About

Brendan McGinley

I write about food, drink, and pop culture for a bundle of sites and publications. I also write comedy and comic books, the latter of which I also illustrate and letter. I’ve content and copy edited everything from websites to books to a couple of comic anthologies. 

In college I interned at Marvel, DC, and Late Night with Conan O’Brien. After graduation I joined the staff of Wizard magazine. In 2007, I began publishing Dose, a black-and-white humor anthology, followed shortly thereafter by the historical epic Hannibal Goes to Rome (drawn by the inimitable Mauro Vargas). Hannibal was picked up by Image Comics’ Shadowline Studios following its strong run in DC’s Zuda competition. That same year some artist friends and I put out the superhero conspiracy Invisible, Inc. (now called Indelible, Inc.), and Heist, the story of the world’s greatest supervillain (co-created with Josh Elder).

In 2009, I launched Citizen X, a western set in a world where Carthage defeated Rome, and cobbled together the Grassroots anthology (co-edited with Chris Lawson). In 2010 I began illustrating my anti-romantic comedy She’s Famous Now, and the dark comedy Reaping Profit. I also started my freelance writing career in earnest as a regular contributor to AOL’s Asylum. Since then I have written and illustrated for, among many others: Maxim, MEL, Esquire, Eater, Thrillist, Popular Mechanics, Punch, National Lampoon, and Cracked, where I wrote the featured column, “The Gentleman Bastard.”

From 2012 to 2015 I was the editor and producer of CBS Local’s Man Cave Daily (believe me, I tried to get the name changed…though I like to think we rose above expectations most of the time), and from 2016 to 2019 I was a senior editor at Thrillist and other Group Nine Media branded content. I put in my notice to return to freelancing full-time while concluding some of my earlier comic book scripts. (It’s going pretty well!) I’m currently doing most of my work for comedy writing for 1-900-HOTDOG while enthusing over food and booze at Tasting Table. In non-plague years, you’ll find me performing stand-up around NYC.

But mostly I ride bikes and eat tacos.

ARTISTS I WORK WITH

Mauro Vargas

was born in San Carlos de Bariloche. At the age of 17 he studied filmmaking in La Plata and then Buenos Aires, where he now alternates his passion for filmmaking and comics. He has worked as an assistant and inker for professional pencilers, drawn children’s stories, storyboards and illustration for “A4 manos” studio in La Plata (including numerous uncredited works). He is the regular artist for Hannibal Goes to Rome and a contributor to DOSE, both since 2007.

Andres Ponce

never stops drawing. He has worked on Star Wars for Dark Horse, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles for Mirage Studios, and both Heist and Double Falsehood here at Bankshot Comics.

Andrés Carranza

hails from La Plata, Argentina. At a very young age, he manifested a certain kind of artistic aptitude (in the form of numerous doodles on the walls of his childhood home, which his mother futilely tried to erase by chasing the young boy with a broom). Despite her efforts, he graduated from La Plata’s Fine Arts School with a degree in Artistic Drawing. He then joined La Plata’s Fine Arts Faculty, specializing in Painting.

In 2006, he started drawing and inking at Pampa Studios. For Atlantic Studios, he drew the comic books Calvary City Limits and Facet. Since 2008, he’s illustrated Arcturus, The Hawk, and The Figment. In 2009 he drew the second issue of the comic Salem`s Daughterfor Zenescope comics. Nowadays he works for the USA market as a comic book penciler, inker and colorist.

Rocio Zucchi

was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and began drawing at a very young age. When she was 13, she met Fernando Heinz Furukawa (now her fiance) who helped her develop her artistic abilities. Rocio began her career as a collaborator on local books and magazines such as Time:5. She also collaborated on the “Street Fighter Tribute” and “Darkstalkers Tribute” books by Udon Studios. She is now one of the key members of Altercomics Studios. Her newest work penciling, inking and coloring for Tokyopop’s Warcraft and Starcraft books, most notably World of Warcraft: Death Knight.

Tomás Aira

was born and lives in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He has studied art and comic techniques since childhood, studied Advertising and Graphic Design and began self publishing at the short age of 16, moving to profesional illustration work at 22. He works includes the graphic novel 78kmph published in Argentina, Creep, a Starcraft short story for Tokyopop, Night & Fog, a horror thriller published by Studio 407, and the popular webcomic Marilith, besides numerous other collaborations. He is a key member of Altercomics Studios, and works the whole spectrum of comic illustration, doing storyboarding, layouts, pencilling, inking and digital colors.

Franco Riesco

was born in González Moreno, Argentina. Franco has worked as a colourist in various styles and genres, from children’s books to pin-ups to superhero comics. He works with different techniques, always trying to be a better artist.