Introduction
News that Matthew “Matt” Paul Haasch has passed away after a fight with cancer has left the independent manga community grieving. Matt was the founder and steady heart of Star Fruit Books, a small press with a big reputation for championing distinctive voices and overlooked gems. He received his diagnosis in August and, like many independent creators and founders, he turned to community support to help cover living costs while he focused on health. Earlier this week he passed, surrounded by loved ones. In the aftermath, Star Fruit Books has been placed on pause by the remaining staff as they gather themselves and decide what comes next.
This tribute looks at who Matt was, why Star Fruit Books mattered, and what his legacy means for readers, creators, and the wider independent publishing world. It is written with care for the facts the family and company have shared, and with deep respect for a founder whose work helped manga find new paths to readers.
Who Matt Was And Why His Work Stood Out
Matt did not act like a gatekeeper. He acted like a bridge. That is the simplest way to understand his presence in the manga ecosystem. Long before he had a brand name or a catalog to point to, he showed up as a reader who believed that good stories deserve a fair chance to be discovered. When he launched Star Fruit Books, he translated that belief into action. He took risks on titles that larger publishers might pass on and found collaborators who were excited to bring unusual, beautiful, sometimes challenging work to an audience hungry for something new.
Friends and colleagues describe him as patient, curious, and very good at listening. Those qualities matter in publishing. They matter even more in independent publishing where every decision has real consequences for creators, printers, translators, letterers, and the community that rallies around small runs. Matt’s approach was calm and practical. He was not trying to win a race. He was trying to prove that careful curation and respect for creators can still carve out space in a crowded market.
Star Fruit Books: A Small Press With A Clear Purpose
Star Fruit Books earned its reputation by focusing on projects that felt personal. The catalog showed a taste for titles that blur lines between genres, play with tone, or spotlight artists who deserve a second look outside the mainstream. Readers noticed. Retailers noticed. Creators noticed most of all because the line between fan and professional is thin in this world, and Matt never forgot that he was a fan first.
That clarity of purpose showed up in the details. Print decisions were thoughtful. Communication with customers prioritized transparency. Collaborations with translators and letterers highlighted the craft rather than hiding the people who did the work. In a space where speed often wins, Star Fruit Books chose deliberation and presence. The result was a brand that readers trusted and a catalog that felt handpicked by someone who cares.
The Diagnosis, The Fight, And The Pause
Matt’s cancer diagnosis came in August. It was sudden and it was serious. Like many independent founders without large corporate safety nets, he turned to community support to help cover living expenses while navigating treatment. That choice is not only understandable, it is a reminder of how much independent culture relies on mutual aid and kindness. The same readers and creators who benefited from Matt’s curatorial eye wanted to give something back when he needed it.
After his passing earlier this week, Star Fruit Books announced a pause. That word is important. It communicates respect for Matt and care for the team. A pause gives space to grieve. It also gives time to assess open orders, pending projects, royalty accounting, and the basic logistics that keep a small press alive. For readers who are waiting on books, patience will matter. For creators with projects in the pipeline, clear communication will matter even more. The company’s decision to slow down is an act of responsibility, not retreat.
A Mother’s Love And A Community’s Response
Matt’s mother shared the news of his passing with grace and clarity, noting that he was surrounded by family and is now at peace. You can hear the love in that message. It is a reminder that behind the work we admire, there are people who belong to families and friends long before they belong to our feeds. In the hours since that message, the indie manga world has responded with memories, gratitude, and promises to keep reading the kinds of books Matt believed in.
This is what legacy looks like at human scale. It is not a statue or a press release. It is readers remembering the first time a Star Fruit title surprised them. It is a translator who felt seen. It is a creator who got a chance when the odds did not favor them. Those memories will outlast any single catalog page.
What Matt Taught The Industry About Curation
If you work in publishing, you know how easy it is to chase trends. Matt’s contribution was the opposite. He showed that curation is not about predicting what will sell in the widest possible sense. It is about knowing who you serve and delivering something honest to them. He taught, by example, that you can build a house with doors and windows, not walls. He talked with readers, not at them. He introduced artists with context. He saw translators and letterers as partners whose names belong alongside authors and artists. He did the quiet things that turn transactions into relationships.
There is a practical lesson here for publishers of all sizes. When you invest in trust, you reduce friction everywhere else. Your audience forgives delays when they know why they happen. Your collaborators give you their best because they feel respected. Your catalog ages well because it reflects taste, not panic. Matt lived those principles. Star Fruit Books is the proof.
