An Original Hand-Drawn Capsule Inspired by Wisconsin, Craft Beer & Classic Comic Book Horror
Every place has its legends.
Wisconsin has plenty. Now with our recent move to Wisconsin we’re here to build our own!
Award-winning breweries. Friday fish fries. Cheese curds. Supper clubs. Packers Sundays. Cabin weekends. The smell of fresh hops drifting through small-town breweries. And somewhere, hidden deep beneath the marshes and beer swamps of America’s Dairyland…
…there lives The Cheese Thing.
Welcome to Drop 01 of the WISCO Collection—a six-part capsule series celebrating the places, traditions, folklore, food, beer, and unmistakable personality that make Wisconsin unlike anywhere else in the country.
Every drop features an entirely original hand-drawn illustration inspired by the culture of the Midwest, interpreted through the lens of comic books, horror art, craft beer, and storytelling.
The Cheese Thing is where it all begins.
The Story Behind The Cheese Thing
I’ve been collecting comic books for most of my life.
Some covers stick with you forever.
One of those is the legendary cover to Swamp Thing #88.
This one is actually shockingly new coming from the Swamp Thing 1989 #1 issue that just dropped in April of 2026. This was the long lost issue of Swamp Thing #88 that was to be the end of the Swamp thing written by Rick Veitch. This was a controversial time travel issue where the Swamp Thing meets Jesus Christ himself. Yea, crazy! This issue was cancelled because DC was scared of backlash it could receive. Wow. Cancelled in 1989 because of Jesus. DC was just so ahead of its time.
When it came time to launch the first WISCO Collection capsule, I wanted to pay tribute to an incredible character, a long lost issue and truly bring an homage with my own style along with my new homeland. Wisconsin.
What better way than with cheese. A lot of cheese. We also wouldn’t be Comics & Brews if we didn’t have this beast crushing beer as well. We stay true always!
Every line was illustrated by hand to become an original TazAlGhul creation inspired by Wisconsin’s two greatest obsessions that we just mentioned:
Beer & Cheese. For this piece we went a little less craft like and threw in a Lit beer. I was in the crushing mood while drawing this obviously.
The result became The Cheese Thing—a monster born somewhere between a comic book swamp, a brewery cooler, and a Wisconsin cheese factory.
It’s weird.
It’s ridiculous.
And it perfectly represents everything I love about this state.
What Is the WISCO Collection?
The WISCO Collection is an ongoing series of original capsule drops celebrating Wisconsin through illustration.
Rather than releasing random products throughout the year, each drop tells its own story through original artwork inspired by the people, places, traditions, and culture that make Wisconsin special.
Each capsule is designed to feel like opening the first issue of a new comic book series—complete with its own personality, inspiration, and collectible artwork.
There will be six total WISCO drops, each exploring a different piece of Wisconsin culture through entirely original illustrations.
Drop 01 introduces The Cheese Thing.
Five more stories are still waiting to emerge from the Wisconsin wilderness. For your little hint we’ll just say the next drop is something Wisconsin is world renowned for …
The Cheese Thing Capsule
Drop 01 isn’t centered around a single product.
It’s a complete capsule collection built around one original illustration.
The Cheese Thing is available across a carefully curated lineup of collectible products designed for beer lovers, comic collectors, artists, and anyone proud to call Wisconsin home.
Available in Drop 01
• Cheese Thing Beer Glass
Raise a pint with the creature itself. Perfect for craft beer, lagers, IPAs, stouts, or whatever Wisconsin brew is currently in your fridge.
• Cheesy Comfort Tees
Soft, everyday apparel featuring original hand-drawn artwork designed to become your new brewery shirt. We print these bad boys on our classic Comfort Colors tees because we don’t want shrinkage, and they just got that thicker cozy feel that everyone loves.
• Heavyweight Hoodies
Perfect for cool brewery nights, bonfires, lake weekends, and Wisconsin winters. Plus we had to throw our first camo beauties into the mix. Obvi need that for the land of Wisco.
• Hats
If you know me you know that my bald ass has to have a hat on at all times. So obvi the cheese thing capsule had to have the full variety pack of hats for our skulls. We made sure to include some mom hats in the mix too. These bad boys are printed directly on there so you don’t have fat embroidery going on. This cheese thing is quite detailed so we weren’t able to get that high fashion embroidery sadly. But hey! Detail is the best part!
• Homage Art Prints
Museum-worthy matte prints celebrating the original illustration that inspired the entire capsule. For this piece we truly payed homage to the Swamp Thing 1989 Issue #1 with the Swamp Thing #88 tribute that you saw in the blog earlier. As you look deeper you’ll find some hidden gems. Whether it’s cows, a hop plant … you’ll find more the deeper you look.
