Shorts and Losses #1

In the quiet isolation of the International Space Station, the last surviving astronaut watches the world below burn, trapped between the wreckage of humanity and the silent promise of Mars. With the crew unraveling one by one, he makes a desperate choice: to leave the dead Earth behind and steer toward a distant red horizon. Written and drawn by Carlos Gabriel Ruiz, this haunting eight-page story captures the weight of solitude and the fragile hope of a new beginning.

In the year 3030, Robot Bob faces decommissioning—so he volunteers for a dangerous mission to the past, sent back to fix a single flaw in programming that’s kept robots from being truly perfect. As Motherboard in the distant future watches the results unfold, the machine’s interface suddenly shifts, taking on Robot Bob’s familiar face.

In the shadowed aftermath of Mardi Gras in St. Louis, Monty invites his long-ignored acquaintance Frank to share a rare sip of Blue Label whiskey—only to trap him in a basement beneath a house built on secrets. As the concrete begins to pour, Frank’s realization dawns too late: the foundation wasn’t just repaired, it was waiting. Written and illustrated by Carlos Gabriel Ruiz, "Blue Label" is a tight, chilling descent into a quiet horror where hospitality turns to entombment.