Mike Dawson

Holiday Gift Subscriptions now available

What would be a cooler gift to give the discerning and off-the-beaten-path reader in your life than a year's-long membership to a self-published Monthly 'Zine Club produced by an indie comics darling? I can't think of anything.

For a limited time I am making gift subscriptions available through ...

mammal facts - off to the printer

Happy December everyone! I wanted to post to let everyone know that the next 'zine, "mammal facts", has been sent to the printer. I should receive copies back on Friday 12/13 which means I can begin mailing comics out to everyone starting that weekend. Print 'Zine Club subscribers will also receive an exclusive additional comic tucked into their envelopes.

This 12-page full color issue contains one complete cartoon essay, taking a step back from the calamitous news of the day (apologie...

December 'zine, "I, germline" (not final cover)

I'm putting together a new 'zine for December, and as promised, it's about as far away from dealing with "current events" as possible. It'll be a complete cartoon essay more focused on "big questions" about our role on the planet, and maybe how humanity is not quite the universe's main character as much as we'd like to think. This is the sort of thing that brings me comfort in times of high anxiety.

As it states in the headline this isn't the final cover. I'm still working on assembling...

November 'Zine Download

We are all the Final Girl now...

This is the post intended to share the digital copy of...

November 'Zine Shipping Next Week

Hello friends,

Just wanted to post a photo of the November 'Zine, which I received back from the printer earlier this week. I'll start sending out copies to all Monthly 'Zine Club members starting next Monday. I'll also be dropping a bonus little diary comic into the envelope for all physical 'Zine Club supporters.

The theme of this issue is, as you might have guessed, anxiety and fear of the unknown future. I've certainly had quite a few Long Dark Nights of the S...

October 'Zine Digital Download

Copies of my newest 'zine went into the mail for everybody earlier this week. Some folks should be seeing them arriving in their mailboxes already. Here's an action-shot of me dropping copies off at the Post Office!

I mentioned in an earlier update that I screwed up a little including more text-based pages without thinking about how readable some stuff might be at the scale I'd chosen fo...

Monthly 'Zine Club - October Issue Going Into the Mail

I'm going to be dropping copies of the October 'Zine Club Issue into the mail over the next few days. Keep an eye out on your mailbox!

I had a lot of fun putting this issue together, and I hope you all enjoy reading it. When I say "leaning in to my 'Zine era" on the cover, what I mean is having a little more fun with collage, written pieces, and different sorts of material. I liked findin...

Mike Dawson Comics Oct' '24 - out to the printer

Hello friends, just wanted to let you know that I have sent the files for my next 'zine out to the printer's. I am expecting to receive them back around 10/15 and will begin mailing physical copies out to members as soon as I get them, and will also distribute the link to digital members to download their PDF copy.

I want to thank you all for sticking with me here in this 'Zine Club. My intention is to increase the quality and quantity of the comics that I have been sending you. I'm als...

Mike Dawson Comics Oct' '24

Hi friends. I wanted to let everybody know that I've almost finished dropping physical copies of The Man in the Mirror cartoon essay into the mail. You should all keep an eye on your mailboxes over the next few weeks.

I also wanted to share the cover to my next publication, tentatively titled (creatively) Mike Dawson Comics Oct' '24, which is going ...

"Man in the Mirror" in the Mail

My newest 'zines are here, fresh from the printer, and will be going out to all 'Zine Club members over the coming days. Keep an eye on your mailbox!

Physical 'Zine Club price increase

Theerrrre's no fun way to present this. I've been putting off making a post like this for a while now, I like the $5 price-point on my 'Zine Club, I felt like I was in no-way shortchanging members, or failing to deliver on what this Patreon promises, but I've kind of got no choice. I need to raise the price of the 'Zine Club to $9 a month.

Mainly the cost of printing has gone up. I feel myself scaling back in ambition on some of these self-published books, because if I print up a small...

"Man in the Mirror" off to the printer's

Hello supporters, just wanted to send out a quick update to let you all know I've finished assembling my new 'zine, "The Man in the Mirror, a cautionary tale" and sent it out to the printer's. I should be receiving the freshly printed copies back during the third week of September, and will immediately begin mailing out copies. A print comic will be sent to all members of the 'Zine Club and the Fun Time enthusiasts.

The Man in the Mirror is an all-new original cartoon, 12 pages, black a...

NEW 'ZINE ANNOUNCEMENT: "The Man in the Mirror"

Announcing the next comic going out to all members of the Almost Monthly 'Zine Club: "The Man in the Mirror: A Cautionary Tale by Mike Dawson"

This is a humorous cartoon essay, 12 pages long, black and white. I'm going to be sticking with the 4.75x4.75 dimensions for this comic book, as I am really liking that format. I'll be sending my files out to the printer in the next week-is...

Freaks and Geeks 'zine going into the mail

After a short delay, I finally received copies of my newest 'zine, I Don't Give A Damn About My Dad Reputation back from the printer's today. This is a funny little cartoon essay about the experience of watching the cult television classic, Freaks and Geeks, with my Gen Z tween, and realizing how much things have changed in terms of which characters I find the most relatable.

