Inspired Ink - The Comix Wellspring Podcast

For the 100th episode of *Inspired Ink*, we welcome back the very first guest of the show — Mark Bernal, founder of **Lesser Known Comics**. Mark has spent years building a platform dedicated to spotlighting emerging comic creators, publishing independent work, and creating opportunities for creators to grow through collaboration and community. In this special milestone episode, we dive into the evolution of Lesser Known Comics over the last three years, the rise of zines and creator-driven publishing, podcasting in the comics space, and what’s next for indie comics. IN THIS EPISODE *The evolution of Lesser Known Comics * Building creator communities through publishing * Running zines & anthologies * Tips for indie comic creators FOLLOW LESSER KNOWN COMICS Website: http://LesserKnownComics.com Get Involved: http://LesserKnownComics.com/get-involved WHAT IS INSPIRED INK? Inspired Ink is a creator-focused interview series spotlighting comic creators, publishers, crowdfunding campaigns, and the real stories behind making comics. SUPPORT & CREATOR TOOLS **Print your comics with Comix Wellspring:** https://www.comixwellspring.com/ **Join the Comix Wellspring Crowdfunding Program:** https://comixwellspring.com/pages/crowdfunding **Use our free prepress templates:** https://comixwellspring.com/pages/templates **Shop Comic Art Boards & Sketch Cards:** https://comixwellspring.com/products/creator-series-comic-book-art-boards https://comixwellspring.com/products/creator-series-sketch-cards **Join our Discord community:** https://discord.com/invite/Q4RTWA35cP **Subscribe to the newsletter:** https://comixwellspring.us12.list-manage.com/subscribe/post?u=e258b072e5a0a7421989f7f42&id=1aa9c3bacd&f_id=00b2e5e0f0 **Comix Wellspring on GlobalComix:** https://globalcomix.com/a/comix-wellspring-2 For print questions, contact: [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected]) #InspiredInk #LesserKnownComics #IndieComics #ComicBooks #ComicCreators #MakingComics #Zines #CrowdfundingComics #ComixWellspring

We have a NEW Segment with Brandon Bloxdorf and Max Flowers talking about the State of Indie Publishing! This first episode will have us go over things we want to address and hear from the community about. Brings your ideas and questions! Check Out Their Links: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/apollocitycomics/fake-your-death-act-one https://lesserknowncomics.com/shop/bubbles/ https://www.instagram.com/artofmf/ https://www.instagram.com/ratbrainzine/ https://www.instagram.com/elgato_prints/ https://www.artofmf.com/ https://ratbrainzine.bigcartel.com/ All Things CWS: https://t-sml.mtrbio.com/public/smartlink/comixwellspring Check out our Comic Book Art Boards/Blue Lined Paper! https://comixwellspring.com/products/creator-series-comic-book-art-boards https://comixwellspring.com/products/creator-series-sketch-cards Join Our Discord Channel: https://discord.com/invite/Q4RTWA35cP Get Our on Crowfunding List & 10% Discount https://comixwellspring.com/pages/crowdfunding Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://comixwellspring.us12.list-manage.com/subscribe/post?u=e258b072e5a0a7421989f7f42&id=1aa9c3bacd&f_id=00b2e5e0f0 Check out the Comix Wellspring Website: https://www.comixwellspring.com/ Comix Wellspring Global Comix: https://globalcomix.com/a/comix-wellspring-2 Use our prepress templates: https://comixwellspring.com/pages/templates For any print questions, reach out to [email protected] Brandon Bloxdorf is the creator of the publishing imprint and podcast Apollo City Comics and an indie comic book creator of titles including Teenage Babylon, Fake Your Death, various anthologies, and more! Find Brandon online: https://linktr.ee/apollocitycomics   #InspiredInk #ComixWellspring #KickstarterComics #IndieComics #drawing #digitalcomics #comicbookart #makingcomics #publishingcomics 

