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/

Join James in an EXTRA packed Nerdy Mewzings Podcast studio as he welcomes Ridge Kiley (President/CEO of Rising Empire Studios and Creator of Alpha Clash TCG) and writer AJ Light (Alpha Clash Co-Creator) for an energetic chat about building a new comic + trading card game universe from the ground up!

The guys share:

-How the pandemic sparked the idea for a wizard battle royale video game that evolved into a full multimedia franchise

-Turning graphic novels, novels, and comics into core drivers for the Alpha Clash trading card game

-The surreal journey of teaming up with legendary writer Mark Waid (Flash, Kingdom Come) to co-write a new 3-issue comic arc

-Upcoming Kickstarter launching January 20, 2026: Alpha Clash: Rising Empires – 3 issues, tons of variant covers, ultra collectibles, and digital options

-Lessons on comic scripting, collaborating with artists, and balancing superpowers for both story and gameplay

Perfect for comic fans, TCG players, and anyone inspired by indie creators building their own universe!

Support the Kickstarter (pre-launch page live): https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/alphaclash/alpha-clash-rising-empires-by-mark-waid-and-aj-light-1-3

Official Website: https://alphaclashtcg.com/

Follow on Instagram: Alpha Clash - https://www.instagram.com/alphaclashtcg

Rising Empire Studios - https://www.instagram.com/rising_empire_studios

Ridge Kiley - https://www.instagram.com/kiley_wrestling

AJ Light - https://www.instagram.com/ajlightwriter

Mark Waid - https://www.instagram.com/markwaidwriter

Join James in the Nerdy Mewzings studio as he chats with rising Irish comic book artist Reese Hannigan, proudly the first Irishman to appear on the podcast!

Reese dives into his journey:

-Growing up inspired by cartoons, Spider-Man movies, Todd McFarlane, and early YouTube art videos

-Transitioning from traditional to digital workflow (Clip Studio lover!)

-Breaking into comics, influenced by fellow Irish artists like Danny Earls

-Working on Star Wars: Hyperspace Stories – The Bad Batch: Rogue Agents (and previous Ghost Agents miniseries) for Dark Horse Comics

-Recent cover work for Dynamite (Terminator, Shredder, Supernatural, Peter Cannon Thunderbolt)

-Balancing a day job, deadlines, and going full-time freelance soon

A fun, inspiring talk for aspiring artists about persistence, digital tools, finding your style, and living the Star Wars dream!

Follow Reese: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reesehanniganart

X/Twitter: https://x.com/Reesehannart

Join James once again in the Nerdy Mewzings Podcast studio, as he completes the trilogy with Chris Tung, founder of Raremarq (formerly Nerd Crawler), in a fun and insightful chat about building a powerhouse marketplace for comic book art lovers!

Chris shares exciting updates on Raremarq's growth:

-Helped creators earn over $2 million in under two years

-Lower fees (starting at 6%), secure escrow protection, and vetted sellers featuring top names like Frank Cho and Artgerm

-New tools: Auction Now Shopify app and AuctionNow.ai platform to launch your own real-time auctions and online store (starting free!)

-Bringing auction tech to more creators, reps, shops, and fans worldwide

Plus casual talk on movie trilogies, collecting challenges, Berserk manga love, and the joy of giving back to the comic community.

Perfect for artists looking to sell originals, collectors hunting rare pieces, or anyone curious about the business side of original comic book art!

Visit Raremarq: https://www.raremarq.com/ (with a Q!)

Shopify Sellers: Search "Auction Now" in the Shopify App Store

Launch Your Store: https://auctionnow.ai/

Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/raremarq

Dive into an epic chat with comic artist & writer Nick Pitarra (The Manhattan Projects, Ax-Wielder Jon) as he shares his wild journey breaking into comics, pulling insane all-nighters, his deep love for influences like Frank Quitely, Moebius, and Geof Darrow, collaborating with Jonathan Hickman, and the heartfelt origin of his creator-owned barbarian masterpiece Ax-Wielder Jon. We also geek out over arm wrestling training, studio grind stories, and why finding your artistic voice matters more than perfect anatomy. Whether you're an aspiring artist, a die-hard indie comics fan, or just love behind-the-scenes creator stories—this one's for you! 

Staying Connected:

Social Media and Art

Follow Nick on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nickpitarra

Follow Nick on X/AKA Twitter: https://www.x.com/nickpitarra

Check his original art: https://www.felixcomicart.com/ArtistGalleryTitles.asp?ArtistId=568

This week James had the honor of chatting with Felix Lu of Felix Comic Art, a comic book artist representative who works with acclaimed superstars like Ryan Ottley, Daniel Warren Johnson, Nick Dragotta and many more. They discussed the intricacies of the art representation industry, the significance of original art sales, and the ever evolving landscape of comic book art collecting. The conversation also touches on Felix’s personal connections and stories, including his first original art purchase, the booming success of Absolute Batman, and essential advice for new collectors.

If you’re obsessed with Absolute Batman, trying to collect Nick Dragotta art, or just want to know how one series completely rewrote the original art market — this is the interview everyone will be talking about.

New episodes every week!

Follow Felix for every new Drop (you do NOT want to miss the next one):

https://www.felixcomicart.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/felixcomicart

X/Twitter: https://x.com/FelixComicArt

Newsletter sign-up (most important): https://www.felixcomicart.com

• The exact numbers and strategies behind Arachnid Enforcer’s monster launch

Late Pledge / Buy the book here:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/jimmahfood/defective-comics-presents-the-arachnid-enforcer

Follow Jim & shop his store:

If you love indie comics, Spider-Man-inspired stories with a wild twist, or just want to hear what happens when the wall-crawler skips the whole “great power, great responsibility” lesson… this episode is for you.

New episodes of Nerdy Mewzings drop every Monday at 6 am PST — Follow so you never miss a guest!