MIND MGMT: NEW & IMPROVED #1 — Oni Press / Flux House
Some comics entertain, others challenge, and then some completely rewire your brain as you read them. For more than a decade, Matt Kindt’s MIND MGMT has lived in that last category—a genre‑bending, reality‑distorting espionage saga that turned the medium itself into a weapon. Now, Kindt is returning to the world that made readers question every panel, every clue, and sometimes their own sanity with MIND MGMT: NEW & IMPROVED #1, the latest evolution of his iconic series from Oni Press and Flux House.
This new chapter isn’t just a continuation—it’s a reinvention. Kindt once again pushes the boundaries of what a comic can be, blending psychological intrigue, experimental storytelling, and the unmistakable handmade aesthetic that has defined MIND MGMT from the beginning. It’s bold, it’s strange, and it’s exactly the kind of project that reminds you why Kindt remains one of the most innovative voices in the medium.
We sat down with Matt to talk about returning to the MIND MGMT universe, the creative risks fueling this new series, and why “improvement” in this world is never as simple—or as safe—as it sounds.
Revisiting the World On Mind MGMT
GVN: Thanks for joining us again, Matt. Hard to believe it’s been since April 2023 that we last talked, back when you were rolling out your “inFLUX” of new titles for Dark Horse Flux House—Hairball, Mister Mammoth, Spy Superb, and Mind MGMT: Bootleg. That brings us perfectly to your latest project, MIND MGMT: NEW & IMPROVED #1. So, what inspired you to revisit the world of MIND MGMT after all these years, and why does now feel like the right time?
MATT: I’ve spent the biggest chunk of my career at Dark Horse, so making that move was no small thing. And introducing my Flux House imprint at Oni is a great opportunity – I couldn’t ask for a better partner – and it seemed like a natural fit to start this new era with a re-launch of the book that really made my career. I also really never stopped working on MIND MGMT. Those ideas just ended up being in different books with different titles. MIND MGMT is really who I am at the end of the day. It’s how I think and it’s my favorite kind of comics. And when I initially pitched the series at Dark Horse I pitched it as a 56 issue series but halfway through I realized I didn’t have the stamina to keep up a monthly book where I literally do everything on it for the five years it would take to do it. So I wrapped it up in 3 years and 36 issues. But that left a couple years left…it took me this long to both recover from (and forget) how much work it takes to do a monthly book all on my own. So here we go again…
“Medicine for the Mind and Soul…”
GVN: As you planned this new series, how does NEW & IMPROVED expand or reframe the mythology of the original series?
MATT: I realized that the original series was just a really long fat pack of lies. Nothing in it was true. It’s all propaganda, half-truths, and outright lies. So I’m simply deciding to ignore it. None of those characters are in this one. None of those plot lines continue. It’s all new. And it’s so much better. It’s super easy to understand this time around. I promise you’ll get it at the end. There’s 90% less subliminal message and a character called “The Eraser” that will help you forget anything you’ve ever heard about the original series and make you feel good about forgetting it. You can’t spell “content” without “content” and that’s exactly what this is. It’s gonna make you feel better about everything. Whatever that nagging dread is in the back of your mind…just forget it. MIND MGMT: New & Improved is gonna be the panacea that fixes everything. It’s more than a comic…it’s medicine for the mind and soul. At least that’s what they’ve told me to say about it.
“Pay No Attention to that Man Behind the Curtain”
GVN: As anyone who is a fan knows, the original MIND MGMT was famous for its hidden messages, marginalia, and meta‑storytelling. How are you evolving or reinventing those techniques in this new volume?
MATT: I’m stripping all of that out. I hate repeating myself, and the thought of doing that again just started to feel like a schtick. A gimmick. So if you see something that’s off. Some weird words out of place or word balloons where they shouldn’t be or a page out of order or some pages that when you scan them in to share for free on-line start to disappear…that’s got to be some kind of printing error. I’d just ignore it. I’d especially ignore the lengthy prose story on the back inside cover of each issue. And any kind of cutting up and re-arranging of pages and panels – no matter what the directions say – can, and should, be ignored.
“…taking the “theory” out of “conspiracy theory…”
GVN: Going in, were there any themes you felt compelled to revisit because they resonate differently in 2026 than they did during the original run?
MATT: Well. Let’s just say I’m taking the “theory” out of “conspiracy theory” this time ‘round.