We have Anthony Iannaccio & Evan Maguire joining us for a very special 4/20 episode on what it's like to release adult or cannabis comics! Anthony is a Bronx-born-and-raised writer with work emphasizing a blend of comedy, action, sci-fi and horror. He's previously worked on the WWE writing team, interned at The Late Show with David Letterman, dabbled in stand-up and sketch comedy, and is a dad and podcaster. mrtonynacho.com Evan is a CT-based illustrator that has a love for loud colors, a good laugh, and Saturday morning cartoons. I nstagram: https://www.instagram.com/evanmaguireart Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/EvanMaguireArt All Things CWS: https://t-sml.mtrbio.com/public/smartlink/comixwellspring Check out our Comic Book Art Boards/Blue Lined Paper! https://comixwellspring.com/blue-lined-art-boards-200-creator-series/ Join Our Discord Channel: https://discord.com/invite/Q4RTWA35cP Get Our on Crowfunding List & 10% Discount https://comixwellspring.com/crowdfunding/ Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://comixwellspring.us12.list-manage.com/subscribe/post?u=e258b072e5a0a7421989f7f42&id=1aa9c3bacd&f_id=00b2e5e0f0 Check out the Comix Wellspring Website: https://www.comixwellspring.com/ Comix Wellspring Global Comix: https://globalcomix.com/a/comix-wellspring-2 Use our prepress templates: https://comixwellspring.com/pages/templates https://drive.google.com/file/d/1DexzEpIU92LVlfEdmAUb2ihnIQZf_vEr/view For any print questions, reach out to [email protected] Brandon Bloxdorf is the creator of the publishing imprint and podcast Apollo City Comics and an indie comic book creator of titles including Teenage Babylon, Fake Your Death, various anthologies, and more! Find Brandon online: https://linktr.ee/apollocitycomics #InspiredInk #ComixWellspring #KickstarterComics #IndieComics #drawing #digitalcomics #comicbookart #makingcomics #publishingcomics 

We have a very special night as we bring the punks on stage for a duo interview talking about their rise in the indie community and from podcasting to publishing! Kickstarter link https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/imchrisstall/chk-comics-presents-aha-a-horror-anthology CHK Comics Substack https://substack.com/@chkcomics https://www.instagram.com/chkcomic https://www.threads.com/@chkcomic https://www.instagram.com/longboxpunk https://substack.com/@longboxpunk All Things CWS: https://t-sml.mtrbio.com/public/smartlink/comixwellspring Check out our Comic Book Art Boards/Blue Lined Paper! https://comixwellspring.com/blue-lined-art-boards-200-creator-series/ Join Our Discord Channel: https://discord.com/invite/Q4RTWA35cP Get Our on Crowfunding List & 10% Discount https://comixwellspring.com/crowdfunding/ Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://comixwellspring.us12.list-manage.com/subscribe/post?u=e258b072e5a0a7421989f7f42&id=1aa9c3bacd&f_id=00b2e5e0f0 Check out the Comix Wellspring Website: https://www.comixwellspring.com/ Comix Wellspring Global Comix: https://globalcomix.com/a/comix-wellspring-2 Use our prepress templates: https://www.comixwellspring.com/specs-templates/ https://drive.google.com/file/d/1DexzEpIU92LVlfEdmAUb2ihnIQZf_vEr/view For any print questions, reach out to [email protected] Brandon Bloxdorf is the creator of the publishing imprint and podcast Apollo City Comics and an indie comic book creator of titles including Teenage Babylon, Fake Your Death, various anthologies, and more! Find Brandon online: https://linktr.ee/apollocitycomics #InspiredInk #ComixWellspring #KickstarterComics #IndieComics #drawing #digitalcomics #comicbookart #makingcomics #publishingcomics 

