Best Making Comics Podcasts (2025)

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Episode 224: Finding your Story's Format 1:21:22

8h ago1:21:22

1:21:22

This week, we discuss the maddening part of PDF assembly (5:55), the maddening part of PDF formatting (12:00), making a future editing promise to yourself (24:30), settling in to those productive moments (30:25), the right level of detail and quality for books within your story (37:45), finding the right format for your story (48:00), and stylistic…

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Episode 223: The Hand-Drawn Element 1:20:20

8d ago1:20:20

1:20:20

This week, we discuss character references for your story (5:00), staying on an artist pace for interior pages (16:00), continuity among your comics (26:40), riding a creative wave when it happens (32:45), working through a coloring style (38:45), before we get into the main topic: the hand-drawn element of logos and lettering (45:30).…

1
Episode 222: Your Spot on the Learning Curve 1:18:43

16d ago1:18:43

1:18:43

This week, we talk about drawing a Kickstarter backer into artwork (2:30), locating yourself on the learning curve (13:00), putting the promotional work into your crowdfunding (25:20), when PDF formatting goes wrong (28:15), when a workshop tells you something you didn't see (36:30), working on a letters column (46:50), and getting the complete art…

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Episode 221: The Final Say on a Comic 1:13:57

22d ago1:13:57

1:13:57

This week, we go behind the scenes filming a crowdfunding video (3:10), working to an aggressive deadline for completing art (11:15), restarting a story draft before you had planned to (19:30), redefining creative success (24:00), finding the right amount of research for your story (39:00) and being the "last hand" on a book before it goes to press…

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Episode 220: Researching Craft 1:24:30

29d ago1:24:30

1:24:30

This week, we talk about how aggressive pace-setting goals help (4:45), writer's block (15:00), a change in the setting of a story that changed the story itself (22:45), how bonus content for a comic matters (31:15), tracking down comic scripts to aid craft research (40:00), and reading a first draft at a high level to target edits (47:30).…

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Episode 219: Macro Story Structures 1:23:54

1M ago1:23:54

1:23:54

This week, we talk about the home stretch of a commission (3:30), finalizing the first draft of a story (12:30), making inks and flats one process when doing pages (20:15), changing the method of telling for a series of short stories (31:10), and the giant story structures that drive us (41:10).

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Episode 218: Setting Goals 1:20:11

1M ago1:20:11

1:20:11

This week, we discuss turning a change in the colorist for a project (4:00), close editing of those lines of dialogue that really matter (9:40), coloring techniques (19:00), learning with purpose (27:15), and getting back a bunch of art for upcoming projects (35:20) before we share our 2025 goals (45:20).…

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Episode 217: Story and Vision (with Art Ebuen) 1:07:05

2M ago1:07:05

1:07:05

This week, we welcome Arthur Ebuen (@alifornia, Inc.) to the podcast and talk about creating something new in a late-stage edit (4:10), knocking the drawing rust off (13:00), and lettering and scripting an issue (18:00) before we talk craft with Art, including the preparation involved in approaching an artist (23:00), world building for a comic ser…

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Episode 216: Flashbacks 1:16:56

2M ago1:16:56

1:16:56

This week, we discuss how giving yourself a break from creative work can yield results anyway (5:45), holding people to deadlines on a project (11:15), crossing the finish line for a Kickstarter (27:30) and working on a unifying design for a new Kickstarter (33:40), before this week's main topic: flashbacks (49:10).…

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Episode 215: Year End Special! 1:49:31

2M ago1:49:31

1:49:31

It's the Year In Review episode, and that means we welcome Gary Hodges (Dinosaurs vs Marsbots) to discuss our year-end favorites, including favorite purchase (4:45), favorite movie (25:30), band and album of the year (1:00:00), and the comic of the year (1:09:00), and many others.

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Episode 214: Naughty, Nice, and the Holiday Extravaganza 1:19:28

2M ago1:19:28

1:19:28

It's the holiday episode, and that means we welcome Gary Hodges (Dinosaurs vs Marsbots) to talk about the ways we were "nice", a.k.a. our greatest creative achievement (4:15), the ways we were "naughty" a.k.a. our greatest creative learning (23:00) before our Holiday Hot Take Extravaganza (39:00).

