Comics legend Jim Starlin returns to talk about the latest chapter in his ongoing Dreadstar revival — Dreadstar vs. Dreadstar, the newest original graphic novel in a series he's been building through Kickstarter since his triumphant return to the character in 2021. The conversation covers the full arc of Dreadstar's history — from its origins as the first title ever published under Marvel's Epic imprint, through its run at First Comics and brief Malibu revival, to the decision to bypass the big publishers entirely and build a new audience directly through crowdfunding. Jim talks about what it's like to have creative ownership over Vanth Dreadstar in a way he never quite had with Thanos, why the Kickstarter model has given him a freedom he never expected at this stage of his career, and what he still has left to say with a character he's had mapped out for at least five more graphic novels.

You only have a few days left to back Dreadstar vs. Dreadstar here: http://kck.st/3Nn0EJM! You can follow Jim on Instagram @jimstarlin or Facebook @JimStarlinfanpage.

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Ray Reynet, a Miami-based writer, illustrator, animator, and founder of Farlook Studios, stops by to talk about building an entire indie comics universe from the ground up — starting from sketching characters as a self-taught kid in South Florida all the way to self-publishing a growing catalog that includes the mythology-fueled adventure series Junket: Hidden Worlds Revealed, The Dwellers, Gunny, and his newest project The Groundsmen. We dig into what it actually looks like to wear every hat at once — writing, illustrating, animating, designing, marketing, and running successful crowdfunding campaigns entirely on your own — and how Ray has managed to keep expanding his creative output while developing a distinct brand identity across multiple genres and formats.

You can follow Ray on farlookstudios.com or on Instagram @rayreynet.

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North Carolina-based artist Rodney Bennett joins the show to talk Legend of the Black Starr, his self-published indie superhero series set in 1938 and published through his own Vision Alive Studios. The guys dig into the book's first story, "No Rest for the Weary," a pulp-flavored blend of horror, sci-fi, and superhero action that follows a young vigilante called the Black Starr as he infiltrates a mortuary to rescue an abducted girl — only to stumble onto zombie attacks, weird science, and a full-blown government cover-up. Rodney talks about his background as a Studio Art graduate from North Carolina Central University and career as an art educator, and how decades of teaching painting, drawing, and sculpture to youth eventually led him back to his childhood love of comics and character creation. The conversation covers the rich cast of characters he's built out — from the morally ambiguous Golden Crusader to the villainous Wallace Tweed — and what it looks and feels like to world-build an entire superhero universe entirely on your own terms.

You can follow Rodney and Black Starr on his site legendoftheblackstarr.com or on Instagram @legend_of_the_black_starr.

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