About this episode

The episode features a live discussion with cartoonists Kyle Starks and Chris Schweizer at HeroesCon 2026, exploring their friendship and collaborative works.

Live from HeroesCon 2026, in Charlotte, North Carolina, we’re celebrating the beautiful kinship between cartoonists Kyle Starks and Chris Schweizer, the industry’s most notable BFFs. Their meet-cute occurred ten years ago at HeroesCon, the most comic book comic convention in America, but it solidified during an adventure to claim a “Tiger Truck.” You can take a second to unpack that last sentence, or you can just go ahead and press play on this week’s podcast episode. We discuss how a passion for comics, Kyle’s location, and its relation to a town where Chris collects his lumber brought these friends together. Eventually, this would lead to collaboration on books such as Rock Candy Mountain, Mars Attacks, 6 Sidekicks of Trigger Keaton, and Karate Prom. They are two singular creators with the determination to do things their own way, but somehow, through the bickering, they make magic. It was a pleasure to sit across from these two while they regaled us, and a HeroesCon audience, with tales of triumph, defeat, and consternation. One’s a grump. One’s chill. One’s an optimist. One’s a realist. Who’s who might surprise you. We’re delighted to platform these comic book besties…

People in this episode

Hosts: Brad Gullickson, Lisa Gullickson

Guests: Kyle Starks, Chris Schweizer

Topics covered

• comic book culture
• friendship
• collaboration
• HeroesCon
• cartoonists
• storytelling

Keywords

• Kyle Starks
• Chris Schweizer
• HeroesCon
• comic books
• collaboration
• Rock Candy Mountain
• Wrestle Heist
• Image Comics

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Image Comics, Vertigo Comics

Books & works: Rock Candy Mountain, Mars Attacks, 6 Sidekicks of Trigger Keaton, Karate Prom, Wrestle Heist, Where Monsters Lie: Dead End

Places: Charlotte, North Carolina

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