Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast Off Panel: A Comics Interview Podcast

Art rep Felix Lu joins the show to talk about the story behind his company, Felix Comic Art, and the original comic art market. Lu discusses the evolution of Felix Comic Art, building relationships, what an art rep does, how the artists he works with push each other, commissions as business cards, the origins of Felix Comic Art, the power of word of mouth, figuring out who to work with, the evolution of the original art market, investments, the variant world, passion's place in original art collecting, helping artists with their careers, the personality side of things, whether there's space for lower budget customers, and more.

Writer Rob Williams joins the show to talk about his career in comics and his next big project, Judge Dredd: The New Future. Williams discusses managing workloads, writing versus co-writing, learning from collaborators, the TV/comic overlap, the power of trust, Judge Dredd: A Better World's accessibility, the versatility of Dredd, his ronin era, the flow of Petrol Head, the roots of Judge Dredd: A Better World and The New Future, 2000 AD blindness, standing alone as a Dredd writer, navigating a career in comics, and more.

Comics critic Oliver Sava joins the show for the ninth annual Superhero State of the Union, as we talk about where DC, Marvel, and other superhero comics are today. Sava discusses Marvel's big changes, its lack of urgency, the publisher's necessary fixes, its lack of cohesion, the artist gap, Doom exhaustion, the number of Marvel events, the upcoming Midnight line, where we stand on DC, the current Batman book, Absolute DC, Hayden Sherman's greatness, Next Level's merits, the Big Two crossovers, Chris Samnee's glory, the Fourth World, superhero titles outside the Big Two, what's next for DC and Marvel, and more.

Writer Olivia Dufault joins the show to talk about her comic journey and her new comic, Prima Apparata. Dufault discusses the roots of ideas, her comic origins, the impact of libraries, her writing journey, the overlap between theater and comics, breaking into comics, where Prima Apparata came from, her very original ideas, the lead characters of the book, Rebekah Isaacs, its ballet elements, the book's ashcan, the book's different titles, Ignition Press, her pride in the book, her comic writing future, and more.

Writer Jack Mulqueen joins the show to talk about his atypical path to comics and new series at Vault, Project Perseus. Mulqueen discusses why he started writing comics, his job as a nightlife developer, the community of comics, Mike Tyson experiences, self-publishing comics, being a part of comics, the origins of Project Perseus, the greatness of artist Edison Neo, bringing the book to life, its bananas energy, the characters of the book, working with Vault, whether he wants to keep making comics going forward, his next steps for writing, the New York Knicks' championship, the upcoming NBA season, and more.

Retailer Shannon Live joins the show to talk about the story behind her comic shop, Bat City Comic Professionals, and the year far for it and the direct market itself. Live discusses her level of busy, managing burnout, Bat City's unique nature, its different sides, their product mix, its indie emphasis, the year for shop, its energy, what's working, what can be learned from DC's success, new reader behavior, the direct market's overall health, ComicPRO's impact, tips for other retailers, and more.

Cartoonist Terry Moore joins the show to talk about his career and soon to launch crowdfunding campaign for Pandora's Box: An Echo Story. Moore discusses this moment in his career, his library of works, building a universe, gateway comics, why he went the cartoonist/self-publishing route, figuring things out, why Strangers in Paradise has proven to be such a lasting work, shifting to shorter runs, how his readership has evolved, crowdfunding as an option, doing his own thing, his new Dark Horse deal, working in other formats, the appeal of experimentation, what's next for him, the evolution of comics, and more.

Writer/artist Christian Ward returns to the show to talk about his recent projects like Event Horizon, The Patron, and The Forever Home. Ward discusses his San Diego Comic Con experience, focusing on writing, shifting how he's viewed, having a deliberate approach, seeing other publishers, diversifying his workload, the current market, how he looks at different projects, being an elite concept guy, pulling the rug out from under people, putting himself in the work, the origins of The Patron, John J. Pearson's work on the series, Sami Kivela's art, The Forever Home's forever home, its unique relationship with time, his different sides, the importance of finding your own answers, and more.

