On Writing Banned Books with Ryan Estrada

The Florida Writer Podcast

In this episode of the Florida Writer Podcast, host Alison Nissen chats with prolific writer and cartoonist Ryan Estrada about the art of comic book writing, including the importance of pacing, concise storytelling, and creative challenges. Ryan shares insights from his experience co-creating Banned Book Club with his wife, Kim Hyun Sook, and illustrator Ko Hyung-Ju, a graphic novel based on Kim's real-life experiences in 1980s Korea. They also dive into the timely issue of book banning, with Banned Book Club itself being banned in several U.S. states, yet still celebrated globally in schools and libraries. Ryan discusses his research process, life in South Korea, and his diverse interests and accomplishments as a storyteller.

Ryan Estrada is an artist, author, and adventurer. His books include Banned Book Club, No Rules Tonight, Occulted, and the Student Ambassador series. He has made comics for Star Trek, Popeye, Flash Gordon, and Garfield.

He was a gator wrangler in America, an ambassador to Australia, an undocumented animator in Canada, a ghostbuster in South Korea, a Bollywood voiceover actor in India, wandered Kim Jong Il's secret tunnels to North Korea, slept on a bench in a typhoon in Japan, dug toilets in Thailand, did an accidental illegal border crossing into Burma, made road comics in Cambodia, Malaysia, Singapore, Laos, Vietnam and The Philippines, documentaries in Colombia and Ecuador, and podcasts in Malaysia, ran with the bulls in Mexico, barely escaped being eaten by lions in Kenya, fainted atop Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, got caught in a Peruvian coca war, lived in a Costa Rican rainforest and a Panamanian volcano.

Alison Nissen is a story strategist and ghostwriter who has taught collegiate composition and literature classes for over two decades. Alison was the winner of the 2016 Royal Palm Literary Awards Unpublished Autobiography/Memoir for Resolve, Courage, Hope. Alison is passionate about helping writers find and tell their stories to change the world with authority and authenticity on the stage, in small groups, or one-on-one.

​Florida Writers Association (FWA) is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit; it embraces the diversity of its membership from across the state of Florida, the nation, and the globe. We celebrate our differences and are united in our shared love for the written and spoken word.

Our motto, “Writers Helping Writers,” is demonstrated daily by our volunteers.