Nerdy Mewzings

Will Thompson (AKA The300ChickenNuggets) joins Nerdy Mewzings to talk about his self taught art journey, striving for mastery with zero formal training, and turning it into a full-time career in only three years! He explains his no pre-sketch process (straight to permanent ink!), how songs create 15-second mental videos he pulls images from, and the two piece a day/2 hour time limit rules that helped build his skillset in record time. Will covers commissions for Maya Kurita's book, why white space and high-contrast ink clicked for him, and going full-time once the numbers increased made sense. He also teases upcoming work, including a Trace 3 skate deck, the Blood of Gods zine, and upcoming collabs with Joshua Striker. If you're enjoying the show please take a moment to leave a 5 STAR review, share with a friend, and Keep it Nerdy! Follow Will: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the300chickennuggets Patreon members get episodes 48 hours early, a shoutout on the show, and can submit guest questions! Join here for only $5 per month: https://patreon.com/nerdymewzings Timestamps 0:00 - The 300 Chicken Nuggets handle 2:30 - Maya Kurita character work 5:00 - No sketches, song snapshots & two-hour pieces 10:00 - Kim Jung Gi parallel & consistency struggles 12:00 - Divorce, lost shop & starting art as an outlet 18:00 - Copying for muscle memory, then original work 22:00 - ADHD, learning by doing & big paper 28:00 - Ink as the click (white space & contrast) 34:00 - Artists he follows & art history roots 42:00 - Social media habits & going full-time 48:00 - Galleries, management & what’s next 55:00 - Commissions, sliding scale & where to reach him 1:00:00 - Outro

Travis Naught of WC Collectibles joins the Nerdy Mewzings Podcast to talk about building one of the most welcoming comic book vending booths on the convention circuit, his passion for writing, and how he's turned his physical limitations into amazing opportunities! What started as a way for Travis to stay on the show floor in his wheelchair has grown into a family-run business that hits 10–12 shows a year across the Northwest. He breaks down the deliberate “treasure hunt” layout that keeps people digging, why they stay mobile instead of opening a store, and how they buy collections without taking advantage of people. Travis also shares his passion for writing (poetry memoir The Virgin Journals), the albums that came out of his 40th birthday celebration, and why Spider-Man 2099 and Department of Truth still hit differently than most superhero books! If you're enjoying the podcast please leave a 5 STAR review, share with a friend, & Keep it Nerdy! Follow WC Collectibles on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wc_collectibles Follow Travis on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/travislaurencenaught Catch WC Collectibles at Grit City Comic Con in Tacoma, WA Saturday, November 7th: https://gritcitycomicshow.com/ Patreon members get each week's episode 48 hours early, a shoutout on the show, and access to submit questions for upcoming guests! Join here for only $5 per month: https://patreon.com/nerdymewzings Timestamps 0:00 - Meeting at cons & how the booth started 4:30 - Family feel, driving radius & show schedule 8:00 - Artists, voice actors & celebrity interactions 15:00 - The “treasure hunt” organization style 22:00 - Buying collections & free appraisals 28:00 - Writing, sport psychology & physical limits 34:00 - First book & music albums 42:00 - Comics that stuck (2099, Department of Truth, DCC) 52:00 - Upcoming shows & where to find them 1:01:00 - Outro

Writer Clayton Rozman makes his Nerdy Mewzings return to celebrate the successful launch of Yellow Moon on Kickstarter! Clayton and I talked about the three-year journey, what it's like working with artist Bruno Letizia on the moody, color-driven pages, and the stretch goals that have already been unlocked. He also shared the real side of creator life, such as a tough portfolio review at Rose City Comic Con, what he looks for in sequential artists, and why collaboration beats an assembly-line approach. The campaign runs through November 19th and can be backed here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/octoberpress/yellow-moon-a-western-horror-graphic-novel Enjoying the podcast? Please leave a 5 STAR review, share with a friend, and Keep it Nerdy! Follow Clayton: -Instagram https://www.instagram.com/claytonr_comics (DM him for a free 24-page PDF!) Patreon members get episodes 48 hours early, a shoutout on the show, and can submit questions for upcoming guests. Join here: https://patreon.com/nerdymewzings Timestamps 0:00 - Welcome back & Kickstarter status 4:00 - First-time campaign experience & mentors 6:30 - Rose City Comic Con & the portfolio review 10:00 - Advice for aspiring creators 13:00 - Bruno Letizia's art & early reactions 14:00 - What Clayton looks for in artists (Patreon Brandon Mendoza's question) 21:00 - Collaboration process & ping-pong with artists 25:00 - Stretch goals unlocked so far 31:00 - Finding Bruno & the book’s tone 36:00 - Yellow Moon premise (Henry & Spango) 40:00 - Punisher zine with Raymar Brunson 44:00 - Mainstream vs creator-owned path 51:00 - Day job, medical, and the long game 54:00 - How to back it & follow Clayton

