On the topic of his first book, he said readers can expect a large and comprehensive collection rather than a small selection of highlights: “I’ve put a lot of time and effort into packing as much content as possible into the book. It’s huge and features pretty much everything I’ve ever done.”
“It includes all the comics you’ve seen on Instagram, Reddit, or other platforms, along with long-form multi-page comics, single panels, random doodles, and even some material that hasn’t been seen before. There was even discussion about splitting it into multiple volumes, but we decided to go all in and release one big ‘everything but the kitchen sink’ collection.”
Looking back at the growth of “My Gums Are Bleeding,” Miles said the scale of his audience can still feel surreal, especially because his face is not closely associated with the work: “It’s been a wild ride. Before I started making these comics, I had a very limited social media presence. Then, a couple of months ago, my mom called me while she was in Taipei, looking at my comics on her phone, and someone stopped her because they recognized my characters. That was surreal.”
“There’s also a strange disconnect for me because my face isn’t really associated with my work. People don’t recognize me, but the moment I show one of my comics, they go, ‘Oh, you’re this guy.’ Because of that, it’s sometimes hard to fully grasp the scope of my audience. For many people, my work is just something they’ve seen in passing.”
“My connection with fans, since it happens mostly through the internet, has felt a bit abstract at times. Being able to publish a collection is a huge validation that people truly connect with what I create. I’m incredibly grateful and appreciative of everyone who made this possible just by laughing along with me. It feels like a physical manifestation of my success in this field, something that at times has felt elusive.”
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