ANNOUNCEMENT: We Wrote For Power Rangers + Our San Diego Comic-Con Experience!
We've been keeping a pretty big secret...we wrote for POWER RANGERS! And we were able to reveal it at San Diego Comic-Con!
Hello Lifeline Comics Readers,
The word is finally out: we wrote a 10-page story for BOOM! Studio’s Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Pink Ranger Deluxe Edition! We’re so excited to finally share details about this dream-come-true story and tell you where you can grab your own copy!
And if that’s not exciting enough, we’re also going to give our San Diego Comic-Con rundown — telling you about all the exciting parties, panels, and meetings we went to last weekend.
We’ll also announce our “Loud House” Comics Signings at Flame Con, share our thoughts on Marvel’s Fantastic Four: First Steps and John Wick spin-off: The Ballerina, and MORE!
Let’s dive in!
We Wrote A Pink Power Ranger Story for BOOM! Studios
Kat: Surprise! We wrote a short for the Power Rangers Pink Omnibus. This was truly a dream come true as a lifelong Power Rangers watcher, and especially a Kimberly fan. I remember rewatching the show in high school and being enamored by the diversity of the team. A girl was allowed to fight? AND she’s on equal footing with the male leader of the team? Power Rangers was truly the first TV show I saw a female superhero, and that stayed with me. Especially once we saw a more mature version of the character with BOOM!
When Power Rangers: The Return was released, I told ALL MY FRIENDS about it, including Phil. And through reading that series, Phil also became a Power Rangers fan and took a deep dive into the franchise as an adult.
It’s been no secret that I love the Power Rangers comics, and that must have caught wind when the editors of the book reached out to us to write a new short for the Power Rangers Pink omnibus. We wanted to focus on Kimberly’s gymnastics, and what it means to leave being a Power Ranger behind. Kimberly’s powers may be gone, but that doesn’t mean the urge to be a hero disappears. We used the real-world gymnastics hurdle of “The Twisties” to tell both a grounded story about gymnastics, while tying into the emotional turmoil of becoming a retired hero.
San Diego Comic-Con
Phil: Like much of the Comic Book Industry, Kat and I made our way to San Diego last week for Comic-Con!
This was actually my first time at SDCC! Luckily, I had seasoned Comic-Con Vets like Kat and her family to help me navigate the massive event.
We’re excited to run through all of the amazing experiences we had with you!
FANDOM & Comic Book Legal Defense Fund Parties!
Kat: San Diego Comic Con is unlike any comic conventions as the WHOLE city turns into one big Comic Con celebration, which also means the city is crawling with parties. The two we hit up were Fandom and Comic Book Legal Defense Fund!
Fandom had a ton to do as they were promoting Universal’s Epic Universe with free gifts, picture ops, AND a free concert by the All-American Rejects. It took A LONG time for the Rejects to hit the stage. But don’t worry we had these dancers decked out with balloons that did not know the words “personal space.” But it was pretty funny, so I forgave them.
We only listened to a few songs before heading the CBLDF event, where Kickstarter was giving away A Kickstarter Guide Zine that both Phil and I were featured in.
At this point, Phil and I were pretty tired, but it was very nice to see so many familiar faces. Truly, the whole comic book industry was on that rooftop!
Our “How to Make a Comic Book Anthology” Panel
Kat: Both Phil and I have been on plenty of panels over the years, but this was the FIRST in person panel that we put together and moderated. If you’ve read our previous newsletters or are familiar with our Kickstarter work, then you already know how much we enjoy putting comic book anthologies together.
So we threw together a panel with other successful comic book anthology editors (Clay Adams, Michele Abounader, and Russell Nohelty) to give advice for how to put together your own anthology and tips for how to get into our personal anthologies. It was a lovely panel with a larger crowd than I expected with very thoughtful questions from the audience.
“How Kickstarter Can Kickstarter Your Career” Panel
Phil: In addition to our Anthology Panel, we also had the pleasure of being invited to participate in Kickstarter’s “How Kickstarter Can Kickstarter Your Career” Panel alongside Carl Choi and Charlie Stickney.
Kickstarter always puts on a great panel with tons of helpful discussion and tips for how to leverage the platform as a creator. As frequent users of Kickstarter, we truly can’t say enough great things about the people behind the platform and their dedication to making it creator-first with as many resources as possible to facilitate success.
One of my favorite things about the panel was the varying perspectives. Each panelist had a unique experience and history, with varying counts of projects launched and years crowdfunding. It was a refreshing reminder that not everybody’s experience is the same and that different tricks may work for us but not for others, and vice-versa.
