iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Get yer boosters if you're able to, y'all.

A shoulder with two bandaids over immunization injection sites. One is green and one is red.

Ben Crane @bencranewrites.com · 04/09/2026

Our copies of Overgrown from @goodtimehat.bsky.social came in! Such a fantastic little abstract, and the printing turned out beautifully!!

The box art of the board game Overgrown. A deer walks through a field that has grown in the abandoned streets of an empty city.

All the pieces of a two player game of Overgrown in progress.

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Ben Crane @bencranewrites.com · 01/09/2026

Hey #SantaCruz! I'll be at the wonderful Atlantis Fantasyworld all TOMORROW celebrating Scattered Futures, a #scifi #comic of hope and community. Come say hi and check it out! (And maybe some of my other books too?)

A flyer for a comic signing event at Atlantis Fantasyworld with Ben Crane and his book Scattered Futures, on Wed Sep 2 from 1-5pm

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Ben Crane @bencranewrites.com · 17/08/2026

And our final story-- "Reclaim CA" ✏️ @artebuen.bsky.social 🖌️ @davelawart.bsky.social 🎨 @ahgcolor.bsky.social 💬 Frank Cvetkovic A standalone political thriller in Art and Dave's California Inc universe. Where does the line between collaborator and rebel get drawn?

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Ben Crane @bencranewrites.com · 13/08/2026

"Variant: Kuno" ✏️ @nathancayanan.bsky.social 🖌️ (inks) Gregory Maldonado 🎨 (colors) @lalanarita.bsky.social The algorithm knows how to make us all happy... so why can't Kuno find joy?

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Ben Crane @bencranewrites.com · 12/08/2026

"Inelligible Receiver" ✏️ @hunterblackcomx.bsky.social 🎨 Axel Ortiz 💬 Jacob Bascle Part heist, part sports drama, part romance, all incredible. What would you give up for fame and comfort? What would make you give that up in turn?

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Ben Crane @bencranewrites.com · 11/08/2026

"The Rats of Hamelin Station" ✏️ @mcholly1.bsky.social 🎨 @gambitsink.bsky.social 💬 Dave Lenz Some offers are too good to be true in this sunshine horror reimagining of the classic fairy tale. The maw of greed yawns wide, and the rats are always hungry.

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Ben Crane @bencranewrites.com · 10/08/2026

And lastly, my most recent work: Scattered Futures. Three short comics of optimism and community in a harsh world built to crush both. Nihilism is a tool of the enemy. We choose hope because without it, we can't build something better.

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Ben Crane @bencranewrites.com · 10/08/2026

A Man of Lies is my debut novel, a queer crime thriller about a high-stakes art heist in Omaha, NE and people trying to be more than the pigeonholes society put them in. Read the book deemed too gay for cable TV!* *only partially a joke. Ask me in private if you want to know more.

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Ben Crane @bencranewrites.com · 10/08/2026

Also, Cosmic Cadets 1 & 2. My and @andyalvesart.bsky.social Star Trek-inspired, middle-grade adventure series. Set on a ship exploring the galaxy, these books follow the kids of the crew as they have their own adventures alongside their parents. Each book is a complete story.

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Ben Crane @bencranewrites.com · 10/08/2026

California, Inc is available in a collected TPB, or as 4 individual issues from a variant cover grab-bag!

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Ben Crane @bencranewrites.com · 10/08/2026

The rest of Studio 12-7's back catalogue is available as well. Westside is their ongoing small-town crime drama set in California's Central Valley. Written by Justin Giampaoli with art from @davelawart.bsky.social. A moody thriller on sun-baked streets.

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Ben Crane @bencranewrites.com · 10/08/2026

First and foremost, is Systemic: Volume 1! Our first collection of sci-fi comics from 7 incredible teams. Each volume stands fully on its own, but if you missed out on this one last year, now's a perfect time to pick it up!

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Ben Crane @bencranewrites.com · 09/08/2026

"Percipience" ✏️&💬 me 🎨 @andyalvesart.bsky.social For a con artist who relies on their invisibility to survive, there is no greater threat--and no greater allure--than being truly seen.

