"If you're not gonna tell the truth, then why start talking?"This week, Dean and Vito welcome writer/editor/shepherd, Joseph "Joe" Illidge! After a discussion on Joe's origins, the discussion moves to world building, Milestone Media and Joe's own future universe. This is a sprawling conversation that digs into world building, marketing and what it means to be a "tastemaker" in comics.MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:- Follow Joe on Instagram, TwitterX and his own website- RUN to your shops beginning TUESDAY, February 24 for your copy of THE NEW HISTORY OF THE DC UNIVERSE: THE DAKOTA INCIDENT, co-written by Joe, Stephanie Williams, Morgan Hampton and Nikolas Draper-Ivey with art by Carlo Pagulayan, Valentine De Landro and Edwin Galmon!- For more on Joe's consulting company, Illuminous Ideas, go to: https://www.illuminousideas.com/- And follow Milestone Media on Instagram!- LATE PLEDGES for ANTIMATTER are open! If you missed your chance to back Dean's Kickstarter, you can still get in! - SIGN UP for the STRAY: REQUIEM Issues 1-3 Kickstarter NOW!- WE ARE TAKING DONATIONS! Donations will be used to purchase a portable podcasting rig and new microphones for Dean and Vito. Thanks in advance! The QR Code is just a little too small to scan, so head over to: https://tinyurl.com/VxDPodcast- WE HAVE A T-SHIRT! Get yours on Threadless right now!Follow Dean on Instagram and on ⁠SubstackFollow Vito by Googling "incogvito" or by subscribing to his ⁠Substack⁠Like, share and subscribe! Hit the bell to be notified when new episodes go live!

"If no one ever took risks, Michelangelo would have painted the Sistine floor."Dean and Vito tackle the comic industry's latest hot topic; story or art (thanks Todd)? A quick hip hop versus, a discussion about creator avatars in comics, and favorite love songs for Valentine's Day! All this and so much more!MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:- LATE PLEDGES for ANTIMATTER are open! If you missed your chance to back Dean's Kickstarter, you can still get in! - SIGN UP for the STRAY: REQUIEM Issues 1-3 Kickstarter NOW!- WE ARE TAKING DONATIONS! Donations will be used to purchase a portable podcasting rig and new microphones for Dean and Vito. Thanks in advance! The QR Code is just a little too small to scan, so head over to: https://tinyurl.com/VxDPodcast- WE HAVE A T-SHIRT! Get yours on Threadless right now!Follow Dean on Instagram and on ⁠SubstackFollow Vito by Googling "incogvito" or by subscribing to his ⁠Substack⁠Like, share and subscribe! Hit the bell to be notified when new episodes go live!

"Ignorance, allied with power, is the most ferocious enemy justice can have."Dean and Vito celebrate Black History Month by talking about their favorite Black creators and characters (including their own!), but not before asking one of the toughest questions they've asked in 56 episodes: How would superheroes solve the problems outside our window?MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:- LATE PLEDGES for ANTIMATTER are open! If you missed your chance to back Dean's Kickstarter, you can still get in!- SIGN UP for the STRAY: REQUIEM Issues 1-3 Kickstarter NOW!- Late Pledges are open for the ORPHANED WORKS Kickstarter with a never seen story by Dean!- And back Xion Studios AMERICAN YAKUZA 1-5 by friend of the show, Charlie McElvy! 15 days to go!- WE ARE TAKING DONATIONS! Donations will be used to purchase a portable podcasting rig and new microphones for Dean and Vito. Thanks in advance! The QR Code is just a little too small to scan, so head over to: https://tinyurl.com/VxDPodcast- WE HAVE A T-SHIRT! Get yours on Threadless right now!- MEET DEAN at the Original Art Expo in Orlando NEXT WEEKEND from February 20-22!- Dean is also appearing at the Long Island Convention of Horror on March 1! Get tix here: https://lichlive.com/Follow Dean on Instagram and on ⁠SubstackFollow Vito by Googling "incogvito" or by subscribing to his ⁠Substack⁠Like, share and subscribe! Hit the bell to be notified when new episodes go live!

