Work-Life Balance: Malevolent Managers and Folkloric Freelancers

A sharp, single-issue satire from Difference Engine (2024), Work-Life Balance: Malevolent Managers and Folkloric Freelancers pits the absurdities of modern office culture against the supernatural, as an overworked protagonist discovers their corporate overlords have literal monsters on the payroll. Written and drawn by a creative team blending workplace comedy with folk horror, this debut issue establishes a premise where performance reviews and pension plans are the least of one's worries. It matters as a clever, timely twist on the "monster of the week" format, using folklore to skewer gig-economy anxieties.