Inside the Kingdom

David Reddick has spent his career drawing characters people already love while creating worlds of his own.

On this episode of Inside the Kingdom, David joins us to talk about Intelligent Life, Legend of Bill, and his work on Blondie. We get into his early ambitions as a cartoonist, the advice he received from Charles Schulz, nearly 15 years working on Garfield, his years with Star Trek, and the challenge of balancing original work with some of the most recognizable characters in comics.

It’s a conversation about character, comedy, craft, legacy, and what keeps a cartoonist drawing after all these years.

Read David’s work on Comics Kingdom and subscribe to Inside the Kingdom for more conversations with the creators behind the comics.

Three penguins moved to the wrong side of the planet nearly twenty years ago.

They've been trying to make sense of us ever since.

Arctic Circle creator Alex Hallatt joins Inside the Kingdom to talk cartooning, climate change, science, AI and finding humor in a world that keeps supplying new material.

Read Artic Circle on Comics Kingdom: https://comicskingdom.com/arctic-circle

Tony Lopes has spent more than two decades finding the funny in absolutely everything: cavemen, office life, technology, death, animals, human behavior, and the occasional idea that should probably have stayed on the back of a receipt.

On this episode of Inside the Kingdom, we welcome the creator of Insanity Streak, the acclaimed single-panel comic with no permanent cast, no fixed setting, and seemingly no limit to where a joke can go next. Tony talks about building a cartooning career through persistence, drawing daily since 2000, the freedom and terror of the blank panel, and why a great gag has to work before the reader has even finished looking at it.

We also get into his life in Australian cartooning, his record-setting 15 Stanley Awards, how the strip travels across countries and cultures, and the strange thrill of making people laugh one panel at a time.

Read Insanity Streak daily on Comics Kingdom.

This week on Inside the Kingdom, we’re joined by John Kovaleski, creator of Daddy Daze.

John talks about the real-life inspiration behind Paul and Angus, the humor of modern parenting, the role of co-parenting in the strip, and how one little word, “Ba,” became one of the most expressive voices in comics.

It’s a funny and thoughtful conversation about fatherhood, family, and finding comic strip magic in everyday life.

This week on Inside the Kingdom, we sit down with cartoonist Mike Smith, the longtime editorial cartoonist for the Las Vegas Sun and the creator of Gearhead Gertie on Comics Kingdom.

Mike has spent decades turning politics, culture, and daily absurdity into sharp, readable cartoons. But alongside his editorial work, he’s also built a very different kind of comic world through Gertie, a NASCAR-obsessed character whose love of racing is less of a hobby and more of a full-contact lifestyle.

In this episode, we talk about Mike’s path into cartooning, what makes a strong editorial cartoon work, how he shifts between political commentary and character-driven humor, and why sports fandom is such fertile ground for comedy. We’ll also get into Las Vegas as a sports town, the Golden Knights, NASCAR culture, reader reactions, and the strange joy of drawing people who are absolutely certain they are right.

https://comicskingdom.com/gearhead-gertie

For Father’s Day, Inside the Kingdom gathers a few King Features editors for a relaxed roundtable about dads, father figures, family strips, and the comic characters who have shaped the way we think about family life.

From classic newspaper dads to the everyday chaos of parenting, mentoring, grandparenting, and trying your best in three or four panels, this conversation looks at what comics have always done so well: finding something funny, familiar, and surprisingly tender in the small moments.

We talk about favorite comic strip fathers, family rituals around the funny pages, Father’s Day tropes, and the characters who remind us that comics have always been a place where big feelings can sneak in through little jokes.

Read many of the comics discussed in this episode on Comics Kingdom:
https://comicskingdom.com/

Join the Comics Kingdom community on Discord:
https://discord.gg/55QnWHUst

Comics Kingdom has a Discord now. This episode walks through why we built it, what’s inside, and how readers can join the conversation.

Join here: http://discord.gg/appQys6v2z

What happens when a Viking ends up in a modern workplace?

Stephen Webster joins Inside the Kingdom to talk about The Saga of Brann Bjornson, a strip that blends fantasy, family life, and office culture into something that feels strangely real.

Stephen’s path to comics isn’t typical. He grew up in Iowa, moved to Russia, studied art in the Arctic, worked in gaming, and eventually built a world where dragons run companies and trolls handle IT.

In this episode, we get into where Brann came from, how the strip evolved, and what it takes to build a world that works both as a daily comic and a long-form story.