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Episode 213: Workshopping and Being Workshopped 1:18:07

3M ago1:18:07

1:18:07

This week, we talk about finishing pages amidst a busy week (7:05), developing a creative and release plan for an upcoming book (15:30), a wild 24 hours on a secret project (21:00), a workshop that pointed the direction forward (29:40), what you learn giving notes (35:30), and seizing an opportunity to revise a story one last time (48:00) before th…

1
Episode 212: Art Vibes and Story Types 1:16:09

3M ago1:16:09

1:16:09

This week we talk about Kickstarter prep and launch (6:00), choosing a stopping point for the "new story" worked on in November (10:30), the arrival of a long-awaited commission and getting a vibe of an art style (23:30), and streamlining future projects (29:45) before this week's topic: the main plot types of rags to riches (42:10) and comedy and …

1
Episode 211: The Point of Telling 1:16:37

3M ago1:16:37

1:16:37

This week we talk about the right color palette for a variant cover (5:30), interviewing a person who will serve as a character in your story (21:50), what managing a comics project can involve (32:10), and changing the point in time a story is told (49:00).

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Episode 210: The Creative Zone 1:11:19

3M ago1:11:19

1:11:19

This week, we talk about working with an artist on art changes for a story (4:30), fine-tuning an experimental art style for a project and the essence of a style (13:45), those days that begin with staring at a blank page (20:50), coloring a cover on a tight deadline (25:20), the best study guides (32:30), and what "being in the zone" is and if the…

1
Episode 209: Little ways to Level up your story 1:24:37

4M ago1:24:37

1:24:37

This week, we recap the creative retreat and talk about finishing a first draft of a script (2:50), "doing the messy thing" when it comes to story (5:30), thinking things out in the panel stage (13:45), working on music and how it relates to writing (17:50), writing your way into a mystery, then figuring out the basics (24:40), creating thumbnails …

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Episode 208: Figuring out Structure 1:11:07

4M ago1:11:07

1:11:07

This week, we talk about those stories that feel easy to write (4:15), winding down Drawtober deliverables (18:20), figuring out structure for a short story (32:00), before we discuss the "Quest" story type (47:00).

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Episode 207: Returning to your Work 1:22:45

4M ago1:22:45

1:22:45

Fresh off a trip to Japan (Keith) and San Diego Comic Fest (Scott), we talk about a productive start to a story (4:00), working ahead against a deadline (12:00), documenting via journal and capturing creative work as you go (21:15), the highlights of San Diego Comic Fest (27:30), and a creative take on a alternate cover (48:30).…

1
Episode 206: Voyage and Return stories 1:09:35

4M ago1:09:35

1:09:35

This week, we talk about the influences that build your style (3:15), the winding path to the end of a story (22:20), and what makes finishing a first draft / thumbnails unique (30:45) before we get to this week's topic: the basic "Voyage and Return" plot (39:50).

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Episode 205: The Rebirth Story Type 1:07:31

5M ago1:07:31

1:07:31

This week, we discuss how the art comes alive when going from pencils to inks (5:15), prep work and advance work for creative projects/performances (16:20), considering story structures for a new idea (22:15), and putting work in on an overdue cover (30:30) before this week's main topic: the story type of Rebirth (36:40).…

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Episode 204: The Author Afterword 1:26:32

5M ago1:26:32

1:26:32

This week, we talk about self-imposed time constraints and how month-long projects are a performance (3:25), how a strong idea for the "next" story can make you want to finish your current story (16:15), dialing in the look for comic art (22:15), planning out next year's schedule and deciding when it's time to move on from a show (31:30), reorderin…

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Episode 203: A Career in Comics (with Ray-Anthony Height) 1:43:15

5M ago1:43:15

1:43:15

This week, we welcome Ray-Anthony Height (writer/inker of Midnight Tiger, artist for Marvel, Viz, Lion Forge, and Image) to the show and discuss a wide array of topics, including further developing a strong idea (3:00), finishing the thumbnails for a comic (10:15), prepping a visa for the FIBDA Festival (14:00), the state of the comic industry toda…

1
Episode 202: Getting Plot Ideas 1:14:26

5M ago1:14:26

1:14:26

After recapping a wild day of obstacles to recording, we talk about resizing text (11:20), thumbnailing pages for the next comic (21:00), expanding your mind by sketching plot outlines (25:15), taking on an editor role (38:20), and how surprises turn into a lightning bolt of an idea (44:45).

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Episode 201: Fandom then vs Now 1:17:52

5M ago1:17:52

1:17:52

This week, we discuss story endings (4:00), the right point in time to start your scenes (16:05), a recap of Fil-Am Creator Con (28:50), and a harrowing live draw experience (34:30) before this week's main topic: fandom now versus fandom in the past (46:00).

