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Dash Shaw joins me to chat about his latest book from New York Review Comics, Like Swimmers. It’s a colourful work that looks at a difficult moment through different perspectives. His previous work Blurry was one of my favourites when it was released and rereading it for the interview was a delight and still just as engaging and pulling me in. Dash is a cartoonist who keeps pushing his work further and into different directions with each successive book. I am always excited to see what he is doing. This podcast is brought to you thanks to support from the Canada Council for the Arts. If you would like to send comics for me to check out, please mail to. I am always happy to see new work. Inkstuds#2147 – 720 Sixth StNew Westminster, BCV3L 3C5Canada

This week, we have Blind Alley cartoonist, Adam de Souza in the hosting chair to talk to a cartoonist that really excites him. I think he made a great choice. Both Adam and Caroline are in top form and it’s great to hear them exchanging ideas. From Adam – Caroline Cash has been on what can only be described as a hot streak. Cash has won an Eisner award for her solo-anthology series Pee Pee Poo Poo, been tapped to write two Adventure Time comics, and is now inhabited by the ghost of Bushmiller as she works as the new cartoonist behind the Nancy comic strip. Her comics are undeniably cool. Her work is funny and her cartooning is extremely elegant. She pays homage to the greats while forging her own path. Finally — and foremost — she’s a great hang, so when Robin asked me if I would be interested in doing a guest interview for Inkstuds, she was the first person who jumped to mind. This podcast is brought to you thanks to support from the Canada Council for the Arts. If you would like to send comics for me to check out, please mail to. I am always happy to see new work. Inkstuds#2147 – 720 Sixth StNew Westminster, BCV3L 3C5Canada

Raquelle Jac’s debut graphic novel from Fantagraphics is a bit of a force of nature. Bimbo Agitprop is one of the most personally revealing books I have read in quite some time. It’s over 300 pages catharsis that just keeps you moving and pulling you in. I was really struck by this book and Jac’s ability to be so forthcoming about an intense and difficult upbringing. Her comics have an incredibly immediate feeling to them where she is able to bring across so much emotion and heart. One of my favorite books I have read in quite a long while. I think it’s an important work applaud her ability to be so open and just put this all out there. This podcast is brought to you thanks to support from the Canada Council for the Arts. If you would like to send comics for me to check out, please mail to. I am always happy to see new work. Inkstuds#2147 – 720 Sixth StNew Westminster, BCV3L 3C5Canada

Jaik Puppyteeth is a Vancouver based artist who has been making some fantastic comics that occupy a beautiful place where Chester Gould meets Divine. His latest comic, The Cursed Ring: Part One, is the first part of a longer story. Jaik has gotten a lot of attention in the past for his striking singular images and gags, but more recently, he has been more focused on longer comic work. It’s been really neat to watch him take his practice in different directions and taking his level of skill and really diving into comics work that is both current and pulls from older traditions. This podcast is brought to you thanks to support from the Canada Council for the Arts. If you would like to send comics for me to check out, please mail to. I am always happy to see new work. Inkstuds#2147 – 720 Sixth StNew Westminster, BCV3L 3C5Canada

Welcome to a special guest-hosted episode of Inkstuds. Our host, bailey macabre (they/them), is an transdisciplinary atrust, writer, and comic artist. They got to sit down with their friend Whess Harman, a multidisciplinary artist, curator, and comic creator. As two artists deeply rooted in comics, community-building, and storytelling, this conversation feels less like a formal interview and more like witnessing a warm conversation between friends. In this episode, they unpack Whess’s incredible artistic practice, looking at their inspiration, what they’re currently working on, what’s next – and even delve into the state of the art world at the moment. They talk about the beautiful, chaotic reality of DIY spaces, the strategic use of humor and joy in contemporary art, and the creative discipline it takes to simply “keep going” in spite of it all. Whether you are a dedicated comic book fan, a fellow creative, or someone passionate about grassroots resistance through art, this dialogue offers an intimate look at what it means to create space for your people on the page. Press play and join them in the pit! This podcast is brought to you thanks to support from the Canada Council for the Arts. If you would like to send comics for me to check out, please mail to. I am always happy to see new work. Inkstuds#2147 – 720 Sixth StNew Westminster, BCV3L 3C5Canada

