Manga journalist Deb Aoki joins the podcast this week to chat about the explosion in manga sales the past few years and what has led to it. Aoki discusses her Emerald City Comic Con experience, making connections for manga stories, how she became a manga journalist, the world of writing about manga, Japan's manga sales, speaking to different audiences, the impact of adaptations, price and accessibility, why there are always manga "booms," the amount of product, simplicity in manga stories, supply chain issues, the gifts of manga storytellers, and more.

Letterer Clayton Cowles joins the show for a conversation about his career and approach to lettering titles like Batman, Immortal X-Men, Daredevil, and more. Cowles discusses managing his expansive workload, where his love of comics started, going to The Kubert School, working with Virtual Calligraphy, his process to starting a project, how the lettering space has evolved, for-hire versus creator-owned, where challenges lie, the impact of repeat collaborators, pushing yourself, impact projects from his career, revisiting old work, and more.

The team of Charles Soule and Ryan Brown join Off Panel this week to talk about their upcoming eight issue Image series, Eight Billion Genies. Browne and Soule discuss their creative process, planning stories, the finite nature of the title, Eight Billion Genies' origins, how the genies work, Browne's artistic approach, collaboration, what they learned while making Curse Words, joke making, the title's Andrew Divoff variant, core questions to the title, whether they'd want a wish, and more. Also, a quick note for listeners: shouts to Deanna Chapman for stepping in to edit this one. She crushed it, as per usual!

In a special episode of Off Panel recorded at Emerald City Comic Con, writer Jim Zub joins the show to discuss his freshly announced and released ComiXology Originals series with artist Max Dunbar, Stone Star. Zub discusses the art of con karaoke, the con experience, Stone Star's bold release strategy, experimenting with comics, accessing the larger Amazon umbrella, downsides, what Stone Star is all about, Dunbar's art, making comics for everyone, world building, the ideal format to work in, and more.

This week's episode of Off Panel is the debut of a new format that might be appearing the first week of each month, in weeks where we're not running our standard interviews. It's Off Panel Book Club, where a guest comes on the show to discuss the past month in comics. And the first Book Club guest is Zach Jenkins, the man behind Xavier Files and the co-host of the Battle of the Atom podcast. Jenkins joins to share the story behind Xavier Files, the importance of having a niche, our five favorite comics of the month, Warren Ellis's approach, the visual storytelling from The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl, slow burn comics, the small moments of Runaways, the most surprising and confusing comics of the month, the eternal return of Wolverine, before we dive into the Big Question of the month: What would it take for the X-Men to recapture an approximation of their past glory, and does that even matter?

Artist Esad Ribić guests on this week's episode of Off Panel, as he joins to discuss his art and his upcoming Image series, VS. He discusses his path to making American comics, his influences outside of comics, the Croatian comics scene, his approach to comic art, why he's turned to creator-owned after a long stretch at Marvel, the appeal of VS, his line art getting painted by someone else, attribution of art storytelling choices, world building, the impact schedule has on his art, his Hawaii art book for Louis Vuitton, and more.

On this week's episode of Off Panel, cartoonist Becky Cloonan joins the show to talk about her work and the rerelease of By Chance or Providence at Image. She talks that book's origin story, self-publishing, why she wanted to rerelease it AND color it, the updates to the new book, the story behind the dedications in both versions, whether she has crushes on her characters, her current projects, collaboration, working with Steve Dillon, the monthly comic format, finding her voice on The Punisher, her recent focus on writing, focusing on storytelling in art, and more, before diving into five questions about Cloonan the person.

On this week's episode of Off Panel, writer/artist Chip Zdarsky joins the show to talk about the magic of comics and everything he's up to. Zdarsky discusses the first comic that attracted him to the medium, the Warren Ellis forums, the Brimper community, how Sex Criminals changed his life, the cyclical nature of comics, why he decided to handle every aspect of Sex Criminals' art, the human cost of creator-owned, expectations about him and his work because of his public persona, finding the right balance on Spider-Man, collaboration, his recent focus on writing, how much he had to change at Marvel, the unending serial, and a lot more.

On this week's episode of Off Panel, cartoonist Stephen Mooney joins the show to discuss the return of his comic Half Past Danger. Mooney talks the appeal of working on an adventure comic, how the book came together, why IDW was the right fit for it, the origins of the Half Past Danger sequel's subtitle (Dead to Reichs), trying to handle everything himself on the book, the work he did at DC, the impact that work had on him and his career, why he decided to go back to Half Past Danger, how easy it was to jump back into that world, his process on HPD, photo reference, the Irish art community, and more, before closing with five questions about Mooney himself.

On this week's episode of Off Panel, writer Kelly Thompson joins the show to talk her work on Hawkeye at Marvel Comics. Thompson discusses her path to comics, the impact of studying art at SCAD has on her writing, how Jem and the Holograms changed her career, the pressure of working on a licensed book, co-writing at Marvel, the genesis of Hawkeye, the difficulty of following the Fraction/Aja/Wu run, how her scripting has evolved while working with Leonardo Romero and Jordie Bellaire, managing fill-in artists, Julian Totino Tedesco's covers, working on the upcoming Captain Phasma book, before closing with five questions about Thompson.

On this week's episode of Off Panel, writer and editor Sebastian Girner joins the show to talk his new books, Shirtless Bear Fighter and Scales & Scoundrels. Girner discusses his path into writing after starting his career as an editor, how editing impacted his writing approach (and vice versa), the development of both of his new books, what they're all about, the magic of Final Fantasy, what made telling an all-ages story something he wanted to do, how his writing approach depends on his collaborators, the influence of 80s action movies on Shirtless, Paolo Rivera's ncredible cover for Shirtless Bear Fighter #4, the SBF mobile game, why writing comics saved them for him, and more.

On this week's episode of Off Panel, the co-creator, writer, and colorist of Image's Lake of Fire - Nathan Fairbairn - joins the show to talk the book and his experience bringing it to life. Fairbairn discusses how and why he first got into comics, why he didn't try and tackle more writing work for DC or Marvel, why he wanted to go creator-owned, the development of Lake of Fire, why faith was such an important part of the story for him, what made artist Matt Smith the right fit, why he didn't release it as a graphic novel, long-tail success, the marketing/PR side of creator-owned, what he learned during the experience, and more.

On this week's episode of Off Panel, artist Benjamin Dewey joins the show to talk his art on books like The Autumnlands. Dewey discusses his path to comics, pursuing other passions as an artist, finding yourself in your art, how much an artist's personality influences their work, comics and community, the convention experience, his art process, the importance of inking to his work, the overstated impact tools have on art, painting himself versus getting colored by someone else, taking on projects outside of The Autumnlands, before closing with five questions about Dewey himself.

On this week's episode of Off Panel, the AV Club's comic critic - Oliver Sava - joins the show to not talk Marvel's problems, but solutions to those problems. Sava discusses his reaction to AV Club earning an Eisner nomination this year, his hype levels for the upcoming Runaways book, Marvel's current state, expectations for Legacy, and the cyclical nature of Marvel and DC, before Oliver and David share their recommendations on how Marvel could fix things and the books they'd publish if they ran Marvel (with creative teams).

