Comics Coast To Coast

On this episode of Comics Coast To Coast we talk to Travis Hanson about The Bean and follow up to Travs latest Kickstarter project: Adventures For A Lazy Afternoon. andnbsp; The Bean by Travis Hanson http://www.beanleafpress.com/ About Travis: http://www.beanleafpress.com/?page_id=2 I am an artist and storyteller. I have been illustrating professionally for about 15 years now. I am also a father of 5 incredible kids, and husband of a beautiful enduring wife. “the Bean” is my story. Published both as a webcomic and as printed graphic novels. In 2011 Bean was nominated for an Eisner in the “Best Digital”. That was a huge motivation to keep the story going. I am lover of fantasy art and epic story telling. I am also a believer that “If you truly want something bad enough, you will find a way to make it happen.”. I also believe that it is our responsibility to teach others how to achieve their dreams as well. Yet, in the end it really comes down to how bad do you want to see your own dream happen. I won’t give it to you. It has been a long hard road so far, but so worth it. I love creating stories and I love sharing them. My influences over the years and in no order are James Owen, J.S.Lewis, Daniel Davis, Jason Brubaker, Spike, William Stout, Charles Vess, Stan Sakai, Jeff Smith, Wendy and Richard Pini, and so many more. They have each given me a little inspiration, some sound advice and incredible work ethic to follow. So keep creating and enjoy the ride. Current Kickstarter! http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/488571414/adventures-for-a-lazy-afternoon andnbsp; Dont forget to listen to all the great podcasts on the Frog Pants Network. As always, you can find our show by clicking the link below, or if you want to take us with you, you can download us from iTunes. Download MP3 Enter your email address to subscribe to feed:Delivered by FeedBurner Show Notes: andnbsp; Congrats on Adventures for a Lazy Afternoon. Still a few days left and you are already at 300% of set goal. Pleased? Did you celebrate the day you funded? What did you do? When does the real work begin? Brian How is your new years goal of 20 pages a month going for book 4? Brian Inking on Velum was the topic of a recent YouTube video you posted. What are the risks vs reward in this process? Brian http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sn-G52vz5Ws What size? Joel With three books available now, have you made any move towards giving readers the option of a digital version? Joel Do I detect a fellow Elfquest fan? Matt Your story has a leisurely pace to it that I love, but I know its not everyones cup of tea. Have you had any complaints? Matt I get the impression that, unlike a lot of artists I know, you really love doing backgrounds. Am I wrong? Matt http://www.williamstout.com/ You give some good advice about backgrounds when you posted this comic. What was on your mind? What spurred that thought during the comic? Brian http://www.beanleafpress.com/?p=4355 You have a character who speaks all in ryhme. Were you kicking yourself for that decision after a while? Matt Follow the guys on Twitter: Brian, Joel, Matt and Denver Special thanks: Scott Johnson (http://myextralife.com), Sebastiaan (The Mashup Man) for our Mashups, Nicole Spagnuolo (http://nicolespag.com) and everyone behind the scenes andnbsp; Official Note Taker:

On this episode of Comics Coast To Coast we talk to Ben Towle about his tales of Oyster War andnbsp; Oyster War By Ben Towle http://www.oysterwar.com About Artist: http://www.benzilla.com/?page_id=132 Ben Towle is an Eisner-nominated cartoonist whose most recent book Amelia Earhart: This Broad Ocean (with Sarah Stewart Taylor), a graphic novel for young adults, was released by Disney/Hyperion Books in 2010. The book has received accolades from such publications as The New York Times and Publishers Weekly and was a Junior Library Guild selection. His previous work includes the historical fiction graphic novel Midnight Sun as well as an earlier volume of comics folk tales, Farewell, Georgia, both from SLG Publishing. He’s currently working on the webcomic, Oyster War. Note from Joce: There is a whole lot more info on the About Me page, I just didnt want to copy it all in here :) andnbsp; Dont forget to listen to all the great podcasts on the Frog Pants Network. As always, you can find our show by clicking the link below, or if you want to take us with you, you can download us from iTunes. Download MP3 Enter your email address to subscribe to feed:Delivered by FeedBurner Show Notes: andnbsp; Can you give us (and listeners) the basics on Oyster War. Joel Your other works fall in historical function. I take it Oyster War is the same? (Forgive me, my American history is crap.) Joel So I have to ask, why oysters? Joel Follow up: Did you have to do a lot of research before/while writing Oyster War? Who are your current cartooning influences? (Long list? Your top three or four.) Joel You use a wide range of colors on Oyster War, not all of them obvious choices, how do you select your color pallet? Joel Follow up: (comment) Great use of color for highlight/communication on Page 43. How do you come up with your characters names? Historical influence as well? Joel John Clark Monk sounds like an... Interesting fellow. Based on a real story/legend or all you? Joel tools of the trade: how do you draw the comic? Joel In a conversation we had on Twitter about web design you mentioned a coming end for Oyster War... What can you tell us about that? Always the plan? Looking forward to new projects? Joel Follow up: Once you wrap things up, any thoughts on revamping the website for new readers vs. current/on-going readers? Tease his new projects... Joel You have only one supernatural creature in your cast, a selkie? Is she going to be the only piece of mythology, or is there more in the works? Matt I love the Captains tendency to mangle well known sayings. How did you come up with that character quirk? Matt Youve put out a few books already. Which one was your favorite to work on and why? Matt Theres a lovely retro vibe to the comic. It reminds me of some of the early newspaper strips. Was that what you were shooting for? Why? Matt The comic is so rich visually that it must take a long time to do each page. Have you had to crop anything out of the story in order to keep things moving? Matt I saw on your about me page that youve done some teaching. What classes did you teach? Matt Follow the guys on Twitter: Brian, Joel, Matt and Denver Special thanks: Scott Johnson (http://myextralife.com), Sebastiaan (The Mashup Man) for our Mashups, Nicole Spagnuolo (http://nicolespag.com) and everyone behind the scenes andnbsp; Official Note Taker:

On this episode of Comics Coast To Coast we talk to Kati Lynn Smith about her old west comic Plume andnbsp; Plume By K. Lynn Smith http://plumecomic.com/ About Artist: http://plumecomic.com/about.html K. Lynn Smith found her start in the comic world as a freelance cartoonist for her university newspaper. Currently, she is a freelance photographer (shameless plug), a designer at her local Chamber of Commerce, and a ye olde storyteller of the Western persuasion, via Plume. When shes not shooting, designing, or writing, K. Lynn enjoys traveling, yoga and occassionally seeing the sunlight. About Comic: http://plumecomic.com/about.html Plume is a story set in the Old West about a girl named Vesper Grey and her supernatural companion, Corrick. On their quest to recover her fathers life work, they encounter new friends and new foes, and learn that the Wild West is anything but tame. Show Notes: andnbsp; TECH QUESTIONS: Are you all digital or do you brainstorm/sketch in the really real world? Brian Are you still using Photoshop CS4? Tried Manga Studio 5? Everybodies doing it. Cmon. Just a quick hit. Brian What kind of hardware? Wacom? Intuous? Cintiq? Nintendo Zapper? Brian Have you been creating the comic with an eye toward a print version? Matt http://www.devilsdue.net/plume/ I read through the archives on my iPad. It felt like there was a lot of white space on the site. Why not make you art bigger? It deserves it! Joel How big are your originals/digital templates? Joel ARTISTIC VISION QUESTIONS: You use halftone patterns in your comic. Is this an homage to old school comic shading? How do you do them? Cmon. Out with it. We wont use it...we promise. Brian You have a very rich but muted color palette. Is this an ever evolving pallete like my spelling of pallette or did you pretty much have a theme in mind from the offset? Brian What influenced you to do a old west themed comic? Was it so you could draw horses walking away? Or something more sincere like my dad and I used to watch.... Please let it be something sappy!! Brian You have had other artists such as Nei Ruffino, Joel Humberto Herrera and Elizabeth Torque create alternative covers for issues of the comic book versions of Plume. How do you feel with your characters in the hands of other artists? Was this a personal experience or something setup by your publisher? Brian Your drawing style seems heavily influenced by animation, specifically disney and anime. Do you have some favorite films? Matt I noticed your characters tend to have a white outline around them, how did that come about? Matt Vespers hair is black with no detail beyond the silhouette. Corrick is the same but white. How did you reach that aesthetic? Is there a reason you can share for the juxtaposition? Joel WRITING STYLE QUESTIONS: Your dialogue is sparse but punchy. Lots of energy. Do you write in this way naturally or do you labor over each word, beating the dialogue into some ruggedly handsome well spoken cowboy from the turn of the century. Brian Do you often find yourself in the grocery store staring at the grapes trying to remember what you needed? Also, it isnt grapes. No wait. That was me. Brian Wait...now I remember. Do you write all the stories on your own? During my cyberstalking of the comic I saw a post where a friend was helping you write dialogue. Was that for humor effect or a little peak behind the curtain at the enormous head that is the Wizard? Brian Is the whole story already written out or are you working from some kind of outline? Matt How long do you anticipate the final story to be, or is it meant to be ongoing? Matt Vesper and Corrick. Interesting names! How did you come up with them? How do you approach names in general? Joel You do a great job of not beating the reader over the head with important details. IE: Amulet. Golden gun. In

