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PODCAST

Comic Lab

Brad Guigar and Dave Kellett

The podcast about making comics — and making a living from comics! It"s half shop talk, half how-to, and half friendship. WE SQUEEZED IN THREE HALVES. It"s tips and tricks and all the joys of cartooning as a pro. So pull up your drawing chair, put on some headphones, and join us while you draw! And if you like what you hear, join our community at patreon.com/comiclab (For sponsorship inquiries: comiclabpodcast@gmail.com)

arts visual arts

All Episodes

00:59:52

Is there a LIMIT to comics success?

Comic Lab ·

2026/10/01

Is there a limit to how many cartoonists can build successful careers—or is the real limiting factor the cartoonists themselves?Cartoonists Brad Guigar and Dave Kellett examine the surprisingly vast comics ecosystem, where thousands of creators can cultivate separate audiences without ever appearing on one another’s radar. The market may have room for far more working cartoonists than we realize — but success requires more than artistic ability. Creators must also be willing to learn business,

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01:02:07

How to Build Momentum

Comic Lab ·

2026/09/24

How do you build momentum as a cartoonist — and what happens when you lose it?Brad and Dave examine momentum across every part of a creative career: generating ideas, maintaining a productive workflow, growing an audience, and building a sustainable business. They discuss why progress can feel imperceptibly slow at first, how consistent work eventually begins producing its own energy, and why returning after a break can feel like starting a stalled train.Then, a listener asks how cartoonists should

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01:15:10

How to Make a Style Guide for Your Comic

Comic Lab ·

2026/09/17

How much of a successful comics career depends on being temporarily delusional? Brad and Dave suspect it may be more than anyone wants to admit.Then, a listener asks about creating a style guide for a comic. Brad and Dave discuss the small decisions that help lettering remain clear, consistent, and easy to read — from spelling out numerals and avoiding hyphenated line breaks to shaping word balloons, using all-caps lettering, and deciding whether “livestream” is one word or two.Finally, they look

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00:59:26

80th Annual NCS Conference and Reuben Awards Review

Comic Lab ·

2026/09/10

Dave and Brad return from the 80th Annual National Cartoonists Society Conference and Reuben Awards with stories to tell!They look back on ComicLab LIVE and a private tour of the newly redesigned Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum! Then it's on to the Reuben Awards, where Mark Tatulli finally won the Reuben Award after years of nominations. But some of the best moments happened between the scheduled events. Brad gets the chance to sit down with 95-year-old cartooning legend Mort Gerberg and

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00:59:18

ComicLab LIVE! at the 80th annual National...

Comic Lab ·

2026/09/03

Once again, Dave and Brad brought their podcast to the stage at the annual National Cartoonists Society Conference and Reuben Awards. They were joined by Dee Fish, Terri Libenson, and Jamar Nicholas — three cartoonists with very different creative paths and a wealth of hard-earned advice to share.Dee Fish Dee Fish is a cartoonist, illustrator, and writer best known for Finding Dee, her semi-autobiographical webcomic about navigating life after coming out as a transgender woman. Dee was nominated

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01:02:20

How to Succeed at San Diego Comic-Con

Comic Lab ·

2026/08/27

Today's show is brought to you by Hogan's Alley, the fantastic magazine devoted to comics history, cartoonists, and the art form we love. Visit HoganMag.com and use the discount code COMICLAB10 for 10% off.Dave Kellett is back from San Diego Comic-Con 2026, and he brought receipts! After 27 years of exhibiting at the show, Dave just had his best Comic-Con ever — including an absolutely bonkers $6,000 Sunday. But a big gross number doesn't necessarily mean a big payday. Brad and Dave dig into the

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01:13:12

Special Guest Fran Sundblad, creator of "Tiff & Eve"

Comic Lab ·

2026/08/20

Cartoonist Fran Sundblad, creator of Tiff & Eve, joins Brad for a wide-ranging conversation about creating character-driven comics, finding an audience on Reddit, and learning when not to chase the algorithm.Fran traces Tiff & Eve from its beginnings in her sketchbook to a comic that regularly reaches thousands of readers. She explains how Tiff and Eve represent two very different impulses — Tiff as the superego and Eve as the id — and shares a terrific character-development exercise: Lock your

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01:07:14

The Worst Thing About Webcomics

Comic Lab ·

2026/08/13

Although we typically focus on the bright side of being independent cartoonists, a listener asks us to address the downside of webcomics. We'll talk about time management, burnout, financial insecurity, and reader interactions. Then we realize that all those drawbacks have one very important thing in common — and it's not what you'd expect!TODAY’S SHOW ComicLab gets someone engaged! The worst parts of being a webcartoonist. Creativity isn’t always consistent. Success doesn’t eliminate

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01:17:12

How to Calculate Churn — and Why

Comic Lab ·

2026/08/06

Patreon backers have access to an exclusive ComicLab Churn Rate spreadsheet — it does the math for you!Is your Patreon actually growing—or are new members disguising a retention problem? Brad walks Dave through the process of calculating churn rate and shows how one number can unlock a much clearer understanding of a membership business. They discuss subscriber retention, lifetime value, onboarding, well-timed interventions, and how to determine whether advertising or convention appearances are