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Episode 200: The Pressure you Create 1:20:39

6M ago1:20:39

1:20:39

This week, we talk about dreams in fiction (4:30), thumbnailing for a comic (14:15), comic formatting nightmares (22:15), and why reading bad books are is as important as reading good books (35:45) before we discuss a real life "What would you keep" story (43:50), simplifying things, and easing the pressure you put on yourself (53:40).…

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Episode 199: Formative Ideas 1:08:40

6M ago1:08:40

1:08:40

This week, we review a packing party and an alternative to media mail (4:30), writing backwards and seeding ideas in a story (16:00), returning to a project after letting it sit for a few months (25:00), how re-lettering becomes re-wording (36:10), finding the perfect image in your old files (44:40), and formative ideas (48:30).…

1
Episode 198: Cheesy Scenes (on Purpose) 1:15:51

6M ago1:15:51

1:15:51

This week, we talk about purposefully cheesy scenes (5:30), using free time to do your less mentally strenuous work (23:00), doing critical restructuring work on a scene (29:30), how just vocalizing something can be a help (34:35), and handing off a script and receiving feedback (44:00).

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Episode 197: Making Dialogue Better 1:07:50

6M ago1:07:50

1:07:50

This week, we talk about commissions (2:30) and how they can inspire your print portfolio, when a short idea sparks something ever larger (8:00), making dialogue better through multiple edits (16:30), and signing yourself up for a massive re-lettering project (34:00).

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Episode 196: Creating a story From Scratch 55:32

7M ago55:32

55:32

It's Part Two of the Art Retreat Recap! This week, we sit down with Gary Hodges (Dinosaurs vs Marsbots) and Jim Lujan (film animator, The Full Fungus) for part two of our Crestline art retreat recap, and talk about the design and execution of sound recording for video (4:00), the value of having people live and in person for feedback (12:20), refer…

1
Episode 195: Craft Experimentation 1:13:15

7M ago1:13:15

1:13:15

It's Part One of the Art Retreat Recap! This week, we sit down with Joshua Kemble (Jacob's Apartment, Not Death But Love: the Strange, Supernatural Story of Elizabeth Barrett Browning), Scott Serkland (The Young and the Dead, Serkworks Art Labs), and Cory Kerr (Illo Talk Substack) in part one of the recap of our creative retreat! We talk about work…

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Episode 194: Comic Con Recap 1:23:24

7M ago1:23:24

1:23:24

This week, we discuss getting art back for a novel (4:15), ordering signage and prepping commissions prior to San Diego Comic Con (10:15), replacing placeholders with details, and the work that goes into those details (16:30), Selling at San Diego Comic Con (22:00), and thinking your way through an 8-page comic story (32:45) before we talk more abo…

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Max Davenport & Flobo Boyce on FIRST PLACE LOSERS 1:23:46

7M ago1:23:46

1:23:46

Max Davenport and Flobo Boyce join the show to talk about their new comic on Kickstarter, FIRST PLACE LOSERS. You can find the project here: http://kck.st/3WlMREW Follow Max on Instagram @maxdavenportyo Follow Flobo on Instagram @flobito Subscribe via: Apple | Google | Spotify Follow the Show: Twitter | Instagram @TMBCworkshop Contact: Letters@TMBC…

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Episode 193: Fusing Energy with Story 1:11:45

7M ago1:11:45

1:11:45

This week, we discuss San Diego Comic Con Prep (3:00), fusing the rawness of an original idea with the story it's blossomed into (18:00), restarting a commission (29:30), getting un-stuck on a story (38:15), and getting work done, whether it's flats or pencils (48:30).

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Episode 192: Notes on rewriting 1:16:43

8M ago1:16:43

1:16:43

This week, we talk about modifying your sales pitch on the fly (3:00), a productive art week (18:30), rewriting a synopsis so it matches the flow of a story (23:40), how everything you do informs future work (31:00), finding the right place in your comic to put key information (38:15), and coordinating shipments to arrive in time for Comic Con (41:…

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Episode 191: Scripting Action 1:11:40

8M ago1:11:40

1:11:40

This week, we discuss asking a colorist to match an existing style on a comic (2:30), finding a way to get work done (13:40) before we get to this week's topic - challenges in scripting action (25:50), dusting off an old commission to finish it (36:00), hooking into things from a first draft and expanding them (40:00), and getting inspired to write…

1
Episode 190: Marvel method 1:23:57

8M ago1:23:57

1:23:57

This week, we talk about writing as you letter (4:25), getting cover art back (19:45), how fun marvel method can be when it works (24:25), getting the most out of your pages (41:35), and anthologies (48:50).

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Episode 189: Finding Your Story 1:23:41

8M ago1:23:41

1:23:41

This week, we talk about busy pages (5:00), scripting in pencil as part of the marvel method (16:10), finding alternate printers by necessity (26:50), finding your story (45:30), finishing your contribution to a project (54:40), and getting a cover in record time (1:00:00).

