Off Panel #528: It's a Lot! with Christina Merkler

Off Panel #528: It's a Lot! with Christina Merkler

Author: SKTCHD December 1, 2025 Duration: 1:20:27

Christina Merkler, the co-owner of Lunar Distribution, Discount Comic Book Service (or DCBS), and InStockTrades, joins the show to talk about a strange year for comic book distribution and a good year for the retail side. Merkler discusses Thanksgiving and related takes, the year for her, Diamond Comic Distributors' bankruptcy, compressing timelines, figuring things out, big changes this year, balancing sides of her businesses, the year for DCBS and InStockTrades, what's driving success, how collections are doing, the non-licensed comics space, connecting readers with books, blind bags, how she's feeling going into 2026, and more.


Each week on Off Panel: A Comics Interview Podcast, host David Harper of SKTCHD sits down for a conversation that goes deeper than the usual press cycle. This isn't just about promoting the latest project; it's about understanding the people and the processes that shape the comic book industry. You'll hear from writers, artists, editors, and other key figures in a way that reveals the personal journeys, creative struggles, and collaborative triumphs behind the pages we love. The discussions are thoughtful and meandering, often touching on craft, industry shifts, and the simple love of the medium itself. By focusing on the human stories, this podcast builds a more complete picture of comics culture, from the indie scene to the major publishers. It's for anyone who has ever finished a great comic and immediately wondered about the minds that built it. New episodes arrive weekly, offering a consistent and engaging look into this vibrant world. For more, you can find David Harper and SKTCHD across various social platforms.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 560

Off Panel: A Comics Interview Podcast
Podcast Episodes
Off Panel #485: Hit and Run with Matthew Rosenberg [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:16:50
Writer Matthew Rosenberg returns to the show to talk about his past few years in comics. Rosenberg discusses his podcast Ideas Don't Bleed, what he gets from it, what his Substack Pro Grant ultimately allowed him to do,…
Off Panel #484: You Can't Pick Your Hits with Kyle Higgins [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:24:27
Writer Kyle Higgins joins the show to talk about his career and his work on Radiant Black and The Massive-Verse. Higgins discusses the power of curiosity, how creating changes your relationship with the creation, Radiant…
Off Panel #483: Absolutely Ultimate Crisis with Deniz Camp [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:15:26
Writer Deniz Camp joins the show to talk about his career and his current slate of projects. Camp discusses creator realities, being a Barnes and Noble kid, JLA's impact, the power of restrictions, the impact of experien…
Off Panel #481: The Spice Bag with Patrick Brower [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:21:16
Retailer Patrick Brower joins the show to talk about the year that was in his Chicago comic shop, Challengers Comics + Conversation. Brower discusses the slow open to years, the top comics of the year at Challengers, sti…
Off Panel #480: The Moment with Wyatt Kennedy [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:19:47
Writer Wyatt Kennedy joins the show to talk about his career and his work on the Image Comics series, Nights. Kennedy discusses managing stress, his comic origins, finding your things, influences outside of comics, figur…
Off Panel #479: Space Tourism with Guillaume Singelin [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:44
Cartoonist Guillaume Singelin joins the show to talk about one of my comics of the year, his graphic novel Frontier, and his career in comics. Singelin discusses his origins as a comic reader, France's relationship with…