We have a great show this week with returning guest Adam Lemnah and collaborator Manny Gomez! We'll talk about Relic Hunter #2, collaborative processes, 80s inspirations and more!   Check out our guests: Adam Lemnah: https://linktr.ee/adamlemnah https://cosmiclionproductions.com/comics-shop/ols/products/relic-hunter-2 Adam Lemnah is an award-winning Film Editor and Cartoonist active in the Los Angeles underground comics scene. Adam currently writes and draws his creator-owned book, Relic Hunter, published by Cosmic Lion Productions. Adam lives in Los Angeles with his wife Mary, their son Elliot and their dog Betsy. Manny Gomez: https://www.instagram.com/xidbuythatforadollarx/ https://monkeysfightingrobots.co/author/mgomez Manny Gomez is a comics writer and editor who has had a lifelong passion for the medium of comics. His first gig writing about comics was in the short-lived, Miami-based publication Lo-Fi Magazine, where he served as the comics feature writer. He was also a co-host on the podcasts New Comic Book Day Night Live and The Comics Lounge. Currently, he conducts creator interviews for Monkeys Fighting Robots, edits projects at Apollo City Comics, and Cosmic Lion Productions. He is also the co-writer on Adam Lemnah's comic, RELIC HUNTER, and writes music features for Lion Cosmique. He loves dogs, comics, punk rock, and movies. He also hates fascists!   All Things CWS: https://t-sml.mtrbio.com/public/smartlink/comixwellspring Check out our Comic Book Art Boards/Blue Lined Paper! https://comixwellspring.com/blue-lined-art-boards-200-creator-series/ Join Our Discord Channel: https://discord.com/invite/Q4RTWA35cP Get Our on Crowfunding List & 10% Discount https://comixwellspring.com/crowdfunding/ Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://comixwellspring.us12.list-manage.com/subscribe/post?u=e258b072e5a0a7421989f7f42&id=1aa9c3bacd&f_id=00b2e5e0f0 Check out the Comix Wellspring Website: https://www.comixwellspring.com/ Comix Wellspring Global Comix: https://globalcomix.com/a/comix-wellspring-2 Use our prepress templates: https://www.comixwellspring.com/specs-templates/ https://drive.google.com/file/d/1DexzEpIU92LVlfEdmAUb2ihnIQZf_vEr/view For any print questions, reach out to [email protected] Brandon Bloxdorf is the creator of the publishing imprint and podcast Apollo City Comics and an indie comic book creator of titles including Teenage Babylon, Fake Your Death, various anthologies, and more! Find Brandon online: https://linktr.ee/apollocitycomics #InspiredInk #ComixWellspring #KickstarterComics #IndieComics #drawing #digitalcomics #comicbookart #makingcomics #publishingcomics 🎙️ New to streaming or looking to level up? Check out StreamYard and get $10 discount! 😍 https://streamyard.com/pal/d/5156966187139072

This week we have legendary creator Jesse Lonergan! A favorite customer here at CWS with his books Panda Express Service and Hedra! We'll be diving into his history, how he sets up pages and so much more! Jesse Lonergan is a comic book artist living in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. His work is known for its experimental layouts and innovative page compositions, playing with the formal elements of the comics medium to tell stories in new and original ways. He works with both mainstream and indie publishers, as well as dabbling in self-publishing. His wordless comic HEDRA was nominated for an Eisner for best single issue in 2020, and his graphic novel DROME was featured on many best-of-the-year lists in 2025. He likes distorted guitars, tiny-tiled floors, junk food, old maps, and watching movies about sad robots. Jesse's Links: https://linktr.ee/jesse.lonergan https://www.instagram.com/jesse.lonergan/ All Things CWS: https://t-sml.mtrbio.com/public/smartlink/comixwellspring Check out our Comic Book Art Boards/Blue Lined Paper! https://comixwellspring.com/blue-lined-art-boards-200-creator-series/ Join Our Discord Channel: https://discord.com/invite/Q4RTWA35cP Get Our on Crowfunding List & 10% Discount https://comixwellspring.com/crowdfunding/ Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://comixwellspring.us12.list-manage.com/subscribe/post?u=e258b072e5a0a7421989f7f42&id=1aa9c3bacd&f_id=00b2e5e0f0 Check out the Comix Wellspring Website: https://www.comixwellspring.com/ Comix Wellspring Global Comix: https://globalcomix.com/a/comix-wellspring-2 