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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.

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.

Recorded live at San Diego Comic-Con, Jim Viscardi sits down with Doug Wagner, Michael Walsh, Tyler Boss, Curt Pires, and Jonathan Ball to talk about the all the fun projects they have coming out and their thoughts on being a creator in the industry. The panel digs into YUMI 00EX, EXQUISITE CORPSES, RASCAL RANDY, FIREBORN, LOST FANTASY, and THE EYE COLLECTOR. The creators also discuss the rise of horror comics, designing memorable monsters, building connected worlds, and how TikTok, YouTube, retailers, and online communities are changing the way readers discover new books. Plus, some fun new teases and the panel answers fan questions!

Recorded live at San Diego Comic-Con, Jim Viscardi brings together Geoff Johns, Jason Fabok, Chris Condon, Wes Craig and Tyler Kirkham for a wide-ranging conversation about storytelling, genre and the work that goes into creating unforgettable comics. Geoff Johns shares what's ahead for GEIGER, REDCOAT, their first crossover in RADIOACTIVE REVOLUTION, and FIRST GHOST while Jason Fabok jumped in for ROOK: EXODUS, including new ROOK: WARDENS one-shots. Chris Condon discusses working with Charlie Adlard on the slow-burn horror series OF THE EARTH and returning to Ambrose County for a new chapter of THAT TEXAS BLOOD (with Jacob Phillips). Wes Craig opens up about mapping the long journey of KAYA, while Tyler Kirkham explains how FINAL BOSS made the jump from comic book to video game. The conversation then turns to the craft itself. The creators talk about letting characters change their original plans, recognizing when an ending needs more space and why spectacle means very little if readers do not care about the people at the center of it. Enjoy!

Recorded live at San Diego Comic-Con, Jim Viscardi brings together Skottie Young, Daniel Warren Johnson, Ian Bertram, Caspar Wijngaard, Sanford Greene, and Sean Gordon Murphy for a wide-ranging conversation about making comics and developing an unmistakable artistic voice. The panel also offers discussions on I HATE FAIRYLAND, CHAINKATA, THE KARMAN BLADE, THE POWER FANTASY, BITTER ROOT BLACK AND WHITE, and THE LAST DRIVER. The artists discuss the work that shaped them, the difference between studying an influence and simply swiping from it, and how their lives away from the drawing board have changed the way they work. They also dig into character and creature design, balancing detail with clear storytelling, and why your style may really be a collection of all the mistakes you made while trying to draw like somebody else. If you're a creative, this episode is for you.

The next few episodes of Let's Talk Comics are going to sound a little different because we're coming to you live from San Diego Comic-Con! For the first panel in our SDCC series, Jim Viscardi is joined by Matt Rosenberg, Patrick Kindlon, John Layman, Rob Guillory, Dustin Nguyen, and Tony Fleecs for a conversation about creating comic book characters readers will love, hate, or love to hate. The group previews some of their latest Image Comics projects, including IF DESTRUCTION BE OUR LOT, REGICIDE, GHOST BRAWLER, CROWBOUND, and FERAL. They also discuss reuniting with longtime collaborators, hiding clues in the artwork, balancing humor with darker stories, and what happens when readers fall in love with characters they probably shouldn't. How quickly does a first issue need to define its characters? Does every terrible person deserve a redemption arc? And why does making readers laugh make it hurt so much more when everything goes wrong? Recorded live at San Diego Comic-Con 2026.

This week on Let's Talk Comics, Iman Vellani joins the show to talk about her Image Comics debut, CHACHU, hitting shops everywhere August 5th. Iman has never been shy about how much she loves comics and now she is taking that love and putting it into her first creator-owned series. CHACHU was born from a whole lot of notes-app chicken scratch into something deeply personal. The series is a deeply personal coming-of-age noir, where as she went along writing it, realized how much introspection was happening at the same time. She goes in depth about the differences about approaching her work in film vs. what it takes to put a comic script together while also getting to know your collaborators (Marianna Ignazzi & Jordie Bellaire). She also gets honest about imposter syndrome, finding her own voice outside of Ms. Marvel and why she wanted the responsibility and risk of owning the story herself. Lots to take from this episode, so we hope you enjoy!

