Jeff Lemire "Where Sweet Tooth Goes Nothing Grows"

Download the Mp3 Here Writer/Artist Jeff Lemire talks about his two current projects from Vertigo. The Nobody an OGN/mystery with an indie spin on the invisible man tale. We also preview Sweet Tooth, his "Bambi meets The Road Warrior" action suspense series that debuts in September. This follows the post apocalyptic story of a mutated deer-boy and his bounty hunter protector as they seek sanctuary and answers to the questions of this strange North American future. Jeff also gives us details of the Essex County Trilogy Omnibus edition coming out from Top Shelf Productions

The Bendis Tapes pt 3 Comic Slumber Party W Matt Fraction

Download the mp3 from here On this episode of the Word balloon podcast, part 3 of The Bendis Tapes with more questions for Marvel Writer Brian Michael Bendis. You'll hear more on the Spider Woman motion comic trailer, Brian's Avengers books, The new role of Doctor Voodoo as Sorcerer Supreme, The List, and a surprise extended cameo from fellow Marvel writer Matt Fraction visiting Bendis while en route to this week's San Diego Comic-Con.

Word Balloon Moment With Dave McKean

Click on The Link To See This Video A live chat with the renowned artist of Batman: Arkham Asylum , The Sandman, and fimmaker behind Mirror Mask joins John live at The Portage Theater In Chicago to discuss his series of Paintings called NITRATE inspired by silent horror films of the early 1900's.

The Road To SDCC/Hilary Barta & Dave McKean

download the mp3 from here 2 master artists of horror talk about their current work, and their scheduled appearences at this week's San Diego Comicon. Hilary Barta talks about his new story in the debut issue of Creepy from Dark Horse Comics. If you love the magazine's past runs, you'll be pleased to see the new book contunes the Creepy tradition of high quality stories and art. Also the audio version of my video interview with Dave McKean, on his recent paintings series called NITRATE, inspired by early 1900's silent horror films. Check Out The video version of Dave's talk in the post above.

The Bendis Tapes Pt 2 Norman's In Charge

Download the Pt 2 .mp3 here Part 2 Of our Conversation With Brian Bendis. We get details about the Evolution oF Marvel Boy, from Grant Morrison's Original Mini-Series to his current role in the Dark Avengers, Details on who's writing the back up features in Brian's Avenger books, and will the future plans of Jessica Jones happen in the Max or 616 Marvel Universe?

Bendis Tapes Pt 1 Paging Dr. Voodoo

Download the MP3 here Brian Michael Bendis returns with an all new Q&A session that's answers the riddles of how long will Norman Osborn's Dark Reign endure, what are the future plans for Ultimate Spider-Man, Powers and The Spider-Woman motion comic, and what was the decision process leading to Jerhico Drumm's selection as the new Sorcerer Supreme of the Marvel Universe?

Kathryn Immonen's Hellcat Runaway

download the mp3 here Celebrating her Hellcat Trade Paperback, and start on Runaways writer Kathryn Immonen came to Challenger's comics store in Chicago for a signing barbeque , so I took Word Balloon on the road to have this live conversation

LOST EP FOUND! JOHN OSTRANDER

download the mp3 from here FINALLY FOUND THIS LOST EPISODE FROM NOVEMBER 2005. THE MAN BEHIND GRIMJACK, DC'S SUICIDE SQUAD , THE KENTS, WASTELAND , AND THE SPECTRE. JOHN TALKS ABOUT THE RETURN OF GRIMJACK AT IDW , HIS STAR WARS WORK FOR DARK HORSE , AND COLLABORATING WITH ARTISTS, LIKE TIM TRUMAN AND TOM MANDRAKE. PLUS 1980'S CHICAGO MEMORIES OF FIRST COMICS, WINDY CITY INSTITUTIONS LIKE THE BUCKET OF SUDS, AND THE COMEDIC MENTOR OF THE SECOND CITY AND IMPROV OLYMPIC , MUNDEN'S BAR WRITER AND WATELAND CO-CREATOR DEL CLOSE.

