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2025 Top 10 Whatever
This is something I’ve been doing for a few years now - the PLUGOarts Top Read more
Black Friday Discount on Comic-Cards
Apply this year's Black Friday discount code to our 2026 line of comic cards and Read more
My Secret October Cover Art Project
A behind the scenes look at my latest Cover Art My commission -FREAKWOOD album art Read more
Does Humanity Need an Intervention?
Hosts Kandas and Shane welcome Patrick Lugo to discuss Steven Erikson's standalone science fiction novel Read more
Now on Kindle & P.O.D. - Let's Go!
The 2025 Graphic Anthology for Young Readers is – Get ready for wild rides, fantastical Read more
The Nightvision Omnibus live on Kickstarter!
The Nightvision Omnibus Comes to Kickstarter! Another legacy Rebel Studios masterwork of brilliant darkness in one oversize hardcover volume, signed Read more
China's Vampire (殭屍) & Other Creatures
With roots in the folk influences of Taoist & Shinto beliefs. The yōkai or yaoguai, Read more
Live on the Annual Dispatch!
I’ll be Live on the Elephant Eater Comics Annual Dispatch Livestream at exactly 8:20pm EST / 5:20pm Read more
MORTAL KOMBAT: FLAWLESS VICTORY
Insight Editionsreleases the deluxe book Mortal Kombat: Flawless Victory: A Visual History of the Iconic Series (out Read more
Gain intimate access the creative process and real-time art updates.
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2025 Top 10 Whatever

Turns out I’ve been writing such Year-in-Review posts since 2021. I’ve gotten better at doing them, or at least they take less time. Also, it helps put things in perspective when considering what progress has been made on an artistic and motivational front; worth a try. So – starting with 10 and working towards the #1 spot . . .

10. Writing for KFM

Even with the tapering off of Superhero movies, I’ve still been able to deliver a handful of written pieces to KungFuMagazine.com a couple of which ran concurrently with the latest re-design of the platform.

Thanks for reading The PLUGOarts Substack! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.Subscribed

9. Let’s Go! A Kids Comic Anthology

After twenty some-odd months of development, production & campaigning November saw the official publication of the 2nd of two anthologies my comics have appeared in this year. The Amazon kindle edition immediately hit #1 Best Seller in New Releases. The print version is also available online, But if you’d like a signed KICKSTARTER edition (which is of a much higher quality: Spot Varnish & French Flaps), drop me an email – I have a few copies left.

8. San Diego Comic Con 2025

SDCC 2025 was a wild ride. I wrote a little about it, but those of you who I talked about it with – you know.

7. Cape & Cowl Con

Just after returning from San Diego was Cape & Cowl Con. With its new location being on the very same island I reside upon (maybe a 7 minute drive) it was a matter of principle that I table at the event. It’s also the only dog friendly Comic Convention I know of and that meant including one of the best table-mates ever. I also had the good fortune of being joined by another local comic creator of note: The Mighty Omar Morales.

6. Go Doggo on Coretoons

Go Doggo has been a semi-regular feature in the fast-growing Core Toons online publication for young readers. I even enjoyed the privilege of a hilariously absurd feature interview this past October – with more in the works.

5. From Cocinas to Lucha Libre Ringsides

My comic contribution in this anthology was a very personal story. Family History really. So a special chance for a wider audience to catch a glimpse of my up-bringing as told through my IMPERFEComics.

4. Freakwood – Album Cover

It’s finished and awaiting release. I wrote about it in an earlier post.

3. BiPOC POP Symposium

The 2025 Power of BiPOC POP symposium was hosted by Professor LatinX himself, Director & Founder professor Frederick Luis Aldama at the University of Texas in Austin. The academic rigor on display and applied to comics scholarship was formidable. It was presented alongside hands/on workshops and an artist’s alley; a set-up of Theory, Practice & Result (praxis?). I got to rub elbows with folks like Jaime Hernandez, Lalo Alcaraz, John Jennings & Ngozi Ukazu.

2. POONNT!

One of two comics I have published in Let’s Go! A Kids Comics Studio Anthology. This one was created in collaboration with writer David Quinn. This is a personal feather in the cap in terms of comic collaborations.

1. UNDEAD KUNGFU GHOST KILLER

Recency bias maybe? While the seeds of this project had been planted earlier, it sprouted and took live over the course of 2025 and loom large across the closing days of the year.

Black Friday Discount on Comic-Cards

The PLUGOarts line of comic cards are about to explode in variety next year, but you can get a set early and at a discount. Our first official comic card the tale of Tamo & Tea has been a popular Comic-Card since its publication in 2021. Regularly purchased and often included as a freebee it’s been called clever by comic editors at San Diego Comic Con. Combined with continued popularity of the comic series Go Doggo we’re releasing a whole line of comic cards for 2026.

But you can get a set early and for less!

Get Yours

Get Your 2026 Comic-Cards early & for less! 

