Description

The Weekly Pop Culture Audio Podcast Featuring In-Depth One On One Interviews and Discussions From The Entertainment Worlds Of Genre Fiction-
Comic Books, Novels, Television, Film, Video Games And More. Created In 2005 By Chicago Radio/TV Host John Siuntres

Word Balloon Live

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Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Chuck Dixon At War

On This edition of the Word Balloon Podcast, host catches up with writer Chuck Dixon, who despite his sudden release last month from DC has plenty of new projects in current and future release. We talk about his deal with Cartoon Network, which has green lit production of a live action film adaptation of his IDW creator owned teen time traveler story, The Vanishers. We also discuss the current Wildstorm mini series Storming Paradise with artist Butch Guice . This alternate WW2 epic answers the question "What if the atomic bomb failed , and the Allied Forces had to invade Japan ? In a lighter WW2 vein, Chuck also talks about Abe Simpson and his Fighting Hellfish who star in his latest effort for The Simpsons Comic Book, with art chores by Dan Spiegel.

Thursday, July 24, 2008

Dean Haspiels Digital Dreams

Today, a conversation about the present and future of digital comics with Eisner nominated artist Dean Haspeil. You may know Dean from his many collaborations with Harvey Pekar on his series American splendor and their Original graphic novel, the quitter. But he also does his share of mainstream hero stories, like a new X-Men First Class story for their Halloween issue with Jeff Parker. Dean is up for Billy Dogma : Immortal in the "best digital comic comic" Eisner award category. He’s also in the middle of a new BD story, Fear My Dear available at the act i vate website. Plus there’s a few more Haspiel digital projects underway . At Zuda Comics website, Dean has just started his series Street Code. At Smith Magazine online, Haspiel contributes and edits a new series called Next Door Neighbor Stories, with contributions from folks like Harvey Pekar Rick Veitch, and Jonathon Ames. In September Dean and Jonathon release the OGN, The Alchohoic from Vertigo, and a children’s project Mo and Jo Fighting Together Forever a collaboration with underground comics legend Jay Liynch for Raw Jr’s Toon Books. You can find the stories at the following urls.... Billy Dogma Immortal http://www.act-i-vate.com/21.comic Billy Dogma Fear My Dear Street Code http://www.zudacomics.com/street_code Next Door Neighbors http://www.smithmag.net/nextdoorneighbor/ Mo and Jo Fighting Together Forever http://www.toon-books.com/book_mojo_about.php

Monday, July 21, 2008

Dealin at The SDCC With Diana Schutz

From 2005 This conversation with Dark Horse Editor Diana Schutz, illustrates the kind of big deals announced and sometimes made in the wee hours of the San Diego comicon. Schutz tells the behind the scenes story of how DH secured the rights to Micheal Chabon's creation The Escapist , first seen in his Pulitzer prize winning novel about the golden age of comics, THE AMAZING ADVENTURES OF KAVELIER AND CLAY. We also cover her work editing such masters as Stan Sakai, Jeff Smith and Harlan Ellison. Plus we look at her work with Frank Miller and Will Eisner, including the conversation novel Eisner Miller.

Monday, July 14, 2008

Jeph Loeb On the Passing Of Michael Turner, and other HEROES

On this edition of Word Balloon, we take a moment to reflect on the art and life of Michael Turner with his friend and collaborator Jeph Loeb . Turner was the co-creator of Witchblade for Top Cow, and went on to create two books Fathom and Soulfire that became the foundation of his own company Aspen Comics. Jeph helped Mike script his first arc of Soulfire, and chose Mike to be the artist on the Superman-Batman story, The Girl From Krypton, which re-introduced Supergirl to the DCU. We talk about the work they did, the planned projects that didn’t happen, and Mike’s friendship with Jeph’s son Sam, who passed away from the same type of cancer . According to Jeph , Sam found solace and strength through conversations with Mike and his example in dealing with the treatments for their shared illness. Loeb also previews the return of Heroes, with a look at the webisode story debuting this week at NBC.COM He also shares some information on what he has cooking in Marvel's Ultimate Universe, in the current series Ultimates Vol 3, and the upcoming event Ultimatum.