Gerry Conway On The Last Days Of Animal Man

Download the mp3 here Gerry Conway is back writing comics. The man who gave birth to the Punisher and took the life of Spider-Man's first love Gwen Stacy is here to discuss his current DC mini series The Last Days Of Animal Man. We'll talk about his return to comics, and look back at collaborations with artists like Gil Kane, John Romita and Ross Andru.

The Rucka Debrief June 2009

Download The MP3 here Like the espionage characters in his comics and novels Greg Rucka knows how much information to leak, and stay spoiler free in this in depth examination of his work. We discuss the 2 new series debuting today in Detective Comics. Batwoman with art by JH Williams, and The Question with Cully Hammer. Plus a thorough look at the Superman books Action with artist Eddty Barrows and co-writing New World Of Krypton with James Robinson and art from Pete Woods. We also get an update on the new developments in Greg's popular British Spy comic and novel series Queen and Country from Oni Press and Bantam Books.

The Loeb Report Part 1 The Hulk Ultimatum

downlaod the mp3 here Jeph Loeb is back, to talk about Hulk #600 and what the future holds for the Red and Green Goliaths. We also talk about Ultimatum, and get into some in depth discussions about the creation of the classic X-men arc The Age Of Apocalypse, the rebirths of Flash Captain America and more.

Jesse Alexander On NBC's Day One & Sgt Fury

download the mp3 here On this episode of word balloon we talk comics and television with writer/producer Jesse Alexander. Jesse wrote last month's one shot story Shotgun Opera. an untold WW2 adventure of Sgt. Fury and His Howling Commandos. but the summer television season has begun and cable television reminds us that there's an equal amount of quality dramas this time of year as during the fall and spring. Networks like FX the SciFi channel TNT ABC Family and USA trot out plenty of genre fiction, while the big 5 TV networks struggle to find the next Lost, or Smallville. Fringe made it to season 2. Reaper didn't make it past 2, neither did the Terminator. edged out by Joss Whedon's Dollhouse, it's own future to be determined this fall. Chuck and Heroes are also returning, but on the bubble for NBC. There are few guarantees from over the air networks to drama shows. The potential viewing audience is still larger than the basic cable shows and the budgets are higher, but the network suits patience to grow a loyal and profitable audience is a risky guess. Alexander is a verteran show runner and producer from 3 recent genre shows that made it past the sophmore slump. Alias Lost and Heroes. Jesse was let go from Heroes by NBC execs last winter, but a new regime at The Peacock has given him a green light for a new sci-fi series he's created coming in early 2010, Day One. Some of the show's details are still under wraps,but Jesse gives us an idea of what the show is about, and discusses the chalenges of doing genre fiction in today's network television enviroment. On this episode of word balloon we talk comics and television with writer/producer Jesse Alexander. Jesse wrote last month's one shot story Shotgun Opera. an untold WW2 adventure of Sgt. Fury and His Howling Commandos. but the summer television season has begun and cable television reminds us that there's an equal amount of quality dramas this time of year as during the fall and spring. Networks like FX the SciFi channel TNT ABC Family and USA trot out plenty of genre fiction, while the big 5 TV networks struggle to find the next Lost, or Smallville. Fringe made it to season 2. Reaper didn't make it past 2, neither did the Terminator. edged out by Joss Whedon's Dollhouse, it's own future to be determined this fall. Chuck and Heroes are also returning, but on the bubble for NBC. There are few guarantees from over the air networks to drama shows. The potential viewing audience is still larger than the basic cable shows and the budgets are higher, but the network suits patience to grow a loyal and profitable audience is a risky guess. Alexander is a verteran show runner and producer from 3 recent genre shows that made it past the sophomore slump. Alias Lost and Heroes. Jesse was let go from Heroes by NBC execs last winter, but a new regime at The Peacock has given him a green light for a new sci-fi series he's created coming in early 2010, Day One. Some of the show's details are still under wraps,but Jesse gives us an idea of what the show is about, and discusses the challenges of doing genre fiction in today's network television enviroment.