Receive our exclusive collection of Comic-Cards: 8 x 5 in. postcards with a Go Doggo and other single page comics printed on its front and a traditional Postcard backing! The set include 7 different comics and comes in a protective envelope.

Your Discount Code!

As a show of gratitude for your ongoing interest & support I’ve even cooked up a 20% OFF coupon code (my first ever). It can be applied to that Comic-Card Set above, or even be used in the PLUGOarts ONline BOOKshop! Discount expires on December 1st. Just use the following coupon code when making your online purchase – Ganxie

Does Humanity Need an Intervention?

Space Admiral Kandas and Space Cadet Shane welcome visiting dignitary Patrick Lugo to discuss Steven Erikson’s standalone science fiction novel “Rejoice, A Knife to the Heart.”

When a mysterious alien AI arrives offering humanity a utopian paradise with no war, poverty, or disease, the biggest question becomes: Can we get out of our own way?

Erikson, best known for his epic ten-book Malazan fantasy series, brings his background as an archaeologist and anthropologist to this character-driven first contact story. Published in 2018, the novel examines humanity through multiple perspectives across the globe, from science fiction writers and bank robbers to child soldiers and abusive spouses, all coping with an “intervention event” that changes everything overnight.

The conversation explores deep themes including the role of free time in human creativity, what happens when scarcity and profit margins disappear, religious versus spiritual responses to transformation, and whether this seemingly benevolent AI might actually be recruiting humanity as its attack force against the mysterious Grays.

Patrick Lugo shares insights into why Erikson’s work resonates with creators, discussing how removing constraints like marketability and survival needs could unleash human potential. The group debates whether the novel presents the origin story of Star Trek’s Federation or something far more sinister.

Despite ending on a massive cliffhanger with ruins discovered on Mars and the Moon, Erikson never wrote a sequel, leaving readers to imagine their own continuation of humanity’s journey into space.

Guest Patrick Lugo is a career artist, former art director for Kung Fu Magazine, and creator of the graphic novel series Tiger’s Tale. His upcoming comic book Undead Kung Fu Ghost Killer combines martial arts with zombie horror themes.

Key Topics Discussed:

  • First contact scenarios and intervention events
  • The human condition through an anthropological lens
  • Character-driven storytelling across global perspectives
  • Utopian futures and their hidden costs
  • The relationship between free time and creativity
  • Religious and spiritual transformation
  • Media manipulation and corporate control
  • The mysterious Grays as a recurring sci-fi antagonist
  • Why the book’s 2018 publication feels dated in 2025
  • Independent comic creation and storytelling

Now on Kindle & P.O.D. – Let’s Go!

The 2025 Graphic Anthology for Young Readers is –

  • Now Available on Kindle
  • Can new be ordered by Libraries & Bookstores
  • Needs Your Review!
Add Your Review

Get ready for wild rides, fantastical creatures, epic disasters, and silly tales—told entirely through comics!

Created by a group of artists and writers who love making comics for kids, Let’s Go! is a joyful celebration of imagination, friendship, and finding your voice. Whether you’re into silly stories, spooky ones, or magical mischief, there’s something in here for you. What are you waiting for?

Let’s Go!!!

Let’s Go! A Kids Comics Studio Anthology

WRITTEN BY CORINNA BECHEKO

ART BY ANDREA SORRENTINO

COVER A BY MIGUEL MERCADO

COVER B BY ANDREA SORRENTINO

EC HOMAGE VARIANT (1:10) BY ALBERT MONTEYS

B&W ARTIST VARIANT (1:20) BY ANDREA SORRENTINO

ARCHIVE EDITION VARIANT (1:50) BY PATRICIA MARTÍN

The Nightvision Omnibus live on Kickstarter!

The Nightvision Omnibus Comes to Kickstarter!

Another legacy Rebel Studios masterwork of brilliant darkness in one oversize hardcover volume, signed by creators David Quinn & Hannibal King.


NIGHTVISION: DARKNESS MINE Omnibus Edition
256 Pages, B/W and Color, Oversized 8” by 12” HC
Every Nightvision Story plus Covers, Extras, Pinups, BTS Sketches and Script Pages

Check it Out

Dive deeply into an urban underworld dominated by Exotic sensuality. Forbidden pleasure. Dangerous masquerades. And the cold, cold retribution of shapeshifting killers.

I’ve been a fan of David’s writing since before his historic run on Marvel’s Dr. Strange comics. He laid the groundwork for what made Wong so grate in the MCU. But more recently, he & I collaborated on a contribution to Let’s Go! A Kids Comics Studio Anthology; copies of which are currently heading to  supporters of that project. 

China’s Vampire (殭屍) & Other Creatures

The penchant for mascots ranging from Pokémon to Miraitowa (ミライトワ the official mascot of the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics) is, in my opinion, a hold-over from the folk influences of yōkai and the Kami of Shinto belief. But the word “yōkai” is a Japanese transliteration or pronunciation of the Chinese term “yaoguai” who involve similarly strange creatures. Both languages use the same Chinese characters 妖怪, to describe them.

