Jacob Chabot leads a double life. During the day he works for Marvel Comics, toiling away in obscurity as a layout production artist. But after hours, the mild-mannered Chabot transforms into one of the hottest artists in the universe of underground comics.

As the creator of the “The Mighty Skullboy Army”—the surreal story of a “skull boy,” his robot and their pet monkey, Chabot has earned himself die-hard fans, critical acclaim and an up-coming deal with respected indie publisher Dark Horse Comics for his hand-stapled creations.

Chabot, 27, is one of a new generation of artists, visionaries and freaks that have taken the place of the old underground “comix” movement with a new comic genre—the mini. A self-publishing novice, Chabot turned to producing minicomics as a way to break into the industry.

Minicomics are touted as the comic world’s new underground movement, yet many young artists use this independent vehicle to break into a more commerical world.  There is a very thin line between the mainstream and the underground in the comic book industry. Never was it more evident than at the recent New York Comic Con—the largest comic book expo New York has seen in twenty years, drawing an estimated 35,000 fans.

“Minicomics are definitely the first step,” said Chabot. “It’s not as much about making a profit, it’s more about promotion.”

While old underground artists like R. Crumb and Harvey Pekar enjoy some long overdue accolades—with exhibits at the Pratt Institute and Oscar-nominated biopics—the 245 million dollar a year mainstream comic industry has turned to the next generation of self-published comic artists for hot new talent and inspiration. Minicomic artists are taking advantage of all the attention to get noticed by established comic publishers.

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