Uploaded November 2025 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
If you would like to be a guest on the Indie Comic Exchange, please follow this link and fill out the form kurtbrugel.com/indie-comic-book-creator-exchange
Power Pulp Comics website powerpulpcomics.com
John's Instagram instagram.com/jdcoats
In this Indie Creator Exchange episode, John Coats—co-creator of Dino Beast, Ninja IV, and Emerald Emu—discusses his creative partnership with his twin brother James and the rise of their publishing collective, Power Pulp Comics. Coats shares his early influences, from Elfquest to X-Men, and how those shaped his passion for storytelling and visual worldbuilding. He dives into the origins of Dino Beast, blending dinosaurs and barbarian fantasy, and Emerald Emu, a powerful female superhero designed to challenge body norms in comics. The conversation expands into collaboration, craft, and cutting excess to strengthen storytelling. Coats also explains Powerpulp’s mission—to empower self-publishers through shared resources, distribution, and marketing—offering a sustainable model for indie creators. The interview ends with a lively exchange about Turbo Pit-fighter and the timeless drive to make comics for the love of the medium, not just the market.
3 Educational Points:
1. Editing for Purpose: John emphasizes cutting unnecessary text and trusting visual storytelling, teaching writers to serve story economy.
2. Collaborative Creation: His process with artists like Brian McCray and James Coats models how equal partnerships strengthen creative results.
3. Community over Competition: Powerpulp Comics illustrates how shared distribution, marketing, and fulfillment can sustain the indie ecosystem.
If you would like to be a guest on the Indie Comic Exchange, please follow this link and fill out the form kurtbrugel.com/indie-comic-book-creator-exchange
Power Pulp Comics website powerpulpcomics.com
John's Instagram instagram.com/jdcoats
In this Indie Creator Exchange episode, John Coats—co-creator of Dino Beast, Ninja IV, and Emerald Emu—discusses his creative partnership with his twin brother James and the rise of their publishing collective, Power Pulp Comics. Coats shares his early influences, from Elfquest to X-Men, and how those shaped his passion for storytelling and visual worldbuilding. He dives into the origins of Dino Beast, blending dinosaurs and barbarian fantasy, and Emerald Emu, a powerful female superhero designed to challenge body norms in comics. The conversation expands into collaboration, craft, and cutting excess to strengthen storytelling. Coats also explains Powerpulp’s mission—to empower self-publishers through shared resources, distribution, and marketing—offering a sustainable model for indie creators. The interview ends with a lively exchange about Turbo Pit-fighter and the timeless drive to make comics for the love of the medium, not just the market.
3 Educational Points:
1. Editing for Purpose: John emphasizes cutting unnecessary text and trusting visual storytelling, teaching writers to serve story economy.
2. Collaborative Creation: His process with artists like Brian McCray and James Coats models how equal partnerships strengthen creative results.
3. Community over Competition: Powerpulp Comics illustrates how shared distribution, marketing, and fulfillment can sustain the indie ecosystem.
