From Author to Opera, Poet to Script and Screen: Mark Salzwedel

Dr. Carlo Jose San Juan is a nuclear medicine physician in the Philippines and a comic creator with over 30 years behind Callous Comics. He’s back on Two Geeks Talking (his sixth appearance) to talk about his new 30th‑anniversary omnibus, Callous – Benign is a State of Mind, published by KOMIKET Publishing. This interview dives into the History and Origin story of Callous, how the strip evolved from the ’90s to medical‑school and eventually full-fledged Dr. Rhianne. Why the title “Benign is a State of Mind” matters after three decades and we unpack his creative process as a doctor, cartoonist, and father; the shift from analog to digital and building his own website/CRM; the move from self‑publishing to working with a full‑time publisher in KOMIKET; and what he’s learned about self‑promotion, collaborations, and staying humble through conventions, friendships, and long‑term fandom. This is a real talk episode about longevity, reinvention, and building a creative life that lasts.

Award-winning horror director Daniel Turres—the filmmaker behind Fresh Meat and Here For Blood—joins Two Geeks Talking for an honest look at what it takes to make horror films happen. Daniel discusses the three stages of scriptwriting, knowing whether an idea is worth pursuing, directing comedy within horror, collaborating toward a shared creative goal, and the behind-the-scenes realities of distribution and sales agencies. He also shares the origins of Fresh Meat, its international debut at FrightFest in London, England, and why the practical effects became so memorable—including just how much blood was used and why The Butcher Shop  @TheButcherShopFXStudio  is an amazing award-winning special effects studio that took Here For Blood and Fresh Meat to the next level of Horror. If you love independent horror, practical effects, filmmaking, screenwriting, and the process of turning a wild idea into a finished movie, this interview is for you.

Canadian writer and comics creator Matt McGrath joins the show to talk about Louis Debraz, his new folklore-horror comic drawn from over 200 French Canadian legends about dancing with the Devil and creepy Catholic traditions. We dive into how he found his own take on the Rose Latulipe myth, why comics were the right medium for questions of choice, punishment, and agency, and what his research process looked like digging through Canadian libraries and history. Matt breaks down the creative rhythm between his scripting and John’s art, how they’re using Kickstarter (and digital bundles) to reach new readers, and why arts grants and support for comics are so crucial in Canada right now. If you’re into folklore, horror, indie comics, or the business of turning old stories into new, this one is for you.

Nandor Fox Shaffer joins Two Geeks Talking to discuss Seasons Issue 1: Spring, the supernatural, character-driven comic that delivers “all the power fantasy, none of the superheroes.” Shaffer explores Fletcher Hart Iiams’ journey through rejection, identity, and strange powers that shift with the changing seasons, while revealing how artist Anthony Gonzales-Clark helped shape the series’ distinctive visual world. The conversation also covers Shaffer’s evolution from earlier projects including Man-Child, The Fabled Offering, and Lifeline; his work with  @SourcePointPress  and the practical challenge of earning attention for indie comics. Seasons follows Fletcher over a defining year as he encounters supernatural “shadow-selves” and learns to adapt to powers he does not yet understand. SHOW NOTES: Get the comic at your local comic store and on Source Point Press and Fox Hole Comics: https://www.foxholecomics.com

Deep Southwest is a Canadian comedy-country duo Meg and Pat Whalen. They join the show talking about their wild origin story singing on of the back of their pickup truck during Covid and becoming “Chatham-Kent famous”; to their self-titled series: Deep Soutwest on Bell Fibe TV1. Meg and Pat dive into their genre-bending mix of country, Canadiana, and hick hop, their heartfelt new single “Ready To Learn,” and how their theatre and comedy backgrounds shape both their music and the possibility of a Deep Southwest TV series Season 2. You’ll hear about working with director Daniel Turres and producer Ben Srokosz, touring plans, community engagement, and a possible "Still Standing" style project in the works... Once the interview is over you'll know what it really takes for a "small-town band with big city dreams" to find its stage in front of the world. Support Pat & Meg Whalen Deep Southwest on their website: https://www.deepsw.ca

Madeleine Holly-Rosing returns to Two Geeks Talking for her seventh time, making her the third most-guested on the show's eighteen year history. She returns to discuss her latest Kickstarter Campaign for Boston Metaphysical Society: Vol 3 hard cover trade paperback. How moving from California to Oregon has sparked her creativity for both writing and supporting local food banks and people in need by growing food in her garden. We talk about her extensive research (see her Morgana Pendragon interview to learn how to make smoke bombs for educational purposes only) has lead her to create a brand new Kickstarter Exclusive short comic around the real-life location of Mechanics Hall in Boston with her long time artist Roberta Ingranata.

Mark Salzwedel is the most decorated creative individual that has even been a guest on Two Geeks Talking. From creating Novels to Short Stories, being a published author in numerous publications to creating his own compositions and Operas and even video games. He is the complete package. Now, he joins the show to discuss his life and times in these creative fields and he's just getting started.

Matthew Schofield has spent 27 years on The Simpsons as a storyboard director, and in his “spare” time he’s building his own universe as the creator, writer, and artist of the indie superhero comic Steamroller Man. In this conversation, we unpack what nearly three decades of high-level TV animation taught him about story, timing, light and shadow, and how to build a 24-page comic that actually lands emotionally. You’ll learn why he thinks comics should not try to be movies, how Steamroller Man scratches creative itches The Simpsons can’t, and what really goes into designing character, humor, and heart when you’re doing it all yourself.

Author and YouTuber Kyle Lawrence joins Two Geeks Talking to unpack how he thinks about story across prose, comics, manga, and film, and why “tricking” the reader is really about guiding them through an emotional experience you’ve already mapped out. He digs into the making of ICHI! Number One Baseball Robot and Crumple, the craft challenges of having “too much freedom” in prose, and the specific feedback that actually moved the needle on his writing. We also get into the origin of his King Rex Comics YouTube channel  @hailkingrex  , why knowing comics history (including the unsung creators) deepens your love of the medium, and how he navigates metrics, and self‑promotion without shouting into the void. If you write, read, or obsess over stories in any format, this episode is a masterclass in staying curious while still finishing the work.

Hasani Walker went from answering phones in a call centre to answering story notes in the animation industry, working with filmmakers like Guillermo del Toro along the way. A decade later, he’s taking everything he’s learned about character, performance, and visual storytelling and pouring it into his own project: Doris Doodle. Once a 1940s Hollywood cartoon star and now a washed‑up actress clawing her way back into relevance, Doris is his lens on fame, failure, and second chances. This conversation dives into how Hasani made the leap into animation, what he uses from studio life to build his own comic, and why Doris Doodle might be the most honest character he’s ever created based on real-life experience.