Indie Creator Builds Pro-Level Comic in His Spare Time: Brandon Paul's Chuk Maxwell Journey
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Show Notes
Join me on Nerdy Mewzings as I sit down with talented comic book writer and artist Brandon Paul in his very first podcast appearance! We dig into his creator-owned debut: The Adventures of Chuk Maxwell — a thrilling post-apocalyptic space western featuring a gun-slinging, hover-tank-piloting canine freelancer from an alien world. If you love indie comics, gritty storytelling, stunning art inspired by Mignola, Moebius, Geof Darrow, and Daniel Warren Johnson, and the journey of a solo creator grinding late nights while balancing a day job and family — this episode is for you.
Brandon shares:
-How a drawing of his dog in a desert hover tank sparked an entire comic series
-Transitioning from animation school (2009 recession era) to self-publishing his first 28-page issue
-Influences from Hellboy, Batman: The Animated Series, and epic road trips to Monument Valley
-His workflow: digital/hybrid inking in Photoshop, learning from InkTober, SVS Learn pro classes, and tough-but-helpful portfolio reviews
-The cliffhanger ending of Issue #1 (trust me, you'll want Issue #2 ASAP!)
-Dream projects (Thor? Hellboy?), favorite creators (Daniel Warren Johnson love!), and plans for the 5-issue arc
Timestamps:
00:00 - Intro & first podcast vibes
02:00 - Chuk Maxwell origin: dog-inspired InkTober → full comic
05:00 - Late-blooming comic fan: Hellboy gateway, Mignola influence
08:00 - Animation background → solo comic creation
14:00 - Detour project under NDA + getting back to Chuk
17:00 - Ink Pulp, Jake Parker, SVS Learn shoutouts
20:00 - Writing & art process: Marvel method vibes, digital tools
26:00 - Issue #2 progress + Slack method drawing
30:00 - Balancing day job, family, and comics
35:00 - Daniel Warren Johnson fandom & creator inspiration
40:00 - Dream gigs: Thor, Silver Surfer, Hellboy?
45:00 - Cons, Instagram traction, future plans (Kickstarter?)
50:00 - Where to buy Chuk Maxwell & follow Brandon
Grab Issue #1 (physical or PDF) here: https://chukbook.com
Follow Brandon:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bpaul.art
Website: https://www.bpaul.art/
If you're an aspiring comic creator, artist, or just love discovering fresh indie books, if this episode inspired you, FOLLOW Nerdy Mewzings Podcast for more creator interviews, and drop a FIVE star review!