About this episode

Michael Barron and Jack Van Thomme discuss their comic 'The Secret Lives of Demon Hunters' and the intricacies of horror storytelling.

Writer Michael Barron and artist Jack Van Thomme join The Chairman on the USDN Podcast to discuss The Secret Lives of Demon Hunters, a supernatural horror comic about marriage, monsters, hidden darkness, and the people who spend their nights hunting demons. In this episode, we talk about slice-of-life horror, the origin of The Secret Lives of Demon Hunters, building a world of demons and possession, horror storytelling in comics, writing satisfying endings, Kickstarter preparation, reward tiers, indie comic promotion, and the reality of launching a creator-owned comic. Ashley and Jordie may look like an ordinary married couple, but behind closed doors and beneath the surface of everyday life, they are fighting something far darker. The Secret Lives of Demon Hunters blends relationship-driven storytelling with supernatural horror, giving readers a grounded emotional core inside a world of demons, shadows, and secrets. Topics include: • The Secret Lives of Demon Hunters • Slice-of-life horror • Horror comics and supernatural storytelling • Demons, possession, and hidden darkness • Writer and artist collaboration • Building a horror world in 24 pages • Writing twists and satisfying…

People in this episode

Host: The Chairman

Guests: Michael Barron, Jack Van Thomme

Topics covered

• supernatural horror
• slice-of-life horror
• horror comics
• demons and possession
• indie comic promotion
• creator-owned storytelling

Keywords

• horror comics
• demon hunters
• Kickstarter
• indie comics
• supernatural storytelling
• writing endings

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: The Secret Lives of Demon Hunters

More episodes of The United States Department of Nerds Podcast

• Frederick Littles - Building Wise Acre Comics & the Reality of Independent Publishing · July 21, 2026 · 1h 29m
• JaVon O. Stokes - STRONG #1 and the Power Beyond Superheroes · July 20, 2026 · 1h 0m
• Frank Goodie - Building AshVeil Comics & Thelbe Jack: Seeds of Ruin · July 19, 2026 · 1h 1m
• Shawn McBee & MJ Jankowski - Westron #2 & Building Horror From Slavic Mythology · July 13, 2026 · 1h 25m
• Casus Belli - Reinventing Sherlock Holmes with Holmes: Undead #2 · July 9, 2026 · 1h 30m
• Ben Lacy Returns: SAMSON #1-3, Alternate History, Revenge & Kickstarter Comics · July 7, 2026 · 1h 2m

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the The United States Department of Nerds Podcast podcast page.