Word Balloon Comics Podcast

Episodet

• SDCC Preview The Origins Of Comic-Con 05.07.2026 1h 12min

  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. 
• Franco talks Extra Terrestrials 04.07.2026 1h 3min

  It's a casual hang out with Franco, who's promoting a new YA Sci-Fi Kickstarter for a graphic novel with Jason May 
• wb bendis book club daytripper fabio moon 03.07.2026 1h 49min

  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 Corker Talks Undying Love 02.07.2026 52min

  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. 
• Paul Kupperberg Talks Supergirl and new novels 01.07.2026 1h 16min

  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 Batman GI JOE Rocketeer & Twilight Zone 30.06.2026 1h 17min

  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, wartime intrigue, espionage, and classic Hollywood glamour in true Rocketeer fashion.
• One On One Ralph Macchio 28.06.2026 57min

  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.
• scene missing 1959 on the beach 27.06.2026 1h 9min

  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. 
• good trouble comics with barajas ayden and sankovich 26.06.2026 1h 12min

  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 Celebrates Sub Culture 25.06.2026 1h 3min

  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 
• Mark Russell Talks Firefly and Dog Tag 24.06.2026 57min

  Plus Racer X and a kickstarter for a new sci-fi book The Forgotten Divine 
• Mark Waid's empire of stories 23.06.2026 1h 18min

  Mark is back ro talk about JLU, Superboy in Acrtion Comics, and World's Finest. Plus 3 days left for his and Barry Kitson's EMPIRE crowd funder.He also previews Batman and Robin Dynamic Dous with Chris Samnee a Batman Superman Weird Al team up, and clears up his viral video comment about the quality of new comics being made today vs old comics of the past. 
• Frank Miller The Word Balloon Interview 22.06.2026 55min

  Frank has a new autobiography coming out. We discuss highlights of his seminal career, 
• E-motion Sickness Love Boat Ep 4 21.06.2026 1h 4min

  We continue our Love Boat  Re-watch podcast.Our guest passenger Chris Giarusso joins us to discuss Charro's debut as recurring character April Lopez , the stowaway, who lept into our hearts for 9 future episodes.Plus, Bill Bixby pre-Hulk in a weird attempt at a dramatic story, and the first king of variety tv Milton Berle as a Practical Joker who never knows when to quit. 
• Darth Vader Vs Superman Alex Ross 20.06.2026 1h 34min

  From 2020 Alex discusses his UNSEEN art book featuring crossovers that were proposed but didn't happen Star Wars and The DC Universe, Star Trek Vs Star Wars, and many more.We also talk about his MARVEL anthology series festuring stories by fols like Sal Abinanti Steve Darnall and Alan Weiss. 
• Steve Niles New Frights On The Way 19.06.2026 40min

  Steve Niles has spent decades redefining horror comics, from 30 Days of Night and Criminal Macabre to a long list of stories that brought genuine scares back to the medium. Today, Steve returns to Word Balloon to talk about two exciting new projects that showcase both sides of his storytelling talents.First, we discuss Heartbreak Manor, his new graphic novel with artist Damien Worm, currently seeking support through crowdfunding. We'll talk about the origins of the project, the unique blend of horror and emotion at its core, and why Damien's atmospheric artwork makes him the perfect collaborator for the story.We also look ahead to a new prose collection featuring one of Steve's signature creations, supernatural detective Cal McDonald. For years, Cal has battled monsters, demons, and the darkest corners of the paranormal world in comics and prose alike. Steve shares what's in store for the latest collection and why he continues to be drawn back to the troubled investigator and his haunted world.
• Absolute Jeff Lemire-Flash Firestorm JSA and more 18.06.2026 1h
• WB Playhouse Stacked Deck Vincent Price 17.06.2026 4min

  Welcome to Word Balloon Playhouse: Western Edition. Where through the magic of audio editing, I get to act with some of my favorite film stars in a short scene. Today we present Stacked Deck, starring Vincent Price. Price plays a smooth-talking gambler who arrives in town with a winning smile, a quick wit, and a reputation that makes honest men nervous. But when the stakes rise and tempers flare, the question becomes whether he's simply the luckiest card player in the territory,or if he's got a little more up his sleeve than a hidden ace.
• Kelly Thompson Absolute Wonder Woman Buffy and Jeff 16.06.2026 1h 40min

  Along with the obvious detail about her Absoulute Wonder Woman run, Kelly previews her Buffy Angel cooks coming for Dynamite, a new Jeff Summer Special in July, and a lot about soap operas
• The Secrets Of Lex Luthor By Eliot S! Maggin 14.06.2026 1h 1min

  Maggin has rleased his 3rd superman universe novel Lex Corp, a first person narritive of Luthor telling his own story. Now He also is reading the book chapet by chapter as a free weekly podcast. You can also hera him read his ast Son Of Krypton and Miracle Monday books as well.