Derek Laufman: From 90s Image Comics Obsession to Drawing I Hate Fairyland!

Join James once again in the Nerdy Mewzings Podcast studio for an epic, nostalgic deep dive with acclaimed cartoonist & writer Derek Laufman — the ongoing artist on Skottie Young's hit series I Hate Fairyland from Image Comics!

In this must-watch interview, Derek shares his wild journey through the comic industry:

-Growing up obsessed with 90s Image Comics legends like Todd McFarlane, Jim Lee, and Rob Liefeld

-The highs and lows of animation school at Sheridan College

-Heartbreaking early setbacks in comics; pivots into video games and freelance

-Rediscovering his passion through forums like Digital Webbing and DeviantArt

-And finally landing the dream gig on I Hate Fairyland after years of creator-owned work.

We geek out over GI Joe, Spawn speculation, the magic of old-school forums (shoutout to Ryan Ottley, Ryan Stegman, and the "cool kids" like Scotty Young), finding your artistic voice, the importance of fundamentals over flash, and why it's never too late to chase your comic dreams — Derek was 47 when he went full-time on Fairyland! Plus, Derek talks about his own incredible creator-owned books like Ruinworld, Bot-9 (wordless graphic novel inspired by Miyazaki), The Witch of Wickerson, Crimson Fall (Hellboy + Witcher vibes), and his current project Rats of Ironwood.

If you're an aspiring artist, comic fan, or just love hearing real stories from the trenches of the industry, this one's for you.

Drop a review: What's your favorite Image Comics era? Or which Derek project are you grabbing next?

Follow for weekly comic creator interviews, art talk, and pop culture deep dives!

Follow Derek Laufman:

Website & Shop: https://www.dereklaufman.com

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/dereklaufman

X - https://x.com/laufman

(check his bio for all links!)

Support Nerdy Mewzings:

Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/nerdymewzings

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/nerdymewzings

X - https://x.com/nerdymewzings