The Art of Inking: Marc Deering on Star Wars, Flipside Comics, & Traditional vs Digital Techniques

Join host James for an in-depth chat with veteran comic book inker Marc Deering (Star Wars: Doctor Aphra, Immortal Hulk, Hunt Kill Repeat, The Adventures of Lumen N from Dark Horse)! Marc shares his journey from discovering inking via Wizard Magazine in the pre-internet era, landing his first gig in 2003, favorite tools (Raphael brushes, Hunt 102 quills, even old Rapidographs), hybrid traditional/digital workflows, and what an inker really brings to pencils (texture, tone, lighting, readability).

We geek out over Star Wars (inking Darth Vader was a career highlight!), Transformers, GI Joe, the old-school production grind vs. today, embellishment vs. finishing, and why collaboration duos are rarer now. He also opens up about co-founding Flipside Comics — a hub for serialized web comics, public domain gems, creator-owned projects, and even an 80s/soundtrack radio station for artists.

Plus:

—killer advice for breaking in today

—make your own comics, use social media, focus on direct-to-fans

—and why passion beats luck

Whether you're an aspiring artist, comic fan, or just love the craft, this one's packed with stories, laughs, and real talk.

Watch/Listen/Subscribe/Follow/Comment/Review Now and Keep it Nerdy!

Checkout the Official Flipside Comics Website:

https://ontheflipsidecomics.com/en/

Follow Marc and Flipside Comics:

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

and https://www.instagram.com/flipsidecomix

X/Twitter - https://x.com/Marc_Deering

and https://x.com/FlipsideComix

Timestamps:

00:00 Welcome Back (Again): Technical Difficulties & Shoutouts

02:30 Marc Deering’s Origin Story: Army Days, Wizard Magazine & Breaking In

04:51 Early Inking Tools: Brushes, Quills, and Learning from Pros

07:14 RapidoGraph Love/Hate: Cleaning, Collecting, and Old-School Gear

10:05 Traditional vs Digital Inking: Choosing the Right Workflow

11:50 Inking Over Pencils: Blue Lines, Hybrids, and Nerve-Wracking Pages

17:21 What an Inker Actually Does: Clarity, Texture, Tone & Readability

20:39 Embellisher vs Finisher: Classic Collabs and Why They’re Rarer Now

24:40 Shared Nerd Passions: GI Joe Tattoo, Transformers, and Collecting Talk

28:42 The Pandemic Pivot

29:28 Transformers & Star Wars Fandom: Prequels, Sequels, and the Disney Era

31:51 Inking Highlights: Doctor Aphra, Vader Pages, and Immortal Hulk

35:13 What an Inker Looks For: Tight Pencils, Team Chemistry, and Workflow Changes

39:13 How 'Adventures of Lumen N' Happened: Tryouts, Twitter, and Becoming Co-Owner

43:21 Launching Flipside Comics: Website, Merch, and Serialized Releases

46:47 Public Domain Characters: What You Can (and Can’t) Do With Superman, Conan, and More

49:34 Flipside Radio + Writing Slate: New Projects and Creative Direction Beyond Superheroes

53:32 Breaking Into Comics Today: Direct-to-Consumer, Social Media, and “Just Make a Comic”

56:11 Wrap-Up: Where to Follow, Current Projects, and Final Thanks