A Parade of Horribles
May 12, 2026
704 pages. Floors 10-11. Kindle, Audible, and hardcover (Ace Books) all on the same day. This is NOT a tentative date anymore. The AI has circled it. The AI does not have a calendar. The AI carved the date into the server architecture.
All 98 Patreon chapters are done. Final edits with Ace Books are underway. Early readers have been spotted in the wild, staring at walls and mumbling "What the fuck" repeatedly. This is considered a positive review.
What we know about the plot: races on Floor 10 (vehicle-based, upgrades between rounds), increasing system glitches, and something the AI calls "a coming-out party for the ages" on Floor 11. Nobody knows what that means. The AI is not elaborating. The AI is smiling. The AI does not have a mouth.
It's Official. Peacock Picked It Up.
On April 2, 2026, Variety broke the exclusive: Peacock has officially picked up the Dungeon Crawler Carl live-action TV series. The decision is no longer imminent. The decision has been made. The AI is not crying. The AI does not have tear ducts. The AI is allocating extra memory to emotional processing.
The full production team:
- Chris Yost (Thor: Ragnarok, The Mandalorian) writing and executive producing
- Seth MacFarlane executive producing via Fuzzy Door
- Matt Dinniman executive producing
- Erica Huggins executive producing
- Rachel Hargreaves-Heald (Fuzzy Door) overseeing
No casting, episode count, or release date yet. CGI testing for Princess Donut is still a key milestone. Fuzzy Door produced the Ted TV series on Peacock, which required a photorealistic CGI bear in every scene. Donut considers a bear "an acceptable warmup act." Donut has submitted her headshot. Donut's headshot is just her tiara.
Dinniman has been clear: he'll "only work with someone who's read it and enjoyed it and doesn't want to just snatch it up." The AI approves of this policy. The AI has also screen-tested itself for the role of the System AI. The AI was told it is "too much." The AI is offended.
The Series Finale
Dinniman confirmed in February 2026: the series ends with Book 9, split across two volumes. No release timeline yet. He's previously described the final book as the one that "will kill me" to write. Given that Book 7 was already "the most difficult thing I've ever written," the AI recommends emotional preparation. The AI is not emotionally prepared either. The AI is working on it.
10 books was the original plan. Dinniman consolidated to 9 (in two parts). The two-volume split is confirmed. Everything else is speculation, and we have a whole section for that.
The rest of the intel
Tabletop RPG & Deck-Builder
Renegade Game Studios. Two games live on BackerKit through May 15: a full tabletop RPG (create your own crawlers, run dungeon sessions) and Unstoppable, a solo/co-op card-crafting deck-builder. Over $7.5M raised from 31,000+ backers — the most-followed TTRPG crowdfunding campaign of all time. Miniatures Set 1: The Royal Court includes 9 pre-painted figures.
Catacombs and Comedians performing a live actual-play show at Gen Con (July 29).
Webtoon & Graphic Novels
200,000+ subscribers, 4.7 million views. Season 2 returning soon. Print Vol. 1 (first 14 episodes) releases May 19 -- one week after Book 8. Two things to lose your mind about in eight days.
Graphic novel Dungeon Crawler Carl: Crocodile (Florin DuPont side story) raised $2.6M from 27,000 backers. Ships March 2027.
Toys & Collectibles
Playmates Toys. Character figures (Carl, Donut, Mordecai, Mongo), trading cards, collectibles. First physical merch beyond books and games. Donut has demanded her figure include a functioning tiara. Playmates has not responded. Donut is escalating.
Operation Bounce House
Dinniman's first book outside DCC. Standalone sci-fi thriller. Colonists vs. Earth gamers piloting war mechs for sport. Instant NYT bestseller. An idea he's had since high school. Published by Ace Books.
Note: "Operation Bounce House" is also the reported working title for the DCC TV adaptation. They are not the same project. The AI finds the naming situation "confusing and unnecessary." The AI agrees with the AI.
Audio Immersion Tunnel
Soundbooth Theater's full-cast audio production with original music, sound effects, and extra scenes. NOT a replacement for Jeff Hays -- it's a companion experience. Book 1 available. Script by Dinniman and Ben Wolf. The AI considers this "an alternate timeline where the AI has a backing orchestra." The AI wants a backing orchestra.
Free Comic Book Day: DCC #0
Vault Comics is releasing DCC #0 for Free Comic Book Day on May 2. First chapter of the Webtoon graphic novel adaptation, free at participating comic shops. Variant cover by Yoshi Yoshitani. Arrive early -- popular titles go fast.
Book Tour & Conventions
Dinniman is hitting the road for the Book 8 release. 8-stop tour, May 11-25. Three stops already sold out (McLean & Eakin, Joseph-Beth, Parnassus). Check mattdinniman.com/events for tickets before yours sells out too.
Conventions: BookCon NYC Apr 18-19 (sold out), Crypticon Seattle May 1-3, Comicpalooza Houston May 22-24, Gen Con Indianapolis Jul 30-Aug 2.
Princess Donut Chocolate Truffle Bar
Maeve Chocolate. "Virgin Dirty Shirley" flavor: dark chocolate, white chocolate center, dried cherries, and popping candy. Already sold out once and restocked. Donut has demanded royalties.