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Episode 188: Booth Setup 1:13:28

8M ago1:13:28

1:13:28

This week, we talk about working on a particular challenge on a new page (3:00), using a newly familiar writing environment to write a high-levle Marvel method script (9:50), following up with a nonresponsive vendor (18:00), reminding yourself to harness that "early creation period" energy when you knew less and experimented more (22:25), collabora…

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Episode 187: Working without distractions 1:16:36

9M ago1:16:36

1:16:36

This week, we sit down with long-time friend of the podcast Gary Hodges and review the first two days of Phoenix Fan Fusion (4:45), discuss writing and editing a comic script (14:50), the different styles of soliciting feedback from test readers (20:20), thinking about booths and tabling as a fan (32:30), selling at shows and maximizing the show ex…

1
Episode 186: Daniel Hillyard 1:41:28

9M ago1:41:28

1:41:28

This week, we welcome Daniel Hillyard (Plastic: Death and Dolls, Vinyl, Plush, How I Became a Shoplifter, Narcos) and talk about removing exact references from comic scripts (5:00), working around a non-responsive vendor (12:30), the creation stages of a comic (20:00), separating books by visual themes (26:00), Daniel's start in the comics business…

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Episode 185: Industry episode Feedback 1:18:39

9M ago1:18:39

1:18:39

This week, we talk about the big thinking aspect of writing (5:00), internalizing the desire to vary pages and layouts (13:50), getting finished pages back from the artist sooner than you realize (27:30), and changing elements of your booth design and show prep (30:20) before we revisit the state of the industry with viewer feedback (39:00).…

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Episode 184: Unconscious Influences 1:16:02

9M ago1:16:02

1:16:02

This week, we discuss getting in your work when you can (3:20), a new audio project (10:30), recognizing spots of other people's influence when it creeps into your work (19:00), getting a lot of art back and revisiting a prior editor's note (30:20), staying up to date on your inventory (39:20), and gorging on culture for a project (47:00).…

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Episode 183: When to offload Work 1:07:20

10M ago1:07:20

1:07:20

This week, we talk about a wild surge of activity on a new comic (4:15) and designing a banner (18:25) avoiding the stodgy bullshit (21:30), and this week's topic: when to offload work (30:00), before we review Free Comic Book Day events (39:00).

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Episode 182: The Comic Process (with Rory Smith) 1:22:09

10M ago1:22:09

1:22:09

This week, we welcome Rory Smith (Illumination Studios, Mighty Hunters of Mythria) to the podcast to talk about the act of creation, drawing techniques, and much more!

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Episode 181: No Lazy Panels 1:09:56

10M ago1:09:56

1:09:56

This week, we talk about how much toning and grayscaling can add in the hands of an expert (3:30), today's main topic - making sure you've done your best on every panel (9:00), those moments of serendipity when you get script notes back (23:20), a backlog of commissioned covers (29:40), and the difference between an idea and a story (38:00).…

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Episode 180: The Industry 1:42:55

10M ago1:42:55

1:42:55

This week, we talk about varying up your distance when it comes to panels (5:00), getting a reminder of your limitations and your strengths (10:00), aligning on payment terms with clients (21:30), and when communication gets warped (35:40) before we discuss the state of the industry (40:00).

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Episode 179: Innovation 1:28:47

11M ago1:28:47

1:28:47

This week, we talk about an influx of commission work and the importance of being flexible (3:20), getting clarification from an artist on page art (13:45), fixing printing errors (20:00), controlling the small costs (26:50), prepping a project for a quick turnaround (31:20), and getting struck by inspiration (44:10) before we get to this week's to…

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Episode 178: Wondercon Recap 1:31:51

11M ago1:31:51

1:31:51

This week, we talk about the close of a Kickstarter campaign (4:10), changing the art style halfway through an issue (18:40), and restocking your books (27:00) before we get to this week's main topic: a recap of Wondercon (31:30).

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Episode 177: Creating Immersive Environments 1:39:15

11M ago1:39:15

1:39:15

This week, we discuss getting back art with a change in color (3:30), getting comic work in when the business side commands attention (12:00), reviewing pages from a copy editor (20:15), and ordering limited-edition books (30:20) before this week's topic: immersive environments (40:30).

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Episode 176: Adapting Prose into Comics 1:12:36

11M ago1:12:36

1:12:36

This week, we talk about approvals from other creators on a collaborative project (2:30), rewriting a story from memory (9:15) working on a cover for potential use (21:40), getting interior art and cover art back (26:00), and returning to traditional methods (29:30) before we get to this week's topic: adapting your prose story into comics (37:00).…

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