Direct Edition

Guitarist and frontman Connor Valentin (Dissentience) joins Dave to chat about the band's new EP 'Kaiju' . They talk about giant monsters, comics, and the crossover between art and music. Valentin shares how McFarlane toys and Marvel Legends action figures shaped his early creative interests, filling his vintage Marvel tryout book with work from Mark Bagley and Erik Larsen, and the ins...

Gary Groth, publisher and founder of Fantagraphics joins Dave to reflect on 50 years of championing comics, the world's greatest cartoonists, and following conviction. He talks about launching The Comics Journal at 21, meeting Robert Crumb, Harvey Kurtzman, Daniel Clowes, Todd McFarlane, Charles Schulz, and the defining moment Love and Rockets arrived, unsolicited in his mailbox. The two discu...

Skid Row frontman Sebastian Bach joins Dave for a deep-dive conversation about comic book collecting, rock music, and creative inspiration . Bach shares his earliest comic memories, from Fantastic Four to Herb Trimpe’s Incredible Hulk , and how those stories shaped his lifelong taste as a collector. He recounts unforgettable rock tour road stories , including the legendary moment he bought Amazing...

Cartoonist Brett Bean ( Dungeon Crawler Carl ,  Rocket and Groot, Jim Henson Creature Shop ) joins Dave to discuss  D'ORC , his humorous, high-fantasy series with Image Comics. Bean shares how he developed his protagonist from his own experience of never fitting in, his "controlled chaos" approach to both art and life, and the pivotal conversation that caused him to leave behind anim...

Artist Marko Djurdjevic (League Of Legends, Marvel Variant Covers) joins Dave to discuss ORKEN, his ambitious and wide ranging transmedia project of novels & illustrated books via Kickstarter. Djurdjevic talks about his overcommitment to quality, building legacy through his company SixMoreVodka, Javier Bardem, the principles that drove his cover designs for Marvel, Ultimate Fallout 4, and shar...

Writer B.Earl (Ultimate Hawkeye, Werewolf by Night, Daredevil and Echo) joins Dave for an enthusiastic conversation about his path from film editor to comics and his unlikely partnerships with Will.i.am (Masters of the Sun) and Taboo of the Black Eyed Peas, and his personal writing on spirituality and creativity. The two talk comics, Northwest artist Jeffrey Veregge, Jim Lee's X-Men, music to...

Stephen Bissette ( Swamp Thing ) & Jim Rugg (Cartoonist Kayfabe,  Street Angel ) join Dave to discuss the upcoming Artist and Complete Editions of  Tyrant via Kickstarter , Bissette's singular prehistoric dinosaur masterwork. Eisner Hall of Fame legend Bissette and comic genius Rugg explore the role of fanzines in shaping early careers, the intensive scientific research that nearly derailed  T...

Comic legend Jim Starlin (Infinity Gauntlet, Batman Death In The Family) joins Dave to discuss the upcoming Dreadstar vs Dreadstar Kickstarter. Starlin shares stories from the New York studio scene of the 1970s, Walt Simonson's spoilers, learning from Howard Chaykin, collaborating with Bernie Wrightson, and how early encouragement from Steve Ditko kept him drawing. The two explore Starlin'...

Shawn Crystal & Matteo Scalera join Dave ahead of OAX, where the full InkPulp crew will assemble in person for the very first time. (Jim Mahfood, Eric Canete, Jamie Wood)They break down the business of self-publishing, the toll of running a Kickstarter for Matteo's book The Fourth Father, and how indie creators can build better partnerships with comic shops. The three look ahead to the ina...

Eric Canete (Aeon Flux, Inkpulp, Iron Man) joins Dave to discuss his upcoming run on DC Comics Absolute Batman. Canete shares the story of landing the gig at NYCC after conversation with Snyder & Dragotta, and how Akira helped unlock the style of his early sample pages. Eric reflects back to getting into comics via Glenn Danzig, and his start in animation with the great Peter Chung. They explo...

Screenwriter Gary Whitta ( Rogue One: A Star Wars Story , The Book of Eli ) joins Dave to discuss See You in Hell , his new self-produced comedy podcast and why audio storytelling has become his creative home. Whitta breaks down how Hollywood studios , streaming wars , and algorithm-driven content helped damage the film industry—and what creators can do outside the traditional studio system. The c...

Writer Robert Venditti joins Dave to discuss his current slate of Bad Idea books, including  Ordained ,  Planet Death , and  Hank Howard: Pizza Detective . Venditti breaks down his creative process, and a creative partnership with John Wick creator Derek Kolstad. They discuss Rob's genre-hopping career, taking over  Green Lantern from Geoff Johns , and his perspective on fandom. The two dig in...

