You and Me on Repeat, published by Henry Holt & Co., is a delightful graphic novel. You can read my review here. This is the first major graphic novel for Mary Shyne, also known for her own self-published graphic novel, Get Over It. So, keep in mind that Mary Shyne is very well-versed in the world of comics with numerous achievements: establishing a solid reputation with a self-published work; working in the book industry (Penguin Random House, no less); earning an MFA from the well respected Center for Cartoon Studies; getting her work published by a major publisher (Henry Holt & Co.); and, to top it off, Mary holds a key position at the Charles Schulz Museum. Alright then, no doubt, Mary Shyne is an exceptional person to talk about comics with. It was a pleasure to chat about Mary’s career path and her new book, a story about two star-crossed time-traveling teenagers.

Given that Mary’s career covers so much ground, this turned out to be a great opportunity to discuss various aspects of comics, specifically, the independent artist who self-publishes and often works alone (the auteur cartoonist) versus a new breed of comics artist that works within a team environment, including an agent, editor and publicist. There are variations to this. For instance, some well-established professional cartoonists retain the “auteur cartoonist” work method, giving up little to no control. While other cartoonists embrace working with others from the very start. Add to that the fact that many independent cartoonists are not thinking in terms of a “comics career” in the first place. But today such a path is potentially more viable if you follow certain steps. Your mileage will vary! There are so many variations on a theme, especially when it comes to a comics artist, etc.

Circa 2003: On a wing and a prayer, emerges The Center for Cartoon Studies.

We also dig deeper into the attitudes and approaches of cartoonists who came up the ranks with little to no formal training compared to cartoonists who have gained this new level of specialized comics training that was not quite possible a generation or so ago. The Center for Cartoon Studies stands out as a place of higher learning that trains those individuals who aspire to some kind of comics career, outside of working in the more mainstream superhero environment. These aspiring cartoonists are setting their sites on all kinds of comics that fit outside of the superhero genre (although there’s always unique exceptions) and these comics tend to be more personal “autobio” slice-of-life type of work, a genre all its own. These stories often find a home at more independent publishers or major book publishers interested in quirky offbeat work that tends to fit primarily into their young adult demographic (age 12 to 18), or the young reader market (age 8 to 14). And there’s more markets and age groups. The point is that there’s a strategy in place long before there’s a story. I suppose the trick, for any enterprising cartoonist, is to transcend any strategy. Those who manage to do that are really the ones who will thrive. After chatting with Mary, I can see she absolutely fits into that group.

All You Need is Kill

It was so much fun to chat with such an enthusiastic and experienced member of the comics community. Mary was very generous in sharing about her work and provided a window into her process. We bounced around a lot of ideas and covered a lot of ground. For instance, we talked about the graphic novel series, All You Need is Kill.

Palm Springs, on Hulu.

We talked about one of the great time loop movies, Palm Springs.

Lowlife (1992) by Ed Brubaker.

We talked about Ed Brubaker’s amazing comic book series, Lowlife.

My Entire High School Sinking Into the Sea by Dash Shaw

We talked about Dash Shaw and his amazing animated feature, My Entire High School Sinking Into the Sea.

Osamu Tezuka

We talked about Osamu Tezuka and his “star system” approach to comics.

Chuck Todd

Given that comics and pop culture are so closely aligned, and the fact that any conversation today can’t help but get a little self-referential, I brought up a giant in media, Chuck Todd, a recent sign of the times. Folks who find themselves pulled out of their high profile positions often turn to doing a podcast. At the time, I could not think of the title of Chuck Todd’s podcast. Well, it’s actually easy: it’s The Chuck Toddcast! I had not planned on mentioning Todd but it made sense. Chuck is someone who did everything right, loved his work, was respected by his peers, and yet it wasn’t enough. He was replaced as moderator of NBC’s Meet the Press, by Kristen Welker, who he graciously mentored. He came to my mind in terms of dealing with the demands of any industry attempting to gain top market share. It’s a war out there and good people can get caught in the crossfire.

Charles Schulz

And we round things out with wondering what Charles Schulz would do in the brave new world that is comics today. Mary thinks that Sparky would have most likely avoided social media, but that’s just a little bit of fun speculation.

I hope you enjoy the video interview. As always, your views, LIKES and COMMENTS directly at the Comics Grinder YouTube channel are crucial to our survival. Any bit of engagement is very welcome and appreciated.

Editor’s Note: If you are in San Francisco, be sure to view original art from Mary Shyne’s new graphic novel, You and Me on Repeat, at the Cartoon Art Museum. The exhibit runs from September 27, 2025 through January 18, 2026.