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Ben Crane @bencranewrites.com · 09/08/2026

"Guests at the Edge of Heaven" ✏️ @danverzone.bsky.social 🎨 @eileenwdj.bsky.social 💬 me In a space station built to defy death, a nurse learns that some departures are acts of grace.

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Ben Crane @bencranewrites.com · 09/08/2026

"The Forgotten" ✏️ @travisrwebb.bsky.social 🎨 Rom Silva 💬 me A cyberpunk fantasy noir exploring the lengths we go to for safety and security.

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Ben Crane @bencranewrites.com · 09/08/2026

"Changeling.AI" ✏️ @jessicamaison.bsky.social & @michael-judd.bsky.social 🎨&💬 Olga Wieszczyk A horrifying reimagining of changeling mythology for a modern era.

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Ben Crane @bencranewrites.com · 09/08/2026

"Battles Lost and Won" ✏️ @tillybridges.bsky.social & @susanlbridges.bsky.social 🎨 @andrearosales.bsky.social 💬 @airy.bsky.social There's great power in the hate society wants us to feel, but there's something far stronger... A beautiful comic of gay witches.

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Ben Crane @bencranewrites.com · 06/08/2026

Sat/Sun 9/5-6, Then it's back to SoCal for Long Beach Comic Con! Andy and I will both be there, so come say hi! (their graphics person is OOO currently, so I did my best to mimic their style) longbeachcomiccon.com

A graphic flyer advertising Ben Crane and Andy Alves's appearance at Long Beach Comic Con.

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Ben Crane @bencranewrites.com · 16/07/2026

Bertie likes the way Yoda thinks.

A Shepherd-mix dog lies on her back in a pile of ivy, looking up at the camera.

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Ben Crane @bencranewrites.com · 27/06/2026

I did! Thank you! And there is Fan Expo Anaheim, where folks can find me at AP-12 all weekend! (You fell straight into my con-table -marketing trap)

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Ben Crane @bencranewrites.com · 24/06/2026

My contribution to #MakeATerribleComicDay! Apologies for my awful handwriting, but I couldn't bother to clean it up. Check the alt-text if you can't read it.

A 6 panel comic, "FACTOIDS with Ben"
1) The "-OID" ending usually means something resembling a thing without being it.
2) Like this die, which is a "cuboid." Its rounded corners and edges mean it isn't a true cube.
3) Or the Earth, which isn't a true sphere, but a "spheroid."
4) And the monsters slowly replacing all my friends and loved ones while I sleep are "humanoids."
5) So "factoid" should mean a thing that resembles a fact, but isn't one.
6) Meaning the very first factoid was our thinking the word meant a small, unimportant fact!

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Ben Crane @bencranewrites.com · 19/06/2026

We'll have all our books. Andy will be doing live commissions. We're testing out some new prints so come by early! We didn't make too many copies of these. Be sure to get yours! I'll also have my mini-zine with instructions on how to fold up a mini-zine as a free giveaway!

5 illustrations in a grid. Characters from Disco Elysium, Homestuck, and Dimension20, along with a xenomorph and a Soviet-style Tiamat propaganda poster.

A picture of an 8-page zine folded from a single piece of paper which contains step-by-step instructions of how to fold a single piece of paper into an 8-page zine.

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Ben Crane @bencranewrites.com · 19/06/2026

Very excited to be at QCon TOMORROW with @andyalvesart.bsky.social. It's a FREE, family-friendly, LGBTQIA+ comics convention put on by @prismcomics.bsky.social and West Hollywood. Plummer Park, Fiesta Hall 7337 Santa Monica Blvd 11a-6p Come say hi! We're at table 7.

A flyer for QCon. Free tickets and info at qconprism.org

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Ben Crane @bencranewrites.com · 14/04/2026

It's #portfolioday again? Hi! I'm a writer and editor of prose and comics. I write stories about choosing hope and empathy, even when we have no reason to. I do original stories and WFH in my writing. My editorial work focuses on making your story the best version of itself it can be.