On this week's episode of Off Panel, the host of the comic book interview podcast Word Balloon - John Siuntres - joins the show to talk about his 12 years hosting the show. Siuntres talks the origins fo Word Balloon, his background before the show started, the impact of having so many comic book podcasts, how he developed Word Balloon's audience, monetizing podcasts, the evolution of his show, Secret Empire and the state of Marvel and fandom, getting personal with his guests, show regulars, whether he thinks its harder to develop a show now, Newsarama's impact on the show's growth, before the show comes to a close with five questions about the 12 years of Word Balloon.

On this week's episode of Off Panel, The Ringer writer Jason Concepcion joins the show to talk Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and the 2017 slate of comic book movies. Concepcion talks Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (spoiler alert like crazy!) (00:51s), whether Guardians feels disconnected from the rest of the  Marvel universe (4:55), the stingers (8:27), what worked in the movie (12:34), whether it had the best Stan Lee cameo (14:53), what didn't work (16:37), then Guardians talk (and the spoilers ends) as we talk the comic movie Mount Rushmore (22:10), hype levels for 2017's remaining comic movies (25:30), the advent of rated R comic book movies (42:09), the state of the X-Men movies (47:00), Inhumans as a TV show (49:30), why comic adaptations work and video game adaptations don't (53:45), before closing with five questions about Concepcion (59:00).

On this week's bonus episode of Off Panel, cartoonist Peter Wartman joins the show to talk his webcomic Stonebreaker. Wartman discusses his path to comics, the comic that unlocked the medium for him, the influence of video game designer Fumito Ueda, how his webcomics Over the Wall and Stonebreaker developed, his art process, the evolution of his art, the impact of being colorblind on his art, the architecture of Stonebreaker, how webcomics have changed since he started, balancing comics and a day job, the Minneapolis comic book scene, and more. Also, in case you missed it, Off Panel now has a Patreon. Support the show at Patreon.com/OffPanel and get fun rewards while unlocking bonus episodes each month.

On this week's episode of Off Panel, writer Mark Russell joins the show to talk his approach and work on comics like The Flintstones and Prez. He talks what he was doing before comics, how he was hired by DC, whether his approach might be different from other comic writers because of his lack of a comic background, his guiding principles for developing comics, the comic book learning curve, working with DC editorial, why he took The Flintstones gig, finding a new take on the classic cartoon, giving non-human characters humanity, collaborating on sequentials with Steve Pugh and Ben Caldwell, what he has in store for his Snagglepuss book, and more.

In this week's episode of Off Panel, artist Mike Norton joins the show to talk his epic workload in recent years. Norton talks what his life has been like since he wrapped Battlepug and Revival, how he balanced multiple projects at once, what he learned most from his recent workload, managing workflow, what he took away from his creator-owned work, studio life, the emotions of ending Revival, whether long runs by a single creative team are dying out, how the role of the comic artist has evolved, the changing landscape of comics, webcomics, the response to his webcomic Lil' Donnie, before coming to a close with five questions about Norton himself. One quick note: I fully botched the money Check, Please! generated on Kickstarter. It wasn't $2.5 million, it was $400,000. Still a lot of money!

In this week's episode of Off Panel, artist Jen Bartel joins the show to talk about breaking into comics. She talks about her art background, the pros and cons of art school, her path to the world of comics, the importance of just making art, the power of the internet and social media, her advice for people looking to break in, why she's focused on covers over sequential art, the reason she prefers inking and coloring over the problem solving part of art, her affinity for neon colors, merchandising, valuing your work monetarily, before the podcast closes with five questions about Bartel herself.

In this week's episode of Off Panel, cartoonist Hannah Blumenreich joins the show to talk her fan comic Spidey Zine and her work on Amazing Spider-Man #25. She talks her experience in art school, what her first foray into comics was, how she has seen her art grow as she's moved along, the origin story of Spidey Zine, the power of fan comics, the personhood of superheroes, what her process is, the restrictions of publishing on Twitter, making her way into working on Spider-Man for Marvel, how working with Jordan Gibson, Jordie Bellaire and Clayton Cowles changed things for her, and what's next for her, before closing with five random questions about her.

In this week's episode of Off Panel, cartoonist Jim Rugg joins the show to talk his upcoming one-shot with writer Brian Maruca, Street Angel: After School Kung Fu Special. He talks the origin story of Street Angel, why it's his home base book, how his art has evolved over the years, whether he thinks he has a core art style, why he likes to adventure with the format of comics so much, why he brought Street Angel to Image, the Pittsburgh comic scene, and more.

In this week's episode of Off Panel, cartoonist Kyle Starks joins the show to talk his new comic at Image, Rock Candy Mountain. Starks discusses what appealed to him about the hobo treasure hunt genre, the tropes of rail travel, researching hobo culture, when the song "Big Rock Candy Mountain" came into play, world building, the realities of hobo life, the language in the book, the impact of colorist Chris Schweizer and designer Dylan Todd, overcoming the perceptions of his "cartoony" art style, his process for bringing an issue to life, before the episode comes to a close with serious basketball talk starting around the 52 minute mark.

In the last episode recorded at this year's Emerald City ComiCon, colorist and writer Jordie Bellaire joins the show to talk her new book at Image Comics, Redlands. She talks the experience of announcing Redlands, how announcements differ between personal projects and for-hire jobs, what Redlands is all about, what made Vanesa del Rey the perfect partner for the book, how del Rey changed the book, how Bellaire's color brain influences he writer brain, why she wanted to add being a writer to her busy schedule, how she ended up in Ireland after living in Florida, why the rep of colorists has improved in recent years, and more.

In the second episode of Off Panel from Emerald City ComiCon, the Oscar nominated writer of Arrival as well as the writer of the upcoming Secret Weapons at Valiant Comics, Eric Heisserer, joins the show. Heisserer talks his comic book origin story, the difference between screenwriting and working on comics, partnering with Raul Allen and Patricia Martin, what appealed to him about the Valiant universe, bringing Secret Weapons back, why Livewire is such a fascinating character to him, how writing film scripts differs from writing comics, humanizing island of misfit toys characters, why he loves writing comics so much, what compelled him to write Arrival, his reactions to Amy Adams not getting nominated and the Oscar mixup on Best Picture, and more.

In this week's episode of Off Panel, Image Comics publisher Eric Stephenson joins the show in a special episode from Emerald City ComiCon. Stephenson talks Image's move to Portland, why there wasn't an Image Expo this year, the big announcements from ECCC, diversity in comics, finding different ways to tell stories in the medium, the devaluation of single issues, managing a publisher in uncertain times, the influx of variants at Image during its 25th anniversary, what he's most proud of from 25 years of Image, how it's changed the most since its launch, how Image's staff has helped drive its growth, and more.

In this week's episode of Off Panel, writer Daniel Kibblesmith joins the show to talk his new comic, Valiant High. Kibblesmith discusses his comic book origin story, whether he needed to dig into Valiant's history for the project, finding the right roles for each character, whether you can go too far in lampooning characters, the differences between writing for TV versus for comics, whether writing comics is a breath of fresh air given his day job, the impact of this presidency on late night, his long term view on writing comics, and more.

In this week's episode of Off Panel, cartoonist Daniel Johnson Warren joins to talk his new book Extremity. He talks Extremity's development, world building, why he needed a little something more to make his lead character work, what makes a good villain, his creative process, the advantages of traditional art for him, colorist Mike Spicer's fit on the book, Extremity's rad logo, commissions, finding joy in art, and more.

