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The Return Of Steve Bissette's Tyrant For 2026

The Return of Steve Bissette's Tyrant for 2026 from Lighthouse Press

In the self-publishing boom of the early nineties championed by Dave Sim, and funded by the proceeds of the comic book 1963, Steve Bissette self-published a comic book about a baby dinosaur called Tyrant, planning to tell the dinosaur's life story without anthropomorphising. Published from Bissette's own Spiderbaby Graphix publisher in 1994, it only ran for four issues. Now, after over thirty years, it is being collected by a new publisher, Lighthouse, and will launch on Kickstarter in early 2026 with multiple deluxe editions, including an oversized "original art edition" created from Bissette's hand-drawn pages, designed by Jim Rugg, as well as a 7,000-word essay. Sean Michael Robinson, who produced Dave Sim's The Strange Death of Alex Raymond for his own Living the Line imprint, is overseeing the art reproduction.

Steve Bissette says that it has "been a terribly long time adrift in an ocean of tears, but Lighthouse shines the light! Yes, it's for real, Lighthouse is bringing my personal primordial 'lost Odysseus' back into harbor—meaning my orphaned 'S.R. Bissette's Tyrant,' is at long last out of the egg he's been stuck half-way-in-&-out-of for decades now. What I've seen thus far is absolutely beautiful, thanks to Lighthouse, Chris Stevens, and Jim Rugg—it never would have hatched out of the nest without them."

Lighthouse founder and publisher Chris Stevens previously published the Eisner and Harvey Award-winning Little Nemo: Dream Another Dream (also designed by Rugg) and says that he has savoured the relationship with Bissette, which has developed since the legendary Swamp Thing artist's participation in that project. "Steve is one of the greatest comic book creators of all time, and Tyrant is his most personal work, one he put all his blood, sweat, and tears into, not to mention staking his entire livelihood on it," said Stevens. "It is an honour and a thrill to see the work finally brought to market for new generations and for its avid original readers, in multiple editions that will allow you to experience this unbridled cartooning genius in its most primal and comprehensively exhaustive forms, lovingly designed by one of comics' greatest craftsmen, Jim Rugg. Working with Jim on this was the only option to me once I knew these books could happen."

"Tyrant is one of the most beautiful comic books I've ever seen," said Rugg. "Dinosaurs never looked better! I fell in love with this book when it first appeared in the 90s, and I am thrilled to help share this monumental masterpiece with a new generation of comics fans today. There is no other comic book like it. It is truly a book for everyone from age 3 to 103."

Stevens says it took some time to convince Bissette that it was worth bringing out a new edition, and Bissette only realised that fans were still interested after seeing an episode of the YouTube series Comic Book Kayfabe in which cohosts Jim Rugg and the late Ed Piskor praised on the book.

. Stevens says Tyrant is the first of several titles that Lighthouse plans for the next several years, showcasing work from the 1990s and early 2000s with deluxe artist editions for titles with cult followings or lesser-known works. If the crowdfunding campaign is successful, Stevens says he will look for a partner to bring out a colour edition adapted for younger readers.

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