Writers Joshua Williamson and Kelly Sue DeConnick joined me at San Diego Comic Con for a special episode where we talk about why they love comics. Up first, Williamson shares why he loves comics, how his life affects his love, the creator that sealed the deal for him, whether he looks at comics the same as a reader and creator, self-imposed limitations, maintaining his passion for the medium, and more. Then, DeConnick joins to discuss why she loves comics, the medium's flexibility, its punk rock nature, reader brain vs. creator brain, experimenting with the medium, backmatter and community, expanding your horizons, and more.

Artist Andy Kubert joins the show to talk about his life and career in comics and his new series Terminals. Kubert discusses his schedule oriented approach, how he thinks about the job, what he learned from his father Joe, becoming an artist, his time at The Kubert School, figuring out his voice as an artist, the Kubert Triple Threat, his time on X-Men, the origins of Terminal, the project's lead time, the artists on the book, going the creator-owned route, the roots of Ka-Zar, the evolution of being an artist, a tip for artists, and more.

The Beat's Heidi MacDonald joins the show to talk about Marvel's explosive news and where things are as we head into San Diego Comic Con in an episode that was recorded across two days. MacDonald discusses Steve Wacker taking over as Marvel's Editor in Chief, Marvel's move to Burbank, what it all means, the C.B. Cebulski of it all, comic con plans and expectations, where the direct market is, why Absolute popped, the state of the single issue, Marvel's status, publishers we have an eye on, how the business is evolving, what Heidi is looking for this year, Robert Kirkman's impact, and more.

Writer and artist Frank Miller joins the show to talk about his views on comics and art as well as his new memoir, Push the Wall: My Life, Writing, Drawing and the Art of Storytelling. Miller discusses the joy he gets from art and comics, his approach to art, his preferred projects, collaboration, Calvin & Hobbes, the importance of curiosity, Forbidden Planet's arrival, how he views art, the impact of the people in his life, process vs. outcome, the power of the trash can, success as a driver, his views of his own work, being open to change, a tip for storytellers, and more.

Writer and actor Iman Vellani joins the show to talk about her life, career, and new Image Comics series Chachu. Vellani discusses the buildup to Chachu, her writing experience, her comic origins, jumping into the middle of comics, her career and comic guides, her path to Ms. Marvel, how Chachu came together, working with Tiny Onion, the appeal of the 1970s, the story's multigenerational side, figuring out scripting, putting the creative team together, the difference between writing superheroes versus creator-owned, turning influence into art, testing her imposter syndrome, whether she wants to keep writing comics, figuring out her life, and more.

Writer Ed Brubaker joins the show to talk about his long collaboration with Sean Phillips and the recently released Five Gears in Reverse. Brubaker discusses the status of the Criminal show, the state of TV, why Sean Phillips fits him so well, how they push each other, his favorites from their run, what fuels their new projects, Criminal as a story engine, Five Gears in Reverse's origins, the fusion of their approaches, the development of its cast, the roots of Unfinished Tales, operating in their own space, how their books have sold of late, and more.

Near Mint Condition's Omar Valdivieso joins the show to talk about the world of comic collections and his YouTube channel that focuses on that larger space. Valdivieso discusses his suits, going full time on Near Mint Condition, his focus on collections, his preferred format, making the case for onis, the origins of Near Mint Condition, balancing his approach, the pressure to create, his idea generation process, the mix on the channel, the state of the collection market, the format boom, which publishers are delivering, Marvel's position, the video space for comics, how he manages everything, and more.

Cartoonist Matt Kindt joins the show to talk about his journey to the return of MIND MGMT and the arrival of Fort Psycho. Kindt discusses the energy that drives his comics, having a holistic view, his approach to MIND MGMT: New & Improved, what he's learned from his recent stretch, his time at Valiant, moving Flux House to Oni, the challenges of doing everything yourself, the origins of MIND MGMT's return, the nature of the story, pushing storytelling, playing with readers, the joy of the comic, its promotion, the roots of Fort Psycho, character creation, collaboration, the importance of learning, and more.

