In coping with bipolar disorder, a young comic book enthusiast crafts the newest comic book superhero "ManicMan!" with the help of his small-town friends.
Malcolm Manalo has wanted to write a comic book since he was able to dream, but his mental health and self-sabotaging ways have always gotten in the way. When an artist moves to the small town of Twin Falls (where the dicks are small but the personalities are big) ,Malcolm begins working his way out of the funk he has been stuck in. With that small spark of change, Malcolm becomes set on a path of impulsive decisions like flushing his meds down the toilet, dropping out of college, moving out of his Asian parents' house, and asking the newest citizen of TwinFalls, Parker Kay, to be the artist for his comic book, 'ManicMan!' Meanwhile, his small-town friends Jasmine and Jay Bumpus make sure that all the pieces come together in the end.
Malcolm writes on the counter at Bumpus Comics where he works. He daydreams about ManicMan! the comic book he has been writing since he was a kid, but he has never found an artist to make his comic come to life. Suddenly, Old Man Harvey Dean Jr. walks in looking for a gift for his "bastard nephew" whose birthday is next week. Malcolm shows him to the rat-shit selection they have before Jay Bumpus enters with the "ArtistNeeded!" fliers that he plans to post all over town. Later, Jasmine tries to coach Malcolm out of his funk when a new artist moves into the small-town of Twin Falls, MO (where the dicks are small but the personalities are big). Jasmine tries to get Malcolm to talk about his comic book, but he is weary about the new artist, so he shuts it down.
Meanwhile, Jay argues with the town mayor, Carla Ogilvy. He tries to beg for more funding for his businesses, Bumpus Comics and the Panda Stop Coffee Shop, but she refuses to help and rushes home to her beloved vibrator. Parker introduces himself to Jay, inviting him to the housewarming party he is throwing to show off some of his artwork.
Jay arrives home to a panicked Malcolm pacing around the apartment. They share a heart to heart before Jay leaves for work at the cafe. Malcolm then goes to the bathroom, pours all of his antidepressants into his hand, and flushes them down the toilet before realizing that he is late for class.
At class, Malcolm picks a fight with his professor, Dr. Rou Yang, who tries to get him to see the importance of school. Meanwhile, Malcolm trash talks the one-size-fits-all curriculum, the lack of empathy in the education system, and his general distaste for traditional schooling. After an intense argument over the necessity of school, egged on by the other students in the room, Malcolm decides to drop out of college.
That night, Malcolm has dinner with his parents who congratulate his sister Mia for getting into a top medical school. Meanwhile, Malcolm tries to get a word in about how he has been feeling. Eventually, Malcolm blurts out that he wants to move out, and after a lot of convincing, his parents agree to him moving to Twin Falls.
Malcolm gets home in a frenzie, feeling euphoric after the big decisions he made as he took control of his life. He pitches his comic book to Jay and Jasmine for the first time before Jasmine shows Malcolm the painting she bought from Parker at the party. Now two in the morning, Malcolm decides to knock on Parker's door. At his apartment, Parker shows Malcom the "ArtistNeeded!" flier that Jay gave him and asks to be a part of the project.
Malcolm waltzes away happily. He has taken control of his life, begun work on his life-long dream of writing a comic book, and now all he has to do is write the damn thing...
