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Creator At Large | The Business of Comic Books

Business & Economics Podcasts

Every week on the Creator At Large podcast host Jeremy Melloul speaks with creators and other professionals working in the comic book industry. He digs into how they’ve built their careers, as well as their thoughts and feelings on the industry’s trends and changes. Through these conversations, listeners will not only learn about the industry itself, but also get advice and information on how to build an independent living working in comics.

Location:

United States

Description:

Every week on the Creator At Large podcast host Jeremy Melloul speaks with creators and other professionals working in the comic book industry. He digs into how they’ve built their careers, as well as their thoughts and feelings on the industry’s trends and changes. Through these conversations, listeners will not only learn about the industry itself, but also get advice and information on how to build an independent living working in comics.

Language:

English


Episodes

Season 1 Finale - Industry Round-Up: September 2019 - CAL #052

10/9/2019
The September 2019 edition of the Creator At Large All-points Bulletin where we dive into what’s happened in the comic book industry over the last month and look at the podcast episodes we released to derive some more insights into the trends shaping & changing the comic industry and the place of professionals and creators working in it. And, yes, this is also the finale for Season 1 of the show! More details in the episode proper, but don't worry, Creator At Large *will* be back!

Duration:00:14:40

The Graphic Novels and Comics RoundTable with President Amie Wright - CAL #051

9/24/2019
Amie Wright is the President of the Graphic Novels and Comics Roundtable - a part of the American Library Association dedicated to support library staff in their efforts to engage with comics. In this episode we discuss the GNCRT, the ALA, as well as Amie’s own passion for comics & libraries and how it’s led her through her career so far.

Duration:01:07:19

Building Bedside Press with Hope Nicholson - CAL #050

9/17/2019
Hope Nicholson is a comics historian and the independent publisher behind Canadian comics company, Bedside Press. Through Bedside she’s published numerous comics and anthologies and charted a unique path in the comic industry. In this episode, we discuss how she’s gone about building Bedside.

Duration:00:44:06

ComiXology Walk and Talk with Chip Mosher - CAL #049

9/10/2019
Chip Mosher is the Head of Content at Comixology and, after 20 years of experience, knows the comic book industry well. In this episode we go for a walk - an actual physical walk - and discuss the ins & outs of Comixology’s evolution, their new originals program, and explore Chip’s career in comics and perspective on the industry today.

Duration:00:49:48

Comic Book Industry Round-Up for August 2019 - CAL #048

9/3/2019
The August 2019 edition of the Creator At Large All-points Bulletin where we dive into what’s happened in the comic book industry over the last month and look at the podcast episodes we released to derive some more insights into the trends shaping & changing the comic industry and the place of professionals and creators working in it.

Duration:00:34:22

The Nitty-Gritty of Creating Comics with Justin Jordan - CAL #047

8/27/2019
Justin Jordan is a comic book writer, most well-known for his work on comic such as: The Strange Talent of Luther Strode, Spread, and Reaver. In this episode we discuss all the different ways he’s exploring developing his career and his well-informed perspective on the new opportunities available to comic book creators.

Duration:01:38:50

Risk-Taking and Healthy Realism with MariNaomi - CAL #046

8/21/2019
MariNaomi is not only a savvy independent cartoonist, she also manages three databases for diverse cartoonists (Cartoonists of Color, LBTQ Cartoonists, and Disabled Cartoonists). In this episode we discuss how she’s managed to make a living in comics, the work of developing these databases, and the independent path in comics.

Duration:01:00:37

Comic Book Industry Round-Up for June and July 2019 - CAL #045

8/13/2019
The June and July 2019 edition of the Creator At Large All-points Bulletin where we dive into what’s happened in the comic book industry over the last month and look at the podcast episodes we released to derive some more insights into the trends shaping & changing the comic industry and the place of professionals and creators working in it.

Duration:00:30:27

An Evolving Comics Career with Stephanie Cooke - CAL #044

7/30/2019
Stephanie Cooke has her hands in many different parts of the comic book industry - taking on a wide variety of projects and never slowing down. Her endless energy for the industry gives her a wide perspective as both a journalist, a writer, and someone working to support creators from the sidelines of the industry. In this episode she joins me to discuss her career so far and everything she’s learned along the way.

Duration:01:21:08

The Case for Unionizing Comics with Sasha Bassett - CAL #043

7/23/2019
Sasha Bassett is a comic scholar, PhD student in sociology, and instructor at Portland State University. She’s also an unabashed supporter for the unionization of comics and just led a huge study on what it’s like to work in the comic book industry in 2019. In this episode she joins me to discuss her career so far, her perspective on the comic industry, and the preliminary results of her study.