Jeff Parker Makes His Agents Of Atlas Shrug

Download The Show from This Link Jeff is back to get us up to date on the Agents Of Atlas, Exiles, and Dark Reign The Hood For Marvel Comics, and his Wildstorm mini series Mysterius, The Unfathomable. We also answer your questions, posted at the Word Balloon Message Board.

Video Test guesting Around Comics

if the sound isn't working, follow this link Testing my Blackberry in the field, here's the few first minutes of the taping of the Around Comics podcast , hosted by Chris Neesman and Tom Katers , joined by fellow Chgo podcasters John Siuntres and DC artist Mike Norton

Brian Wood, A Viking's Life In the DMZ

On this edition of the Word Balloon podcast, writer Brian Wood previews Thursday's release of Northlanders 17. In this self contained story, Wood and artists Vasilis Lolos and Dave McCaig concurrently weave the elements of a fierce blood match, a History channel style commentary of weaponry and warriors, and a plain speaking narrative that showcases the adventure behind epic poetry. The result is a excellent one-shot that defines the qualities of the series and allows the curious to jump in to it's unique excitement . "This story is an overview of as many aspects of Viking warfare as I could fit into a 22 page sword fight...I wanted to slow the pace of the battle...to give it a kinetic Manga style...that's when i could fold in all the technical information, and there's also the story of these two champions in battle...this is where i love working in this format of comics, because you can't really do it anywhere else. If anyone is curious to see what this book is about this a good sample issue. It's no secret that I do a lot of research, but it's with this issue where I have reached the glorious tipping point... where I stopped having to find things in books...but knew the details about weapons I'd need for this story." Wood discusses the challenge of crafting personal stories of the real people of the age, combing the research of epic Norse mythology with his own dramatic suppositions of character motives and plot conclusions. "I've kind of figured that formula out.....the poems aren't always very easy to read. It's like reading Beowulf...reading about them is always more interesting...The next few issues of Northlanders are more stand alone...different voices and a radically different context...the next issue, #18 focuses on the wives of slain Vikings, from their point of view...Who really knows what viking wives were thinking about? They weren't considered in the sagas... the histories are epic poems written centuries later...so I really had to tell their story about not being free to be anything, without being chauvinistic ...and I walked a careful line so i don't offend anybody... that's why this book is so fun for me ...cause in every new arc, I can start over again." We also discuss his other Vertigo series about a young journalist stuck in a near future life in an american civil war, DMZ. Plus, many of his past and future works. Some other quotes from the conversation.... On DMZ... "DMZ was always meant to run a Vertigolength of 70 issues... once I reached that halfway point of 35 it was time to start thinking about the end point...what I'd like to do is a few spin-offs on the side to get to what i want to do in ideas that are non Matty stories...I keep going back to that issue 12 that was written like a magazine, and pulling characters out of that. It took forever for my subconscious to let me know that Matty is like a blogger, with all of their flaws...Not to dis on them, but they're like independent guys like Matty who messes up, and still has to battle the media giants...Ryan Kelly is doing 3 issues of DMZ starting with #42 ...issue 49 is the crazy cliffhanger of the series, which I've been calling The Rise and Fall of Matty Roth ...from 51 to the end it's like the fallout of the events that happen there. " Wood is writing stories for the second volume of Demo with artist Becky Cloonan . "We're on issue 3, but the schedule hasn't been announced yet, so it won't start till at least January 2010. " Any future ideas for The Couriers ? Rob G and I have an agreement that should The Couriers film ever go into production, we'd be fools not to do a sequel. We've read the film script and it's good, but still no director has been attached, so I think it's a way's off." What's planned for more Local with artist Ryan Kelly? "Local is a favorite of mine... I do have an idea in my head...we're doing Demo now which is scratching that sort of itch...I feel like I have to something more with Oni again, because they did such a great job with Local. " Any mainstream/superhero projects in the future? There is something in the works for DC that I'm halfway done writing...I'm actually worried because people are already talking about it online, and i think that some people are gonna be bummed (laughs)...it's an old book that I love...and have been chasing it for the entire 14 years that I've been in the comics business....I'm also the millionth person to have pitched an Inferior Five idea that was rejected. "

Geoff Johns; Welcome To The Middle Of The Film

download the mp3 here Geoff Johns is juggling 3 Epic stories from DC Comics. We talk about all of them. You'll hear behind the scene details of Flash Rebirth, Green Lantern The Blackest Night, and Legion oF 3 Worlds. You'll hear character discssions of all the major players, from the reborn Flash family to the GL Corps, and previews of what's to come in Adventure Comics and Superman : Secret Origin.