In this week's episode of Off Panel, writer Joe Keatinge joins the show to talk 25 years of Image Comics from his perspective as a reader, creator and former employee. David and Joe talk when they discovered Image, what makes Image special, 90s comics revisionist history, what his experience was working at Image, how it's changed over the years, our ten-ish favorite comics from Image's 25 years, what the future looks like for Image, and more.

In the final Image founderscentric edition of Off Panel, Image Comics co-founder Todd McFarlane joins the show to share his perspective on the story of Image. McFarlane talks the appeal of the move away from Marvel, the story behind Image's creation, the meeting at Marvel and why they went to DC after it, why he stayed exclusive to Image, how the Image deal became more appealing to others, Robert Kirkman's fit as a partner, Eric Stephenson's impact, whether Image looks as he expected after 25 years, what the biggest difficulties were in figuring everything out, and more.

In another special edition of Off Panel, Image Comics co-founder Jim Valentino joins the show to share his perspective on the origins of Image. Valentino talks how everything came together, what the biggest motivator was to break away from Marvel, why Image worked and other similar ventures didn't, why expanding beyond superheroes was important, whether it was always their intent to offer the Image deal to others, how Robert Kirkman joined up, Eric Stephenson's influence, what Image's "i" means today, how Image's role in the industry has changed over the years, and more.

In a special edition of Off Panel, Image Comics co-founder Erik Larsen joins the show to share his perspective on the rise of Image. Larsen talks the Image's story from the beginning, whether it worked because of the numbers they brought to Image, whether he expected Savage Dragon to go as long as it has, what the response to them leaving was like, what influenced the wave of big creators to Image in recent years, what made Robert Kirkman a good fit for Image, how Image has changed over the years, and more.

In a special edition of Off Panel, Image Comics co-founder Rob Liefeld joins the show to talk about the publisher 25 years after it started. Liefeld talks the popularity of the Image founders, why it needed to be more than just himself who did it, how Image came together, why Robert Kirkman fits Image so well, Eric Stephenson's role in Image's rise, whether Image's developing surprised him over its 25 years, who the heart and soul of Image is, what Image's future looks like, and more. You can read the article I wrote on Image's history and evolution, featuring Liefeld, on The Ringer.

Brian Hurtt and Cullen Bunn, the artist/writer team behind the recently wrapped The Sixth Gun and the soon-to-be revived The Damned at Oni Press, join the show this week to talk about their collaboration. The pair talks about how they first met, what appealed to them about working together, how they develop projects like The Sixth Gun, world building, getting invested in their characters, designing the world of The Sixth Gun, why they initially launched the book Free Comic Book Day, ending a longform story, where world building to go wrong, their return to The Damned, how market pressures has impacted longform storytelling, and more.

Comics lawyer Caitlin DiMotta joins Off Panel this week to talk about her role in helping some of the biggest names in comics do what they do. DiMotta shares her path to becoming a lawyer, how her background in ballet impacted her, how she first got involved with the comic industry, the importance of her role, creative transparency in deals between creators and publishers, the power of saying "no" in negotiations, whether comic creators should talk to a lawyer when making a deal, the next big frontier of comics, and more.

Writer Joshua Williamson returns to the show to talk about a little bit of everything, from the professional to the personal. Williamson talks about writing the biggest selling title in comics (Justice League vs. Suicide Squad), bringing his Image Comics series Nailbiter to a close, how the health of the comic industry impacts the way he plans his projects, revisiting Williamson's Applecart Theory because of Marvel's latest #1s, what he does with his free time, whether he gets hyped over his recent big news, his initial reaction to learning DC was bringing Watchmen into play, his take on Suicide Squad and comic adaptations overall, how his writing changes depends on the art he works with, his most impossible to resist vice or crutch, how the state of the country impacts as a writer, and more.

This week's first Off Panel of 2017 welcomes artist/writer Declan Shalvey back to the show to talk his first major moves into the world of writerdom and his return to his creator-owned project with Warren Ellis and Jordie Bellaire, Injection. Shalvey talks how the Nick Fury, Jr. story he was the writer/artist for in Civil War II: Choosing Sides came together, the excellence of Marvel editor Wil Moss, the challenges of writing and drawing his own project, the benefits of being a hyphenate, making such a short story work, the difference between scripting for himself versus someone else, how the return to Injection is going, his studio's previous intern getting his first gig, his perspective on Steve Dillon as an artist, and more.

On the 2016 finale for Off Panel, the co-owner of the Eisner Award winning comic shop Challengers Comics + Conversation, Patrick Brower, joins the show to talk about the year for his shop and the state of comic book retail as a whole. He shares how his shop did this year, what worked, what didn't, Rebirth, Civil War II, what he thinks is driving some of the retailer doom and gloom, whether he think it's different than the usual doom and gloom, what he's hearing from other shops, what he loved in comics in 2016, what he's excited for in 2017, and more.

On this week's special episode of Off Panel, frequent guest and friend of the show Brandon Burpee joins the show to talk the year in comics. Brandon and David discuss what worked for them, what didn't, what they're excited for in 2017, before breaking down their 20 favorite comics of the year.

Artist Charlie Adlard guests on Off Panel this week to talk about his work on The Walking Dead as well as his new role as the United Kingdom's Comics Laureate. Adlard talks his incredible (and expansive) run on The Walking Dead, staying engaged with such a long-running project, maintaining an ongoing schedule like he does, his layout phase (or lack thereof), how he and Robert Kirkman work together, working digitally on Vampire State Building, working with an inker after years of not, what exactly being a comics laureate entails, before closing with five questions about Star Wars, Legos, his band, and more.

On this week's Off Panel, artist John Paul Leon joins the show to talk art and his work on comic covers for books like The Sheriff of Babylon and DMZ. He talks his art background, giving fantastical worlds a sense of realism, his approach on covers, how he handled The Sheriff of Babylon, the power and importance of photo reference, the key to a quality cover, how he handles interiors, how color changes the way he approaches a piece, the freedom of comics, and more.

On this week's Off Panel, artist Ryan Stegman joins the show to talk his art and Amazing Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows. He discusses his famous stegosaurus signature, when he first realized he wanted to work in comics, the influence of the early 90s on him, why he wants to blow people's minds with his art, animation as an influence, his process, the trouble with layouts, Akira, his rare Spider-Man achievement, why Spidey is his jam, and more.

The owner of comic retailer Comics Conspiracy, Ryan Higgins, joins Off Panel this week to talk Marvel Now and where the publisher is these days. Higgins shares how he got into comics retail, what his customer base is like, his take on Marvel overall, how Marvel Now has performed at his shop, why he thinks Marvel is struggling in his store, why Rebirth has connected so well with his audience, the trouble with variants, the positives of Marvel Now, what he'd do if he ran Marvel Comics, the trouble with relaunches, how he feels about the current state of the comic industry, the perception of the direct market, and more.

Writer Vivek Tiwary joins Off Panel this week to talk the new edition of his graphic novel The Fifth Beatle. Tiwary talks his comic background, what the learning curve was like for writing comics after years in Broadway and beyond, why the story of Brian Epstein was so interesting to him, turning the story into a graphic novel and a TV series, why Andrew Robinson and Kyle Baker were perfect fits for the art of the book, balancing historical accuracy and getting the right feel for the book, why The Fifth Beatle released a paperback edition, promoting his work, and more.