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01:08:12

First Pages First

Comic Lab ·

2026/07/30

What belongs at the beginning of your book? Brad and Dave discuss whether an anti-AI statement offers creators any meaningful protection, break down the information that belongs on a copyright page, and explore the many ways cartoonists can approach the first page of a story or chapter. The best opening isn’t determined by a universal rule—it should establish the right expectations, reflect the story you’re telling, and give readers a reason to keep going.Topics include: Skunk Watch 2026 Do

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01:26:38

Special Guest Dylan Meconis

Comic Lab ·

2026/07/23

Cartoonist and author Dylan Meconis joins Dave Kellett to discuss marketing middle-grade webcomics, working with fans who offer to translate your work, and finding the right balance between control and accessibility. They also share practical advice for cartoonists creating an autobiographical avatar — including how simplification, posture, clothing, line quality, and tone can make a character feel unmistakably like you.Topics include: Marketing and monetizing middle-grade webcomics Reaching

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01:02:24

What's the Best Business Model for Comics?

Comic Lab ·

2026/07/16

This week, Brad and Dave talk about the best business model for longform webcomics — and why putting your comic online for free is still the strongest way to build a sustainable career. Also: Kickstarter’s late-pledge and pledge-manager tools, the difference between market research and mirror research, and how to keep going when your first posts get nothing but crickets. ON THIS WEEK'S SHOW... Dave’s backyard skunk problem may or may not require Super Soakers What’s the best business model for

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01:08:16

Why Some Punchlines Don’t Land

Comic Lab ·

2026/07/09

Dave Kellett returns from his first-ever college reunion with a full heart — and a renewed appreciation for old friends, running jokes, and the occasional listener washing dishes through the cold open. From there, Brad and Dave dig into one of the trickiest parts of writing comics: how much work should the reader have to do to “get” the punchline? Using Brad’s motorcycle-jump-over-a-ravine metaphor, they discuss why wider joke “canyons” can create bigger laughs, why shorter jumps can feel merely

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01:04:06

Never Outsource Your Vision

Comic Lab ·

2026/07/02

This week, Brad and Dave discuss one of the easiest traps for independent creators to fall into: Outsourcing important business or creative decisions to reader polls. Audience feedback can be useful, but when creators ask readers to steer decisions about Patreon tiers, Kickstarter rewards, publishing strategy, or creative direction, they often get noisy, contradictory advice that can lead them away from their own best judgment. Topics covered in this episode include: Why readers are experts in

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01:02:24

Surviving Your Own Success

Comic Lab ·

2026/06/25

This week, Brad and Dave discuss what happens after a cartoonist achieves the dream: making a living from comics. They explain why success can create its own time-management problems, how to protect the thing that’s already working, and why adding books, Kickstarter campaigns, merch, newsletters, or conventions should happen gradually. They also talk about practical systems for numbering webcomic pages, naming files, and keeping longform comics organized over time. Main topics covered Weird

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01:01:31

Exclamation points!!!

Comic Lab ·

2026/06/18

What seems like a simple question about exclamation points opens up a much bigger discussion about the power of comics lettering. Brad and Dave talk about punctuation, word balloons, font choices, and the unique grammar of comics — and why cartoonists have tools that prose writers can only dream of. They also share thoughts on staying creative during major disruptions, from studio moves to home renovations.On today's show... Exclamation points in comics: how many is too many? Whether to use one,

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01:17:20

Alaska Comics Camp 2026

Comic Lab ·

2026/06/11

Today’s show is sponsored by Huion, makers of the Huion Kamvas 22 (Gen 3) — a 21.5" pen display with a gorgeous 2.5K screen and really smooth performance. Bottom line: it feels great to draw on — and it punches way above its price.• Check it out at https://comiclabshop.com • Use code COMICLAB5 for an exclusive 5% discount! (Valid through June 14th) This week, Dave returns from Alaska Comics Camp — https://minicon.alaskarobotics.com/comics-camp/ — with a glowing review of what he calls one of the

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01:12:16

Hiring a Social Media Manager

Comic Lab ·

2026/06/04

Should cartoonists hire a social-media manager? Brad and Dave discuss the pros and cons of outsourcing social media and ultimately argue that most creators should handle it themselves. They explain why social media is an extension of a creator's voice, how direct engagement provides invaluable feedback about audience-building and marketing, and why improving your promotional skills makes you a better cartoonist overall. Along the way, they discuss shyness, self-promotion, audience growth, and the

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01:00:42

Quiet on the set!

Comic Lab ·

2026/05/28

With both Brad and Dave nominated for awards this year, the guys spiral into a surprisingly deep conversation about awards, marketing, ego, and whether creators should plaster “award nominee” stickers all over their books.Later, they tackle a listener question about using 3D models, digital sets, and reference material in comics production — leading to a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at how both creators actually build comics pages in tools like Clip Studio Paint and Photoshop. Along the way,

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01:05:21

Is the comic strip dead?

Comic Lab ·

2026/05/21

The newspaper comic strip didn't go extinct — it evolved. But if your work doesn't keep up, your career may be fossilized! From Reddit-ready square comics to vertical-scroll storytelling, they explore how creators are adapting to phones, social media, and changing reading habits while keeping the heart of the comic strip alive.Topics covered The evolution of newspaper comic strips Why horizontal strips existed in the first place How phones changed comics formatting Square-format comics on

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