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Storycraft

How people make stories. Featuring conversations with comic book creators, filmmakers, comedians, musicians, writers & more. Hosted by graphic novelist Kraig Rasmussen. New episodes weekly starting January 2020!
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Now displaying: April, 2017
Apr 29, 2017

After our last co-hosting adventure, I realized that Mike and I had made a grievous oversight in our initial Storyteller Bio roster picks, which shined a light on an unfortunate truth about 20th century comics that I somehow never admitted to myself. HINT: like almost everything else in America right now, it has do with race and gender. We take great pains to recognize the problem for what it is/was, and discover that for us it may not really be a problem, because it opens all kinds of intriguing doors for exploration. In the middle of it all, I shift gears to apologize for a slightly body shaming, careless statement I made during the previous episode with Jim Mahfood - a statement which has now been edited out. Yes, it's a correction-cast extraordinaire, but we manage to pack it with laughs, a few fun social discoveries, talk about the role critics have historically held in society, and how hard it is NOT to put your foot/feet in your mouth these days. These extra episodes are starting to be a total blast every time, which bodes well for the quality and entertainment value of the upcoming Storyteller Bio episodes. Stay tuned!

Follow Mike Dubisch on twitter @mikedubisch, follow him on facebook, and grab a copy of Mystery Meat Comics from dubisch.com or mystermeatcomics.com.

Follow this podcast on twitter @Storycraftpod and help support the show at patreon.com/monkeygong, by rating, reviewing and subscribing on iTunes, or by sharing with your pals.

Follow me on twitter and instagram @kraigcomx and keep up with my work and the show at monkeygong.com.

Apr 27, 2017

Jim Mahfood, (Grrl Scouts, Tank Girl, Clerks, Stupid Comics,) an iconoclastic, imagination powerhouse of a comic book artist, was my first guest on the original run of the Storycraft Podcast, and this is a much buttered-up-through-the-magic-of- editing re-release of that original episode. You would scarcely know it from how much better it sounds! The conversation remains as true today as it was then, in which we cover managing a 21st century art career in very specific ways, how superheroes do not represent all comics, but how they certainly created our love affair with the medium, and how that may be from frustration over industry trends, or just how certain people grow from reader to artist, and the shift in interests that ensue. We also talk a lot about diversifying as a creator to make a living, some of our influences who did the same, and the unique voice that comes along with innovation based on the rigors of a very challenging art form. I'm very pleased to present this again, and am delighted to find it as full of takeaways as any episode I might record today.

Celebrate Jim's return to where it all started, and pick up the new 6 issue limited series Grrl Scouts: Magic Socks, starting May 17th from Image Comics!!

Stay tuned for more info about the upcoming Live Storycraft/Bitch Talk crossover podcast in San Francisco, Friday June 2nd!

Follow Jim Mahfood on twitter @jimmahfood and keep up with his many exploits and live events at jimmahfood.com.

Follow this podcast on twotter @storycraftpod and support the show at patreon.com/monkeygong or by subscribing, rating, reviewing on iTunes, and/or sharing it on social media.

Follow me on twitter and instagram @kraigcomx and help support my work or follow me at the above patreon or at monkeygong.com.

Apr 22, 2017

Mike Dubisch and I sat in the car to have a quick talk about our plan for a very cool series of Storyteller Bio episodes, as the podcast expands to bi-weekly (because we are clearly not busy enough.) We share our reasons for mutually wanting to do this series, including our feelings about digital vs. traditional media and techniques, our love of highly influential and/or [recently] departed creators, and the exciting mysteries of unearthing semi-forgotten storytellers or works. Then I lump in my obsession with great history and true crime podcasts, (shout out to previous guests Gareth Reynolds, Jimmie Whisman & James Pietragallo,) which all comes together to inspire a deep dive into the history of story makers and personal influences. This was a blast to record, as you can tell from all the laughing.

The first Storyteller Bio drops next week, as we discuss our recently departed friend, Berni Wrightson.

Follow this podcast on twitter @storycraftpod, and support the show by joining the monkey army at patreon.com/monkeygong.

You can also support the show by subscribing, rating & reviewing on iTunes, and by sharing with your friends!

Follow me on twitter and instagram @kraigcomx, and help support my work and (again) this show by visiting monkeygong.com and listening, reading or shopping there!

