Hi everyone,

Today didn’t go exactly as planned.

Despite our best efforts, internet connectivity at the venue made the livestream a no go. I know some of you were hoping to join us online, and I was disappointed not to be able to share the event with you in real time.

Fortunately, although the livestream failed, the presentation and audio from the event was successfully recorded. I'm working on putting together a recorded edition so everyone who missed it can still experience the launch.

But the launch itself was something special.

Friends, readers, curious newcomers, and members of the Manitoba writing community gathered to hear Big Al’s story. We laughed, shared stories, answered questions, and celebrated the release of The Stinkwater Escapee together.

Seeing both old friends and new ones gathered in a room to listen to Big Al’s escape and later misadventures is a moment that will stay with me.

Thank you to everyone who came, and thank you to everyone who was waiting online. Your support means the world.

Over the coming days, I’ll be sharing photos, reflections, and some thoughts on what lies beyond the chapbook and where Big Al’s adventures go next.

Thank you for your patience, your encouragement, and your belief in this project.

The livestream didn’t happen.

The launch did.

And what a day it was.

With gratitude,

Jacob Buller
Author of The Stinkwater Escapee

I’m busy preparing for Sunday, putting together the different media and making sure everything works.

If you can’t make it out on Sunday to the Artspace building, well, I have news for you, you can watch the livestream here:

stinkwater.ca/launch

I must say, it’s really wild to be thinking that I’m debuting a book on Sunday. I never imagined my first book would be about Big Al, or have pirate-themed restaurants, or even doing a podcast with media literacy. It definitely keeps my life busy, but man, there’s definitely a feeling of accomplishment here.

For those of you who are curious where things are going after Chapter 24, well, Big Sal finally gets to The Cinnamon State, Ankerton’s premier cinnamon bun bakery. If you can guess who's waiting outside the bakery, and what costume they're wearing, I'll draw one correct answer from the comments and send that reader a free copy of The Stinkwater Escapee. Just sound off in the comments!

I wanted to give you a quick update about The Stinkwater Escapee.

Chapter 24 has been submitted to a writing contest. As part of the contest rules, I can’t publish that chapter publicly while it is under consideration, but I’m super excited to have the story considered.

This means there will be a brief interruption in the normal chapter schedule.

The good news is that work on the story continues every week. Big Al’s journey isn’t complete, and I intend to keep moving forward with the book. This is one of those odd moments where the realities of publishing overlap with serialization.

I know many of you have been following along chapter by chapter, and I didn’t want the absence of a new installment to come as a surprise.

Thank you for all your support for this oddball crocodile as he smells his way through the world of Ankerton and beyond.

I’ll have something special to share this weekend instead.

As always, thank you for being part of my writing project.

— Jacob

I’m excited to share that The Stinkwater Escapee: Season 1 has been selected as part of the Manitoba Writers’ Guild Spring 2026 Book Launch Series.

On Sunday, June 7, I'll be at Art Space in Winnipeg for readings, discussion, and a few surprises from the world of Mudwater Mutters.

For those who have been following my work, this launch marks the culmination of a long journey. What began as a strange idea about a talking alligator named Big Al wandering through a baffling human world gradually grew into something much larger: a serialized story, a podcast, in-world advertisements, public service announcements, and an entire universe of media literacy satire hiding beneath the humour.

Educators, librarians, and parents interested in media literacy programming are also welcome to attend. Many of the themes explored through Big Al's adventures have become part of my growing work in digital and media literacy education.

At its heart, though, The Stinkwater Escapee remains a story about curiosity, belonging, and trying to make sense of a world that often doesn’t make much scents at all.

The launch will include a reading from the book, discussion about its creation, and a chance to purchase signed copies. Whether you’ve been following along from the beginning or are just discovering Big Al for the first time, I’d love to see you there.

Event Details

The Manitoba Writers’ Guild Spring 2026 Book Launch Series
Featuring: The Stinkwater Escapee: Season 1
Date: Sunday, June 7, 2026
Time: 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Location: Art Space, 100 Arthur Street, Winnipeg (4th Floor, elevator accessible)

I hope to see you there.

— Jacob

Over the past year, this project has gradually grown into something larger than just a serialized story. Alongside the book itself, there’s been it’s audio companion, Mudwater Mutters, plus fictional ads from Ankerton, strange public service announcements, and a growing media literacy layer woven through the whole thing.

The launch is going to reflect that.

There’ll be a live reading, audio segments from Mudwater Mutters, projected visuals from the world of Ankerton, and copies of the Season 1 chapbook available on site.

📍 Manitoba Writers’ Guild – Artspace Building (4th Floor)
100 Arthur Street, Winnipeg
🗓 June 7, 2–4 PM
Free / All Ages Welcome

And fittingly, the same weekend also marks the end of Season 3 of the online story.

If you’ve been following along — whether through the chapters, the podcast, the weird side material, or just occasional glimpses of this thing taking shape — I’d really love to see you there.

Facebook Event

Website

Some stories are meant to be held.

The Stinkwater Escapee: Season 1 now exists as a printed chapbook — the first collected edition of Big Al’s journey beyond Stinkwater Marsh.

If you’ve been following the Saturday chapters, this gathers the beginning of the adventure into one book you can hold, share, or pass along.

If you’re new to Stinkwater, this is where the escape begins.

Available here:
stinkwater.ca/buy

Thank you to everyone who’s read, listened, shared, and asked for something tangible.

Regular Saturday chapters continue this weekend.