• Tote Bags
Perfect for comic shop pickups when you have a good zillion new comics in your hold slog, farmers markets snagging excess cheese, beer traveling, bookstores, or carrying home a fresh six-pack of greatness from the brewery to throw down the hatch.
• Flag
A statement piece for home bars, garages, breweries, studios, offices, or anywhere that deserves a little more Wisconsin beer magic.
• Desk Pad
Transform your workspace into a daily reminder that life should include more comics, more craft beer, and considerably more cheese monsters.
Every product features the same original artwork, making the entire capsule feel like one cohesive collector’s release. These bright orange tones are going to light up any workspace. Plus if you have to work in office this bad boy will be the talking point of the office. You don’t have to live in Wisconsin to show your love for the land of the cheese!
Why Wisconsin?
Because nowhere else could inspire something like this. Plus we at Comics & Brews have left the mountainous land of Colorado for western Wisconsin. We couldn’t be happier. The mid-west feel, happy people and awesome accents … plus some incredible beer.
Wisconsin isn’t just America’s Dairyland.
It’s one of the greatest craft beer destinations in the country.
It’s a state where independent breweries thrive, local artists are celebrated, and conversations over a pint have a way of lasting all night.
From the Driftless Area to Door County, from Milwaukee to the Northwoods, Wisconsin has a culture unlike anywhere else.
The WISCO Collection exists to celebrate that culture through original artwork.
Craft Beer Meets Comic Books
At first glance, craft beer and comic books don’t seem to have much in common.
Spend enough time around both communities, though, and you’ll notice the similarities.
Both celebrate creativity.
Both reward curiosity.
Both appreciate great artwork.
Both have passionate collectors.
Both tell stories.
The WISCO Collection lives where those two worlds collide.
Every capsule is designed to feel just as comfortable hanging inside a brewery as it would on the wall of a comic collector’s office.
Original Artwork. Always.
Every WISCO illustration begins the same way.
A blank sheet of paper.
A pencil.
Hours of sketching.
While inspiration can come from comic book history, classic horror, Midwest folklore, brewery culture, or Wisconsin traditions, every finished illustration is an original TazAlGhul creation.
The Cheese Thing is a hand-drawn homage to one of the most iconic horror comic covers ever published, but every line, every texture, every detail, and every character design was created from scratch.
No tracing.
No AI generation.
No copied artwork.
Just original illustration.
Built For Collectors
The WISCO Collection wasn’t created to become another forgettable merchandise line.
It was designed to become something people look forward to.
Six capsules.
Six original illustrations.
Six pieces of Wisconsin folklore reimagined through comics, craft beer, and original art.
Each drop expands the world.
Each drop tells another story.
Each drop becomes another collectible chapter in the growing WISCO universe. The thought of a Wisco universe truly tickles the sack at the idea that we could possibly one day create our own comic book that has all of these characters. One beautiful state and massive possibilities. Be sure you’re ready for the next drop on 10.1!
Still Have Questions? We’ve Got Answers.
What is the Wisconsin Collection?
The WISCO Collection is a six-drop series of original capsule collections celebrating Wisconsin through hand-drawn artwork inspired by craft beer, local culture, comic books, horror art, and Midwest storytelling.
What is the Cheese Thing?
The Cheese Thing is the original character introduced in WISCO Collection: Drop 01. Inspired by Wisconsin’s love of cheese and breweries, the creature is entirely hand illustrated by TazAlGhul. The motivation behind it was the move of the Comics & Brews crew from the land of Colorado to Wisconsin.
Is the Cheese Thing inspired by Swamp Thing #88?
Yes. The illustration is a respectful artistic homage to the iconic atmosphere and composition of the Swamp Thing #88 cover while remaining a completely original, hand-drawn work. It is not affiliated with or licensed by DC Comics. Just showing my love for this unreal issue and incredible artwork.
Is all of this original artwork?
You’re damn right! As a designer for 15+ years we no longer have time for that AI artwork garbage. We’re back to hand sketching and making HUMAN art. We must keep it alive and avoid the AI slop we continue to see all around the world right now.
Are these limited capsule releases?
Yes! Each product has a limited amount printed and once they’re gone … they’re gone! These drops run throughout the year but we want to make sure these stay exclusive. This pushes us to continue to create original art that is a collectible piece for all of us out there who love to collect and conquer! Or just have pieces that people can’t get their hands on. It’s the best.
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