We Launched Books, Sold Out in Stores, Hit the Road, and Somehow Ended Up in a Museum in Portugal

Honestly... I might need a nap just thinking about it.

Since my last post, we’ve launched campaigns, released new books, shipped books, put books into comic shops, sold out in stores, hit the road for conventions, held in-store signings, appeared on podcasts, hosted live draws, threw our first-ever launch party, and somehow ended up with Apparition: Metempsychosis featured in Portugal.

And right now, as I write this, A Signal from Space is entering the final three days of its Kickstarter campaign.

So, yes... things have been a little busy.

Let’s rewind.

First, There Was The Boy in the Bot: Book Two

One of the biggest milestones of the past several months was the release of The Boy in the Bot: Book Two.

After another successful Kickstarter campaign, we were finally able to put the next chapter of Billy and AL’s story into readers’ hands.

For those new to the series, The Boy in the Bot is the story that really started this entire journey for Another Door Comics. It’s a cinematic sci-fi adventure about a boy, a mysterious robot, a dangerous conspiracy, and the unexpected family we find along the way.

Book Two expanded that world in a big way, raising the stakes and pushing our characters into the next phase of the story.

And the response?

Pretty incredible.

We saw books move through stores, connect with new readers, and in some cases sell out.

Huge thanks to stores including That’s Entertainment in Worcester, Massachusetts, along with our retail partners in Pittsburgh and beyond, who continue to give independent comics a place on their shelves.

That support matters.

When you’re building a publishing company from the ground up, every store that takes a chance on your work, every employee who recommends your book, and every reader who picks up a copy helps open another door.

Another Door Comics Hits the Shelves

One of the most rewarding parts of this entire journey has been seeing our books move beyond Kickstarter and into actual comic shops.

There is something surreal about walking into a store and seeing a book you helped create sitting on the shelf alongside publishers and characters you’ve known your entire life.

Over the past several months, we’ve continued expanding the Another Door Comics library at retail, introducing new readers to:

• The Boy in the Bot

• The Boy in the Bot: Book Two

• Apparition: Metempsychosis

• and more from our growing universe

We’ve been incredibly fortunate to work with stores willing to support independent creators and help connect our stories with readers who may never have discovered us online.

And sometimes, those readers came to meet us in person.

My First In-Store Signing at That’s Entertainment

Speaking of That’s Entertainment, they hosted my first-ever in-store signing.

And it could not have gone better.

Great turnout. Tons of books signed. Plenty of sketches. Fantastic conversations. And, most importantly, the chance to meet readers face-to-face.

There’s a very different energy when someone walks up to a table holding one of your books.

You get to hear what they connected with. Which cover caught their attention. Which character became their favorite. Sometimes you discover that someone has been following the books since the very beginning.

That never gets old.

Huge thanks to Sorana and the entire team at That’s Entertainment for being such incredible hosts.

You made a first-timer look like he knew what he was doing.

Then Came Phantom of the Attic

The signings didn’t stop there.

We also had the opportunity to stop by Phantom of the Attic, continuing to bring the Another Door Comics library directly to readers and comic fans.

Every store has its own personality, its own community, and its own group of passionate readers. Getting to spend time in those spaces has been one of the best parts of this entire experience.

Free Comic Book Day

Then came one of the biggest days on the comic shop calendar:

Free Comic Book Day.

We were back at That’s Entertainment in Worcester for another signing, this time surrounded by the energy and controlled chaos that makes FCBD so much fun.

The store was packed.

Readers were discovering books.

Families were coming through together.

Longtime comic fans were hunting for something new.

And Another Door Comics got to be part of it.

For an independent publisher, events like this are invaluable. They give us a chance to meet people outside our existing audience and introduce our books to readers who might be seeing them for the very first time.

A huge thank you, once again, to the entire That’s Entertainment team for continuing to support us.

Road Trip, Anyone?

At some point in the middle of all this, we apparently decided we weren’t traveling enough.

So...

Pittsburgh.

