The Daniel Warren Johnson Interview!

0:00Welcome to the Rob Life Build Show featuring Rob's revisions. I bring five decades, experience in the world of comic books and entertainment. I am not some bystander watching the industry go by. I am a full-blown participant having contributed lasting memorable works to the world of comic books that have informed the business and the art of this brilliant medium. If it's happening and streaming in movies, in comic books, in games, we are talking about it. We're discussing it right here. And welcome everybody to another edition of the Rob Life Build Show featuring Rob's revisions. I am your host, Rob Life Build. I am so excited to jump right into today's show. Thank you for wherever you are listening, for wherever you are connecting with us. Apple, Spotify, Podbean, I Heart Radio, our YouTube channel.

1:05Thank you so much for just continuing to champion the show, spread the word of mouth. This show is completely reliant on the energy and the enthusiasm that you provided. And I just want to thank you so incredibly much. Again, we have a just incredible show today. And before we drop into this really, really fun episode, I just want to share the socials with you. On X, I am at Robert Lifeeld, R-O-B-E-R-T-L-I-E-F-L-D Blue Check. That's me. On Instagram, I am Rob Lifeeld. Got my own name, Blue Check. On TikTok, real Rob Lifeeld. There's Facebook group called Rob Lifeeld, Marvel Extreme and Beyond. I would love for you to join us. Hang out. We share all sorts of good vibes. I'm dipping into that group all day, every day. On What Not, I'm Rob Lifeeld, follow me. You'll get notified when I do shows with all manner of different exclusives and special

2:10variants. I love the live streaming process. Four years and running, we have just, I think, 30,000 items or packages shipped. I'm not sure the exact metrics. Anyway, when you're not listening to this show, those are my socials. That's where you can find us. That's where you can engage with me, hang out with me when the show is in between episodes. Today's guest is, I could not be more excited. I believe that this young man is a champion for not only the comic book industry, but the creator, the creator's rights movement. So much of the work that he has done that has kind of shaken the industry and grabbed our notice is stuff in the creator own space. I first encountered his work on extremity. Although you're going to hear, I have this weird, as yet uncovered, but you're going to

3:15find out ties to this gentleman's earliest work. But extremity is when I really got kicked in the teeth by the incredible scale of the ideas, the concepts, the stories and the storytelling, the art of one Mr. Daniel Warren Johnson and then just decided I'm going to go over with this guy, whether it's murder Falcon or when he bounced over and did his incredible wonder woman dead earth, beta ray bill due to power bomb and really the modern day transformers craze was launched with ash cans, with preview books in San Diego in 2024. Transformers went to levels that they had not experienced since maybe the prime of their

4:16Marvel days, but I think it's bigger. I think he had a tremendous impact. Again, that's with skybound, that's with image. And this fall, and we're going to get into this, he is launching what I think is going to be the biggest book of the year. What a name, what an incredible talent and could not be more thrilled to be talking to Daniel Warren Johnson today, Shane caught a baby, we're going to discuss this. Go through some of the greatest hits, the heights that he's achieved, but the future is so bright for Daniel Warren Johnson and I believe he is a generational talent, a generational talent that is helping shape the future of this industry. This is the guy that I have been waiting on, not to interview, to arrive, to impact the space, to energize, to excite.

5:21So you guys can only imagine how excited I am today to talk with an artist, a writer, a creator who has certainly been inspiring me and has has has has has my full attention. So without further ado, we are going to welcome to the show and talk to Daniel Warren Johnson. Okay, everybody just as promised, we have with us, who I believe is one of, if not the most important figure in the comic book market in on the scene today. Let's give a giant welcome to Mr. Daniel Warren Johnson. Thank you for joining the show, Daniel. Oh, thanks for having me very much. It's a pleasure to be here. You've hyped me up enough. It's about time that I showed up. Hey, Daniel, I literally I just want to thank you literally. Anyone who knows me in my very tiny kind of tribe. I am so grateful that you are giving us.

6:23Thank you, Scott. I am so grateful that of all the options of all the opportunities that you have gone back to the independent space, the creator own space. As you know, that that's not always a priority for people. There's there's so many options out there. Part of the reason I dig you so much is you are just a self champion. You can tell the confidence oozes off you. And when I first encountered to work on extremity, it's just been this incredible ride. Well, actually, we are going to cover profit 43 later on. But tell me tell me about can you just let's start with we're going to go backwards. We're going to start with Chancada because this is the book that I believe is going to just blow up the end of 2026. I think this is the book that everyone is going to have to have. Everyone's going to be talking about I can't get enough of it. So tell us about Chancada. Yeah, Chancada is a culmination of everything that I've learned in the past.

7:29Over a decade now of being in comics and being published and you know, being excited about storytelling and making new worlds. And unfortunately, just at least for me, you know, when it comes to like building a new large scale place for characters to reside in, that doesn't exist in our universe. It just takes time. It takes like kernel by kernel by kernel building the world of Chancada over the past nine years basically. It's been very slow, but the fact that it's here now almost feels not real like I dreamed of this day like five years ago, six years ago, wondering what the story would look like. Being stuck, you know, having to like, shelve it and bring it back. The fact that it's here, it feels like a miracle honestly. So I don't know. It's just I'm you're you say that you're very happy. You're very excited. So am I. It's like there were many times during the creative process was like, is this even going

8:32to happen? Yes, chicks with chainsaws in space. I'm very excited. I'm drawing my pants off in hopes that I can do my story justice and day by day, chipping away kernel by kernel, little by little. How I may or may not have had somebody an image comics whisper in my ear that you are pretty far ahead on this book. Yeah. So tell us like you started this years ago. I mean, the first sketch of Luma, the main character happened in late 2017, early 2018 in like a crappy piece of paper that I glued into my sketchbook after the fact because I didn't want to lose the sketch. It just felt like there was some magic there. That doesn't always happen all that doesn't happen all the time. Sometimes my stories will literally start with a word document. But all their times it starts with a sketch extremity started with a sketch. And so did chaincada. So yeah, it's basically been nine years in the tooth.

9:32And I was drawing Luma or what eventually would be Luma. Many iterations of this character just kind of for fun in my sketchbook since 2017. And all as I would be drawing this character, it'd always be kind of wondering like maybe this could be a story. It would be really fun to have some sort of sci fi opera kind of war hammery with maybe a little bit of Princess Mono case sprinkled in. But it was all just maybe thoughts, nothing real solid. And then when the pandemic hit in 2020, I had extra time in my hands. I wasn't going out at night. I didn't have much to do. I was like, now is the time to develop this story. What is this character story? What's their tale? And I started working on the script version or or the outline of the real nitty gritty world building in early 2020. So that's kind of where that started. Wow. Well, let me ask you about it. When you said you had the sketch and you glued it into your sketchbook. So did you nail her look that this looked and I'm looking at right now?

10:34Did you nail her look right out the gate or did you develop it? Change her up a little? I definitely, I definitely did not nail at the first go around. I mean, there's some things that are there like the white hair and the everybody thinks it's bandana, but it's actually like a marking on her forehead. And kind of the football marks under her eyes. Those were always consistent. Yeah, super fun. And always go it was always going to be some sort of sci-fi thing and with like really cool looking armor and like a little bit larger than life. You know, like if you were to make a live action a version of this, like some of that armor really would not work design wise, you know, the producers would be like, this isn't making sense, but in comics, you can really get away with a lot. You know this. So there was definitely an evolutionary aspect to it. Her hair used to be a little bit more wild and flowy like it didn't used to be braided up.

11:36And I made that change around 20, 23. I decided to give her a braid rather than a flowy hair, but these are little details that you know, kind of just naturally evolve as you draw character over and over and over. So yeah. You mentioned the Princess Mononoke, you mentioned Warhammer. I see so much heavy metal in this as well. Like I just, I just feel like this, this belongs in the heavy metal of my youth when I was like grabbing these magazines because I dig it. It's so, it's so metal. It is, this just drips with attitude and confidence, but I love the space opera aspect of it. It's just, you know, and I have no less than three image. I don't want to call them employees, but the people at image, what is it? Is it Wednesday night, preview night, Comic Con? I get there before it opens. I go, here's my credit card. Where's my chain card?

12:37You know, we're not giving out cops here. We're buying copies and they literally say, you can only buy one. I'm like, all I need is one. I'm here for one. And, and bro, this, this has been near my desk on my desk because it's just so, I love the visual. I love, you know, we fall in love with visuals immediately, like Darth Vader or Boba Fett, or I mean, you immediately lock in and so I have had this since preview night. I keep it in a bag and board because I'm so like, and I can give a, you know, somebody told me that these are worth a lot of money. It's awesome, super happy for you. I just want it to consume it. But when I went through it and I was like, oh, like, like, so, like real space off revives. Yes. Are we jumping? Are we going to establish an entire kind of planetary system, an empire or rebellion? What, what, what is, talk to me? Because the thing I don't talk about enough when it comes to you, I don't think any of us

13:39do because we're so cut up in your art is, is what a great writer you are. And so, so talk to me about where we're going to be going with her. Yeah. So I don't want to give too, too much away from story reasons. But what I can say is that as I was working on the story, at first, it was just a kind of sci-fi opera with like Warhammer revives. And like I said, right? And there wasn't really anything to truly differentiate the characters of the worlds from, excuse me, other stories that had been told or other worlds that already existed. This kind of goes back a little bit to extremity when there was a time when I was writing extremity where Thia had had not lost her drawing in. It was not even an artist. And it was reading a little bit like John Wick with like floating, you know, islands, which it's not necessarily a bad thing. But it's not enough to like build a whole world on and bust my butt drawing every, all

14:42those pages and all that detail. Like, they're really needed for me to be like this flow, this spirit, this energy that is like the cause and effect to create this like wave of creativity of what's necessary to start, you know, power through and eventually finish a comic book story. Because it's just me, I've hold, it's just me writing and then I'm drawing and I'm linking and I'm scanning. So going back to Chain Cata, you know, as I was creating it, there was a time when the Chain Saw element did not even exist. And it wasn't really until like I really leaned into this Chain Saw element that really the story started to take shape. And when building a story, sometimes if the hardest things are finding the walls that I need to push against worldwide, like if this happens to this character and they do this, what's going to happen? Like, that's one of the hardest things for me is like when I'm first figuring out a new

15:43world, it's like I'm an astronaut with nothing to hold onto and nothing to push off of. There's no, I've just lost in space, no pun intended. So I love it. So having those that that Chain Saw element be such a huge part and the fact that in this world, there's only, I think it's okay to say there's only six Chain Saws in the entire story. And they're all run by women. And if a man touches the Chain Saw, it's lights out. There's like the coolest weapons in the world, men are not allowed to touch for like the spiritual reasons that I will delve into. But just that, finding that limitation in the story, that little wall to push off of, just launched me into these other directions and made the world a lot bigger and a lot more, a lot more, I was able to, it was really big and it's really fun because you can actually start wrapping your hands around the entity that is Chain Cotta. And also, you know, when you read this issue one and you realize the stakes and what's

16:46happening, if a man touches a Chain Saw, when it happens again, later on in the story, the readers are going to have this expectation. And I'm so excited to fill that expectation. And you're kind of inviting a community around the world building element, which I'm really excited about. And so that's kind of specific. Hopefully that makes sense. But it's like finding the, it was me finding the limitations and, and, you know, inviting people to take part in and like understand those limitations, especially an issue one that allows for the story to be so much fun, I think. And this shot of her leaning in on this, what do we call this? Like a door, like a circular door thing. Yeah. The thing I get from this issue with Luma, she really is carrying in Burton. She's carrying a lot. You can just tell the gestures, you can feel the burden just in that, you know, I'm a huge gesture guy I always have been and look like, I'm going to say it again.

17:47I think you're a generational talent. I feel like I've been waiting 20 years for you. I, I, you know, look, the comics definitely go in trends. And people jump on stuff and everyone kind of does a thing and like, Brian Hitch had a bunch of guys that started doing Brian Hitch and Travis Cherey and all these people, really and incredible, pretty artists and, and, and some fantastic storytelling. But dude, you just came out screaming, combining everything that I love, all of the, manga, you know, and anime influences that I've seen in your art, but it doesn't define your art. You're, you're, you know, siphoning it through your own very distinct storytelling. So is, is, are we going to meet a lot more, are you going to build this cast out? Like beyond Luma, beyond the first issue? Are we like extremity? How that cast got kind of bigger and bigger? I mean, I loved it. It got a grand sweeping game of thrones, kind of, epic scale to it as those extremity issues

18:54went on and on. And, and are, are we looking so, so, so is the cast going to get built out? 100%. I would say it's like, you know, you, you talk about extremity. It's like extremity times a hundred. Okay. And if anything, you know, the first issue, in my opinion, reads a lot, almost like an issue zero, where I'm delivering a character and a world and introducing some rules so that the audience or the readers can kind of get a hold and wrap their arms around this story and world to the character. Because issue two, I mean, we're off and running and we're introducing new cast members and factions. Awesome. Yeah, it's, if anything, it's like, gets too big. But, you know, I always know how to go 110% no such thing. There is, and like I said, dude, I have been waiting like I am so excited to jump on this ride. And I, and, and look, you've had an incredible track record of exciting, you know, comic book fans worldwide. So I, I am certain that, that, that's just going to continue with this book.

19:58Because I did, I'm like, man, I'm so into Luma in this. I love, I love how it explodes into action and then drama and then action and drama high stakes. It's just, I mean, dude, I cannot get over how much I love this book. And there it is. Six with chain saws in space right there on the back. So, so do you have a process when you're coming up? Do you fill sketchbooks? Do you have notebooks? Do you, and then, and then do you, do you do advance layouts or do you lay out as you go on the page? Well, you know, with the world building element with something this big, like, I guess I should differentiate when I worked on say murder Falcon, where it's basically like magical realism. There's a few crazy elements that are set in a world where everybody that reads it will recognize like a coffee shop and, you know, whatever a hospital.

20:59And those stories for me are exponentially easier to write and make because every, there's this expectation that we can all gather around and there's no real rules that I have to worry about. But when it comes to something like chain cotta building that world from scratch, it's just so much that I have to do. So once that groundwork has kind of been established, once some of the character designs have been set, once I feel confident enough about what I'm doing and how I'm doing it, I will start writing an outline like in a word doc. And, you know, if let's say I work mostly in arcs, so I try and write like a little few paragraphs and what happens in issue one, issue two, issue three, to say issue six, the first arc. And what it inevitably ends up happening is issue one is the most detailed, maybe three to five paragraphs, issue two, a little less so and on and on until issue six, the outline might be honestly a few sentences.

22:00And kind of like I can kind of like I'm looking through the binoculars way ahead in the future and things are kind of hazy. But I have like the vibe and the tone and kind of what I want to say in the book. Pretty much it's kind of like all in here. It's very much a gut thing where we're looking ahead to those issues, but I like having something written out so I can just know that I have some idea of how to bring things to a conclusion. But at the same time, I don't like knowing exactly what's going to happen because AA would never get finished because I would, you know, just be wondering about all these variables. And then B, I like surprising myself. Sometimes there are beats that happen in issues two through five or whatever that caused me to make changes to the last few issues or what have you. So then I'll start writing a script and I usually write full scripts. I don't break things down by panel just by page and all my dialogue is quite locked in. And then all like you said, you asked about thumbnails, I'll thumbnail the entire

23:04issue at a time. So it'll be like two to five days of me, thumb nailing like 20 to 26 pages and figuring it all out visually before I start drawing for real. In a sketchbook on on eight and a half island paper, how how what is that process? I always print out my scripts. So I have like a paper. I love working on paper. Yeah. Yeah. And I will doodle because I bring it with me everywhere. That week that I'm working on thumbnails is very intense for me. You know, if I bring my kid to gymnastics class papers coming with me. And then I also bring, I have an iPad pro, which I can draw on and that kind of works like Photoshop for me, I'll work and procreate. But oftentimes, you know, you mentioned gesture, how important gesture is to you. I feel the same way when I am doodling on is it okay if I find like a chain cut a script really fast? Please, dude, we're at me. Good time. All right.

24:05So here is chain. She got the issue one script here. I love it. So I'm not sure if I have any specific examples in issue one, but this is what the, you know, first script of chain. Con. Okay. She one looks like. So it's like me figuring out exactly like now that it works down to brass tags and I actually have to draw this character over and over and over. You know, those like I did a quick little sketch of look like here. Yes. Yes. Just to figure out like, okay, this, the shapes. And then the bad guy, Gasta, I drew him right there. Hmm. Because I'm like, I need to have a profile. I don't have a profile. And then, oh my gosh, Daniel, thank you for sharing these with us. This is so rad. I don't think I ended up using this, but there's this, you know, a not a possible panel that I sketched out with pen.

25:05And if I really love something, if something really speaks to me as I'm doodling, just, you know, my train thought just going through my hands onto the page, onto this specific script. Hmm. I will take a picture of it and I'll just use the sketch as my thumbnail. Um, and sometimes I like the gesture of these sketches that I do so much that I will, uh, lightbox them when it comes to actually putting them on the paper. So, yeah, Daniel, that is just rich. That is a peak behind the curtain. I love it. I dig it. Everyone's going to dig seeing that. Um, so, so you do occasionally use, uh, like a digital process, like you said, procreate on the, on the iPad. I do. Um, just for those mapping out. Yeah. You work on 11 by 17 boards or do you, you, um, I do. And, and are you using a brush pen? What, what are your tools? So the number one tool I think that I use is, um, well,

26:07I start with the pencils. I should share. Sure. Um, I have this yellow pen tell. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. It's, it's very cheap. You can buy it as staples. It's, but I use the point, point nine size, which is a little bit rare. Okay. I don't like lead holders because I don't like sharpening them all the time. Um, well, I do like them, but they're not practical for me. Yeah. This is just the right size. And, um, I use really specific lead to, um, I use Neox. I can't find the package of it right now. But I use this lead called Neox graphite. Okay. It is really fantastic. It erases really well. Okay. And it erases so well that I can go very lightly over my inks. And the eraser won't pick up the inks as harshly. Um, it's the quality of the lead that does that. Not necessarily the ink or the eraser. But anyway, moving on to, uh, inking. Yeah, the pencil pocket brush pen is kind of my bread and butter. Okay. Um, yes, yes. Yeah. Okay. So I saw you.

27:08I want to say 2017. It could have been 2018. But you were in New York and artist alley and I was watching you ink commissions. And I saw your command of the brush, uh, which is I, I, I don't use a brush for all sorts of reasons. I don't have that command. Um, um, I've always got the guys, you know, it's so funny. Art Adams and San Diego was like, I was inking with the brush until I learned Terry Austin used a pen. And I'm like, why am I using this brush? Um, but I think it's, uh, I, I love the, uh, I think it's part of your energy that, that the, the way you, you, you ink with a brush. So, so there is no, no, no pen, no nib all brush. No, I mean, so this would be like, you know, this is the, the tool I use the most. However, um, the second most tool is definitely this pilot platinum falcon. Okay. Okay. So it's a fountain pen that is, uh, has like a gold nib.

28:11Wow. It's quite gold. But, uh, and it is very flexible. This is the, uh, it says SM pilot SM. I, I can't remember what size that is soft medium. I think it stands for. Anyway, I have a few different sizes, but this is the size that I use the most. Oh my. Uh, I bought this in Japan, um, because it was like $60 cheaper. This is like a $200 pen. Wow. It's crazy. Uh, but I, uh, what's the brand? What's the brand for all the, uh, the aspiring artists? What's the brand again? This is, uh, the pilot, uh, Falcon. Okay. Pilot Falcon got it. And it's, there's like these, there's different sizes. There's this SM size. I can't remember what it stands for, but anyway, I love it. I love it. I love knowing this. I love, I love. Thank you for showing us the layouts, the script. Oh, yeah. Uh, the tools are so important. And, uh, have you ever worked large size up? I haven't, but I know some guys you, are you, are you just loved by 17?

29:13I'm 11 by 17 because I've, I've learned how to be fast. We love my 17. Yeah. If I thought there was a way for me to be faster, uh, if I went larger, I would. Um, but 11 by 17 is that perfect size. Um, I like drawing smaller, um, like, because of the, the way that I, I work with scale a lot of the time. I'm really zooming out a lot and, um, I, I find myself drawing characters smaller overall. And I just, I like that. It is fun for me. Yeah. So I wouldn't want to go smaller and I wouldn't want to go bigger. That's great. I love to hear it. Um, yeah, I, I, I mean, uh, some people like towards the end of the 90s, there were guys at every studio who were starting to draw it in half by 11. And I just, I understood the speed aspect of it that it cut. Sure. But yeah, I just never liked the way it reproduced. I mean, some guys, I, maybe only one or two guys, I think really mastered it.

30:13But, but I think for everybody else, like I said, at least to live by 17, I think I think that's the best. That is a time tested, uh, uh, process. So I'm going to jump back. Yeah, I'm going to weave here because it's going to end back with Changkata, but I'm going to, um, please, I believe 2024. Uh, so I was there at Comic Con and we don't, we all knew that you were coming on, uh, on, I'm sorry, 2023. We all knew that Transformers by you was coming. And I just remember that what not had their dedicated house. So you across across the street from San Diego, there is, you know, uh, 30 retailers broadcasting nonstop. And I popped my head in and everybody has your Transformers ash cans and they are just lighting up the world, lighting up the floor. It was the buzz on social media and, uh, they didn't have anymore.

31:16So I'm going to tell you, uh, no, no, no, no, I, I was having dinner with, uh, Kirkman a couple nights after. And so I drove to his house and, uh, he, he knows this. Uh, I said, Hey, man, I got to get those Transformers issues. I got to get these like, and, and he literally, Daniel, he said, you can have one each. And I was like, oh, so generous. I'm getting one each, but I know. I mean, I mean, that these were the hot, ridiculous, these two right here, the incredible hot commodity. Now, my question to you and Robert, just allow me to bust your balls. I know you're listening to this. I appreciate that he gave them to me at all. One each. I couldn't, I wasn't, I wasn't asking for more, but I think he was like signaling me, signaling me like, hey, if you're here for all your buddies to get their copies, that's not happening. But when, okay, did the reaction, this explosion, because I believe what happened that year,

32:18opened the door for what was to come the next year with absolute band-in. I believe Transformers is like the modern day pioneer of this craze that happened. Caught everybody by surprise. Are you on your 15th reprinting? It's what I read, I believe today. I think that's right. I've lost track at this point. Did you, did you see this coming? Be honest. Did you see the reaction to your Transformers being so, like, nuclear? Just a complete nuclear explosion? No, no, not even a little. If anything, I thought working on Transformers would be a bit of a lateral move, possibly even like a down move, just because the brand and so far as the comics world was not exactly gold. I don't just, you know, when I was kind of coming on, they're thinking about doing the project. But, you know, I thought about it for a while. I talked with my wife Rachel and it's like, I don't know if this is a good career move,

33:19but I want to do it. And she's like, then you should do it. And it became like the, the giant launch pad for a next level of your career. It really did. Which I did not see coming. I honestly thought, like, I think this will be really fun. And I would love to put my mark on the characters. And also like, it was the perfect time too, because I had just finished do a power bomb. And I had no ideas. Like, Chain Cata was nowhere near ready. Okay. I had kind of said what I wanted to say over at Marvel DC with one on the Dead Earth and Bitter Hill. And it just felt like the right move. It just felt, it just felt correct. Yeah, it felt good about it. I mean, so I want to confirm to the audience. In case I just want to confirm what Daniel is saying, because I was working at IDW 2019 2021. And those guys were the best, they were the best people over there.

34:20I have never bought a Transformers comic in my life. It was never my thing. It was one of the things like Robert and I've talked about like, I was dating girls when all of this happened. He-man Transformers, my GI Joe's way older. The stuff that I loved is like super friends and Shogun warriors. And Micronauts, a different group of toys. But so your Transformers is the first one, because again, it was you doing it. But these giant- the action Transformers at IDW was not working. It was not clicking. It was not- and it had been there for over a decade. So I just want to confirm for the audience that Daniel is 1,000 percent. You know, I can see what you're saying. Like, this was not a go-to guarantee. But it was just suddenly your brand of balls to the walls is, I mean, this is crazy awesome. Like, allow me to- like, you're just knocking the crop out of each other. And you weren't getting this in any other-

35:21any other Transformers book. The action, obviously the story, but you know what, look, here's the deal. I love comic book storytelling. I think it's unique what what Kirby started with- with the energy, the action, the choreography. You do it in your own way. And it's just electrifying. It pulls me in and I want to consume all of it. But this becomes the story of the year, the biggest book. And there's no slowing down. It just did it. And I just wanted to know like- and you've answered. And I appreciate like, were you expecting it? So- so after it hits, what- what's that feel like? Well, I was very excited. I could tell the image was excited. And Kirkman, obviously everybody at Skybound was very excited. Nobody really knew. I think what the book was going to do. So when we got those numbers back on issue one, it was- it was- A, I felt relief because it just was a little bit of job security, you know, in my mind.

36:23I'm always thinking about the next gig and how to make everything work. And one of you a good steward in my career. And I also like wanna- like I love going grocery shopping and like paying for food for my fam. It's like one of my favorite activities. And you know that came from- you know, when I swipe the credit card, the funds that go to the food like, partially came from Transformers Art. You know, that's very- Incredible. Satisfying. Yeah, it's really- it's a blessing. So relief first. And you know, when I work on things new things, I'm always saying this is good. I get lost in the forest. I can't see the forest of the trees or whatever that's saying is. And you know, I'm not really sure if it's any good really. Like I wish I had more confidence, but I just don't. So relief, honestly. Relief was the main emotion. Well, I just- and you stayed on the book for two years writing it. Covers your first arc with six issues.

37:25Is that correct? Or four? Six issues writing and drawing. And then, uh, yeah, I had other artists take over after that. Or we had other artists- I mean, it feels like it was yesterday, but I like I- when I had to just self-ed it and go, that's not 2024. That's 2023. Like, I mean, this is- it feels like it was yesterday, but three years have passed since this thing blew up and it did it. That- that electricity on the floor of San Diego just carried. And- and it did it became like the industry leading book. And- and so at that point, so here's where I'm weaving. Because- because you- you- we're gonna- we're gonna talk about your award-winning Batman. You're an absolute Batman. But I imagine- While this is happening, the phone is ringing. I- I imagine offers are coming in. I have never spoken to you. I would not know this. I imagine suddenly you're getting a whole lot of opportunities that maybe you didn't have before. Can you elaborate? Yeah, I mean-

38:25Okay, I'm gonna be totally honest. Like, I didn't really have anybody banging down my door after Transformers came out. Like, I think there was maybe a little bit of a possible- I think Marvel was maybe interested in me working on Spider-Man. Mm-hmm. Which I didn't really have time for. I also didn't have- I don't- I didn't have any ideas for Spider-Man. I told them then. Maybe I should have lied. I was like, ah, I'm busy and also I don't know what to do. Like, um- So, for the most part, it was me all hands on deck grinding away at Transformers with the art first. And then, you know, they really needed to- of course, they needed to stay on schedule. So finishing the art and then just slamming scripts for Jason Howard and Jorge Corona to take over. And, uh, who did great work- It's fantastic work. They did- oh, it's fantastic.

39:26Fantastic work, both of them. They really- I feel it did my story like absolute, absolute justice, totally elevated. A lot of the- honestly, a lot of the success after I left. You know, like, I think in some ways there's a bit of a like, oh, Daniel's not drawing it. Like, do we want to keep going with this from like the general audience? But Jason and- and Jorge, I just, I think, dispelled any of those fears immediately, from the first pages of their art. So, it was just me really hustling. So, as soon as I finished the art on Transformers, I was basically world building for Shane Cotta. And I started drawing Shane Cotta in April 2012. Okay. I finished- this might be a little fuzzy. I think I finished the art for Transformers in January or February, maybe March of 2024.

40:28I think maybe it was probably more like February. And then I was also writing the Moon as following us for Riley Rossmo over an image that I was also drawing about 20% of. So, I'd be working on- I went right from Transformers into another image book with Moon, writing Transformers and then writing Shane Cotta, world building and preparing for Shane Cotta, then eventually drawing Shane Cotta. And it was like a revolving door. It would be like two weeks on a Transformers script, then art in the afternoon. For those two weeks, then two weeks on the Moon as following a script, then art in the afternoon, then two weeks on a chain Cotta script and then art in the afternoon, to the point where I basically ran myself ragged. So, I don't have that schedule anymore, thankfully. But that's a very long-winded answer to your question of, I wasn't taking up the phone. I just had my head in the hand and head in the sand working, working, working, working.

41:28Well, we will all wonder what that Spider-Man opportunity would have looked like, but I'm super happy that you didn't do it because we got all the stuff. So then the absolute Batman opportunity comes about. I remember, so I guess I should add, so I don't remember when this was, but Scott, Snyder called me and told me about the absolute Batman idea in its inception, in its like birthing process, as he was kind of building it out. And I can't remember if I was about to work on Transformers, or if I wanted, if I was working on Transformers and I wanted to work on Chain Cotta. I'm pretty sure it was for Chain Cotta. I said no to absolute Batman because I really believed in Chain Cotta and didn't work on it. Maybe it was for Transformers, but I think it was Chain Cotta. I can't remember, but that was also an opportunity. So it's funny to see what Absolute Batman is now, and it's kind of crazy, you know,

42:33I can see a fork in the road in that moment. But I just believed in Chain Cotta so much I had to follow it. Good. So yeah, so there was that too. And then all that being said, I was in communication with Nick about the absolute university I was working on. I saw the art for Issue 1 at San Diego before it dropped that fall. Issue 1, and we just knew it was going to be special. We're all looking at the original art in the hotel room in San Diego just getting blown away. Now when did you guys become pals? When did you guys, when did your tribe start getting built? Me and Nick, you know, we have the same art rep with Felix Liu. And I think I met him for the first time at Emerald City Connacon in 2015. I met a bunch of those artists then. I met James Heron then. I met Riley Rossimo there. Nick Drogada. Nick Pitar, I met. That's a big show for me meeting a bunch of different.

43:36I would not call them peers at that time. I was still very young in my, you know, in my comics career. But in the summer of 2015, August 2015, I went to Japan for like four or five days. And Nick Drogada was one of the artists there. And we connected there as well. That's fantastic. Our shared love for anime and Japanese storytelling. Definitely was something that kind of united us. And we've been buds ever since. So seeing him and his success with absolute Batman is like incredible. And yeah, so anyway, that connection with Nick and with the rest of the team over at DC, you know, it was always made fairly clear to me from all parties that if I had an idea for absolute Batman, that that idea would be welcomed with the talk of possible annual or at some point.

44:40But yeah, so I was talking with Katie Cuber and I just kind of cold pitched Katie about an annual idea that I had for the absolute Batman book. And I just pitched through the entire story over Zoom and she said, uh, yeah, let's do it. And that's what yeah, the story that I pitched her is almost exactly what is in the book like. Yeah, almost nothing changed. I was trying to bring the pages up on my iPad, but it's giving me some fun. So I've got it here on my on my on my phone instead. That's what I was trying to do. Because trust me, some people are like, you're not respecting your subject. No, I'm trying to bring up material. I'm listening to everything Mr. Daniel is saying. And here's the thing that I think is cool. I didn't know about the history, the friendship between you and Nick and the group that group of artists. That's so awesome. That's just again, I'm old dog. I don't get out as much anymore. Like you're going to be in New York, Comic-Con.

45:40You're going to be crushing it. I am going to be so happy to be on my couch watching it on the internet. I've just gotten to a point where I'm like, I can't do this. But I do like watching and hearing. So you're on Absolute Batman. And I got to tell you, I'm going to as a consumer, as somebody who's buying Absolute Batman every month, made sure I was on that launch as well with Transformers. You could tell that I think what you guys from different points of view, from different platforms have done is maybe make comics more fun, expand kind of, I think, what was becoming rigid borders. I mean, I've had people on the show and they've talked about their retreats, the Marvel retreats, and all of the structure. That's not why I fell in love with comics. That Frank Miller was not born at a writer's retreat.

46:40He was not born at some, he wasn't, you know, some of the guys and look, I favor the writer artist. I favor the artist writer. I always have. They turn me on the most. I think I think I think I think left to their own devices that they produce some incredibly exciting work. So you're pushing the envelope with Transformers. Absolute Batman comes out a year later. They're pushing the envelope. And the book is doing incredibly well. But this annual hits, and I feel like it was just another fuse. When you drew this panel, when you drew this, did you know in that moment, I got it, like I nailed it. Like this is the one that everyone is going to be like, because because Daniel, I was like, hot diggity damn, that is the hottest shot. You just nailed this. Like so, so were you ever playing around with that shot?

47:40Or did you nail it at the outset? Did you get it first time? And when you were done, did you know? I knew well, so I should be like fully transparent. Like I love it. My art, my art rep Felix, as I was kind of like loosely talking with Nick and DC about maybe doing something, you know, for Absolute Batman, Felix would be talking to me on the phone and be like, look, it would be a good financial decision for you to be working on an Absolute Batman thing right now. Sure. And I was like, yeah, I believe you, but I have no ideas. I have nothing. And I just can't, you know, if I enter into a creative venture solely because it's going to be good for the pocketbook, it's just for me, it's just like, I get the the Hebe G-Beasts. Like it's a bad feeling. It's not enough for me. Oh, mama, mama, look at those thighs. I love it. Yeah, that's just crazy great. So I can't, I can't, good for it. Yeah, when did he, yeah, was when did he come into your life?

48:44He came into my life around 2014-ish. We had our first conversations then. Okay. Where he, you know, called me and we had exchanged a few emails back and forth. And we eventually talked on the phone. And he just, he pitched me on him being my weapon. He said, I don't know exactly like what your future holds, but I'd like to help you out if you want and see how the relationship goes. And like just a handshake, let's see how it goes kind of thing. And the first time we ever met was at Emerald City Comic Con in 2015. So it's been an incredible relationship since then. He's become very close. And, but yeah, but part of that closest is him calling me and being like, you should do this. You need to do this. Let's be honest. He saw Profit 43. He saw your backup story. He's like, this guy's going straight to the moon. No, no, I'm going to get to that at the end. I want to know how that all came about.

49:44I enjoyed it. It, I happen to be the beneficiary of you being in there. But I certainly had zero nothing to do with it. So 2014, that's a long time. That's a long time. That's really great. Hey, man, that was great advice because once again, so let me, as I've been able to calm down while I'm talking to you, the thing I really dig about you, not the artist one thing. And there are great artists in our business. But I can tell you and my peer group what we've done over time as we watch people. Because you, it's like sports. The next, the next draft comes up. The next draft. And you know, you gotta find your way. And some guys make terrible management decisions. And you have managed your career as best as one could manage a career. Like I said, you came out of the box. Extremity got everyone's attention. I remember murder Falcon as the follow up. I'm like, this guy is crazy. I will go on this ride. There is a Falcon in the back of the car with the guitar.

50:46I know. Rip to shreds. I'm going there. I was like, okay, I will buy everything you do. This was this this literally poured. I think it poured, you know, a jolt into into this was hot sauce on the property. And it was hot sauce on you. And so then you end up winning an Eisner for it. So so tell us about how exciting that was. I was it was amazing. I still can't really believe it. I just it feels like a whirlwind. I mean, from the my the jolt of the idea that I eventually pitched to Katie. Because like as I said, like Felix was like, you got to do this. You got to do this. And I was like, I don't have any ideas. I don't have any ideas. I can't pitch anything if I don't have an idea. And finally, I woke up a lot times. My ideas will come to me right as I'm waking up like in that haze before I like really am awake.

51:47Um, I find my brain has this like element of just letting things pass through very freely without self judgment. And I got this image in my head, the image that you showed about man breaking that guy's arm. It just showed up in my head. It showed up in my head. I pitched that actual event to Katie. I said, if this is too intense, I understand for DC, but it's either this or nothing. Um, DC like then followed up with like, can you give a specific violent beats to make sure that everything will be okay. And I had everything mapped out exactly. I knew exactly. So, but the from the idea to the pitch process, to the creation, to it coming out. Um, you know, it was, it's just a whirlwind. And also, I was just. How I am feeling. I was just like taking what I was feeling and putting it into. It felt personal. Yeah, I think that's why I mean, it's at San Diego.

52:49So it came out in October of 2025. And San Diego 2025 happens. And DC has me on a panel. And they put up this image of the cover. And they're like, yeah, Dan, this is a story about how Batman gets his Batmobile. Yeah, you know, absolute Batman. And they're like, tell us about it. And they're trying to, they're trying to glaze what it actually is. Yeah. And I couldn't help it. I have a very big mouth. I was like, actually, it's more just Batman takes a bunch of white surfaces. Because the writing is on the wall. Like, let's not pretend. And this poor panel like panel guy, like I put him really under the gun. I'm sorry, but I think there's. I only know how to like, present my feelings honestly and where my heart on my sleeve. And that's just what I did. So the fact that it got returned in such a positive way is really amazing. And I'm just very thankful and blown away. Again, right time, right place. It was after New York Comic Con last year, maybe a week or two. It comes true. And I'm like, wow, and I say to people all the time, pretty much November is the last big roar of the year.

53:58That's where all your big December kind of the movie industry goes crazy. And the comics industry kind of goes to sleep. We have our, you know, all the crazy deadlines with the printer. Everything has to be so in advance. So like end of October, November, that's where the action is. And then kind of you, so I remember I sit in there. I sit right here at this desk going, oh my, I got back with my stack of comics. And I'm like, this is explosive. And of course, suddenly it became the buzz. And I don't know. They probably gone back to press on that. What was the title? I mean, I know they've gone back to press. I want to say they've gone back to press on that multiple times. Hey, what was the name of your, now the absolute guy's got an award, maybe for series. And what was your award called? It was like best, best single issue. Slash one shot. Okay. Yeah. Very, I remember I think I was going to sleep in my hotel room. And I saw you put your picture of your award and your wife.

54:58And I was so happy for you. I mean, I mean, it's just, it's just turning out. Okay. So here's where the weave ends. So now you said the phones didn't ring after Transformers. I don't believe you, but I'll take your word. You said, you know, so then we do absolute Batman. Felix says you got to get on this. Do this. Okay. How close did we get to not getting this? Because of what happened with absolute Batman? Do the phones ring then? Do the phones? Are we now getting like, I'm trying to create a narrative here? I want to hear that you turn out all these awesome things. And you're like, Rob, that's not what happened. Um, fill us in. So how close did we get to not having this launch in November of this year? Um, the closest I came to not doing it was,

55:59okay. So when I think of Chain Cata, it's another book that is very personal to me. It's like a book that like if I don't get it out, I'm not going to make it. That's the feeling. Sure. Yeah. Like it's inside me and I have to get it's like an expulsion. So the as of now, I've drawn seven issues. Like we're on the road. I mean, it's happening crazy. You hear that even like when seven issues. So even like when that Ashcan comes out, which was in San Diego, people read it, people are excited. But I, this is probably not a good business thing. But like when I talk with editors, when I talk with people in the industry that can really move things, you know, I am like, I'm working on Chain Cata. And they're like, what the heck is a Chain Cata? And like, oh, well, it's the art of Chain Soft fighting. Obviously, as you know, they're like getting ready to possibly like offer me gigs. And I remember speaking of Robert Kirkman, you know, San Diego, if you say any of those ago when they officially asked me to keep writing past issue 24.

57:03And like we'd really love for you to stay on. And I said, guys, thanks so much. But I have to go see about Chain Cata. Like I have to make this my priority. And I just any time any whisper of something would come up, I just kind of would be honest. And I just be like, I've been working on this Chain Cata thing. And that's got to get done. So I don't know. Maybe I've shot myself in the foot. But I almost don't want to hear other things. I almost don't want to entertain other offers because no one's just, I at this, this book has to get made. And if I'm being completely honest, the time when it was really not going to happen was when I had, I started writing it and building it out really in 2020. And then at the end of like summer 2020, I had to put it on the shelf. Because it, which just wasn't working. Okay. And it stayed on the shelf. It felt like a death, honestly. It stayed on the shelf until I went and saw the first Dune movie by Denise.

58:04In November, October 21, December 21. Walked out of the theater, went home and pulled that script off the shelf and started working out again. I love it. Yes, I was, I was so inspired. I was so inspired. And I was like, oh, sci-fi can be truly amazing. I almost forgot. And to have that reminder, I just, I hope I get to meet Denise some day and offer him thanks and give him probably a copy of Cheen Cotted that he does not want. To be like, hey, this wouldn't have existed without you, buddy. I'm not, I'm trying not to, he is the sweetest guy and he would love to hear that. He is the sweetest guy. Awesome. And he would love to hear that. I'm telling you, because I mean, that's, we've all had that. Whether it's a cartoon or something that just gives us that further inspiration. I love how you hang your inspirations and your sleeve. But the reason I'm, I keep, I know this industry and I know how much the industry chases the

59:04needle movers and you're a needle mover. You're an absolute needle mover. So I, you know, I think you're being very polite. But we're going to take you on your word that Cheen Cotted just couldn't, you couldn't shake her. And we're the bent. We are the beneficiaries. I just want to touch on two more things. And that is what was this? This is one of my favorite works you've done. It's again, one of those things that just, I got to, it turned me on. I thought it was full of incredible ideas, incredible illustrations. What was this pitch like? Well, that was, that was a phone call out of the blue, really. It was an email of an editor at DC Andy query that had really enjoyed. I believe it was extremity. I was still working on murder faculty when I was talking with Andy at the time. But yeah, he just wanted to know if I wanted to work on a DC thing. And at the time, the only offers that I was getting from like big two or larger entities than like

1:00:09my own ideas from Skybound was all just to draw. And I would just turn down project after project after project. Some from like image writers, like big time image writers, some from like Marvel. I remember I turned down like a Darth Vader story because they wouldn't let me write it. Or they said, we already have a writer. And I was like, okay, that's fine. I'm going to pass. This is the first time that someone actually at one of those entities asked me to do writing and drawing. Okay. So yeah, the pitch process was me like saying, how about a dialogue for hero book? And they said, no. They're like, that's not going to sell. And I was like, okay. And they specifically then at Andy asked, like, can you do something maybe a little bit more a list? And I was like, okay, let me see what I can think of. I went back to the drawing board and just thinking about all the amazing stories. So with Superman, amazing stories done with Batman. There have been some amazing stories with Wonder Woman, but the character has never really

1:01:10connected with me. And I viewed it almost like a challenge. See if I could make something that I would be excited about. So that's kind of how Wonder Woman dead earth was born. And my love for post apocalyptic Mad Max stuff. Monsters. Monsters. Yeah, totally. Dude, okay. You don't want to hear spoilers. People go away. I'm going to talk spoilers. One more time. Spoilers. Turn this off. Stop listening to us. Falls into the back cave. First giant. Like, what is Daniel doing to me? Then later we're headed to the fortress of solitude. Like you just took this story in all these incredible, awesome, amazing places. It is, it is my highest possible recommendation. I bought all of them when they were whatever they called square bound. The, the, the, the, yeah, but man, what a beautiful collection. So this kind of feels like dress rehearsal for chain condo to me too. Because, because this is such a power. This is the best representation I've had of Wonder Woman.

1:02:10I'm like you. I've never really connected on on on this level. But just this. There's just a she's regal. She's noble. She's savage. Super capable. And it's all the same stuff that I'm seeing when I look at, at Luma and I look at, at chain condo. And since you mentioned the Star Wars, and then I want to ask you real quick, because to my mind, to my memory, I don't believe you've worked with another writer. I think you've written everything you've drawn. I worked with Donny Cates. And I worked with Keel and our Kiernan on alabaster, the good, the bad, the bird. Okay. And that's about, I worked on like a 16 page Daniel Way video game comic like when I was first getting started in 2013. That was a long time ago. So those are the only three. So yeah, I mean, it's incredible that you are just, so take charge of your own. So my last two, so I want to do this, I want to end on your Star Wars story. Okay. And but I do want to, so profit 43 is listed as your very first published work.

1:03:19Is this is before Space Mollet? Yeah, because Space Mollet got published. Sometime in 2016, when this was before that, this is a five page backup in Brandon Graham's brilliant profit series that he did. One of my favorite comics of all time, just another like, wow, this book is turning me on more than I can comprehend. No, he's genius. How did this come about? Well, Brandon started following me on social media. I think it was in Twitter. And I think he was vibe in Space Mollet because I would post pages of Space Mollet every week. Okay. Just a web comic and every once in a while, he would comment on it. And I, of course, was a huge, still am a huge fan of Brandon. He's brilliant. And if brilliant, I love his artwork and I love his storytelling. And he was one of my first, one of the first people in like the industry that really kind of like

1:04:23said anything about my work or retweeted it or whatever. Yes. I mean, no, this is signature. You look at that gesture. Look at that tension. Incredible details inspired, you know, costumes. Incredible. So he calls you, he reaches out. Well, he, he a DN me and he's like, hey, would you ever want to do a backup in the profit? And I was reading every issue of profit religiously. Like I was a huge offer and I was so excited. So those pages that you read in that backup are like my absolute, you know, getting ready to hit a like just swinging as hard as I possibly could to try and prove myself. So very thankful. Well, we'll always have profit 43. We'll always have profit 43. I'm still I'm so excited. Okay. So you, correct me if I'm wrong. Star this Star Wars story that you did for yourself is not published. It is not.

1:05:23Okay. Dude, I'm really envious because in 1996, I drew a Star Wars story and didn't, I still have all the pencils, but I didn't ink it up and it was my own. So when I saw this story with basically old man Skywalker, is that what we're calling it? Well, I did I did one in 2015 called Green Leader. Okay. And then I did one in I believe it was 2018 or 2019 called, yeah, Old Mask I walk in. And are those also, are those web comics? Are those I just printed them off as little ash cans, like little baby ash cans. And yeah, it brought them with me to shows. I mean, so the only way you could ever get one is if you saw me in the show. Okay. You know, I had them on my phone and now I've lost them, but people Google, Google,

1:06:23Daniel Warren Johnson, Old Man Skywalker, or, or, oh, oh, there it is, there it is. Oh, dude, dude, now, now this has to be made real. This has to be so, so after you've done with Chancada, Lucasfilm, everyone, Marvel, just let this man cook. Oh, I mean, again, dude, you just, you just have it going on. So we're going to end this with you telling me some of your influences. Who are share with us some of your influences? Okay. Well, specifically, specifically, Chancada or just your entire, like, the Daniel Warren, Johnson inspiration. I'll give you the, yeah, I'll give you the quick, the quick version. All right. So wasn't really allowed to read comics growing up. I was quite sheltered. My parents are very worried about what I would take in with my eyes. So what was allowed was Calvin and Hobbes. And I read Calvin and Hobbes religiously.

1:07:25It was like the first comic that I really ever read. And I'd like to think that the elasticity of Bill Waterson's drawings somehow more of its way. Yep. That gave way to, I would like go to the library and whatever Calvin and Hobbes books they'd have I'd grab them, bring them home. And then they moved the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the strip comics into the graphic novel section, which I didn't even know existed. Because there wasn't really like a young adult graphic novel section in the library back then. This is like mid-early 90s. And eventually, you know, library started changing where they would have like a comic book section. It was like a feature. And that's where I saw Tintin for the first time. And Astrix and Oblux. That was a huge, had a huge effect on me. That's where I read Frank Miller for the first time with Dark Knight Returns and Year One.

1:08:27This is when I started becoming like 13, 14. And they also had my first experiences with manga there with Ronmo One's half. And I was also that's where they had Ghost in the Shell. Hmm. There as well. So Shiro. So Shiro's part of this. I would say if I have to give you like the triumphant, like the, the trio, it'd be Waterson, Shiro, and Kirby, I think, I think, or maybe Miller, like Kirby and Miller are kind of equal. Love it. Because the storytelling and the writer artist element of Frank Miller, the vision and the, the voice is so strong, it like has such a huge effect on me growing up. Yeah. And it registered. It registered that he was writing and drawing like even back then, I could tell there was a distinction. Same thing with Jeff Smith's bone. That singular vision and that was coming out monthly as I was growing up.

1:09:29And I couldn't really make it to the comic book store very often. And you know, getting monthly or comics is not really a thing for me. But the librarian knew me by name and reserved the bone anytime a new bone trade paperback would come out. She would reserve it for me. And she'd sneak it to me before anybody else. Have you met Jeff? Have you met Jeff Smith? I've met him once and I kind of fanboy the little good. You, hey, I fanboyed a lot for the last 70 minutes. So, you know, it's been great. It's, it's, it's, it's what we do. It's what we all do. Man, I love, I love hearing this. Like I said, you've just got an incredible talent. You're an incredible voice. I think Chiang Kata is the beginning of another massive phase for you. And I'm just so excited. I do need to tell you thank you very much. I'm not going to lie. I cried when I, I was so excited because I, dude, like I said, you're, I'm a huge fan.

1:10:30And it just did not. Even though Eric Stevenson is like Rob, I've asked Daniel and I love the relationship you have with Eric Publisher, partner and image comics. He adores you as you know. And he's like Rob, it's coming through. I'm sending it. I was on vacation. I was in Greece with my wife. This hit my iPad. And I literally, I got so choked up. I was so excited. Because I mean, it's a big deal. It's a, it's a really big deal. So I really appreciate it. We are going to be following these adventures. And maybe we can follow up as Chiang Kata hits year two. I'm going to tell you everybody. If you are not reserving this, if you don't have it, I'm going to tell you right now, it's going to disappear. You need to, you need to get your copies. This book is going to hit. And now I started. Thank you for choosing Creator Owned. Thank you for going your own way. It's just very exciting because you own this. And we can watch you shape this.

1:11:31The same thing with Brett Bean. Absolute Batman is absolutely a juggernaut, the book of the year. But I think the image comics is the story of 2026. It starts with Brett Bean and Dork and taking the world by storm. And trust me, everyone from images like Rob's doing his thing. Because I tell them this on the phone all the time. And it's ending with Chiang Kata November. And I think this is going to be all the buzz and all the rage. And it's just the Creator Owned space has never been more exciting. So Daniel, thank you for joining us today. Thank you for letting me fan girl all over you. Well, I kind of have to give it back to you because I think you do need to take a little bit of credit because honestly, without image comics, Chiang Kata would not have existed. Well, I mean, it was a good plan. It was a good plan. But like, I guess I kind of want to you know, shower you with flowers a little bit because my life as kind of like fall, oh, not fall, but like image comics has been there

1:12:35through my growth as an artist into my career in the comics. And now like in whatever midpoint of my career I am now, it's like a huge, absolute huge part of my life. And I just kind of want to say thank you officially for Daniel. Thank you because of you that image is a cool company because of Robert Kirkman that image is a cool company. You know, all of the people who've contributed along the way because of Brett Bean. I mean, you know, in the early 90s, there was, I'm not going to say which guy in the image kind of ownership group. And it was, it was understandable that he'd say, hey, maybe we should start taking a piece of all these creators stuff the way dark horse and everybody else is. And I got to remember Jim Valentino just sat up straight and said, no, that's not the deal.

1:13:36We own nothing creators own their own stuff, image comics owns nothing because I was just telling some business guys last week that image is the third largest company has been for 30 plus years. And the company owns nothing. It's the creators that own their stuff. And again, you can walk out and take chaincotta with you. You know, that's the beauty of image comics. So I love that this concept, this idea that we had 35 years ago next as we're about to turn into 2027. I love that it is able to be of benefit to people like you. So buddy, I am so ready for this book. I am so excited. I cannot wait. Thank you for sharing so many stories and giving us a peek behind the curtain and filling me in. And I know you're a super busy guy. So thanks for thanks for thanks for doing the show, my friend. Really super enjoyed talking to you. Thank you for having me on. Thank you for championing the book so much and for championing me. It's a huge blessing and I just it's an

1:14:38honor to be here. So thank you very much. Thank you. WJ we did it. I'm so excited. Okay. So everybody thank I hear the applause. Everyone give applause to Daniel Orange Johnson and Daniel. We will talking in very soon, my friend. Thank you. Okay, here we go. Go go ahead. Go ahead. Oh, no, oh, sorry, I'm sorry, did I mess the ending up? No, no, no, we're ending right now. We're ending right now. Okay. And Mr. DWJ, you have a great evening. And there you have it. I just wanted to give a special thanks. Big shout out to DWJ, Daniel Orange Johnson for talking us today, for talking about all things, chain, conna and the exciting, just the exciting future that we have in store with all his great work and just appreciate so much that he took his time out and that he talked to us. And guys, just really just so so grateful that you've all just as I mentioned at the top, just champion the show have been jumping on the show and giving it all of your

1:15:45incredible energy, your word of mouth and talking it up and just get ready. We got another great interview coming for you later this week, this week is packed. We will be shutting down the podcast very shortly for the remainder of the year. I mean, guys, I gotta be honest, Arthur Adams, Daniel Warren Johnson, any year that already had Wolf's Potasio, Jeff Loeb, Jeff John Seth Green, you know, what a crazy, a Robert Kirkman, but there's more Michelle Fife, we've had just an avalanche of incredible guests joining the show and sharing their perspective. So thank you again, as always for listening, hit me up on my live streams, Rob Life, a what not, that's your most important follow. That's where I will talk to you with with with all manner of exclusives. Bad Rock, three is in stores, Avenger Lean, number one is coming your way in a week. Bad Rock is out now and we started an all new storyline. I'd love for you guys to jump

1:16:49on that. Avenger Lean, number one is a brand new jumping on point. You can never have heard of anything to do with Avenger Lean and you can walk right into this story and take you on this incredible ride. I have a great collaborator in one Mr. Daniel Maine, who if you see what I am seeing with issue four, it looks nothing like what he was doing with issue one and I loved issue one. I think issue one is fantastic, but we're just jamming and of course young blood is coming back. It's coming back in 2027. Can't wait to share it with you. Thank you guys as always and have the very best rest of your day whenever you're catching us. You guys know that I always want you to know that we here are rooting for you. You're mental, you're spiritual, you're emotional and your physical well-being. Get off that grind. Just do not let the grind get you down. Step away, connect with friends. Grab a great meal. Get it, get it, get it. Ice cream, have ice cream sandwich,

1:17:52ice cream bar, ice cream sundae, whatever it is. Just step away, go to the movies, watch, read a great comic book. Watch a great movie and just get inspired. Do not let the hamster wheel take your energy and take your inspiration. Rootin' you guys on. As always, two fist bumps, boom into the sheet. Blue, this blue Yeti mic. Thank you guys as always. I'll be back right there. You're going to see me again real soon. I don't have a whole lot of time under that shady tree, but zoom around, keep the door open. I'm jumping in with you. We will most certainly, we will definitely, we will absolutely and we will inevitably, we will inevitably. Talk again real soon.