On this episode of Comics Coast To Coast we talk to Jay P. Fosgitt about his new all-ages comic book Bodie Troll andnbsp; andnbsp; About Artist: http://www.jayfosgitt.com/about.html Jay P. Fosgitt is the creator of the all-ages comic book BODIE TROLL that comes out April 17th, 2013 from Red 5 Comics. Jay is also the creator of the graphic novel DEAD DUCK, which was originally published by Ape Entertainment in 2009 and is now an ongoing web comic. Jay’s other creator-owned projects are NECRONOMICOMICS, a single panel comic that lampoons horror films, which is published monthly in Rue Morgue Magazine. Jays has also produced licensed comic book work, contributing illustrations to DREAMWORKS ANIMATION MAGAZINE, and contributing writing and art for the forthcoming SESAME STREET comic book, both published by Ape Entertainment. Also for Ape Entertainment, Jay was the writer/artist on the all-ages comics LITTLE GREEN MEN, DINO DUCK, and OLD MCMONSTERS HAUNTED FARM. He was also the character designer on the comic book SCOUTS. Jay has contributed artwork for such sketch card series as STAR WARS GALAXY 5 for Topps Entertainment and MARVEL: DANGEROUS DIVAS, MARVEL UNIVERSE 2011, and MARVEL: BRONZE AGE for Rittenhouse Archives, and ARCHIE, SABRINA, and HACK/SLASH for 5finity Productions. Most recently, Jays artwork has been featured in the book TEAM CUL DE SAC: CARTOONISTS DRAW THE LINE AT PARKINSONS, alongside other professional cartoonists who drew characters from Richard Thompsons comic strip Cul De Sac, with proceeds going towards a cure for Parkinsons Disease. Jay will also be the letterer on comic creator Guy Davis upcoming comic, The Marquis and the Midwife, to be published by Dark Horse Comics. Jay is a member of The National Cartoonists Society. He lives in Ann Arbor with his wife Laura and cats Goonie and Tika. Visit his website at: www.jayfosgitt.com. andnbsp; About The Comic http://www.jayfosgitt.com/projects.html BODIE TROLL In the fairytale village of Hagadorn lurks Bodie Troll, a fuzzy little grump who wants to be big and scary, but is doomed to be cute and cuddly, and no help from his Fairy Godmother-employer, Miz Bijou, or his barmaid-best friend, Cholly, can change that. But what Bodie lacks in terror he makes up for in mischief, and silly and suspenseful adventures await just beyond his bridge! Created, written and drawn by Jay Fosgitt Coming April 17th 2013 from Red 5 Comics. DEAD DUCK Jays creator-owned graphic novel about a minion of Death and his sidekick, Zombie Chick, as they collect the dead in all their weirdest and wackiest forms. Previously published by Ape Entertainment in 2009, Dead Duck is currently re-run as a web comic. andnbsp; Dont forget to listen to all the great podcasts on the Frog Pants Network. As always, you can find our show by clicking the link below, or if you want to take us with you, you can download us from iTunes. Download MP3 Enter your email address to subscribe to feed: Delivered by FeedBurner Show Notes: andnbsp; Why do you smell so good? Do you bathe in some sort of expensive soaps? - Brian We had a chance to read Bodie Troll on our digital devices. What are your distribution plans? - iTunes? Comixology? Independent PDF?  - Joel In the same line of thought, have digital platforms (iPad, android tablet, retina displays) influenced your layout? Joel Is is a spoiler to ask how Bodie became employed by Miz Bijou? Joel I love all the names for the characters in the story so far. How did you come up with them? Do you have a secret sauce for naming your characters in general? Joel I already love the style of Dead Duck, but it seems like you kicked it up a level for Bodie Troll. How much time does a page for each take? Matt Is Bodie going to be an ongoing series? Please say yes. Matt I could gush about your artwork all night. Who are some of