Artist Paolo Rivera joins Off Panel this week to talk how he works and what he's up to these days. He talks how sculpture changes his art, bringing characters to life with his art, what his process is, why he's dialed back on drawing interiors, maintaining cash flow without that, learning to loosen up on bringing scripts to life, why he wishes he left Daredevil later than he did, the importance of ownership, and more.

Writer Shea Serrano joins Off Panel this week to talk about writing and his work for The Ringer and in his New York Times Best Selling book The Rap Year Book. Serrano talks the learning curve of writing, how he refined it as he went along, why he marries his writing with original art, how he paired up with Arturo Torres, the intent of The Rap Year Book, the importance of creating a framework for the book, his process for conceptualizing articles, how he makes writing work for him, why writing for exposure is not the way to go, the FOH army (his massive group of fans), and some hoops talk before closing with five questions about a little of everything, including John Wick, who he's looking forward to watching this NBA season, HEB commercials, and more.

Writer Tom King joins Off Panel this week to talk his work on books like The Vision, The Sheriff of Babylon, The Omega Men and Batman. He talks his experience writing Batman, what appealed to him about comics as a storyteller, his career path, how he's refined his approach as he went along, the Trilogy of Best Intentions, the "Tom King" voice or lack thereof, why consistent artistic collaborators was so important for the trilogy, how his artistic collaborator changes how he writes, baking informational structure into his work, how he views continuity, and more.

Alert! Alert! Things have gotten weird for Marvel Comics lately, between the delayed Civil War II and the uninspiring Marvel Now line, and Off Panel's here to fix everything. To do that, recurring guest Brandon Burpee joins the show to put on co-publisher hats with David and create a whole new Marvel universe line. The show starts with a discussion as to where Marvel is now, how Civil War II has impacted their reading lists, the oddness of some of the Marvel Now titles, event related confusion, how the Rebirth strategy could work for Marvel, before the main event: the Marvel fantasy draft. Ground rules are laid out, and then Brandon and David team up to draft new creative teams for their line of comics, as well as sharing their vision for why these books are the right fit for this new Marvel universe.

Chris Samnee, the co-writer and artist of Marvel's Black Widow, joins Off Panel this week to talk his work on that book and his new Daredevil Artist's Edition from IDW Publishing. Samnee talks how that Artist's Edtion came together, his approach to art, why the inking process is so important to him, what makes working on Black Widow so special, how co-writing that book changes things for him, the superpowers of color artist Matt Wilson, character acting, and more. It's a great chat with one of the best in the biz these days.

On this week's episode of Off Panel, cartoonist Brahm Revel joins the show to talk his Oni Press series Guerillas. Revel shares what the series is all about, how it developed, its long journey to completion, switching from single issues to graphic novels, how the marketplace has changed since it first launched in 2009, why the book took such a turn in the third volume, how the format and expanded timeline of the book has impacted his art, character acting, balancing Guerillas and paying gigs, and more.

On this week's episode of Off Panel, Skybound Entertainment Editorial Director Sean Mackiewicz joins the show to talk his work at the publisher on books like The Walking Dead and Invincible. He talks what his role at Skybound entails, how his role takes him into other mediums, how Skybound develops new titles and talent, their new title Green Valley, how sales viability factors into looking at Skybound pitches, how the editorial experience differs between Skybound and DC, the end of Invincible, and more.

Writer Sara Kenney and editor Karen Berger come onto the show this week to talk their new Image Comics title, Surgeon X. The pair shares what the book is all about, its origin story, how Berger joined up and what made it the one she wanted to return to comics with, the learning curve in going from film/TV to comics and from DC/Vertigo to Image, how the rest of the creative team - artist John Watkins, colorist James Devlin and letterer Jared K. Fletcher - joined the book, balancing realism with entertainment value, and a discussion about why having app for the comic was a move they wanted to do.

Cartoonist John Allison joins Off Panel for the first time this week to talk his work writing Giant Days and writing/drawing webcomics like Bad Machinery and Scary Go Round. It's a conversation that goes all over the place, as Allison discusses keeping the continuity of his webcomics work straight, how his DIY origins and page limits impacted his work on Giant Days, fostering a relationship between readers and characters, character acting in art, world building, properly handling humor, how the webcomic world has changed as the internet has, and much more.

Newsarama Editor Chris Arrant joins the show this week to talk writing about comics. Arrant discusses his comics journalism origin story, whether "comics journalism" is a proper term, the difference between his approach and that of his peers, how he made writing about comics his career, what makes for a good interview, how the landscape of writing about comics has changed over the years, recent redesigns and changes at comic sites, adapting to the changing nature of the internet, and more. As a special change of space, the five questions at the end? They're of Chris interviewing David, as opposed to the usual.

Cartoonist Andrew MacLean joins the show to talk about one of my favorite books, his Image Comics title Head Lopper. Maclean shares how the book came together, the quarterly format and doing things his way, his hyper DIY mentality, the Mike Mignola connection and influence, his creative process, making a good villain and action sequence, holding things back from readers, and more.

Writer Jim Zub joins the show this week to talk his brand new Image title that launches this week, Glitterbomb. Zub talks what Glitterbomb is all about, the horror of the reality of the story, how he works out hard storytelling beats, the amazing that is artist Djibril Morissette, how this book differs from the rest of his work, the motives of the book's lead, building hype without spoiling your own book, the incredible creative team, how important promoting your own work is in comics, before closing with five questions about poutine, Canada, Overwatch and more. Important note: there were technical difficulties in recording this episode, so there are some issues in the sound quality.  

Writer Kieron Gillen joins the show to talk a whole lot about The Wicked + The Divine, his Image comic with frequent collaborator Jamie McKelvie. The conversation actually starts with a bit about Darth Vader, before jumping into the concept of the faux cartoonist, how that idea has moved in Marvel and DC, how Team WicDiv works together, the importance of arc titles and taking risks, their Imperial Phase, and then a discussion about the recent survey they ran starting at 35:30 that touches on the makeup of their readership, variants, building a community and more. The episode closes with a quick chat about Warren Ellis' influence, before Gillen pulls back the curtain on what to expect from the Kevin Wada drawn 23rd issue of WicDiv at 1:04:00.

Writer Joshua Williamson (The Flash, Nailbiter, Birthright) comes back to the show for a special episode, as he walks listeners through the experience of developing, announcing, launching, promoting and maintaining a comic. They talk about the genesis of his upcoming book Vertigo book Frostbite with Jason Shawn Alexander, how it ended up at Vertigo, how he and his collaborators like artist Jason Shawn Alexander and letterer Steve Wands work together, Wands' contributions to The Flash and Frostbite, how the process differs between creator-owned and for-hire work, how much promotion factors in between rolling out in Previews and FOC, retailer outreach, what the week of The Flash launching was like, keeping momentum rolling in a series after launch, and more.    

This week's Off Panel welcomes AV Club comic critic Oliver Sava back to the show to talk big changes at DC and Marvel as well as everything else that's going on in comics. David and Oliver talk the constant non-change change at Marvel and DC, why Rebirth is working and why it isn't, Marvel's season model and its impact, the appeal of Valiant Comics in today's era, digital coloring and art, the impact of collaboration on comics, Oliver's personal reading history, his writing approach, his freedom in writing, his current Mount Rushmore of comics, and more.  

