🌎 Welcome to the World of “Relapse”

Welcome to Relapse: The Ghosts We Can't Leave Behind

A semi-autobiographical graphic novel tracing Drew's rise as an aspiring musician and the cost of chasing it.

Told through friendship, ambition, and the slow work of growing up, Relapse is about finding your voice while dealing with the realities of the music industry. It started with the album covers. The Vault records were building a world before there was a story attached to one, and somewhere around the fourth volume it became clear the covers were pages.

Art by Bryson Boutte.

How it works

Every chapter has music scored to it, and every place in the world has a record. That isn't a marketing line — the albums are embedded in the locations themselves. Read Steadfast City and you're hearing what plays there.

The story runs in order. Volumes I through III cover the years before the casino and live in the music rather than in panels. The published run picks up inside Heaven's Gate and has reached Porto Tranquilo.

Where to start

New chapters land on Substack first. The full reading order is on the Chapters page. If you'd rather wander than read straight through, the Almanac is the way in — places, guardians, and relics, each with its own soundtrack..

See also: Steadfast City · West Rose · Chapters · Genesis