Nathaniel Long: Comic Book Artist and Author

Host Mike Rosato welcomes illustrator/designer/comic artist Nathaniel Long, a South Carolina-based creator from the Winston-Salem area whose early Spider-Man obsession and grandfather's drawings sparked a lifelong pull toward hand-drawn craft. Long talks about choosing traditional tools for their tactile reality, studying cinema production at Bob Jones University to sharpen visual storytelling, and working full time at BJU Press on motion-graphic illustration projects like an animated "Mask of the Red Death." The conversation digs into how comics are built—outline first, then thumbnails, pencils, inks, and even physically cutting and gluing word balloons—while reflecting on shifting convention culture and the value of process. The episode spotlights Long's Kickstarter for "Moon to Earth," a 24-page, retro-inspired space adventure one-shot he writes, illustrates, and traditionally inks, aiming to raise $3,000 by August 29, with tiers including a $15 comic and a $30 comic-plus-exclusive print. Follow us: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thepencilpu... MRC Brand Design: https://mrcraleigh.com/ Host: Mike Rosado (mrcraleigh.com) (instagram.com/ekimodasor) Post Production: Max Trujillo (instagram.com/trujillomedia) Sponsors: MRC (mrcraleigh.com) and Burny Wild's (burnywilds.com)