Marvel Comics’ headline-grabbing move to a female Thor a little more than two years ago came out of Kansas City and the mind of Jason Aaron, one of the superstars of comic book writing. Meanwhile, local visual effects artist Bruce Branit was piling up Emmy nominations – now totaling six – for his imaginative work on such TV series as Star Trek: Voyager and Breaking Bad.

Aaron, a two-time recipient of the Eisner Award, the Oscar for comic books, and Branit, who in 2000 created the first short film (405) to go viral online, discuss the work they do from their KC-area home bases and how each has fashioned a pursuit of love into a highly successful career.