Sticks and Stones Holiday Special Brings Family, Mystery, and Heart to the Table | Interview with Aaron Cohen and Alex Schumacher

Frank sits down with Aaron Cohen and Alex Schumacher to talk about Sticks and Stones: Holiday Special, a new comic centered on the Feynman family and their holiday misadventures. The conversation gets into how Passover, Hanukkah, and Purim shaped the book, why Ben makes such a strong lead, and how the team blends Jewish specificity with themes that feel familiar to anyone who grew up in a loud, loving family. Aaron and Alex also break down the book’s comic strip DNA, the warmth behind its humor, and why this world has room to grow far beyond holiday stories.

Timestamps and Topics

• 00:00 Introduction and welcoming Aaron Cohen and Alex Shoemaker
• 00:37 What Sticks and Stones: Holiday Special is about, the Feynman family, and why releasing during Passover feels right
• 02:12 Representation, family traditions, and how the story connects Jewish identity with universal family experiences
• 03:29 Visual inspiration behind the book, including Sunday newspaper strips, classic cartooning, and old-school comic energy
• 05:41 Family memories, Passover traditions, and how real holiday experiences shaped the tone of the story
• 07:37 Why Passover felt like the perfect setup for a mystery story
• 08:09 Comic strip storytelling, all-ages humor, and the influence of books the whole family can enjoy together
• 09:45 Ben’s deeper motivation and why wanting a seat at the adult table gives the story emotional weight
• 11:09 Ben’s oversized suit, kid noir energy, and how his design reflects a child trying to act bigger than he is
• 12:18 Why Ben became the center of the story and how his imagination drives the whole book
• 15:03 Expanding the Feynman family, new characters, and future story possibilities
• 16:26 Protecting family, immigrant community parallels, and why the book feels relatable beyond one specific culture
• 22:38 Ralph’s coloring, visual warmth, and how the page design supports the story’s emotional center
• 28:47 Future plans for Sticks and Stones beyond holiday stories
• 32:30 Final thoughts on Ben and the larger story potential of this world
• 32:54 Rapid fire questions, favorite characters, and what holiday the family should tackle next

Key Takeaways

• Sticks and Stones: Holiday Special uses Passover, Hanukkah, and Purim to tell one connected family story.
• Ben works as a lead because he sees himself as the star of his own detective movie, which gives the book a playful inner voice.
• The creative team wanted the comic to feel deeply Jewish while still speaking to anyone who has experienced a big, chaotic family gathering.
• The visual style pulls from classic newspaper strips, animation, and old all-ages comics.
• Humor is treated as an act of love, not just a punchline, which gives the book its warmth.
• The team clearly sees this family as a long-term storytelling world, not just a one-off holiday concept.
• Future stories could move beyond holidays and into everyday family life, school stories, and more character-focused adventures.

Memorable Quotes

“There's something universal in specificity.”

“Ten people around a long table for two hours is a great place for a murder mystery.”

“What he really wants ultimately is to be respected and be a part of the family and to be at the adult table and be taken seriously.”

“You don't joke with someone and you don't gag with someone who you don't care about.”

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Sticks and Stones, Holiday Special, Aaron Cohen, Alex Shoemaker, comic books, indie comics, Jewish comics, Passover, Hanukkah, Purim, family comics, all ages comics, Geek Freaks Podcast