#Story
Welcome to the Riptide Sanitarium, where every cell tells a tale! The brainchild of Ghostbusters co-writers Keith Dallas and Jim Beard, Riptide Sanitarium is a multi-genre anthology of self-contained stories: horror, science fiction, historical drama, fantasy, crime. In short, any and every kind of story imaginable, and all of them standalone so you won’t have to worry about keeping tabs on some indecipherably convoluted continuity. 20 pages of thrills and creativity. That’s what awaits you inside the RIPTIDE SANITARIUM!
This second issue (or second “cell,” if you like) offers a tale about an elderly Korean War veteran who gets re-enlisted into the Army for one final mission… IN SPACE! It’s a human-interest story with an action packed ending!
This is the most personal story that Keith Dallas has written to date. In fact, the issue is a tribute to Keith’s late father, Charles Dallas, who passed away in 2022 at the age of 95. Charles served in the U.S. Navy for nearly 20 years, participating in the Korean War and retiring in the late 1960s with the rank of Lieutenant Commander. Even though he worked in the private sector for decades afterwards, Charles identified himself foremost as a Naval officer. Keith wants readers to appreciate that the lead character of Riptide Sanitarium #2 is essentially a stand-in for his late father (even if the character served in the Army rather than the Navy), and Keith’s intention in writing this story was to honor his father’s military service.
Just so everyone understands, Riptide Sanitarium will NOT be available in stores or via Amazon. It can only be purchased here, through Zoop! So your attention and support will be appreciated until the end of our days! In fact, EVERYONE who pledges to this campaign will have their name enshrined on a “Campaign Contributor” page within Riptide Sanitarium #2!
#Preview




#Testimonials
“A super-fun time-and-space- and, most importantly, age-bending SF adventure. Check it out!”—Fred Van Lente
“Keith Dallas and Juan Romero have created a tale worthy of a classic Twilight Zone episode, but not simply because the story ventured into unexpected sci-fi territory. There’s also a keen, sympathetic understanding of the human condition that gives the whole thing a depth of emotion you rarely see. I was delighted by Riptide Sanitarium #2 and I think you will be too”—Ron Marz
#Bios

Keith Dallas (writer) has written and edited numerous comic book history books for TwoMorrows Publishing, including The Flash Companion, the American Comic Book Chronicles series and Comic Book Implosion (for which he earned an Eisner award nomination). He has also worked for IDW (Ghostbusters) and Dynamite Entertainment (Stan Lee's How To books) as well as co-created several comic book series, like Omega Chase (Th3rd World Studios) and The Argonauts (TJ Comics).
Juan Romera (interior artist/colorist) began his career 17 years ago in fanzines in Argentina, Brazil, and Spain before moving on to indie comics in the United States, where his work appeared in IDW, Monkeybrain, Comics Experience, Desperado Publishing, Diablo Comics, Antarctic Press, and many others. Juan lives in Bahia Blanca City, Argentina with his wife, daughter, and dog.
Adam Benet Shaw (cover artist) is a traditional and digital painter whose work has been featured in publications by Dark Horse Comics, Image Comics, Oxford American magazine and Southwest Art magazine, among many others. In addition, Adam's large scale oil paintings have been shown in solo and group shows across the U.S. and abroad, including New York and London.
Kevin Powers is a comic book creator, writer, screenwriter, letterer and the publisher of TJ Comics. He is the writer/creator and letterer of Patriot-1 and the revival of the Golden Age hero The Atomic Thunderbolt. He is also a former content editor and manager for WWE and is the Director of Creative Content for Pillow Fight Championship.
#Stretch Goals
Coming soon!
#Additional FAQs
QUESTION: Can I get my reward autographed? How about personalized too?
ANSWER: Keith Dallas is able to autograph (and personalize) any reward that he’s written (i.e., Riptide Sanitarium, Extreme Ghostbusters, Argonauts, and Omega Chase), and he won’t charge extra to do so! Just make sure you select the “Autographed” version of the book. Even if you don’t, you can email him and ask for an autograph. He’ll be happy to do so!
QUESTION: What do you mean “Raffle for Don Kramer Commission”? How does that work?
ANSWER: Superstar comic book artist Don Kramer (Detective Comics, Wonder Woman, Justice Society of America) has agreed to produce ONE single-figure commission of any comic book character for a lucky contributor to this Zoop campaign! At a comic book convention, Don usually charges between $250 and $300 for a full figure commission, but here’s your opportunity to get one for MUCH cheaper! When you commit to purchasing a copy of Riptide Sanitarium #2, make sure to buy a raffle for $5, and you’ll be entered into a lottery to win Don’s commission. The lottery will be held after the campaign ends, and if you win, Don will draw the comic book character of your choice (pen/ink/marker)! Want to improve your chances of winning the lottery? Pledge an additional $5! For each $5, you’ll receive another raffle. So feel free to “stuff the raffle box” to improve your odds of winning!
QUESTION: What can I expect to find in Don Kramer’s Sketchbook?
ANSWER: Awesomeness! Pure. Visual. Awesomeness!
Seriously, though, this is the first time Don has put together a sketchbook, and we’re honored to be able to offer it in this campaign as a Reward Add-On! Stunning images of the various comic book characters that he’s drawn during his career: Batman, The Joker, Zatanna, Wonder Woman, the Justice Society of America! A true one-of-a-kind collectible!
QUESTION: Any way I can see the six Adam Shaw prints that are being offered as a Reward Add-On?
ANSWER: Absolutely! Here they are!

#Timeline
Written by Keith Dallas, drawn and colored by Juan Romera, and lettered by Kevin Powers, Riptide Sanitarium #2 is FULLY completed! Our work on the issue is DONE!
We just need to send it off to the printer, and that’s the purpose of this campaign: to determine how many copies we should order.
If everything goes according to plan, everyone's rewards will be received in October 2024.