Strip Search, Episode 13

Strip Search, Episode 13 - Marek Bennett

Marek Bennett's "The Civil War Diary of Freeman Colby" is the topic of conversation on this month's podcast. Pictured, L-R: Dave London, Pete Chianca, Freeman Colby and Marek Bennett.

If you've been listening to Strip Search and thinking it's pretty good but could use more banjo, you're in luck! This month's guest -- cartoonist, illustrator, teacher and musician Marek Bennett -- brought his along. (If you can't bear to wait, the banjo starts at the 38-minute mark -- but we hope you don't skip what comes before, because it's a pretty good convo.)

Bennett is the author of "The Civil War Diary of Freeman Colby," a graphic novel using an actual Civil War soldier's diary as its source. We talked to Bennett about how he found the diary, how cartoons and cartooning can help young students learn, the benefits of drawing for your college paper, and much more. (Plus, you know, the banjo.) You can find more about Marek on his website and his Patreon page.

So join us as we acknowledge our show's one-year anniversary with a very special extended episode of Strip Search: The Comic Strip Podcast:

And don't forget to check out the latest edition of Comic Strip Cartoonist magazine from our friends at Comic Arts Press Publications.

Marek broke up the actual language of the Civil War diary into small chunks to tell his story in "The Civil War Diary of Freeman Colby."

Marek Bennett's last graphic novel came out of his travels in Eastern Europe.

Marek Bennett built this replica of a Civil War-era banjo from a kit. Is there anything he can't do?

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