An Introduction to Dungeon Crawler Carl
Dungeon Crawler Carl, published in 2026, is a graphic narrative based on Matt Dinniman’s science fantasy LitRPG series of the same name. The story follows Carl, Princess Donut, as they attempt to escape a deadly dungeon crawl orchestrated by an alien corporation. #dungeoncrawlercarl #comics 1/8
The graphic narrative comes at an interesting point in Dungeon Crawler Carl’s history. What began as a self-published novel in 2020, then traditionally published in 2024, has since grown into an eight book series with a massive following. 2/8
Carl, a coast guard veteran, and his ex-girlfriend’s cat, Princess Donut survive an alien takeover of Earth, only to enter a deadly dungeon. In nothing but his shirt and underwear, they must fight for humanity’s survival. All while being broadcast as entertainment to an intergalactic audience. 3/8
Before Dungeon Crawler Carl, Dinniman enjoyed traveling to cat conventions as well as making cat illustrations. During lockdown, when conventions were on hold, he had more time to focus on writing the series–one of the more positive creative outcomes to emerge from this period. 4/8
Perhaps, fittingly, Princess Donut wasn’t originally planned to become what Dinniman describes as “sapient”, but as he continued writing, Donut took on a much larger role in Carl’s story. Now, a fan favourite, the world wouldn’t be the same without the furball! 5/8
Moreover, the strange mix of science fiction, gaming,violence, and humor has become a defining part of Dungeon Crawler Carl. Dinniman even described the humour as an important coping mechanism for his characters, even as the situations they find themself in become increasingly more dark. 6/8
All that to say, this series has expanded well beyond its self published humble beginnings. Not only has it birthed a wonderful graphic narrative, but also sparked audiobook, video game, and tv adaptations. A testament to Dinniman’s ambitious world building, and the series’ enduring appeal. 7/8
Dungeon Crawler Carl gives us a particularly interesting graphic world to step into: part videogame, part reality show, part alien apocalypse, and somehow still very funny. We will talk more about it in the weeks ahead! 8/8
This post was composed by Sequential Scholars Research Assistant Maeve Riley McKay