HOPE Volume 2 : "Masks"

If Hope had a brother...
4 months ago – Sun, Dec 07, 2025 at 11:52:41 AM

A new book filled with action and emotion is here!

Hello my HOPE friends!

I hope this update finds you all well in the midst of the holiday season! I'm popping-in here for two purposes:

First, I wanted to let you all know that as it stands right now, we'll be launching HOPE Volume 3 late next year! Many of you may have heard that I recently assumed the position of Publisher at Source Point Press, and while this is a huge honor, it has also taken-up a lot of my time and capacity to get the publisher relaunched as a home for creator-owned graphic novels... but HOPE remains a very important series to me, and I'm very much looking forward to bringing you the next volume!

That aside, I also wanted to let you know that, as fans of HOPE, I think you'll be interested in my newest graphic novel with is ending on Kickstarter this Friday:

TALES OF MR. RHEE is my longest-running series, and in this newest volume street-level magician Mr. Rhee finds himself unexpectedly charged with protecting a potentially divine stranger from the Vampire Queen and her brood.

Like HOPE, this series is an action-packed and emotionally-charged graphic novel series, and you can check out the full campaign which includes T-shirts, the Kickstarter Exclusive Hardcover Edition of the book, and more at www.TalesOfMrRhee.comnow and join us!

Although this is the sixth volume in the series, TALES OF MR. RHEE: "Blood for Blood" is truly a perfect "jumping-in" point for the series, and should you wish to start here, you'll know everything you need to know within the first few pages to enjoy the whole book!

That being said, if you're a completest, there's an amazing bundled pledge called "I'm New Here..." pledge that gets you the whole series to date along with all the Stretch Goals too -- all with FREE U.S. SHIPPING!

Everything can be seen at www.TalesOfMrRhee.com and I sincerely hope you'll join us for this one, friends!

Thanks so much for your continued support and friendship!

Your friend in comics,
Dirk Manning

Do you believe in psychic powers?
12 months ago – Sun, Apr 27, 2025 at 11:13:42 AM

Dr. James Massey is a scientist who has dedicated his whole life to proving E.S.P. is real at great cost to himself both personally and professionally.

Now, in a last-ditch effort to justify his studies, he has invited two children who may have such abilities to participate in a laboratory study at his home lab... only to unknowingly get caught in a battle between these two omega-level psychics that is re-writing his reality all around him.

This is the story of RSVP: E.S.P., my newest graphic novel co-written with NY Times bestselling horror author Josh Malerman (BIRD BOX, INCIDENTS AROUND THE HOUSE, etc.) and illustrated by Joshua Ross!

Through the campaign for this slowburn parapsychological horror story we're offering a limited edition lenticular leatherbound hardcover edition of the book with purple gilded pages and several other upgrades exclusive to this campaign... so I hope you'll take a moment to check it out and pledge for the limited edition version of this book, at least!

It's a good one that will help hold you over -- and in some ways prepare you -- for what's to come in HOPE Volume 3, too. Heh.

(Yes, that one is being worked on as well -- don't worry!)

Thanks all! I'm very excited about this new graphic novel and hope (no pun intended) you'll consider joining us on this campaign, too, if you haven't already, as it ends Monday, May 5th! After that the limited edition versions of the book won't be available ever again after that, so pop over to www.RSVP-ESP.comand reserve your copy now!

Your friend in comics,
Dirk Manning

A quick HOPE update... and the return of something classic!
over 1 year ago – Sun, Nov 24, 2024 at 07:33:09 AM

Hello friends!

I hope you're all entering the holiday season in good spirits and otherwise doing well!

This is a quick note with two purposes... one of which is to officially let you know that -- NO SPOILERS -- my work has begun on HOPE Volume 3, and that Sally Scott and I are of course very excited to get to it!

I tend to "book out" (no pun intended) my comic release schedule about a year in advance in order to give my collaborative partners plenty of time to work on our projects together, and I'll of course keep you all posted as we approach the book's release.

In the meantime, I also wanted to make you aware of my newest Kickstarter campaign which is a bit different from HOPE, but may still be one of interest to many of you... especially if you're a fan of classic horror:

You may not know the name LONDON AFTER MIDNIGHT, but I'm willing to bet you recognize that iconic image of the legendary Lon Chaney as "The Man in the Beaver Hat" in what was the first vampire in American cinema!

