Contributing host Ray MacKay, the podcast Fantastic Comic Fan Presents, recently sat down with Rik Offenberger and Chris Squires from G-Man Comics—celebrating the release of their 100th comic. The latest G-Man campaign is running on Kickstarter throughout August. Here is a lightly edited transcript of that show where you can watch the entire show on YouTube.
Ray MacKay: Hi, everyone. We’re coming to you live from San Diego Comic-Con 2026 with the Fantastic Comic Fan Podcast’s interview of the G‑Man Comics team. For those who don’t know, G‑Man Comics is the world’s finest micro‑publisher of comics and fanzines — one of the most interesting and innovative indie publishers on the scene. And with this upcoming Kickstarter, they’ve officially passed the marvelous milestone of 100 comics published. All of G‑Man’s great characters are back for this celebration, with new issues of Simon and Kirby the Agent, First Guard, Tyrannus the Thunder Lord, Sergeant Flagg, Lynx, and more.
This August Kickstarter is packed with multiple magnificent issues, but it’s also different — because it marks the release of G‑Man Comics 100, a 48‑page special for the price of 20. It’s both a celebration and a launchpad for the next era of G‑Man, featuring special stories and major developments that will shape the future of the line.
The upcoming lineup includes First Guard #3, Global G‑Men #3, Handbook of the G‑Man Universe #14, Heidi the
Valkyrie/Dara Warrior Goddess #2, Lynx #9, Simon and Kirby the Agent #13, Tyrannus the Thunder Lord #7, and of course, G‑Man Comics 100. You can also catch up on past issues through any G‑Man Kickstarter, and Philbo Distribution is bringing first issues of titles like Tyrannus, Simon and Kirby, Lynx, and Sergeant Flagg to comic shops today.
But that’s enough preamble — let’s talk to the trailblazing creators behind the G‑Man books. I’m here with Rik Offenberger and Agent Chris Squires. Rik, please tell us a little about yourself.
Rik Offenberger: I’ve been working in comics for most of my adult life. I was an avid collector as a child. My father was a collector — he had all the greatest Golden Age comics ever, and when he’d get a bad report card, his mother would throw them away. That was common then. Comics were considered disposable, and lots of people gave paper to the war drive, which is why Golden Age comics are so collectible.
When I was little, he’d buy the Alan Ladd flashback reprints — they looked like photocopies of comics — and he’d read them to me and my brother. He bought comics for me every weekend. My mother took me to school all week, and on weekends my father took me to Sunday school. On the way home we’d stop for a Slurpee and a comic book. He loved comics, and that was something we shared.
I collected tons of comics. I opened a comic store at one point. I had 10,000 comics — a tremendous quantity in your home, not so much in a shop. I wanted to promote my store, so I started writing for Comic Buyer’s Guide, doing interviews and pieces. I covered the launch of Image Comics because I was on the West Coast with many of the guys.
I worked for Silver Bullet Comics online, then Newsarama and Comic Book Resources as a freelancer. I started my own website, First Comics News, and we’ve been doing that since 1998. At one point I was covering Archie Comics, interviewing people there. My contact, Alex Segura, let me know he was leaving for DC. I called Michael Silver, the owner — I had interviewed him several times — and said, “You know me. I really want this job.” Fifteen‑minute drive to work, and he hired me while I was driving. I worked at Archie for a decade.
My proofreader left, and they didn’t hire a replacement. Chris became my proofreader at Archie, and we’ve been together for over 20 years.
Chris Squires: Yeah, 20 years.
Rik Offenberger: And when we started doing G‑Man Comics, Chris was there from the beginning.
Ray MacKay: And of course, Chris has actually been written into the G‑Man universe as FBI Agent Squires, liaison between the FBI and the Caped Agent program. Chris, what’s it like to be a real‑life comic book character?
Chris Squires: It all started when I was working at KCBQ in San Diego as program director. We’d do events around town, and one event required dressing up. I wore a suit, white shirt, red tie, sunglasses. The engineer said, “You look like a Secret Service agent. You’re Agent Squires.” I thought, “That’s a great radio name.” So I started using it on the air. Then Rik gets ahold of me and says, “Hey, I’m gonna put Agent Squires in one of the comics.” I said, “That’s cool.” And history was made. Some people say he’s kinda like Coulson in The Avengers, but not everybody knows the real story yet. There are surprises coming.
Rik Offenberger: I thought of Agent Coulson — someone who comes in, arrests people, fills out paperwork, cleans up the mess. Someone has to do that. That’s Agent Squires. Then he pledged to join the G‑Men. I thought I was gonna own Chris Squires, but no — his wife owns Chris Squires. And now Erik uses him, too. He’s in Earth’s Guard, in Gilbert’s books, in Simon and Kirby. Even outside G‑Men Comics, Agent Squires gets around.
Ray MacKay: Let’s get into the comics. Out of the nine books releasing this Kickstarter, which do you write?
Rik Offenberger: The first is Simon and Kirby the Agent #13. We’re doing a zombie story. We have Murder Hornet, who has a body double who takes the heat for him. Jim said, “How much do you like Murder Hornet? I’d like to kill him.” So we did, and replaced him with another body double. For the zombie story, we’re bringing him back as Zombie Hornet. Terror Noir died in the line of duty — we’re bringing him back as Zombie Terror. We also have Golden Age public‑domain characters rising from the ground as zombies. If you like Marvel Zombies — zombies are awesome — this is fun.