The cover of SCATTERED FUTURES. Two astronauts float above a planet, their hands nearly touching.

The cover of COSMIC CADETS: CONTACT! Five kids explore the jungle of a strange world.

The cover of COSMIC CADETS: ACCUSED! Five kids hide behind a pillar as an alien shouts angrily from a balcony behind them.

The cover of A MAN OF LIES. A muscular man walks across a bridge. The image is inverted.

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Ben Crane @bencranewrites.com · 08/04/2026

Her sister is on a walk without her. She has not moved in 15 minutes.

A dog sits by a closed door, starting at it.

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Ben Crane @bencranewrites.com · 04/04/2026

Illustrated by @sierrabravoart.bsky.social @jnyfmg.bsky.social and @m3rtyn.bsky.social, this is a book about choosing hope within systems that build hopelessness and building meaning through human connection. If your world could use a dose of hope, I hope you'll check it out!

The cover of Scattered Futures, showing 2 astronauts floating over a planet, their hands nearly touching.

A comic page from "Cycles" in Scattered Futures, illustrated by M3rtyn.

A comic page from "Delivery" in Scattered Futures, illustrated by Jenny Fleming.

A comic page from "Legitimate Salvage" in Scattered Futures, illustrated by Sierra Barnes.

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Ben Crane @bencranewrites.com · 03/04/2026

There are only 2 days left in the Scattered Futures #Kickstarter! Get your copy of this #scifi #comic of hope and community, illustrated by @jnyfmg.bsky.social @sierrabravoart.bsky.social and @m3rtyn.bsky.social www.kickstarter.com/projects/ben...

A comic book panel of a woman and two men in a space station. The dialogue has been edited so that one of the men is saying "Hi Canna. How are you?" and she responds with "I'm fine. I'm going to back Scattered Futures on Kickstarter."

A comic book panel of a man on a space station. His dialogue has been edited to say "Well you'd better HURRY UP then. The campaign ends in only 48 HOURS!"

A comic book panel of a woman and two men on a space station. Her dialogue has been edited to say "Wait. That's only 2 days!"

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Ben Crane @bencranewrites.com · 02/04/2026

#InternationalChildrensBookDay is a great day to check out Cosmic Cadets, a #scifi graphic novel series about the heroism of empathy! Made by me & @andyalvesart.bsky.social Colors by @prips.bsky.social @idwpublishing.com @topshelfcomix.bsky.social www.topshelfcomix.com/catalog/cosm...

The cover image for Cosmic Cadets: Contact! featuring 5 kids exploring an alien jungle.

The cover image for Cosmic Cadets: Accused! featuring five kids hiding behind a column as an alien yells from a balcony in the background.

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Ben Crane @bencranewrites.com · 02/04/2026

Just found some good luck in my mailbox! Thank you so much @sierrabravoart.bsky.social They are absolutely gorgeous and SO CHONKY

Two enamel pins of good luck icons, a lemon pig and a cluster of gluckspilz.

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Ben Crane @bencranewrites.com · 01/04/2026

Who will be backer #150 for Scattered Futures? The campaign for this #scifi #comic of hope and community ends this Saturday! Illustrated by @m3rtyn.bsky.social @sierrabravoart.bsky.social and @jnyfmg.bsky.social www.kickstarter.com/projects/ben...

A panel from a comic book. A woman sits in sci-fi wagon talking with a scarred man. She looks excited. He does not. The dialogue has been changed to say "There're only 3 days left in the Scattered Futures campaign. Have you backed it yet? I hear the book's full of hope."

The cover for Scattered Futures, showing 2 astronauts floating above a planet, their hands nearly touching.

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Ben Crane @bencranewrites.com · 30/03/2026

Early readers agree, the world needs more books like Scattered Futures, and you can be a part of making that happen! We have digital, physical, and deluxe reward tiers, with all my previous books available as add-ons! Please check it out at the link at the top of this thread!

