Geek Life – The Indie Comics Podcast

This week’s podcast was a special live recording from the GTA5 (Grand Theft Auto V) midnight release at our local Gamestop! We sat down and talked features for GTA5, and shared our favorite memories from the GTA franchise’s long and epic history. We’ve all had fun times breaking the digital law, be it building a criminal empire or searching for that damn Bigfoot in GTA: San Andreas… We had a great time and I hope you enjoy our first live show of the game season! Music is provided by AirPlus Recordings+.

This past weekend we spent all day Sunday playing with THE Admin’s Oculus Rift dev-kit. HOLY CRAP it’s awesome! This is the future friends. Check out our conversation on all things Oculus and find out what it’s really like in the rift! This week we recommend Ready Player One by Ernest Cline! This book is fun, exciting and damn near prophetic! JP listened to this on audible recently and was blown away, now most of the Geek Life crew has enjoyed this excellent story. Remember, if you’d like to get the audible version free go to AudibleTrial.com/GeekLife to get your free audiobook! Music is provided by AirPlus Recordings+. This week’s song is “Oracle” by RunC.T., available on his record “Three Wolves“. If you like this song, be sure to support Run and AirPlus Recordings!

This week we spotlight the incredible and meaningful comics by Kostas Kiriakakis of Kiriakakis.net. These comics had a profound impact on several of us at Geek Life and we simply can’t say enough good things about them, Kostas is a true talent. In short, go read these for yourself at Kiriakakis.net and be sure to follow him on twitter @KappaFanta. Next we review “Poor Mick” by Kat Martin. Mick is a luckless sailor who always seems to be getting into trouble. After being tossed into the raging sea he finds himself on an island alone with a seemingly mute and rather rude girl. This is only the beginning of Mick’s journey and we enjoyed every page. Done in grey-tone watercolor, Poor Mick is a beautiful comic with an interesting story that you simply don’t want to miss. Read Poor Mick at PoorMick.smackjeeves.com and check out Kat’s homepage with her impressive portfolio at KatMartin.net. Music is provided by AirPlus Recordings+. This week’s song is “Take Me” by Dekoi, available on the AirPlus Recording’s record “Drum & Bass International 2013“. If you like this song, be sure to support Dekoi and AirPlus Recordings!

We spotlight the epic and hilarious web-comic/RPG “Sidekick Quests” by James Stowe. Sidekick is about a group of aspiring adventurers and the crazy trouble they get themselves into while their betters are away. Not only is Sidekick an excellent web-comic but it’s also an upcoming tabletop RPG! We can’t wait to try out the game when it’s finished and jump into the world of Sidekick Quests. Be sure to check out Sidekick Quests at SidekickQuests.com, follow the comic/RPG on twitter @SidekickQuests and follow James @jamesstowe! Next we talk about one of the funniest animated movies we’ve seen in a while, Turtles Forever. This mash-up of turtles from different dimensions is a great throw back to several iterations of our favorite heroes in a half shell. You can watch it free online at YouTube and enjoy the hilarity. Don’t forget to support our friends at VidCast (Neuro and Pinku) on their exciting project over at IndieGoGo. Their ambitious project allows friends to watch streaming video from all over the internet together in real time. It’s an exciting project so be sure to support them! Music is provided by AirPlus Recordings+. This week’s song is “Where I Go” by Aux.Verba, available on the AirPlus Recording’s record “Drum & Bass International 2013“. If you like this song, be sure to support Aux.Verba and AirPlus Recordings!

This week we spotlight Point of Singularity by Athena Dykman. PoS is a great comic which follows an ex-super villain scientist dude on his mission to redeem himself and make right his past misdeeds. Turns out he’s got a long road ahead of him, what with the mega viruses and super zombies he released into the universe. Athena spins an interesting start to what promises will be an excellent and entertaining adventure. Be sure to check out PoS on PoS.thecomicseries.com, see Athena’s latest deviations over at her Deviant Art Page, Follow her Tumblr, Twitter and like her facebook page! Next we have a good long conversation on the good bad and ugly of free/freemium games. This thriving trend seems to be here to stay and we finally found a game that does it right in FireFall. This game is awesome. Check it out, seriously. Music is provided by AirPlus Recordings+. This week’s song is “The Future Transhumans” by Grand Ave. (Feat Derek Parker), available on the AirPlus Recording’s record “Drum & Bass International 2013“. If you like this song, be sure to support Grand Ave, Derek Parker and AirPlus Recordings!

We continue our conversation on the rich subject of time management and productivity for creative people. Many of our friends from the indie comics community have sent us letters with their observations, wisdom and advice. This is the second part of the same recording, where we read some more letters and have more good conversation. We hope to shed some light on this subject. If you have anything you’d like to say about this please leave a comment below, we’d love to hear your thoughts! This week’s song is actually by Joe’s band A Stranger In The Alps, titled “Mustache Song” from their album The Little Larry Sellers EP. You can check out the album on SoundCloud.com!