Artist Rob Guillory joins the show to talk about his current approach to comics and the upcoming Kickstarter for Ghostbrawler #1: The Bruiser Edition. Guillory discusses Chew adaptation news, the adaptation process, the nature of being a creator, how things have evolved since he started in comics, the different audiences in comics, diversifying his workload, the model he's following, taking on writing, the origins of Ghostbrawler, the creative partnership at its core, the shadow of Chew, the nature of a cartoonist, going the Kickstarter route, figuring out which projects to do, whether experimentation will always be a focus, and more.

Writer Che Grayson joins the show to talk about their comic book journey and the soon to debut Absolute Catwoman. Grayson discusses their different brains, Absolute vibes, their love of story, balancing comics and film, finding their way into another medium, their comic origins, learning on the job, the roots of Absolute Catwoman, the development of the character, the type of story that's being told, the nature of the character, Bengal's impact on the book, the value of co-writing, the other characters in the book, their project mix, the power of no, and more.

Cartoonist James Stokoe joins the show to talk his career in comics and his approach to art. Stokoe discusses working from a computer, his comic and art origins, his earliest comics, what stood out about the medium, the artists and projects that moved the needle for him, the power of internet forums, the evolution of his art, looking back on his work, the value of original art and commissions, the detail of his pages, his process, pitching licensed books, the impact of restrictions, the control of comics, how he decides on projects, the value of freedom, how his interests have evolved, how he thinks of pages, keeping his passion for comics going, and more.

Retailer Aaron Trites joins the show to talk about the origins of and year in his San Diego based comic shop, Now or Never Comics. Trites discusses his own fandoms, his path to opening Now or Never, its location, the development of the shop, the year so far in his shop, market trends, what's leading the way, the single issue boom, the spread of new readers, the speculation world, handselling, superstar artists, Marvel's struggles, the changes at Marvel, the overall health of the market, the power of passion, and more.

Writer Mark Waid joins the show to talk about his life and career in comics and the new Zoop campaign designed to fund a hardcover for his series, Empire. Waid discusses how he works, cliffhangers, his approach to new projects, his character-centric nature, focusing on problems, staying active as a writer, whether he's evolved, staying open to change, the comics of today, staying outside the box, the power of comic shops, the current era of DC, the return of Empire, out of print books, the new collection for Empire, Barry Kitson, the story's darkness, art imitating life, tips for creators, and more.

Writer Dave Wielgosz joins the show to talk about his journey from comics editorial to writing comics and his new series at Ignition Press, Showdown. Wielgosz discusses the build up to release, his comic origins, the 2000s in comics, making his way into comics and DC editorial, becoming a master of continuity, the key to being a good editor, relationship management, the origins of Showdown, the market's influence on his work, revenge stories, collaboration, the title's creative team, the different sides of his brain, what he's learned from Showdown, his ideal project mix, and more.

Writer Matthew Rosenberg joins the show to talk about his new book, If Destruction Be Our Lot..., and his approach to comics overall. Rosenberg discusses hitting podcast row, The Mets, the origins of If Destruction Be Our Lot..., the medium it ended up in, the complexity of Abraham Lincoln, the book's art team, collaboration, the impact of time and money, its extra sized first issue, the power of character, his promotional efforts, speculation, taking over Spawn and King Spawn, figuring out the right approach for those books, finding the right mix, his public advocacy for comics, and more.

Artist Rafael Albuquerque joins the show to talk about his life and career in comics and the upcoming Absolute Green Arrow. Albuquerque discusses traditional vs. digital art, his comic origins, the generations of artists in Brazil, how he figured out art, the impact of influences, the project that changed how he was seen in comics, why Absolute Green Arrow feels like a next step, his original Absolute experience, collaboration, Absolute freedom, his favorite part of Absolute Green Arrow's design, how horror shapes his work, what keeps him excited about art, learning from others, where Brazil's comic scene is headed, and more.