A graphic with a pull quote for Scattered Futures

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Ben Crane @bencranewrites.com · 30/03/2026

Illustrated by @sierrabravoart.bsky.social @jnyfmg.bsky.social and @m3rtyn.bsky.social with a cover by @carlydraws.bsky.social, this is a book about the power of human connection and small acts of kindness. If your world could use a bit more gentle hope, check it out!

A comic page illustrated by Mertyn, showing a sci-fi western farmer riding a robotic covered wagon toward a town past some corporate propaganda.

A comic page illustrated by Jenny Fleming showing a shuttle approaching a terraforming station above an inhospitable planet.

A comic page illustrated by Sierra Barnes showing a salvage ship approaching the wreck of a cargo vessel.

A comic cover illustrated by Carly A-F showing two astronauts floating above a planet, their hands nearly touching.

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Ben Crane @bencranewrites.com · 25/03/2026

Early readers agree these quiet stories pack an invigorating emotional punch. If your world is feeling dark right now, I hope you'll check it out and find a little inspiration to keep fighting for something better. www.kickstarter.com/projects/ben...

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Ben Crane @bencranewrites.com · 25/03/2026

You can also get any or all of my previous books as add-ons in the campaign. Cosmic Cadets, my all-ages OGN about kids exploring the galaxy. Systemic Vol 1, the sci-fi anthology I edited over the summer. And A Man of Lies, my queer noir heist thriller novel.

A picture of the Cosmic Cadets graphic novels with an enamel pin of an alien.

A picture of the comics anthology Systemic

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Ben Crane @bencranewrites.com · 25/03/2026

With stories illustrated by @sierrabravoart.bsky.social @jnyfmg.bsky.social and @m3rtyn.bsky.social, Scattered Futures is about the power of human connection and community in the face of an uncaring world built to grind us down.

A comic page from the story "Legitimate Salvage" in Scattered Futures.

A comic page from the story "Delivery" in Scattered Futures.

A comic page from the story "Cycles" in Scattered Futures.

The cover of the comic Scattered Futures

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Ben Crane @bencranewrites.com · 22/03/2026

Scattered Futures also features the art of @sierrabravoart.bsky.social and @jnyfmg.bsky.social and a cover by @carlydraws.bsky.social These are stories of finding optimism in a world designed to crush it. If your world could use a bit more hope, I hope you'll check out the Kickstarter!

A comic book cover showing two astronauts floating in space above a planet. Their hands are nearly touching.

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Ben Crane @bencranewrites.com · 22/03/2026

"Cycles" follows an independent farmer on a corporate agriculture colony as he goes about his day. Small interactions build to an examination of the legacy he is leaving for his daughter and the patterns that have trapped him.

A close up on a propaganda sign. It reads "Feed the worlds, Feed your soul. AgrioCO"

A close up on the farmer as an excited townsperson talks to him.

A close up on two weird chicken aliens with too many eyes grazing in the badlands outside of town. A space elevator rises in the distant background.

The farmer's wagon parks outside his isolated farmhouse at night.

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Ben Crane @bencranewrites.com · 22/03/2026

"Cycles", ilustrated by @m3rtyn.bsky.social is the 3rd story in SCATTERED FUTURES, sci-fi comics of hope and human connection in a harsh and uncaring world. The book is on KS now and fully funded with awesome stretch goals in sight! #comics #scifi #indiecomics www.kickstarter.com/projects/ben...

A comic page. An orbital ring station hangs over an agricultural planet as down on the surface a farmer rides a walking wagon robot toward a distant town. He spits as he passes a large propaganda sign for AgriCO.

A comic page. People with a mix of old west stylings and sci-fi technology gather in a town square as the farmer rides his wagon into town.

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Ben Crane @bencranewrites.com · 21/03/2026

Thank you @jimmygaspero.bsky.social for the kind words about Scattered Futures! "This isn't just science-fiction. Scattered Futures is on another level. I want to see more of this in the world." There's 2 weeks left in the campaign (linked above). Let's get some stretch goals!

