This time on The Dragon Con Report, Jen sits down with legendary independent comic creator Bob Burden for a conversation from a slightly unusual location — her home tiki bar, Smuggler’s Hideaway.
Best known as the creator of Flaming Carrot Comics and the original Mystery Men, Bob has built a career around surreal humor, unconventional superheroes and a willingness to take stories in directions few other creators would even consider.
The Strange World of Flaming Carrot
Bob looks back at the origins of Flaming Carrot, a superhero with no powers, no secret identity and a tendency to solve problems in decidedly unconventional ways. He explains how stripping away the traditional superhero formula forced him to make the story itself the star.
That leads to tales of drunken Death, bizarre visual gags, surrealism, and the delicate art of knowing when an idea is wonderfully strange — and when it might be a bridge too far.
Bob also shares the storytelling structure hidden beneath all that weirdness and why even surreal stories still need a beginning, middle and end.
Independent Comics and Creative Freedom
The conversation turns to Bob’s experiences as an independent creator and why working without the safety net of a guaranteed paycheck ultimately made him a stronger storyteller.
He recalls the independent comics scene of the 1980s, discovering new creators in Artist Alley, and watching artists such as Daniel Clowes and the Hernandez brothers find success.
There’s also a memorable story about meeting underground comics legend Robert Crumb, along with Bob’s thoughts on creators he would still love to collaborate with.
Mystery Men, Technology and More Comic Book Chaos
Naturally, things get stranger from there.
Bob shares stories involving Flaming Carrot crossing paths with the superhero mainstream, the origins of some of his limited and variant comics, his recent Santos Sisters crossover, and even a story that may — depending on whom you believe — have helped plant a tiny seed for the creation of Image Comics.
He also discusses how technology has changed his creative process, from oversized original comic pages and hand lettering to computer fonts and modern production methods.
Why Bob Burden Keeps Coming Back to Dragon Con
Finally, Bob talks about his long history with conventions and why he continues returning to Dragon Con.
Having watched convention culture grow from gatherings of only a few hundred people into the massive celebrations they are today, Bob reflects on what he loves about the people who make up the community: they’re having fun, expressing themselves and enjoying the things they love.
If you’re heading to Dragon Con this year, be sure to look for Bob Burden in the Comics and Pop Artist Alley at AmericasMart.
The Dragon Con Report is a part of the ESO Podcast Network, Producer Jen “Lil’ Bit” Schleusner, Executive Producer Mike Faber.
Edited by Matthew Skinner, at Skinner Productions, LLC
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