Storycomic Weekly Newsletter: April 11th

ALWAYS POSTED A WEEK EARLIER ON PATREON

🚨 Storycomic Patreon Update for Creators 🚨

If you're an author, indie comic creator, game designer, or storyteller looking for more visibility, the Storycomic Patreon is one of the easiest ways to get your work in front of a growing audience.

For just $5 a month (about the price of a cup of coffee), you get some real promotional benefits:

🎙 Front-of-the-Line Recording Access
I’m often booking podcast interviews three months in advance, but Patreon members jump to the front of the line. This is especially helpful if you have a time-sensitive launch, Kickstarter, or new release coming up.

🔗 Permanent Show Notes Promotion
Your website or project link will be included in the show notes of all interviews as long as you’re a member.

📣 Social Media Promotion
We’ll regularly help promote your projects across Storycomic’s social media channels.

And remember, the Storycomic podcast has over 30,000 downloads, so it’s a great way to get your work discovered by readers and fellow creators.

For the cost of a coffee each month, you get promotion, visibility, and priority booking.

If you’re a creative looking to grow your audience, it’s a pretty great deal.

👉 Join us on Patreon and let’s share your story with the world.

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Dave Baker returns with Punk’n Heads, a loud, messy, human graphic novel

Dave Baker is back on the show to talk about Punk’n Heads, his new graphic novel with Nicole Goux, out April 7, 2026 from Top Shelf Productions.

At the center is Hannah Lipsky, an art-school dropout coming off a breakup who winds up in a flophouse and, almost by accident, becomes the singer for a campy horror-punk band—costumes and all. From there, the story leans into band dynamics, bad decisions, creative hunger, and the kind of early-adult chaos that’s funny right up until it isn’t.

In our conversation, Dave digs into how the book came together, why this setting was the right container for the story’s emotional punch, and what it takes to keep characters feeling real when everything around them is loud. We also talk collaboration with Nicole, pacing a full-length graphic novel (216 pages), and why punk is such a good language for vulnerability.

If you like stories about making art while your life’s on fire — and laughing anyway — this episode’s for you.

Kelly Bennett’s Rainbow Kite is a joyful reminder that imagination is contagious

In my newest interview, I’m joined by children’s author Kelly Bennett to talk about her picture book Rainbow Kite, illustrated by K.M. Brown and published by Young Dragons Press.

At the center is Lulu, who has no interest in going outside—until a plain, slightly bedraggled kite appears and changes the whole day. Lulu chases the kite through the neighborhood, and what begins as one kid’s playful pursuit turns into something bigger: other children start paying attention, then joining in, and the world opens up into a shared burst of creativity.

What I love about this book is how it treats imagination like a spark—small at first, then suddenly everybody’s got a little more courage to play, try, and be themselves. It’s lighthearted, but it’s also quietly empowering in the way the best picture books are.

In our conversation, Kelly talks about building that sense of motion and wonder on the page, and what she hopes kids (and grown-ups) carry with them after the last page: that being different can be a strength… and sometimes all it takes is one curious moment to get everyone moving.

Project Update: Plugging Away at the Edits

I was able to get a bit more editing done on Appliance this week, so I’ve been plugging away little by little. It’s still not a full sprint, but I’m making steady progress—tightening sections, refining ideas, and continuing to shape things into a more polished draft.

It feels good to get back into the rhythm of working on it, even in smaller chunks. Each pass brings a little more clarity and confidence to the overall project.

Comic Review: Hercules: Prince of Power – Big Muscles, Bigger Personality

There’s something refreshing about going back to a comic that doesn’t take itself too seriously, and Hercules: Prince of Power is exactly that kind of ride. This 1980s Marvel miniseries takes Hercules out of his usual mythological setting and drops him into a wild, far-future sci-fi adventure—and the result is just plain fun.

What stood out to me right away is the tone. This isn’t a brooding, heavy superhero story. It’s bright, energetic, and full of humor. Hercules is as overconfident and larger-than-life as ever, but that’s the charm. He barrels through the story with bravado, often causing as much chaos as he solves, and it makes for a really entertaining read.

The futuristic setting gives the book a unique flavor. Instead of ancient Greece, we get spaceships, strange alien worlds, and quirky companions like the Recorder and Ariel. It almost feels like a Saturday morning cartoon in comic form—fast-paced, colorful, and never taking itself too seriously.

There’s also a nice sense of creativity throughout. The story isn’t afraid to be a little weird, a little goofy, and a lot imaginative. That willingness to just have fun with the character makes it stand out from more traditional superhero fare.

Reading Hercules: Prince of Power felt like rediscovering a hidden gem. It’s lighthearted, nostalgic, and packed with personality. Sometimes you don’t need a comic to be deep—you just want it to be fun—and this one absolutely delivers.

Personal Update: Spring Momentum and a Movie Day with Iggy

It was a solid week all around. The sales team keeps making good forward momentum as spring starts to wind up, and that’s encouraging to see. I still have a few slow-pay clients, but that’s pretty normal for this time of year. A lot of folks are just waiting for tax season to wrap up, so it’s one of those seasonal bottlenecks you learn to expect.

I also think spring may have finally decided to stick around. The snow is at last retreating, and we’re getting more warm days than cold ones, which feels like a real shift. After a long winter, that kind of change in the air does wonders.

Iggy has been waiting all week for this movie!

lemonade, candy, and popcorn at the movies!