MINDSPLATTER: JANUARY 2026
New year, new tools.
Happy New Year, dear Splatterites! And hello Substack community. Whether you got here through my old Splatter mailing list, social media posts or the Substack community feed - WELCOME to Mindsplatter 2026: a more accessible, and easily sharable experience for everyone. Before we dive into this month’s issue, check out…
…and browse the splatter archives to catch up on previous entries.
Aside from my time in startup, 2025 was one of the most educational years of my career. I launched new products, attended more events, experimented with a variety of mediums, wrote a new title (announcement is coming soon), started new projects, moved to a different country, started teaching and took on challenges that’ll keep me sweating bullets for the next couple of years. Last year I joined the “TOP 9” tradition, and found that it helped me revisit reappreciate everything I’ve done, achieved or struggled with throughout the year. So here’s 2025’s entry:
2025’s highlights include:
Signings and panels in: Emerald City Comic Con, LA Book Fair, ALA, Anime NYC, San Diego Comic Con and more.
I moved to Vancouver, B.C. and started teaching at the Vancouver Film School writing program.
I launched a NEW ONLINE STORE!
And what about YOU, dear Splatter-heads?
UPCOMING EVENTS:
Sunday, Jan 11: Special guest @ Vancouver Comicon
February 8, 12pm-5pm: Book signing @ INDIGO BOOKS (1033 Robson Street)
February 14-16, 2026: Guest table @ Vancouver FAN EXPO
There are new project announcement right around the corner, so I may poop out a short one-time splatter post when the news is out. Until then, let’s get back to…
Last month we dealt with intellectual property problems and solutions, and today we’re finally getting to my personal favorite topic: localization, and reach. If you’ve been around me long enough in post-con dinners, you’ve probably heard this rant before. If you haven’t…then brace yourself! It’s time I attempt to get it all in writing!
SECOND FIDDLE LOCALIZATION STRATEGY
Publishers see localization and co-publishing deals in other territories as a “nice to haves” as opposed to what it actually is: essential to their survival. Localization should be a pre-planned pillar of any IP strategy, not just long term outcomes of a title’s success. The biggest investment in localization is not the process itself. Localization is CHEAPER than ever. The hard part for most publisher is developing a good sales and business development strategy, which leads me to...
OLD-FASHIONED BIZ-DEV PHILOSOPHIES
The current strategy is - make title successful, and then use this success to secure co-publishing and distribution deals. Now, let me be blunt and say that this strategy is completely backwards. If you’re a sales or biz dev executive that thinks THAT’s the only viable way to secure international co-publishing deals, you’re either too unimaginative, or not smart enough to recognize an easy opportunity when you see it.
INEFFICIENT LOCALIZATION PIPELINES
There are so many tools at our disposal nowadays, that can streamline the localization process with greater efficiency. No, I’m not talking about AI (although, this technology will eventually play a part in this). I’m talking about adopting online platforms instead of localized processes. I’ve literally experimented with this when I put my puffer pipe into action. There are easy ways to smooth this process out so much that a small operation can end up saving a ton on production, marketing, and localization implementation with minimal friction. Wanna know how? HA! You’ll have to pay me for that one as well. But the point here is clear. Modernizing your pipelines can allow for simultaneous localization of ALL content (marketing and the core product), which can help with building more enticing propositions for co-publishing partnerships.
QUALITY AND REACH VS QUANTITY AND NICHE
Comics are still undeniably niche. With content oversaturation, growing competition and limited shelf-space, North American publishers need to think of their audiences as global-first. Instead of fighting for market share in a narrow, imploding, overpacked niche, they need to think of quality and how to get their few, growing brands into multiple markets at the same time. Sure, they can keep doubling down on their current race to the bottom and hope that tiny little wins along the way will somehow change their doomed fates but...good with that.
SMART LOCALIZATION STRATEGY = B2B & B2C GROWTH
Whether they realize it or not, publishers can, and should secure at least a few co-publishing deals early in a title’s production, and long before they launch it. If you match your IP to territories strategically, develop an efficient internal localization pipeline, and do some operational and biz-dev ground work, you could launch a title simultaneously in multiple territories.
With the right partnerships, the added cost of doing this will be negligible, especially when the odds of breaking even on the title become SO MUCH HIGHER if all the other choices were done consciously and wisely. With the money and resources a publisher would spend on developing, producing, and marketing another, completely different IP, they could localize and expand the reach of multiple titles in one clear swoop, increasing the odds of all of them breaking even and finding their audience purely by expanding their reach for a fairly low cost. By doing this, it’ll already be easier to invest in the next volume at lower risk, AND you’ll have a much higher chance of finding your fanbase. Because guess what? You never know where your fanbase is going to be until you find it. By expanding your reach in this way, your odds are just much higher. You may end up switching your primary and secondary market, but your investment and return will stay the same.
But expanded reach applies not just to B&C, but also B&B. by getting your title out into other territories, you expose the work to a wider pool of media buyers. Now that entertainment across the board is going back into co-productions, setting footholds in other markets could expand your odds of getting adaptations made.
MODERNIZING AND EXPANDING LOCALIZATION PIPELINES
If by “localization” you think of just sending a bunch of TIFF files to an external vendor...god damn. There are so many incredible new tools that can streamline the localization process with greater efficiency and even incorporate its value into marketing and sales. No, I’m not talking about AI (although, this technology will eventually play a part in this no matter what). I’m talking about adopting online real-time design platforms instead of relying on localized processes. I’m talking about digitizing marketing content AND the actual print content simultaneously in cost effective, and easily scalable ways. I’ve literally experimented with this when I put my puffer pipe into action. There are ways to smooth this process out so much that a small operation can end up saving a ton on production, marketing, and implementation. Modernizing and consolidating your pipelines can allow for simultaneous localization of ALL content (marketing and the core product), which can help with building more enticing propositions for co-publishing partnerships.
DO’s
Make localization a built-in part of an IP’s vetting, development, production and marketing process.
Invest in and optimize for co-publishing and distribution partnerships BEFORE a title launches. Initial success shouldn’t be a factor.
Invest in modernizing and consolidating localization, development, production and marketing pipelines.
Think of localization as a tool for IP growth and expanded B2B opportunities.
DON’Ts
Wait for a title to do well locally in order to secure co-publishing deals.
View localization as a “nice to have”. It’s a must-have.
Rely on old fashioned, and siloed processes.
Waste money on endless graveyard “volume 1s”. Use the same cash to localize your content (marketing and core) and expand its reach.
This series of articles is ALMOST DONE! Stay tuned on Feb 1st for the last entry. I hope you enjoyed this weird-ass pivot, because I know I did. If you want to see more industry insight op-eds like this, drop me a note and let me know what other media topics you’d like me to comment on. Until next time…
