Join me on the Nerdy Mewzings Podcast for an epic, heartfelt conversation with the incredibly talented Brett Bean — artist behind I Hate Fairyland, Dungeon Crawler Carl: The Crocodile, and now his brand-new creator-owned high-fantasy comedy series D'ORC launching February 4, 2026 from Image Comics! Brett shares his wild journey: skipping school to read Savage Sword of Conan at a Circle K (and getting picked up by the police!), growing up in a religious household where comics were hidden treasures, losing everything in a fire (echoing Eric Larsen's story), transitioning from video games (Sony's Syphon Filter & SOCOM), concept art, Jim Henson puppet design (!), and finally chasing his lifelong dream of making comics.

We bond over Washington State roots, destroyed childhood comic collections by family, religious upbringings clashing with Spawn and heavy metal mags, supportive spouses, avoiding burnout, and the magic of problem-solving in creative careers. Plus, the big reveal: D'ORC — a hilarious half-dwarf, half-orc misfit (all DORK!) caught in a doomsday prophecy that says he's destined to end the world. Elves vs. Orcs, wizards vs. common sense, dragons vs. everyone... and a chicken? Perfect for fans of Conan, Lord of the Rings, and deadpan humor like Gert's. With stunning art by Brett, colors by Jean-François Beaulieu (I Hate Fairyland), and letters by Nate Piekos (Minor Threats), plus insane variant covers from Ryan Ottley, Ryan Stegman, Mirka Andolfo, and more — this is the fantasy romp we've been waiting for!

We also geek out over influences (Bill Watterson, Todd McFarlane, Mike Mignola, Moebius, Eastman & Laird's TMNT, and modern stars like Daniel Warren Johnson), original art collections, Star Wars prototypes, Muppets, and why passion is more important than perfection.

If you love creator journeys, fantasy comics, or just great nerdy chats, hit play now. Don't forget to buy D'ORC #1 at your local comic shop February 4th and Keep it nerdy!

Follow Brett:

Website - https://www.brettbean.com/

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/brett2dbean

Substack - https://brettbean.substack.com/