Supergirl Unleashed With Igle and Gates

Download The Podcast from here On this edition of The Word balloon podcast, a conversatio with the creative team on Supergirl, Sterling Gates and Jamal Igle. They discuss Supergirl, from the recent reveal that Lucy Lane is the new Superwoman, to the death of Zor-El, and the fallout from New Krypton. There's plenty of chracter dissections of Lana Lang, Allura Cat Grant and Kara Zor-El herself, and their views on where all these strong women fit, in this corner of the DC Superverse. Some quotes from the conversation... On Lucy Lane/Superwoman's role as Kara's new enemy. Gates: "I wanted a villain that can act as a Lex Luthor type...when New Krypton was told to me, I thought it was a master stroke on Geoff (Johns) and James(Robinson's) part having General Lane be the main bad guy...what great drama you get having Lois's family be against the Superman family?...There's some more crazy stuff coming up with Superwoman." On the character designs for the leading women in the series.. Igle: When It comes to Supergirl the very first conversation I had with Matt Idelson He said, 'I don't want to see Supergirl's panties again,' and I agreed ...I think there should be a coy sexiness about her but I don't think it should be as overt as it's been drawn...it just didn't fit my image of what a teenaged Supergirl is supposed to be...she's Superman's cousin, and should be, even by default, sort of a role model to young girls..." (For Lana's Asian influenced outfits) My wife Corrine works in the fashion industry for a company that does a lot of photo touch ups for Vouge, Cosmo, Louis Viton... so I get to see all these fashion materials... I was thinking more in terms of something a little eclectic but business like...with Cat, it's all Victoria Secret and Fredrick's of Holywood...the sluttiest dresses I can find (laughs)." Gates: "I guess that means write more Cat Grant scenes." On The Death of Zor El Gates: "Going in, Geoff and James really said we need to upset things. This can't ne a predictable Superman story and I think the death of Zor El made New Krypton completley unpredictable, because you realize, 'holy crap, no one is safe.' Igle: With Supergirl 36, I think that was one of the highlights for me working on the book ...when I was a teenager I lost a friend to gun violence so I was able to channel all of those feelings in that opening scene. Gates: .(Kara) doesn't get to (Zor) for nine pages,and she doesn't have powers, and is running across an open battlefield to get to him before he dies, to either save his life or talk to him one last time.....I lost my father when I was 17 not to violence but a massive heart attack...in those moments when Supergirl is holding Zor-El , and he's says 'I'm proud of you.', that was something as I held my father, I wanted him to say,and he couldn't. He was already gone Given the scene in the Origins and Omens of Lana Lang spitting up some blood how's her future looking? "Lana Lang has her own set of problems coming up that we won't come to a head until Supergirl 47." On Kara's new civilian identity as Lana's niece... Gates: "Linda Lang is not going away...it kinda got side tracked with all the New Krypton stuff...I was happy to see Linda Lang appear in Superman Batman...as long as it happens elsewhere in the DCU, it's a real thing...We're going to do a story about her in the Supergirl Annual ...that's tenatively called Linda Lang Day One."

Comic Book tatoo's Rantz Hosley

download the mp3 here The editor Of the critically acclaimed Image anthology of comic stories based on the songs of Tori Amos, Rantz Hosley stops by to talk about the book. We discuss how he and Tori got together on the project, wrangling all the artist and writer talent to put the book together, and gives his views and cautionary tales of self publishing in today's comics market.