This week on Let's Talk Comics,  Trish Forstner joins the show to celebrate FERAL hitting a landmark 25th issue and how the STRAY DOGS cast have played an important role in this current arc. Trish's entry into comics was actually through a combo BronyCon and doing covers for My Little Pony. From there, she met Tony Fleecs and learned sequential storytelling while working on STRAY DOGS. She shines a bit more light on how the team of her, Tony & Tone Rodriguez developed a creative process that operates more like an animation studio than a traditional comic book production. We also get into the massive success of STRAY DOGS and how it changed her life almost overnight, the difference between its psychological horror and the more in-your-face zombie violence of FERAL. And naturally we spend a bit of time on why FERAL #25 represents such a major moment for both series. Plus, Trish discusses studying under animation legend Don Bluth, learning how to draw blood and gore, hiding character relationships in the backgrounds of pages, why animals might be the ultimate storytelling cheat code, and the emotional experience of drawing readers' pets at conventions. FERAL #25 arrives July 29.

On this episode of Let's Talk Comics, Jim Viscardi sits down with artist Seth Damoose to talk about his upcoming Image Comics series Badrock, created alongside legendary Youngblood creator Rob Liefeld. Seth is no stranger to Image Comics, having worked on Xenoholics with Joshua Williamson back in 2011, and now in 2026 he makes a return! How Seth and Rob came to working together is one heluva story. Basically, Seth took the concept of "Inktober" and put a Rob Liefeld twist on it with "Robtober." Seth would draw one Liefeld character a day in the month of October and it caught Liefeld's attention which ultimately led to drawing one of the most iconic characters in the Youngblood universe. We of course dive into breaking into comics, learning from rejection, manga influences, storytelling versus illustration, and what makes Badrock such a unique character to bring to life. We also discuss the emotional core behind the new series, the freedom of working Marvel-style scripts from Rob, classic comic cover homages, hidden Easter eggs, and why Badrock might be the perfect character for Seth's kinetic art style. Lots to learn in this one (especially if you're curious about zipatone). Don't miss it, and make sure to preorder BADROCK #1 from your local comic shop.

With decades of experience under his belt working in comics, Liam Sharp still feels a sense of wonder when bringing his creator owned world of Starhenge to life. In this episode of Let's Talk Comics, Liam joins the show for a conversation that spans his time in Darby, England, getting his start at Marvel UK in the early 90's to seeing the Image Revolution happen and then finally taking the chance on himself and doing the thing. Plus, Liam shares the story of turning down Oxford after landing an apprenticeship with legendary artist Don Lawrence, and how that set the course for his entire career. He learned that "being reliable matters more than being brilliant." Then the conversation moves to StarHenge: A Kiss for Atticus, the next chapter in Liam's ambitious creator-owned epic. There's a lot to unpack in this story and the two cover everything from how he made Merlin a science-fiction character, to how AI is a natural enemy of magic. StarHenge has become the project Liam has spent a lifetime preparing to make and even now, after nearly 40 years in comics, he still feels like he's only scratching the surface of what the medium can do. Get the paper and pen ready folks, you're going to be taking some serious notes.

Jonathan Ball and GMB Chomichuk join the show to dive deep into their upcoming Image Comics series THE EYE COLLECTOR. THE EYE COLLECTOR is a surreal cosmic horror story that has artist GMB Comichuk bending perspective and writer Jonathan Ball's storytelling in a way you haven't seen in comics in a while.  This is a story that sat with Jonathan for a while (decades even!) and the path to where it is now, why every issue was designed to feel different, and how the two creators kept pushing each other to make the book stranger, scarier, and more ambitious with every chapter will make you immediately put this on your pull list. The group also dives into what it takes to create an iconic horror monster and why it's harder than it looks. Then we get into the nitty gritty, everything from horror pacing to page layouts, color theory, and everything in between. This is a book where the monster can literally reach across panels and manipulate the reader's point of view. Want to know how? You're just going to have to listen to find out. You know the deal, if you like what you've heard, leave a review on APPLE PODCASTS, or a rating on SPOTIFY Help us get the good comic book message out to the masses. The Eye Collector #1 hits comic shops June 24 from Image Comics.