Exploring the Dark and Humorous Worlds of Comic Creation with Laurie Cunningham

In this engaging episode of Geek Freaks, Frank sits down with Laurie Cunningham, a talented comic writer and editor at ASAP Imagination. Laurie shares insights into her unique storytelling approach, balancing dark humor with themes of identity, and her journey from writing to managing multiple projects within an interconnected comic universe. They dive into the creative process behind some of her well-loved works, such as "Sister Grimm" and "Babies with Rabies," and discuss the evolution of characters and the challenges of running a comic publishing company. Laurie also highlights exciting new projects, including current and upcoming Kickstarter campaigns that comic fans won’t want to miss.

• 00:00 - 01:06 - Introduction and Guest Welcome
• 01:07 - 02:14 - Laurie’s Role at ASAP Imagination and Managing Comic Projects
• 02:15 - 03:47 - The Origin of Babies with Rabies and Its Dark Humor Angle
• 03:48 - 05:33 - Creating a Unique Gift for Parents with Babies with Rabies
• 05:34 - 07:00 - Artistic Collaborations in Comic vs. Illustrated Books
• 07:01 - 10:09 - Developing Sister Grimm and Its Unique Humor Amidst Dark Themes
• 10:10 - 13:15 - Evolving Characters Like Lily in Sister Grimm
• 13:16 - 17:19 - Building an Expansive Universe Through Multiple Titles and Character Arcs
• 17:20 - 19:09 - Comic Book Collecting and Reading Orders for Fans
• 19:10 - 22:50 - Behind-the-Scenes in Worldbuilding at ASAP Imagination
• 22:51 - 28:00 - Exploring Current and Upcoming Kickstarter Projects

• Balancing Creativity and Management: Laurie shares how her time is divided between personal creative work and guiding new creators at ASAP Imagination.
• Crafting Unique Narratives: Laurie’s comics, like Babies with Rabies, blend dark humor with relatable parenting experiences, making them a unique gift for parents.
• Working with Artists: The creative process shifts depending on the project’s nature, with Laurie discussing the collaborative differences between comic and illustrated book artists.
• Expanding a Comic Universe: ASAP Imagination’s titles connect in a shared universe, allowing for depth in character development and crossover storylines while keeping each story self-contained for new readers.
• Kickstarter Success: ASAP Imagination has launched multiple Kickstarter campaigns for projects like Pong Bros, expanding their sci-fi wrestling genre and further diversifying their comic offerings.

• “Sometimes you get to a point where you're like, we need a joke here. Or it's just like, it's been a little too jokey. Let's murder someone and make things serious.”
• “Working with artists varies a lot – sometimes it’s just handing over the ideas and they nail it, other times it’s a true collaboration.”
• “With Babies with Rabies, it’s about bringing a little bit of humor to parenting because let’s be real, some days you either laugh or cry.”

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