We welcome back Ed Catto to talk all things Ithacon 2026, diving into what makes one of the longest-running comic conventions in the country such a unique and creator-friendly experience. Catto shares how this year’s show continues Ithacon’s tradition of blending legendary guests with up-and-coming talent, while also emphasizing its relaxed, community-driven vibe. He discusses the challenges and rewards of organizing the event, highlights some of the special programming and notable attendees fans can look forward to, and reflects on why smaller, more intimate conventions like Ithacon remain vital to the comics ecosystem.

Fans can grab tickets and learn more via the official site here: Get Ithacon 2026 Tickets.

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Today we sit down with Dick DeBartolo—longtime MAD Magazine writer and “The Giz Wiz”—for a lively conversation that bounces between comics, comedy, and gadgets. Dick shares how he broke into MAD during its legendary era, what it was like working alongside icons like Al Jaffee and Don Martin, and how the magazine’s anything-goes humor shaped his creative instincts. He also digs into his parallel career in tech and radio, explaining how his love of quirky gadgets led to his long-running “Giz Wiz” persona. Throughout the interview, DeBartolo’s trademark wit and self-deprecating humor shine through, offering both a nostalgic look at MAD’s golden age and a reminder of how curiosity and comedy can fuel a decades-long career.

You can follow Dick on Instagram @thegizwiz.

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Comics legend Jim Starlin returns to talk about the latest chapter in his ongoing Dreadstar revival — Dreadstar vs. Dreadstar, the newest original graphic novel in a series he's been building through Kickstarter since his triumphant return to the character in 2021. The conversation covers the full arc of Dreadstar's history — from its origins as the first title ever published under Marvel's Epic imprint, through its run at First Comics and brief Malibu revival, to the decision to bypass the big publishers entirely and build a new audience directly through crowdfunding. Jim talks about what it's like to have creative ownership over Vanth Dreadstar in a way he never quite had with Thanos, why the Kickstarter model has given him a freedom he never expected at this stage of his career, and what he still has left to say with a character he's had mapped out for at least five more graphic novels.

You only have a few days left to back Dreadstar vs. Dreadstar here: http://kck.st/3Nn0EJM! You can follow Jim on Instagram @jimstarlin or Facebook @JimStarlinfanpage.

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Ray Reynet, a Miami-based writer, illustrator, animator, and founder of Farlook Studios, stops by to talk about building an entire indie comics universe from the ground up — starting from sketching characters as a self-taught kid in South Florida all the way to self-publishing a growing catalog that includes the mythology-fueled adventure series Junket: Hidden Worlds Revealed, The Dwellers, Gunny, and his newest project The Groundsmen. We dig into what it actually looks like to wear every hat at once — writing, illustrating, animating, designing, marketing, and running successful crowdfunding campaigns entirely on your own — and how Ray has managed to keep expanding his creative output while developing a distinct brand identity across multiple genres and formats.

You can follow Ray on farlookstudios.com or on Instagram @rayreynet.

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North Carolina-based artist Rodney Bennett joins the show to talk Legend of the Black Starr, his self-published indie superhero series set in 1938 and published through his own Vision Alive Studios. The guys dig into the book's first story, "No Rest for the Weary," a pulp-flavored blend of horror, sci-fi, and superhero action that follows a young vigilante called the Black Starr as he infiltrates a mortuary to rescue an abducted girl — only to stumble onto zombie attacks, weird science, and a full-blown government cover-up. Rodney talks about his background as a Studio Art graduate from North Carolina Central University and career as an art educator, and how decades of teaching painting, drawing, and sculpture to youth eventually led him back to his childhood love of comics and character creation. The conversation covers the rich cast of characters he's built out — from the morally ambiguous Golden Crusader to the villainous Wallace Tweed — and what it looks and feels like to world-build an entire superhero universe entirely on your own terms.

You can follow Rodney and Black Starr on his site legendoftheblackstarr.com or on Instagram @legend_of_the_black_starr.

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Writer Carlos Yacolca and editor Alberto Rayo join the show to talk Before We Sail, a post-apocalyptic graphic novella set in a crumbling Lima, Peru. Yacolca, making his comics-writing debut, explains how the whole project was sparked by a chance tweet from Rayo offering free editorial mentorship to the first person who replied — and how what began as a sprawling, geopolitical zombie story gradually evolved, through months of intensive feedback from Rayo and legendary V for Vendetta co-creator David Lloyd, into something leaner and more emotionally driven. The guys dig into what that editorial gauntlet looked like and how Yacolca's own experience living with chronic depression quietly shaped the story's themes of endurance and fragile hope. Rayo, whose credits include Heavy Metal Magazine, talks about what drew him to champion the project and what he looks for when working with debut creators.

You can follow Carlos and Alberto on Instagram: @carlos_yacolca and @rayointhebottle.

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A self-taught artist, Dakota Alexander has carved out a distinctive niche as a cover and pin-up artist with a deep passion for Golden Age characters and vintage aesthetics. On this episode, Dakota walks us through his path into comics — from posting artwork on Facebook and Reddit during the pandemic to landing commissions through projects like The Liberty Brigade and The Masters series, where his character sheets appear across multiple issues. Dakota also breaks down his meticulous process for recreating period-accurate Bronze Age art, from emulating the Kane/Romita Sr. Spider-Man house style to adding weathered newsprint textures and tweaking color balance to evoke faded, off-the-spinner-rack authenticity.

You can follow Dakota on Etsy and Instagram @drumsoftheserpent.

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In this episode, Stephen Bissette and Chris Stevens join us to discuss the long-awaited return of Tyrant, Bissette’s deeply personal, unfinished dinosaur epic from the 1990s, and the journey to finally bring it back through a new Kickstarter campaign. The conversation explores how Tyrant—a raw, almost documentary-style story following a Tyrannosaurus Rex’s struggle to survive—became a cult favorite despite its original short run and lack of commercial success, as well as why Bissette had long resisted revisiting the project until renewed fan interest and Stevens’ persistence convinced him the time was right. They dive into the painstaking process behind the deluxe editions, including high-end art reproduction from original pages and the inclusion of long-lost material, framing the project as both a restoration and a definitive presentation of a “lost masterpiece.”

To learn more or support the project, check out the Tyrant Deluxe Editions Kickstarter here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/comicslighthouse/bissette-tyrant-deluxe-editions.

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