Tuesday, April 14, 2015

Word Balloon Podcast Marc Bernardin from Playboy.com and author Rob Salkowitz on The Hugo Award Nominations

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Playboy's Marc Bernardin talks about his Top Cow series Genius, who's first arc is collected in a trade comming up in June. We talk about Playboy.com's current status as a men's lifestyle site reclaiming the tradition Hef set up with the first issues. Marc has given the site a strong nerd culture voice, including making the Wil Wheaton-Patton Oswaltt coversation the January 2015 playboy interview. We also talk about Marc's podcasting with the Nerdist Writer's Panel and Kevin Smith's Fatman On Batman

The Hugo Award Nominations are discussed with auth Rob Salkowtiz. Rob has been a geek industry anaylist since the release of his book omic Con and The business Of Pop Culture. We talk about not only the infighting of geek factions within the Hugo nominating process, but more importantly how pollitical sites are using the "controversy" as red meat to get their ideological bases rilled up. Both left and right wing sites are stirring things up, and from our point of view its bad for all of geekdom.

Monday, April 06, 2015

Friday, March 27, 2015

Word Balloon Podcast Janelle Asselin On Romance Comics and The Gender In Comics Debate

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Janelle Asselin (a former editor with DC Comics currently a senior editor at the Geek News site Comics Alliance) is back to talk about her kickstarter campaign for Fresh Romance, a new digital Anthology of romance comic stoires.

Asselin is an outspoken advocate for the employemnt of more women comic creators to the extent of starting a regular feature at CA called "Hire this woman" spotlighting emerging new creators. 

We discuss some of the recent issues that have popped up concerning the female readership and creators of comics. 

Monday, March 09, 2015

Word Balloon Podcast Comic Book Writing Tips From Matt Hawkins and Tom King



Matt Hawkins the publisher of Top Cow discusses the evolution of the company, from it's Darkness & Witchblade beginnings to the lean operation of today. Matt is a military tech enthusiast and uses that interest to inform his books like Wild fire and Think Tank, he also has a new cyber-caper heist story, The Tithe about cyber crimes at a Mega Church. Matt shares many writing tips, and lots of insight into today's comics market.

Tom King joins us to talk about Grayson, the DC book he co-writes wirth Tim Seeley, and gives us his impression of the recent DC talent summit in Burbank. Tom also tells us a bit about his plans for Teen Titans, co-written with Will Pfiefer and A revamp of The Omega Men 

Wednesday, February 25, 2015

Word Balloon Podcast Super Hero TV talk w Arrow's Marc Guggenheim & Greg Weissman Of Young Justice & Star Wars Rebels


Great chance to talk with 2 TV writer producers who are at the top of live action television and animation. Both will be at Long Beach Comic Expo this weekend and have great insight on the current superhero explosion television is experiencing.

Writer- Exec Producer Marc Guggenheim talks about Arrow Flash. Given the success of both shows, it's no surprise that it was annouced this week that the characters Atom, Professor Stein and Black Canary are being devolped for their own future CW TV series. NOTE- This conversation took place before the announcement , but Marc did give insight about the success of introducing these new characters and in theory about expanding the DCU TV universe on The CW.

Then, Animation Writer Exec Producer Greg Weissman looks back at Gargoyles, Young Justice, Spectacular Spider-Man, his current work with Star Wars Rebels, and the realities behind producing comic book/toy adaptaions for kids television. 

Friday, February 20, 2015

Word Balloon Podcast Kelly Sue DeConnick On Bitch Planet Pretty Deadly Marvel & More - Art & Franco's Comic Empire keeps growing

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 Kelly Sue DeConnick talks about her Image books Bitch Planet and Pretty Deadly Her Marvel work and Women In Comics . Art & Franco talk about the Itty Bitty Universe Tiny Titans DC Super Pets Franco's Dino Mike book series and more !


Friday, February 13, 2015

Word Balloon Podcast Matt Brady and The Secret History Of Newsarama - Scribd Joins The Comics Digital Marketplace



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First up, Scribd is a service like Netflix, that allows monthly subscribers to borrow unlimited e-books, audio and now comics. The company has made deals with publishers like Marvel IDW Top Shelf  BOOM! and Archie making over 10,000 graphic novel collections available to read on any phone or device. VP of Editorial and Marketing Julie Haddon joins us to explain the service.
(00:00-41:27)
Then Matt Brady the co-founder and former editor of Newsarama comes by . Matt has a new BOOM!Studios comic out in March The Big Con Job, co-written with Jimmy Palmiotti. We talk about the book (think Ocean's 11 meets Galaxy Quest) . Then we get into an indepth look at the history of the comic newsblog Newsarama from it's beginnings to the point in 2009 when Matt stepped away from comics journailism. A lot has changed with publishers and media companies involvement in the 5 plus years Matt's been away from the beat and he has thoughts and observations on DC Marvel and the ability to cover news now comapred to his 20 years doing it. (41:28- End Of Show)

Wednesday, January 07, 2015

Word Balloon Podcast Rick Remender & Tom Brevoort On The Record -Howard Chaykin Live From The Studio



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First a Marvel Press Conference With Rick Remender & Tom Brevoort on the reboot of Uncanny Avengers coming Jan 28th.

Then Howard Chaykin joins us from his drafting table to talk about The Shadow, Satellite Sam, and lots more.

Wednesday, December 31, 2014

Word Balloon Podcast 2014 A Look Back W Jimmy Palmiotti & Amanda Connor, Joe Quesada, Axel Alonso, and Diana Schutz



Jimmy and Amanda talk Harley Quinn

Joe Quesada on the success of Guardians Of the Galaxy for Marvel Films

Axel Alonso on his big picture philosophies at Marvel

Diana Schutz Of Dark Horse on the perception of comics in the academic world and the mainstream pop culture

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Thursday, December 25, 2014

Word Balloon Podcast Behind The COWL w Kyle Higgins & Alec Siegel Chuck Dixon Talks Action Novels and Batman

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First an in studio visit with writers Kyle Higgins and alec Siegel, co creators of COWL from Image

Then Chuck Dixon via skypoe tells us about his new action advernture novel Levon's Trade. We also talk Batman The Punisher and Chuck's Wall St Journal editorial from this past June.

Saturday, December 20, 2014

Word Balloon Podcast Eric Powell The Goon's 15th anniversary & Mark Waid Talks Archie & Superman

Great chat with Eric Powell about The Goon. He just wrapped up a pivotal story arc that leaves the Goon in a bad place to pick things up in February.
Then Mark Waid comes on to talk about the reboot of Archie and the Riverdale gang he's doing with Fiona Staples. Then we have Mark Art Baltazar & Franco talk with a fellow Superman fan about their favorite Superman runs, the daily comic strip from the 1960's, and Mark's observations on the latest Marvel summit.


Wednesday, December 10, 2014

Word Balloon Podcast Nick Spencer Axel Alonso & Wil Moss On Ant-Man -Heath Corson On The DC Animated Universe



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First up, A Marvel Next Big Thing Press Conference with Ant-Man writer Nick Spencer laying out Scott & Cassie Lang's futures. Editor Wil Moss and EIC Axel Alonso fill in more details to this podcast audience, and the comics news blogosphere.

Then screenwriter Heath Corson joins me in studio to talk about his work on DC's animated films Justice League War, Batman assault On Arkham, and the upcoming January 27th release Justice League Throne Of Atlantis, featuring the animated origin/debut of Aquaman in the new animated continuity. We also talk about the current TV comics landscape and shows like Gotham The Flash, Arrow etc...


Monday, December 08, 2014