Host Greg welcomes cartoonist Sierra Barnes back to Robots From Tomorrow ahead of Dark Horse’s release of Hans Vogel is Dead Volume 2, which collects chapters 6–10 while the webcomic continues on hansvogelisdead.com. Barnes discusses the book’s delayed production, her deadline-driven workflow, and outlining a potential Volume 3 amid publisher uncertainty. They talk about balancing horror, humor, and catharsis, Barnes’s renewed interest in Shirley Jackson, and how history and genre fiction can engage real fears. Barnes explains her long-planned theme of perception and deception in folklore—especially animal imagery—linking Reineke’s identity, dehumanizing propaganda, and visual foreshadowing like the hunting lodge inspired by Hermann Göring. She also covers collaborating with writers, lettering solutions, upcoming projects, and appearances at Phantom Comics (Aug. 1) and Kamikaze in Boston (Aug. 15).
[This episode is number 841 in a series.]
CHAPTERS
00:00 – Intro
02:24 Pitching at SPX
10:20 Horror Humor and Anxiety
14:13 Is Horror Practical
24:29 History Research and Truth
28:07 Keeping It Fresh
38:42 Folklore Disguises Perception
44:49 Fairy Tales and Fascism
48:05 Hunting Lodge Horrors
54:03 Kobolds and Klabautermann
01:00:38 Working with Writers
01:10:40 Future Projects and Prose
01:20:25 Where to Follow and Farewell