In addition to their paneling, Kickstarter also put together a short Zine that they distributed for free at SDCC as a “Kickstarter Guide to Comics”. The Zine featured short blurbs of tips from seasoned creators on the platform and includes quite a few familiar faces — including yours truly!
Between the Panel and the Zine, we loved seeing all of the ways Kickstarter made their presence known at SDCC!
Attending Panels and ENJOYING the Con!
Phil: Almost ever convention experience Kat and I have throughout the year involves tabling/boothing. And when you’re spending the entire show selling, you usually don’t have much time to actually enjoy the event.
So between our panels and meetings, we made sure we left some time to actually HAVE FUN!
We attended panels that had absolutely nothing to do with work/comics — having an absolutely blast at the Adult Animation block of panels for Futurama, The Simpsons, American Dad!, and Family Guy. (Fun fact: I’m a big American Dad! fan; it’s actually one of the first things my fiancé, Julius, and I bonded over when we met in high school).
We also made sure to leave plenty of time to wander the Show Floor and Artist Alley as fans, admiring all of the amazing sights of SDCC and giving ourselves the chance to shop for comics and other merch.
Networking & Seeing Friends!
Phil: And, of course, we made sure to see lots of friends and colleagues!
One of the highlights was meeting artist Tehani Farr in person and seeing the original art for her Nightmare in Wonderland #3 Variant Cover in person. So stunning. And Tehani was an absolute delight to chat with!
We also chatted with tons of other comic creators and friends — making some big plans that we can’t even really tease right now. One of the great things about SDCC is that so much of the industry is there. It’s a great place to get plans in motion that might not come into fruition until months after the show!
While in San Diego, I stayed with my cousin, Ann, and her husband, Hunter, who live in the area. It was a great excuse to catch up with them both and to give Kat the opportunity to spend more time with them (after I’ve been hyping them up for years).
We even got to take them to the Con one day — their first convention experience ever! It was an absolute blast.
Overall Experience
Kat: San Diego Comic-Con continues to be my favorite event of the year. It’s so nice to catch up with friends and see all the cool projects coming out of the comic book industry! And I’m so glad that this year I got to do it with my best friend.
Phil: I know that San Diego Comic-Con would be a rewarding experience. But even going in with high expectations, I was blown away by just how much there was to do and see, how many people and opportunities were there, and how TIRED I was by the end of the show! Can’t wait to do it all again next year!
Last But Not Least…Check Out Our HAUL!
“Loud House” Signings at Flame Con!
Kat: As queer comic book creators and New Yorkers, we love attending Flame Con.
And this year, on Saturday, August 16th we’ll be teaming up with Mad Cave/Papercutz for 2 signings and a panel featuring our work on the Loud House.
4:30-5:15pm - Author Signing Area
6:00pm - The Alchemy of Storytelling: Magic, Myth, and Queerness Room C (Riverside Suite)
“Join this all-star team of creators, editors, and collaborators from The Loud House: Loudest and Proudest, Bytchcraft, the Stonewall Award-winning Navigating With You, and King Arthur and the Knights of Justice as they discuss how to balance vision, voice, and teamwork to bring meaningful, inclusive stories to life. From visual design and cover art to editorial development and emotional resonance, this conversation pulls back the curtain on how queer stories are shaped through creative collaboration—and why that process is more vital than ever.”
7:00pm - Mad Cave Booth Signing
Our Current Kickstarter Campaigns!
Phil: Let’s give a quick reminder of Lifeline’s Kickstarter current campaigns!
Slice of Life: My Girlfriend Joined the Softball Team!
We’re 75% funded as of this writing! Support us today to help the newest issue of “Slice of Life” hit its funding goal!
“YURIKO & LUCY ARE FINALLY A COUPLE! Enjoy their first date, Lucy's softball team tryouts, and...Yuriko's dead ex coming back to life...”
Anime NYC “Sailor Moon” Homage Lenticular
On Monday, we’ll be launching a ONE-WEEK-ONLY opportunity to grab our upcoming Anime NYC-Exclusive Lenticular Cover for Slice of Life: Anime Adventure!
“YOU ARE THE ONE…Lady Vengeance comes to life only to get stuck in a Magical Girl anime. Anime NYC '25 Exclusive Lenticular Variant.“
Media
Let’s discuss some non-comics media!
The Fantastic Four: First Steps
Kat: Embracing the Silver Age of comics, Fantastic Four: First Steps truly showcases what makes the comic team great and adapts it for the big screen. It’s a stylish movie that brings a big threat back into the Marvel Universe. Though, like many solo films, it feels more like a prequel to something bigger than a larger film on its own. It’s a good set up for what I’m sure will be a larger boss battle between the Marvel Universe and Galactus.