It’s been really excited to Adam De Souza‘s rapid development as a cartoonist. Over the post 5 years, he has been prolific in sharing deeply personal and thoughtful comics. His first big book is The Gulf, which came out from Tundra Books in 2024. It tells the story of a difficult life transition in a beautifully poignant way that showcases place and experience in a fantastic way. It’s a YA book that doesn’t feel like it’s trying hard to YA, it’s just the way the story fits organically. The past 4 years he has also been putting out his Blind Alley comic strip, a meditative work that captures the messiness of childhood moments of strangeness, learning and finding your own voice. Lastly is the first big book, Mutt, which is an anthology that ties into other work or takes space to try different things that fit into his wider narrative. I think Adam is a terrific cartoonist and am excited for whatever he decides to do. I seem him continuing to take his work in different directions and find how the story beats in comics can be moved and moving. This podcast is brought to you thanks to support from the Canada Council for the Arts. If you would like to send comics for me to check out, please mail to. I am always happy to see new work. Inkstuds#2147 – 720 Sixth StNew Westminster, BCV3L 3C5Canada

With the return of Inkstuds comes a return visit with Katie Skelly. Katie’s latest work, Heaven, is a fantastic exploration of life, friendships and chaos. Her latest work feels very personal in a lot of ways, exploring a very awkward point in a young woman’s life. In some ways, it’s a coming of age comic, but it completely avoids any of the YA trappings and stays honest to her voice and comic work. We also discuss Katie’s fantastic Viscere anthologies. I was really blown away by the depth of the work in those collections. They provide a great snapshot of contemporary cartoonists making work on difficult subjects in an engaging and challenging way. Katie also has a new Bad Girl Tarot deck out which is in the last stages of a Kickstarter campaign. This podcast is brought to you thanks to support from the Canada Council for the Arts. If you would like to send comics for me to check out, please mail to. I am always happy to see new work. Inkstuds#2147 – 720 Sixth StNew Westminster, BCV3L 3C5Canada

Cam Collins is someone whose work really wasn’t on my radar. I haven’t really been keeping up on new cartoonists and thankfully the grant supporting Inkstuds has allowed me to bring on folks to help me see new work I should be more aware. One of the first suggestions was Cam Collins. Cam’s work is really fascinating to me. It sits in unique place where he is creating a really conceptual comic world. His work is spread between comics, comics that take place in comics and his video games. I really appreciate how he is pushing himself creatively to take his work in different directions, be from a whole other world but also feeling uniquely personal. This podcast is brought to you thanks to support from the Canada Council for the Arts. If you would like to send comics for me to check out, please mail to. I am always happy to see new work. Inkstuds#2147 – 720 Sixth StNew Westminster, BCV3L 3C5Canada

I have always really enjoyed Tillie Walden‘s comics. I read them as soon as I get them. Her work is really beautiful seamless cartooning. Her latest book, Charity and Sylvia is an historical narrative about their lives and love together. Charity and Sylvia were a queer couple in early to mid 19th century rural Vermont. Tillie brought their story to life utilizing a range of different historical records including their own letters. It’s a very personal and intimate book that honors their story in a way that shows a lovely respect for their lives and how they lived. But it’s also a comic, in the way that Tillie is able to showcase the unique ways that comics can evoke feelings and emotions that adds to the impact of the work. Charity and Sylvia is her first published work for Drawn and Quarterly. The book as a physical object itself, also serves to brightly showcase and create an object of permanence.

Zoé Jusseret is a Vancouver based Belgian cartoonist that is currently published by Conundrum Press in Canada and Frémok in Europe. Zoé’s work is a complex form utilizing her own practice of mono-print to create these beautiful images that connect together as a complex narrative that explores ideas and places. Her first book came out in 2017, Qui Mange Des Couteaux (translates to Who Eats Knives) which is being rereleased in a larger format. Her latest book, About the Little Ones is out now.

Kim Deitch’s latest book, How I Make Comics, continues his tradition of great fantastic tales that he weaves his own history into a narrative that takes you to places you won’t expect. Kim has been professionally creative for 60 years now. in 1966, he pursued a career of art and hasn’t looked back. There is something about the imaginative wonders in Kim Deitch’s work that keeps pulling people in and engaging with his work. He’s also been interested in telling a good story. There is a lot to explore with Kim’s vast history of comics and the way his stories can interconnect, but it’s done in a way where you can read one book and get so much out of it without knowing other stories. How I make Comics really dives into his process while also exiting in his own unique comic book reality. I first interviewed Kim probably more than 15 years, so it was nice to get caught up with him again and see how is process has changed and also coming into a period of reflection. This podcast is produced with the support of the Canada Council for the Arts.