Kevin O'Neil, An Extraordinary Gentleman

download the show from here On this edition of the Word Balloon podcast, we present a conversation with artist Kevin O'Neil, to discuss this month's release of The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (Vol III): Century #1 ("1910") drawn by O'Neil and written by Alan Moore. Kevin discusses the background of the story, and his views on past characters like Mister Hyde Mina Murray, the mysterious Orlando, and the Family line of Captain Nemo. His thoughts on the LXG film, and the origins and future plans of his co-creation with Pat Mills, Marshal Law . The interview does cover plot points and setting that have been discussed in other preview articles and reviews of the book, so beware. Her are some non spoiler quotes from the talk... On the inclusion of Nemo's daughter in the 1910 League. "She occupies a great part of the story, and we will follow her in later books." On the process of putting the literary cameos and pop culture easter eggs in a subtle way. "We just have to tread a careful line as to how we populate the book.. as we proceed with incredible numbers of different characters in street scenes and backgrounds or newspaper headlines ...it's a lot of work, but we realize we have these Jess Nevins books analyze every single panel and we know a lot of people who like that it...however if you don't know the references, it won't spoil the enjoyment of the story, it's just another layer of fictional stuff going on alongside the main story." On the creation of Marshall Law, and could such a story be told today? "I scribbled out an idea of the name, and rough character sketch for Marshall Law and sent we sent it as a "Mad Max" type of thing for Epic to Archie Goodwin. Archie had warned us that Marvel will take a hell of a longtime to do creator contracts...it ended up taking a year , during which Dark Knight and Watchemen were released...during the interim Pat said 'Why don't we do Marshall Law as a super hero hunter I said 'well don't you mean super-vilians?' and Pat said , 'No superheroes, I hate them." (laughing) I felt the energy of that loathing, and that's what we did...Chris Staros did the first ever 1987 review of Marshal Law in his pre internet era Staros Report... cut to us doing League for Top Shelf . Chris asked who owned the rights to Marshal Law, and I told we did (Pat Mills & O'Neil). op Shelf will do a big slipcase edition of Marshal Law featuring every story appearance of the character to be released hopefully later this year...and now reviewing the stuff for the Top Shelf collection I'm surpirised at how strong it was and how far it went becuase i think it would be harder to get that material passed today."

View From The Floor At The FX Con Pt 2

Download the mp3 here More of Word Balloon's audio coverage from the floor of April's FX International convention in Orlando .Featuring one on one talks with Olivier Coipel (THOR, HOUSE OF M) , Matt Kindt (PISTOL WHIP, SUPER SPY), Tony Bedard (REBELS) Chuck Dixon (GI JOE, The Simpsons), Steve Rude (NEXUS), and Arthur Suydam (MARVEL ZOMBIES, CHOLLY & FLYTRAP). Here are some quotes and tidbits from the conversations... Expect The announcement of what's next for Coipel and Marvel during this summer's con season. Matt Kindt's new OGN 3-Story The Secret History of the Giant Man will be out from Dark Horse ."It's a weird story that takes place in the 40's,50's and 60's with the narrative from the POV of his Mother, His Wife, and his daughter." Tony Bedard on REBELS: "I think we've had enough with stories that are so intertwined, they never get a chance develop their own personality. We want to give these characters a chance to develop on their own terms and give them their own corner of the DC universe to play with...it's one of those books where you really don't know who will survive in a given issue...Vryl Dox wants to do good, but6 he doesn't mind if you. die in the process." Chuck Dixon is taking over chronicling the tales of "The Man With No Name" in the soon to be retitled The Good, The Bad & The Ugly from Dynamite. Steve Rude: Lots of Nexus Product Nexus The Origin: Remastered , "Nexus: As it Happened Volume 1" a black and white Archive, and the long-awaited conclusion of Nexus: Space Opera due out in July. Arthur Suydam: For Radical Working on Hercules Aladdin and Shrapnel they're also releasing Cholly and Flytrap Center City featuring Suydam's post apocalyptic sci-fi duo . It comes out in June.