It’s so interesting to see movies like Superman and Fantastic Four come out in the same year. Both very comic accurate, but in two very different ways. Superman is much more character driven, while the Fantastic Four is more stylized.
Which is so ironic because in the comics DC and Marvel usually represent the complete opposite. DC has always represented larger than life stories, while Marvel delivers more grounded character work. So it’s interesting to see the Big 2 explore a very different side of their universes to show how the companies have influenced each other over the years.
And just like Superman, Fantastic Four: First Steps is a solid movie, but feels more like a set up for even better films to come. Superhero movies have needed a stronger foundation post Avengers Endgame, and flicks like Superman and Fantastic Four are only going to make the genre stronger.
Phil: The Fantastic Four: First Steps gives us a rebooted take on Marvel’s First Family set in the hyper-stylized Earth 828. And, in my opinion, the greatest achievement of this film is its stylization. Set in a retro-futuristic version of the 1960’s, First Steps simply oozes style. Everything from the technology to the architecture to the costuming (both superhero and civilian) engrosses you into the world of the film and gives the movie an incredibly unique feel.
On the negative side, despite a strong aesthetic and a couple of highlight scenes, the film doesn’t feel particularly memorable to me. I had a good time watching, but even just a day later watching this review, a lot of scenes kind of fade into each other and don’t stand out as something I’ll think about much after the fact. The film also is incredibly weak in the comedy department. It’s not the biggest deal since this isn’t a comedy film. But pretty much every joke falls flat (with the exception of a Mole Man joke or too). And no matter how hard they tried (and I believe they tried four times), the “is the surfboard part of Silver Surfer’s body” joke was just not funny.
Back to the positive. Pedro Pascal and Vanessa Kirby both soar as Reed Richards and Sue Storm, undoubtedly the best parts of the film. And themes of family and planetary unity in the face of danger/tragedy hit particularly hard in the dark times we currently live in. It’s an inspiring film, one that relishes the fact that the Fantastic Four are a family first and a superhero team second.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but is a fun family movie that is sure to please fans of the characters. While it doesn’t make my Top 10 for the year, it’s definitely worth a watch for those looking for family and superhero films.
You (Season 5)
Phil: Pretty much every season of Netflix’s You is a mixed bag of intrigue and minutiae. The series does a great job of reinventing itself every season and managing to keep its premise fresh, but oftentimes loses itself in the middle of its 10-episode seasons with too many subplots and side characters. In most cases, strong openings and endings make the experience of watching You much more positive than it is negative. And the fifth-and-final season is no exception to this rule.
Starting with the negative, Season 5 is pretty convoluted. There are a lot of complicated family dynamics being explored amongst Joe’s new in-laws — many of which have really interesting beats but don’t ultimately culminate in anything that has material impact on the season. Maybe the most glaring example of this is Anna Camp’s characters (Joe’s twin sisters-in-law), who are both super interesting characters who are very important to the show…until they suddenly aren’t anymore.
Similarly, Joe’s primary love interest this season, Bronte, goes in so many different directions that it’s hard to actually root for or sympathize with her for the majority of the season. And while she ultimately ends up in a respectable place, she does end up being the weakest love interest character of the series, in my book.
On the other hand, Joe’s returning wife, Kate, steps up to become an absolutely phenomenal presence. I didn’t always love Kate in Season Four, but she won me over very easily this season with one of the most compelling character arcs in the show to date.
You is a show about falling in love with a serial killer. And oftentimes, the show itself (and the audience) is expected to do the same, only to be reminded with quick bursts just how much of a monster Joe is. This is on full display this season, less-so hidden behind the veneer of charm that often surrounds Joe. With the show reaching its conclusion, we can drop the pretense and see Joe for what he really is, unfiltered. It’s very effective and a long-time coming.
There are some incredibly powerful moments in the finale featuring Joe’s son, Henry, and Season 1 love interest, Beck (who is still the best character in the show and gave us the most powerful moment across all five seasons, don’t @ me).
You isn’t a perfect show, but it has a thesis and I think it achieves its goal very effectively in the end. Maybe the series would have benefited from slightly shorter seasons and slightly fewer characters. But at the end of the day, the flaws of the series melt away from my memory to leave room for the big, powerful moments that You manages to achieve every single season.
From the World of John Wick: Ballerina
Kat: I’ll be honest with you, I was expecting a lot more ballet from a movie called the Ballerina BUT I also didn’t really care because Ana de Armas is hypnotic in any role she takes on. Ballerina is a straight up action movie, one that I usually would have left slightly disappointed, if it wasn’t for Armas performance. She gives it the soul the script desperately needs.