Multitalented Artist Carlos Mendoza III dropped by Nerdy Mewzings to talk designing for animatronics, toys, and what it actually takes to turn a cool drawing into a real product people can buy! After 20+ years in toys (Spin Master, SpongeBob, & more) and nearly five years as art director for animatronics, Carlos shares how he learned the hard limits of factories, motors, weight, and cost so the finished piece matches the art. He also breaks down his practical take on the use of AI in creative industries: How ever changing industry standards have influenced his use of it as a productivity tool for quick corrections and creating style guides based on his original artwork, but not to generate finished work, or copy other artists. Our conversation also covers why versatility (a “web” of skills across toys, pinball, animatronics, and vehicles) has kept him working when single-lane careers get hit by layoffs. If you're enjoying the episodes please take a moment to leave a 5 STAR review, share with a Friend, and Keep it Nerdy! Follow Carlos: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/carlos3art Support Nerdy Mewzings on Patreon, get episodes 48 hours early, submit guest questions, and more here: https://patreon.com/nerdymewzings Timestamps 0:00 - Intro, Jin Han connection & Texas move 3:30 - Giant skeletons, year-round displays & collections 10:00 - Funko saturation vs supporting friends’ toys 14:00 - ’80s cartoons, Nicaragua roots & brother’s shapes 20:00 - T-shirt shop, Top Cow visit & Michael Turner 26:00 - Jada Toys 2005 & Spin Master with Jin Han 32:00 - Mike Rayhawk’s brutal critiques 36:00 - Four years chasing Blizzard style 42:00 - Animatronic design & real-world limits 48:00 - AI as tool vs replacement 56:00 - Teams, burnout & one-thread careers 1:12:00 - Career web: pinball, animatronics, toys 1:18:00 - Where to find Carlos & outro

Todd Beats is back, completing a TRILOGY of Nerdy Mewzings Podcast appearances, fresh off a much needed art getaway with his friend Joey Lee Cabral, and in the middle of prepping for New York Comic Con! We chatted about why school felt like torture for him, how creativity gets trained out of people, and why he posts the hard life lessons under the process videos instead of closing the door after a win. Learn the story behind why Todd keeps an overflowing change cup in his studio and how comfort in mediocrity is easier than another failure. By the time this airs he will have finished New York Comic Con (Dungeon Crawler Carl covers, Fox Mask Killer, retailer variants), with LA Comic Con (Oct 29–Nov 1), ChainKata covers in November, and a Japan/Singapore trip with Ryan Benjamin and Whilce Portacio still ahead. Honing his sequential art skills is the 2027 target! If you are enjoying the podcast please take a moment to leave a 5 STAR review, share with a friend, & Keep it Nerdy! Visit toddbeets.com and the newsletter for drops: https://www.toddbeats.com/ Follow Todd: WhatNot - https://www.whatnot.com/user/toddbeats Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/toddbeats TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@todd_beats X - https://x.com/toddbeats_art Subscribe to his YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ToddBeatsART Patreon members get episodes 48 hours early, a shoutout on the show, and can submit guest questions! Join here for only $5 per month: https://patreon.com/nerdymewzings Timestamps 0:00 - El Paso trip with Joey Lee Cabral 6:30 - Kids, wonder & creativity getting boxed in 11:00 - School, shop class & homeschool 19:00 - Why he posts the hard stuff 22:30 - Rob Liefeld, closed doors & going to the audience 32:00 - Marvel house style, Image & Absolute copies 44:00 - Positivity that makes people angry 51:00 - Self-belief, world titles & lonely winning 1:01:30 - The change cup & chasing failure 1:07:30 - NYCC, LA, ChainKata, Japan 1:12:00 - Patreon questions: content, camera, up-angle heads 1:19:00 - Outro

