Off Panel: A Comics Interview Podcast

Cartoonist James Stokoe joins the show to talk his career in comics and his approach to art. Stokoe discusses working from a computer, his comic and art origins, his earliest comics, what stood out about the medium, the artists and projects that moved the needle for him, the power of internet forums, the evolution of his art, looking back on his work, the value of original art and commissions, the detail of his pages, his process, pitching licensed books, the impact of restrictions, the control of comics, how he decides on projects, the value of freedom, how his interests have evolved, how he thinks of pages, keeping his passion for comics going, and more.

Retailer Aaron Trites joins the show to talk about the origins of and year in his San Diego based comic shop, Now or Never Comics. Trites discusses his own fandoms, his path to opening Now or Never, its location, the development of the shop, the year so far in his shop, market trends, what's leading the way, the single issue boom, the spread of new readers, the speculation world, handselling, superstar artists, Marvel's struggles, the changes at Marvel, the overall health of the market, the power of passion, and more.

Writer Mark Waid joins the show to talk about his life and career in comics and the new Zoop campaign designed to fund a hardcover for his series, Empire. Waid discusses how he works, cliffhangers, his approach to new projects, his character-centric nature, focusing on problems, staying active as a writer, whether he's evolved, staying open to change, the comics of today, staying outside the box, the power of comic shops, the current era of DC, the return of Empire, out of print books, the new collection for Empire, Barry Kitson, the story's darkness, art imitating life, tips for creators, and more.

Writer Dave Wielgosz joins the show to talk about his journey from comics editorial to writing comics and his new series at Ignition Press, Showdown. Wielgosz discusses the build up to release, his comic origins, the 2000s in comics, making his way into comics and DC editorial, becoming a master of continuity, the key to being a good editor, relationship management, the origins of Showdown, the market's influence on his work, revenge stories, collaboration, the title's creative team, the different sides of his brain, what he's learned from Showdown, his ideal project mix, and more.

Writer Matthew Rosenberg joins the show to talk about his new book, If Destruction Be Our Lot..., and his approach to comics overall. Rosenberg discusses hitting podcast row, The Mets, the origins of If Destruction Be Our Lot..., the medium it ended up in, the complexity of Abraham Lincoln, the book's art team, collaboration, the impact of time and money, its extra sized first issue, the power of character, his promotional efforts, speculation, taking over Spawn and King Spawn, figuring out the right approach for those books, finding the right mix, his public advocacy for comics, and more.