the Billy Lafitte universe. If you are not subscribed to him go do it now as you’ll need to be for the free art offer at the end.

These were made with a real life cut and paste method. I’ll summarize briefly and then show details in photos and explanations. I drew the art. Scanned it and printer it on my cheap printer on regular printer paper. Printed all of the text in the same manner. Then I cut everything apart and taped pages together how I wanted them, then scanned the page as a pdf and that was the file for the printer. Below shows what a less than graceful process this was but it was fun.

Both zines were made in this same method but I’ll cover Them Cops first, as I learned some lessons on it that streamlined Shitkicker.

Most of the cover for Them Cops was taken apart as I used other pieces of it elsewhere but there is the original art, then the print I cut out and the final printed cover. The backing effect was just made with a piece of cardboard (same piece is used on Ham’s page in Shitkicker).

Here is what it all looked like. The original piece of art, the cut up and taped together page and then in the center is the page in the printed zine. Most of them were like this and what I taped together was pretty much exactly how the printed page worked.

Here is another couple of pages. Original art in a large size (I drew stuff for the second zine in size mostly), the the taped together page is slightly smaller than the printed book and then in the center is the final product.

Here is a page with no art but they were still made in the same method. Print, cut, tape and then scan.

I did use my head on a few pages and just drew whatever I wanted directly on my page but I only did it with smaller stuff because I wanted the cut line shadows on the scans. Here is one that I just drew the bullets directly on.

Going into Operation Shitkicker I did most of the stuff in size and for a lot of the pages I didn’t print my art and instead just cut it out and taped it right on….

I have a bunch more photos but Substack just alerted me that I am almost at the limit so I’m going to have to wrap it up I guess. Maybe I’ll do another one on the second zine if anyone is interested but I need to get to the FREE ART offer. I have all of this stuff. The original art and original pages, some unused stuff, plus a stack of unrelated stuff that I’ve drawn that I want to give away.

Getting it is easy:

1. Subscribe to

2. Subscribe to me

3. Message me on here and say you want free art and provide an address

4. Be in the US

5. Tell me if you have the zines. I have a few to give but not enough for everyone.

Subscribe now

Sorry about number 4 but shipping rates suck bad enough domestically, no way I can cover international shipping.

I’ll leave this going until August 1st and then I will divide the pile by the number of requests and send it off. That is it.

Please let me know in the comments if you liked this or if you have questions that I did not answer. Also, let me know if you want another one as I could do another one on this zine and still also have all of Shitkicker I could cover but apparently there is a limit for images attached. I’ll close out with as many as it lets me add. Thanks for looking!

One more was it. It popped up an orange warning banner “Near email length limit”.

Let me know if you want to see more and again, thanks for looking!!! Everyone should try it!!!

First off, as has posted. We made a couple of zines. I’m not going to spoil anything here but I think they are pretty cool. I made them 100% by hand. Drew the art, printed out text, cut it all out and taped it together and then scanned it page by page. I hadn’t done something like that since the 90’s and imo they came out really really cool. So hop over and sub to him if you were not, and then check out how to get them for yourself. THEY ARE FREE!!!!

I did some signs and such for his table at an upcoming book event too. Working with my literal favorite writer is kind of fucking nuts.

Project 2, Group Isolation Volume 1

This is an anthology featuring the writing talents of , , , , and .

It’s nearly ready to ship off the printer. Pre-Orders begin on August 4th with a release date of Sept 4th. Its going to be softcover and perfect bound with a page count of 48+ pages.

This, like nearly everything I do, will only exist as a physical book (although the authors ofc may post their stories) and will be strictly limited to 100 hand numbered copies. This includes author copies and such as well, so there will not be too many of these so if you want one make sure you get in on the pre-order!

Project 3 is a comic that started as not real but has become real.

Cities of Regret will at least be getting an ashcan printed to send out and see if I can get interest from any small physical print comic imprints. I don’t really want to self publish a full ongoing comic but that will be the back up plan.

The idea is that it will be an noir anthology with different writers (and I already have some major talent interested) doing unconnected story arcs. Each arc will be noir, feature a gun and take place in a city.

Here is my three page preview that I’m going to put in the back of an upcoming project (that is still currently secret). Working on a 24 page ashcan with writing from .

That’s about it for current projects that I can talk about right now.

Get the zines from ANS.

Get ready to pre-order Group Isolation if you want it

Have a great week and make sure to get out and support vulnerable people.

Here are two pieces I did yesterday for July 4th but I’ve not been on Sub for a few days

The coolest line from Garland’s Civil War and the a quote from Jiddu Krishnamurti and popularized by Vonnegut and also used by Johan Hari in Lost Connections which is where I picked it up

Have a good one all!

The idea would be an anthology with different writers with everything based on different cities.

Imaginary variant sketch cover

Imaginary standard cover

So I thought Id come to Substack, find a writer from the people I subscribe to that write strictly horror to pay to write a 24 page comic. Of the horror writers I follow 18 of the first 20 posts (not notes) contained AI art with the story. So 90% of the people I was going to consider would apparently want me to follow their example and have AI write it. I don’t understand why a creator would actively work against other art forms, but its the fact of the matter. Using AI art is actively harming my profession and my living. I do not support generative AI in any form or use. I cannot figure out why I see so many writers actively support its use. I don’t know if its narcissism or ignorance but I find no excuse for it from someone who considers themself creative.

This project is not that big of a deal…just a simple little project, but it comes from a human mind. Id be embarrassed to post artwork that was inspired by AI writing.

Here are the four campers I came up with…..

Support those who support you.

Subscribe now

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The more comic ones are way easier. I don't know what to call the other because I don't really know shit about art. Maybe they are the same style…feel free to educate me if you like.

Which one do you like better?

I don't understand societies morals or tastes so I mostly just don't post something if I am not sure if it will bring about my crucifixion. So for every post I make, or commission I do, there are probably 5 sketches that are never seen by another human, many with good reason.

Here are a few I did recently…..

Feedback welcome, both negative and positive

A few updates should anyone care

First off is the Substack Book Review admin by . If I had actual social media skills I could have linked you to it, but alas, I do not have those skills (maybe some will bail me out with a link in the comments). My first review, courtesy of my made up book reviewer Miles Badd, is live over there and you should check it out. It's for ’s debut novel and after you read the review you should buy his book.

This is Miles Badd and he is an homage to the greatest journalist of all time…….

……Gary Fucking Gnu.

So go over there and read my review and all of the reviews.

Speaking of reviews…I just got this in the mail today.

It's a novella from that I know nothing about but bought solely based on the cover. I'm going to do a Miles Badd review for it…hopefully they will want to host it on the Review but if not I'll just post it here.

For some reason people have asked what I look like. I don't take photos of myself under any normal circumstance but I can draw a little so here is my mug…

Finally, and definitely not least….if you arent following then start. Not only does he have plenty of stuff on the horizon, the project that he and I did is absolutely insane. Its one of the coolest things I've ever done and working with my favorite writer is frankly fucking surreal. It's about to go to the printers and will be out soon. Also, he still has some signed backlog for sale so check those out.

Oh, I guess a post script to finally…

My self published book with a variety of extremely talented writers is on schedule. I've been shit at keeping everyone updated because I'm basically shit at keeping everyone updated, but I have all of the art done and all of the page templates made. I just have to get everyone paid (and receive any edits etc) and it will easily make it's June 9th date with the printer.

So be on the lookout for that in late June early July!

As always if anyone needs anything just hit me up

I look forward to it!

Steve