Indie Comics, Mostly Dead, Small Bites, and the Chaos of Creating Great Stories with Allen Dunford
Release Date: 03/13/2026
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info_outlineAllen Dunford returns to Geek Freaks for a fun, behind-the-scenes conversation about making indie comics that actually connect with readers. We talk about his upcoming books like Mostly Dead, Small Bites, and Cokehead, how he builds characters with heart and personality, and why trusting artists is one of the most important parts of the comic-making process. If you love horror comics, indie creators, and honest talk about storytelling, this episode has a lot to dig into.
Timestamps and Topics:
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00:00 Introduction and Allen Dunford returns to Geek Freaks
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01:16 What Allen is working on now and starting a small indie publishing house
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02:13 Building new books from the ground up
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03:26 Creating memorable characters with Kit Wallace
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05:03 The energy and fun behind Cokehead
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06:58 Small Bites, friendship, and emotional character writing
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08:31 Skipping the usual werewolf origin story to get into the real story faster
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10:23 How Mostly Dead became a passion project
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11:00 Breaking down Nate’s story and the emotional core of Mostly Dead
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12:17 Influences from horror, YA storytelling, and nostalgia
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15:17 Allen’s key collaborators and what they bring to each comic
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16:23 Why giving artists room to create makes the work stronger
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17:47 How Allen’s collaboration style has changed over time
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19:18 Trusting artists and why visual storytelling matters so much in comics
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20:49 Writing for different artists and leaning into their strengths
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21:20 What Allen loves most about indie comics
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22:28 What he hopes readers take away from these stories
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23:24 Standing out in the indie comics world without losing your voice
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26:17 Upcoming books and what readers should keep an eye on next
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29:00 Balancing comics, work, fatherhood, and life outside the page
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29:59 Final thoughts and where to follow Allen’s work
Key Takeaways:
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Allen Dunford is building comics that mix fun, horror, emotion, and strong character work
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Mostly Dead is one of his most personal and creatively exciting books
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Small Bites takes familiar monster ideas and pushes them into more emotional territory
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Great comic collaboration comes from trust, flexibility, and knowing each artist’s strengths
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Allen focuses on making books people genuinely enjoy instead of chasing trends
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Indie comics thrive when creators bring personality and honesty to the page
Memorable Quotes:
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“I don’t want to plan the fun out of it.”
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“It’s like a 28-page panic attack, and it’s awesome.”
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“I just want people to pick stuff up and have a good time.”
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“Trust in your people, because I’m nothing without them.”
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“The art is the reason you stop at the comic stand, but to come back for issue two is going to be the writing.”
Why This Episode Is Worth Your Time:
If you are into indie comics, horror books, or hearing how creators actually put stories together, this is a really strong episode. Allen is honest, funny, and clearly passionate about making books that feel different. It also gives listeners a real look at the creative side of comics without losing the fun.
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Listener Questions:
What comic creators do you want us to interview next? What indie books should we be reading? Send us your questions and we may feature them in a future episode.
Apple Podcast Tags:
Allen Dunford, indie comics, comic book interview, Geek Freaks, Mostly Dead, Small Bites, horror comics, comic creators, indie publishing, comic writing, comic books, Kickstarter comics, comic book podcast, horror storytelling, indie creators