I Read Comic Books Podcast
Hosted by Mike Rapin
A weekly comic book club where the host, his friends, and creator guests share what new and old comics they've been reading.
This is a roundtable discussion podcast about comic books, split between two main formats. Some episodes feature interviews with comic book creators about their new projects, while others are casual conversations between host Mike Rapin and a rotating panel of regular co-hosts. The core of every episode is the recurring "what have you been reading?" segment, where all participants share their recent reads.
“The show's strength is its consistent, unpretentious "regular fan" perspective. Unlike more academic or critical review shows, its central focus on the simple joy of discovery via the "what are you reading?" segment makes it feel like a friendly, local comic shop conversation.”
Who hosts this show
I Read Comic Books is a long-running weekly podcast for "regular comic book fans" hosted by Mike Rapin. Joined by a rotating panel of co-hosts and industry guests like writers and artists, the show focuses on new comic recommendations and what everyone is currently reading. Episodes are released on Wednesdays and are edited by Zander Riggs.
Credentials & credits
- Web developer
- Podcast Producer
Other ventures
- Great Pop Culture Debate (Producer)
- IRCB Patreon
- IRCB Discord Community
- IRCB Reading Challenge
- Totally Not a Cult (Anthology Zine)
What kind of podcast
- Country
- United States
- Region
- usa
When new episodes drop
- 01
- 02
- 03
- 04If You Start Driving Now, You Can Kick His Ass TomorrowJun 24, 2026 · 1h 01m
- 05Hard. Killing People Hard. (ft. Zack Kaplan)Jun 20, 2026 · 1h 02m
- 06Put A Kaiju In It (ft. Julio Anta)Jun 10, 2026 · 54 min
- 07We Gotta Power Him Down (ft. Henry Barajas & Rachel Merrill)Jun 3, 2026 · 1h 10m
- 08Somehow, Snow White Returned…May 27, 2026 · 54 min
Notable episodes
- 01Put A Kaiju In It (ft. Julio Anta)
A representative interview where guest Julio Anta discusses his politically charged horror comic, alongside a broader chat about comic pricing and public domain characters.
- 02If You Start Driving Now, You Can Kick His Ass Tomorrow
A typical co-host roundtable episode focused on the Eisner Awards, showcasing the show's "Reading Challenge" community segment and non-interview format.
- 03Hard. Killing People Hard. (ft. Zack Kaplan)
An interview with writer Zack Kaplan that clearly demonstrates the show's core "what have you been reading?" segment, with the host, co-host, and guest all sharing their recent reads.
What you'll be asked on this show
Mike Rapin begins interviews by asking guests to introduce themselves and their current work. He then transitions into the show's signature segment by asking the guest (and any co-host) "What have you been reading?" This serves as the main conversational engine, allowing for organic discussions about shared tastes and industry trends. His style is facilitative and relaxed rather than confrontational, creating a peer-to-peer conversation about the craft and fandom of comics. He often closes the reading segment by asking what's on the top of their "to-read" pile.
The show alternates between guest interviews and co-host roundtable discussions. Host Mike Rapin uses a set of self-described "legally mandated questions" to structure the opening of each episode, creating a familiar rhythm for listeners. The tone is relaxed and conversational, with an emphasis on personal reading piles and recommendations.
Questions Mike Rapin keeps coming back to
4 cataloguedIf you're going on this show as a guest, expect some version of each of these. Each note explains when Mike Rapin reaches for it.
origin
1- Q.01
“Could you tell us a little bit about yourself and what you've got going on right now?”
This is the standard opening question for creator guests to introduce themselves and their current projects.
personal
1- Q.01
“How have you been, how have comic books been, and what have you been reading?”
The host's self-described "legally mandated" opening, which kicks off the show's core discussion segment.
future
1- Q.01
“What is on the top of your pile to read next?”
A recurring closing question for the reading segment that focuses on future excitement and upcoming books.
process
1- Q.01
“What [themed] comic book did you read for this week?”
A topic-specific version of the main reading question, used for themed episodes like the Eisner Awards discussion.
Signature segments
- · The "two legally mandated questions"
- · What have you been reading?
- · What's on the top of your pile?
- · IRCB Reading Challenge
- · Panelist episodes
Topics covered repeatedly
Who gets booked here
The show primarily books independent and mainstream comic book creators, including writers (Julio Anta, Zack Kaplan) and artists, who typically have a new or recent project to promote.
- Zack Kaplanon Hard. Killing People Hard. (ft. Zack Kaplan)
- Julio Antaon Put A Kaiju In It (ft. Julio Anta)
- Henry Barajason We Gotta Power Him Down (ft. Henry Barajas & Rachel Merrill)
- Rachel Merrillon We Gotta Power Him Down (ft. Henry Barajas & Rachel Merrill)
Where to find this show
Audience & reach
The podcast appears to be primarily listener-supported via a Patreon that offers bonus content. There is no evidence of traditional pre-roll or mid-roll ad reads in the provided episodes, suggesting a direct-to-fan funding model.
Subscriber and view counts are pulled live from YouTube and re-verified on a 30-day cycle. Listener estimates for the RSS feed aren't published here unless they're host-verified.
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People also ask
- What is the podcast's format?
- It alternates between interviews with comic book creators and roundtable discussions with a rotating cast of co-hosts. Every episode heavily features a segment where participants discuss what comics they've been reading.
- Who is the host?
- The podcast is hosted and produced by Mike Rapin.
- Is the podcast still running?
- Yes, new episodes have been released weekly for over ten years.
- Where can I listen to the show?
- The podcast is available on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other major podcast platforms.
- How can I get involved with the community?
- The show runs a Patreon, a Discord server for live chats, and an annual Reading Challenge on Goodreads and Storygraph.
- What are the 'legally mandated questions'?
- This is host Mike Rapin's recurring joke for his signature opening segment, which includes questions like "How have you been, how have comic books been, and what have you been reading?"
Built from the show's public RSS feed, YouTube, the host's own websites, and the cited sources below. Computed and AI-extracted fields are labelled. Facts only — no private info, no fabrication, no transcripts republished.
Sources & how this page was built
This page is AI-assisted, grounded in the public sources cited below, and host-verifiable. We publish facts only; we do not republish transcripts. If anything here is wrong, the host can claim and correct the page above.Model: gemini-2.5-pro · high confidence
- [01]Official Websiteircbpodcast.com
- [02]Who's Who? — I Read Comic Books Podcastircbpodcast.com
- [03]Mike Rapin's Podcast Creditspodchaser.com
- [04]I Read Comic Books - Apple Podcastspodcasts.apple.com
- [05]What is IRCB? - I Read Comic Books Podcastircbpodcast.com
- [06]Mike Rapin - Great Pop Culture Debategreatpopculturedebate.com
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