This Comic Kills Technofascists
'Exploit' is an action thriller inspired by the battle raging right now between the tech oligarchy and the independent press.
Dave Maass, a veteran comics writer with over two decades of experience, now writes both comics and investigative journalism. While working as a tech investigative instructor at the University of Nevada, Reno Reynolds School of Journalism and researching surveillance at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, Maass developed a passion for creating comics that blend journalism and genre stories.
In the new comic series "Exploit" by Laura Hudson and Tim Leong, published last month by Mad Cave Studios, the creators draw inspiration from the ongoing struggle between the tech oligarchy and the independent press. The series follows an intern at a print magazine specializing in tech investigations, who finds herself on the run after her reporting leads to an assassination.
The inspiration for "Exploit" came from their shared background in both comics and journalism, with Hudson having worked for The Verge, ComicsAlliance, The Guardian, The New York Times, and Slate, while Leong held creative roles at Fortune and Entertainment Weekly.
The comic series explores the challenges faced by journalists when handling leaked data, with plot points based on real events uncovered in publications like 404 Media, WIRED, and The Markup. Hudson and Leong's extensive experience in both fields shines through in their work, with plot points and heist-planning grounded in real-life tech and cybersecurity incidents.
Written by urgent.news from 404 Media's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
