Are Brad and Dave not doing enough? A listener question sparks a candid conversation about creative bandwidth, sustainability, and why “doing more” isn’t always the smart — or sustainable — choice. The episode then dives into one of the hardest challenges in humor writing: How to judge your own work when readers don’t get the joke. How much confusion is normal, when feedback matters, and how to balance ego with humility without losing your voice.

Cartoonists Brad Guigar and Dave Kellett make their predictions for 2026 and share their goals for the new year. Also — they share their annual reminder to shop the Comicraft New Year's Day sale on January 1st.

Today's show is sponsored by Huion! At the beginning of the year, cartoonists Dave Kellett and Brad Guigar made their predictions for the coming year — and set goals for themselves. Now, as the year comes to a close, it's the brutally honest follow-up episode where they grade themselves — and sometimes discover that Past-Brad and Past-Dave were wildly optimistic. Or deluded. Or both.

Today's show is sponsored by Huion! Cartoonists Brad Guigar and Dave Kellett discuss the nuances of print-on-demand services. As Brad says, "It's a good place to start, but a bad place to stay." They delve into the importance of advanced planning for holiday sales. Finally, they share strategies for engaging audiences at comic conventions, covering pricing strategies and the psychology of sales, and emphasizing the importance of understanding costs and audience engagement.

Syndicated cartoonists Jerry Scott and Rick Kirkman share their journey of collaboration that spans over 35 years, focusing on their iconic comic strip, "Baby Blues."

Where should you post if you want to build an audience? Substack delivers unbeatable audience-building tools... but it has some drawbacks. Bluesky is active... but small. Webtoon is terrific... if you're doing the style and content that their users prefer. Patreon has recently added features to promote discoverability and reader-retention. And the legacy social-media platforms — Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook — have been failing creators for years now. Brad and Dave share actionable advice to help you navigate it all.

Today's show is sponsored by Huion, makers of the Kamvas 22 Pro! Check it out at http://comiclabshop.com . In today's show, Brad and Dave tackle an old question — does your comic HAVE to be in color? The answer is more nuanced than you might think! Also, the comics uncles will discuss the right ways — and the wrong way — to sign your books for fans.

Cartoonist Brad Guigar talks about his love/hate relationship with Reddit — and the publishing strategy that's currently delivering Patreon backers that has him loving it again.

We always advise having "many legs under your table." In other words, comic creators should have many sources of revenue. If one is threatened, the others can keep the business aloft. So it's important, from time to time, to check for wobbly legs! What are the sources of comics income that are currently vulnerable? ALSO: What's the difference between Design and Style?

This week, we're sharing the real numbers from Brad Guigar's recent Kickstarter. The show is brought to you by Hogan's Alley magazine at Hoganmag.com ! Enter the code COMICLAB10 at checkout to receive 10% off any purchase from our store (at hoganmag.com/stores). The current issue, back issues, a subscription, digital editions, "The Complete Betty Brown" book collection, whatever you see there that catches your eye!

Cathy Guisewite, the creator of the iconic comic strip 'Cathy', shares her journey through the world of cartooning, the challenges she faced as a female cartoonist, and the cultural impact of her work. From her early days of struggling with drawing to her experiences on The Tonight Show, Cathy reflects on her evolution as an artist and the significance of her comic strip in addressing women's issues. She discusses the release of her 50th Anniversary Collection and the bittersweet feelings surrounding the end of her long-running strip.

Brad thinks Kickstarter is the right place to go for a Brazilian cartoonist who wants to have his work re-published in English, but Dave thinks his co-host is Lost in Translation. Then, the dynamic duo gives some advice to a pro-am cartoonist who just lost their day job and is considering making the move to full-time cartooning. But first, Brad and Dave share some comic convention horror stories.

While you're stuck trying to find the RIGHT way to start your comic, someone else is starting a comic THEIR way. That's because the only RIGHT way to start a comic is the WRONG way. Confused? We'll explain. Also — storytelling without conflict? Kishōtenketsu is a story structure that emphasizes contrast over conflict.

Chuck Dillon joins us this week to talk about his work for Highlights magazine, designing the Costco Monopoly board, and his delightful children's books like The Bravest Booger and the Most Serious Fart.

A listener asks if there are any comics that the comics dads think are essential reading for being a comic creator. They sure do... and it's not what you'd expect!

As Brad Guigar prepares to launch his new Kickstarter at newevilbook.com, he tells co-host Dave Kellett that he's decided to eliminate all international shipping except for Canada! Between VAT taxes, new regulations, tariffs, and other uncertainties, he's decided it's just too risky. But first, a listener wrestles with his new role as a comics publisher. Is he helping out some friends, or is he a greedy capitalist?

Many singers do a key change in the middle of a song to indicate drama. Dave Kellett is so good, he does it right in the middle of a word! Brad and Dave learn far too much about each other while sharing a hotel room at the National Cartoonists Society Conference and Reuben Awards. Dave and Brad return from Boston brimming with stories from a week of cartooning camaraderie and community.

Cartoonists Jason Chatfield, Sean Wang, and Cassidy Wasserman join Dave Kellett and Brad Guigar on stage for a LIVE recording of ComicLab. They'll talk about what's working — and what's not — in the business of comics.

After discussing the best lettering techniques for shouts and whispers, Brad and Dave talk about plateaus. Is it possible to plateau for too long? Can they actually be beneficial? PLUS... Dave shares his experience after the first week of taking the ComicLab Social Media Challenge. This may be the best time-management tool yet!

Today's show is brought to you by Dreamhost! It's the first step in owning and controlling your own work. Check out the special offers at dreamhost.com/comiclab. Once again, Dave Kellett returns from Comic-Con International with a full report featuring actual numbers from his time spent exhibiting at his booth. He'll share what worked, what didn't, and what he has planned for next year. Next, it's the COMICLAB SOCIAL MEDIA CHALLENGE! After Brad challenges Dave to remove the social-media apps from his phone and charge the phone on the other side of the room at bedtime, the guys decide to make this a group experiment. Do YOU accept the challenge?