On this episode of Comics Coast To Coast we talk to Benedict Jones and Justin Salsburey of inkd.me : andnbsp; About INKD :  visit: inkd.me  Inkd is creating a distribution platform for Webcomics. You all know that Webcomics are one of the most creative and unique pieces of content thats surfaced on the internet, so its a real shame that theres no platform built just for them. Right now the tech and online community are the biggest readers. But because theyre so much like Comic Strips in the Newspaper, we think a much larger audience is ready to enjoy them! Unfortunately they’re difficult to discover, organize, and consume. Inkd wants to solve these problems! Users will have an experience similar to Twitter, in which youll see a stream of content being pushed from the webcomics you subscribe to. Unlike twitter however, when you decide to read a new issue of a webcomic youll be immersed in a comixology-like experience. But truly it all begins with the Authors. As the creators of this content they need better ways to publish their work, make it more accessible, and easier to share. Authors will have an opportunity to drive traffic back to thier site, and earn revenue through advertsing. Currently we are looking at providing the ability for Authors to create and place their own ads (at the end of each strip, for example) affording them a space to highlight merchandise, or drive traffic to any page on their site. Access to traditional options through an Ad Network will also be available. andnbsp; Dont forget to listen to all the great podcasts on the Frog Pants Network. As always, you can find our show by clicking the link below, or if you want to take us with you, you can download us from iTunes. Download MP3 Show Notes: andnbsp; What was the motivation behind creating inkd? Brian (if not answered above) Are any of you aspiring cartoonists, fans or just saw a need in the market? Brian You had an unsucceful Kickstarter Campaign back in January. Obviously, you are still moving forward. Whats the plan now? Brian How much will inkd cost? viewer vs publisher? Brian Did you work with any cartoonists during the development of inkd? Brian Do you have a favorite cartoonist? Brian Your number 1 selling point for inkd as a publisher. as a user. Brian With the general decline of ad revenue on websites (specifically webcomic sites) do you feel ad supported revenue with your app may suffer? Joel How are you handling multiple screen sizes? From iPhone small to iPad big. Retina? Joel The screen shots on your website appear elegant and user friendly. Can you tell us about your design mission objectives? Joel Your site description mentions a curated experience for readers. Whos taking care of that, Inkd or the creator? Customizable? Joel Tell us about the Author Advisory Board. Whats that been like? Joel Can you share how artists have received the project / how they have contributed? (I understand if per-launch you cant be too specific) Joel Out of all the platforms youre planning to be on, which one do you think is/will be the most difficult? Matt Have you been actively approaching creators or are you counting on them coming to you? Matt Ranking system? Comics rated like apps are rated in the app store? (not important - can leave until last) Joel Intro Music: Found on Looperman.com Follow the guys on Twitter: Brian, Joel, Matt and Denver Special thanks: Scott Johnson (http://myextralife.com), Sebastiaan (The Mashup Man) for our Mashups, Nicole Spagnuolo (http://nicolespag.com) and everyone behind the scenes andnbsp; Official Note Taker:

On this episode of Comics Coast To Coast we talk to Stephen Fox of the superhero webcomic NEX   About Artist: http://www.FoxStorytelling.com/ My whole life, Ive felt my purpose was to tell stories of optimism. While that may seem vague enough, its actually a pretty restricting perameter. To me, its an important one though. There are enough stories that use cynicism and vulgarity to wrangle the simplest form of humor or art. While some of my work is less than refined, it is my hope to always offer an escape from whatever troubles you might be experiencing. As someone that believes in a loving—while baffling creator, I also believe that even simple or silly stories like NEX can be worthwhile. Because of that belief, I put a lot of my heart and soul into each thing I write and illustrate. The drawback is that because Im a father and husband, its difficult to pour a lot of time into an endeavor that doesnt help with the bills at all. andnbsp; About The Comic http://www.nexcomic.com/ NEX is a totally original comedy comic about redneck superheroes. Specifically, four rednecks from the small southern town of Bucksnort, TN that are abducted, and mistakenly injected with an alien super-serum intended for Martian super-soldiers. This series follows Mack, Ricky, Bret andamp; Keith as they become the world’s first redneck superhero team. These guys aren’t mild-mannered, articulate, defenders of a big city. the world has enough of those kind of heroes. NEX: Superheroes for the rest of us. andnbsp; Dont forget to listen to all the great podcasts on the Frog Pants Network. As always, you can find our show by clicking the link below, or if you want to take us with you, you can download us from iTunes. Download MP3 Show Notes: andnbsp; MATT: I dont know if any of this will help, but here are some bits o information: I wrote a kids book called Lelas Tree as a charity fundraiser for a local Nashville adoption... STEPHEN: I love Futurama, King of the Hill, The Muppets, A Lone Star State of Mind, Trailer Park Boys, andamp; Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy—all of which inspired NEX in one way or another Bucksnort TN really exists :) NEX was originally created as an 80 page series proposal to Adult Swim Watching Mat The Wad inspired me to consider animation before making NEX a comic...a realization that the amount of work would be awful and nightmarish in its neverendingness talked me out of it. Listening to CCtoC (along with one other pcast) is what convinced me to make NEX a comic, and to post it online for free. NEX book #2 will have a back up story about a trio of Fat Vampires, called...Fat Vampires. Walk us through your creative (visual) process for NEX. (Digital? Traditional? Obviously full color.) Joel With all the cultural references you use in the dialogue, are you worried some people wont get it? Matt So the burning question (if not already answered)... Why rednecks? Joel What type of comics would you say dominate your reading? Marvel/DC? Indie? (web) Gag a day? Long form, like yours? Joel The comic has a lot of dialogue at times, was it difficult to balance the visuals with the word balloons? Matt I see a little MAD magazine influence here, am I wrong? Matt I hope the crazy stalker alien isnt based on a real person. Matt Spoiler on a spaceship. Awesome. Matt Will there ever be a sequel? Matt Old comics? Matt Characters based on real people? Matt Where do you see yourself in 5 years with regards to NEX and your work? Goals? (not just the books) Joel Lets not forget to mention the fun community still growing at Webcomics Google+ Community Joel https://plus.google.com/communities/106742014422516775756 Intro Music: Found on Looperman.com Follow the guys on Twitter: Brian, Joel, Matt and Denver Special thanks: Scott Johnson (http://myextralife.com), Sebastiaan (The Mashup Man) for our Mashups, Nicole

