Let's Talk Comics

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.

Writer Eliot Rahal and artist Mattia Monaco join the show to talk about CRIMES AGAINST NATURE, their new six-issue Image Comics series about a Hollywood animal trainer, his gorilla best friend, and a crime they didn't commit. Eliot and Mattia talk about how their partnership evolved from their first book together into a much more heartfelt collaboration. They also dig into balancing the book's premise with a genuinely emotional story about friendship, creating characters who communicate through sign language, and making readers care about an intentionally unlikable main character. Mattia also shows off a bunch of original art after years of working digitally, while Eliot explains the thinking behind the book's impossible-to-miss banana cover.  It's 30 minutes talking about trusting your partner, taking ridiculous ideas completely seriously, and so much more.

This week on Let's Talk Comics, writer and filmmaker Che Grayson joins the show to talk about putting one of EXQUISITE CORPSES' most intriguing killers directly into the spotlight, FOX MASK KILLER. Che talks about discovering comics while attending film school, finding a home in comics,  breaking into the industry through BITCH PLANET: TRIPLE FEATURE, and how creator-owned comics offered the creative freedom they had been searching for. The two also cover how Che became part of the Corpse Crew, developing the first season of EXQUISITE CORPSES through a collaborative writers' room, and the moment Che realized there was a much larger story waiting beneath Fox Mask Killer's mask. EXQUISITE CORPSES: FOX MASK KILLER is a new five-issue miniseries with artist Adam Gorham, colorist Jordie Bellaire, and letterer Becca Carey that combines the action and mythology of JOHN WICK and KILL BILL with a dark Southern Gothic story. The series asks, can a legendary assassin get the one thing she may never be allowed to have? A way out. Che discusses writing the killer without turning her into a hero, building action around character, and so much more. Plus if you're wondering if you can read FOX MASK KILLER without having read EXQUISITE CORPSES. The answer is yes, and Che tells you why.

This week on Let's Talk Comics, Eisner Award-winning creators Darcy Van Poelgeest and Ian Bertram join the show to talk about their latest project together, THE KARMAN BLADE. The two talk about how one fateful email, almost ten years ago, turned into LITTLE BIRD and evolved into PRECIOUS METAL. They also cover how the trust the two of them built over their time together allowed their work to keep changing as it moves from script to art and beyond. Ian shows off some gorgeous original artwork while Darcy explains why THE KARMAN BLADE was designed to demand something from its readers. Plus the two dig into the books world, the sentient blade, the giant wolf, and why they wanted to make something that felt decidedly different.