Mad Cave Studios Presents
JUNK PUNCH
Eisner Award-Winner Paul Tobin Teams with Carlos Javier Olivares for a Wild New Series Featuring Backup Stories by Colleen Coover
It’s one woman’s quest to solve a bizarre series of thefts, such as kisses stolen from willing and waiting lips!
Mad Cave Studios proudly announces JUNK PUNCH, an all-new series that explores a world where sudden compulsions begin affecting people in bizarre and uncontrollable ways.
This offbeat new series reunites the creative duo behind the Mad Cave hit String—Eisner Award-winning writer Paul Tobin (Plants vs. Zombies) features a main story and backup story, with main story art by Carlos Javier Olivares (Boum!), colors by Francesca Vivaldi (Ripperland), and lettering by Taylor Esposito (Red Hood), bringing the strange world of Junk Punch to life with playful humor and dynamic visual storytelling.
Each issue also includes a fun, standalone backup story with art, colors, and letters by Colleen Coover (Small Favors, Bandette), kicking off a rotating lineup of guest artists including Lin Visel (Island), Christine Larsen (ORCS! The Comic Series), and Dani Strips (Catwoman). These additional stories expand the strange world of Junk Punch, introducing new characters and misadventures across its growing gallery of oddballs.
Junk Punch #1 features a variant cover by Marguerite Sauvage and retailer incentive by Mirka Andolfo.
In a near-future world, peculiar new compulsions have arisen to afflict individuals in bizarre ways, such as a need to paint all pigeons pink or the unfortunate craving to tell the truth on dating apps. One such individual is Clara Castanelle, aka Junk Punch, who “suffers” an addiction to punching people square in their junk!
Reflecting on the creative spark behind the series, writer Paul Tobin shared:
“I suppose Junk Punch is a chaotic mix of editorial cartoons, English comics, Italian ero-fumetti, the things that got whispered to me by whatever it was in that old well, and my own brand of brain-sauce. What I hope readers get out of it is the same thing I got out of writing it: an opportunity to stumble off the well-tread path of sanity and begin forging new paths.”
Artist Colleen Coover added, “I was there when Paul came up with the title Junk Punch as a joke at a social gathering. Moments later, I saw ‘the look of inspiration’ cross over his face, and I knew the title would grow into a story. When Carlos’ art started to come in, I knew the story had become a masterpiece.”
“Junk Punch is a real opportunity to experience something that will touch your heart,” said Javier Olivares. “It’s a beautiful madness, full of small details and, as Paul says, a collision of genres and eras. With wild twists and constant surprises, the story centers on Clara, a protagonist whose strange brilliance pulls an equally strange cast of characters into her orbit. For me, working on this series with Paul feels like a true before and after.”
With its wildly inventive premise and unpredictable sense of humor, Junk Punch will appeal to readers who enjoy comics where absurdity, mystery, and heart collide.
Junk Punch #1 drops in shops June 3, 2026 (FOC May 11). Preorder today from your local comic shop or from Mad Cave directly.