Use our prepress templates: https://www.comixwellspring.com/specs-templates/ https://drive.google.com/file/d/1DexzEpIU92LVlfEdmAUb2ihnIQZf_vEr/view For any print questions, reach out to [email protected] Brandon Bloxdorf is the creator of the publishing imprint and podcast Apollo City Comics and an indie comic book creator of titles including Teenage Babylon, Fake Your Death, various anthologies, and more! Find Brandon online: https://linktr.ee/apollocitycomics #InspiredInk #ComixWellspring #KickstarterComics #IndieComics #drawing #digitalcomics #comicbookart #makingcomics #publishingcomics 🎙️ New to streaming or looking to level up? Check out StreamYard and get $10 discount! 😍 https://streamyard.com/pal/d/5156966187139072

We have the extraordinary master of storytelling on to talk about the craft of writing, comics, the golden theme and so much more!   Brian McDonald Bio: Brian McDonald is an award-winning screenwriter/director/producer who, in addition to holding a position as the Chief Storyteller for Belief Agency, has worked in film, television and comic books.   As a globally recognized story expert, consultant and speaker, McDonald has worked with Pixar, Cirque du Soleil, Walt Disney Theme Parks, Disney Feature Animation, LucasFilm, Microsoft, Sony Interactive Entertainment and Jordan Peele's Monkeypaw Productions. His book Invisible Ink, in which he explains the mechanics of story, is considered required reading for story interns at Pixar. He has written two additional books for Macmillan Publishing, with a third forthcoming. "Brian McDonald has found yet another fresh and objective way to analyze how great stories function, and emboldens you to face the challenge of scaling whatever story mountain looms before you. If I manage to reach the summit of my next story it will be in no small part due to having read Invisible Ink." – Andrew Stanton, director of WALL-E and Finding Nemo "Invisible Ink is a powerful tool for anyone who wants to become a better screenwriter. With elegance and precision, Brian McDonald uses his deep understanding of story and character to pass on essential truths about dramatic writing. Ignore him at your peril." – Jim Taylor, Oscar-winning screenwriter of The Descendants, Sideways and Election "If you want to write scripts, listen to Brian. The guy knows what he's talking about. A very well-thought-out, easy-to-follow guide to the thing all we writers love to pretend we don't slavishly follow—story structure." – Paul Feig, director of Bridesmaids Link's To Brian: Invisible Ink https://www.amazon.com/Invisible-Ink-Building-Stories-Inside/dp/1736074679 https://www.instagram.com/writeinvisibleink https://invisibleinkblog.blogspot.com/   All Things CWS: https://t-sml.mtrbio.com/public/smartlink/comixwellspring Check out our Comic Book Art Boards/Blue Lined Paper! https://comixwellspring.com/blue-lined-art-boards-200-creator-series/ Join Our Discord Channel: https://discord.com/invite/Q4RTWA35cP Get Our on Crowfunding List & 10% Discount https://comixwellspring.com/crowdfunding/ Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://comixwellspring.us12.list-manage.com/subscribe/post?u=e258b072e5a0a7421989f7f42&id=1aa9c3bacd&f_id=00b2e5e0f0 Check out the Comix Wellspring Website: https://www.comixwellspring.com/ Comix Wellspring Global Comix: https://globalcomix.com/a/comix-wellspring-2 Use our prepress templates: https://www.comixwellspring.com/specs-templates/ https://drive.google.com/file/d/1DexzEpIU92LVlfEdmAUb2ihnIQZf_vEr/view For any print questions, reach out to [email protected] Brandon Bloxdorf is the creator of the publishing imprint and podcast Apollo City Comics and an indie comic book creator of titles including Teenage Babylon, Fake Your Death, various anthologies, and more! Find Brandon online: https://linktr.ee/apollocitycomics    

