In this conversation, Joseph Schmalke shares his journey from working with Scout Comics to founding Midnight Factory, his creative process, and insights into the indie comic industry. Discover how he balances Kickstarter and direct market strategies, and get a behind-the-scenes look at his popular titles like Seven Years in Darkness and Murder Hobo.

https://midnightfactorypress.com/

https://josephschmalke.com/

https://www.lunardistribution.com/home/search?term=midnight+factory

Joseph Schmalke’s Social Media: Instagram - @Schmalke

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Find Chris: https://linktr.ee/tacticalsquirrelmedia

https://www.tiktok.com/@chriscomicscorner

Time Stamps:

00:00 Introduction and guest background

00:44 Journey from Scout to Midnight Factory

02:26 Creating and publishing Seven Years in Darkness

04:22 Evolving genres and titles

07:52 Balancing Kickstarter and direct market

11:24 Marketing strategies and audience outreach

16:45 Focus on horror, sci-fi, and the bizarre

22:44 The importance of accessibility in comic size

28:57 Future projects and upcoming releases

35:57 Murder Hobo series and role-playing game influence

44:17 Prophets of Doom and creative collaborations

52:26 Final thoughts and advice for indie creators

Thanks for Listening!