Word Balloon Comics Podcast

Of course we discus Russ working ion the boys with Garth Ennis, and other war comics, but did you now he pencilled the first Batman story about the venom drug? Did you also know he learned storytelling on the job from Joe Orlando Carmine Infantino, and a few other masters?Not to mention his Disney animation career on some of their biggest films.Listen, and find out. 

Chris si back to promote a new kickstarter coming in August about Joe Unknown, the adventures of a comic book horror host after hours ( Think a cross between the look of Kolchak The Night Stalker, in the role of The Crypt Keeper Of EC Comics) But then we discuss a lot of his acedemic comic book historian work  dispelling rumors and long held myths, like how and why kryptonite was created for the Superman radio show and more. 

we discuss the first 4 eps of the new season plus other comics tv film and more

Some great Rodney Barne Word Balloon segments presenting a wide-ranging conversation that spans comics, television, and film history. We kick things off with his chilling Blacula graphic novel, a fresh take on one of blaxploitation's most enduring horror icons, before diving back into the world of his acclaimed vampire epic Killadelphia, one of the most original independent comic series of the last several years.Along the way, Rodney and I celebrate the legacy of blaxploitation cinema,its cultural impact, unforgettable characters, and the way those films continue to influence storytellers today.We also spend time looking back at Rodney's work as a writer and producer on HBO's Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty. Despite strong critical praise and passionate fans, the series was cut short after two seasons, with HBO citing a combination of relatively low viewership and its exceptionally high production costs. It's a reminder that, in today's television landscape, even acclaimed genre and franchise pro

Tuesday, I guested on the Splash Pages Podcast, where they interviewed me about podcasting, but also we talked about favorite convention moments, and the 2 DC Marvel Spider-Man Superman crossover specials 

Neil Sabatino joins Word Balloon to talk about Open Caskets, a darkly funny and deeply surreal graphic novel created with his longtime collaborator Shaun Simon. Set around a support group where society's misfits, outcasts, and oddballs share stories that feel like lost episodes of The Twilight Zone, Open Caskets blends unsettling horror, offbeat humor, and emotional honesty into a world that evokes Charles Addams by way of Tim Burton. Neil discusses bringing these strange characters to life, reuniting with Shaun after years of creative collaboration that began in New Jersey's indie music scene, and how the pair transformed their shared sensibilities into one of the year's most distinctive graphic novels.

Asrar talks about his X-men work his supergirl run during the new 52, and his current image series Bug Wars with Jason Aaron. 

Fred and Luca discuss their blend of Vampires and Pirates That debuts Wednesday from BOOM! Studios . We also play a couple rounds of trivia with Crystal Skillman joining us. Fred and Crystal Also promote the return of their play King Kirby, to the New York Stage in August.

Supergirl, Disclosure Day, Masters Of The Universe. Good studio films but not clicking at the box office. We examine why, and talk about other tv and films we've seen lately 

The Origins Of Comic-Con With Mathew Klickstein and SDCC CoOriginator Roger Freedman. Roger was one of the original teenagers who help started the show, and Mathew has been documenting the history of the con in Fantagraphics See You At San Diego, and the podcast series Comic Con Begins. You'll hear great stories. 

It's a casual hang out with Franco, who's promoting a new YA Sci-Fi Kickstarter for a graphic novel with Jason May 

Co-Author Of Daytripper Fabio Moon personally takes us through the book . Brian Bendis and I lead the discussion with the league of Word Balloon listeners and the Bendis discord. We also talk about how he and his brother Gabriel Ba broke into comics, plus talk of past rojects like Cassanova and Two Brothers. 

Tomm discusses his new Kickstarter campaign for a delux edition of the action horror epic Undying Love , and the return of his and Jonathan Hickman's The Black Monday Murders. 

I give a short spoiler free review of the Supergirl film. Plu Paul and I revisit his runs on Supergirl comics and he discusses 2 new novellas . The 1940s pulp hero The Blank, and a set fo Supernatural Mystery stoires A Clockwork God 

Gabriel Hardman returns to Word Balloon with a packed lineup of projects that showcase why he's one of comics' best writer-artists.We kick things off with the finale of Arcadia, DC Black Label's acclaimed team-up featuring Batman, Green Arrow, and The Question, as Gabriel discusses bringing the mystery to its conclusion.From there, we shift to the world of G.I. Joe with his dialogue-free Silent Missions one-shot, Crimson Guard, where Hardman tells an intense espionage story through nothing but visuals, a perfect showcase for his cinematic storytelling.Then it's over to The Twilight Zone from IDW, as Gabriel breaks down issue #8, a standalone tale that's both a loving tribute to Roger Corman and a celebration of the wonderfully scrappy giant-monster movies of the 1950s.Finally, we look ahead to his newest adventure with longtime collaborator Dean Kotz: The Rocketeer: Infiltrator. The four-issue series sends Cliff Secord and Betty undercover on the set of a German film production in 1944, blending pulp action,

For more than four decades, Ralph Macchio has been one of the guiding hands behind some of Marvel Comics' greatest stories. Rising from an editorial assistant to Editor Emeritus, Ralph helped shape generations of readers' experiences, overseeing everything from The Avengers, Daredevil, and Spider-Man to Marvel's acclaimed line of graphic novels and collected editions. Along the way, he worked with legendary creators including Frank Miller, Walt Simonson, John Byrne, Roger Stern, Mark Gruenwald, and countless others.Today, Ralph joins us to look back on his remarkable career. We'll talk about breaking into Marvel in the Bronze Age, the evolution of the Marvel Bullpen, the creators and characters that defined his tenure, preserving Marvel history through its collected editions, and the lessons he learned from spending a lifetime helping tell some of comics' greatest stories.

On this episode of Word Balloon Scene Missing, we're taking a deep dive into one of the most haunting films of the Cold War era, Stanley Kramer's 1959 masterpiece On the Beach.Joining me are Gabriel Hardman, Ian Brill, and  Jeff Parker as we revisit this unforgettable adaptation of Nevil Shute's novel.Starring Gregory Peck, Ava Gardner, Fred Astaire, and Anthony Perkins, On the Beach imagines humanity's final days after a global nuclear war, as the last survivors in Australia await the inevitable arrival of deadly radioactive fallout. More than 65 years later, its themes of fear, hope, denial, and human dignity remain as powerful as ever.We discuss Stanley Kramer's restrained direction, the remarkable performances, the film's lingering emotional impact, and why this somber science-fiction drama still feels unsettlingly relevant. 

Henry Barajas  (Gil Thorp Comic Strip) has two new comic stories coming in August under the Good Trouble Lable. We discuss them with GT Publisher Andrew Ayden (March)  and Editor Lauren Sankovich (Ultimate Spider-Man) .We discuss Huelga which documents the plight of migrants and underprivilaged hispanics in 1960s california, and Islands In The Sky about the real stories of the Smoky Mountain peopele. Good Trouble works with communities to provide educational entertainment to raise awareness about social issues. 

Shelly Bond has a new anthology bieng kickstarted called subCulture which looks at trends of fashion comics music at the club scenes through the decades. with creators like Peter Milligan and The Hernanez Brothers, with a bunch of today's indie creatives 

Plus Racer X and a kickstarter for a new sci-fi book The Forgotten Divine