On the originally scheduled return episode of Off Panel, Oni Press Senior Editor Charlie Chu joins the show to talk his role and work on books like Kaijumax, Heartthrob and The Sixth Gun. Chu talks about how he got into comics, how his role differs books to book, his many hats in comics, balancing tone, working off reader expectations, comics and the current period of disruption, diversity in comics, the magic of Oni Press and more before diving into five random questions.

The Ringer's Jason Concepcion joins the show this week to talk about the pros and cons of the latest DC Entertainment movie - Suicide Squad. They talk how the movie reflects David Ayer's world view, its perceived badness versus actual badness, Jared Leto's Joker performance, where DC's movie universe stands, the potential impact of Geoff Johns on it, the movie's troubled development, Zack Snyder, buying or selling DC's film future, why Marvel excels at movies while DC struggles, Marvel vs. DC in fandom, before ending with five random questions about Overwatch, the Knicks and more.

On this week's Off Panel, Marvel editor Wil Moss guests on the show to talk about his work and experience in the world of editorial. They talk his expansive list of titles, how those books came together, his approach to casting the titles he works on, the excellence of Squirrel Girl, how difficult it is to peg The Vision with a single genre, the freedom he gives creators he works with, how he got into the editorial world, what a day in the life of a Marvel editor is like, how some specific issues come together, the artists and assistant editors he works with, where he goes to discover new creators, how his job changes depending on the experience level of the creators he's working with, how the season model changes his plans, and more. Plus, stay tuned to the end for a special message at the end from David about the future of Off Panel and what's going on at SKTCHD.

On this week's episode of Off Panel, the owner of Big Bang Comics in Dublin, Ireland - John Hendrick - joins the show to talk comics and the world of retail. In a reversal, the show starts with five random questions about Sabretooth, Ireland, drinks of choice and more, before diving into the retail world. The pair talks Big Bang's recent move last year, what makes the retail world so rewarding, comic shops as an extension of the owner's personality, the proper balance in a comic shop, the Irish comics scene, the difference between marketing comics when Hendrick started in retail in the 90's vs. now, the trickiness of ordering comics, the timing of comic releases around movies and TV shows, Marvel's problems with trades and graphic novels, the power of signings, the darkness of Twitter, Big Bang's weekly comic sales analysis tweets, his ComicsPro experience, Rebirth vs. Civil War II, how the controversy impacted Captain America: Steve Rogers #1, a demonstration of his incredible abilities of picking books for readers, and more. Want to skip straight to the retail talk? Jump to right around the 20 minute mark.

It's a big one, everybody. This week is Off Panel's double-sized holofoil, acetate edition 50th episode (with a Gambit hologram on the cover), and David's longest tenured comic friend Brandon Burpee joins the show to talk about a little bit of everything. They talk their favorite anniversary comics, what made them so awesome, why they went away, their thoughts on Captain America: Civil War, Geoff Johns' ascension at DC's film wing, their Rebirth and Civil War II excitement levels, the leak of the DC Universe Rebirth special, thoughts on major sites leaning into spoilers, how comic sites have changed in their seven years talking about comics, and then the show closes with Brandon turning the tables and interviewing David about a variety of subjects.

Today digital comics service ComiXology made a major announcement: ComiXology Unlimited is here, offering a wide variety of comics for $5.99 a month. Lots of information was getting out there and the conversation was all over the place, but what's real wasn't necessarily. So to change that, we got on the phone with ComiXology's CEO and co-founder David Steinberger to talk about Unlimited, why they named it that, their intent with this product, how it could help new and casual readers, peak comics, the selection on Unlimited, the tightrope walk of making this product a success without eating away at the rest of ComiXology, the behavior of ComiXology readers, the impact of in-app purchasing going away, how they're promoting the product, and what his hopes and dreams for Unlimited are.

Nick Dragotta, the artist and co-creator of East of West and one of the people behind the new comic creator grant Creators for Creators, joins the show this week to talk about what he's up to these days. Dragotta talks about the genesis of Creators for Creators, what the appeal of the project was for him, how East of West came together, how putting together a creator-owned book helped keep him in comics, the process he and Jonathan Hickman use on East of West, character acting, pace of storytelling, how the book's schedule works, the impact of Frank Martin and Rus Wooton on the book, character design, photo reference, where the book is headed, and more.

Skottie Young returns to the show this week, as the superstar cartoonist comes on to talk about his Image series, I Hate Fairyland. In this episode, Skottie talks his love of being a cartoonist, how he approaches creating the book, the value of figuring out the best way to tell his story on the fly, the importance of humor books staying nimble, the pros and cons of being young forever, how much of the book he figures out in the art stage, the fine line between adding too many pages to a book and restricting yourself too much, how The Good Wife explains how he's handling the transition into the next arc of the book, David's theory about the throne rooms of evil rulers, having freedom to go anywhere with his book and a whole lot more. It's a great chat with one of the biggest creators in comics about the power of comic book storytelling.

In the final episode of Off Panel from this year's Emerald City ComiCon, the co-creators of the upcoming Isola from Image Comics and part of the team behind DC's Gotham Academy - Brenden Fletcher and Karl Kerschl - talk their creative partnership and what their new book is all about. They talk their longtime friendship, mutual interests, how they work together, how Isola's been developed,where inspiration for the project struck, interest in stories that mesh the natural world with the developed world, creative freedom,what made Image the right fit for the book, how they picked the format of the book, the influence the video game Dark Souls has on Isola, the give and take of how they work, what the Image Expo experience was like, and more. Their book isn't coming for a while now, but this conversation will give you plenty of reasons to be excited for it. Important note: Karl speaks first, Brenden second, just in case you're wondering who is who.

In this week's special episode from Emerald City ComiCon, artist Wes Craig joins the show to talk about his art and work on Deadly Class at Image Comics with Rick Remender. He talks about the convention experience, how he and Remender bring the book to life, his process, his personal connection to the story, character acting, the way he brings motion onto the page, the difference between his approach on various projects, how he brings color into his own work, how the schedule impacts his work and much more. It's a great talk with, in my opinion, the best artist working in comics today.

In another Emerald City ComiCon edition of Off Panel, colorists Matt Wilson (The Wicked + The Divine, Black Widow) and Nathan Fairbairn (Wonder Woman: Earth One, the upcoming Lake of Fire) join the show to talk about the world of comic coloring. They talk the impact of being a colorist, how they got into that line of work, their breaking in stories, how many books they can handle at one time, how the project can impact their work, their approach to coloring comics, the evolution of color art, colorists as storytellers, colorists that stand out to them, the three jobs of a colorist, how they refine their work, colorists in the overall conversation of comics, and more. For those interested in color work, this is a great insight into the work colorists do.

In this week's first podcast from Emerald City ComiCon, artist Fiona Staples joins the show to talk her art. Staples talks about what first made her want to work on comics for a living, how she first made her way into the industry, the disconnect between Saga's success and what she does, her process and how she works, the mad science of creating Saga with Brian K. Vaughan, character acting, how working with BKV changes her ability to bring characters to life, relaunching Archie, her own evolution as an artist, and more. It's another shorter episode, but a good one with one of the finest artists in comics today.

In another special edition podcast recorded at Emerald City ComiCon, writer Joshua Williamson joins the show to talk his work on books like Nailbiter, Birthright and the upcoming rebirth of The Flash. He talks about his path to comics, how he develops his own stories, what he's done to prepare for defining a new era of The Flash, his epic Flash reread, how Batman Returns helped him get into comics, comic book economics, promoting comics, Geoff Johns' epic comic collection, Williamson's apple cart theory, the artists he works with, the collaborative process of comics, creative attribution in comics, reading comic reviews, why you should pick up The Flash, and more.