We spotlight web-comic “Company Man” by Frank Jordan. Company Man truly belongs in the Sunday funnies right next to Garfield and Doonesbury. Franks comic is consistently funny, relevant and just plain quality. With solid art and recognizable characters, the office antics of Jordan’s excellent and varied cast of characters is sure to be a favorite. Be sure to read Company Man at CompanyManComic.com, follow Frank on twitter @CompanyManComic and Like his facebook page! Next we start the beginning of our 2 part podcast investigating how creative people sucessfully fit their creative endeavors into the rest of their lives. We all have work, family, friends and so on, how the heck do we find time to express ourselves creativley in the middle of all that!? Over this and the next episode, we read letters from over 10 awesome comic creators on how they balance their creative projects and “Life”. Also, forgive us for the crazy intermittent noise in the back ground starting about 20 min in… Our neighbor decided to make lots of noise right in the middle of our recording! GRRRRR! Music is provided by AirPlus Recordings+. This week’s song is “Sailing to You” by Vague Illusion, available on the AirPlus Recording’s record “Drum & Bass International 2013“. If you like this song, be sure to support Vague and AirPlus Recordings!

This week we spotlight Scaredemy by Jack Slade. Follow Simon Fairwee as he goes to the Scaredemy academy for wizards and monsters. Simon comes from a family of wizards and monsters, and hopes to one day become a powerful mage, but for now he’ll settle for avoiding wedgies and that one girl who always follows him around. With some of the best art we’ve seen in a web-comic, as well as sharp and often unexpected humor, Jack Slade’s Scaredemy is excellent. Be sure to read Scaredemy at Scaredemy.com, follow Jack on Twitter @Scaredemy, on Tumbler at Scaredemy.Tumblr.com and like his facebook page! Next we review Marcus Clawson’s Mallow Man. Who will defend Pantry City from various evil anthropomorphic foods? It’s Mallow Man and his sidekick Bacon Boy! Follow the masked marshmallow as he fights evil and saves the day, all while being hilariously snarky and self aware. 4th wall? Who needs a stinking 4th wall? Marcus’s great character design, striking inks and side splitting humor will make you an instant fan. You can purchase digital or print copies of Mallow Man from IndiePlanet.com! Be sure to like Mallow Man on facebook.  Music is provided by AirPlus Recordings+. This week’s song is “Breeze” by RBnG, available on the AirPlus Recording’s record “Drum & Bass International 2013“. If you like this song, be sure to support RBnG and AirPlus Recordings!

This week’s indie spotlight focuses on the web-comic “Adventuresome” by Keith Mclean (who has the best last name ever). Keith’s hilarious comic is a seemingly unfiltered window into his thoughts, ideas and opinions… and it’s awesome. We were just rolling in laughter while reading Adventuresome. With clean, expressive art and funny off the wall humor, you’ll want to check this one out. Be sure to read Adventuresome at Adventuresome.ca, follow Keith on twitter @Keithito and like his facebook page. Next we interview writer and friend John R Fultz. John is a skilled and experienced writer who has published novels, short stories & comics! We had such a great time with him on the podcast. He talked about his new e-book “The Revelations of Zang“, a collection of dark fantasy tales with a metaphysical edge, full of grotesque wonders and weird splendor. Artifice the Quill flees from tyrant sorcerers into a world of strange magic, ancient gods, and exotic kingdoms. Zang is a must have for your kindle library. We even picked John’s brain about what it’s like to be a professional writer, giving us great insider advice and observations. Be sure to visit John’s homepage JohnRFultz.com to keep up to date on all of John’s projects. You can purchase his books and comics on Amazon.com and don’t forget to like his facebook page! Music is provided by AirPlus Recordings+. This week’s song is “Wonders” by Fletch, available on the AirPlus Recording’s record “Drum & Bass International 2013“. If you like this song, be sure to support Fletch and AirPlus Recordings!

This week we spotlight web-comic “Rapture Burgers” by Chris Hill. This comic is about aspiring evil overlord Camille and his epic quest to take over the world, all while struggling with his rapidly slipping grip on reality. After Rose breaks up with Camille he has a crazy dream and wakes with the certain knowledge that he is to be the next ruler of the world! Cammy and his friends take us on a hilarious and snarky trip through the early days of the worlds next super villain. It’s so funny, with sharp layout, clean illustration and Easter-eggs a plenty! Be sure to read “Rapture Burgers” at RaptureBurgers.com, follow Chris on Twitter @RaptureBurgers, on Tumblr at RaptureBurgers.Tumblr.com & like his facebook page! Next we review “Kitty & Batz” by Kristi “Batz” Zerga & Dianna “Kitty” Spain. This wild comic is about two homicidal teenagers with the mind and means to do some serious murder and mayhem. Kitty and her friend Batz don’t seem to like anybody, especially anime geeks, preppy girls and hippies. Unfortunately for them, they seem to run into these people at every turn, and then kill them! Crazy, creative and with many genuine laughs, this comic is a kick to read. Grab yourself a copy of “Kitty & Batz” at LegendsOfHeroesVillains.com, follow LHV publishing on Twitter @lhvpublishing and like their facebook Page. Music is provided by AirPlus Recordings+. This week’s song is “Teargazed” by Gattica Kid (TigerPaw Remix), available on the AirPlus Recording’s record “Drum & Bass International 2013“. If you like this song, be sure to support Gattica Kid, TigerPaw and AirPlus Recordings!