Brandon Mendoza joins Nerdy Mewzings, going from a viewer and supporter, to featured guest! He is a Marvel Snap artist, character designer, cover artist, and teacher who is currently finishing his first sequential comic work on an upcoming, soon to be announced, project. Brandon talks about chasing his sports dream while pursuing a basketball career, how a knee injury changed his trajectory and helped him in rediscovering his love of art. He reflects on the comic book that pulled him back into the art world, Francis Manapul and Brian Buccellato’s New 52 Flash. He talks about his regimen of nightly practice, YouTube and magazine drills, landing production work on Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur during the pandemic, and getting a Marvel Snap assignment after an art director reacted to his art on an Instagram story! We also talk about digital pencils versus traditional ink, influences from Brett Bean, Eric Canete, Kim Jacinto, Humberto Ramos, and Carlos Meglia, and the impact Daniel Warren Johnson’s livestreams have had on both of us. Keep an eye out, as a preview of his new comic project is aimed at New York Comic Con this coming weekend! Leave a 5 STAR review, share with a friend, & Keep it Nerdy! Follow Brandon: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/bmendoza_art X - https://x.com/bmendozart TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@brandon.mendoza.art Patreon members get episodes early, a shoutout on the show, and can submit questions for upcoming guests! Join here: https://patreon.com/nerdymewzings Timestamps 0:00 - Welcome & basketball before comics 4:00 - Jordan, Derrick Rose & drawing on cards 7:00 - Digital tools vs the feel of watercolor 10:00 - Cartoons, an uncle’s Spawn stack & the Flash rack 15:00 - Meniscus injury & leaving engineering 21:00 - Graphic design, practice sheets & homework after midnight 27:00 - Character design & Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur 34:00 - Pandemic silver linings 37:00 - Marvel Snap from an Instagram story 41:00 - Style: Bean, Canete, Ramos, Meglia 45:00 - DWJ, erasing & the mental side of drawing 51:00 - First sequential job with Juan Castro & Garrett Gunn 56:00 - Dream books: Flash, Batman Beyond, Daredevil 1:02:00 - Where to follow Brandon & outro

Writer Maya Kurita stops by Nerdy Mewzings and talks about the different kind of pressure that comes with calling yourself an author, working with a literary agent, and conquering deadlines leading up to publishing. Maya’s book in progress features monster hunting in Sengoku-era Japan, drawing inspiration from two of her favorite series, The Witcher and Shogun. It involves creatures from folklore, real historical figures in an alternate history, and a warden named Raiko who will not stop until he gets his brothers back. She recalls a first middle-grade manuscript she wrote for her daughter, a year of drafts after being told Japanese fantasy “has no market,” then finding her agent through Alex Tamaki’s The Book of Fallen Leaves. James and Maya compare comic deadlines to going on sub, talk the difference between comic and book conventions, meeting Matt Dinniman, the importance of writing groups, paying artists, and why AI covers and digital-only media make her want people to keep buying real books. Leave a 5 STAR review if you want more creators outside the usual comic-artist lane, and remember, Keep it Nerdy!  Follow Maya on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mn.kurita.writes Patreon members get episodes 48 hours early, a shout out on the show, and can send questions for upcoming guests, join them here: https://patreon.com/nerdymewzings Timestamps 0:00 - Early mornings, MMA nights & warmup timing 4:00 - Pressure from fighting vs pressure from writing 7:00 - WorldCon, Rose City & book-community support 12:00 - Meeting Matt Dinniman (and not following him) 18:30 - Family in film, early reading & fantasy roots 21:00 - Elevator pitch: Witcher meets Shogun 23:00 - First manuscript, “no market,” finding an agent 27:00 - Deadlines: books vs monthly comics 33:00 - Who owns the work: indie vs Big Five 36:30 - Covers, paying artists & William Thompson 41:00 - Friendships, Japanese history group & feedback 47:00 - Basics over flash, drafts vs edits 53:00 - Online groups, resources, AI art & physical books 1:03:00 - Where to follow Maya & outro

Eric Canete returns to the Nerdy Mewzings Podcast following a trip to SuperManila Comic Con, which included a visit with family in the Philippines, and a year that saw him return to the world of comic books on Absolute Batman, featuring the debut of Absolute Poison Ivy! Eric talks about leaving a 15-year video-game job, getting pushed by longtime friends Matteo Scalera and Shawn Crystal to treat comics as the full-time gig, and how Ivan Brandon and Nick Dragotta opened the door for his return at New York Comic Con. We talked about the process of finding his rhythm on the project via sample pages he made while sick after the show, designing Absolute Poison Ivy as a monster first then using the “pretty construct” as a rug pull, as well as the one line from Nick Dragotta that unlocked his ability to properly portray Absolute Batman. He also covers his approach to using Otomo style screen tone, why he would train a new artist on six- and nine-panel pages before splash pages, creating Youngblood variants for Rob Liefeld, Skinbreaker variants with David Finch and Robert Kirkman, the possibility of Arc Athena collected editions, his time at Iconic Comics, and how storyboarding taught him to cut detail down to what the reader actually needs. Leave a 5 STAR review and share with a friend if this kind of process talk helps you, share with a friend, and Keep it Nerdy! Follow Eric: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/ericcanete X - https://x.com/EricCanete TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@eric_canete Subscribe to Eric's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/ericcanete Patreon supporters get episodes early, have their name shouted out on the pod, and can submit questions for upcoming guests for only $5 per month! Join here: https://patreon.com/nerdymewzings Timestamps: 0:00 - Welcome back & SuperManila Comic Con 2:30 - Family, academics & choosing comics 7:30 - Getting back in after the game-studio years 11:00 - NYCC, Nick Dragotta & Scott Snyder 16:00 - Sample pages, Poison Ivy design & the construct 23:00 - Drawing Absolute Batman like the Hulk 29:00 - Deadlines, pressure & finding a rendering approach 34:30 - How Eric would train a new storyteller 40:30 - Youngblood variants & changing his mind on Liefeld 45:00 - Skinbreaker, Kirkman & David Finch 48:30 - Arc Athena editions, Iconic Comics & Patreon Questions 54:30 - Animation habits on the page 57:00 - More Absolute? Terminal? Current Marvel covers 1:01:00 - Where to follow Eric & outro

