Mad Cave Studios Announces Mythic Neo-Western OGN ‘Hotblood! Vol. 1: The Land Of Promise’
by Brendan M. Allen
Mad Cave Studios has announced Hotblood! Vol. 1: The Land Of Promise. The long-awaited print debut of the cult-favorite webcomic by writer and artist Toril Orlesky is set to hit shelves and spinner racks in Fall 2025. This reimagined edition has been fully redrawn, re-scripted, and sharpened into a poetic, brutal, and unflinchingly queer reworking of the Western. The sun sees all, even what we try to bury … Power is currency, love is dangerous, and centaurs walk among men.
In the red days of the West, centaurs and humans coexist. The desolation of the American West, burning bridges, true love, and ancient mythologies.
The year is 1871 and the centaur Evander Rook finds himself at rock bottom, working for would-be robber baron Asa Langley–a human! As the unlikely pair get closer, romance and conspiracy run wild and Rook finds himself caught up in Asa’s ambitions as they are both forced to face the ghosts of their interwoven pasts.
“In 2013, I started posting Hotblood! on Tumblr as a biweekly webcomic,” said Orlesky. “Twelve years and a full rewrite later, we’re back in the saddle again! Thanks to my agent, Maeve MacLysaght, and the team at Mad Cave for their belief in this project. I’m so grateful for another opportunity to share it with you!”
More than a Western, it’s a warpath through grief, lust, betrayal, and ruin. Fans of Beastars, House of Five Leaves, Starfighter, and Brokeback Mountain will want to check out this 240-page OGN.
Hotblood! Vol. 1: The Land of Promise is scheduled for release on September 9, 2025. Preorders are open now.
