Talking Comics Publishing with J.D. Calderon

This past Sunday night, I made a return appearance to J.D. Calderon’s YouTube interview series Indy Comics Explained, joining fellow comic-creating guests Randy Zimmerman (Tales from the Aniverse), Evan K. Pozios (Time Grunts), Joe D. McFee (Amazonia: The Continuing Adventures of E),and Ray Felix (Bronx Heroes), and publisher/podcaster Varian Grant (Indie Volt). (Sorry for not posting an advance notice, but it was sort of a last-minute invitation to join the chat.)

(J.D., by the way, is the writer/creator of the fantasy series The Oswald Chronicles and the anthropomorphic fantasy comic series Tall Tails, both published through his Dream Weaver Press company. He’s also been a friend of mine since we met back in the 1990s’ days of the indie comics explosion.)

On the show, we discussed a variety of topics related to comics publishing: the pros and cons of crowdfunding; the best money we’ve ever spent as publishers; the best and worst publishing advice we’ve gotten; dealing with printers and the rising cost of paper; the problems of getting comics distributed, and whether there are alternatives beyond crowdfunding; the difference between young adult and middle grade reading audiences; and whether changes in the comics industry will eventually lead to the demise of comic shops.

The panel runs a little over two hours, so find a comfortable chair and settle in for “Sunday Night Talking Comics,” the latest episode of Indy Comics Explained.

And in case you missed it, back in May I made my first appearance on the show, where I promoted my critically acclaimed comics historyFrom the Stars…a Vampiress: An Unauthorized Guide to Vampirella’s Classic Horror Adventures, and talked about my time as a professional book editor (and the troubles associated with such work, especially in licensed publishing), my history as a writer and as a self-publisher, the Saga of Pandora Zwieback series, my current work as scripter for Oniric Comics’ Sideral: The Last Earthman, and, if I were offered the chance to write comics for Marvel and/or DC, which characters I’d want to work on. 

Talking to Steve A. Roman” is still available for viewing at Indy Comics Explained. If you’ve got an hour, click on the link and head on over to check it out.