On this episode of Comics Coast To Coast we talk to Dave Kellett of Sheldon, Drive and Stripped: The Comics Documentary. About Sheldon: See, Sheldon is this weird, wonderful little strip...with geeky characters, all-ages storylines, and lots of pop-culture nerdiness. At its center is this odd little family: A boy, his duck, and the grandfather that raises them both. Check out the cast of characters HERE! About Drive: DRIVE tells the story of a second Spanish empire, a galactic empire, and its looming war with a race called The Continuum of Makers. Humanity has built their empire using technology stolen from the Makers -- and these creatures want it back with an almost religious fervor. In the brewing war, its clear that humanity will lose, and lose badly, unless they can find some advantage in battle. That hope arrives in the form of a tiny, mysterious creature who can drive a starship like no ones ever seen. Now all humanity needs to do...is find 10,000 more pilots just like him. But no one knows where hes from. We follow the crew of the scout ship Machito, who have been press-ganged into a unique mission by an Emperor they despise: Find this mysterious race, or the empire…ends. Check out the cast of characters HERE! Dont forget to listen to all the great podcasts on the Frog Pants Network. As always, you can find our show by clicking the link below, or if you want to take us with you, you can download us from iTunes. Download MP3 Show Notes: Sheldon This is your longest running comic correct? You ever think about stopping? (right for the jugular...gnaw gnaw gnaw..like a pug with no teeth) Brian It seems you put no limits on what Sheldo would be able to do in your comic by making him a self made man from the start. How does Sheldon keep grounded? In other words...do you ever worry your readers will not be able to relate to 10 year old rich kid of the internet age? Brian Drive What do you get the most out of with Drive? Departure from Sheldon? Testing ground for new techniques/ideas? Joel I think I read/heard that you draw Drive with a pure digital process. Do you own or have you produced art for comics on an iPad/tablet? Joel One was not enough? What did your spouse think about a second strip? Brian Freeing Comics Talk In your talk at OSU The Freeing of the Comics you mentioned how little online advertising effects your bottom line. As far as I can tell, in the past 2 years online advertising (for comics) has fallen further. Have you considered dumping ads all together on your site? Joel http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JzRival4atI Be accessible. - Be entertaining. - Be kind. Joel has a story. I am scared. Process Your process is well documented in books, podcasts and even a video on your site - but how has it changed recently? (past few years) Joel Fill us in on the new standing desk. How do you like it? (I have one as well - make shift, but it works.) Joel Time Management How do you stay in the present when so much planning is going into your future. Brian Stripped: The Comics Documentary Stripped features a HUGE list of comic professionals... Can you share one of your favorite moments? Joel A. With a mentor? Joel B. With a peer? Joel http://strippedfilm.com Youve reached what most creators would consider to be success. What do you think were the most important ingredients in getting there? Matt What has been the most unexpected part of your journey? Matt http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maslows_hierarchy_of_needs Intro Music: Found on Looperman.com Opening Loop - 2DEEP REMIX by SteelCityRed http://www.looperman.com/users/tracks/895897 Closing Loop - DeadStringer - My Loops, Acapellas And Songs At Looperman.com http://www.looperman.com/users/profile/794457 Follow the guys on Twitter: Brian, Joel, Matt and Denver Special thanks: Scott Johnson (http://myextralife.com), Sebastiaan (T