A graphic with the cover of Scattered Futures and text that reads:
What folks are saying about... Scattered Futures
"Ben has created three quiet stories about deeply moving, empathetic moments. This isn't just science-fiction. Scattered Futures is on another level. I want to see more of this in the world." --Jimmy Gaspero (Penny and the Yeti, Cryptid Creator Corner)

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Ben Crane @bencranewrites.com · 20/03/2026

Sometimes you're signing books and go into autopilot and stop paying attention to the details. Left this one in a store in the wild. Hopefully whoever finds it treasures their truly unique @andyalvesart.bsky.social signature. (shared with Andy's permission)

The title page of the comic book COSMIC CADETS: ACCUSED. The illustrator, Andy Alves, has signed the book Alves Alves.

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Ben Crane @bencranewrites.com · 20/03/2026

Have you nominated for the Ringo Awards yet? It's not just for pros. ANYONE who loves comics can nominate their favorite books and creators from the last year! When you vote, please consider COSMIC CADETS: ACCUSED for Best Kids book (11 and under) and SYSTEMIC for Best Anthology! ringoawards.com

A beautiful graphic showing COSMIC CADETS: ACCUSED and SYSTEMIC with human arms hoisting trophies as fireworks explode in the background. Across the top reads the text "YOU can make this happen!"

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Ben Crane @bencranewrites.com · 18/03/2026

Thank you to whoever got Scattered Futures to $2000! (and to everyone who got it to every number before that!) I cannot tell you how much it means to have so many folks get this excited for a book about and built on the hope that we can build something better. www.kickstarter.com/projects/ben...

A screenshot of the Scattered Futures Kickstarter page, showing the campaign at $2000 pledged from 110 backers with 18 days remaining.

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Ben Crane @bencranewrites.com · 17/03/2026

Jenny's retro style brings a delightful flair and vitality to these harsh environs, a perfect reflection of the way the warmth of home is built from small choices. I love her colors in particular, inspired by old 4-dot newsprint comics. Check out the texture on them!

A closeup of a comic panel. Smoke drifts from the top of an active volcano and a shuttle flies through the sky above it.

A close up of a comic panel. A woman sits in an industrial chair wearing a VR headset.

A closeup of a comic panel. A man in a captain's uniform stands in front of a large door as it WHOOSHES open.

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Ben Crane @bencranewrites.com · 17/03/2026

Let's check out another story from SCATTERED FUTURES, live on Kickstarter right now and closing in on 200% funded! "Delivery", illustrated and lettered by @jnyfmg.bsky.social, is set on a terraforming station above an inhospitable planet. www.kickstarter.com/projects/ben...

A comic page. In the first 2 panels, excavators dig at the surface of an inhospitable badlands. In the final, largest panel, a shuttle approaches a space station and requests permission to dock. A volcano belches smoke on the planet below. The caption identifies this as a terraforming station.

A comic book page. In the first, a woman wearing a VR headset operates machinery remotely as a radio announces mail delivery. In the next four panels, the station's captain greets the delivery man. The two men know each other and embrace.

The cover of the comic book Scattered Futures. Two astronauts float over a glowing planet. Their hands nearly touch.

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Ben Crane @bencranewrites.com · 16/03/2026

Who will be backer #100? Y'all's response to our little book of hope and connection has been truly overwhelming, and we're cooking up some stretch goals to honor that. I'll reveal the first set with our 100th backer. www.kickstarter.com/projects/ben...

A screenshot of a kickstarter page showing 99 backers of Scattered Futures.

The cover of Scattered Futures. The illustration shows two astronauts floating above a vibrant, glowing planet. Their hands are nearly touching.

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Ben Crane @bencranewrites.com · 15/03/2026

"Legitimate Salvage" asks how we find hope when surrounded by destruction and how we value what is truly important in our lives and ourselves. SCATTERED FUTURES is now on Kickstarter and also features stories from @m3rtyn.bsky.social and @jnyfmg.bsky.social www.kickstarter.com/projects/ben...

The SCATTERED FUTURES comic book cover featuring two astronauts floating in space above a planet, their hands nearly touching.

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