ERIC CORBRIDGE TURNS HEARTBREAK INTO COMICS WITH BADWILL | PODCAST #765

WEPA, Crusaders! Eric Corbridge joins me for Comic Crusaders Podcast #765, and this one starts with a premise so damn simple I’m jealous I didn’t think of it first: What if there were a thrift store called BadWill that only accepted donations from failed relationships?

Eric took that joke and built an entire ensemble-driven world around it. After retiring from a 22-year career in the U.S. Air Force, he took the BadWill concept from television scripts into creator-owned comics alongside illustrator Hailey MacIsaac. The first season is already written as ten episodes, with the comic allowing Eric to actually get that story into readers’ hands instead of waiting around for somebody in Hollywood to give him permission.

I’ve read Episodes 1 and 2, and the hook gets you through the door, but the characters are what make this thing work. Cara opens BadWill following the end of her eight-year relationship, surrounded by an increasingly dysfunctional crew including Greg, Alicia, Jenny, Aiden, Lucille, Sadiq and the unforgettable “Hot Dog Man” Jim. Episode 1 builds the family while establishing the store’s wonderfully ridiculous rules, and you can already see the series balancing workplace comedy against people carrying some very real baggage.

Episode 2: Omaha starts peeling those layers back, particularly with Greg Johnson. Without spoiling the reveal, his history forces the story into uncomfortable territory involving responsibility, trust, forgiveness and whether somebody can genuinely change without erasing what they did. At the same time, the store remains gloriously weird, including one sequence involving donated hairspray that tells you everything you need to know about working at BadWill.

Eric is also learning firsthand what “independent creator” really means. The first BadWill Kickstarter attracted 141 backers and $7,737, while Episode 2: Omaha successfully raised $3,612 from 69 backers against a $3,000 goal. Beyond writing the comic, Eric has had to learn printing, fulfillment, websites, conventions, retailer outreach and the business side of turning a creative idea into something sustainable.

We’re talking about all of it: leaving the military after 22 years, reinventing yourself creatively, turning television scripts into comics, working with Hailey MacIsaac, building an ensemble cast, crowdfunding, Greg’s complicated story and where BadWill goes from here. Episode 2 ends by pointing directly toward Episode 3: “Handsome,” so we’re absolutely trying to squeeze Eric for whatever he can tell us about what’s coming next.

Check out BadWill at BadWillComic.com, support Eric and Hailey, and watch the full conversation on Comic Crusaders.

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https://www.instagram.com/ecorbridge22/
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https://www.youtube.com/@ericcorbridge3565

THE CRUSADE NEVER ENDS! WEPA!