Off Panel #521: Bright and Shiny with Doc Shaner
Off Panel: A Comics Interview Podcast
Release Date: 10/13/2025
Off Panel: A Comics Interview Podcast
Cartoonist Beetle Moses, aka Harris Fishman, joins the podcast for my annual Comic of the Year chat, as we talk about his social media-based comic strip Beetle Moses. Fishman discusses the year for Beetle Moses (the comic), figuring things out, his own comics journey, putting in the reps, his art style, the depth of the strip, Beetle Moses' origins, how people reacted to making the move into comics, his big year, the atemporal nature of comic strips, his most well-liked comics, moving into longform, turning Beetle Moses into a business, how his 2026 is looking, and more.
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My pal Brandon Burpee returns to the podcast for our annual look at the year in comics before we count down our 20 favorite comics of the year. Burpee discusses the year in comics, the state of the Big Two, where the X-Men are, older comics that might have previous lists, anticipated comics from 2026, ancient Star Wars takes, and more, before we share our honorable mentions from the year in comics and then count down our 20 favorites comics and graphic novels from 2025. Love the podcast and want to support it? Back it on Patreon at Patreon.com/OffPanel For those that are looking for a list of...
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In a special year end episode of Off Panel, we look at the defining themes of 2025 in comics with the help of retailer Steve Anderson from Third Eye Comics, The Beat’s Heidi MacDonald, and writer Matthew Rosenberg. Up first is Anderson (1:37), whose theme is the impact of DC's Absolute line, as we discuss the Image Revolution of it all, unlocking the cool, the area of effect it's had on other comics, good times he sees on the horizon, how new readers are behaving, why Absolute has popped, how creators and publishers can capitalize on this, and more. After that is MacDonald...
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Artist and writer Terry Dodson joins the show to talk Ultimate Endgame, AdventureMan, and where things are headed for him. Dodson discusses his work schedule, cat living, picking projects, taking on Ultimate Endgame, working with Deniz Camp, figuring out projects, designing in the Ultimate Universe, the freedom of the book, event comics versus regular ones, artist exclusive covers, the other side of artist work, AdventureMan's fit, collaborating with Matt Fraction, the impact of influences, the collections of AdventureMan, getting into writing, its impact on his art, taking on more...
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Christina Merkler, the co-owner of Lunar Distribution, Discount Comic Book Service (or DCBS), and InStockTrades, joins the show to talk about a strange year for comic book distribution and a good year for the retail side. Merkler discusses Thanksgiving and related takes, the year for her, Diamond Comic Distributors' bankruptcy, compressing timelines, figuring things out, big changes this year, balancing sides of her businesses, the year for DCBS and InStockTrades, what's driving success, how collections are doing, the non-licensed comics space, connecting readers with books, blind bags, how...
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Writer and cartoonist Gene Luen Yang joins the podcast to talk about his comics life and his upcoming run on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Yang discusses his daily life, his upcoming graphic novel, Overrated, embracing change, advocating for comics, its impact on his own work, having different inputs, his project that impacted him the most, collaborations and collaborators, Superman Smashes the Klan, figuring out which for-hire projects to take, how Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles came together, impact of Eastman & Laird, the TMNT phenomenon, building his run, keeping those characters fresh,...
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Writer Grant Morrison joins the podcast to talk about this week's DC/Marvel: Batman/Deadpool and their views on life and comics. Morrison discusses the rekindled flame of writing comics, how they approach writing, the importance of new experiences, making yourself a laboratory, pushing the medium thinking visually, learning from collaborators, doing what feels right, why Batman/Deadpool was the move, how it came together, preferred flavors of themself, Dan Mora's greatness, the freedom of that project, the power of constraints, their approach to continuity, the joy of Batman/Deadpool, having a...
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Writer Kieron Gillen joins the podcast to talk about his current Image comics The Power Fantasy and Die: Loaded and everything that's going into them. Gillen discusses FOC vs. release, Die's longevity as an idea, staying in love with comics, the emotional side of the commercial part of the job, how he thinks of his comics, the direction of Die: Loaded, why Die returned, the approach to its story, Stephanie Hans' impact, comic RPGs, how The Power Fantasy has compared to expectations, where it is, activating your audience, promoting the work, surprises in the series, and more.
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Cartoonist Erica Henderson joins the podcast to talk about her past few years and her work on Harley and Ivy: Life and Crimes at DC. Henderson discusses her whim based processes, writing Erica vs. drawing Erica, what she can do while working, recent learnings, the way she thinks of pages, things she needed to do in Harley and Ivy, how she approaches projects, single issues vs. graphic novels, bringing Harley and Ivy to life, their fit together, her background with them, the looks of these characters, research, building around moments, the project's origins, preferred genres, fighting boredom,...
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Recorded live at New York Comic Con, artists Hayden Sherman, Rachael Stott, and Russell Dauterman and cartoonist Trung Le Nguyen joined the podcast to talk about why they love comics, with each happening in individual segments. Up first, Sherman (1:22) discusses what fuels their love, controlling the read, what unlocked comics, artist's artists, where influences come from, how making comics impacts reading them, and more. Then Stott (17:25) joins to talk about early loves in comics, finding the unexpected, the impact of the individual, her relationship with the medium, smooth comics, and more....
info_outlineArtist Doc Shaner joins the podcast to talk about his life and career in comics. Shaner discusses working from home, his schedule, the impact of comic strips, wanting to be a cartoonist, Buddy Cops, showing a different side of yourself, getting into comics themselves, his music brain, drawing for yourself, developing your style, Comic Twart, which project he learned the most from, working with friends, New Champion of Shazam, the Strange Adventures experience, being the bright and shiny guy, how he works, video games, being off the stands, holding onto joy, and more.