Ep: 145 What Does It Take to Make an Indie Comic? Jesse & Joe Explain
What does it really take to create, publish, and sell an indie comic book?
On this episode of Talkin' Comics, AJ Reimann sits down with Jesse of Dinosaur Comics and Joe Soliz of Child's Play Comics for a wide-ranging conversation about the realities of making independent comics.
Joe talks about creating How to Hunt a Hero, Malia Mayhem, and Fanny, while Jesse shares the story behind Jankla, Teen Strike, Dinosaur Planet, and his journey from more than 25 years in the video game industry into comics.
The conversation covers:
How indie comic creators get started
Turning ideas into actual comic books
Kickstarter comics and crowdfunding
Selling comics at comic conventions
How to price independent comics
Why $5 comics can be a powerful entry point
Creating issue zero books
Making comics for kids and teens
Manga-sized comics and compact editions
The growing indie comics scene
Comic conventions, schools, and libraries
Writing, art, character design, and storytelling
How a video-game career can lead into comics
Favorite comics and characters
The challenges of marketing independent comics
Joe explains how their short issue-zero format grew into an affordable way for readers to discover their books, while Jesse discusses how his comics have performed at conventions and how he's thinking about future editions.
We also get into the importance of making comics accessible to younger readers, including all-ages books, activity books, manga formats, and school/library events.
If you're a comic book fan, aspiring comic creator, indie publisher, Kickstarter creator, artist, writer, or convention-goer, there's a lot here for you.
Host: A.J. Reimann https://linktr.ee/Talkin_Comics_Podcast
Guest: Jesse Sosa @skankerzero https://dinosaurentertainment.com/
Guest : Joe Soliz https://www.facebook.com/childsplaygamesandgeekery https://childsplaycomics.square.site/
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⏱️ Chapters
00:00 – Welcome to Talkin' Comics
03:35 – Jesse's Journey From Video Games to Comics
10:52 – How to Hunt a Hero & Building Indie Comics
12:34 – Malia Mayhem & Fanny
18:00 – Jankla and Selling Comics at Conventions
20:48 – Comic Conventions, Schools & Libraries
24:01 – All-Ages Comics & Dinosaur Planet
26:45 – Why Manga-Sized Comics Are Growing
32:17 – Discovering the Love of Writing
35:11 – From Video Game Art to Comic Book Art
39:03 – The Hardest Part of Making Comics: Marketing
41:31 – The $5 Comic Book Strategy
45:07 – First Comics & Favorite Characters
49:36 – Indie Comics vs. Marvel & DC
1:04:43 – The Ultimate Comic Book Universe Question
1:18:40 – Comic Conventions, Free Tables & What's Next
1:20:35 – Upcoming Kickstarters & Future Comics
#TalkinComics #IndieComics #ComicBooks #ComicBookCreators #ComicCon
Music licensed through Soundstripe.
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