Back To Pop
Back to Pop Podcast: Your All-Access Pass to Pop Culture Icons
Dive headfirst into the vibrant world of pop culture with the “Back to Pop Podcast,” where we celebrate the legends and lore of the entertainment universe. From the visionaries behind the scenes to the iconic faces in front of the camera, we bring you exclusive, heart-to-heart conversations with the diverse talents that have shaped our cultural landscape.
“Back to Pop” is not just a podcast; it’s a vibrant dialogue with the movers and shakers of music, movies, TV, and comics. Each episode is a unique journey, offering you a front-row seat to the untold stories, creative inspirations, and behind-the-scenes insights from your favorite pop culture personalities.
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Back To Pop
EP: 68 Highburn Studios: The Business, the Books, and the Grind of Indie Comics
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Michael Watkins (CEO/Editor-in-Chief, Highburn Studios) is back — and this time he brought the whole crew. Joining him are Lyle Pollard, creator of the slice-of-life series Tribulations, and Mike “Mez” Phillips, freelance artist and creator behind No More and the upcoming Hemlock.
Over the course of an hour, we get into what Highburn actually looks like from the inside in 2026, the challenges of running a creator-owned studio, and what it means to be both a working artist and a publisher at the same time.
We break down each of their books — the new second-generation arc in Guardians, what makes Tribulations feel so specific and human, and how Mez is juggling two creator-owned projects alongside freelance work and teaching art.
We also get into the messy, honest stuff: page 87 burnout, pricing and print costs, what marketing actually works (versus what sounds good on a panel), and what to do if you just finished book one and have no idea what comes next.
This one’s for the readers, the makers, and everyone somewhere in between.
🔗 Find Highburn Studios and all their titles in the link below.
https://www.instagram.com/mike_mez_phillips?igsh=bGRmdnlzZWVmYmpi
https://www.instagram.com/michaelwatkins_highburn?igsh=cHBrbDJnYXIxa3Qw
Theme music composed by Ron Wasserman
Audio composed and edited by
Lauren M. Antoine
Website:
https://lantoine2.wixsite.com/portfolio
Instagram/
https://www.instagram.com/backtopopmedia?igsh=MTd0dGNid2hjdWd5cA%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
https://www.instagram.com/4ronwasserman?igsh=MTR6ZGZ5dXJzYXN3eQ==
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