Joe Stapleton, a.k.a., “Stapes”, has been in the poker world for almost two decades. He is the host of the popular podcast Poker In The Ears Podcast, a stand-up comedian, TV commentator and Hollywood movie consultant. Now he has added a written medium with the publication of the poker comic called Trapped, which Joe wrote together with Neil Gibson.
According to Joe, Trapped can be described as a mix of Rounders, Deadpool and House of Games with a love of poker. We got in touch with Stapes to find out about the process of putting words to paper that began in 2021. At the end of the interview we also include a review of Trapped.
Interview with Joe Stapleton
Tell us how the idea of writing a comic based on real experiences you had in the world of poker came about. Did you always think of it as a comic or did you think it could be a novel?
The idea of writing a novel had never really occurred to me. But now that you say it… A comic book company approached me and asked if I had any comic book ideas. This was my fifth favorite idea, but it was always going to be a comic book.
Did you read comics when you were younger? Which were your favorites?
I couldn’t really afford comics as a kid, but I was friends with this kid whose single mom used to try to buy his love with comics and for like six months she would buy them for me too. I had the incredible good fortune to have this happen during the X-Men Phoenix saga. I’ve always been partial to the X-Men. It wasn’t until later as an adult that I even consciously understood what it was really about, but goddamn if that didn’t make me appreciate it even more.
What was the process like of putting the words into the pages of the comic? Were you involved in making the poker scenes look realistic? How long did it take to finish the project?
The words come first; the drawings are done to match them. Although I heard Stan Lee used to do it the other way. Unfortunately the poker scenes were my sole responsibility. I had a cowriter who is awesome and talented, but he could not help at all with the poker and the artist didn’t really know anything either. I sometimes had to put a bunch of cards and chips on a table and take a picture so the artist would know what to draw. This project definitely took over three years, start to finish. The art part takes a LONG time. We started in early 2021 and now it’s released in 2024!
What did you enjoy most about working on this project?
Finally finishing something. Not just talking about doing something, actually doing it and finishing it and having something to show for it. Feels good.
How did you feel when you first saw the comic and turned the pages? Were you satisfied with the final result?
Satisfied, yes. But I don’t really ever let myself feel excitement or joy. I just think about the next task that needs to be completed. I had one moment in Barcelona where I felt proud and a little satisfied and happy but it quickly faded due to intrusive thoughts like “Welp, better plug the Kickstarter again.”
We saw pictures of several players reading Trapped at EPT Barcelona. What were the first reactions?
I don’t think most people have actually read it yet. We’ve had really good reviews from a few people. So either most people like it or the ones who don’t are being nice about it.
Maria Ho reading Trapped in Barcelona
What reasons would you give our readers to read Trapped?
It’s a love letter to poker.
The book says Vol. 1 and some of the plot actions could continue in future installments. Would you like to write Vol. 2 in the future or is it up to factors beyond your control?
If the response to this ends up being really good, I have an idea for a sequel. If it’s not, I likely won’t bother. This was SO much work; it’ll be both annoying and embarrassing to work that hard on something no one really wants.
Nowadays, books have great “enemies”, such as social media and streaming platforms. Do you think that reading is one of life’s small pleasures? How can you convince people to replace watching Netflix with reading a good book?
I literally cannot convince them to do that because I’m not a hypocrite. I’d also wait for the Netflix version. But I will remind people that the best way to get the Netflix version is for a million people to read the comic book.
Which true poker story would make a great novel?
A non-pedophile version of Amarillo Slim would be a cool novel. I’d say I’d consider reading a book about him but for all I know there probably already is one and I already know I’m not going to read it. I will wait for the Netflix movie.
Review of the Poker Comic Book Trapped
The main character of the story is Joe, a poker commentator who plays low and medium cash games in casinos and private home games in Los Angeles. When he is fired, he must find a way to generate income again and he becomes involved with dangerous people. I don’t want spoil any more of the plot, so you can read it for yourself.
Humor is a fundamental part of Stapes’ life and it is evident from the first scene of the book, making the reader laugh from the beginning. I think that is one of the great virtues of the comic, since it manages to entertain from the beginning to the end. Reading about poker is usually about strategy and very boring in general. With Trapped you can take a break from studying the game and disconnect for a while to forget about bad beats and losing streaks.
In several parts of the story we can see Joe playing private games with Hollywood actors, producers and screenwriters. These scenes reminded me a lot of the movie Molly’s Game, which was one of the few good poker movies of the last 25 years. I also liked when the protagonist told old poker anecdotes and made comparisons with today’s poker, which is more mechanical and boring in general.
To sum up, I really enjoyed reading Trapped and Joe’s story. It’s 150 pages that fly by, as the fun and entertainment make the plot very easy to read. Hopefully in the future we’ll be able to read more of Joe’s adventures with a new volume.
If you’d like to read Trapped, you can purchase it for $10 digitally or $20 in print via this link. There are also packages available that include merchandise, signed copies, a zoom poker game with Joe, tickets to see a stand-up performance by Joe, and even the chance to write and publish your own comic.
Editor’s Note: Joe will also be joining us at Resorts World Las Vegas at Mixed Game Festival IX for a comic book signing on Sunday, November 3.
I recommend you relax by reading!
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