John Cusack is stepping into comics with MOMO, his first graphic novel from Mad Cave Studios—a leap as audacious as the roles that made him a cultural icon, with the acclaimed actor and writer once again carving his own path as that restless creative streak spills onto the comics page.
At his side is Argentine master illustrator Ignacio Noé (Jeanne D’Arc, Helldorado), whose lush, hyper-detailed art fuses painterly richness with cinematic scope. Noé’s pages hum with raw energy, each panel alive with shadow, light, and a hint of menace. Together they conjure a road-trip epic of cosmic stakes. Momo blends satire, political edge, and human vulnerability, dragging readers through a fractured America where media, technology, and power collide. It’s a journey of betrayal and confession, of dark humor and otherworldly danger, one where the final punchline might just crack the world wide open!
Synopsis: Two criminals are thrown together by fate—both running from their pasts—a weathered man and a mysterious young woman who refuses to give her name form an unlikely partnership and take on a mission that could tear reality apart as they make their way through the already decaying, barren wasteland of the American Dream and everything it stands for. Their goal? Recover an ancient artifact for Jackie Gleason—yes, that Jackie Gleason, TV legend and rumored connoisseur of all things extraterrestrial. But this isn’t just a strange road trip. There are cosmic forces beyond imagination with a taste for chaos and vengeance, and so much more along their route.
As their uneasy alliance unravels mile by mile in a world littered with nuclear secrets and Howard Johnson’s, buried secrets claw to the surface and betrayals bloom like roadside flowers. And the closer they get to Gleason’s hideaway, the more the lines blur between divine comedy and cosmic horror. The team might manage to reach Jackie, but doing so could cost them their very lives. Still, the mission cannot be put to a halt, and our wayward strangers, with the help of the most eclectic cast of characters you’ve ever seen—including occult actors and endlessly powerful mystical beings—must retrieve the artifact at all costs.
John Cusack spoke of the project: “The origin story I will leave for another time—suffice to say the singular artist Ignacio Noé worked tirelessly through many days and nights and “decoded” the original classified documents that came to my attention accidentally many years ago when Damien Hirst and I were researching the Chinese/North American narcotic drug routes of the early 1970’s for a well known restauranteur and art collector—I’m more than delighted to be working with the most true and excellent people at Mad Cave—and have zero doubt this is the first of many creations to come.”
Noé added, “Working on this project with John has been a rare kind (and good kind) of challenge. His script doesn’t just tell a story; it provokes thought. It’s layered, tense, and deeply human. As an artist, that kind of material pushes you to dig deeper and match the intensity on the page. Our creative partnership has been built on trust and curiosity, and we are excited that it’s found a home at Mad Cave.”
“When John first approached Mad Cave’s Editor-in-Chief, Mike Marts, about debuting his first project in the medium with Mad Cave, needless to say, we were more than intrigued,” said Chris Fernandez, Publisher, Mad Cave. “When the project’s scope was first revealed to us, we knew it was unlike anything anyone was expecting. And when we learned that none other than Ignacio Noé was attached to illustrate, we were over the moon. I think I can speak for the whole team when I say that we are honored to have these two legends in their respective fields trust us with this unrelenting work. It’s an honest vision John has for this project, and there is no medium more honest than comics. In that sense, this is the perfect fit.”
Cusack’s debut graphic novel, Momo is slated for release in Fall 2026
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