And I do feel like it makes a difference that this is an action movie with a solo female lead. We get plenty of superhero films and we have 4 John Wicks, but when was the last time we had a female action movie with one woman given the opportunity to be the bad ass? This is what makes Ballerina truly stand apart from your Beekeepers! It’s an action movie from a different point of view in a world that fans of the genre already love.
Comics
Let's discuss some comics we've enjoyed recently!
As usual, we’ll spotlight an Indie Book, a DC/Marvel book, a Webcomic, and a Live Kickstarter book!
Indie Comic: Ignition Press
Kat: Ignition Press made a big splash at San Diego Comic Con with their own lounge for fans to have a place to rest and check out some cool comics. Phil and I got a handful of books that gave a mix of previews and “cold opens” showcasing the most exciting scenes from their upcoming titles. And with most of the creative teams there to sign it was a no-brainer to check out a few of these samplers.
Since I practically live on Kickstarter, Ignition Press was already on my radar with their Murder Podcast campaign, and I had already been familiar with Jeremy Haun’s work as a frequent reader of The Beauty (that will soon be adapted as a Ryan Murphy TV Show).
I was most impressed by the cold open comics as they gave horrifically exciting scenes that helped readers sink their teeth into the worlds of Murder Podcast and Cullen Bunn’s Deluge. I really like the concept of Murder Podcast (the premise is pretty much in the name) and Deluge introduced an exciting cast that I’m on board to get to know.
I love when comic book creators/publishers showcase their work across mediums and that’s exactly what Ignition Press is set out to do with TV shows in the works, a direct market presence, AND using Kickstarter as a tool to make all these wild dreams possible.
Marvel: Death of the Silver Surfer
Kat: Just in time for the Fantastic Four movie, Marvel is killing of the Silver Surfer!
I’m always skeptical when the Big 2 kills off a beloved character out of the blue, but as a Silver Surfer fan I wanted to give this series a try. Greg Pak and Sumit Kumar expertly dodge the gimmick category by giving a poetic story about the herald of death meeting his own demise, while weaving in a human, morally gray character as his foil. Will she kill him? Why? How does he die? Will it stick for a while?
Both characters get a lot of panel time to develop their characters, which makes the audience care about them. Pulling at those emotional heartstrings is far more important than a big action scene. And that is why Pak and Kumar is making a much more powerful series than your cliche character death as they put meaning behind what could have otherwise been another installment to the tired trope.
WEBTOON: Always Human
“This is a story about nanobots, genetic engineering, and two girls falling in love. No matter how technology changes us, we'll always be human.”
Phil: A Sci-Fi Romance set in a world where humans have the ability to “Mod” themselves to affect anything from their appearance to their memory/intelligence to their immune systems. Always Human is an earnest romance with likeable leads who have the emotional honesty to say what they mean and to backtrack when they lead with emotions and don’t always say/do the right thing.
A romance between a “normal” (for this world) woman, Sunati, who uses Mods and an anomalous (again, for this world) woman, Austen, who moves through the world “nature” and without modification. The pair immediately develop an interesting rapport, with commentary on the fact that Sunati only really noticed Austen because of her condition that leaves her unable to mod herself.
It’s a treat seeing this pair navigate through this detailed and well-realized Sci-Fi world and learning about the applications of the technology — particularly from the perspective of a character who is unable to use them without intense medical intervention.
If you’re a fan of comforting Sci-Fi and/or earnest romances with colorful characters, Always Human is definitely worth a read.
Kickstarter: Sink to the Top
“A young male escort thinks he’s about to luck out with a big payout from a wealthy new client, but little does he know he’s about to be confronted by the darkest moments of his life in this 24-page Queer Thriller oneshot.”
Phil: Writer Joe Corallo presents my absolute favorite kind of comic oneshot: a Queer Thriller/Horror! Described as a timeless period piece, Sink to the Top uses psychological horror to explore the power of words when used by influential and powerful abusers. We follow a young escort who quickly finds himself out of his depth.
Art from Chase Bluestone is expressive and gritty, very befitting this New York-set dark period piece. And the intrigue of the dark, abusive, and sensual world of the book really jumps out from the page. Excited to check this one out!
In Closing…
Thanks so much for reading this week’s newsletter! We hope you’re as excited as we are about our Power Rangers short comic! And we hope you enjoyed hearing about our SDCC experience!
Be sure to follow the Pre-Launch Page for our Anime NYC “Sailor Moon” Lenticular Cover and to support Slice of Life #1-7: My Girlfriend Joined the Softball Team! on Kickstarter!
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Current Kickstarters:
Slice of Life #1-7: My Girlfriend Joins The Softball Team! (Ends 8/14)
Slice of Life - Anime NYC '25 Sailor Moon EXCLUSIVE Homage (Launches 8/04)
Next Cons/Events:
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