A word of caution before proceeding: The following images and interview are definitely NSFW!
Iron Circus Comics has published a bevy of compelling comic books in the past few years, and the company is starting out 2025 with a bang—figuratively and literally.
Earlier this month, Iron Circus launched a Kickstarter for the infinitely innovative storyteller Jonas Goonface’s new book The Unsinkable Ship of Fools. In Ship, Goonface, co-creator and artist of the acclaimed Godshaper, weaves a tale following a crew of misfits who can’t seem to exit a mysterious train—leading to a whole host of hilarity, hijinks, and shenanigans—often too hot to handle. If the supernatural, the gritty, and the erotic got together for a fun ride, the result couldn’t be any more engaging or more fantastical than The Unsinkable Ship of Fools.
I spoke with Jonas Goonface recently about the conceit of The Unsinkable Ship of Fools, the many different ingredients that went into cooking the book, the process of creating the story, and how he hopes the comic will act as inspiration for readers.
FreakSugar: Before we get into the Kickstarter itself, what is the genesis of The Unsinkable Ship of Fools?
Jonas Goonface: I wanted some kind of pickle that felt like both freedom and prison, to try and make sense of my own real-life situation. Being on a train really embodies the confusion of place/time/agency/confinement in a way that I thought would be fun to crack open.
FS: I have read nothing like the book before—it’s a ride! What can you tell us about it?
JG: It’s a tough one to articulate! It’s like a road trip story about a merry crew of sexy fuckups that are bound to service on an ensorceled circus train. Everyone’s finding their freedom in different directions and stepping on toes and screwing, but none of them can leave the train. There’s hobo-magic, circus shows, cryptids, action, mystery, and tons of sloppy makeouts.
FS: The press release describes Ship was a mixture of so many different genres and that’s very accurate. What went into crafting the book and playing in those different sandboxes?
JG: My writing is kind of a marathon of niche-interest-rabbit-holes, compositional puzzle solving, and emotional processing. Then, when I write outside my experience, I seek out guidance from homies with relevant backgrounds. For this book that included friends familiar with ASL, street-medic experience, and wheelchairs among others.
FS: When creating Ship, did the images generally come to you first or the story? Or a mix of the two?
JG: The comic’s narrative was a clamor of different driving forces. The Unsinkable Ship of Fools was like an ouija board — both Story and Images had their hands on the planchette, but so did Anarchy and Horniness. I’m surprised it turned out as coherent as it did.
FS: The Kickstarter has already nearly quadrupled its initial goal with 21 days left. Congratulations! How gratifying is that to you on a personal level?
JG: It’s neat! I can’t count very high so all big numbers look the same to me. I’m stoked people like it so much ^_^
FS: On to the Kickstarter itself, what can you tell us about the campaign?
JG: We’re gonna be adding patches as a stretch goal. I’m most stoked about that, being woven (literally) into the same punk bridge-troll culture that was so instrumental in producing it. I’m also fixing to do some commissions for a reward tier. It’s been ages since I had time for commissions so I’m excited to stretch those muscles. Beyond the bells and whistles, the Iron Circus crew has been doing a lovely job of making everything run smooth which rocks cause I hella don’t know how to run a campaign.
FS: Iron Circus Comics has had one heck of a track record with crowdfunding in recent years. What made a partnership with the company attractive to you?
JG: The consistent legislative persecution of sex work and sex content makes comics like mine way less of a reliable investment than normie comics. Iron Circus isn’t a stranger to unconventional comics, and the crew has done a lot to support my book in spite of those real risks.
FS: What are you reading right now?
JG: Abolish Rent by Tracy Rosenthal and Leonardo Vilchis. (There’s no pictures)
I Roved Out in Search of Truth and Love by Alexis Flower (adult comic)
…and I just finished Neuromancer by William Gibson (on audiobook)
FS: Besides being entertained, what do you hope readers take away from the book?
JG: The world is shit, there’s no future — we either fight and fuck and care in the here-and-now, or we don’t do it at all.
FS: If you had one final pitch for The Unsinkable Ship of Fools, what would it be?
JG: A were-pire, an oogle, a changeling, a cook, a sword-swallower, a goatman, a fuckup, a Frankenstein, a cyclops, an Eeyore, a mystic, a stuntman, a giant, a four-armed gymnast, and two medics walk into a bar.
As of press time, the Kickstarter for The Unsinkable Ship of Fools has nearly quadrupled its initial goal, with 21 days left to go in the campaign! Make sure to give this unique, one-of-its-kind book a look and have your mind blown and your ideas challenged!