Before superhero comics went dark and gritty, there was a four-issue fever dream that got there first. In this episode of We Love Comics, we crack open The Last American — the Marvel Epic imprint miniseries from John Wagner, Alan Grant, and Mike McMahon — a bleak, unflinching vision of a lone soldier waking up in a post-nuclear America, with brief moments of dark humor that never undercut its weight. Is it satire? Prophecy? Both?

Joining us is guest Doug Wagner, a comic book writer himself, who brings his own perspective on the industry to the conversation. Beyond breaking down The Last American, Doug talks candidly about the ups and downs of writing comics for a living — the creative highs and the grind — and shares his experience working with publishers along the way.

Thirty years before prestige TV got obsessed with the apocalypse, this book already knew there was nothing prestige about it.

WARNING

This episode contains discussion of sensitive material, including extreme violence, sexual violence against women, cannibalism, death, mental illness, in addition to other difficult subjects. Listener discretion is advised.

Want to go deeper? Kyle has compiled the articles, interviews, and essays he used to prepare for this conversation. Check the links below and keep reading.

The John Wagner and Alan Grant Interview - The Comics Journal

The John Wagner Interview: Part One (Listen to all three parts!)

The Last American (novel) — Grokipedia

George M. Cohan Biography: The Man Who Owned Broadway

I'd Rather Be in Philadelphia - Encyclopedia of Greater Philadelphia

Einstein's Last Message Was a Dire Warning | RealClearScience

On Episode 4 of We Love Comics, host Kyle McNeal sits down with Victor Santos — the acclaimed Spanish cartoonist behind Polar and an Eisner and Harvey Award nominee — for a wide-ranging conversation that spans one of comics' most influential noir works and the career it helped inspire.

Their touchstone: Sin City: The Hard Goodbye (Frank Miller, 1991-92) — the story that launched Miller's stark, high-contrast crime saga and redefined what noir could look like on the comics page.

And who better to explore it with than Victor Santos, whose own Polar — later adapted by Netflix — has been called Sin City's spiritual successor for its black-and-white, blood-and-orange visual language? Victor opens up about that influence, his own creative process, and the passions behind a body of work.

It's the kind of conversation We Love Comics was made for: two people who love this art form, talking seriously about what makes it great.

WARNING

This episode contains discussion of sensitive material, including extreme violence, sexual violence against women, cannibalism, death, and torture, in addition to other difficult subjects. Listener discretion is advised.

Want to go deeper? Kyle has compiled the articles, interviews, and essays he used to prepare for this conversation. Check the links below and keep reading.

A Trip to Sin City | Sequart Organization

A Place for Bold: Understanding Frank Miller | Sequart Organization

When Macho Angst Turns into Violence: Frank Miller’s Sin City – PopMeC research blogProblematic Faves: Sin City

The One Movie Blog: Dark Streets, Dangerous Women and Knights in Dirty Armor: Frank Miller’s “Sin City” and the Conventions of NoirSin City | Literature and Writing | Research Starters | EBSCO Research

On Episode 3 of We Love Comics, host Kyle McNeal sits down with the legendary Michael Allred—the visionary force behind Madman and one of the most celebrated cartoonists working today — for a wide-ranging conversation that spans one of comics' greatest stories and the extraordinary career it helped shape.

Their touchstone: the Galactus Trilogy (Fantastic Four #48-50, Stan Lee & Jack Kirby, 1966) — the arc that introduced the Silver Surfer, brought Galactus to Earth, and pushed superhero comics into something genuinely mythological.

And who better to explore it with than the artist who — along with Dan Slott and Laura Allred — brought the Sentinel of the Spaceways back to life in their own acclaimed Silver Surfer run? Mike opens up about that experience, his inspirations, his creative process, and the passions behind a body of work that stands among the finest in the medium

It's the kind of conversation We Love Comics was made for: two people who love this art form, talking seriously about what makes it great.

Want to go deeper? Kyle has compiled the articles, interviews, and essays he used to prepare for this conversation — the same sources that informed every question. Check the links below and keep reading. The rabbit hole is worth it.

"Put Your Raygun To My Head": An Interview with Michael Allred - The Comics Journal

MIKE ALLRED Reflects on the End of SILVER SURFER | 13th Dimension, Comics, Creators, Culture

KIRBY 100: Mike Allred on the King and the Bug | 13th Dimension, Comics, Creators, Culture

A Free-Wheelin’ Talk With the Free-Wheelin’ MIKE ALLRED | 13th Dimension, Comics, Creators, Culture

The MIKE ALLRED INTERVIEWS: From Jack Cole to Frank Frazetta | 13th Dimension, Comics, Creators, Culture

The MIKE ALLRED Interviews, Part 2: A Marvel-ous Start | 13th Dimension, Comics, Creators, Culture

MIKE ALLRED on Meeting Kirby, Eisner, et al | 13th Dimension, Comics, Creators, Culture

A Failure To Communicate – Part One | The Kirby Effect

(Part 1 of 7. Every article is worth the read!)

The Marvel Method According To Jack Kirby – part one | The Kirby Effect

Stan Lee Vs. Jack Kirby #1 - The Silver Surfer

In this episode, host Kyle McNeal sits down with graphic novelist Dave Horowitz for a deep dive into Marjane Satrapi's Persepolis. Dave and Kyle dig into the storytelling, the art, and what makes this graphic memoir still resonate with readers today, along with the impact it's had on Dave as a reader and creator.

WARNING

This episode contains discussion of sensitive material, including genocide, the Holocaust, war, sexual violence, death, and torture, among other difficult subjects. Listener discretion is advised.

Articles referenced during the discussion are provided below for listener convenience.

Persepolis and Marjane Satrapi's Legacy

Emma Watson Interviews Persepolis Author Marjane Satrapi | Vogue

Marjane Satrapi’s masterpiece Persepolis transformed the world’s understanding of Iran

Episode 101: Patrick Meaney — Uncanny X-Men #165–175

In our very first episode, host Kyle McNeal sits down with filmmaker Patrick Meaney for a deep dive into Uncanny X-Men #165–175 — a stretch widely regarded as one of the high points of the Claremont era. Patrick and Kyle dig into the storytelling, the art, and what makes this run still resonate with fans today, along with the impact it's had on Patrick as a reader and creator.