Tabula Rasa 2026
Looking back and forward
When I entered 5th Grade at Poly Prep, the head master at the time was Mr. Williams. Every year, he would do a speech about how each new school year was a “tabula rasa”, a blank slate, a new chance. (In fact, my first year at Poly was his last year as headmaster and in his honor the yearbook theme was “Tabula Rasa”.)
We now approach the end of another year. Farewell 2025, Hello 2026. Time to close the books on the old year and start writing on the new.
Year In Review
2025 ended up being a busier year than I expected. I was expecting to do maybe one Kickstarter and 2-3 conventions. This was supposed to be a fallow year, a year to recharge.
Boy was I wrong.
Granted, convention wise, it lined up. I did IC3 in New Haven (on my birthday no less), Brooklyn Independent Comic Showcase here in my hometown, and Cradle-Con on Long Island (a last minute replacement when I had to drop out of Fan Expo Philly due to a family event). I had various degrees of success at each show. Not my most banner year con-wise, per se, but I got back out there.
But I also got to go to New York Comic Con on a pro badge for the first time in a while. I got to promote Chutzpah! (more on that later) there, as well as this little upstart company I’m part of called Summit Comics (more on that later to). Plus my dad got to check out NYCC for the first time!
And then was a little R&R in Vegas and California, but that’s another story.
Comics wise, things are going crazy here. We had a successful Kickstarter for American Dreams issue 6, but it could have been better. I could have done a much better job at promoting things.
Chutzpah! issue 1 though? The team and I aimed high with our goal and surpassed it. It’s actually my third most successful campaign. Plus it was nice to see there was a definite need for Jewish stories and representation out there, now more than ever.
Both books seem to be generally well received by the readers, which is a good thing as always.
And then, there’s Summit Comics.
What was someone’s off hand idea has now exploded into something really awesome, and we’re just getting started. In fact, I’d love it if you’d sign up for the first Summit Kickstarter! I’m also glad to see a lot of people are liking my creation for Summit, Vesper. I never written this kind of hero before, and he’s a blast to write. Plus it helps scratch that little Red Hood/Winter Soldier itch I have along with a bit of James Bond. You’ll get to know him more in the upcoming Kickstarter (or you can buy the sneak peak here).
And I’m part of an anthology that’s on Kickstarter right NOW. I’m part of the latest volume of Orange Cone Productions’ Holiday Spirits, and this time it focuses on classic monsters. And of course, I just had to do the Phantom of the Opera. I teamed up with Brian Wolf to tell a tale of Christmas horror, in as theatrical a style as the Phantom would do. You can back it here.
Starting The Blank Slate
So, what does that mean for the upcoming year?
Well, I got LOTS of plans, at least.
Convention wise, I’m currently lined up to be tabling at Super Jersey Comic Expo, Garden State Comic Fest, Fan Expo Boston, and Baltimore Comic Con (after taking a year off from that last one due to my trip out west). I will attempt, yet again, to get a table at New York Comic Con. It’s luck of the draw, but let’s see if this is finally the year I can be in artist alley at the Javits. I got some plans for exclusives if I make it.
But, most importantly, I scored a bit of a golden ticket. I got my pro pass for San Diego Comic Con! I’m finally going to SDCC! I’ll be walking around, networking, etc. And I have friends coming with me so it’s gonna be a fun adventure!
Comics production wise…well, as always, it’s in flux. We’re hoping to launch a second installment of Chutzpah! soon, and I got at least the next two issues of American Dreams waiting in the wings. Hoping Knightwrath 2 will finally be able to be on Kickstarter (we’re almost done with it, and issue 3 is well into the penciling stage). Rook & Knight 2 continues to be drawn, and I hope to have more information about that soon for you guys. (I want to start planning the first big Libertyverse crossover.)
Holmes/POTO 2 has begun the art phase, but I got some awesome news regarding the comic. We have been nominated for an Arthur Conan Doyle Society award for our first issue! The ceremony is next week, so fingers crossed we get it!
I got a couple anthologies lined up as well.
Plus I got a couple other projects I’m working on that I hope to pitch first and, if that doesn’t work, bring to Kickstarter. I actually started talking with an artist about one of those projects this week.
Plus I got plenty of stuff going on at Summit, including our first issue of Vesper! Details coming soon about that and other stories involving Vesper!
Every year is a chance for a fresh start. I plan to make the most of 2026, and I hope you all do too.
Happy New Year!
-DK
Shalom! So happy for you, friend — keep grinding! 👏🏼