Writer Pornsak Pichetshote joins the show to talk about where he is in his career and the upcoming Absolute Green Arrow. Pichetshote discusses his new email newsletter, being vulnerable, how he sees himself in comics, why he hasn't taken on more for hire work before, what differentiated Absolute, when his journey to Absolute Green Arrow started, the personal nature of the book, Rafael Albuquerque's impact, making Green Arrow make sense, the focus of the book, the challenge of mysteries, character designs, the response to the book, imposter syndrome, the unique nature of Absolute and Exquisite Corpses, learnings from those projects, whether he's entering a new phase of his career, his ideal mix, and more.

Cartoonist Julia Wertz joins the show to talk about her career and her new graphic novel Bury Me Already (It's Nice Down Here). Wertz discusses her upcoming book tour, perceived age, promotional images, when she started making comics, what comics are for her, her comic strip-like approach, her natural art style, comic processes, approaching sensitive subjects, continuity, parenting books, the emotions of Bury Me Already, learning about herself through her work, drawing spaces, her book covers, the material she ends up with, putting books in a box, relationships with readers, what keeps her going with comics, tips for autobio creators, and more.

Comics critic Tiffany Babb joins the show to talk about her comics zine, The Comics Staple, and the world of comics journalism. Babb discusses pre-Kickstarter feelings, the joy of creating, her fearless nature, the importance of failure,  why comics needs something like The Comics Staple, the importance of tastemakers, the contributors to the zine, the Staple's audience, what differentiates it, why she enjoys prints so much, the impact of her previous work, the state of comics journalism, what's missing in that space, the Eisner judge experience, her read of the industry, convention panel tips, and more.

Cartoonist Faith Erin Hicks joins the show to talk about her new graphic novel Inbetweens and the evolving role of comic creators. Hicks discusses her (tough) love of horror, operating outside the box, the path to release for Inbetweens, battling boredom, Inbetweens' origins, its evolution, the leads of the book, its timeframe, the gender disparity of animation, changing requirements for cartoonists, the evolution of the internet, The Adventures of Superhero Girl, slowing down, and more.

Writer/letterer Aditya Bidikar joins the show to talk about his first major comics writing project, In Your Skin at Image Comics. Bidikar discusses his feeling about tackling that new project, putting yourself out there, the evolution of In Your Skin, the parasocial side of the project, the importance of character, how the book's artist Som signed up for the book, how that collaboration changed the project, lettering and writing, the behind the scenes work on the book, Tiny Onion's impact, whether he wants to keep writing, his lettering workload, finding the right mix, challenging yourself, and more.

Writer/artist Skottie Young joins the show to talk how his work on Lobo at DC Comics and his views on comics and art. Young discusses the artists that hit him the most, the intersectionality of comics and music, the visual foundation of Lobo, playing with the character's history, the origins and nature of the project, the power of no, the coolness of Marie Javins, doing Lobo at the right time, working for DC, misunderstood parts of Lobo, the world of Stupid Fresh Mess, the power of community, following your passion, discoverability, I Hate Fairyland's longevity, how Stupid Fresh Mess shapes what he does, and more.

Writers (and comics journalism legends) Laura Hudson and Tim Leong join the show to talk their new Mad Cave series Exploit and their journeys to it. Hudson and Leong discuss the power of honesty, publishing their first comic, the evolution of Exploit, whether they always wanted to make comics, how the series developed, the impact of collaboration, Exploit's origins, channeling frustrations into the work, the book's energy, the importance of looking cool, print journalism trends, looking at comics from the outside, and more.

In an episode recorded in-person at this year's annual conference for the trade organization for comic shops, ComicsPRO, The Beat's Heidi MacDonald and the head of Lunar Distribution and Discount Comic Book Service, Christina Merkler, join the podcast for a vibe check about the event and state of the industry. Up first, MacDonald joins to share her read on the event, how it compares to previous editions, what stood out, and more, before Merkler visits us to talk about how passion is fueling this moment for the direct market, the spread of new readers, blind bag management, building on this moment, creating urgency, Lunar's expansion with Viz Media and Yen Press, what has them hopeful about where comics are headed, and more.

Writer Chris Condon joins the show to talk about his comics career, his new Vertigo series The Peril of the Brutal Dark: An Ezra Cain Mystery, and more. Condon discusses managing the promotional side of comics, his comic origins, the power of gimmicks, his love of comic art, his film background, how That Texas Blood came together, the journey of Brutal Dark, what made Vertigo the right home for that project, how having editors changed things, collaborating with Jacob Phillips, Ezra Cain as its lead, the structure of the series, his Marvel exclusive, writing Big Two Comics versus creator-owned, his tip for aspiring creators, and more.

Writer James Tynion IV joins the show to talk about his incredibly busy slate and how he's navigating it all. Tynion discusses the recent Exquisite Corpses pop up in Paris, how he's managing his project load, prioritizing your work, building up speed as a writer, figuring out which projects are a yes, Vertigo's potential impact, the direction of the market, Vicky from w0rldtr33, the Exquisite Corpses card game and its Kickstarter, developing in parallel, adult animation as a focus, how the market feels,  what creators miss with their work, avoiding burn out, and more.

Writer/artist Tony Fleecs joins the show to talk about his life and career in comics and his work on comics like Feral and the upcoming Deathstroke: The Terminator. Fleecs discusses comic shop living, his comic origins, 1990s comic energy, how those comics impacted him as a storyteller, having comics that speak to your age, how My Little Pony changed his life, the success of Stray Dogs, putting animals in peril, the art of Feral and Stray Dogs, when Feral came together, running a creator-owned comic business, how Deathstroke came together, what DC Next Level is, the different versions of Deathstroke, how the market affects his approach, putting himself out there, and more.

Artist Charlie Adlard joins the show to talk about post-Walking Dead living and his new Image Comics graphic novel, Altamont. Adlard discusses a recent signing, becoming a different Charlie, figuring out which projects to take on, the constant drumbeat of deadlines, leaning in different directions, the story of the Altamont Free Concert, what made that story a draw, how Altamont came together as a graphic novel, coloring the book, how he thinks about art, its journey from France to America, Altamont's commentary, what's guiding him these days, verisimilitude, his love of Lego, and more.

Journalist Susana Polo joins the show to talk about her interesting year and a bevy of subjects we didn't get to highlight from the wider world of comics in 2025. Polo discusses post-Polygon living, the loss of personality-driven sites, how the Polygon experience shaped her, the reverse energies of 2025's comic movies, the muted comics conversation, recency biases, the importance of back catalogue, Worldcon, expanding the comic box, the insane number of crossovers, Harley & Ivy: Life & Crimes, expanding genres, Marvel's lack of excitement, Batman's quality, Mark Waid's eternal nature, the European comic invasion, things we're excited for in 2026, Vertigo's return, the Archie/Oni partnership, the reverse European comic invasion, Avengers: Doomsday, and more.

Writer Scott Snyder joins the show to talk about Absolute Batman and his past few years at DC and beyond. Snyder discusses his initial uncertainty about Absolute, his journey to Absolute Batman, the power of fear, their approach to making the best story, collaborating with Nick Dragotta, his experimentation phase, the ethos of the book, finding a balance, creating a sense of urgency, the single issue form, the current environment, the Next Level books, his role as a hype man at DC, imposter syndrome, arc titles, what has him excited about 2026 in comics, and more.

Big Clutch Comics' Shawn Kirkham joins the show to talk about the collectible side of the comics world. Kirkham discusses his stray cat adventures, Kirkham's background, what Big Clutch Comics is, how his work at Skybound informed that work, what fuels him, the current secondary market for comics, how it's different than previous booms, how new readers are playing a part, the secondary market as a guide, comics marketing, the sustainability of blind bags, Ultimate Endgame's blind bags, how collectibles fit in the comic ecosystem, what creators can do in that space, what has him excited about 2026 in comics, and more.

Retailer Patrick Brower returns to the show to talk about the year that was in his Chicago-based comic shop, Challengers Comics + Conversation. Brower discusses his weird year, the year in Challengers itself, the consistent nature of 2025, what drove the year's success, Absolute Martian Manhunter's surprising heat, the performance of the Absolute Batman Annual, managing different printings, Marvel's "terrible" year, where non-Big Two comics are, the complicated environment for creators, new readers, how they're behaving, other trends from 2025, struggles from the year, systemic problems, what could be done on the marketing side, Universal Distribution, sales charts, how he's feeling about 2026, and more.

Cartoonist Beetle Moses, aka Harris Fishman, joins the podcast for my annual Comic of the Year chat, as we talk about his social media-based comic strip Beetle Moses. Fishman discusses the year for Beetle Moses (the comic), figuring things out, his own comics journey, putting in the reps, his art style, the depth of the strip, Beetle Moses' origins, how people reacted to making the move into comics, his big year, the atemporal nature of comic strips, his most well-liked comics, moving into longform, turning Beetle Moses into a business, how his 2026 is looking, and more.

My pal Brandon Burpee returns to the podcast for our annual look at the year in comics before we count down our 20 favorite comics of the year. Burpee discusses the year in comics, the state of the Big Two, where the X-Men are, older comics that might have previous lists, anticipated comics from 2026, ancient Star Wars takes, and more, before we share our honorable mentions from the year in comics and then count down our 20 favorites comics and graphic novels from 2025.

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For those that are looking for a list of our 20 favorite comics, here they are.

David Harper's 20 Favorite Comics of 2025
1. Beetle Moses
2. Hirayasumi
3. Sleep
4. Land Vol. 1
5. Do Admit! The Mitford Sisters and Me
6. Cannon
7. The Fables of Erlking Wood
8. Good Devils: Don't Play Fair with Evil
9. Ionheart
10. Lucas Wars
11. Out of Alcatraz
12. A Garden of Spheres
13. Tongues Vol. 1
14. Assorted Crisis Events
15. Flip
16. The Knives
17. Raised by Ghosts
18. Tokyo Alien Bros.
19. Absolute Wonder Woman
20. Absolute Batman

Brandon Burpee's 20 Favorite Comics of 2025
1. One World Under Doom
2. Green Lantern
3. Batman and Robin: Year One
4. Deadpool/Wolverine
5. Superman
6. X-Men
7. JSA
8. Absolute Superman
9. Justice League Unlimited
10. Exquisite Corpses
11. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 12. Geiger
13. Storm
14. Absolute Wonder Woman
15. Redcoat
16. Captain America
17. Invincible Universe: Battle Beast
18. Green Lantern Corps
19. Escape
20. History of the DC Universe

In a special year end episode of Off Panel, we look at the defining themes of 2025 in comics with the help of retailer Steve Anderson from Third Eye Comics, The Beat's Heidi MacDonald, and writer Matthew Rosenberg. 

Up first is Anderson (1:37), whose theme is the impact of DC's Absolute line, as we discuss the Image Revolution of it all, unlocking the cool, the area of effect it's had on other comics, good times he sees on the horizon, how new readers are behaving, why Absolute has popped, how creators and publishers can capitalize on this, and more. 

After that is MacDonald (32:22), whose theme was the lack of new characters in direct market comics, as we discuss why that's a problem, the most successful new(ish) characters, recycling existing ideas, why it's a 2025 theme, attempts to make new characters happen, what's lost without them, marketing struggles, what needs to happen, and more. 

And to close is Rosenberg (1:06:59), whose theme is how comics are running behind the rest of pop culture, as we discuss the inferiority complex in comics, the cost that comes with this lag, the importance of cool, how this can change, how the market factors into this, and more.