Timestamps:

00:00 Cold Open

01:00 Intro

02:00 From Iowa to the Arctic

06:00 Building Brann’s World

10:00 Art Style & Format

14:00 From Personal Project to King Features

18:00 Storytelling & What’s Next

22:00 Lightning Round

Read the strip:

https://comicskingdom.com/the-saga-of-brann-bjornson

Follow Stephen:

https://www.instagram.com/stepneal

One cartoonist. Three daily comic strips. More than 40 years without missing a beat.

Bill Holbrook joins Inside the Kingdom to talk about building and sustaining On the Fastrack, Safe Havens, and Kevin and Kell — all at the same time.

From early days meeting Charles Schulz, to launching one of the first webcomics in 1995, to evolving a daycare strip into full-on sci-fi, Bill’s career doesn’t follow the usual rules.

We get into how his strips changed over time, how he manages the workload, and what keeps him coming back to the drawing board every day.

Timestamps:

00:00 Cold Open

01:00 Intro

02:30 Early Life & Meeting Schulz

07:00 On the Fastrack

12:00 Safe Havens

17:00 Kevin and Kell

22:00 The Process

26:00 Lightning Round

Read On the Fastrack:

https://comicskingdom.com/on-the-fastrack

Read Safe Havens:

https://comicskingdom.com/safe-havens

Read Kevin and Kell:

https://kevinandkell.com

Cartoonist Vaughan Tomlinson joins Inside the Kingdom to talk about Oddly Enough, his understated, offbeat strip that finds humor in the everyday.

We explore his approach to comic timing, visual storytelling, and the art of saying more with less. It’s a thoughtful look at how the smallest moments can land the biggest laughs.

Part of the Comics Kingdom network, where comics are the history of happy.

Check out Oddly Enough
Follow Vaughn on Instagram

Comics Kingdom heads to MoCCA Arts Fest, one of the most important events in independent cartooning.

Host Alex Garcia sits down with Maritsa Patrinos and Isabella Bannerman to talk about indie comics, creative freedom, and how those worlds connect to syndicated strips and larger platforms.

From zines and sketchbooks to the Sunday funnies, this episode explores where comics start, how they grow, and why spaces like MoCCA still matter.

Today on Inside the Kingdom, we’re celebrating the anniversary of Rosebuds on Comics Kingdom and talking all things MAR14DAY.

Created by cartoonist Deon “Supr Dee” Parson, Rosebuds follows sisters Rosa, Maria, and Maricela Gonzalez as they navigate family life with humor, heart, and just the right amount of sibling chaos. The strip launched independently in 2020 and was later picked up by King Features Syndicate. On June 1, 2025, it became a daily comic on Comics Kingdom.

In this episode, we talk about how the strip began, how the sisters evolved, what changed when it went daily, and what this anniversary means to Deon and to readers. We also dig into the fan love behind MAR14DAY and how community moments like that shape the strip’s future.

If you love comics rooted in family, culture, and real emotion, this conversation is for you.

Read Rosebuds daily at http://ComicsKingdom.com/rosebuds.

Subscribe for more creator conversations from Inside the Kingdom.

Once upon a time, a cartoonist put the Three Little Pigs in the suburbs and never looked back. This week on Inside the Kingdom, we sit down with Francis Bonnet — the creator, writer, and illustrator behind Suburban Fairy Tales — to talk about 20+ years of fairy tale humor, landing at King Features Syndicate, his new book Set Sail to Fail, and what it really takes to keep a comic strip going for two decades.

Whether you’re a longtime fan of the strip or discovering it for the first time, this is a fun, honest look at life as a cartoonist.

📰 Read Suburban Fairy Tales on Comics Kingdom:

http://comicskingdom.com/suburban-fairy-tales

📖 Get Set Sail to Fail on Amazon:

http://amazon.com/Set-Sail-Fail-Suburban-Collection/dp/B0DFXXWH6F

⏰ CHAPTERS:

0:00 — Intro
2:00 — Who Is Francis Bonnet?
5:00 — The World of Suburban Fairy Tales
9:00 — 20 Years of the Strip
13:00 — Craft & Creative Process
17:00 — Set Sail to Fail & Sunday Editions
20:00 — Lightning Round
23:00 — Where to Find Francis

#SuburbanFairyTales #ComicsKingdom #InsideTheKingdom #ComicStrips #KingFeatures #FrancissBonnet #Webcomics

This week on Inside the Kingdom, we’re joined by Victor Van Acker, creator of Dumplings — a funny, family-friendly strip about Dani, her lovable pup Benny, and the friends (and frenemies) who make everyday life feel like a full-on adventure.

We talk about:

• Finding comedy in school days, friendships, and kid-sized “big deals”
• Building a cast that includes Dani, Benny, and a memorable crew of friends and pets
• Victor’s path to cartooning, from drawing for his family to making Dumplings a daily strip

Read Dumplings on Comics Kingdom, and explore the archive to catch up from the beginning. Like, subscribe, and tell us which character you’re backing: Team Benny or Team Cat Logic.