We hit the road for a fantastic comic show, packed up the books, loaded the table, and spent the event meeting fans, talking comics, sharing our stories, and introducing new readers to Another Door Comics.

And this one came with a very special guest.

My daughter joined me to help work the table.

Now, comics may not exactly be her thing, but getting to share a little piece of this world with your kid is pretty special.

She got to see her dad in action.

Or, more accurately, she got to see her dad repeatedly explain the premise of several comic books while gesturing enthusiastically at a table display.

Same thing.

It was a great trip, a great show, and another reminder that some of the best moments in this business happen when you get out from behind the computer and actually meet the people reading the work.

Then Apparition Stepped Through the Door

While all of this was happening, another project was preparing to make its debut.

Apparition: Metempsychosis Book One.

This was a very different kind of story for Another Door Comics.

Darker. More psychological. More supernatural.

A mystery built around identity, memory, violence, and one impossible question:

What happens when two souls occupy the same body?

The campaign introduced readers to a story and world that had been growing behind the scenes for a long time, brought to life by an incredible creative team.

And once again, our Kickstarter community showed up.

The campaign gave us the opportunity to launch the first book, introduce multiple covers and editions, expand the world, and continue growing Another Door Comics beyond a single series or genre.

And Yes... We Had a Launch Party

Not a little livestream.

Not a quick hello.

A full-on four-hour live launch event.

We brought together an incredible group of artists, collaborators, friends, and members of the creative team to celebrate the launch of Apparition: Metempsychosis Book One and the continued growth of Another Door Comics.

Interior artists. Cover artists. Colorists. Creators.

People from across the project came together for one very long, very fun night.

Massive thanks to A to Geekz and especially Eddy Gil, who put in an enormous amount of work helping bring our first live launch party together.

It was one of those moments where you step back and realize:

Oh. This is becoming a real thing.

Fans who joined us live also got to watch the incredible Daniel Maia create an original drawing in real time.

One fan won the original artwork.

And we later turned that piece into a full-color 6 x 9 print, brought to life by the amazing Ren Spiller.

Not a bad night.

Check Out the Apparition Launch Party Video Here!

More Live Draws, More Behind-the-Scenes Access

We kept that energy going with additional live drawing streams.

Daniel and I gave fans a behind-the-scenes look at the creative process, talked about the books, worked through artwork, shared stories, answered questions, and let people see a little more of what goes into building these projects.

That kind of interaction has become one of my favorite parts of Another Door Comics.

The finished comic is only one piece of the experience.

The live draws gave us a chance to pull back the curtain and invite readers into that process.

Apparition Crosses the Atlantic

And then things got weird.

In the best possible way.

Apparition: Metempsychosis made its way across the Atlantic, with artwork connected to the project appearing at Combre in Portugal.

Seeing Daniel Maia’s work celebrated in Portugal was already incredible.

Seeing artwork from Apparition, including one of my covers, become part of that moment?

Surreal.

There was local media coverage, an interview with Daniel, and the kind of international recognition I never could have predicted when we first started putting these pages together.

Comics are funny that way.

You create something in one place.

Someone discovers it somewhere else.

And suddenly a story has traveled much farther than you ever expected.

Podcasts, Interviews, and Talking... A Lot

Apparently, somewhere along the way, people also decided it would be a good idea to hand me a microphone.

Over the past several months, I’ve had the chance to appear on a number of podcasts and shows to talk about:

• Another Door Comics

• The Boy in the Bot

• Apparition: Metempsychosis

• A Signal from Space

• Independent publishing

• Kickstarter

• Storytelling

• Building a connected comic universe

• And probably a few things I was not supposed to reveal yet

Most recently, I joined Wayne’s Comics Podcast to talk all things A Signal from Space and Another Door Comics.

A huge thank you to every host who invited me onto their show, gave me time to talk about the work, and helped introduce these books to new audiences.

For an independent publisher, that support is invaluable.

Catch Me Talking Signal on Wayne's Podcast Here!

And Then We Caught a Signal

Just when we thought things might slow down...