Whether you call them yōkai or yaoguai, they represent a broad and diverse class of ambiguous creatures in folklore and mythology across Asia. Defined by the possession of supernatural powers and by having attributes of the weird, the strange or the unnatural. They are especially associated with transformation and enchantment.

The Jiāngshī (殭屍)

PIt’s perhaps Asia’s most iconic undead creature of folklore. Due to the influence of Hong Kong cinema, it is typically depicted as a stiff corpse dressed in the official garments from the Qing dynasty. Although the pronunciation of jiangshi varies in different East Asian countries, all of them refer to the Chinese version of vampire. It is commonly identified by its hopping or leaping. In folkloric accounts it is capable of giving chase by running, and if sufficiently ancient or if it has absorbed sufficient Qi; life energy, it is capable of flight.

Written instances describe them as follows: “jiāngshī came from the hills, soaring through the air, to devour the infants of the people” It is believed that the jiangshiand its representation in the imagination was derived from the tradition of “corpse-driving” a practice involving the repatriation of the corpses of dead laborers and soldiers across the  Xiang province to their hometowns for burial in family gravesites. Multiple corpses would be tied to pairs of bamboo poles to be carried on the shoulders of Taoist priests. Working in pairs these corpse-drivers would transport these bodies over thousands of miles to their ancestral villages. These monks often operated at night to avoid panicking crowds during the day, This however served to amplify the fearful associations of their trade and seen from a distance gave the impression of hopping corpses.

The Shuāliǎnguǐ (刷臉鬼)

Mysterious beings who, at first glance, looked and spoke no differently from ordinary people. Sometimes they seemed to arrive as seeds dropped through roof cracks, spinning and expanding until they burst open into human form. People who encountered them would suddenly collapse, their face gone, leaving only the back of their skull. Several of these strange figures carry large wooden barrels with more than a hundred human faces inside, preserved in lime.

The Bai Ze (白澤),

With a tiger’s headed, dragon scales and a crimson mane, the Bai Ze is a rare omen of fortune. In the folk beliefs of imperial China, they symbolized the ability to expel ghosts and ward off evil spirits. Gifted with human speech, it perceives the hearts of all creatures and holds vast knowledge.

Live on the Annual Dispatch!

Next Stop on the UKGK Online Tour: A guest appearance on the Elephant Eater Comics Annual Dispatch livestream. Comic creator Ryan Claytor’s been a mighty mentor for my self-publishing and crowdfunding endevors from the very begining. My very first Kickstarter campaign was launched live on one of his events a few years back.  I’ll be joining the Annual Dispatch Final Night Livestream for a 10 minute (exactly) conversation with Ryan about UNDEAD KUNGFU GHOST KILLER #1. This will happen at 8:20pm EST / 5:20pm PST on Tuesday, October 28th, 2025 on the Ryan Claytor YouTube channel.

Watch Live
https://www.youtube.com/RyanClaytor/streams

MORTAL KOMBAT: FLAWLESS VICTORY

Insight Editionsreleases the deluxe book Mortal Kombat: Flawless Victory: A Visual History of the Iconic Series (out Today!), the official behind the scenes explorations of one of the most storied, and gleefully gruesome, franchises in fighting game history. 

Mortal Kombat: Flawless Victory: A Visual History of the Iconic Series [Insight Editions; October 21] takes readers on a journey through the visual history of the iconic, over-the-top fighting game that was first introduced to the world in 1992. Go beyond the game with exclusive interviews with the development team, stunning concept sketches, renders, and illustrations. What are you waiting for? Get over here!

This deluxe edition dives into interviews with the development team at NetherRealm Studios on the process of creating and evolving an iconic fighting game franchise, providing an in-depth look at the legendary characters (such as Scorpion, Sub-Zero, Raiden, Liu Kang, Sonya Blade, and Johnny Cage), detailed environments, and powerful moves that bring Mortal Kombat to life. 

Filled with behind-the-scenes fun facts and information about the game making process, from crafting the setting to developing the gameplay, this beautiful volume is a must-have collectible for Mortal Kombat fans and fighting game enthusiasts.

Many thanks for your interest in Mortal Kombat: Flawless Victory! 

Writer Ian Flynn

Meet the Writer 

Ian Flynn is a Charlotte-born, Toronto-based freelance writer. He’s best known for his nearly twenty years of working with the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise. He has contributed to numerous properties across comics, television, streaming media, and video games. He co-hosts a Q&A podcast that tackles fans’ questions called “The BumbleKast.” (BumbleKing.com)

About Insight Editions

Insight Editions pushes the boundaries of creativity, design, and production with award-winning books and collectibles. From collaborations with innovators like James Cameron and Guillermo del Toro to partnerships with global brands including Warner Bros. and Disney, Insight Editions creates stories and experiences for fans, readers, and seekers of all ages that transcend the page. The dynamic catalog ranges from pop culture to photography to cooking to nature conservation.