We have Kelly Kienzle leadership coach who has taken an interesting dive into the print realm with her book THE ALCHEMY WORKBOOK! Helping creators find a way to ignite or reignite their artistic mindset by understanding themselves better. Book Description: As an interactive journey, Alchemy Workbook: Journey Into Your Next takes seekers, dreamers, artists, leaders, and creators from any field on a treasure hunt through multisensory, thought-bending, perspective-shifting activities and quests. Alchemy Workbook is immersive non-fiction, breaking your alchemy journey into 5 chapters that root the process in science and spiritual traditions. Each chapter offers five experiences designed to help you find new creativity and direction in your life by culling and recombining the wisdom you already carry. At a compact, backpack-friendly size, you can carry Alchemy Workbook out into the world, dive into the interactive pages, and seamlessly tuck it back into your bookshelf. Alchemy Workbook is a journey you can complete again and again as you explore ever-deeper ways of living, seeing, and creating. Link to preview and purchase the book https://opencirclecoaching.com/alchemy-workbook/ Kelly Kienzle bio (pronounced: "KIN-zlee"): As a certified leadership coach, Kelly brings expertise in frameworks that help people find the answers within, by working with approaches like Intentional Change Theory, The Thinking Path, and practices inpositive psychology. Kelly designs workshops and writes articles that help people expand their creativity and sense of self. She has partnered with over 100 client organizations to provide coaching, workshops, retreats, and programs to support professional growth, organizational strength, and overall vision-setting. Kelly holds a Master’s degree in Positive Organizational Development and is a graduate of Georgetown University’s Leadership Coaching program where she studied in the fields of adult development, organization development, somatics, and behavioral science. All Things CWS: https://t-sml.mtrbio.com/public/smartlink/comixwellspring Join Our Discord Channel: https://discord.com/invite/Q4RTWA35cP Check out our Comic Book Art Boards/Blue Lined Paper! https://comixwellspring.com/blue-lined-art-boards-200-creator-series/   Get Our on Crowfunding List & 10% Discount https://comixwellspring.com/crowdfunding/ Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://comixwellspring.us12.list-manage.com/subscribe/post?u=e258b072e5a0a7421989f7f42&id=1aa9c3bacd&f_id=00b2e5e0f0 Check out the Comix Wellspring Website: https://www.comixwellspring.com/ Comix Wellspring Global Comix: https://globalcomix.com/a/comix-wellspring-2 For any print questions, reach out to [email protected] Brandon Bloxdorf is the creator of the publishing imprint and podcast Apollo City Comics and an indie comic book creator of titles including Teenage Babylon, Fake Your Death, various anthologies, and more! Find Brandon online: https://linktr.ee/apollocitycomics  

We have the creative group Cynation Comics joining us today! A musical and comic book creating power house! Come for one of the most fascinating conversations of the year! Cynation Comics is a young boutique Australian indie company, (founded by The Mak Bros.) with unmatched tenacity, work ethic, and constantly expanding ideas that go against convention. Josh Mak is many things - an avid reader and writer; co-founder of Cynation Comics; guitarist for the progressive symphonic metal band, ANA; the dark, brooding Batman; the creative catalyst behind the stories of ANA and Gods Among Men. In his work and in his person, Josh blends style and substance in a perfectly-balanced cocktail. He's worked alongside his brother Aaron creatively since 2017, dubbing themselves, The Mak Bros. Aaron Mak does one thing very well - turn Josh's manic chicken-scratchings into cohesive, structured scripts. He is also responsible for the lettering, editing, facilitating communication between the team members... and self-dubs himself the "cheeky, sexy Nightwing" to compliment Josh's Batman personality. Links: Kickstarter