2024-08-15 17:35:26 +0000 UTC View Post

July 'Zine - I Don't Give a Damn 'bout My Dad Reputation

Just wanted to post a post to let all 'Zine Club members know I'm in the midst of assembling my next 'zine. I was pretty thrilled to have another cartoon essay published in The New York Times last weekend, a funny little piece about the TV show Freaks & Geeks. If you missed out on picking up a print copy, have no fear, as I'm putting together a nice little 'zine version to send to you in the mail. 12 pages long, full color throughout. It'll match nicely the Banned Books and Years...

Live-Drawing Cam

I continually strive to develop and improve my school assemblies, so recently acquired myself a document camera useful for streaming the live-drawing component of my presentation up onto the big ...

"If I Knew Then..." June's 'Zine of the Month

Announcing next month's 'zine, a fun little 8-pager entitled "If I Knew Then..." We all dream of time-traveling back and getting to do it all over again. What happens when our dreams come true?

A physical copy of this will go into the mail for all $5 members during the month of June and all $3 backers will receive a digital PDF.

Today is March 30th, if you didn't get a copy of the GABAGOOL! #1 21st Anniversary Edition, sign up between now and Saturday and I will still pop one int...

GABAGOOL! #1 In the mail

Print copies of GABAGOOL! #1 21st Anniversary Edition are now in the mail and on their way to all members of the $5 Almost Monthly 'Zine Club as well as the $3 FUN TIME Enthusiasts.

Any subscribers currently at the $1 or free level, you might want to check out the FUN TIME tier, for just a small additional amount every month, you'll receive digital copies of every 'zine I produce, as well as print copies of the more prestige publications, what generally has been my "Fun Time" series, bu...

GABAGOOL! Issue One, off to the printer's

I sent this issue off to the printer's this morning. 24 pages, black and white, digest sized. It was a lot of fun revisiting a kind of comics that I don't really make so much anymore, and I'm excited to start mailing copies out to everybody once I receive them back. Physical copies of this will ship to all $5 members of my 'Zine Club as well as $3 members of the FUN TIME Enthusiasts tier. Keep...

GABAGOOL! 21st Anniversary Edition

I'm really excited about this one. Way, way back in 2003 I self-published the first issue of a comic book series called GABAGOOL!, created in collaboration with a co-worker and friend named Chris Radtke. This was an important book for me, not my very first 'zine/minicomic, but definitely the first one that I worked on that broke-through a little bit into the wider alternative comi...

"The Years Of Magical Thinking" going into the mail

Copies of my newest 'zine just arrived at my house!

I really like how this one came out. The colors look great, and I think this is one of my better cartoon essays, so I'm very glad to have it in this final nicely put-together ...

The Hidden Dominion of Geordie James, Spring 2026

I thought Patrons here might be interested to see this announcement that ran in Publisher's Weekly last week, my new middle-grade graphic novel, The Hidden Dominion of Geordie James will be published by Union Square Kids in Spring of 2026. I've been sitting on this news for some time now, long enough that I've already written multiple drafts of this book. I know I'm biased, but I really do think this project will be special. I am so excited to eventually share it with the world.

March 'Zine: The Years of Magical Thinking

I've put together the newest 'zine, going out to members of my Almost Monthly 'Zine Club towards the end of March, a lovely 16 page expanded edition of my cartoon essay, The Years of Magical Thinking. This is a piece I'm very proud of, and I think this version of it is the absolute best and nicest one I've made. Keep an eye out!

2024-03-05 14:52:42 +0000 UTC View Post

"Bad Batch" going into the mail + new NYT

I've started dropping physical copies of my new "Bad Batch" cartoon 'zine into the mail for all $5 'Zine Club members. I will be emailing out the link to the PDF for all $3 members later this week. Be on the look out!

Reminder to anybody considering joining my club, the best deal is the $54 a year annual membership. You get a discounted monthly rate, and also I'll drop a stack of recently publ...

Can You Imagine?

2024-01-24 20:34:40 +0000 UTC View Post

"Bad Batch" - February 'Zine cover reveal

I'm excited to share the cover to my next cartoon 'zine, "Bad Batch", a fully original cartoon essay, going out to 'Zine Club members in February. 

$5 a month members will receive a print copy of this early next month. $3 members will receive a digital PDF.  If you'd like to ensure you receive a physical copy, be sure to move your membership to the print tier.

...

THE GOOD WAR ON TERROR - January 'Zine

I just sent my next 'zine out to the printer's. I am really proud of this one, I think it's going to be very special. For the first time I'm putting my cartoon adaptation of "The Good War On Terror" by Chris Hayes into print. This is an entirely reformatted version of the original scrolling version of the...

"Read Banned Books" full-color 12 page ashcan comic going out to Almost Monthly 'Zine Club members in December

Keep an eye on your mailbox!

A Brand new *Almost Monthly* 'Zine Club Intro Video

In an effort to grow the number of members, I've recorded and edited a new intro video explaining how the 'Zine Club works. I've also added a new membership tier, the $3 monthly FUN TIME subscription. At this level you will get every print issue of FUN TIME in your mailbox (at least three annually) and will receive all of the in-between 'zines and mini-comics in digital PDF form.

Speaking of in-between minis, I just sent a new one to the printer's, it's called Read Banned Books, twelve ...

'Zines 'Zines 'Zines

SOME FOOTBALL COMICS went into the mail for all members of the 'Zine Club last week. Please let me know if you don't receive your copy within the next week or so (international members always allow a couple extra days)

If you are enjoying receiving my 'zines, please do me a huge favor and post about the club somewhere on your social media. I would love to add ...