This week we spotlight web-comic “Horde of Neurons” by Jeff Couturier. This random, hilarious and at times insane comic is completely great. We found ourselves feeling right at home with the witty observational humor and slice of life hilarity. You rock Jeff. You can find Jeff’s Neurons at www.HordeOfNeurons.com, follow him on Twitter @JeffCouturier and see his latest deviations over at JeffCouturier.DeviantArt.com. Next we review the excellent game “The Swapper” from Facepalm Games. We loved this game. Already winner of many awards, Swapper had a us in awe of its excellent atmosphere, controls and story. We highly recommend you go pick up this masterclass of indie gaming goodness. Music is provided by AirPlus Recordings+. This week’s song is “Call it Rude” by SnuFF available on the AirPlus Recording’s record “Drum & Bass International 2013“. If you like this song, be sure to support SnuFF and AirPlus Recordings!

This week we finish our MetalCast! Justin Woods from the AskAMetalHead.com podcast blesses us with some serious heavy metal knowledge and breaks down an epic list of awesome metal movies. Below is the list Justin brought with him along with some other movies we came across in our conversation, check it out, there are some real gems in here! Metal Movies: River’s Edge The Crow Wayne’s World Pick of Destiny This is Spinal Tap Anvil: The Story of Anvil Heavy Metal in Baghdad Decline of Western Civilization 2: The Metal Years The School of Rock Metal: A Headbanger’s Journey Rock Star Metallica: Some Kind of Monster Detroit Rock City Until The Light Takes Us Lemmy Music is provided by AirPlus Recordings+.

This weeks’ podcast is part 1 of a 2-part episode. We had such good conversation with our guest Justin Woods that we decided to let the tape run and just finish when we finish. We split the podcast right down the middle-ish, so be sure to check out next weeks episode for the thrilling conclusion, and lots of heavy metal talk! This week we spotlight Rich Clabaugh’s “The Graveyard Gang”. This comic follows 5 friends on their crazy creature filled adventures. Graveyard is presented in 3 issues, full of endearing characters and excellent stories, and is well worth a read. Rich’s art is top notch, especially in the color palette and line quality department, so pretty. Be sure to read “The Graveyard Gang” at TheGraveyardGang.com, follow Rich on twitter @Graveyard_Gang and like his facebook page! Next we talk heavy metal with Justin Woods from the AskAMetalHead.com podcast. Justin has dreamed up an excellent list of the most METAL MOVIES EVER! With his extensive knowledge of everything metal, we learned a lot, and are now in dire need of a movie night! We had such a great time hanging out with Justin, and hope to have him back again. Music is provided by AirPlus Recordings+. This week’s song is “How Does It Feel” by MVE. “How Does It Feel” can be found on the AirPlus Recording’s record “Singles Vol.3”. If you like this song, be sure to support MVE and AirPlus Recordings!

This week’s indie spotlight focuses in on web-comic “Nameless PCs” by Wesley Hall. Nameless PCs is a very entertaining comic with a surprising variance of content to offer. From table top gaming humor to slice of life hilarity, this comic is just great. You can find out what Wesley thinks about… well everything at NamelessPCs.com Be sure to follow him on twitter @NamelessPC, on tumblr at NamelessPCs.tumblr.com and like his facebook page. Next we review the pure magic that is “Yuki vs Panda” written and created by Graham Misiurak & Nick Dunec, illustrated by A. L. Jones! We loved this awesome comic. The first vol, of what we hope will be a long series, follows young Yuki in her daily life of being a bad ass martial artist, hopeful girly girl and nemesis of a giant panda who wants her dead… Yuki is pitch perfect, with excellent art, great writing and spot on humor. Be sure to pick up a copy of Yuki vs Panda at YukivsPanda.com, follow Yuki on twitter @Yuki_vs_Panda, on Tumblr, and like their facebook Page! Music is provided by AirPlus Recordings+. This week’s song is “These Lovely Bones (Feat TigerPaw)” by Blindstate .”These Lovely Bones (Feat TigerPaw)” can be found on Blindstate’s amazing new EP “These Lovely Bones“. If you like this song, be sure to support BlindState, TigerPaw and AirPlus Recordings!

This week on Geek Life we spotlight the hilarious web-comic Ninja & Pirate! This comic is a swashbuckling, shuriken throwing, hoot of a good time. With hilarious lines like “Slap me with a sea cucumber!” how can you go wrong! Ninja is by Joe Flanders and can be found at NinjaAndPirate.com! Be sure to follow Joe on Twitter @NinjaAndPirate, see his latest deviations on DeviantArt and check him out on Reddit. Then it’s on to Zombies! We talk “Undead Ethics” in a segment where we investigate the moraly and ethically challenging situations the zombie apocalypse could create. We get deep in this subject, really enjoyed it! Music is provided by AirPlus Recordings+. This week’s song is “Athrú Dearfach” by Vague Illusion. If you like this song, please support Vague and AirPlus Recordings!