Coming March 18, 2026, the Graphic One-Shot from Writer Michael Coast Explores the Dark Intersection of Fame, Modern Dating, and the Cost of Going Viral
In a world where followers equal influence and every moment is content, the truth is often hiding in plain sight. Today, Artists Writers & Artisans (AWA) announced PICK-UP, an all-new modern crime thriller rooted in the collision of social media, modern dating, and violent crime. When background footage captures more than an influencer intends, a rising online star finds his carefully curated life unraveling as he is forced to confront the dangerous reality of what cameras can expose.
Marking a notable creative evolution, PICK-UP is Michael Coast’s first solo one-shot with AWA, building on his earlier contributions to the publisher through stories including ET-ER and GAYA (with Kathryn Murdoch). While he is widely known for his work as a Senior Editor shaping and championing projects from other AWA creators, Coast steps beyond the editorial desk and into the creator role with PICK-UP. The suspense-driven title pairs him with artist Felipe Cunha (GATSBY, THE PURPOSE PROJECT) and launches Wednesday, March 18, 2026.
“PICK-UP combines my love for noir and neo-noir with modern influencer culture. I set out to reexamine the classic tropes of that genre in light of today’s ubiquitous cameras and curated online personas,” said Coast. “It means the world to me that Axel Alonso and everyone at AWA embraced the project. I consider myself incredibly lucky to be working with an art team whose vision, vibrancy, and attention to detail resulted in a comic book that feels urgent and alive.”
PICK-UP follows Nick Nolan, a rising star in the influencer world whose audience consists of men desperately seeking advice on how to get a date. But when Nick inadvertently records evidence of a murder in the background of one of his videos, he gets in over his head trying to untangle what really happened. PICK-UP is a sexy, Hitchcockian tale of obsession that updates Rear Window for the Influencer Age.
AWA’s PICK-UP is written and created by Michael Coast with artwork by Felipe Cunha; covers by ACO (THE MADNESS) and Alison Sampson (CAMGIRL, THE DEPARTMENT OF TRUTH, RED LIGHT); colors by Sabine Rich (FIGHT GIRLS); and letters by Sal Cipriano (EXPECTING THE UNEXPECTED, DEVIL’S HIGHWAY). The one-shot will be available on Wednesday, March 18, 2026, both digitally and in stores wherever comic books are sold. For more information on PICK-UP and other projects, visit AWA Studios on Facebook, X, Instagram, YouTube, and AWAStudios.com.