Let's Talk Comics

Mirka Andolfo joins Let's Talk Comics this week to talk about her journey from growing up reading Disney comics in Naples to creating UNNATURAL, SWEET PAPRIKA, MERCY and of course her upcoming book - MERCILESS. We go through how breaking in as a colorist (and getting to work on her childhood favorite series) taught her what she needed to know about the business, and then how how sharing her art online helped her break into American comics. Mirka also explains how her stories often begin with a character sketch she can't stop drawing, and once getting those characters off the ground, what creating her own worlds means to her. Then, we get to MERCILESS, the sequel to MERCY that follows a grown-up Rory returning to the town she hoped to leave behind. She discusses why she knew there was more story to tell before finishing the original series, and what working with her collaborator Lidia Bolognini allows her to explore. And if you want to know what some of Mirka's favorite horror movies and video games are? This is the episode for you.  

This week on Let's Talk Comics, Tim Seeley joins the show to talk about how he got his parents to drive him from Wisconsin to Chicago to meet the Image Comics founders and how coming home with a Spawn shirt signed by Todd McFarlane made him know exactly where he wanted to make comics.  We go through Tim's early days drawing G.I. Joe at Devil's Due and how a sick day spent watching slasher movies gave him the idea for Hack/Slash. He shares the one-sentence pitch he and Mike Norton used to sell Revival and explains how a box of sketches his mom saved put a superhero he'd invented as a kid into the pages of Local Man. Tim also gets into The Princess Murders, his new series with Local Man collaborator Tony Fleecs. Tim pitched Tony a fairy tale where the wicked stepsister and a fairy godmother have to solve a princess's murder. And yes, there are musical numbers. Tim is a creator full of stories, and you get some of them right here in this episode. Check it out, tell a friend and enjoy the ride.

Rob Liefeld returns to Let's Talk Comics for a high octane chat about the return of AVENGELYNE, with artist Daniel Mainé. Rob explains why this was the right moment to reintroduce the fallen angel, how the new series explores faith, power and humanity, and why he wanted its violence and subject matter to push into firmly R-rated territory. He also shares the latest on AVENGELYNE's developing film adaptation and explains the story behind the book's polybagged NSFW cover. Rob also covers YOUNGBLOOD's return, the creation of BADROCK with Seth Damoose, the approaching 35th anniversary of Image Comics and the new generation of creators building their biggest work through creator-owned comics. It's always a fun ride when Rob joins the show, so buckle up and enjoy!

Superstar creator Daniel Warren Johnson joins the show this week to talk about his journey from art teacher to one of the most distinctive creators working in comics today. Daniel looks back at the early days of SPACE MULLET, the breakthrough that came with EXTREMITY, finding the emotional core of MURDER FALCON, and bringing his uncompromising approach to characters like Beta Ray Bill and Absolute Batman. He also opens up about creative block, the fear that he may only have a few stories left to tell, and knowing when a project simply is not worth doing unless he can do it his way. Then, Daniel goes deep on CHAINKATA, his new creator-owned science-fiction epic from Image Comics. He explains how the project nearly died, why DUNE brought it back to life, the painstaking process behind its distinctive painted space backgrounds, and why he turned down major opportunities to bring this story into the world. Plus: AEW wrestler Brody King's custom jacket, his unmonetized YouTube drawing streams, guitars, golf, Limp Bizkit, and much more. CHAINKATA #1 arrives at comic book shops on November 18.

Gary Frank joins the show to celebrate the upcoming GEIGER #25 and discuss how one creator-owned project helped grow into Ghost Machine. Gary takes us back to his early days at Marvel UK, how he landed The Incredible Hulk, and the beginning of his almost 20 year working relationship with Geoff Johns. He also reveals the light-bulb moment that made him want to step away from exclusive contracts and create something he could truly call his own. The conversation digs into the creation and visual design of Geiger, how Ghost Machine came together, working with colorist Brad Anderson, and the surreal experience of seeing his characters become toys and merchandise. Gary also shares his evolving philosophy on comic-book storytelling and why clarity and immersion now matter more to him than creating a flashy individual page. Plus, we look ahead to GEIGER #25, the upcoming "Radioactive Revolution" storyline, and the very different dynamic between Tariq Geiger and Simon Pure.