Storycomic Weekly Newsletter: August 9th
ALWAYS POSTED A WEEK EARLIER ON PATREON
The Most Versatile Artist You Haven’t Met Yet
In this episode of Storycomic Presents, I’m joined by Bill Lutz, a seasoned illustrator, cartoonist, graphic designer, and video editor with over 30 years of experience. A graduate of the School of Visual Arts in New York City, Bill blends visual artistry with technological fluency—whether he's designing book covers, crafting comic pages, editing medium-rare album art or building video projects. His journey includes influences from legends like Bob Peak, Drew Struzan, Frank Frazetta, and Burne Hogarth, and he continues to push boundaries by integrating illustration with digital tools and storytelling methods.
We’ll talk about his creative process, including how he marries traditional drawing techniques with modern multimedia, and how working across disciplines has shaped his signature style. Bill’s career offers a blueprint for aspiring artists looking to diversify their skills and build a sustainable life in visual storytelling.
Throughout the conversation, listeners will gain insight into what it takes to stay current as an artist without sacrificing authenticity. Whether you're an illustrator, designer, or creative explorer, Bill Lutz’s work inspires with its breadth, longevity, and adaptability.
Can a Comic Book Teach You Civil War History?
In this episode of Storycomic Presents, Marek Bennett returns to talk about the upcoming fourth volume of his Freeman Colby series. Volume 4 dives into the Summer of 1864—featuring major Civil War moments like Cold Harbor, the Return to Port Royal, Petersburg, and the Battle of the Crater. Bennett breaks down how he adapts real letters, diaries, and wartime reports into compelling graphic narrative. He also shares the year-long progress charts and historic research behind the work.
We also revisit earlier volumes that brought Freeman Colby’s story to life from 1861–1864, earning national recognition as “Great Graphic Novel for Teens” and awards from the National Cartoonists Society. Marek’s unique blend of teaching, comics, and history has resonated in classrooms and festivals across the country. Join us to hear how he makes history feel alive—and what readers can expect in the next chapter of the saga.
Project Update: Back to Appliance & Daddest Jokes Goes Live
This week marks a bit of a creative reset—I’m starting to get back into Appliance: The Game! After letting it simmer for a bit, I’m excited to return with fresh eyes and some new ideas. It’s always fun jumping back into a world I’ve been building, especially with a clearer head and new momentum.
Also, exciting news—Daddest Jokes now has its own page live on my website! It’s great to finally see it out there officially, ready for folks to check out, share, and (hopefully) laugh along with. Slowly but surely, things are moving forward again!
Book Review: The Castafiore Emerald – Nostalgic, Unusual, and Delightfully Absurd
Going back to The Castafiore Emerald, one of my earlier Tintin reviews—it was such a nostalgic and surprisingly quirky ride! This volume breaks all the usual Tintin rules: there’s no globe-trotting, no escape from villains, none of the usual capers. Instead, we’re staying put at Marlinspike Hall, watching one of the greatest episodes in slice‑of‑life comic absurdity unfold.
The adventure begins when opera diva Bianca Castafiore descends upon Captain Haddock’s estate. From there, a missing emerald, eccentric paparazzi, paparazzo mix‑ups, a persistent broken step, and a mischievous magpie turn everything into a comedy of red herrings. Yet the real brilliance is Hergé’s genius at building suspense from nothingness—with a perfectly structured farce reminiscent of classic stage comedy.
Having been a fan for years, rereading this one was a treat. It’s the kind of story that invites you to lean in—joke quietly to yourself when Haddock trips again, wait to see which rumor the tabloids invent next, and marvel when the culprit turns out to be… a magpie.
If you're looking for a Tintin story where drama comes from a quiet country home—and that quiet home turns into a stage full of eccentric characters and absurd mishaps—this is it. It’s unusual in the series, but that's what makes it shine.
Personal Update: Press, Airwaves, and Vintage Finds
This week has been another high-speed juggling act between the radio station and the paper—but things are going well! The upcoming issue of the paper is set to be our biggest yet, which is both exciting and a little dizzying to keep up with. It’s great to see the momentum building, even if it means the to-do list never stops growing.
On top of all that, my eBay sales have started to pick up again, which is always a nice boost. I even took a spontaneous yard sale cruise on Saturday, and I’m glad I did—ended up scoring a couple of vintage radios that were too cool to pass up. Nothing like stumbling on a hidden gem in someone’s driveway.
Busy? Yes. But full of good energy and fun little wins.
Uncle Aaron let Elizabeth try on his firefighter outfit
My Friday Lunch buddy! He put on a bit too much ketchup on it but still enjoyed it.
I am growing my Patreon and offering an excellent way for my independent creative community to sustainably advertise their work!
The website of your choice will be featured in the show notes of all of our podcasts for as long as you are a member of the Storycomic Patreon. The Founders Club offer is only for the first 15 subscribers. This is at any Patreon Subscription level.
Also at the Super Club level, we will publish an advertisement for the patron at a minimum of once a month.
Thank you to our Founders Club Patrons, Michael Winn, Higgins802, Von Allan, Stephanie Nina Pitsirilos, Marek Bennett, Donna Carr Roberts, Andrew Gronosky, Simki Kuznick, and Matt & Therese. Check out their fantastic work at:
https://www.stephanieninapitsirilos.com/
Also to Michael Winn who is a member of our Founders Club!