Duration:01:09:31

Being a Comics Ambassador with Chris Arrant - CAL #042

7/16/2019
Chris Arrant is a writer, editor, and self-described Comics Ambassador. He’s the Editor of Newsarama, where he started in 2003, and was a judge for the 2019 Eisner Awards, awarded at San Diego Comic Con. In this episode he joins me to discuss the process of judging comics across the Eisner’s 31 categories, the state of comic book journalism, and what it means, exactly, to be an ambassador for comics.

Duration:01:18:20

Caitlin McGurk of The Billy Ireland Cartoon Library and Museum - CAL #041

6/25/2019
Caitlin McGurk is the Associate Curator for Outreach at the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum. As part of her role she’s involved in many different aspects of the library & museum, which boasts the most impressive collection of American comic art I’m aware of. She joins me on this episode to talk about her work & career, the library’s mission, and the importance of comics as a medium.

Duration:00:57:08

Passion, Profit, and Practicality with Jim Zub - CAL #040

6/18/2019
Jim Zub is a comic book creator who’s had not just one, but two 30+ issue creator-owned comic series (Skullkickers and Wayward). Ever since his first comic in 2001 he’s built a career for himself utilizing his experience as an artist and the security of a day job to build a creator-owned career on his own terms. In this episode he joins me to discuss many of the lessons he’s learned along the way.

Duration:01:25:47

Making Art and Commerce as a Comic Book Creator with Jim Rugg - CAL #039

6/11/2019
Jim Rugg is an independent creator who’s never been afraid to pursue projects he’s scared about. As a result he’s assembled an interesting catalogue of work including comics like Street Angel and Afrodisiac, as well as other comic-related projects. In this episode he joins me to discuss all this projects and what it takes to make ends meet as an independent comic book creator.

Duration:01:05:03

Comic Book Industry Round-Up for May 2019 - CAL #038

6/4/2019
The April 2019 edition of the Creator At Large All-points Bulletin where we dive into what’s happened in the comic book industry over the last month and look at the podcast episodes we released to derive some more insights into the trends shaping & changing the comic industry and the place of professionals and creators working in it.

Duration:00:30:09

Diving Deep into Comic Book Retail with Steve Anderson of Third Eye Comics - CAL #037

5/28/2019
In 2008, Steve Anderson opened up the first Third Eye Comics location. Since then, the store has grown rapidly, moving four times in the last nine years and expanding to multiple locations, all while maintaining a great reputation. In this episode he joins me to break down how comic book retail works, the nature of its sometimes difficult relationship to other parts of the industry, and the challenges at play for comic retailers.

Duration:01:35:38

Licensing, Editing, and the State of the Comics Market with Sarah Gaydos - CAL #036

5/21/2019
Sarah Gaydos is the Editor-in-Chief of One Press, with a long career behind her in the comic industry, including work at IDW and at DC Entertainment (and Wildstorm within it!). Through that she has incredible experience with corporate-owned characters and licensed publishing. In this episode she joins me to discuss this aspect of the industry and Oni’s place in the wider comic book industry.

Duration:01:15:43

Indie Comic Distribution with Anne Bean of Emerald Comics Distro - CAL #035

5/14/2019
Anne Bean founded Emerald Comics Distro in 2016 to help independent creators and small press publishers with their distribution efforts. Since then she’s built a distribution network across the Pacific Network. In this episode she joins the show to share what she’s learned about comic distribution and give advice to independent creators looking to self-distribute their work.

Duration:01:05:32

Comic Book Industry Round-Up for April 2019 - CAL #034

5/9/2019
The April 2019 edition of the Creator At Large All-points Bulletin where we dive into what’s happened in the comic book industry over the last month and look at the podcast episodes we released to derive some more insights into the trends shaping & changing the comic industry and the place of professionals and creators working in it.

Duration:00:30:18

Sharing the Medium of Comics with Andrew Woodrow-Butcher - CAL #033

4/30/2019
Andrew Woodrow-Butcher is not only the Director of Library Services for The Beguiling, a fantastic Toronto area comic book store, but also the programming coordinator for TCAF’s Librarian & Educator track, Kids programing, and the TCAF Abroad program (more on that in the show). In this episode he joins me to discuss the exciting growth of the comic industry in recent years through the lens of his own work and career.

Duration:01:07:31