Direct Edition

Legendary cartoonist Stan Sakai returns to Direct Edition to discuss The Art of Stan Sakai, his first-ever Kickstarter: an oversized art book collecting five decades of work. 

Sakai shares his lifelong love of physical media, the trial-and-error watercolor technique that gives his paintings their glow, and the Koh-I-Noor pen he stockpiled 20 years ago when it was discontinued. 

The two discuss Sakai's 40-year friendship wit...

Artist Eric Zawadzki joins Dave to discuss Assorted Crisis Events, the ambitious, award-winning anthology co-created with writer Deniz Camp. 

Zawadzki talks visual reinvention, his innovative Pixar-style drafting process, and the impostor syndrome that flared up after winning an Eisner. 
The two discuss the word-of-mouth momentum that helped quadruple the book's sales, meeting Scott McCloud at San Diego, and why...

Writer Chris Condon joins Dave to discuss the return of That Texas Blood (Image Comics), his Indiana Jones-esque pulp adventure Ezra Cain (Vertigo), and Of the Earth (Image), his collaboration with Charlie Adlard. 

Condon shares his love of slow-burn storytelling, how trust fuels his ongoing creative partnerships, and the 70s cinema (Alien & Jaws) that shapes his writing. The two discuss the FX TV option in the works for Th...

Matteo Scalera returns to Direct Edition to discuss his fill-in on Batman issues 13 and 14, part of Matt Fraction's Bad Seeds event. 
Scalera talks about saying yes after years of turning down DC, collaborating with colorist Tomeu Morey, and bringing choreographed intensity to the book's fight scenes inspired by movies like The Raid.
The two discuss the passion fueling DC's current renaissance, the long journey of The Fo...

Cartoonist Steve Skroce joins Dave to discuss Tales of Wonder, his new five-issue series with Image comics. Skroce shares how comedic films like Galaxy Quest and Tropic Thunder shaped the book's DNA, the creative falling out that inspired its themes, and why creative collaboration is always worth protecting.

 The two discuss Skroce’s years storyboarding all four Matrix films with the Wachowskis, how Geof Darrow's mentorsh...

Cartoonist and musician Nick Thorburn (Islands, The Unicorns) joins Dave to talk about his new book Pear Shape from Fantagraphics, and Taste of Cherry, the debut album from his band The Creem. 
Thorburn talks about his creative approach to writing both comics and songs, the lifelong pull toward gallows humor and tenderness, and the freedom of letting stories reveal themselves as he works. 
The two discuss the early ...

Jim Ward returns to talk with Dave about Sparta's new album Cut a Silhouette, out now on Equal Vision Records. 

Ward shares how a manager's blunt critique sparked three of the record's best songs, working with Jawbox founder and producer J. Robbins as a shepherd and mentor, and bridging his earliest work with who he is now. 

The two discuss the ticket price fatigue reshaping the touring industry, co-founding the Girls Rock ...

Writer and Filmmaker Che Grayson joins Dave to discuss Absolute Catwoman, the DC project they're co-writing with Scott Snyder and artist Bengal. 

Grayson shares how their indie roots and pandemic-era Zoom calls with Snyder led to the collaboration, and the creative energy that has allowed the Absolute line to resonate.

 The two discuss Easter eggs hidden in the first two issues, the essential role of horror films in shaping...

Cartoonist Daniel Warren Johnson joins Dave to announce Chainkata, his ambitious, decade-in-the-making new sci-fi series from Image. Chicks with chainsaws!

 Johnson shares the origin of the book's chainsaw-wielding heroine and the experimental color techniques that brought it to life. 

The two discuss inspiration drawn from Richard Corben and manga masters, the emotional weight of his Eisner winning Absolute Batman Annual, ...

Award-winning author and cultural critic Ytasha Womack joins Dave to discuss Spider-Man: Miles Morales, An Exploration, her new book from the Marvel Age of Comics series examining the character's cultural significance. 