"In an age of distraction, nothing can feel more luxurious than paying attention."Dean and Vito welcome musician and comics retailer, Nick Purpura, to the show to talk about the current state of comic retailing and strategies for comics creators to consider when publishing their books. This is ONE TO WATCH and TAKE NOTES! MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:- Follow JHU Comics on Instagram and shop their online store at https://jhu-comic-books.myshopify.com/- WE ARE TAKING DONATIONS! Donations will be used to purchase a portable podcasting rig and new microphones for Dean and Vito. Thanks in advance! The QR Code is just a little too small to scan, so head over to: https://tinyurl.com/VxDPodcast- LATE PLEDGES for ANTIMATTER are open! If you missed your chance to back Dean's Kickstarter, you can still get in!- WE HAVE A T-SHIRT! Get yours on Threadless right now!- MEET DEAN at the Original Art Expo in Orlando from February 20-22!Follow Dean on Instagram and on ⁠SubstackFollow Vito by Googling "incogvito" or by subscribing to his ⁠Substack⁠Like, share and subscribe! Hit the bell to be notified when new episodes go live!

"Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep."Dean and Vito welcome cartoonist and comics art teacher, Steve Walker, to the show to talk about his work with the Art Students League of NY, his collaborations past and future with Vito, and then he and Dean critique Vito's second attempt at drawing comics. LOTS of instruction in this one, so don't miss out!MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:- Follow Steve Walker on Instagram and his website. Contact him via either to get a copy of his wonderful comic, THE BLACKFORGE CHRONICLES !- If attending the Art Students League NY, where Steve and Andrew Drilon teach Comics and Narrative Arts, interests you, contact them via their website!- WE ARE TAKING DONATIONS! Donations will be used to purchase a portable podcasting rig and new microphones for Dean and Vito. Thanks in advance! The QR Code is just a little too small to scan, so head over to: https://tinyurl.com/VxDPodcast- LATE PLEDGES for ANTIMATTER are open! If you missed your chance to back Dean's Kickstarter, you can still get in!- WE HAVE A T-SHIRT! Get yours on Threadless right now!- Listen (or relisten) to the Scene by Scene with Josh and Dean: American Splendor podcast.Follow Dean on Instagram and on ⁠SubstackFollow Vito by Googling "incogvito" or by subscribing to his ⁠Substack⁠Like, share and subscribe! Hit the bell to be notified when new episodes go live!

"I build the plane while I fly it."The new "season" begins right here as the fellas welcome legendary writer of your favorite comic books, Mark Waid! Mark discusses his current workload, how he manages multiple assignments, his top three writers and so much more! This is one you DON'T want to skip!MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:- Follow Mark Waid on Instagram at instagram.com/markwaidwriter- WE ARE TAKING DONATIONS! Donations will be used to purchase a portable podcasting rig and new microphones for Dean and Vito. Thanks in advance! The QR Code is just a little too small to scan, so head over to: https://tinyurl.com/VxDPodcast- LATE PLEDGES for ANTIMATTER are open! If you missed your chance to back Dean's Kickstarter, you can still get in! - WE HAVE A T-SHIRT! Get yours on Threadless right now!- Listen (or relisten) to the Scene by Scene with Josh and Dean: American Splendor podcast!Follow Dean on Instagram and on ⁠SubstackFollow Vito by Googling "incogvito" or by subscribing to his ⁠Substack⁠Like, share and subscribe! Hit the bell to be notified when new episodes go live!