On the first special podcast recorded at Emerald City ComiCon this year, we have a quick chat with artist Mitch Gerads. We talk about how he first got into comics, how his design background impacts his art, why The Sheriff of Babylon is such an important project to him, how working with writer Tom King is such a great fit, how coloring himself changes his work, and much more. Give it a listen to learn more about one of the best artists and comics around today.

Jonathan Hickman guests on Off Panel this week to talk about his current and upcoming Image books - East of West and The Black Monday Murders. The conversation starts with a discussion about East of West, his comic with artist Nick Dragotta, looking at how that book developed, how the two of them work together, how far out Hickman plans, how his background in other fields impacts his writing, world-building, their recent silent issue, who his favorite character is, and what's next for the book. Hickman also discusses his recently announced title with Tomm Coker, The Black Monday Murders, why it's such an exciting project for him, how he's taking bonus content in the book to another level, how people response to the design elements in his books, and then the discussion shifts to talk about comic book economics, collection sales, what today's industry is like, how Image fits in, launching new titles at different points in your career, and much more. It's a sprawling discussion with one of the industry's best creators.

Cartoonist Faith Erin Hicks guests on this week's episode of Off Panel, as she joins the show to talk her new graphic novel, The Nameless City. She talks her insanely busy schedule, the long build to the release of the book, how it developed, why she wanted to create a trilogy of stories, visual storytelling, bringing action sequences to life, the diversity of her story, embracing fantasy elements, working with Jordie Bellaire on the book, working with First Second, the growing YA comic world, the power of Raina Telgemeier and Jeff Smith and much more.

This week's Off Panel is a rare double feature, as Christopher Sebela and Robert Wilson IV, the creative team behind the upcoming Heartthrob at Oni Press, join the show to talk their upcoming book. The pair talks how the book first came together, their creative process, Fleetwood Mac's fit on the book, researching the era of the book (and watching heart transplant YouTube videos), what they did to promote the project, what made Oni perfect partners for them, the story behind their Jamie McKelvie variant and much more. It's a great chat with an excellent upcoming book.

The team over at DC Entertainment is having a big weekend, so Brandon Burpee joins the show to break down all of the happenings. Things kick off with a discussion about today's Rebirth announcement, our initial thoughts, what books we're buying for sure, what's got them hyped, what doesn't, and then things get into the main event: a spoiler-filled discussion about Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. The pair talks what they liked, what they didn't, how they're feeling about DC's cinematic universe and much more. If you haven't watched the movie yet, you can cut out after the Rebirth talk, and there's a clear spoiler warning you can't and shouldn't miss if you haven't seen it yet.

Sina Grace, the hyphenate cartoonist behind the art of The Li'l Depressed Boy, the graphic novel Self-Obsessed and the star/writer behind a webseries based off that GN (which started yesterday!), joins the show this week to talk what's going on with him. They talk the webseries, how it came together, what the inspiration was for it, whether or not he got to diva up for it, the music of the series (and the lack of Jenny Lewis), how it was adapting his own book into a different medium, his growth as a cartoonist, what his experience as the editorial director of Skybound taught him, where he plans on taking his comics next, and much more.

Kate Leth, writer of Patsy Walker AKA Hellcat and Vampirella, joins the show this week to talk her work and the growing community of women who work in retail shops that she founded - The Valkyries. Leth talks how busy she's gotten these days, why she wanted to make that Hellcat a book anyone could enjoy, how comics have been changing recently, the freedom Marvel's given her on the book, how the character in Jessica Jones did (or didn't) impact her book, Patsy's history, gateway comics, finding your voice, Brittney Williams' prodigious gifts, how the Valkyries first came together, their growing reputation, how the retail world is changing, and then everything closes with five questions about Harry Potter, Zootopia and comics.

This week's guest is the former co-host of video show 4 Color News and Brews and podcast SKTCHD Out, Brandon Burpee, as he comes on the show to talk all things Rebirth. We talk about DC's plans, what our initial thoughts are, how they're going to handle things like "universes" and "legacy," and then we get into the main event. DC hasn't announced any of the 32 creative teams as of yet, but as with most things, Brandon and I have ideas. We split the 32 books and followed a few key rules - no writer could be on more than two books and no artist could be on more than one - and delivered the creative teams and ideas that we think would make for the best DC comics universe. Agree? Disagree? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter.

Artist Sanford Greene guests on Off Panel this week to talk his new Marvel book, Power Man and Iron Fist. He talks collaborating with David Walker and the rest of the team, the emotions tied to launching a new title, the internet's place in getting immediate feedback in your work, his personal connection to the title, the work of defining characters visually, his influences (including animation and Norman Rockwell (!!)), photo reference, the Carolina comic connection, the changing landscape in comics for artists, and much more. I could say this every time, but this is genuinely one of the best episodes of the show yet, especially if you're an art centric fan.

Marcos Martin, artist and co-creator of The Private Eye and Barrier as well as the artist on an upcoming Walking Dead special, joins the show this week to talk his art and the unique nature of his digital endeavor with Brian K. Vaughan, Panel Syndicate. Martin talks how the upcoming Walking Dead special came together, the serendipitous nature of that experience, what kind of oversight they've seen working with someone else's toys, how his hart changes with black and white and their horizontal format, the guerrilla nature of Panel Syndicate, the appeal of their release strategy, how he views print comics, Barrier and the complaints about the language barrier, challenging yourself creatively, and much more. It's a great chat with one of the best creators in comics.

Rich Johnston, the man behind Bleeding Cool, joins Off Panel this week to talk his site and the world of comics. The discussion goes all over the place, including how he first got into comics gossip, why he's an entertainer and not a journalist, how websites and news has changed, where his stories come from, breaking stories, his bar for substantiating stories, verifying and managing sources, his insane schedule, how Avatar influences his work, what's going on with DC's Rebirth, how he justifies running certain stories, and more. It's a really interesting listen with one of the most notable comic...entertainers around.

Steve Lieber, the artist of Superior Foes of Spider-Man and the upcoming The Fix, joins the show this week to talk his work, collaboration and more. Lieber shares what appeals to him about working with writer Steve Lieber, how his art had to change as humor became much more important in his work, what makes character work so interesting, the transition to digital art, the pleasure of making people laugh with his work, his Kubert School experience, the value of photo reference, Periscope Studios, whether or not he's comics' answer to Obi Wan Kenobi, Jeff Parker's badassery as an artist, the time he took on 4chan, and much more.

The team behind Shutter, Joe Keatinge and Leila del Duca, join the show this week to talk their Image Comics book. The conversation is a sprawling one, as they talk the upcoming arc of their book, the evolution of their lead and work, their process, experimenting with story and form, standing out in today's industry, the focus on what's new, Periscope Studio, Joe's love of cats, and things close with five questions, Shutter style. It's a big talk with a phenomenal creative team, and well worth a listen for fans of comics, especially of Shutter itself.