Apr 19, 2017

Prolific, mystically imaginative and, dare I say, iconic comic book writer, television writer & novelist J.M. DeMatteis (Spider-man: Kraven's Last Hunt, Green Lantern: Willworld, Seekers: Into the Mystery, JL Dark, Scooby-Doo Apocalypse... whew!) joined me via a relatively well-behaved Skype connection for a terrific new episode!! We talk about the metaphysical underpinnings of his work, how I'm unabashedly in love with Willworld, how much it inspired/inspires me, as well as the legacy of that book and J.M.'s collaboration with the late, great Seth Fisher. We discuss our uncanny variety of shared themes, our similar lifetime obsession with metaphysics and the human mystery, including the inner journey in our work, sustaining a creative career and a helluva lot more. Top notch talk from one of my favorite guests to date, and full of more takeaways than one listen will provide.

Be sure to stay through the end to hear an AMAZING piece of comics history!

Find J.M.'s various works online or wherever you buy comics, including the new Vol. 2 collection of "the Adventures of Augusta Wind", and definitely pick up Willworld used (or on comixology) if you've never read it.

Follow J.M. DeMatteis on twitter @JMDeMatteis. Keep up with his site jmdematteis.com, where you can join his Imagination 101 workshops.

Folllow this show on twitter @storycraftpod and help support the show at patreon.com/monkeygong or by sharing, rating and reviewing on iTunes.

Follow me and my comics work on twitter and instgram @kraigcomx, and follow my upcoming webcomic on my site monkeygong.com, where you can also shop in the on-demand store!

Apr 14, 2017

PRI & NPR Radio Journalist Naomi Gingold sat with me to discuss looking at America from the outside in, why it's okay for journalistic objectivity to be a dubious concept, holding true to your ethics and ideals no matter where you are, and the varied but parallel stories she covered in both Japan and Myanmar(Burma/Yangon/Rangoon). We also enjoy a dive into her love of/obsession with Burmese Hip-Hop (and the associated, forthcoming book), understanding a people through their pop-culture, the hidden sides of journalism, how we wish the current American conversation was being handled differently, following your heart and so, so much more. Above all, this episode is smashed to the rim with a look at storytelling through journalism, that is one of the most incisive yet universal story talks to date. Enjoy them juicy takeaways!

Follow Naomi on twitter @naomigingold, check out her site naomigingold.com and find her segments at www.pri.org/people/naomi-gingold.

Follow this show on twitter @storycraftpod, and please rate, review, praise, dissect or otherwise 5-star rate this show on iTunes to help build the community. Support the show at patreon.com/monkeygong

Follow me on twitter and instagram @kraigcomx, and shop monkeygong.com/shop to support the, my comics, or otherwise engage my abilities/interest.

Apr 8, 2017

Chris Mancini, (filmmaker, writer, comedian, podcaster, co-founder and co-organizer of the Los Angeles Podcast Festival,) braved a cranky skype connection to record this terrific episode for writers, filmmakers, comic book makers and Kickstarters. He details the Kickstarter campaign for "Alton Wright & Friends," which opens the door to his notable kickstarter successes, how to survive a campaign, and how to use the built-in community within the platform. He reveals behind the scenes info about his in-progress graphic novel project "Long Ago, and Far Away," illustrated by Fernando Pinto-- which reveals how great Print Ninja is in their community outreach via kickstarter. We also discuss utilizing a platform like Comedy Film Nerds, executing your best work judiciously, the phenomenon of universal themes present in the entire library of a creator's work, why that's a thing, we talk about his book Pacify Me: A Handbook for the Freaked Out New Dad," and he shares his thoughts on maturing as a creator. On top of it all Chris gives some valuable insights about running an online store, drops some VERY interesting news breaks about the upcoming LA Podfest 2017, potential near future podcast happenings, and news about their terrific film "Earbuds: the Podcasting Documentary," (available now at comedyfilmnerds.com.) 

Follow Chris on twitter @chrisjmancini and @comedyfilmnerds. Follow Earbuds @earbudspodmovie and go get your copy now at comedyfilmnerds.com, then read the amazing array of their film crit content.

Support "Alton Wright & Friends" on kickstarter before it's gone!

Follow me on twitter and instagram @kraigcomx, and support my work or the show by shopping at monkeygong.com/shop.

Follow this show on twitter @storycraftpod, support it at patreon.com/monkeygong, then please rate & review on iTunes to help build the community.

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