Project: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/cynation/gods-among-men-1-and-2-a-true-crime-narco-noir Social Media (Instagram): https://www.instagram.com/cynationstudios All Things CWS: https://t-sml.mtrbio.com/public/smartlink/comixwellspring Join Our Discord Channel: https://discord.com/invite/Q4RTWA35cP Get Our on Crowfunding List & 10% Discount https://comixwellspring.com/crowdfunding/ Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://comixwellspring.us12.list-manage.com/subscribe/post?u=e258b072e5a0a7421989f7f42&id=1aa9c3bacd&f_id=00b2e5e0f0 Check out the Comix Wellspring Website: https://www.comixwellspring.com/ Comix Wellspring Global Comix: https://globalcomix.com/a/comix-wellspring-2 Check out our Blue Lined Paper! https://www.comixwellspring.com/cws-blue-lined-paper/ Use our prepress templates: https://www.comixwellspring.com/specs-templates/ https://drive.google.com/file/d/1DexzEpIU92LVlfEdmAUb2ihnIQZf_vEr/view For any print questions, reach out to [email protected] Brandon Bloxdorf is the creator of the publishing imprint and podcast Apollo City Comics and an indie comic book creator of titles including Teenage Babylon, Fake Your Death, various anthologies, and more! Find Brandon online: https://linktr.ee/apollocitycomics #InspiredInk #ComixWellspring #KickstarterComics #IndieComics #drawing #digitalcomics #comicbookart #makingcomics #publishingcomics 

We have the astonishing Alex Segura joining us this week! We'll be talking about crafting characters, writing comics to novels, his independent work, and so much more! https://www.alexsegura.com/ Alex Segura is the bestselling and award-winning author of Secret Identity, winner of the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Mystery/Thriller, a New York Times Editor’s Choice and an NPR Best Mystery of the Year. He’s also the author of the acclaimed Pete Fernandez series, as well as the Star Wars novel, Poe Dameron: Free Fall, and the YA Spider-Verse adventure, Araña/Spider-Man 2099: Dark Tomorrow. In 2024, he published a sci-fi/espionage novel, Dark Space, co-written with Rob Hart; the graphic novel The Legendary Lynx, illustrated by Sandy Jarrell; Encanto: Nightmares and Sueños; and Alter Ego, a standalone sequel to Secret Identity. Alter Ego was an instant USA Today bestseller, featured in Cosmpolitan, Parade, The Los Angeles Times, The Hollywood Reporter, and described as “thrilling” by the Wall Street Journal. In addition to his prose writing he has written a number of comics for Marvel and DC, including Star Wars: Battle of Jakku, Spider-Society, and The Question: All Along the Watchtower. With Michael Moreci he is the writer behind the noir re-launch of Dick Tracy. He lives in New York City with his family.   All Things CWS: https://t-sml.mtrbio.com/public/smartlink/comixwellspring Join Our Discord Channel: https://discord.com/invite/Q4RTWA35cP Get Our on Crowfunding List & 10% Discount https://comixwellspring.com/crowdfunding/ Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://comixwellspring.us12.list-manage.com/subscribe/post?u=e258b072e5a0a7421989f7f42&id=1aa9c3bacd&f_id=00b2e5e0f0 Check out the Comix Wellspring Website: https://www.comixwellspring.com/ Comix Wellspring Global Comix: https://globalcomix.com/a/comix-wellspring-2 Check out our Blue Lined Paper! https://www.comixwellspring.com/cws-blue-lined-paper/ Use our prepress templates: https://www.comixwellspring.com/specs-templates/ https://drive.google.com/file/d/1DexzEpIU92LVlfEdmAUb2ihnIQZf_vEr/view For any print questions, reach out to [email protected] Brandon Bloxdorf is the creator of the publishing imprint and podcast Apollo City Comics and an indie comic book creator of titles including Teenage Babylon, Fake Your Death, various anthologies, and more! Find Brandon online: https://linktr.ee/apollocitycomics #InspiredInk #ComixWellspring #KickstarterComics #IndieComics #drawing #digitalcomics #comicbookart #makingcomics #publishingcomics