It is an honor and privilege to welcome author and illustrator Rick Stasi to The Jake's Take with Jacob Elyachar Podcast. 

Rick and I first met at the first Planet Comicon Kansas City in 1999 at the defunct Overland Park International Trade Center, and every time I attend the convention, his booth is one of my first stops. He has credits with DC Comics, Marvel Comics, Charlton Comics, and NOW Comics (The Twilight Zone). Rick also worked on projects for Disney, Warner Bros. (Looney Toons and Tiny Toons), and Lucasfilm (Star Wars).  Not only is Rick a prolific creator, but he is also a dedicated educator. For over 20 years, he has been sharing his knowledge and passion for comics, sequential art, and storyboarding as an instructor with the Shawnee Mission School District, the Westport School of Art, and the Kansas City Art Institute.

Currently, he provides individual instruction and career counseling, demonstrating his commitment to nurturing the next generation of artists. In addition, Rick has excelled in the corporate world, serving as a creative director, graphic designer, and marketer.  Outside of the comic world, Rick has explored various creative avenues. He authored Funny You Should Ask: Musings and Verse for Better Or…Poetry, Essays, and Lyrics, a collection that showcases his diverse writing skills. He also released an audio collection: Talking to Myself (To You!), a 60-plus track double album that demonstrates his versatility as a performer. Rick has taken his spoken word selections to live events and even to the airwaves of KKFI 90.FM Kansas City Community Radio.  His talents extend to voice acting, with his most notable role being the narrator for Wounded Warriors, a B2B veterans film focusing on mental health. 

On this episode of The Jake's Take with Jacob Elyachar Podcast, Rick Stasi spoke about working at DC Comics, Warner Bros, and Disney. He also previewed his final book, Letters From the Exodus: The Definitive Anthology of Poetry, Musings, Songs and Scripts.