An Interview with Spike Trotman: The Rockstar Behind Iron Circus Comics

Iron Circus Comics’ origin story is one of my favorite tales in all of comics industry. Founded back in 2007 to publish the print edition of company founder C. “Spike” Trotman’s webcomic, “Templar, Arizona”. The company moved forward to publish its first anthology erotica project, Smut Peddler, which we now know spawned not only another volume of Smut Peddler and earned a growing following that would follow them throughout the years. The original Smut Peddler book first launched on Kickstarter with only a few hundred dollars left in ICC’s bank account, it went on to earn over $80,000 and set the foundation for the impressive work to be done revitalizing the small press world and proving that there is a market for consent-driven, sex-positive smut in comics form that people come back for again and again. Whether you believe that ICC’s success came on a wing, a prayer, or a struck of luck, it’s very obvious it has made its mark on the industry and will continue to do so.

As Black Nerd Problem’s “Indie Comics Queen” and someone who is described by my BNP comrades as someone who “backs Kickstarters for comics as often as the U.S. Government installs dictators in foreign countries”, I was floored when asked if I wanted the opportunity to write this feature on Iron Circus Comics. Floored. Stoked. Excited. All of the above. I’ve been following Iron Circus Comics for a few years and have pledged for Kickstarter campaigns, shared the news when new projects launched and greedily bough…