On this episode of Comics Coast To Coast we talk to Meg and Isa about their collaborative work on their fantasy and fairies comic Namesake. Check out the comic here: http://namesakecomic.com  About: Isabelle Melanço Isabelle is a French-Canadian artist who grew up in Ottawa and currently lives in Montreal. Her professional debut, ROSE, was published in 2009. About: Megan Lavey-Heaton Megan Lavey-Heaton is a visual journalist who has moved across the United States several times for her craft. She is currently a newspaper designer and freelance blogger who resides in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania. About: The story Namesake is the story of Emma Crewe, a woman who discovers she can visit other worlds. She finds out that these are places she already knows – fantasy and fairy lands made famous through the spoken word, literature and cinema. Her power as a Namesake forces her to act as a protagonist in these familiar stories as she figures out how to get home. andnbsp; Dont forget to listen to all the great podcasts on the Frog Pants Network. As always, you can find our show by clicking the link below, or if you want to take us with you, you can download us from iTunes. Download MP3 Show Notes: - Who came up with the idea for your fantasy comic Namesake? - How did you two meet? - Have you heard of Ni no Kuni? Are you guys really huge into Anime? - How do you like working in a comic book store? - What does Megan do for a living? - Print vs Digital, go! - Self publishing and Kickstarter - Namesake Book 2 - Publishing in North America vs Publishing in China, why did you decide to go local? - What is your process? How does the collaboration between you two work? - How do you do all the lettering for the comic? - Conventions! Where are you heading? Tell us about them. - Tools of the Trade! What do you use, what do you recommend? - Nomad Brush - Wacom Bamboo Stylus for iPad (from Brian) - Are you fans of the original Wizard of Oz movie? How did you get introduced to that world? - Books vs Movies in the Oz universe - Speaking of creepy adaptations, have you played Alice: Madness Returns? - What was the idea that sparked the story of Namesake? - Any tips on collaboration? Remember to go support the Kickstarter! Help the ladies out! All links to Megan and Isas social media accounts are found on the Namesake website! (Right hand side, down where the blog is). Intro Music: Found on Looperman.com DeadStringer - My Loops, Acapellas And Songs At Looperman.com http://www.looperman.com/users/profile/794457 Follow the guys on Twitter: Brian, Joel, Matt and Denver Special thanks: Scott Johnson (http://myextralife.com), Sebastiaan (The Mashup Man) for our Mashups, Nicole Spagnuolo (http://nicolespag.com) and everyone behind the scenes andnbsp; Official Note Taker:

[caption id=attachment_1212 align=alignnone width=250] Mat_The_Beard[/caption] On this episode of Comics Coast To Coast we hang out around the ole virtual watercooler and talk about everything from comics to beards. Join us now on this very special host episode of CC2C Dont forget to listen to all the great podcasts on the Frog Pants Network. As always, you can find our show by clicking the link below, or if you want to take us with you, you can download us from iTunes. Download MP3 Show Notes: M-I-C-K-E-Y C-O-M-I-K Intro Music: Found on Looperman.com Follow the guys on Twitter: Brian, Joel, Matt and Denver Special thanks: Scott Johnson (http://myextralife.com), Sebastiaan (The Mashup Man) for our Mashups, Nicole Spagnuolo (http://nicolespag.com) and everyone behind the scenes andnbsp; Official Note Taker:

On this episode of Comics Coast To Coast we talk to Travis Hanson of The Bean. We stroll down Travs 15 year career in comics to bring an entertaining and informative discussion about his epic journey webcomic that has enjoyed  a growing fan base over its  4 year start, 3 books and an Eisner nod all while raising 5 kids.  Listen already. andnbsp; http://www.beanleafpress.com andnbsp; Dont forget to listen to all the great podcasts on the Frog Pants Network. As always, you can find our show by clicking the link below, or if you want to take us with you, you can download us from iTunes. Download MP3 Show Notes: Brian Where are my cohosts?! Travis: Tell us about The Bean. How did you get so fancy? 5 Kids?! Will they follow in your footsteps? No. Really. Tell us what you thought about The Hobbit. andnbsp; Intro Music: Found on Looperman.com Follow the guys on Twitter: Brian, Joel, Matt and Denver Special thanks: Scott Johnson (http://myextralife.com), Sebastiaan (The Mashup Man) for our Mashups, Nicole Spagnuolo (http://nicolespag.com) and everyone behind the scenes andnbsp; Official Note Taker:

On this episode of Comics Coast To Coast we get back into the groove by talking about Joels crowd funding experience over the holidays, Mat talks about the Hobbit and Brian tries to wrangle it all into a bunch of nonsense. Welcome back!! Dont forget to listen to all the great podcasts on the Frog Pants Network. As always, you can find our show by clicking the link below, or if you want to take us with you, you can download us from iTunes. Download MP3 Show Notes: Joel http://www.indiegogo.com/starcrossedvolume1 Do math. Then do the math again. Then... Do. The math. Again! Shipping is a pain in the ass. (Do more math.) Shipping affects your goal and how quickly it’s reached. Shipping is slow when you’re a one man show. Get graphical! Alliance Chat No. 5 http://www.webcomicalliance.com/podcast/alliance-chat-5/ An offshoot of the Webcomics Workshop, I sat in with Byron, Dawn, Chris and Robin to talk crowdfunding and the differences between Indiegogo and Kickstarter. I had just wrapped my Indiegogo and Robin had just started her Kickstarter. Matt The Hobbit. The difficulties (and possible solutions) to bringing one’s parents into the digital age. I think it would be a good idea to mention the G+ webcomic community. http://www.billsclimatelab.org/ Intro Music: Found on Looperman.com Follow the guys on Twitter: Brian, Joel, Matt and Denver Special thanks: Scott Johnson (http://myextralife.com), Sebastiaan (The Mashup Man) for our Mashups, Nicole Spagnuolo (http://nicolespag.com) and everyone behind the scenes andnbsp; Official Note Taker:

