A self-taught artist, Dakota Alexander has carved out a distinctive niche as a cover and pin-up artist with a deep passion for Golden Age characters and vintage aesthetics. On this episode, Dakota walks us through his path into comics — from posting artwork on Facebook and Reddit during the pandemic to landing commissions through projects like The Liberty Brigade and The Masters series, where his character sheets appear across multiple issues. Dakota also breaks down his meticulous process for recreating period-accurate Bronze Age art, from emulating the Kane/Romita Sr. Spider-Man house style to adding weathered newsprint textures and tweaking color balance to evoke faded, off-the-spinner-rack authenticity.

You can follow Dakota on Etsy and Instagram @drumsoftheserpent.

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In this episode, Stephen Bissette and Chris Stevens join us to discuss the long-awaited return of Tyrant, Bissette’s deeply personal, unfinished dinosaur epic from the 1990s, and the journey to finally bring it back through a new Kickstarter campaign. The conversation explores how Tyrant—a raw, almost documentary-style story following a Tyrannosaurus Rex’s struggle to survive—became a cult favorite despite its original short run and lack of commercial success, as well as why Bissette had long resisted revisiting the project until renewed fan interest and Stevens’ persistence convinced him the time was right. They dive into the painstaking process behind the deluxe editions, including high-end art reproduction from original pages and the inclusion of long-lost material, framing the project as both a restoration and a definitive presentation of a “lost masterpiece.”

To learn more or support the project, check out the Tyrant Deluxe Editions Kickstarter here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/comicslighthouse/bissette-tyrant-deluxe-editions.

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Returning guest Chris Yates dives into his current Kickstarter campaign for Marcus Walker: Kingslayer Protocol, a kinetic sci-fi comic that blends hard-hitting action with compelling world-building in a dangerous future landscape. Chris reveals where the concept originated, introduces his creative team and their collaborative process, and explains the themes he's exploring while describing the tone readers can expect from the series. He also shares lessons learned from previous Kickstarter experiences that he's applying to this launch while addressing what sets Marcus Walker apart from other sci-fi comics.

Go back Marcus Walker: Kingslayer Protocol now: kck.st/4rUgASU! And you can follow Chris on Instagram @cyg47.

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Mark Spears joins us to reflect on his #comics career, including his extensive cover work—highlighting favorite pieces and his approach to creating compelling cover art that differs from interior storytelling—and the creation of his hit series Monsters that helped shape his creative journey. Mark shares insights on balancing roles as both writer and artist, the biggest challenges he's faced in the industry, and celebrates the release of Midknight Man #1, revealing the inspiration behind the distinctively-spelled hero, the concept and themes he's exploring, and what readers can expect from the debut issue.

Go get Midknight Man #1 today (3/25/26) at your LCS! You can follow Mark and his work on the markspearsmonsters.com or by following him on Instagram @markspearsart.

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Former member of the DC Comics publicity team Michael Shelling pulls back the curtain on what it's like generating buzz for major comic book launches and universe-wide events, sharing behind-the-scenes stories from campaigns he worked on and explaining the day-to-day responsibilities of comic book publicity in an increasingly crowded media landscape. Michael reveals the relationship between publicity teams and creative talent, discusses campaigns that exceeded expectations alongside those that didn't go as planned and the lessons learned, and reflects on the most challenging aspects of marketing comics versus other entertainment.

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Hive Head Studios founder Dennis Robinson recounts how he went from #comics fan to creator, explaining the vision behind launching his own studio and introducing Lycan: Solomon's Odyssey, an epic supernatural adventure following the world's first werewolf, Solomon, on a journey that blends horror and action-adventure. Dennis details what backers can expect from Chapter 4—currently live on Kickstarter—including where it fits in the overall story arc and whether he's building toward a definitive ending or crafting an ongoing saga. He also introduces his creative team, describing their collaborative process from script to finished art, and shares what distinguishes his take on werewolf mythology from other supernatural comics.

Go back Lycan: Solomon's Odyssey Chapters 1-4 right now: http://kck.st/4rIDtbA. You can follow Dennis and Hive Head at hiveheadstudios.com or on Instagram @hiveheadstudios or @worldsmostokayestdm.

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Malibu Comics founder and Platinum Studios CEO Scott Mitchell Rosenberg traces his path from launching one of the most innovative independent publishers of the 80s and 90s—pioneering computer coloring technology and creating the ambitious Ultraverse shared superhero universe—to becoming a major player in Hollywood adaptations with properties like Men in Black and Cowboys & Aliens that became blockbuster films. Scott reveals the story behind Malibu's groundbreaking titles, the decision to sell the company to Marvel in 1994, and his strategic pivot to founding Platinum Studios with a focus on developing intellectual properties specifically designed to work across both #comics and film/television. He reflects on memorable collaborations, projects that never made it to screen, what he's most proud of from the Malibu era, the biggest lessons learned from running a comic company during the industry's tumultuous 90s, and how the relationship between comics and Hollywood has evolved.

You can follow Scott and Platinum Studios at platinumstudios.com or on Instagram @scottrosenberg.

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Forged in Fire judge and blade expert Doug Marcaida, known for his iconic "It will KEAL" catchphrase, shares how he transitioned from martial arts and weapons expertise into creating comics. He introduces his series Lineage, which blends his authentic knowledge of combat and edged weapons into a compelling narrative with rich world-building and mythology. Doug explains the concept and inspiration behind Lineage, introduces the main characters and tone of the book, and details his current Kickstarter campaign for issues #2-4. He addresses how his expertise influences the authenticity of the action sequences, the challenges of creating his own comic series, and potential expansion into other media like games or animation.

You can back Lineage on Kickstarter until 3/16 here: http://kck.st/4s63TE2. And you can follow Doug practically everywhere, including his site, dougmarcaida.com, Facebook @kuyaDougMarcaida, and Instagram @dougmarcaida.

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