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We’re a third of the way through 2026 and how’s everyone doing?

Lots to go over today, and here’s what you’re going to read (if you don’t un-subscribe from this newsletter) today:

Being a Guest on other shows: “Distance Nerding” and “Podcast About Podcasting”
One Does Not Simply “Go Viral” - A Lord Of The Rings Controversy
Upcoming and Recently Released Interviews
What I’m Geeking Out over: Reading, Watching and Playing

You Talk About Two Geeks Talking on othe Shows?

One of my goals in the past few years has been to get the word out there about myself, my skillsets and about Two Geeks Talking. This month (so far) has been no different.

First, I have to thank Distance Nerding https://www.youtube.com/distancenerding for having me on the show Yung Phil (who will be on Two Geeks Talking along with his co-host later this year) and JahMez (one of the original co-hosts made a rare appearance) had me on for their The Build Livestream.

It was a great flowing conversations, Canadian-isms abound as well as their fascination with putting poutine into everything including tacos at one point… I think I’ll have to give that recipe a try maybe? A fun time as it was my first ever livestream of 2026.

I touched on “Little Person Amongst Media Giants” Documentary I’ve been putting together for the past 15 years and JahMez and Yung Phil gave me some good ideas for today’s style of documenting that I will be implementing.

Go check out what they have going on over there.

What’s it about? A Podcast about Podcasting.

Second show I was on as a guest, happened because of Instagram's' Threads app. Which if you aren’t following me it’s this username: https://www.threads.com/@kurtsasso

Gabe Leal host of “Podcast About Podcasting” who also has a few other livestreams

We dove into the technology shift from 2008 to today. Why you should start a podcast; The dreaded Episode 10 and how to get past that wall of doubt and creativity and so much more. Looking forward to seeing the final version of that. Plus, bonus fact that Reena Watts Better Call Daddy interview, will be the episode before mine is rather cool as well.

One Does Not Simply “Go Viral” - A Lord Of The Rings Controversy

Recently, I had the ever talented Tom Racine on the show as it had been about ten years since our last chat. With his hottest of hot takes about Aragorn in the Films vs. Aragorn in the Books here’s the video below.

The overall conversation was really a fun time from Voice acting to being officially recognized by the Tolkien estate and having his book Doomed To Die: An A to Z of Death in Tolkien become a viral sensation (and beautifully hand drawn in pen and ink like Tolkien would have wanted it.) It was picked up by Harper Collins Publishing in both the US and UK! Plus… he has two other books publishing soon as well!

Interviews on Two Geeks Talking: March 2026

Tom Racine’s interview is posted above so I don’t have to repost that (it’s still a great watch).

Bret Juliano’s Five Timer’s Club Interview on Two Geeks Talking

Bret Juliano creator of such comics as Dust Bunny Mafia, Detective Potatoes, Mobimals; dives into mafia history, all-ages comics. We discuss the business of building a comics brand in this punchy, story-packed conversation. Breaking down turning reality of true crime, obscure historical figures, and everyday inspirations into engaging, character-driven comics.

In this episode, Bret shares how he balances historical accuracy with storytelling when exploring mafia culture and walks through the evolution of his all-ages noir series “Detective Potatoes”, "Dust Bunny Mafia" and "Mobimals".

We also unpack Bret’s creative workflow: harvesting ideas from documentaries and podcasts, translating them into scripts, dialogue, and storyboards, and designing character looks and fashion before ever drawing a page. Finally, Bret talks about his induction into the National Cartoonist Society, his Mobimals playing cards Series 2, and how he’s thinking about brand expansion through conventions, Gary Vaynerchuk, live shopping, and future projects.

If you’re interested in comics, creative process, true crime, or building a niche IP into a growing brand, this one’s for you

How A Dad Turned His Daughter’s Story into a Graphic Novel: Jimmy Gaspero Cryptid Creator Corner

Jimmy Gaspero — lawyer, writer, and host of the Cryptid Creator Corner podcast — joins me to discuss his debut graphic novel, Penny and the Yeti, coming from Papercutz, Mad Cave Studios this spring.

What happens when a father and daughter’s story turns into a heartfelt graphic novel about family, imagination, and emotional connection?

We explore how a simple idea sparked by drawing monsters with his daughter evolved into a full creative collaboration with illustrator Amber Akin and letterer Buddy Beaudoin. Jimmy shares what it’s like writing for kids, balancing fantasy and family conflict, and the lessons learned through making stories that help children — and parents — talk about emotions in an authentic way.

Pesto Comics: How Adriano Ariganello Scales Indie Comics from Kickstarter to Comic Shops Worldwide

Adriano Ariganello, the Toronto creator behind Pesto Comics, breaks down how he’s taking indie series like From Parts Unknown from Kickstarter campaigns to worldwide distribution through Prana Publishing and Lunar—while still treating every post, short, and Road Show comic shop visit as a way to get “just 2% more eyes” on his work. We dig into hooks, self‑promotion, and why Free Comic Book Day is a launchpad for new readers, then get tactical on building a repeatable pipeline: monthly Kickstarters, direct market releases, and scaling Pesto Comics from scrappy indie comic to a business with a roadmap and worldwide distribution. If you want to understand how a modern indie publisher thinks about shorts, marketing, action and pacing influences, and the mindset shift from “I made a comic once” to “I have a sustainable comics career,” this Two Geeks Talking episode is for you.

Plus, there’s a short reel that will be released a few days before his interview, stay tuned for that.

Dan Bethel: Riding Off Into The Sunset with Long John Comic Series Finale

It had been 11 years since Dan Bethel appeared on Two Geeks Talking when he first introduced Issue 1 of his western comic Long John. Fast forward 11 years, as a Professor now with two degrees, he has finally wrapped up his long running comic Long John with issue 6. He shares his perspective on the journey of "making comics" and the importance of simply starting. He discusses how the "fear of failure" often prevents creators from pursuing their passion, emphasizing that perseverance is key to "personal growth." This motivational conversation highlights that the biggest reward in "making a comic" is the act of creation itself, pushing you to do more.

What I’m Geeking Out over: Reading, Watching and Playing

Reading:

I’ve been reading alot of Manga, Manhua lately, everything from Isekai’s to time travel; action to thrillers. There’s something about Eastern comics that just tell stories differently, plus the artwork is beautifully drawn whether it’s in black and white or full colour.

Watching:

Anime has always been my guilty pleasure. Plus, the Highlander remake isn’t coming out until Dec 5th so I have to do something.

Gaming:

I’ve put down Destiny for now (maybe for good) and dusted off Minecraft! I forgot how much fun and sometimes relaxing that can be. The only reason why is because my TikTok Feed was recently flooded with Mods for Minecraft which I had never done before and boy are there a ton of great mods.

Thanks for reading this far. To Support Two Geeks Talking go to our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@TGTMedia and subscribe, Like a few interviews, Comment and share with you friends. It helps me out.

March Interview Maddness!

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