On this episode of Comics Coast To Coast we welcome back Len Peralta, the creator of millions of projects which you can find here. to talk comics, shop and kid supported projects. About Len Peralta: (source: http://www.lenperalta.com/about/) My name is Len Peralta and I am an Internet cartoonist. I believe in many things. Ghosts. Elves. Bigfoot. But most of all, I believe in making art affordable for everyone. I’ve been very fortunate to do some interesting illustrations. I’ve drawn princes throwing up. I’ve drawn Internet rock stars dressed up in skin-tight catsuits. I have illustrated a few books. I’ve drawn art for a card game about medical malpractice. Even the New Yorker has shown off my stuff. I’ve drawn hoboes and molemen and superheroes and video game characters. You know, all the stuff that would end up in the margins of your notebooks in grade school, high school and college. Somehow I’ve managed to eek a living out doing these things. No one is more amazed at this fact than I am. One of the things I love about what I do is that I can wake up every day and never know what my pencils and art pens will be drawing that day. It’s almost as if they leave my drawing table at night on mad adventures to bring back incredibly geeky booty for me. I love them for that. Even though they are just inanimate objects. If you like my work, please consider purchasing a piece of art for yourself I will gladly draw you a monster or perhaps even a twisted caricature of yourself. You could even hire me for a bigger project. And yes, while I do like goofy and interesting art, I do draw other things that aren’t geekish and strange. Just ask me. Thanks for being interested in my work enough to read this. I appreciate all the support and encouragement I have been given about my art. If it wasn’t for your kind words, I’d probably be selling pants to old men. TOOLS I USE: 2H and 4H Pencils. Watercolors. Faber-Castell Pitt Pens (size B, mostly). Micron pens for details (Size 005, 01, 02 and 03). Prismacolors. Wacom Tablet. Mac G5. I use any kind of cardstock I can find and smooth Bristol board for bigger projects. website: http://www.lenperalta.com twitter: http://twitter.com/jawboneradio Dont forget to listen to all the great podcasts on the Frog Pants Network. As always, you can find our show by clicking the link below, or if you want to take us with you, you can download us from iTunes. Download MP3 Show Notes: Our questions for our guest: Bill Corbett Super Power Revenge ChristmasAlso, topic: “whatever” - ask Len :P There’s A Zombie In My Treehouse (Crowd Sourced) Tell us about the successful Kickstarter for the book What’s next on the project? How are you dealing with the mountian of work that lands in your lap after a successful crowd funded project? Silly Rhymes For Belligerent Children I haven’t heard of this project. Fill us in! Steve Jackson Games How did you get involved with Steve Jackson Games? Geek A Week I’ve always thought your Geek-a-Week project was a really cool idea. How did it come about? Was it a one time thing? More geek a week plans? Joel’s Entrepreneurial Question You always seem to have one (or twelve) projects on the go... How do you manage your time!? Any tips/thoughts to share with other independent artists who want to do less “big client” work and more sustained personal proejects? (I can elaborate.) Intro Music: Found on Looperman.com Follow the guys on Twitter: Brian, Joel, Matt and Denver Special thanks: Scott Johnson (http://myextralife.com), Sebastiaan (The Mashup Man) for our Mashups, Nicole Spagnuolo (http://nicolespag.com) and everyone behind the scenes andnbsp; Official Note Taker:

