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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In this special combined two-part interview, manga pioneer and Antarctic Press founder Ben Dunn shares the story of establishing one of America's first manga-focused publishers in 1984 and creating the long-running Ninja High School series in 1987. He reflects on how American audiences responded to manga-style storytelling in the 80s and 90s versus today and the challenges of sustaining a creator-owned series for over 100 issues. Ben also talks about his diverse body of work including Warrior Nun Areala—which was adapted into a Netflix series—and his innovative educational manga teaching spelling and grammar, while explaining Antarctic Press's approach to discovering and developing talent over nearly four decades. He offers perspective on the biggest challenges of running an independent publisher, what he's most proud of in his career, his view of the current state of manga and manga-inspired comics in America.

You can follow Ben on his site, bendunncomics.com, on Facebook @BenDunn or on Instagram @bendunn25.

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World-renowned candy and snack food historian Jason Liebig, featured expert on the History Channel, discusses his journey from discovering #comics to building one of the most extensive vintage candy and snack packaging collections in existence. Liebig explores the strong connection between comics and candy culture through vintage advertisements and character tie-ins and shares memorable and surprising items from his collection, including the weirdest time-specific products he's uncovered. He also reveals the grail items still on his wish list, discusses what drives him to preserve this often-overlooked pop culture history through his website and social media, and offers advice for aspiring collectors.

You can follow Jason on his site, jasonliebig.com, or on Instagram @collectingcandy.

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In today's interview, Steve Houston of Torpedo Comics discusses his journey from comic book collector to shop owner and television expert. He shares the origin story of Torpedo Comics and what makes his Las Vegas store unique, particularly his specialization in high-value and graded books that led to his role as the go-to comics expert on History Channel's Pawn Stars. Steve reveals memorable moments from the show including rare and valuable finds, explains how appearing on one of television's most popular programs has changed his business, and breaks down his process for authenticating and appraising high-value comics. He highlights undervalued books and creators people should watch, addresses common misconceptions about the business, and reflects on how the industry has evolved.

You can follow Steve on Instagram @stevesaysboom and Torpedo Comics virtually everywhere @torpedocomics.

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In this special crossover event, Brad and Lisa Gullickson of the Comic Book Couples Counseling podcast discuss their unique approach blending relationship dynamics with comic book analysis, sharing heated on-air debates and titles they've both loved. We give special focus to their YouTube series The Stacks, which recently returned for a second season and features creators discussing their favorite #comics. Brad and Lisa explain their guest selection process, memorable and unexpected answers they've received, how the series has changed their thinking about comics fandom, and their dream guests for future episodes.

CBCC is headquartered at comicbookcouplescounseling.com, and you can find the latest episodes of The Stacks on their YouTube channel: youtube.com/@comicbookcouplescounseling.

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In this interview, writer, editor, and publisher James Aquilone discusses his journey into horror and weird fiction, founding Monstrous Books, and creating projects like the noir-horror-comedy Dead Jack, Zombie Detective alongside major anthologies such as Classic Monsters Unleashed and the Kolchak: The Night Stalker 50th Anniversary graphic novel. Aquilone reflects on what reviving the legendary Weird Tales brand means to him personally, details his new Kickstarter project including his approach to selecting contributors and the tone backers can expect, addresses the challenges of producing a legacy anthology in today's publishing landscape, and shares his Bram Stoker Award experience.

Go back Weird Tales now at http://kck.st/3ZFaj0S! You can follow James at his site jamesaquilone.com or on Instagram @james_aquilone.

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In today's interview, authors Jim Amash and Eric Nolen-Weathington discuss their new book, Jim Aparo: Brave & Bold Artist, exploring why they wanted to shine a spotlight on the legendary but perhaps underappreciated artist whose distinctive style—characterized by crisp inking, dramatic shadows, and expressive faces—defined Batman and other DC characters for generations of readers. The collaborators share insights from interviews and research into Aparo's life and career, highlighting his iconic run on The Brave and the Bold alongside essential work on Aquaman, Phantom Stranger, and The Spectre, while revealing lesser-known facts and surprises they uncovered about his creative process and collaborations. They discuss what readers can expect from the book, including rare original art and archival material, how Aparo adapted his approach to different characters, and what set him apart from his contemporaries.

The book just came out this week (2/18/26 to be specific), and you can buy it on publisher TwoMorrows's site or wherever you get your books!

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