Comics Kingdom has a Discord now. This episode walks through why we built it, what’s inside, and how readers can join the conversation.

Join here: discord.gg/appQys6v2z

What happens when a Viking ends up in a modern workplace?

Stephen Webster joins Inside the Kingdom to talk about The Saga of Brann Bjornson, a strip that blends fantasy, family life, and office culture into something that feels strangely real.

Stephen’s path to comics isn’t typical. He grew up in Iowa, moved to Russia, studied art in the Arctic, worked in gaming, and eventually built a world where dragons run companies and trolls handle IT.

In this episode, we get into where Brann came from, how the strip evolved, and what it takes to build a world that works both as a daily comic and a long-form story.

Timestamps:

00:00 Cold Open

01:00 Intro

02:00 From Iowa to the Arctic

06:00 Building Brann’s World

10:00 Art Style & Format

14:00 From Personal Project to King Features

18:00 Storytelling & What’s Next

22:00 Lightning Round

Read the strip:

https://comicskingdom.com/the-saga-of-brann-bjornson

Follow Stephen:

https://www.instagram.com/stepneal

One cartoonist. Three daily comic strips. More than 40 years without missing a beat.

Bill Holbrook joins Inside the Kingdom to talk about building and sustaining On the Fastrack, Safe Havens, and Kevin and Kell — all at the same time.

From early days meeting Charles Schulz, to launching one of the first webcomics in 1995, to evolving a daycare strip into full-on sci-fi, Bill’s career doesn’t follow the usual rules.

We get into how his strips changed over time, how he manages the workload, and what keeps him coming back to the drawing board every day.

Timestamps:

00:00 Cold Open

01:00 Intro

02:30 Early Life & Meeting Schulz

07:00 On the Fastrack

12:00 Safe Havens

17:00 Kevin and Kell

22:00 The Process

26:00 Lightning Round

Read On the Fastrack:

https://comicskingdom.com/on-the-fastrack

Read Safe Havens:

https://comicskingdom.com/safe-havens

Read Kevin and Kell:

https://kevinandkell.com

Cartoonist Vaughan Tomlinson joins Inside the Kingdom to talk about Oddly Enough, his understated, offbeat strip that finds humor in the everyday.

We explore his approach to comic timing, visual storytelling, and the art of saying more with less. It’s a thoughtful look at how the smallest moments can land the biggest laughs.

Part of the Comics Kingdom network, where comics are the history of happy.

Check out Oddly Enough
Follow Vaughn on Instagram

Comics Kingdom heads to MoCCA Arts Fest, one of the most important events in independent cartooning.

Host Alex Garcia sits down with Maritsa Patrinos and Isabella Bannerman to talk about indie comics, creative freedom, and how those worlds connect to syndicated strips and larger platforms.

From zines and sketchbooks to the Sunday funnies, this episode explores where comics start, how they grow, and why spaces like MoCCA still matter.

Today on Inside the Kingdom, we’re celebrating the anniversary of Rosebuds on Comics Kingdom and talking all things MAR14DAY.

Created by cartoonist Deon “Supr Dee” Parson, Rosebuds follows sisters Rosa, Maria, and Maricela Gonzalez as they navigate family life with humor, heart, and just the right amount of sibling chaos. The strip launched independently in 2020 and was later picked up by King Features Syndicate. On June 1, 2025, it became a daily comic on Comics Kingdom.

In this episode, we talk about how the strip began, how the sisters evolved, what changed when it went daily, and what this anniversary means to Deon and to readers. We also dig into the fan love behind MAR14DAY and how community moments like that shape the strip’s future.

If you love comics rooted in family, culture, and real emotion, this conversation is for you.

Read Rosebuds daily at ComicsKingdom.com/rosebuds.

Subscribe for more creator conversations from Inside the Kingdom.

Once upon a time, a cartoonist put the Three Little Pigs in the suburbs and never looked back. This week on Inside the Kingdom, we sit down with Francis Bonnet — the creator, writer, and illustrator behind Suburban Fairy Tales — to talk about 20+ years of fairy tale humor, landing at King Features Syndicate, his new book Set Sail to Fail, and what it really takes to keep a comic strip going for two decades.

Whether you’re a longtime fan of the strip or discovering it for the first time, this is a fun, honest look at life as a cartoonist.

📰 Read Suburban Fairy Tales on Comics Kingdom:

comicskingdom.com/suburban-fairy-tales

📖 Get Set Sail to Fail on Amazon:

amazon.com/Set-Sail-Fail-Suburban-Collection/dp/B0DFXXWH6F

⏰ CHAPTERS:

0:00 — Intro
2:00 — Who Is Francis Bonnet?
5:00 — The World of Suburban Fairy Tales
9:00 — 20 Years of the Strip
13:00 — Craft & Creative Process
17:00 — Set Sail to Fail & Sunday Editions
20:00 — Lightning Round
23:00 — Where to Find Francis

#SuburbanFairyTales #ComicsKingdom #InsideTheKingdom #ComicStrips #KingFeatures #FrancissBonnet #Webcomics

This week on Inside the Kingdom, we’re joined by Victor Van Acker, creator of Dumplings — a funny, family-friendly strip about Dani, her lovable pup Benny, and the friends (and frenemies) who make everyday life feel like a full-on adventure.

We talk about:

• Finding comedy in school days, friendships, and kid-sized “big deals”
• Building a cast that includes Dani, Benny, and a memorable crew of friends and pets
• Victor’s path to cartooning, from drawing for his family to making Dumplings a daily strip

Read Dumplings on Comics Kingdom, and explore the archive to catch up from the beginning. Like, subscribe, and tell us which character you’re backing: Team Benny or Team Cat Logic.

Dumplings on Comics Kingdom: https://comicskingdom.com/dumplings

About Dumplings: https://comicskingdom.com/dumplings/about

Victor Van Acker (creator page): https://comicskingdom.com/creator/victor-van-acker

What makes toddler life so funny, and so familiar

This week on Inside the Kingdom, we sit down with George Gant, creator of Beware of Toddler, the weekly Sunday comic on ComicsKingdom.com. The strip follows a stay at home dad trying to survive daily life with his wild two year old daughter, and somehow finding laughter in the mess.

George shares how the comic started, how he finds the joke in real parenting moments, and what it has been like growing the strip from webcomic roots into a wider audience through King Features and Comics Kingdom.

Read Beware of Toddler on ComicsKingdom.com (new strips every Sunday), and explore more creator conversations by subscribing to Inside the Kingdom.

Chapters:
00:00 Intro02:10 How Beware of Toddler began06:00 Building the characters12:00 Writing and drawing process18:00 Joining Comics Kingdom24:00 Milestones and recognition29:00 Lightning round33:00 Outro

#Comics #ComicsKingdom #BewareOfToddler #GeorgeGant #KingFeatures #Cartooning #ParentingHumor

Step into Hootin’ Holler with us!
This week on Inside the Kingdom, we’re joined by John R. Rose, the cartoonist carrying forward the legendary comic strip Barney Google & Snuffy Smith — one of the longest-running strips in American history.

We talk about:

• The strip’s 100+ year legacy

• The evolution from Barney to Snuffy

• Life and humor in Hootin’ Holler

• John’s creative process and daily cartooning routine

• Why readers have loved these characters for generations

Read Barney Google & Snuffy Smith daily on ComicsKingdom.com
Subscribe for more creator stories, comic history, and behind-the-scenes chats!