On this episode of Comics Coast To Coast we welcome back Frank Page, the creator of Bob The Squirrel and the recently launched Squirrelosophy, to talk comics, education and pets of cartoonists. About Bob The Squirrel: (source: http://bobthesquirrel.com) this is about bob.  he’s a squirrel. a very loud and yet subtle squirrel. Where do I begin?… probably at the beginning. My name is Frank Page—I am an illustrator and cartoonist in Central New York. Currently I am a graphic designer and editorial cartoonist at the Rome Daily Sentinel. In the fall of 2001, I moved to Utica, NY. One saturday morning I was laying on the couch watching M*A*S*H and I happened to look out the window. What I saw would invariably change my life for better or for worse. What I saw was a squirrel—kinda like when Bruce Wayne was trying to decide on what he should be and that pesky little bat came flying through his window. I didn’t decide that I wanted to become SQUIRRELMAN— bear with me. - read more at Bob The Squirrel website: http://bobthesquirrel.com twitter: @frankpage and @btsquirrel Dont forget to listen to all the great podcasts on the Frog Pants Network. As always, you can find our show by clicking the link below, or if you want to take us with you, you can download us from iTunes. Download MP3 Show Notes: Our questions for our guest: What was that? You have a dog? Its name is Lucy? Like the Peanuts Character? Tell us about Squirrelosophy. What kind of pens do you use? We heard you graduated. Con-grad-ulations. Intro Music: Found on Looperman.com Follow the guys on Twitter: Brian, Joel, Matt and Denver Special thanks: Scott Johnson (http://myextralife.com), Sebastiaan (The Mashup Man) for our Mashups, Nicole Spagnuolo (http://nicolespag.com) and everyone behind the scenes andnbsp; Official Note Taker:

On this episode of Comics Coast To Coast we talk to Mike Witmer creator of Pinkerton and long time friend of the show. About Pinkerton: (source: pinkertonpark.com) Pinkerton is written and drawn by Mike Witmer. Mike is a movie geek, a tech nerd, a spiffy dresser, and a beer lover. He lives with his girlfriend and their Brady Bunch-style combined family in scenic Lancaster County, Pennsylvania (where he forces them all to labor tirelessly on the heavy lifting with Pinkerton). His mother is his biggest fan. andnbsp; http://pinkertonpark.com Dont forget to listen to all the great podcasts on the Frog Pants Network. As always, you can find our show by clicking the link below, or if you want to take us with you, you can download us from iTunes. Download MP3 Show Notes: Our questions for our guest: Pinkerton is back! Where did it go? Brian I heard the relaunch was fraught with peril. Tell us how you responded to the Godaddy Hacking. Brian Preferred Readers. Tell me more. Brian Have you had any problems getting your groove back? Or has it slipped back on like a well worn Cintiq glove? Brian Did you watch a lot of Yogi Bear growing up? You seem to have a keen interest in parks. Do you go to any parks in real life? Talk to animals? Feed them? Brian Who do you see out there successfully marketing their comic strip that you would like to steal all their good ideas and make them your own? Brian Tell us what tools you are using? To create the strip. Brian The internet is full of online productivity tools mysteriously hanging in the cloud. Do you find any of these useful? Indispensable? CS6 as service? Brian Where do you see Pinkerton in 50 years? Thats a milestone Sparky set and Jim Davis is barreling towards. Think he will make it? Brian Give our listeners some advice they cant afford to ignore Brian Spoons and Forks for ears. Are they plastic or silver? Brian You obviously know youre characters really well. How did you land on their personalities? Joel My suck cup runneth over andlt;-- ? Great line. What other forms of comedy influence your humor? Joel Just out of curiosity, have you ever watched Angry Beavers? Joel Pinkerton, now in technicolor - What prompted the switch? Joel Related: Framing/sizing/color - Any format concerns for future projects in print, like a book? You seem to have jumped back into Pinkerton Park with enthusiasm. Any big plans in the future? Matt There seems to be a lot of identity crisis floating around Pinkerton Park lately. Any significant changes planned? Matt Intro Music: Found on Looperman.com Follow the guys on Twitter: Brian, Joel, Matt and Denver Special thanks: Scott Johnson (http://myextralife.com), Sebastiaan (The Mashup Man) for our Mashups, Nicole Spagnuolo (http://nicolespag.com) and everyone behind the scenes andnbsp; Official Note Taker:

On this episode of Comics Coast To Coast we talk to Sean McLean of Underwhelmed comic (and soon maybe more!) About Underwhelmed: (source: underwhelmedcomic.com) Underwhelmed follows the day to day life of a pudgy little redheaded boy named Doyle. Most of his adventures involve video games, tv and food. His sisters drive him crazy, as does his mom. So to help him is his friend Gunther, a tall nerdy kid with a fannipack. Comic is updated Mon-Wed-Fri. http://underwhelmedcomic.com Dont forget to listen to all the great podcasts on the Frog Pants Network. As always, you can find our show by clicking the link below, or if you want to take us with you, you can download us from iTunes. Download MP3 Show Notes: Follow the guys on Twitter: Brian, Joel, Matt and Denver Special thanks: Scott Johnson (http://myextralife.com), Sebastiaan (The Mashup Man) for our Mashups, Nicole Spagnuolo (http://nicolespag.com) and everyone behind the scenes andnbsp; Official Note Taker: