Indie Creator Builds Pro-Level Comic in His Spare Time: Brandon Paul's Chuk Maxwell Journey

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