Publication Announcement: Slumlord Ethics by sunshine gao Coming 2026

I’m delighted to announce the second of three planned publications for 2026: sunshine gao’s Slumlord Ethics:

“Better us than some scummy corporation, right?”

A young couple tries renting out a unit in their newly-purchased century-old home, hoping to responsibly share their housing with others. When a friend asks to move in with them for an upcoming pregnancy, the two commit to providing a safe and secure space…but they soon discover just what it is they signed up for. A long, hot summer of lead remediation turns into a slow, fitful fall of emergency bathroom remodeling and roof repairs. Relationships sour. Frustrations build. Good intentions crash straight into an exhausting reality as the couple learn about the human dimension of labor, the difficulty of building something better, and the real costs of an ethical commitment.

sunshine gao was born in China and raised in Indiana and Kentucky. They recently graduated from MCAD with an MFA in comic art. Once, they studied moral philosophy and ecology; cooked noodles; and sold produce. Now, they draw stories examining home, the heart, everyday ethics--and the frailty of the narratives we tell about them. In spite of everything, they believe the world can be made a beautiful place. Learn more about sunshine at: https://www.sunshine-gao.com/

When I met sunshine at TCAF a few years ago, I was instantly blown away by their short comic, For the First Time and then their follow-up, ACAB. Both books are thoughtful, messy, and resist easy answers or categorization. sunshine’s cartooning is meticulous, with fantastic page composition; I love their use of negative space and their very considered lettering. Slumlord Ethics will be an emotional, nuanced, and grounded story about doing our best (and not always succeeding) when our intentions are thwarted.

Publication of Slumlord Ethics is set for 2026.