Dumplings on Comics Kingdom: https://comicskingdom.com/dumplings

About Dumplings: https://comicskingdom.com/dumplings/about

Victor Van Acker (creator page): https://comicskingdom.com/creator/victor-van-acker

What makes toddler life so funny, and so familiar

This week on Inside the Kingdom, we sit down with George Gant, creator of Beware of Toddler, the weekly Sunday comic on ComicsKingdom.com. The strip follows a stay at home dad trying to survive daily life with his wild two year old daughter, and somehow finding laughter in the mess.

George shares how the comic started, how he finds the joke in real parenting moments, and what it has been like growing the strip from webcomic roots into a wider audience through King Features and Comics Kingdom.

Read Beware of Toddler on ComicsKingdom.com (new strips every Sunday), and explore more creator conversations by subscribing to Inside the Kingdom.

Chapters:
00:00 Intro02:10 How Beware of Toddler began06:00 Building the characters12:00 Writing and drawing process18:00 Joining Comics Kingdom24:00 Milestones and recognition29:00 Lightning round33:00 Outro

#Comics #ComicsKingdom #BewareOfToddler #GeorgeGant #KingFeatures #Cartooning #ParentingHumor

Step into Hootin’ Holler with us!
This week on Inside the Kingdom, we’re joined by John R. Rose, the cartoonist carrying forward the legendary comic strip Barney Google & Snuffy Smith — one of the longest-running strips in American history.

We talk about:

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The strip’s 100+ year legacy

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The evolution from Barney to Snuffy

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Life and humor in Hootin’ Holler

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John’s creative process and daily cartooning routine

•

Why readers have loved these characters for generations

Read Barney Google & Snuffy Smith daily on ComicsKingdom.com
Subscribe for more creator stories, comic history, and behind-the-scenes chats!

What makes a comic quietly brilliant?

In this episode of Inside the Kingdom, we sit down with Hilary Price, the award-winning creator of Rhymes With Orange. Since 1995, Hilary’s strip has captured the humor of everyday life with sharp observation, warmth, and wit.

We talk about the origins of the comic, finding confidence in subtle humor, the creative process behind a long-running strip, and Hilary’s thoughtful perspective on AI and the future of art.

🎨 Featuring: Rhymes With Orange
🎙️ Guest: Hilary Price
📚 Explore the full archive at ComicsKingdom.com

Step into the surreal, sideways, wonderfully weird universe of Bizarro!
In this episode of Inside the Kingdom, we sit down with Wayno, the brilliant cartoonist carrying the daily strip forward.

We dig into:

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The origins of Bizarro and its iconic hidden symbols

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How Dan and Wayno built a creative partnership

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What it means to maintain a legacy comic in a digital era

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Blondie’s 95-year milestone — and what it teaches all creators

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The future of offbeat, smart, visual humor

Read Bizarro daily on ComicsKingdom.com and explore the full archive!

New episodes weekly. Like, subscribe, and leave a review — it helps comics fans find us.

In this episode of Inside the Kingdom, we sit down with the award-winning cartoonist behind Legalization Nation, the groundbreaking comic strip that investigates the real-world cannabis industry, policy failures, misinformation, and the human stories buried underneath it all.

We talk about:

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The rise of comics journalism

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What inspired Legalization Nation

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How Box reports, researches, and draws each installment

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The complexities (and contradictions) of cannabis legalization

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Where the industry is headed — and why comics can explain it best

Read Legalization Nation daily at ComicsKingdom.com.
Subscribe for more creator interviews from the world of King Features Syndicate.

It’s Thanksgiving week — and what better time to celebrate one of America’s most iconic families? In this special Inside the Kingdom episode, we sit down with Dianne Erwin and Dana Young Coston to talk all things Blondie — now celebrating 95 incredible years in newspapers and online.

From Dagwood’s legendary sandwiches to Blondie’s timeless humor, this episode is a feast of nostalgia and new beginnings. We’ll dig into how Blondie continues to evolve for modern readers, the creative care behind keeping a legacy alive, and even some Blondie-inspired recipes that fans have been sharing this Thanksgiving week.

🍞 Listen in for:

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The origins of Blondie and its 95-year journey

•

How the strip stays fresh for digital audiences

•

Blondie’s family recipes and food traditions fans are recreating

•

Why laughter (and a good sandwich) are timeless

✨ Read Blondie every day at https://comicskingdom.com/blondie
🎧 New episodes of Inside the Kingdom drop weekly — subscribe wherever you get your podcasts!