Mad Cave Studios is bringing the fan-favorite webcomic Hotblood! by Toril Orlesky to physical print and offering an all-new version of the classic story.
Beginning in 2013, Hotblood! was launched as a webcomic on Tumblr, following James Rook and his employer, Asa Langley, in the Wild West of 1871—in a world where centaurs and humans coexist. Rook, a centaur, in a bind, agrees to work with Langley, a human bank robber, and chaos ensues.
The reimagined edition is being fully redrawn and re-scripted, and “sharpened into a poetic, brutal, and unflinchingly queer reworking of the Western.” The Beat has an exclusive look at Hotblood!, Vol. 1: The Land of Promise.
In the red days of the West, centaurs and humans coexist. The desolation of the American West, burning bridges, true love, and ancient mythologies–find all of this and more in the pages of Hotblood!, Vol.1: The Land of Promise, a re-imagining of the popular webcomic!
The year is 1871, and the centaur Evander Rook finds himself at rock bottom, working for would-be robber baron Asa Langley—a human! As the unlikely pair get closer, romance and
conspiracy run wild, and Rook finds himself caught up in Asa’s ambitions as they are both forced to face the ghosts of their interwoven pasts.
“In 2013, I started posting Hotblood! on Tumblr as a biweekly webcomic,” said Toril Orlesky. “Twelve years and a full rewrite later, we’re back in the saddle again! Thanks to my agent, Maeve MacLysaght, and the team at Mad Cave for their belief in this project. I’m so grateful for another opportunity to share it with you!”
Hotblood!: Vol. 1: The Land of Promise from Mad Cave Studios, a 240-page OGN, arrives in comic book stores on September 9th, 2025, and is available for pre-order now.