In Sergeant Flagg #7, he was at the San Diego Superhero Con — a little more than a passing resemblance to Comic‑Con. Flair from Heroic Publishing made a cameo. I’ve known Dennis for 15 years. I’ve been reading Flair since issue one. We wanted to work together. After the con, they’re having breakfast across the street with the Convention Center in the background. Agent Squires is having breakfast with Sergeant Flagg and Flair. Then the Chupacabra breaks in, kidnaps him, and takes him to Mexico. San Diego’s right on the border. So we get international intrigue, and the contrast between Flair — always trying to do the right thing — and Sergeant Flagg — who doesn’t care if he does the right thing.
We’re doing a Lynx story inspired by The A‑Team. Tim Chismar, a real‑life friend and movie producer, is in the Dirk Benedict role, offering to put someone in a movie to get information while they rescue a kidnapped victim. Lynx is a luchador‑style superhero, so we get a lot of that flavor.
The last book I’m working on is G‑Man Comics 100. Sergeant Flagg rescued Maya before she became Lynx. In an early Simon and Kirby issue, Simon is shot with a crossbow and Flagg saves him. Flagg’s backstory is that his father was killed as a Marine, so he joined the Marines and thinks the greatest thing he could ever do is die for his country like his father did. We asked: what if his father didn’t die? He never becomes Sergeant Flagg. We see how everything changes — a butterfly effect. Then our time‑traveling character shows up and gives a one‑page origin for each character, great for new readers.
We have two middle stories. One is a Pocahontas story — she’s kidnapped during a mission and on the run. Sister Flag shows up. It’s a fun story that doesn’t require continuity. The other expands a scene from Agent Kirby where Zombie Terror eats White Terror in front of his son, Kid Terror. In 100, we tell the full horror story — Kid Terror watching his uncle eaten, then living with his father back from the dead, and his mother living with her undead husband who just ate her brother. It’s the only horror story I’ve written for G‑Men.
Ray MacKay: And G‑Man had its first panel at WonderCon. What was that like?
Rik Offenberger: Very nice. We wanted to celebrate that we’ve been publishing for a while, but also do a how‑to. We’ve done 13 successful Kickstarters, about to do our 14th. We thought others might benefit from our experience.
Ray MacKay: Another big announcement is your partnership with Philbo Distribution. What does this mean for readers?
Rik Offenberger: G‑Man Comics are primarily new issues on Kickstarter. We collect them into trade paperbacks on Indie Planet. We also re‑release issues into comic shops on newsprint at $4.99. We’re doing four‑issue runs: four of Agent Kirby, then Sergeant Flagg, then Tyrannus, then Lynx, then an anthology, then back to five through eight. We do two Kickstarters a year, so we stagger releases. Filbo helps distinguish the glossy Kickstarter editions from the newsprint shop editions.
Ray MacKay: Let’s pivot to interrogate Agent Squires, speaking for Eric N. Bennett, who scripted the rest of the nine comics. First Guard #3 finds heroes fighting through time alongside an earlier incarnation of the team. What’s in store?
Chris Squires: Both teams are trying to figure out who to trust. There’s tension. Agent Squires gets himself in a squabble and ends up traveling back in time — as you do. One character wasn’t supposed to be there but stowed away. We’ll see growth. Eric’s a great writer. As an editor, you have to let creators tell their story. You can’t micromanage. Respect the authors and their properties. Maybe a comma goes here, a misspelled word there. Take a light touch. Build it and they will come — and people support us all the time.
Ray MacKay: Let’s talk Tyrannus. After last issue’s destructive duke‑it‑out with the Demolition Squad, what new foes face the living lord of lightning?
Chris Squires: I don’t want to put everything out there. Marvel was the first company to do “continued next issue.” You couldn’t wait for the next issue. Eric writes Tyrannus with passion. When I’m editing, I can’t wait to find out what happens next. So I’ll leave that mysterious — you gotta buy the book.
Ray MacKay: And Global G‑Men #3?
Chris Squires: Gilbert’s imagination is terrific — jungle scenes, global characters. You’ve seen Avengers, JLA, X‑Men, but you ain’t seen nothing like Global G‑Men. It’s unique.
Rik Offenberger: He mixes in his Bayan Knight characters from the Philippines with our G‑Men, plus others — Flying Dutchman from 13th Skull, Thunder Lord from Argo Comics. It’s a smaller community, and we interact with other indie publishers.
Ray MacKay: As we wrap up — what’s next?
Rik Offenberger: We never stop. Enrique’s already done with the next Sergeant Flagg. He’s starting issue 10. We’ve started the next Lynx. Lewis started the next Tyrannus. Ron just finished First Guard and will start the next one. G‑Men United will return — Josh has already finished the February 2027 issue. We launch every February 1st and August 1st. Kablam prints and ships — six‑week process. Backers get comics every May and November without fail. We’ve never missed a deadline.
Chris Squires: This guy has brought together such a great team — artists and writers all over the world. He has an eye for talent and makes it all work. He’s the king of comics, and we’re lucky to be on his team.
Rik Offenberger: I maintain a day job and do G‑Man Comics. We have to have fun. Anyone not having fun needs to go — and some have. We all have to row in the same direction. I write the stories, Chris critiques them, tells me what I’ve done wrong, and then we rewrite.
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