CM: Hello! Today we have Mike Spring the creator of Red, White, & Broke here to share with us. Mike, can you tell us about the comic please?

Mike: Sure thing! Red, White & Broke is the story of Robert Rhodes, better known as Captain Stronghold, one of the world's most beloved superheroes. There's only one problem: he's flat broke. It's hard to keep a job when you're constantly running out to save people. So Robert goes on national television to reveal his secret identity and announces that he's crowdfunding his superheroics! It's meant to be a superhero book that's not a traditional superhero book.

CM: That sounds very interesting and very relatable for us without super powers. Where did the idea for Captain Stronghold and his story come from?

Mike: Well, I've always been fascinated by how super heroes would work in the real world. I've always been a super hero fan, but I didn't want to write just another good-guys-vs-bad-guys comic. I wanted to explore the logistics of what it would take to be a superhero in the real world. Who makes your costumes? How do you keep a job? How do you pay the bills? Would you be a celebrity? From there, I wanted to really explore that with an archetypal hero; Captain Stronghold is cut right from the Superman/Captain America mold: upright citizen, polite, really trying to help people. He's not edgy, he's sincere.

CM: It sounds like readers can enjoy a super hero story with a fresh side. To help spread the story you have created a KickStarter. Can you tell our readers about what their pledge will help do.

Mike: Absolutely! We funded Issue #1 successfully in October of last year, and I had comics into fans' hands starting in late December. Now we're campaigning to finish funding Issue #2. It's already written, penciled and inked. The funds we're trying to raise will pay for coloring of the book, lettering and production, and then finally printing and shipping the rewards. printing has become much cheaper over the years but its still very expensive, so every pledge goes towards getting the books into people's hands. We have a variety of reward tiers starting at just $5, and I always remind people that Kickstarter is not a donation. You are basically pre-ordering merchandise that you will get in just a couple of months. But getting those pledges up front lets us pay for the expensive nature of creating a full-color, 24-page comic book.

CM: Where can people find your book on KickStarter?

Mike: Here's the link.

CM: Thank you. Can you tell us more about yourself and what got you into comics?

Mike: I've been collecting comics since I was about six years old. I started out with GI Joe and Transformers comics, then moved into Spider-Man and eventually other Marvel and DC characters. Now I read the big companies, Indies, and everything in between. I owned a comic book store for eight years after I graduated high school, and I've been a non-stop collector and fan my whole life. I've also been writing for a long time; I've written a series of short novels that have been bestsellers on Amazon. So finally, after years of worrying I couldn't pull off writing a comic book, I finally decided to get down to it and write a story that I wanted to read! I'm very happy to say that the reception to Issue #1 was universally positive. People really seem to be having a lot of fun with the book and its sense of humor!

CM: A man of many talents! You also are involved with a podcast as well is that correct?

Mike: Yes, I'm the creator and co-host of After the Ending, a movie-centric podcast in which we come up with sequels to movies that never had sequels. We explore what happens after the credits roll. So even there, I'm always telling stories. We've been on a bit of a hiatus with the pandemic and all, but there are over 100 episodes available for listeners on all major podcast platforms.

CM: You have many trades. Where can our readers find you on social media?

Mike: My comics publishing company, Outtatime Comics, can be found on facebook or at www.wordsoutloud.com. I'm also on Twitter and Instagram as @themikespring.

CM: Is there anything you'd like our readers to know about that would better share your story?

Mike: I think Red, White & Broke has a little something for everyone: superheroes, humor, action, drama, and beef jerky! (You'll have to read it to find out about that last one!) I've worked hard to keep our rewards priced as low as possible; I'm really trying to get the comic into people's hands rather than making a bunch of profit. I think if people give it a try, they'll really enjoy it! Support indie comics!

CM: We at Collector's Maze agree! Creativity is a gift and we love to share that. Thank you for your time Mike. We look forward to the second book and your future works to come!

Mike: Thank you so much! I appreciate your taking the time to talk to me!!