Off Panel: A Comics Interview Podcast Off Panel #525: Player Characters with Kieron Gillen
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Nov 10, 2025 
Kieron Gillen, a renowned comic book writer behind works like The Power Fantasy and Die, dives into the complexities of storytelling and creativity. He shares insights on the emotional challenges of the comic industry and the importance of collaboration, particularly with artist Stephanie Hans. Gillen also discusses the thematic evolution of Die: Loaded, highlighting its shift from intimate friend dynamics to exploring social interactions among strangers. Plus, he offers a look into the balance of self-promotion and the art of engaging his audience.
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Die-Loaded Reframes Games As Social Mirrors
- Die-Loaded shifts from friends learning each other via games to strangers connecting through pick-up games at conventions.
- The series uses RPGs to examine trauma's cascading effects and the humanity behind player interactions.
A Fox Page Restored Die's Tone
- While writing issue one, a simple fox memory page made Kieron feel like he was back in Die's voice.
- That mundane, human detail restored the book's balance between fantasy and intimate character work.
Brief Artists, Then Let Them Play
- Give artists creative freedom and a strong brief of ideas, not rigid directions.
- Let artists like Stephanie Hans play and sculpt the visuals from a concept-level brief.