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.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.