What does it really take to create, publish, and sell an indie comic book?

On this episode of Talkin' Comics, AJ Reimann sits down with Jesse of Dinosaur Comics and Joe Soliz of Child's Play Comics for a wide-ranging conversation about the realities of making independent comics.

Joe talks about creating How to Hunt a Hero, Malia Mayhem, and Fanny, while Jesse shares the story behind Jankla, Teen Strike, Dinosaur Planet, and his journey from more than 25 years in the video game industry into comics.

The conversation covers:

How indie comic creators get started

Turning ideas into actual comic books

Kickstarter comics and crowdfunding

Selling comics at comic conventions

How to price independent comics

Why $5 comics can be a powerful entry point

Creating issue zero books

Making comics for kids and teens

Manga-sized comics and compact editions

The growing indie comics scene

Comic conventions, schools, and libraries

Writing, art, character design, and storytelling

How a video-game career can lead into comics

Favorite comics and characters

The challenges of marketing independent comics

Joe explains how their short issue-zero format grew into an affordable way for readers to discover their books, while Jesse discusses how his comics have performed at conventions and how he's thinking about future editions.

We also get into the importance of making comics accessible to younger readers, including all-ages books, activity books, manga formats, and school/library events.

If you're a comic book fan, aspiring comic creator, indie publisher, Kickstarter creator, artist, writer, or convention-goer, there's a lot here for you.

Host: A.J. Reimann https://linktr.ee/Talkin_Comics_Podcast

Guest: Jesse Sosa @skankerzero https://dinosaurentertainment.com/

Guest : Joe Soliz https://www.facebook.com/childsplaygamesandgeekery https://childsplaycomics.square.site/

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⏱️ Chapters

00:00 – Welcome to Talkin' Comics

03:35 – Jesse's Journey From Video Games to Comics

10:52 – How to Hunt a Hero & Building Indie Comics

12:34 – Malia Mayhem & Fanny

18:00 – Jankla and Selling Comics at Conventions

20:48 – Comic Conventions, Schools & Libraries

24:01 – All-Ages Comics & Dinosaur Planet

26:45 – Why Manga-Sized Comics Are Growing

32:17 – Discovering the Love of Writing

35:11 – From Video Game Art to Comic Book Art

39:03 – The Hardest Part of Making Comics: Marketing

41:31 – The $5 Comic Book Strategy

45:07 – First Comics & Favorite Characters

49:36 – Indie Comics vs. Marvel & DC

1:04:43 – The Ultimate Comic Book Universe Question

1:18:40 – Comic Conventions, Free Tables & What's Next

1:20:35 – Upcoming Kickstarters & Future Comics

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Music licensed through Soundstripe.

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