Sobre este podcast
The podcast about making comics — and making a living from comics! It's half shop talk, half how-to, and half friendship. WE SQUEEZED IN THREE HALVES. It's tips and tricks and all the joys of cartooning as a pro. So pull up your drawing chair, put on some headphones, and join us while you draw! And if you like what you hear, join our community at patreon.com/comiclab (For sponsorship inquiries: [email protected])
Episodios
Los 50 episodios más recientes de 465
- How to Be Creative, with Syndicated Cartoonist Stephan Pastis · 1 h 18 min · Episodio 465Stephan Pastis returns for a second conversation celebrating 25 years of Pearls Before Swine — this time digging deeper into how creativity works. Brad, Dave, and Stephan explore…
- 25 Years of "Pearls Before Swine," with Stephan Pastis · 1 h 30 min · Episodio 464Stephan Pastis joins Brad and Dave to celebrate 25 years of "Pearls Before Swine" and his anniversary collection, Pearls Jubilee. Instead of simply collecting his favorites…
- How to Beat Writer's Block · 59 min · Episodio 463Two weeks ago, Dave felt he was doing the best work of his career. Now, he dislikes every idea and dreads sitting down to write. What changed — and how does he get moving again?
- Tapas Is Shutting Down — Now What? · 1 h 7 min · Episodio 462What happens to your audience when the platform hosting your comic disappears? Veteran cartoonists Brad Guigar and Dave Kellett discuss the news of Tapas shutting down and why…
- WorldCon 2026 and Hugo Awards review · 1 h 7 min · Episodio 461A Hugo Award nomination brought cartoonist Dave Kellett new readers, book sales, and Patreon supporters. Five days behind a WorldCon booth brought something else entirely: A…
- How to Launch a Comics Studio · 1 h 7 min · Episodio 460Should you launch a comic studio — or are you really talking about a comics collective, a shared workspace, or simply collaborating on a project? This week, Brad and Dave unpack…
- Is there a LIMIT to comics success? · 60 min · Episodio 459Is there a limit to how many cartoonists can build successful careers—or is the real limiting factor the cartoonists themselves?
- How to Build Momentum · 1 h 2 min · Episodio 458How do you build momentum as a cartoonist — and what happens when you lose it? Cartoonists Brad Guigar and Dave Kellett examine momentum across every part of a creative career…
- How to Make a Style Guide for Your Comic · 1 h 15 min · Episodio 457When a listener asks about creating a style guide for a comic, Brad and Dave discuss the small decisions that help lettering remain clear, consistent, and easy to read — from…
- 80th Annual NCS Conference and Reuben Awards Review · 59 min · Episodio 456Dave and Brad return from the 80th Annual National Cartoonists Society Conference and Reuben Awards with stories to tell!
- ComicLab LIVE! at the 80th annual National Cartoonists Society Conference and Reuben Awards · 59 min · Episodio 455Once again, Dave and Brad brought their podcast to the stage at the annual National Cartoonists Society Conference and Reuben Awards. They were joined by Dee Fish, Terri…
- How to Succeed at San Diego Comic-Con · 1 h 2 min · Episodio 454Dave Kellett is back from San Diego Comic-Con 2026, and he brought receipts! After 27 years of exhibiting at the show, Dave just had his best Comic-Con ever — and he's going to…
- Special Guest Fran Sundblad, creator of "Tiff & Eve" · 1 h 13 min · Episodio 453Cartoonist Fran Sundblad, creator of Tiff & Eve, joins Brad for a wide-ranging conversation about creating character-driven comics, finding an audience on Reddit, and learning…
- The Worst Thing About Webcomics · 1 h 7 min · Episodio 452A listener asks us to address the downside of webcomics. We'll talk about time management, burnout, financial insecurity, and reader interactions. Then we realize that all those…
- How to Calculate Churn — and Why · 1 h 17 min · Episodio 451Is your Patreon actually growing — or are new members disguising a retention problem? Brad walks Dave through the process of calculating churn rate and shows how one number can…
- First Pages First · 1 h 8 min · Episodio 450What belongs at the beginning of your book? Brad and Dave discuss whether an anti-AI statement offers creators any meaningful protection, break down the information that belongs…
- Special Guest Dylan Meconis · 1 h 26 min · Episodio 449Cartoonist and author Dylan Meconis joins Dave Kellett to discuss marketing middle-grade webcomics, working with fans who offer to translate your work, and finding the right…
- What's the Best Business Model for Comics? · 1 h 2 min · Episodio 448Brad and Dave discuss why putting your comic online for free is still the strongest way to build a sustainable career.