Womack shares how her work on Afrofuturism led her to Miles, why the character's vulnerability resonates far beyond superhero fandom, and the layered symbolism baked into everything from his hoodie to the number...

Legendary writer Brian Michael Bendis joins Dave to discuss his return to Marvel, and the upcoming animated series of Powers in development at Netflix. 

Bendis reflects on co-creating Miles Morales, Jessica Jones, and Riri Williams (Ironheart), the Jewish roots of American comics from Kirby to Eisner, and the early-2000s Marvel bullpen with Joe Quesada.

 The two discuss the nuances of Bendis' process, the importance of coll...

Cartoonist and author Abby Denson joins Dave to discuss 'My Tokyo Summer', her new graphic memoir, illustrated by Utomaru from Scholastic .Denson talks about the early influence of the DIY punk scene on her work, how a zine she made in the 90s sparked a lifelong friendship, the vastness of Japan's doujinshi culture, and the power of art and friendship to transcend barriers. The two talk about their shared love of Japan and the diff...

Legendary artist Geof Darrow joins Dave to discuss Shaolin Cowboy: Stayin' A.I.Live, the latest installment of his cult series from Dark Horse. They discuss some of the amazing artists tapped for variant covers including Peach Momoko, Daniel Warren Johnson, and Ryan Ottley.Darrow talks about his refusal to work digitally, the why-not philosophy that fuels his art, and working at a pace fit for a mangaka. The two discuss Darrow&rsqu...

Writer John Layman and artist Rob Guillory (Chew) join Dave to discuss their new collaboration Ghost Brawler, the Bruiser Edition live on kickstarter now! The two share the blistering writing pace of the series, how the setting draws from the cinematic style of Martin Scorsese, and the creative shorthand of a decade working together. The pair discuss the Chew television adaptation at Blumhouse, share memories of the late Sam Kieth,...

Superstar Artist Nick Dragotta joins Dave to discuss the breakout success of DC's Absolute Batman. Dragotta shares the project’s Frank Miller-meets-manga blend of influences, his "yes and" collaboration with Scott Snyder, and the bold visual decisions that shaped the book's identity. The two discuss the cartoonists setting the gold standard for visual storytelling , Alex Toth, Japanese comics culture, Kentaro Miura, and why n...

Cartoonist Jim Rugg joins Dave to discuss The Marvel Age of Comics: Weapon X, his deep-dive into Barry Windsor-Smith's seminal 1991 Wolverine story, originally serialized in Marvel Comics Presents.

Rugg talks about the project's origin, why he considers it one of Marvel's all-time greatest works, and how Windsor-Smith's pre-digital coloring techniques remain unmatched. The new book is a comic companion to the Bloomsbury music book s...

Artist Alex Pardee (The Used, Aesop Rock) joins Dave to discuss Dream Bleeder, his new gallery show at Harman Projects in New York City. 

Pardee discusses his creative process, finding inspiration in anxiety and his Disneyland meets natural history museum approach to building immersive worlds. 

The two discuss Sam Kieth’s mentorship, Curry Barker's Obsession, elevated horror movies, how YouTube is quietly making Holly...

Derek Kirk Kim, Eisner and Harvey-winning comics creator, joins Dave from London to discuss Royals, his Koren-American new noir thriller. Derek shares the joy of writing a comic for another artist.

Kim shares how a decade directing and storyboarding in animation saved him during a dark period, and how losing both parents brought him back to comics with The Last Mermaid.

The two discuss cold-messaging artist Jacob Perez on Instagram, ...

Writer Matt Fraction (Batman, Hawkeye) and Canadian Chip Zdarsky (Captain America, Daredevil) join Dave for the 100th episode.

The chums talk  about Mad Magazine, Sex Criminals, Avengers Armageddon, and the business end of Marvel and DC comics. The two discuss shared influences, from Don Martin to Dan Clowes, Chip's cover recreation project, and why Batman has never experienced an orgasm. 

Also, Amazon sex toys, bookcase co...