Mother F**ker in a Cape - Mutiny Comics

Sandra is so dedicated to higher education that she literally almost lost her life over it! Here, shares her story with me, and we talk about the graphic novel she's been working on about her experiences, Apocademia. Check it out!

The 3rd interview that disappeared in 2020 - this was a wonderful conversation with a buddy of mine, Olivia Abtahi. We're talking about Olivia's 1st book here, and I took so long to post it, that Olivia's 2nd book should be coming out in a few months! (Boo, Alan!) Anyway, Olivia is dope, and y'all need to check her out. :)

Here's another interview that was lost to 2020, and my apologies to the prolific Mister V. This dude keeps putting out comics, and no one can stop him! Learn about his path, his process, and his secret past as a comics shop owner!

It's been a long time... 2020 was a year of many lost things, including episodes of this podcast that I wasn't able to bring myself to edit, until I got help recently. My apologies to my wonderful guest, J. D. Mason, who was sincerely dope to talk to. She's an author who WILL NOT BE STOPPED! Listen and learn. :)

I'm talking with Jeff Campbell, a dope emcee and a playwright, who I met when I first moved from Atlanta to Denver at the age of 27. This man has a dope story of how hip-hop inspired him early on, and how he grew and changed as an artist. He has a lot of good shit to say, so check it out!

Today’s guest is Danette Hollowell, a dope jazz singer, who I met on the dancefloor years ago. Since then, I’ve seen her rule the stage with beautiful renditions of classic jazz songs. She’s a dope presence, and it was sincerely a pleasure to chat with her. See the video of this interview HERE. Free comic about Juneteenth HERE.

In this episode, recorded last year (a few months into the pandemic), I talk with the wonderful Nalo Hopkinson!  Nalo was one of the few authors who was hand-picked by Neil Gaiman to write new comic books in the world of Sandman, she’s a professor at UCR, and she’s written a gang of her own brilliant sci-fi novels, like Skin Folk, Midnight Robber, and Brown Girl In The Ring, which inspired a film! (https://www.nalohopkinson.com) Because of my own pandemic struggles, it’s taken me a few months to upload this interview, but Nalo is charming, funny, and beautifully sincere. You’re gonna enjoy this one! Oh, and I mentioned this last episode, but I gave a TEDTalk, called, "When the World Is Burning, Is Art A Waste of Time?", which is over 700,000 views currently! Check this interview out!

"It's been a long time..." Been distracted by a worldwide pandemic, but I'm back! My guest is Francesca Sloane, a dope television writer, who worked on the most recent season of Fargo (w/Chris Rock), & the upcoming 3rd & 4th seasons of the TV show Atlanta! Francesca also just signed an overall deal with Amazon Studios, so we should be seeing some exciting new shows from her!   Oh, and btw: I gave a TEDTalk, called, "When the World Is Burning, Is Art A Waste of Time?": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7rGQK3YopA Anyway, check Francesca's story. It's dope and inspiring!

Jenny Parks, illustrator & creator of the famous and funny Star Trek Cats books, talks about how she got started in art, how she found her way into selling her art at conventions, and how she eventually got her work published by Marvel Comics, as well as illustrating books that are licensed and approved by Paramount!   Also, my graphic novel Kickstarter is still going on, and Jenny backed it! https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/anguishgarden/anguish-garden-the-graphic-novel/description Free preview: https://imgur.com/a/3EGdlIB

In this episode, I briefly interview 3 people creating art for Anguish Garden: Carl Carrell, who’s composing the musical score for the book, Kevin Caron, who’s doing all of the layouts, & Dailen Ogden, who doing all the pencil/ink work. Recorded at the Kickstarter Kickoff party for my new graphic novel, Anguish Garden, a post-apocalyptic Western that’s an allegory for leaving white supremacy! We still need your help to get this book made! KS: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/anguishgarden/anguish-garden-the-graphic-novel/description Preview: https://imgur.com/a/3EGdlIB Photos by Ryan Landell. 

Another classic 2016 episode, with my guests, Kevin Caron & Jake Fairly. (Kevin is now doing work on my new graphic novel, Anguish Garden!) They talk about how they got into comics, why diverse viewpoints in comics are vital, and how they approach making their own comics! So check it out! Also, my Kickstarter begins this SUNDAY for Anguish Garden, to hire 3 artists for 7 months of work, and to pay for the printing. So please back it and tell your friends about it! Read the 7 page preview: https://imgur.com/a/3EGdlIB Back us on Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/anguishgarden/anguish-garden-the-graphic-novel

Jan C. J. Jones, the author of "A Journey With Strange Bedfellows", discusses how her graphic novel began as an audio drama, her past as a scientist, and how she came to read comic books as a child. At the end of this interview, you'll hear a sample of her audio drama, so check it out! ============= Also, don't forget that the Kickstarter for my new graphic novel, Anguish Garden, begins on 2/2/2020. You can check it out here: https://kickstarter.com/projects/anguishgarden/anguish-garden-the-graphic-novel You can read a newspaper interview about my graphic novel here!

How's a comic book made, from start to finish? I interview the artists who are working with me on my new graphic novel, Anguish Garden. You can read a free preview here: https://imgur.com/a/3EGdlIB Kevin Caron (layout artist), Dailen Ogden (pencil/ink artist), and Sarah Menzel Trapl (color artist) all talk about their roles on this book, and the challenges that each type of art brings to the storytelling medium of graphic novels. We'll be Kickstarting this on 2/2/2020, so check it out: https://kickstarter.com/projects/anguishgarden/anguish-garden-the-graphic-novel

Part 2 of this classic episode from 2017: my guests Melanie Gillman and Dylan Edwards discuss LGBTQIA issues in comics!

Happy New Year! Here’s a classic episode: one of the first podcasts I recorded, where I learned more about LGBTQ issues from some of my friends in comics, who are a part of that demographic.  My guests here are Melanie Gillman (an accomplished comics writer & artist who has drawn Care Bears and written the Steven Universe comic, and was a cool professor long before me) and Dylan Edwards (another gifted comics writer and artist, who favors creating books with puns, like Politically InQueer-rect).

I talk with two members of the comics collective, Kymera, about what's it's like to be part of a comics crew, and how that camaraderie pushes them creatively.

I spoke with horror comics creators Jolyon B. Yates (Tales From The Crypt, Bionic Woman), plus Alex Delia and David Espy (Eyesis The Untouchable), about what draws them to horror, what they think works in comics for horror, and how this genre makes them reflect upon their own lives!

Comics creators Cori Redford and Neil Ewing discuss using comedy in comic books, and how they convey different styles of humor in their books!

Storyboard artist and comics illustrator Brian Essig-Peppard talks about his work storyboarding movies, commercials and music videos (including A Tribe Called Quest's final video). 

Comics creators Scorpio Steele and Daniel Crosier discuss using different styles of art in comics storytelling, and how these styles affect the emotion, pacing and feeling of a story!   Also, if you want to check out the Dr. Strange story that Scorpio wrote and drew, it's HERE.

Comics creator Shawn Gustafson discusses his World War 2 comic, The Specialists, and how it makes him reflect on issues we face in present-day! Plus, we got into his creative process, and what it takes to make war comics fun to read! This is a really good comic, so you should check it out. You can read The Specialists here: https://thespecialistscomic.com/

Authors O'Brian Gunn and Cameron McVey discuss how comics and geek culture have influenced their novel writing, and how they translate themes from a largely visual medium into prose! You can buy Cameron's books here:  https://www.amazon.com/Cameron-McVey/e/B005AK9ARO/ref=dp_byline_cont_book_1 You can buy O'Brian's books here: https://www.amazon.com/Furies-Thus-Spoke-OBrian-Gunn-ebook/dp/B07P9HC5NL

Author Ken Lizzi, who’s also an attorney for Dark Horse Comics, talks with me about how he got into writing, how he decided that he specifically wanted to be a lawyer for a comic book company, and also, he gives some important tips for new comics creators who are beginning to negotiate with a publisher!   Check this one out - it has a lot of good info!

Nic DuFort, an indie rep, discusses her work as a District Sales Manager for Penguin Random House, her work with various graphic novel properties, and how she found her way into the publishing industry! We also learn her roller derby alias! :)

Here's another classic episode being restored to the stream - another one of my first episodes ever. I talked with Pat, an attorney and comics fan, and Ted, a local comics publisher, about the business side of the comics world! The audio is a little rough, because it's from back when we were figuring tech out with Mutiny, but it's a great episode! I'm just returning from the 50th San Diego Comic Con, but I'll be back with new episodes soon!

Here's another classic episode being restored to the stream - one of my first episodes ever. I talked with 3 Asian-American comics creators who are constantly being mistaken for each other, even though they look nothing alike! The audio is a little rough, because it's from back when we were figuring tech out with Mutiny, but it's a great episode! I'm at the 50th San Diego Comic Con, but I'll be back with new episodes soon!

Comics writer Kelly Sue DeConnick ("Captain Marvel", "Bitch Planet", "Pretty Deadly") talks with me about the strategy of building a comics career, from creative marketing to correctly identifying your customer.   This is important, because, for so many creative people, our biggest impediment is actually finishing our work. So we often don’t even reach the point of thinking about how to market it. This is great stuff, so check it out!

Comics artist and therapist Jacenta Irlanda discusses how comics and art can be used as tools for therapy, how she incorporates these themes into her own art, and ways to promote healing for mental health struggles. She also has a dope podcast that you should check out, called Psych Hero! Check it out: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/psych-hero/id1465553065?fbclid=IwAR3CQMuvAi7GJPZIxj38IMkWOEMpVAbjpSP_3NEyGGS5-mLhxEPpmdhIqrk

Comics creators and musicians Aaron Howell and Jake Fairly discuss creating the official comic book for Aaron's band, MF Ruckus, and tell us how they ended up working on Billy Ray Cyrus' new video!  Jake's band's video (about literally eating white supremacists): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHqzsu73zZE The Billy Ray Cyrus video that Jake and Aaron worked on: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axHcpuqcY4c

In this classic episode, I spoke with comics creators Patricia Krmpotich and Andrew Mark about the importance of making comics for children. They both make very passionate points, so check it out!

I'm chatting with Denis Kitchen about founding The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, which provides legal protection for the First Amendment Rights of the comics medium. In the span of his remarkable career, Denis published many 1970s underground comics creators, like R. Crumb & Art Spiegelman, through his Kitchen Sink Press. Here's a 1989 Larry King interview with Denis: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ftjQc8_wB84. For more info: http://cbldf.org/

More talk with James O'Barr, creator of The Crow, in a more extended interview, about how he got into comics, why he thinks rapper Eminem is soft, and what he's working on these days, including plans for a new Crow film with Jason Momoa! My apologies for the pun title. This interview was made possible by Nerd Team 30!

Artist and muralist Thomas "Detour" Evans discusses painting the portrait of Jay-Z for David Letterman's Netflix show, traveling the world, and his upcoming book about how artists can make a living.

Artist Adrienne "Adri" Norris discusses her Women Behaving Badly  art series, what it was like for her to speak at The Denver Women's March this year, plus her martial arts badassery, and how she approaches teaching herself new artistic disciplines! This is a dope episode for people who want to learn more about artistic motivation! Check her stuff out at: https://afrotriangledesigns.com/

After years of creating her fantasy graphic novel series, LeyLines, Robin Childs decided to abruptly end it. Why? "...it never occurred to me to write a fantasy world without slavery and patriarchy as the status quo." She realized that, without recognizing it, she'd created a fantasy world that reinforced themes of racism and sexism, and she was horrified to discover it. Robin and I discussed how she came to discover these themes in her work, and more importantly, what in society can cause us as artists to pass on messages that we don't intend to. This was a great conversation, in spite of the pinball machines being played in the background! :) Remember to check out Robin's new comic, Wavemen, which she makes with her husband Cory, and support it if you can! https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2088273372/wavemen-the-house-on-fifth-avenue?ref=project_tweet

Married comics creators Kristina and Rafael Maldonado Bad-Hand discuss their company Aya, how they're helping to bring Indigenous Pop X to Denver this July, and why I call them the First Family of Comics!

In pt. 7 of my Countdown to DINK, web comics creators Nick Seluk (The Awkward Yeti, Heart & Brain), Brian Gordon (Fowl Language Comics), and Shen T. (Shen Comics) talk with moderator Josh Weaver about how social media affects web comics.   This interview is from DINK 2018, so check it out, and join us for DINK 2019 April 13-14!

In pt. 6 of my Countdown to DINK, comics creator Ally Shwed moderates a panel about toxic masculinity in comics. Her co-panelists are fellow comics creators Gerardo Alba, Stephanie Rodriguez, Zak Kinsella, and Cait Zellers. This interview is from DINK 2018, so check it out!

In pt. 5 of my Countdown to DINK, we hear from Underground Comix pioneers, Denis Kitchen and Howard Cruse, about the underground comics movement of the 1970s, how comics censorship during the 1950s affected their childhoods, and what they think of protest these days. This interview is from DINK 2018, and was conducted by author Jason Heller.

In pt. 4 of my Countdown to DINK, we hear from Chuck Forsman, the creator of The End Of The Fxxxing World graphic novel, talks with Kilgore Books about translating his comic into a Netflix series. This is another interview from DINK 2018, so make sure you join us at DINK 2019 this April 13-14!

In pt. 3 of my “Countdown to DINK”, I talk with traveling comics creators Ezra Claytan Daniels and Ben Passmore, about how they got into comics, what inspires them, and how they came to work together. These guys are cool, so check 'em out!

Actor and comedian John Leguizamo talks about his graphic novel, "Ghetto Klown", in part 2 of my "Countdown to DINK" episodes. He also discusses how he's learned to deal with rejection in Hollywood, and what kind of art makes him feel alive. Recorded at DINK 2018! Don't forget to check www.dinkdenver.com  for this year's line up!

James O'Barr, the creator of The Crow, talks with me, in the 1st of my "Countdown to DINK" episodes. This interview is from DINK 2018, and James and I discuss his new projects, why he doesn't have any internet at home, and what it was like to grow up in an orphanage. Plus, James does a Q & A with the audience!

I talk with writer Pat Shand (Afterglow, Prison Witch, Breathless) and artist Emily Pearson (The Wilds, Cult Classic: Zero Short). They discuss their upcoming comic from Black Mask Studios, Snap Flash Hustle, which Pat describes as "Breaking Bad by way of Sex In The City". It's about a ring of Instagram models who run drugs, and it's a dope read! (Pun intended!) Check it out!

Legendary comics creator, Alan Davis (artist of X-Men, X-Factor, ClanDestine, Captain Britain, and too many others to name), talks with me about what motivates his art, what he thinks of British royalty, and how present day comics have lost his attention. We also bond over the jacked-up ways that people spell "Alan". :)

Prolific comics creator Vita Ayala, writer of Wonder Woman, The Wilds, and Batman Beyond, talks with me about how they learned that Wonder Woman wasn't Puerto Rican, how they broke into the comics industry, and how they overcome self-doubt as a writer. Vita was cool as hell to talk to, so check this one out!

In this episode, I talk with two black men in the geek world (at Wizard World Iowa): Papa Bear, a talented cosplayer and activist, and Dale Campbell, the creator of animated series for children, which he uses to share his faith.   Both of these gentlemen have significant things to say about their art, and how they use it to build community and effect change. So check it out!

I talk with the founders of Stranger Comics: Sebastian Jones, Darrell May and Joshua Cozine. We discuss what it takes for them to create a rich fantasy world in their comics, with black characters up front! We also talk about the debacle of the Legion of Superheroes character, Tyroc. Ha, you'll have to check that out for yourself: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tyroc This interview was right after Denver Comic Con 2018, at Mutiny Information Cafe. Remember to support Stranger Comics' latest Kickstarter, starting September 20th: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1182319554/1183580091?ref=484825&token=f2a99888 This interview also features my brother, Mason, who remains mysteriously silent until the end, when he feels moved to ask a question: https://ravencliffmedia.com

The legendary Nichelle Nichols and I discuss her career - as an actress and a musician, as well as some of the cultural impact of her work on Star Trek, and what's been most important to her.   (You can see video of this interview at Nerdteam30.com, filmed by Parish Media LLC). Thanks to Zuzana Korda for facilitating this interview, and to Jerry Milani at Wizard World Iowa for helping to make it possible as well!  Hear some of Nichelle's music here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fsERcThiIgM  

I speak with Marvel Comics artist Alitha Martinez, about her journey from being a child in a Latin family in Florida, to becoming an artist who has drawn some of the most popular characters in comics! We discuss some of her struggles with breaking through the "boy's club" of the 1990s comics industry. In her 20 year career, she's drawn everything from Black Panther to Batgirl, and she's continuing with her own series, Foreign, which you'll hear about here!   http://www.ariotstorm.com/

I had a fun conversation with Charisma Carpenter (Buffy The Vampire Slayer and Angel), for a few moments at this year’s Wizard World Comic Con in Des Moines, IA. We talked about what motivates her as an artist, what kind of roles she finds fulfilling, and the charities she supports. We also discussed what lessons she learned for her own life during the years she played Cordelia on Buffy, and why she avoids hugs from strangers.