Jason Latour, the writer of Spider-Gwen and artist/co-creator of Southern Bastards, joins Off Panel this week to talk about his work, career and collaboration. We talk the difference between writing and art for him, how those two roles inform each other, his working relationships with his creative partners like Jason Aaron, Robbi Rodriguez and Rico Renzi, how growing up in the Charlotte area helped him, Coach Boss as Bill Belichick, challenging readers, Saturday morning cartoons, Spider-Gwen's success, the Carolina Panthers, barbecue, and much more.

Lazarus artist Michael Lark guests on this week's episode of Off Panel, as we talk about his Image Comics title with writer Greg Rucka. Lark discusses how the book's going, how he's handling the schedule, the depth the team goes to in the book, creator-owned comics, his process, the marriage of traditional and digital art, how his art is a happy accident, the fun of drawing comics, what appeals to him about Rucka's writing, and a whole lot more. It's a great conversation with one of the best in the business, with a ton of insight into how he works.

Comic retailer Brian Hibbs joins Off Panel this week to talk about his year at his shops Comix Experience and Comix Experience Outpost in San Francisco as a follow-up to our retailer year in review piece. Hibbs talks what 2015 was like for him, how his shops are evolving, the importance (or lack thereof) of pricing, the downturn of DC, Marvel’s mistakes, the value of handselling, the difference between his shops, whether or not there are too many comics today, his shop’s graphic novel club, and much more.

Injection's Declan Shalvey joins the show this week to talk his Image title with Warren Ellis, Jordie Bellaire and Fonografiks. The conversation goes all over the place, as the pair discusses what the experience has been like so far, where the book is headed next, how he's managed the workload, the greater control creator-owned provides, managing his schedule, the added work promotion brings to his life, putting up or shutting up in the artist credit discussion, why he does so many covers, his interest in writing comics, and then things come to a close with five random questions to help you get to know him a bit better.

Comic writer Michael Moreci (Roche Limit, Burning Fields) joins the show this week for a doozy of an episode, as the pair dives deep into Moreci's work, the comic industry, and...Star Wars? That's right. The pair talks about what's next for his sci-fi book Roche Limit, how film influences his writing, how to get and keep the attention of comic readers and retailers, the importance of being different in an increasingly large industry, personal branding, the struggle of quality of work versus name recognition when it comes to sales, sales vs. internet hype, why he and a bunch of collaborators made their own Star Wars comics, and then they close with a spoiler-rific discussion about Star Wars: The Force Awakens. It's a big talk, but an entertaining and interesting one.

Andrew WK, the musician and King of Partying, is this week's guest on Off Panel as he joins to talk comics, music and fandom. WK comes on and talks why comic books are his kind of party, the communal experience of comics and music, why comic conventions are such special experiences, the positivity and power of fandom, embracing your passions, what he enjoys about comics, how he keeps his passion for live music, his pursuit of joy in all things, and more. It's a shorter episode, but it's a good one.

David's former SKTCHD Out and 4 Color News & Brews co-host Brandon Burpee joins Off Panel this week to go proper fanboy and discuss the year in comics from their perspectives. While they kick things off with a very brief discussion about their thoughts on the X-Men Apocalypse trailer and how they're feeling right before Star Wars: The Force Awakens drops, the pair talks about where comics are in 2015, what Marvel and DC got right and wrong this year, how rising prices are impacting them, what they'd change in comics, what the biggest "HELL YES!" moment was in 2015, who their Most Valuable Creators were, what's been overhyped and underhyped, how their own reading habits have changed, and then they close with a discussion about their ten favorite comics of the year. It's a longer than usual episode, but for those listeners who've been wanting things to get a little bit more into the fan side of things on occasion, this is for you.

Shannon Watters - Editor at BOOM! Studios, heads of KaBOOM! and BOOM! Box, and co-writer/co-creator of Lumberjanes - joins the show to talk about her varying roles and what she looks for in comics. The conversation's a sprawling one, and leads to discussion about all kinds of subjects, including the importance in casting on her books, how much she reads for her job (and in life), the power of characters, the tone and sensibilities of the books she works on, the importance of aspirational characters, the truth of Katniss Everdeen, positive representation in comics, how they make Lumberjanes work, why she loves making comics for people of all ages, and much, much more. It's a great and random conversation, and one that is very interesting for comic fans of all varieties.

Jim Demonakos, the founder of Seattle's Emerald City ComiCon and the Director of Comic Talent at ReedPop, joins the show this week to talk all things cons. Demonakos takes us back to how ECCC first got started, how it's grown, the deal they made with ReedPop, how that relationship is (or isn't) changing ECCC going forward, how he works to keep conventions comic focused, dealing with the backlash to ECCC's growth, the future of cons, and much more. It's a big discussion on a subject not often talked about, and the seasoned vet of the con game gives great insight into that world.

The Beat's Heidi MacDonald guests on this week's episode of Off Panel, as she talks with David about her career as a comics journalist and beyond. They talk about how things have changed over her thirty years in the industry, the stigma surrounding comics, comics culture, her goals for The Beat, the state of things in internet and comics journalism, leading for the writers of tomorrow, and what has her the most excited about the future of comics. It's a great chat with one of the savviest people in the comic industry today.

Colorist Matt Wilson guests on this week's episode of Off Panel, as he joins David to talk the art of coloring comic. The pair talks the role of a colorist in a comic, how he works, what drives his choices, how he collaborates with his partners, what he does while he works, the increased visibility of colorists in today's industry, how his experience differs from project to project, the role of colorists as a tastemaker, the power of flatters, and much more.

Designer Tom Muller guests on this week's episode of Off Panel to talk the evolution of comic design. The pair talks Muller's background, how his role plays out on both creator-owned comics and on for-hire jobs, how comic design has grown in importance, the difference between creating covers himself and working with an artist, creating a holistic feel to a comic, the designers he enjoys, and much more. It's a chat that gives a lot of insight into the rarely looked at world of comic design, but beware, we had a little bit of a problem with Alaska's internet this week. There are some slight technical difficulties here.

Jim Zub joins Off Panel to talk the business of comics and his work on Wayward at Image Comics. Zub talks about the blogs he has put together about his work, career and financials successes, managing your brand online, how interacting with retailers has impacted his books, some of the tinkering he's done to develop the audience for his book Skullkickers, his teaching job, his collaborators on Wayward, where the book is going next, and a whole lot more. It's a really insightful chat about not just creating comics, but finding an audience for them once you do.

Writer Joe Kelly is the guest in this week's episode of Off Panel, and he joins the show to talk about his career in the past, present and future. We talk about how his animation work with Man of Action has changed his approach to comics, why he keeps coming back to them, the emotional appeal of I Kill Giants, the upcoming film adaptation of that comic, returning to Deadpool, what makes that character so very popular, his artistic partners, the resurrection of Four Eyes, and a whole lot more. It's a fantastic conversation with one of the real gems in comics.

The artist of Paper Girls, Cliff Chiang, joins the show to talk about collaborating with Brian K. Vaughan, Matt Wilson and Jared K. Fletcher on the new hit Image title. Chiang shares his thoughts on bringing the era of the book to life, what he did to research it, what working with the team is like, how his past work in editorial has helped him be a better artist, the creative freedom of creator-owned, covers, and much more.

Corey Murphy, the Director of Sales at Image Comics, is this week's guest on Off Panel, and she joins the show to talk her role at Image, how her experience as the general manager of Laughing Ogre Comics prepared her for the role, the importance of retailer outreach, clarification on the recent changes Image made in relation to variant covers, how form impacts approach, how Image stands out with retailers amidst increasing competition, and much more. It's a great listen for those interested in how one of the bigger publishers in comics works behind the scenes, with great insight from Murphy on her role.