- Why Some Punchlines Don’t Land · 1 h 8 min · Episodio 447Using Brad’s motorcycle-jump-over-a-ravine metaphor, the ComicLab guys discuss why wider joke “canyons” can create bigger laughs, why shorter jumps can feel merely “technically…
- Never Outsource Your Vision · 1 h 4 min · Episodio 446It's one of the easiest traps for independent creators to fall into: Outsourcing important business or creative decisions to reader polls. Audience feedback can be useful, but…
- Surviving Your Own Success · 1 h 2 min · Episodio 445Brad and Dave discuss what happens after a cartoonist achieves the dream: Making a living from comics. They explain why success can create its own time-management problems, how…
- Exclamation points!!! · 1 h 1 min · Episodio 444What seems like a simple question about exclamation points opens up a much bigger discussion about the power of comics lettering. Brad and Dave talk about punctuation, word…
- Alaska Comics Camp 2026 · 1 h 17 min · Episodio 443Today’s show is sponsored by Huion, makers of the Huion Kamvas 22 (Gen 3)! Dave returns from Alaska Comics Camp with a glowing review of what he calls one of the most meaningful…
- Hiring a Social Media Manager · 1 h 12 min · Episodio 442Brad and Dave discuss the pros and cons of outsourcing social media and ultimately argue that most creators should handle it themselves.
- Quiet on the set! · 1 h 0 min · Episodio 441With both Brad and Dave nominated for awards this year, the guys spiral into a surprisingly deep conversation about awards, marketing, ego, and whether creators should plaster…
- Is the comic strip dead? · 1 h 5 min · Episodio 440The newspaper comic strip didn't go extinct — it evolved. But if your work doesn't keep up, your career may be fossilized! From Reddit-ready square comics to vertical-scroll…
- Keeping it Short — Making a Living 40 Pages at a Time · 55 min · Episodio 439Today's episode is sponsored by Huion! Go to https://comiclabshop.com and use code COMICLAB5 for an exclusive 5% discount! (Valid through June 14th.) Brad and Dave tackle a…
- Writing Funny Words Funnily · 1 h 5 min · Episodio 438A listener asks whether some words are inherently funnier than others — and it opens the door to a deep dive on word choice, dialogue, and how to make jokes land harder. Brad and…
- Nobody Has Ever Made a Living in Comics · 1 h 2 min · Episodio 437A Bluesky thread where cartoonists shared their financial realities unintentionally became an echo chamber of discouragement. Brad and Dave explain that self-selection bias skews…
- I've got an audience... now what do I DO with them?? · 1 h 0 min · Episodio 436Today’s show is sponsored by Huion — go to https://comiclabshop.com and use the code COMICLAB5 to unlock an exclusive 5% discount! On Today's Show: Your comic is gaining traction…
- Reclaiming Our Power · 1 h 9 min · Episodio 435Today’s show is sponsored by Huion, makers of the Huion Kamvas 22 (Gen 3). The platforms we trusted to grow our audience have pulled the rug out from under us, and it’s time to…
- Making a Splash (Page) in Comics · 1 h 1 min · Episodio 434Today’s show is sponsored by Huion, makers of the Huion Kamvas 22 (Gen 3) — go to https://comiclabshop.com and use the code COMICLAB5 to unlock an exclusive 5% discount! On…
- I've been framed! (...in a gallery) · 1 h 0 min · Episodio 433In this episode, veteran cartoonists Brad Guigar and Dave Kellett tackle a question every cartoonist eventually asks: Where should I invest my time and energy? From gallery shows…
- Work-Life Balance · 1 h 17 min · Episodio 432Veteran comic artists Brad Guigar and Dave Kellett kick things off a discussion about something every cartoonist wrestles with: Work-life balance. If you’re juggling a day job…
- How to Start a Webring · 1 h 1 min · Episodio 431Cartoonists Brad Guigar and Dave Kellett tackle a surprisingly practical question: How do you start a web ring for comics creators? With social media platforms becoming less…
