Inside the Kingdom

The Funny Pages Have a New Address

Comics Kingdom has a Discord now. This episode walks through why we built it, what’s inside, and how readers can join the conversation. Join here: discord.gg/appQys6v2z [http://discord.gg/appQys6v2z]

Longboats to Laptops: Building The Saga of Brann Bjornson

What happens when a Viking ends up in a modern workplace? Stephen Webster joins Inside the Kingdom to talk about The Saga of Brann Bjornson, a strip that blends fantasy, family life, and office culture into something that feels strangely real. Stephen’s path to comics isn’t typical. He grew up in Iowa, moved to Russia, studied art in the Arctic, worked in gaming, and eventually built a world where dragons run companies and trolls handle IT. In this episode, we get into where Brann came from, how the strip evolved, and what it takes to build a world that works both as a daily comic and a long-form story. Timestamps: 00:00 Cold Open 01:00 Intro 02:00 From Iowa to the Arctic 06:00 Building Brann’s World 10:00 Art Style & Format 14:00 From Personal Project to King Features 18:00 Storytelling & What’s Next 22:00 Lightning Round Read the strip: https://comicskingdom.com/the-saga-of-brann-bjornson [https://comicskingdom.com/the-saga-of-brann-bjornson] Follow Stephen: https://www.instagram.com/stepneal [https://www.instagram.com/stepneal]

Three Strips. Four Decades. One Cartoonist: Bill Holbrook

One cartoonist. Three daily comic strips. More than 40 years without missing a beat. Bill Holbrook joins Inside the Kingdom to talk about building and sustaining On the Fastrack, Safe Havens, and Kevin and Kell — all at the same time. From early days meeting Charles Schulz, to launching one of the first webcomics in 1995, to evolving a daycare strip into full-on sci-fi, Bill’s career doesn’t follow the usual rules. We get into how his strips changed over time, how he manages the workload, and what keeps him coming back to the drawing board every day. Timestamps: 00:00 Cold Open 01:00 Intro 02:30 Early Life & Meeting Schulz 07:00 On the Fastrack 12:00 Safe Havens 17:00 Kevin and Kell 22:00 The Process 26:00 Lightning Round Read On the Fastrack: https://comicskingdom.com/on-the-fastrack [https://comicskingdom.com/on-the-fastrack] Read Safe Havens: https://comicskingdom.com/safe-havens [https://comicskingdom.com/safe-havens] Read Kevin and Kell: https://kevinandkell.com [https://kevinandkell.com]

Oddly Enough: The Art of Everyday Absurdity

Cartoonist Vaughan Tomlinson joins Inside the Kingdom to talk about Oddly Enough, his understated, offbeat strip that finds humor in the everyday. We explore his approach to comic timing, visual storytelling, and the art of saying more with less. It’s a thoughtful look at how the smallest moments can land the biggest laughs. Part of the Comics Kingdom network, where comics are the history of happy. Check out Oddly Enough [https://comicskingdom.com/oddly-enough/2026-04-17] Follow Vaughn on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/vaughantomlinson]

Indie Spirit, Sunday Funnies: Comics Kingdom at MoCCA Fest

Comics Kingdom heads to MoCCA Arts Fest, one of the most important events in independent cartooning. Host Alex Garcia sits down with Maritsa Patrinos and Isabella Bannerman to talk about indie comics, creative freedom, and how those worlds connect to syndicated strips and larger platforms. From zines and sketchbooks to the Sunday funnies, this episode explores where comics start, how they grow, and why spaces like MoCCA still matter.