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Comics are a medium, not a genre. It’s a fact that is often lost in translation, especially when the superhero genre is as dominant as it is in the industry, leading to superheroes in other media being described as broadly “comic book-y,” as opposed to… well, superhero-y. Despite this, the comic book medium is filled with stories in all sorts of spaces from all kinds of voices, and publishers with reaches and ambitions beyond those of Marvel or DC. One such publisher is Iron Circus Comics, which has been breaking ground with comics aimed at readers looking for something different for more than a decade. In 2025, they’re planning to expand their reach again — and Popverse has the latest on their publishing slate for the year.

With a tagline that promises “strange and amazing” comics, Iron Circus has been rightly celebrated for its output since its 2007 foundation. Created by cartoonist C. Spike Trotman initially as a home for print editions of their webcomic Templar, Arizona, Iron Circus has become home to a new generation of comic creators through anthologies including Smut Peddler, Sleep of Reason, New World and more, as well as creator-owned individual works including Emperor of the Food Chain by David Malki, The Less Than Epic Adventures of TJ and Amal by EK Weaver, and As the Crow Flies by Melanie Gillman.

Beyond that, Iron Circus has pioneered crowdfunding models for comic book projects; Trotman started using Kickstarter in 2009, and has since raised more than $2.5 million on the platform, including a move into animation, adapting the webcomic Lackadaisy into an acclaimed short pilot for a full series, now in production.

All of which is pretty impressive — but according to Trotman, the publisher isn’t going to rest on its laurels in the new year. “Oops, guess we’re traliblazin’ again!” Trotman said in a statement about Iron Circus’ 2025 plans. “But yeah, why not? Let’s try something new.”

What that new looks like is five new projects across the year — including two secrets! — that are already available as pre-launch pages on Kickstarter, showcasing the breadth of what the company (and comics!) is capable of. Iron Circus temporarily stepped away from Kickstarter when the latter announced the adoption of blockchain technology; when it stepped back from ultimately doing so, Iron Circus returned to the platform, and in a big way.

“Our buddies at Kickstarter have decided to let us weird out a little, and we’re taking full advantage,” Trotman continued. “Our primary focus has always been doing right by our creators, and maybe a longer runway will help!”

So, what does 2025 look like for Iron Circus? Something like this:

• The Unsinkable Ship of Fools by Jonas Goonface: 250 pages of full-color supernatural erotica, with explicit sex scenes, feral fantasies, and truly unique characters featuring a plethora of body types, genders, orientations and ethnicities rarely featured in erotic works. As the official listing puts it, “An erotic train ride full of magical misfits and vagabonds of all shapes & sizes. No bosses! No brakes! Only thrills, & carnal bliss.”
• An as-yet-unannounced mystery project to launch April.
• Rigsby WI Vol. 2: Burn It Down by SE Case: The second volume of S.E. Case’s acclaimed webcomic Rigsby WI about the lives of a group of average teenagers in a small city in Northern Wisconsin. For those wondering where the next Heartstopper is coming from, this is a good place to start looking.
• Real Hero Shit Book 2: Harder than it Looks by Kendra Wells: Following up on the wildly successful first collection, this is the second volume of KWells’ uproarious, queer fantasy adventure about a mismatched group of adventurers: a demonic playboy prince, a stoic elf, a short-fused mage, and a compassionate cleric who are sworn to protect the innocent, fight injustice, and show off how cool they look. According to Iron Circus, the plan is for this campaign to launch in June, during Pride Month.
• Another as-yet-unannounced mystery project to launch in August.

Kel McDonald, an editor for the publisher, added, “Now that we’ve had a successful return to Kickstarter, Iron Circus can kick things into high gear. The 2025 line-up really highlights Iron Circus’ dedication to showing off the strange and amazing.” It also highlights that this year — as it has all along — the publisher is also dedicated to showing just what comics can do outside of the superhero norm when given the chance.

More information on Iron Circus Comics can be found right here.

Get ready for what's next with our guide to upcoming comics, how to buy comics at a comic shop, and our guide to Free Comic Book Day 2025.