They absolutely did not.

Another story stepped forward.

A Signal from Space.

An astronaut lost in space for nearly forty years has returned.

And he hasn’t aged a day.

What really came back?

And why?

I wrote the story and created the initial visual direction, with the incredibly talented Hernán González (Star Trek The Last Starship, IDW) joining the project to help refine and bring the full story to life.

And once again, Ren Spiller (Ben 10, Dynamite) brought his signature atmospheric color work to the pages, helping create exactly the kind of emotional, mysterious tone the story needed.

And in June, we launched A Signal from Space on Kickstarter.

Check Out The Signal From Space Trailer Here!

The Signal Campaign

The response has been incredible.

Over the course of the campaign, we’ve introduced new covers, special editions, mystery blind bags, stretch goals, bonus items, retailer opportunities, and a growing list of campaign exclusives.

We’ve unlocked multiple stretch goals.

We’ve expanded the book.

We’ve shared behind-the-scenes material.

And in the final days of the campaign, we officially introduced something I’ve wanted to build for a long time:

The Key Holders

The Another Door Comics Fan Club.

Every person who backs one of our campaigns becomes a Key Holder.

Because the truth is, Another Door Comics does not exist without the people who continue to support these books.

Every campaign backed. Every post shared. Every recommendation to a friend.

Every person who walks into a comic shop and picks up one of our books.

You are helping us build this.

The Key Holders are our way of recognizing that community and, moving forward, creating opportunities for exclusive covers, special products, early announcements, behind-the-scenes access, and more.

And we kicked things off with something special.

A 72-hour Key Holder exclusive holofoil cover for A Signal from Space.

Which brings us to right now.

Three Days Remain

As I write this, A Signal from Space has entered its final three days on Kickstarter.

The campaign closes:

Sunday, July 12 at 9:00 PM ET.

After months of creating, drawing, writing, revising, promoting, filming, posting, packing, planning, and occasionally remembering to sleep...

We are almost at the finish line.

So, if you’ve been following the campaign and waiting to jump in, this is it.

If you’ve been curious about the story, come catch the signal.

If you’ve backed us before, thank you.

If this is your first Another Door Comics book, welcome.

And if you’ve already backed A Signal from Space, take another look before the campaign closes. We’ve added new items and exclusives throughout the campaign, including the limited Key Holder holofoil cover.

So... What’s Next?

Glad you asked.

Even if you didn’t, we’re going with it.

We are moving toward the next chapter of The Boy in the Bot.

And not just another chapter.

The final book in the trilogy.

The Boy in the Bot: Book Three.

The story has been building toward this from the beginning, and the final installment will bring the mystery of Project B.L.U.E. to its conclusion.

Secrets revealed. Loyalties tested. New characters. New threats.

And some moments I have been waiting a very long time to share.

Beyond that, there is more coming from the World of the Boy in the Bot

More stories. More projects.

And a much bigger slate of Another Door Comics releases that we’ll be talking about soon.

Because apparently slowing down was never really part of the plan.

Oh, I Almost Forgot...

Somewhere in the middle of campaigns, conventions, signings, podcasts, live streams, book production, Kickstarter updates, printing, shipping, and everything else...

We also gave the Another Door Comics website a fresh coat of paint.

Because clearly we had too much free time.

Check it out.

Ooooh... shiny.

Check Out Another Door Comics Here!

So, yeah.

Things have been a little busy.

As the publisher, creator, writer, cover artist, occasional interior artist, letterer, marketer, salesman, social media coordinator, event planner, printer liaison, designer, dad, and husband...

I should probably get back to work.

Although, honestly, I’m not sure it’s fair to call it work.

Thank you to everyone who has backed a campaign, bought a book, visited us at a signing, watched a livestream, listened to a podcast, shared a post, told a friend, stopped by a convention table, or simply followed along.

Another Door Comics continues to grow because of you.

And I truly cannot wait to show you what’s behind the next door.

Step through the door. A new world awaits!

Talk soon,

Tom