You haven't seen this film because it was originally released in 1927, only for the last know copy of the film to be lost in a studio fire in the 1960s... but I've been given the honor of working with the Chaney Estate to adapt the screenplay to an original graphic novel, bringing the film (and its vampiric villain) back from the grave!

If you're a fan of classic horror and/or my work in general, I think you'll find a lot to love in this book, so I hope you'll pledge to add it to your collection at www.LondonAfterMidnightComic.com today, as the campaign ends in one week!

Pledging for a copy on Kickstarter can get you the Kickstarter Exclusive Leatherbound Hardcover Edition of the book with FIVE Stretch Goals so far, and as I type this we're quickly closing in on the sixth, which will upgrade the book again to have blue gilded pages!

Thanks all! Again, I hope you're doing well, and look forward to sharing my next book with you soon!

Your friend in comics,
Dirk Manning

New Book Alert: LOVE STORIES ABOUT DEATH
over 1 year ago – Wed, Jul 24, 2024 at 10:02:25 AM

Hello friends!

I hope this update finds you well and enjoying some great book and graphic novel reading! If you're looking for another emotionally-investing graphic novel to treat yourself to... well, I'm here for you!

I wanted to give you all a quick heads-up that the campaign for my newest graphic novel LOVE STORIES ABOUT DEATH is now live, fully funded, and within striking distance of the “Super Stretch Goal” of upgrading the book to a red leatherbound-style edition of the book with red gilded pages, a red ribbon bookmark, and an autographed bookplate!

If you’d like to get a Kickstarter Exclusive Hardcover Edition of the book (and help us all unlock that red leatherbound edition) please come check out the campaign and join us at www.LoveStoriesAboutDeath.comtoday!

This is a collection of seven full-length genre-hopping stories that explore the intersections of love and death, with gorgeous art and plots that will tug at your heartstrings… and then tear them out!

Thanks, all! Again, I hope you’re all doing well, and I appreciate your continued support all so very much!

Now… let’s get that red leather “I Saw Red” edition of this book at www.LoveStoriesAboutDeath.com and keep our bookshelves looking sexy!

Your friend in comics,
Dirk Manning

All packages have shipped! That's a wrap... for now!
almost 2 years ago – Sun, Jun 30, 2024 at 09:32:13 AM

ALL PACKAGES ARE SHIPPED! 

Hello friends!

As of two weeks ago all HOPE Volume 2: "Masks" Kickstarter packages have shipped from Whalebacker in Saginaw, Michigan, meaning this campaign is a wrap!

If you didn't recieve your package, please reach out to Whalebacker directly to get a tracking number via email at [email protected]or reach out to me directly if you have any addition questions of concerns.

THANK YOU!

On behalf of myself, illustrator Sally Scott, letterer Dave Lentz, editor Drena Jo, and publisher Source Point Press... THANK YOU for your support of this book! Truly!

It's your support that makes it possible for us to not only bring these books to life, but also offer you deluxe hardcover editions of the books with all those cool extras for those of you who enjoy them as much as we do.

SO... WHAT'S NEXT?

No spoilers, but how about that ending to HOPE Volume 2, eh? 

Hopefully now you all understand why I couldn't share much internal art from this book... I wanted to keep the story as surprising as possible!

If you know someone who may enjoy HOPE but missed the campaign, feel free to direct them to Amazon, where they can order the trade paperback editions of HOPE Volume 1: "Mother" [Special Edition] and HOPE Volume 2: "Masks" now.

And, yes, I'm already actively working on HOPE Volume 3. I couldn't possibly end things like that, could I?

In the meantime, though, my next book release via Kickstarter is LOVE STORIES ABOUT DEATH, a collection of seven full-length horror stories that will tug at your heartstrings... and then rip them right out! I'm planning on launching this one towards the end of July, and I'll drop you all a note when it goes live, as we're going to offer a super limited edition leather bound, gilded pages, ribbon bookmarked hardcover edition just to Kickstarter backers in what will most likely be a "Quickstarter" three week campaign.

Thanks again, everyone! YOU make all of this possible, and it's an honor I don't take lightly.

Happy reading, have a great holiday if you'll be celebrating it this coming week, and we'll talk soon!

Your friend in comics,
Dirk Manning