GVN: I would assume that you are hoping to draw in new fans to the Mind MGMT saga as well as long-time readers with this exciting new addition. How do you balance accessibility for new readers with rewarding long‑time fans who’ve lived with this world for a decade?
“…a bright water-colored romp.”
MATT: In true MIND MGMT fashion, I am hoping that original series readers will simply just forget all of the pack of lies we call the original series. This new one is where it’s at. New readers should absolutely not go back and revisit any of those old stories. They’re fun but non-essential. All of those characters were just fictional constructs that I used as puppets to espouse some pithy thoughts about treating others well and how large organizations inevitably become corrupt. This new series is more optimistic. It’s all new characters and a fun romance/murder mystery that will read like a familiar and comfortable pair of sweatpants on a rainy day when you don’t feel like going outside. It’s all about fun smells and vibes and maybe a Swedish death cult that lives to die, but even that’s kind of fun in its own way. It’s a bright water-colored romp.
Just Having Fun
GVN: MIND MGMT has always played with the idea of information as power. How does NEW & IMPROVED reflect the current landscape of misinformation, surveillance, and cognitive overload?
MATT: I’m just here to have some fun. Let’s do a murder mystery. Let’s have a little romance sub-plot. Maybe there’s a Swedish death cult that lives to die. Okay, well. That’s just a little bit of weird fun. Can’t we just follow a couple of agents who want to follow orders and do what they’re told and don’t ask questions. Ignorance is truth. Bliss is power. Let’s just turn the temperature down a little bit. Is there a library of truth that contains all of world history? Maybe. It’s gone missing. But who wants to think about that or why someone might have stolen it. Let’s focus on the romance and murder mystery.
New Experiments
GVN: You’ve always pushed the boundaries of what a comic page can do. What new formal experiments are you trying in NEW & IMPROVED?
MATT: Mind Management has made huge strides in subliminal story-telling techniques. Ideally you won’t even notice the upgrades. Special inks. Unique fonts. Foil bags with ulterior motive—I mean alternate uses. Inks that can’t be seen by the human eye. It’s new and improved. I’d say maybe don’t taste the book but deeply inhaling it’s aroma is highly encouraged.
Trust Me
GVN: Do you approach returning to a world you created differently as an artist than as a writer?
MATT: Absolutely. With the art, I’m adding many more lines and I’m using special watercolors that use honey as a base. Now, that part seems like a joke but it’s absolutely not. 90% of this information is potential hyperbole, but not that. I have grown as a writer and artist over the years so I think because some of the process has become easier because of experience and reps, it allows me to try some more complex techniques out…things that I wasn’t able to juggle the first time around. This is for sure the sneakiest series I’ve ever written. It’s starting as one thing…setting up some expectations and then it’s eventually going to subvert all of that. Hopefully you’ll trust me on the journey so I can betray that trust in a super fun way. I hate to say more without spoiling it…please give it a try!
Future Projects
GVN: Thank you again for your kind attention, Matt. Before I let you get on with your day, are there other Flux House projects in development that you’re excited to tease?
MATT: One month after MIND MGMT returns, we’re launching “Fort Psycho” – a series I’m writing and Brian Hurtt is drawing. This is a collaboration that’s been years in the making and a project we’ve been secretly working on for quite a while. It’s a fun kind of action book that feels to me a little like G.I. Joe but on a steady diet of Monster energy drinks.
As MIND MGMT: NEW & IMPROVED #1 prepares to step back into the world, it’s clear that Matt Kindt isn’t simply revisiting a beloved universe—he’s reengineering it. From our conversation, it’s clear this creator remains captivated by the flexibility of the comic platform, eager to nudge readers into uncharted territory, and unafraid to let the story itself become part of the experiment. If the original series rewired how we think about comics, this new chapter feels like an invitation to let the circuitry spark again. And knowing Kindt, the surprises waiting in these pages won’t just challenge expectations—they’ll make you question how many layers of the story you’ve truly seen. I’m sure Matt wouldn’t want it any other way!
Senior Writer at GeekVibesNation – I am a 60 something child of the 70’s who admits to being a Star Trek/Star Wars/Comic Book junkie who once dove headfirst over a cliff (Ok, it was a small hill) to try to rescue his Fantastic Four comic from a watery grave. I am married to a lovely woman who is as crazy as I am and the proud parent of a 21-year-old young man with autism. My wife and son are my real heroes.
