Kyle Starks
Interview

Kyle Starks

Writer / Artist
May 26, 2026

Kyle Starks joins Splash Pages to discuss Peacemaker Tries Hard!, Rock Candy Mountain, I Hate This Place, Barfly, and the forthcoming Dark Horse horror series Those Not Afraid.

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Creator context

Guest profile

Bio: Kyle Starks is a three-time Eisner-nominated comic creator from Southern Indiana. He is best known for Peacemaker Tries Hard!, Rock Candy Mountain, and I Hate This Place, and as the longest-tenured writer on Oni Press's Rick and Morty comic. His current work includes Barfly from Dark Horse, with Those Not Afraid forthcoming.
Known for: Peacemaker Tries Hard! (DC Black Label), Rock Candy Mountain, I Hate This Place, Rick and Morty (Oni Press)
Creator hub: Kyle Starks
Reading stack

Books From This Episode

I Hate This Place #1-6

I Hate This Place · Writer

I Hate This Place #1-6 is part of the pre-show reading stack for this upcoming interview.

Those Not Afraid #1-4

Those Not Afraid · Writer

Those Not Afraid #1-4 is part of the pre-show reading stack for this upcoming interview.

Rock Candy Mountain #1-8

Rock Candy Mountain · Writer / Artist

Rock Candy Mountain #1-8 is part of the pre-show reading stack for this upcoming interview.

Peacemaker Tries Hard! #1-6

Peacemaker Tries Hard! · Writer

Peacemaker Tries Hard! #1-6 is part of the pre-show reading stack for this upcoming interview.

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Guest FAQ

Who is Kyle Starks?

Kyle Starks is a three-time Eisner-nominated writer and artist known for Peacemaker Tries Hard!, Rock Candy Mountain, I Hate This Place, and his long run on the Rick and Morty comic.

What is I Hate This Place?

I Hate This Place is Starks's horror series with artist Artyom Topilin, built around a rural property full of monsters, escalating violence, and a sharp balance between dread and dark humor.

What is Rock Candy Mountain?

Rock Candy Mountain is Starks's Eisner-nominated outlaw fantasy about hobo mythology, impossible Americana, and a fight for a mythical paradise at the end of the rails.

What is Peacemaker Tries Hard!?

Peacemaker Tries Hard! is Starks's DC miniseries that leans into absurd comedy while still understanding why Christopher Smith works as a loud, insecure, hyperviolent antihero.