Comic Lab

Podcast

Comic Lab

Brad Guigar and Dave Kellett

460 episodesen-us
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)

Episodes

460. How to Launch a Comics Studio

Should you launch a comic studio — or are you really talking about a comics collective, a shared workspace, or simply collaborating on a project? This week, Brad and Dave unpack what the word “studio”...
Oct 8, 20261h 7m

459. Is there a LIMIT to comics success?

Is there a limit to how many cartoonists can build successful careers—or is the real limiting factor the cartoonists themselves?
Oct 1, 202659m

458. How to Build Momentum

How do you build momentum as a cartoonist — and what happens when you lose it? Cartoonists Brad Guigar and Dave Kellett examine momentum across every part of a creative career: Generating ideas, maint...
Sep 24, 20261h 2m

457. How to Make a Style Guide for Your Comic

When 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...
Sep 17, 20261h 15m

456. 80th Annual NCS Conference and Reuben Awards Review

Dave and Brad return from the 80th Annual National Cartoonists Society Conference and Reuben Awards with stories to tell!
Sep 10, 202659m

455. ComicLab LIVE! at the 80th annual National Cartoonists Society Conference and Reuben Awards

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 —...
Sep 3, 202659m

454. How to Succeed at San Diego Comic-Con

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 — and he's going to share his thoughts on h...
Aug 27, 20261h 2m

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

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 al...
Aug 20, 20261h 13m

452. The Worst Thing About Webcomics

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 ver...
Aug 13, 20261h 7m

451. How to Calculate Churn — and Why

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 u...
Aug 6, 20261h 17m

450. First Pages First

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, a...
Jul 30, 20261h 8m

449. Special Guest Dylan Meconis

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 an...
Jul 23, 20261h 26m

448. What's the Best Business Model for Comics?

Brad and Dave discuss why putting your comic online for free is still the strongest way to build a sustainable career.
Jul 16, 20261h 2m

447. Why Some Punchlines Don’t Land

Using Brad’s motorcycle-jump-over-a-ravine metaphor, the ComicLab guys discuss why wider joke “canyons” can create bigger laughs, why shorter jumps can feel merely “technically funny,” and why the bes...
Jul 9, 20261h 8m

446. Never Outsource Your Vision

It's 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 reader...
Jul 2, 20261h 4m

445. Surviving Your Own Success

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 th...
Jun 25, 20261h 2m

444. Exclamation points!!!

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...
Jun 18, 20261h 1m

443. Alaska Comics Camp 2026

Today’s show is sponsored by Huion, makers of the Huion Kamvas 22 (Gen 3)! Dave returns from Alaska Comics Camp with a glowing review of what he calls one of the most meaningful experiences of his pro...
Jun 11, 20261h 17m

442. Hiring 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.
Jun 4, 20261h 12m

441. Quiet on the set!

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...
May 28, 20261h 0m