A Southern Gothic Noir With a Supernatural Pulse

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 

JULY 10, 2025 (PORTLAND, OR) — Coming this winter from Mad Cave Studios, one of the most prolific colorists in comics, Lee Loughridge (Flash Gordon, Deadly Class), makes his long-awaited writing debut with MIDSTATE—a slow-burn supernatural noir that blurs the line between intuition and madness. Illustrated by Mack Chater (Sword Daughter, Briggs Land) and lettered by Rob Tweedy, this 144-page original graphic novel invites readers into the haunted edges of Ft. Arlington, Virginia—where visions strike like lightning, but the truth cuts deeper.

Paul Rinaldi used to be the town’s psychic. That was before the fraud accusations, before the bar tabs, before he started keeping his visions to himself. But when people start vanishing—and the things in Paul’s dreams begin to feel real—he’s forced back into relevance. Reluctantly teaming up with Abigail Dahlin, a sharp but underestimated new cop, Rinaldi might just have one more shot at being useful…if the truth doesn’t kill him first.

“This project started as a nightmare—literally. It hit so hard I recorded a half-asleep ramble into my voice notes the moment I woke up,” said Lee Loughridge. “By the next day, I was writing with one goal in mind: to convince Mack Chater to draw it. Thankfully, he was in. I’ve been working with Mad Cave for years as a colorist, so they already knew the level of passion and support they bring to every project. I’m beyond excited that Midstate is part of their 2025 lineup.”

Mack Chater added, “When Lee first reached out to pitch me the outline for the book, I was hooked before he’d finished. Immediately said yes to it and loved working on it. So glad it’s found a great home at Mad Cave. Couldn’t be happier!”