"Economy of words/wealth of information."This week, the boys end their first year on a high note, with writer and all around fantastic human, Whitney Matheson. Whitney talks about her memoir, short stories and comics, and why it's not so hard to be a positive presence. Then, the guys talk about the "best day of the year" and how it was almost ruined by the events in Minnesota.MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

- Follow Whitney Matheson and get her books, all in one handy dandy link: http://linktr.ee/thewhitneymatheson- WE ARE TAKING DONATIONS! Donations will be used to purchase a portable podcasting rig and new microphones for Dean and Vito. Thanks in advance! The QR Code is just a little too small to scan, so head over to: https://tinyurl.com/VxDPodcast- LATE PLEDGES for ANTIMATTER are open! If you missed your chance to back Dean's Kickstarter, you can still get in!- WE HAVE A T-SHIRT! Get yours on Threadless right now!- Listen (or relisten) to the Scene by Scene with Josh and Dean: American Splendor podcast!Follow Dean on Instagram and on ⁠Substack Follow Vito by Googling "incogvito" or by subscribing to his ⁠Substack⁠Like, share and subscribe! Hit the bell to be notified when new episodes go live!

"We are cups, constantly and quietly being filled. The trick is, knowing how to tip ourselves over and let the beautiful stuff out."This week, boys step into 2026 by discussing Vito's ongoing drawing journey, burnout and physical limitations, the evil that was Roy Cohn and...oh great, a possible war with/in Venezuela.MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:- WE ARE TAKING DONATIONS! Donations will be used to purchase a portable podcasting rig and new microphones for Dean and Vito. Thanks in advance! The QR Code is just a little too small to scan, so head over to: https://tinyurl.com/VxDPodcast- LATE PLEDGES for ANTIMATTER are open! If you missed your chance to back Dean's Kickstarter, you can still get in! - WE HAVE A T-SHIRT! Get yours on Threadless right now!- Now it's stuck in YOUR head- Listen (or relisten) to the Scene by Scene with Josh and Dean: American Splendor podcast- And go enjoy the work of RAID Studios and Ramon Perez!Follow Dean on Instagram and on ⁠SubstackFollow Vito by Googling "incogvito" or by subscribing to his ⁠Substack⁠Like, share and subscribe! Hit the bell to be notified when new episodes go live!

"Life has a funny way of becoming ordinary as soon as it can."This week, the gents welcome a few friends to celebrate their FIFTIETH episode...LIVE! It goes all over the place, but it was a fun time had by all! And we all give our Best of 2025 recommendations!MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:- WE ARE TAKING DONATIONS! Donations will be used to purchase a portable podcasting rig and new microphones for Dean and Vito. Thanks in advance! The QR Code is just a little too small to scan, so head over to: https://tinyurl.com/VxDPodcast- LATE PLEDGES for ANTIMATTER are open! If you missed your chance to back Dean's Kickstarter, you can still get in!- Be sure to follow the TYRANT Kickstarter and hit that "Notify Me On Launch" to be the first to back it when it goes live!- WE HAVE A T-SHIRT! Get yours on Threadless right now!- And don't forget to donate to Reese Nathan's ongoing battle with Crohn's Follow Dean on Instagram and on ⁠SubstackFollow Vito by Googling "incogvito" or by subscribing to his ⁠Substack⁠Like, share and subscribe! Hit the bell to be notified when new episodes go live!

"Life has a funny way of becoming ordinary as soon as it can."This week, the fellas get ready for the holidays by talking about Vito's first art assignment, the proliferation of artificial intelligence and how it is creeping up on all of us, and they talk about what comics in the 80s taught us all about being "grim and gritty."SET YOUR CALENDARS! We will be doing a LIVE episode for Episode 50 on MONDAY, DECEMBER 29th @ 8PM! MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:- WE ARE TAKING DONATIONS! Donations will be used to purchase a portable podcasting rig and new microphones for Dean and Vito. Thanks in advance!- LATE PLEDGES for ANTIMATTER are open! If you missed your chance to back Dean's Kickstarter, you can still get in!- Be sure to follow the TYRANT Kickstarter and hit that "Notify Me On Launch" to be the first to back it when it goes live!- WE HAVE A T-SHIRT! Get yours on Threadless right now!- And don't forget to donate to Reese Nathan's ongoing battle with Crohn's Follow Dean on Instagram and on ⁠SubstackFollow Vito by Googling "incogvito" or by subscribing to his ⁠Substack⁠Like, share and subscribe! Hit the bell to be notified when new episodes go live!