On this week's episode of Off Panel, we have a special episode for our dear listeners as the show welcomes two guests for the price of one. Artists Tana Ford and Sean Murphy join the show this week with David acting more as a moderator, and the discussion focuses on the changing landscape in comics for women creators. The trio talk representation for women, LGBT creators and people of color, cheesecake art, empowering female creators, the importance of seeing yourself in fiction, invisible backpacks, whether women in comics panels are a good thing, comic book fandom, the importance of listening, appropriate behavior at cons, and more. It's a sprawling conversation, and one Off Panel was more than happy to host.

On this week's episode of Off Panel, David welcomes Oni Press Editor-in-Chief James Lucas Jones to the show to talk about the world of Oni. Jones talks about what his role includes, the books Oni looks for, how they tackle retailer outreach, diversity in all senses of the word, their open submission efforts they made earlier in the year, and much more. They close with a little talk about the NBA and Jones's beloved Portland Trailblazers, as well as a little talk about an NBA star's connection to a book Oni published.

On this week's episode of Off Panel, things take a turn in a different direction as David welcomes Grantland's Jason Concepcion to the show to talk comics and basketball. The pair discuss how Concepcion first got into comics, what he's currently reading, Jonathan Hickman, Rob Liefeld, why there's such an overlap between hoops and comic fandoms, and then jump into an NBA season preview done Off Panel style. That means they discuss their five League Pass picks for the season and then attempt to figure out who the comic character equivalent is to ten of the NBA's most interesting people are. Not an NBA fan? There's still plenty to love here, anyways.

On this week's episode of Off Panel, David welcomes the great John Arcudi, writer of Rumble at Image Comics and B.P.R.D. at Dark Horse Comics. Arcudi joins the show to talk Rumble, why he left B.P.R.D., the greatness of James Harren, how to make comic collaborations not just work but shine, creator-owned comics, Rumble's path to being published, genres and heroes, Raul Mondesi, and much, much more. It's a great conversation with a fantastic writer with tons of insight into the craft of comics.

On this week's Off Panel, David digs into the lesser talked about world of editors with freelance editor to the stars Sebastian Girner. He's the man who edits books like Deadly Class, Southern Bastards and Drifter, and they talk about what his role entails, how he impacts books, whether or not he can live entirely off that work, managing the chaos, the shift of focus to creator-owned cmics, his time at Marvel, continuity, fan ownership, and much more. It's really excellent insight into what comic editors really do, and recommended listening for both readers and creators.

On this week's Off Panel, David talks with the cartoonist behind the upcoming I Hate Fairyland, Skottie Young, about his first foray into creator-owned comics with his new Image book. They talk about how the book came together, his affinity for Image Comics, the quality of 90's comics, the impact Marvel had on him, humor in comics, the influence of music on his work, cultural attitudes towards media, and much more.

On this week's Off Panel, David welcomes the artist of the upcoming Plutona, Emi Lenox, to the show to talk her upcoming Image Comics book with writer Jeff Lemire. Emi's got a lot going on, though, and they cover everything, from her upcoming graphic novel Tadaima at Image, the experience that led to creating that book, her diary comic Emitown, Final Fantasy, her Patreon, haunted houses, the alphabet, and much, much more.

On this week's Off Panel, David welcomes Invincible Iron Man's artist David Marquez to the show to talk launching the future of Marvel in his big book with writer Brian Michael Bendis. It's not just that, though, as Marquez talks the evolution of his art, how digital tools changed everything for him, how digital is perceived by fans, visual storytelling, designing in comics, and much more. It's a pretty deep talk on both his work on Iron Man and his thoughts on art in general.

On this week's episode of Off Panel from SKTCHD.com, David is joined by Rob Guillory, the artist of the Eisner and Harvey Award winning comic series Chew. Rob joins the show to talk his new website, the advantages of having a strong web presence and running your own store, his art process, what it's like nearing the end of his long-running series and working with John Layman, beefcake Kirkman, his favorite character, and a lot more. As per usual, it's a sprawling conversation that should be of interest to both fans of Chew and creators looking for insight from one of the best.

On this week's episode of Off Panel from SKTCHD.com, David welcomes writer Joe Keatinge of Shutter fame and the upcoming Ringside. Joe joins the show this week to talk about the economics of the creator-owned model, what creators can get from working in a comic shop, making comics work for you, the distribution system, social media, art vs. commerce, the evolution and development of comics, and a lot, lot more. If it sounds like it's a sprawling conversation, that's because it is. But it's a very interesting and tangent filled conversation with a great creator that touches on all things comic books.

On this week's episode of Off Panel from SKTCHD.com, David welcomes Archie Comics' Senior Vice President of Publicity and Marketing, Alex Segura, who also happens to be the Editor of the Dark Circle Comics line AND an accomplished writer of novels and comics. Segura joins the show to talk the big changes at Archie, what pushed them down that path, the power of a great creative team, Chip Zdarsky and whether or not he actually is Jughead, the surreal nature of seeing his name on Pitchfork, how to market comics in 2015, and much more.

On this week's episode of Off Panel, David welcomes Patrick Brower, co-owner of the Eisner winning comic shop Challengers Comics + Conversation in Chicago. Patrick joins the show to talk about all things retail, how he and business partner W. Dal Bush started the shop, the plusses and minuses of being a retailer, how his team approaches sales, diversity, the power of Raina Telgemeier, and much more. This is a fitting pair with our longform piece on a recent retailer survey we did, and if you're a creator or someone interested in the comic industry, there's a lot to dig into here.

In this week's episode of SKTCHD.com's weekly creator-centric podcast Off Panel, David goes near Chris Farley Show in talking with Nonplayer creator Nate Simpson. Nate joins the show to talk about his book at Image, the immense detail he puts into each page, his process, wrestling with putting out the best product he can, getting details right, and because I am sure you're wondering, the story behind the delays on the book. There's a lot more talked about in this sprawling conversation, so take a listen, and we hope you enjoy it.

In this week's episode of SKTCHD.com's weekly creator-centric podcast Off Panel, David brings on someone who isn't a creator, but a journalist like him. It's Oliver Sava from AV Club, one of the best and brightest in the comic critic game. Oliver joins the show to talk about Marvel's All-New All-Different future, how the #DCYou is shaping up, the rapid recent changes in comics, the value of diversity in creators and comics, and much more. It's a sprawling conversation about what both David and Oliver would like to see more of in comics.

On this week's episode of Off Panel, David talks with writer John Layman about his process making comics, what it's like nearing the end of "Chew", the art of killing characters, Chew #50 and much more. It's an all-encompassing look at how one of Image's longest running titles is run, and for those interested in making creator-owned comics, this is something you shouldn't miss.

In this week's episode of Off Panel, Declan Shalvey (Injection) joins David to talk about making a career as a comic artist, from getting your start to finding a way to turn your dreams into a reality. It's a look at how Shalvey's career has progressed, and how he has managed to find success in the process. It's a great follow-up for those who were enjoyed last week's episode.

In the first episode of Off Panel, David welcomes comic artist Sean Murphy (Chrononauts, the upcoming Tokyo Ghost) to talk about the business of comics, creator-owned comics, how the industry is changing, working with Mark Millar, what the future holds for him and more.