For Readers: How To Honor His Work
There are simple, meaningful ways to honor Matt and support the people carrying his work forward. Read the books you already own. Share them with a friend. Write a few sentences about why a favorite Star Fruit title matters to you. If you are able to do so, keep an eye on the company’s official updates for guidance on purchases or preorders as the team assesses next steps. If you are a reviewer or a bookseller, you can shine a light on titles that might otherwise drift out of view during this pause. Good work deserves a second introduction.
If you are part of a local reading group, consider featuring a Star Fruit title at your next meeting. Talk about the translation choices, the lettering, the storytelling beats that made it memorable. Those conversations keep a catalog alive and they remind new readers that the independent shelf is full of discoveries.
For Creators And Collaborators: Carry The Standard
Creators who worked with Matt know exactly what he valued. Keep that standard in your next project. Credit the people who help you make the work. Treat your readers like partners. Choose the slower, more thoughtful path when it protects the story. When you talk about your influences, include the small presses and the editors who gave you a chance. This is how a community honors one of its own. It is also how a healthy scene sustains itself through loss.
Translators and letterers can carry this forward too. Keep advocating for your craft. Ask to have your names presented clearly. Explain your choices in ways that bring readers closer to the page. Matt supported that visibility. The best tribute is to keep insisting on it.
For Indie Publishers: The Business Of Care
Independent publishing is a balancing act. Cash flow is tight. Printing and shipping costs swing. Health setbacks can derail an entire schedule. Matt faced those realities with the same calm focus he brought to curating books. He practiced the business of care. That meant telling readers when a timeline changed. It meant paying attention to how a title would be received rather than just counting preorders. It meant protecting the trust that made Star Fruit Books feel different.
Other small presses can learn from that model. Build buffers where you can. Communicate directly and plainly. Publish with intention. When hard moments arrive, pause rather than overpromise. Your catalog will be stronger and your readers will be with you for the long run.
A Culture Of Compassion: Why Community Matters Now
The indie manga scene is resilient because it is relational. Readers fund projects. Shops hand sell books. Reviewers champion work that algorithms miss. Festivals give tiny publishers the same table space and microphone time as the giants. In that kind of ecosystem, a founder like Matt makes an outsized difference. He connected people. He made careful choices that respected both artists and audiences. When someone like that is gone, the best way to respond is with compassion that matches his own.
Check on your favorite small presses. Leave kind notes for teams who are grieving. Offer help if you have skills that can lighten a load. If you are a retailer, consider featuring a small press table or display that invites customers to discover what makes this corner of publishing special. Culture is built through choices like these.
What The Pause Could Mean For Star Fruit Books
A pause can become a reset. It can also become a reflection period that leads to continuity. The team now has difficult but important work ahead. They will review contracts, look at titles in progress, decide which projects can continue, and determine the best way to honor Matt’s taste and standards. None of that should be rushed. Readers can expect updates when decisions are firm and timelines are clear. The most respectful thing to do, right now, is to give the team room to grieve and plan.
When Star Fruit Books speaks again, it will likely share guidance about pending orders, open customer service requests, and next steps for releases. If you are waiting on an order or wondering about a restock, watch for those official notes. Patience and kindness will help everyone get through an emotional and administrative transition.
A Personal Farewell From The Community
It feels right to close with the spirit of what Matt’s mother shared: he is at peace, held by family and friends. That is the most important truth in all of this. The second truth is the one readers carry. The books he brought into the world will keep working. They will keep surprising people who stumble upon them. They will keep reminding us that small presses can do big things when they are led by someone who believes in the power of discovery.
Conclusion
Matthew “Matt” Paul Haasch built something rare. He started as a reader who wanted to share what he loved, then turned that love into a press that trusted art to find its audience. He faced a sudden illness with courage and community around him. He leaves behind a family who loved him, a team who worked beside him, and a catalog that shows what careful curation can accomplish.
Star Fruit Books is paused for now, and that is okay. Grief needs time, and good decisions do too. What endures is the way Matt showed us to publish: with patience, with respect for every contributor, and with faith in readers who are ready to meet something unexpected. If you want to honor him, read boldly, support small presses, and keep the door open for the next voice that does not fit a simple box. That is the kind of legacy any founder would be proud to leave, and Matt earned it.