Larry Reid, curator and manager of the Fantagraphics Bookstore joins Dave to discuss Seattle’s underground art, music, and comics scene. Larry reflects on running the legendary Seattle Roscoe Louie Gallery in the late ’70s, and the rise of alternative comics alongside the city’s punk and grunge movements. Larry speaks about the inspiring words he got from Robert Crumb, working with Gary Groth &amp...

Recording live from Koenji, Japan, Dave sits down with Shawn — better known as Japan Book Hunter — for a deep dive into Japan’s unique underground book culture, rare book collecting, and the obsession that drives collectors down endless rabbit holes. From underground bookstores to forgotten print runs, this conversation explores what makes Japanese books so special — and so hard to find. They disc...

2025 was a banner year for media. In this episode, Dave breaks down his favorite TV, music, movies, and comics of the past 12 months—what swam, what sank, and which movie somehow managed to make him feel stupider. From Sinners to Hayley Williams and Absolute Batman, this episode serves as the best of the best, in Dave's eyes. Big thanks to Phil for the awesome edit on this! Join the Patreon an...

Matteo Scalera ( Black Science ,  Nemesis Forever ) joins Dave to discuss the upcoming release of his new Kickstarter-backed project,  The Fourth Father . They discuss storytelling and Scalera’s creative process, and fandom within the Inkpulp Podcast universe. They explore the surge of Italian comic creators, Tim Sale's last Batman book, the narrative mastery of  Breaking Bad  and  Watchmen ,...

Comic legend Geof Darrow joins Dave for the Season 5 premiere ahead of the release of Shaolin Cowboy The Beginning of the End Results: 21 Years Of Blood, Sweat & Chainsaws. Uncle Geof reflects on working alongside Jack Kirby and Frank Miller, developing concept art for The Matrix, and introducing Moebius to the work of Katsuhiro Otomo. They talk film, Martial arts, gore, and fantasy; consider...

Comic icon Marc Silvestri joins Dave for a wide-ranging conversation about the pivotal creative moments that shaped his career. From his earliest science fiction influences and the work of legends like Jack Kirby, Bernie Wrightson, Frank Frazetta, and Norman Rockwell, to collaborations with Larry Hama and Chris Claremont. Silvestri discusses his enduring impact on the X-Men & Wolverine , his r...

Dave reflects on 80 episodes of Direct Edition and shares the lessons, tools and methods that he’s picked up along the way. He looks ahead to Japan, reveals the season finale guest and the season 5 premiere guest and shares a healthy dose of gratitude. Support the podcast, join the Patreon :https://www.patreon.com/davengersdirectedition www.directeditionpodcast.com

Jim Woodring (Creator Of Frank) joins Dave to discuss the creative process behind his award winning surrealist comic art and unique personal vision. Jim recalls his early connection to MAD Magazine and Harvey Kurtzman’s grotesque, lyrical style. He reflects on the work of R. Crumb, and the defining influence of Salvador Dalí. They discuss Jim’s time working with Gil Kane and Jack Kirby at Ruby-Spe...

Artist, writer, and fan Kelley Jones (Batman, Dracula, Deadman, Sandman, Swamp Thing) joins the podcast. Kelley details his time working on the Batman Knightfall Covers in the 90's, culminating in the breaking of Batman, pushing the limits at DC Comics. He discusses DRACULA, his partnership with Matt Wagner, and how he made a monster out of Bane in the 90's. Kelley talks about early horror...

Jim Mahfood returns to discuss  Defective Comics Presents : Arachnid Enforcer , his newest self-published, Kickstarter-backed bootleg Spider-Man comic. Jim and Dave drink spider-blood and swap stories about their earliest parody influences— MAD Magazine , SNL, and “Weird Al” Yankovic—favorite Spider-Man eras, Jim’s character-design work on  Into the Spider-Verse , and the perpetual thrill of seein...

Tyler Mane joins Dave to talk about his pro wrestling career, becoming Sabertooth (X-Men & Deadpool / Wolverine) & Michael Myers (Halloween) and co-creating his first graphic novel The Last Spartan: Red Tape. Tyler shares stories from his earliest days training with Stu Hart, finding inspiration in comic books, wrestling Andre the Giant in Japan, working with Rob Zombie, getting stabbed on...

Comic legend Erik Larsen is back to discuss his return to Marvel, writing the new  Spider-Man Noir  miniseries and creating a Jack Kirby–inspired variant cover for  Venom: Black, White & Blood, in which he writes and draws a short story. He talks about working with the classic “Marvel method” and the noir touchstones—Bogart,  The Thin Man ,  Citizen Kane —that shaped his approach. Larsen also...

Dave shares his theory about the Stranger Things-ification of modern horror and the shadow it casts on classics like Gremlins, Ghosbusters and Poltergeist. He gives his spoiler free review of Alien: Earth, and explains why Noah Hawley (Fargo, Leigion) is the perfect fit for the franchise. Plus, Dave breaks down surprising new albums by Hayley Williams, Deftones and The World Is A Beautiful Place (...