In the process of restarting the podcast, I wanted to do interviews were I reconnected with guests that I haven’t spoken with in quite some time. I am sure it has been more than 10 years since the last time that I had interviewed Michael Deforge. Over those years, his work has continued to excite. His comics are never static, they are constantly forming and shaping, telling stories in a way that challenges the reader to take time to see the play between his language and art. Michael’s creative voice is beautifully singular and always refreshing. His latest work from Drawn and Quarterly, All the Cameras in My Room, is anthology of short stories that feel very present and vital. He is actively navigating, organizing and participating in his world. This work feels very informed by current experiences but in way that makes it timeless. These struggles aren’t new, but they are universal. I took a lot from this book and really spent some time soaking it in after. This Inkstuds episode is sponsored by the Canada Council for the Arts.

Welcome to a new year of Inkstuds. This episode is the first of a year of episodes that are supported by funding by the Canada Council for the Arts. With this funding, I am able to pay every guest for taking the time to chat with me about their work. I have also brought on a couple of folks that are able to provide me with guidance in terms of curatorial choices. With their support, I hope to be exposed to newer cartoonists that are making exciting and forward thinking work. Every guest on the show is very specifically chosen. I will be focusing the podcasts over the year on direct conversations with artists. The show will also have a selection of specially selected guest hosts that will be paid for their participation. I chose Anand as the first guest during this incarnation of Inkstuds because of how strongly I feel about his work. Zoo is one of my most favorite contemporary comics. His work is smart, funny and imaginative. For such a small body of work, Anand’s comics have landed squarely on my immediate read stack. There is a collection of the first 3 issues, as well as issues 4 and 5, which you from Bubbles and better comic stores.

I was visiting Winnipeg in the fall last year to visit different Winnipeg based underground artists. Since I had a little bit of flexible time, I also did a couple of interviews in the off chance I got around to posting interviews again. This is the second of those interviews, the first being the previously posted Nick Burns interview. Robert Pasternak was a name that came up quite a lot in conversations with different artists in Winnipeg. His work is quite imaginative and exists in different facets of his lived experience. His home has 2 rooms on the floor that are dedicated to art making. One one side of the attic is his painting studio, a wide open room with a large canvas and some finished pieces a long the wall. When we go to the other side of his attic, we see his comics studio. This is a crammed space devoted to creating objects that are both fueled by novelty and being explored as ways do demonstrate his present. he creates these small meticulous formal/experimental comics that come rolled up like a candy cigarette in a pack of popeye style package. His work is focused and playful, showing a certain level of restlessness. He’s similar to Seth in that way that he needs to explore these other parts of himself and his memory to create work that infuses all these pieces. I am really glad I took the time to visit Robert and get to see his work and how he works. Winnipeg is a really unique spot for artists. There is still a lower cost of living, which means folks are able to spend more time on their work and less time hustling to find a living. Because of the extreme winter, folks are forced to stay indoors for half the year. There is no option but creation or madness. And sometimes the two dovetail quite nicely.

I have been doing a lot of research into the history of Canadian comics, focusing on work from the late 1960’s to the early 1990’s. My research took me on a trip to Winnipeg, where I got a chance to visit different cartoonists and chat about their work. Winnipeg is an interesting town since the cost of housing is still quite minimal, especially compared to where I live in Vancouver. This means that artists have been able to focus on flourish. Nicholas was the first cartoonist I saw during my visit, giving me a good run down of the city and comics community. I had been in touch with Nicholas for a while, getting back ground info on some of the work I am researching. He’s a really passionate creator with a love for his community and the people he has gotten know. It had been a while since I had sat down for a wide ranging conversation like this, so I appreciate him taking the time to chat with me. Nicholas Burns’ work is most recognized for Super Shamou, a character crated by Inuk tv producers, Barney Pattunguyak and Peter Tapati. Burns’ wrote and drew the singular issue which also had translations in Inuktitut. He also created on Arctic Comics which was published for Expo 86 here in Vancouver and can be found pretty widely in regular comic stores. There is also a more recent Arctic Comics anthology of work by different creators.