Concept and Comic Artist Jin Han joins Nerdy Mewzings to discuss his career which has spanned comics (Spawn coloring and fill-in work), McFarlane Toys (lead concept artist), animation, and running Yellow Tracksuit Entertainment, which consults and designs for Hasbro, Mattel, Jazwares, Playmates Toys, Disney, Universal, and Sony. Jin and James talk about the importance of creative diversification, how original art collecting taught him scale and the penciler-inker relationship, and why he’s been moving back toward traditional work after years of digital. They cover Whilce Portacio’s early digital pioneering, Brian Haberlin’s advice to hide brush strokes, Travis Charest’s constant evolution, Mike Mignola’s economy of form, and the realities of the original art and collectibles markets. The conversation closes with a discussion about Marvel Studios laying off nearly its entire creative team, Disney’s AI partnerships, and how creators need to be prepared to pivot in ever changing times! If you work in comics, toys, or concept art — or just love hearing how artistic veterans stay working — Leave a 5 STAR Review, share with friends, & Keep it Nerdy! Follow Jin: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jinhan.art YouTube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/@jinhan_art Official Website: https://www.yellowtracksuit.com/ Patreon Nerdy Insider Members receive each week's episode 48 hours early, a shoutout on the show, and other perks. Join them there for only $5 per month: https://patreon.com/nerdymewzings Timestamps 0:00 - Intro & Why Diversification Matters 4:00 - Original Art Collecting & Learning from Pages 10:00 - Traditional vs Digital Process 17:00 - Whilce Portacio, Brian Haberlin & Adaptable Artists 21:00 - Travis Charest, Mignola & Artistic Evolution 25:00 - Artists Jin Collects 29:00 - Emotional Value vs Market Value 35:00 - Collectibles Speculation, FOMO & Human Nature 44:00 - Yellow Tracksuit Studio & Going Independent 51:00 - Marvel Studios Layoffs, Disney & AI 1:02:00 - Where to Find Jin & Outro

Independent Comic Book Creator Raymar Brunson ( ⁨@artofbrunson⁩ ) returns to Nerdy Mewzings more than a year after his first appearance with a packed slate: Ghost Man Haunts Again (issue 3, 56 pages, out October from Cosmic Lion Productions), self-published Gatling Boy with Kevin Anthony Catalan, Pickle PI, Damu, and an upcoming flip-book collab with Erwin Papa. Raymar talks about jumping into comics in 2023 after years of photography and music videos, living at home to grind, networking with people already doing the work, and treating Ghost Man as a fun testing ground for his art. He breaks down digital pencils + traditional inks, tight thumbnails inspired by Chris Samnee, favorite tools, and influences from Bruce Timm and James Harren to Frank Miller, Jordi Bernet, and Alex Toth. We also cover printing for self publishing, saying yes to almost everything, and why he still loves the Punisher-inspired vigilante at the heart of Ghost Man (now with sidekick Head Hauntcho). If you love indie action comics, black-and-white storytelling, or creators who just keep shipping — Leave a 5 STAR Review, share with your friends, & Keep it Nerdy! Follow Raymar: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/artofbrunson X - https://x.com/artofbrunson TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@artofbrunson Buy Raymar's Comics: https://cosmiclionproductions.com/comics-shop/ols/search?keywords=brunson Snag Raymar's original art: https://www.panelpunk.com/collections/raymar-brunson Join the Nerdy Insider Club on Patreon for early episode access, a shout out on the pod, and bonus content: https://patreon.com/nerdymewzings Timestamps 0:00 - Intro & Raymar Brunson Returns 2:00 - Ghost Man 3, Gatling Boy & Current Work 8:00 - Collaborations, Mixam Printing & Kickstarter Plans 15:00 - Process: Digital Pencils, Traditional Inks & Tools 22:00 - Speed, Quality & Working Multiple Projects 28:00 - Art Origins, Influences & Switching from Film 36:00 - Photography/Cinematography Influence on Comics 43:00 - Ghost Man Premise, Head Hauntcho & New Issue 50:00 - Distribution, Upcoming Projects & Saying Yes 56:00 - Dream Big Two Characters & Composition Tips 63:00 - Where to Follow Raymar & Outro