Friday, July 11, 2008

Flashback Kurt Busiek, The Mayor Of Astro City

A Flashback episode from 2006. Kurt Busiek talked about his plans to reboot Aquaman, his "Up Up and Away" Superman post Infinite Crisis arc co-written with Geoff Johns, his Wildstorm WW1 fantasy series Arrowsmith, and gets into the nitty gritty of Astro City

Monday, July 07, 2008

Inside The Batman Gotham Knight DVD

On this edition of the word balloon podcast, host John Siuntres takes us inside the press junket for Batman:Gotham Knight,. The anime DVD is in stores today, created to support next week's feature release of the Christopher Nolan Film, Batman:The Dark Knight. You'll hear in depth, (but spoiler free) interviews with several of the DVD's writers and producers, including some names very familiar to comic fans. Executive Producer Bruce Timm (Batman The Animated Series/Justice League Unlimited) first time animation screenwriters (and longtime comic book scribes ) Greg Rucka (Gotham Central) and Brian Azzarello (100 Bullets) , Film Composer Christopher Drake,, writer/producer Alan Burnett (Batman: The Animated Series/Batman Beyond) and the former Academy Award Nominee (A History Of Violence) screenwriter Josh Olson . They talk about the unique collaboration between themselves and their Japanese animation partners in creating these 6 unique takes on Gotham's Guardian,. Timm and Burnett discuss the big differences in making the WB cartoons versus these short films. Beyond the DVD talk, Azzarello discusses his upcoming Joker Graphic Novel With Lee Bermejo , Timm and Burnett discuss their future animation plans, and Rucka talks about the Gotham Central Hardcovers coming from DC in the fall.

Saturday, July 05, 2008

Live From The Floor At Wiz Chgo part 2

The 2nd half of my floor interviews from last weekend Wizard Chgo show. Informative chats with folks like... Marvel Editor Bill Roseman and artist Mike Perkins, who give the lowdown on the next Stephen King Marvel adaptation starting in September, The Stand. Geof Darrow is back to tell us about his contributions to the Wachowski’s take on Speed Racer and his directorial debut on the animated version of his own creation for Burlyman comics, Shaolin Cowboy. Ande Parks talks about his recent Daredevil Annual for Marvel and his upcoming writing projects for both Image and Oni Press Ryan Bodenheim, Jonathan Hickman’s artistic collaborator on their new Image series Red Mass From Mars checks in with a look at that project. Artist Andy Owens talks about his work on the Buffy Season 8 project, and Trinity from DC Writer Jai Nitz discusses his new take on The DC Comics western hero El Diablo. Don Kramer updates us on Nightwing, including the long awaited showdown between Dick Grayson and Two-Face. And Phil Hester talks about writing for Top Cow on The Darkness and the Daredevil/Magdalena crossover. Plus two extra Con-versations from this spring... Artist Rags Morales talks about his work on Nightwing, and writer Larry Hama talks GI JOE, and his new Devil's Due spy series, Spooks.

Wednesday, July 02, 2008

Word Balloon After Dark Fraction and Brubaker pt 2

With apologies to Dan Jurgens, the real masters of the Tangent Universe are Ed Brubaker and Matt Fraction. The idea was to come on and talk about their collaboration on The Uncanny X-Men, and talk about their solo books, like Captain America, Daredevil, The Invincible Iron Man , Thor: Secret Invasion, etc. What followed was an incredibly random discussion, where more names are dropped than Disco Stu used , trying to get into Studio 54. The conversation begins with a look at the Mort Weisinger edited Superman era, but that dovetailed into lots of talk about Brubaker's noir book from ICON Criminal We review Indy 4, but that boils down to a George Lucas film analysis. A look at British TV becomes an appreciation of HBO shows and Jonathan Ames, then we go back to comics with what Fraction has cooking in Thor Secret Invasion. and what Brubaker isn't doing in SI, but is "letting Bendis do" with the New Captain America. More on the details of Uncanny X-Men #500, and a special appreciation for the falsely rumored works of Alex Raymond and Steve Ditko