- How to Make Friends and Influence People. And Cartoonists. · 1 h 14 min · Episodio 430Making friends in the comics community can be... complicated. After all, we're kind of an introverted bunch! When it comes to social interactions, Brad and Dave have made all the…
- Concept vs. Conceit — Why Some Comic Ideas Take Off (and Others Stall) · 1 h 10 min · Episodio 429Brad and Dave break down one of the most important (and misunderstood) distinctions in storytelling. A concept is the engine that drives your story forward. A conceit is a clever…
- Special Guest Dylan Meconis — How to Color Comics with Physical Media · 1 h 1 min · Episodio 428We invited our friend Dylan Meconis to explore various topics including coloring techniques, the integration of digital and traditional media, and the importance of choosing the…
- Comics Will Break Your Heart (And So Will Dating) · 56 min · Episodio 427A listener writes in after a breakup, worried they’ve lost their creative spark for good. Brad and Dave unpack the emotional toll of heartbreak, why creative paralysis is normal…
- Nothing to Fear but Fear Itself. And Kickstarter Scams · 1 h 1 min · Episodio 426The Mel Brooks documentary, "The 99-Year-Old Man!" holds a lot of wisdom for cartoonists. Speaking of wisdom, it doesn't take much to avoid these common Kickstarter scams.
- The Readership of Theseus · 1 h 24 min · Episodio 425Cartoonists Brad Guigar and Dave Kellett dig into the many ways we react to humor — from full-on belly laughs to the silent internal “that was good” response. Later... why you…
- Five Lessons from a Publisher in Crisis · 58 min · Episodio 424An online publisher has become the center of some genuinely alarming stories. Brad and Dave break down five hard lessons comic creators can learn when a publisher shows signs of…
- Should you judge a book by its cover? · 1 h 1 min · Episodio 423A listener asks: "Should you judge a book by its cover?" Cartoonists Dave Kellett and Brad Guigar say... YES! Next, a cartoonist who is too embarrassed to promote his own work…
- How to Start a Webcomic in 2026 · 1 h 40 min · Episodio 422Starting a webcomic in 2026 isn’t about chasing algorithms or copying what’s popular — it’s about building something sustainable, creative, and yours. In this episode, Brad…
- Why don't you do MORE?!? · 1 h 3 min · Episodio 421Are Brad and Dave not doing enough? A listener question sparks a candid conversation about creative bandwidth, sustainability, and why “doing more” isn’t always the smart — or…
- Predictions and Goals for 2026 · 1 h 43 min · Episodio 420Cartoonists Brad Guigar and Dave Kellett make their predictions for 2026 and share their goals for the new year. Also — they share their annual reminder to shop the Comicraft New…
- 2025 in Review — Predictions and Goals · 1 h 24 min · Episodio 419Today's show is sponsored by Huion! At the beginning of the year, cartoonists Dave Kellett and Brad Guigar made their predictions for the coming year — and set goals for…
- Print on Demand... When There's No Demand · 1 h 10 min · Episodio 418Today's show is sponsored by Huion! Cartoonists Brad Guigar and Dave Kellett discuss the nuances of print-on-demand services. As Brad says, "It's a good place to start, but a bad…
- Special Guest Rick Kirkman and Jerry Scott from "Baby Blues" · 1 h 19 min · Episodio 417Syndicated cartoonists Jerry Scott and Rick Kirkman share their journey of collaboration that spans over 35 years, focusing on their iconic comic strip, "Baby Blues."
- What's the Best Platform for Audience Building? · 60 min · Episodio 416Where should you post if you want to build an audience? Substack delivers unbeatable audience-building tools... but it has some drawbacks. Bluesky is active... but small. Webtoon…