Artist and writer Terry Dodson joins the show to talk Ultimate Endgame, AdventureMan, and where things are headed for him. Dodson discusses his work schedule, cat living, picking projects, taking on Ultimate Endgame, working with Deniz Camp, figuring out projects, designing in the Ultimate Universe, the freedom of the book, event comics versus regular ones, artist exclusive covers, the other side of artist work, AdventureMan's fit, collaborating with Matt Fraction, the impact of influences, the collections of AdventureMan, getting into writing, its impact on his art, taking on more responsibility, and more.

Christina Merkler, the co-owner of Lunar Distribution, Discount Comic Book Service (or DCBS), and InStockTrades, joins the show to talk about a strange year for comic book distribution and a good year for the retail side. Merkler discusses Thanksgiving and related takes, the year for her, Diamond Comic Distributors' bankruptcy, compressing timelines, figuring things out, big changes this year, balancing sides of her businesses, the year for DCBS and InStockTrades, what's driving success, how collections are doing, the non-licensed comics space, connecting readers with books, blind bags, how she's feeling going into 2026, and more.

Writer and cartoonist Gene Luen Yang joins the podcast to talk about his comics life and his upcoming run on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Yang discusses his daily life, his upcoming graphic novel, Overrated, embracing change, advocating for comics, its impact on his own work, having different inputs, his project that impacted him the most, collaborations and collaborators, Superman Smashes the Klan, figuring out which for-hire projects to take, how Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles came together, impact of Eastman & Laird, the TMNT phenomenon, building his run, keeping those characters fresh, what keeps him excited for comics, tips for creators, and more.

Writer Grant Morrison joins the podcast to talk about this week's DC/Marvel: Batman/Deadpool and their views on life and comics. Morrison discusses the rekindled flame of writing comics, how they approach writing, the importance of new experiences, making yourself a laboratory, pushing the medium thinking visually, learning from collaborators, doing what feels right, why Batman/Deadpool was the move, how it came together, preferred flavors of themself, Dan Mora's greatness, the freedom of that project, the power of constraints, their approach to continuity, the joy of Batman/Deadpool, having a late career renaissance, deciding what's next, changing as the comic landscape does, the future of comics, and more.

Writer Kieron Gillen joins the podcast to talk about his current Image comics The Power Fantasy and Die: Loaded and everything that's going into them. Gillen discusses FOC vs. release, Die's longevity as an idea, staying in love with comics, the emotional side of the commercial part of the job, how he thinks of his comics, the direction of Die: Loaded, why Die returned, the approach to its story, Stephanie Hans' impact, comic RPGs, how The Power Fantasy has compared to expectations, where it is, activating your audience, promoting the work, surprises in the series, and more.

Cartoonist Erica Henderson joins the podcast to talk about her past few years and her work on Harley and Ivy: Life and Crimes at DC. Henderson discusses her whim based processes, writing Erica vs. drawing Erica, what she can do while working, recent learnings, the way she thinks of pages, things she needed to do in Harley and Ivy, how she approaches projects, single issues vs. graphic novels, bringing Harley and Ivy to life, their fit together, her background with them, the looks of these characters, research, building around moments, the project's origins, preferred genres, fighting boredom, how variants work, and more.

Recorded live at New York Comic Con, artists Hayden Sherman, Rachael Stott, and Russell Dauterman and cartoonist Trung Le Nguyen joined the podcast to talk about why they love comics, with each happening in individual segments. Up first, Sherman (1:22) discusses what fuels their love, controlling the read, what unlocked comics, artist's artists, where influences come from, how making comics impacts reading them, and more. Then Stott (17:25) joins to talk about early loves in comics, finding the unexpected, the impact of the individual, her relationship with the medium, smooth comics, and more. Dauterman (34:35) follows to discuss his love of comics, the appeal of the new, what's changed for him as a reader, looking to the past, what keeps him excited about comics, and more. Lastly, Nguyen (51:29) discusses the universality of images, accessibility, comics DNA, how making comics changed things, the process of comics, and more.