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

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Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Double Feature John Romita Jr Part One - Denys Cowan Panel from Summit City Con

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On this episode of Word Balloon we present a double feature with two artistic masters.

First up, part one of a conversation with John Romita Jr. We talk about his current run on Avengers
with Brian Bendis and Kick Ass 2 with Mark Millar. John also previews a creator owned series in the works
with Howard Chaykin. A 1970's New York crime/fantasy pastiche called Schmuggy and Bimbo. Part of the Romita interview will be recorded later this month.

Then Milestone founder Denys Cowan heads a panel recorded at this past weekend's Summit City Comic Con with fellow artists Angel Gabriel and Jeff Newman. Cowan and company recall their early days assisting Deathlok creator Rich Buckler when Denys was 14.

Our reaserch exposed a dark secret to the audience, forcing Gabriel and Cowan to confess to their time in the 80's in Regional TV Wrestling on a show called POWERSLAM with infamous stars like Dick The Bruiser and Ox Baker.Gabriel was known as The Dark Angel, and Denys was a manager.

Then Denys talks about his days on titles like The Question, Black Panther, Power Man
and Iron Fist, and a classic Batman run with Sam Hamm (the screenwriter of the 1989 Tim Burton film).

He also tells the story of the formation of Milestone and the creation of their line of multi-racial heroes He reminisces about his friend the late Dwayne McDuffie, who was the first creator he approached to join the venture,and talks about the successes and struggles that came after the company debuted. The panel talk about the creation of Hardware and the symbolic metaphor of the glass ceiling struggle the creators dealt with.

Then Denys hints at 2 new upcoming projects a 5 part Batman story about the 5 phases of accepting death by Paul Levitz, and a new Vertigo mini series with Selwyn Hinds, who worked on Case 21 with Cowan in the recent STRANGE ADVENTURES anthology.

Thursday, June 16, 2011

Word Balloon Jeff Lemire On The DC Reboot and TNT's Falling Skies Cast


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It's a timely double feature, as Jeff Lemire talks about his DC Flashpoint mini-series, Frankenstein and the Creatures of the Unknown, which spins off into one of the new 52 DC Reboot titles, plus his coming take on Animal Man. We also talk about his continuing Vertigo saga Sweet Tooth, and wrapping up his run on Superboy. Jeff tells us about learning that his take on The Boy Of Steel was coming to a close, and the excitement of pitching the new take on The Creature Commandos. We also talk about his great new origin of Ultra: The Mutil Alien, in the recent Strange Adventures anthology.

Plus I interview the stars and producers of TNT's new science fiction summer series Falling Skies, featuring actors Noah Wiley and Moon Bloodgood, plus Co-Executive Producer Mark Verheiden, and Director Greg Beeman. You'll hear about the show, and the comic book prequel currently free online and coming in print from Dark Horse Comics. The show debuts this Sunday at 9pm Eastern/Pacific on TNT.

Tuesday, June 07, 2011

Paul Jenkins Don't Call It A Comeback



Paul Jenkins joins us to discuss his upcoming Deadman Arc kicking off the new DC Universe Presents that starts in September . We also talk about several new Marvel mini series that begin this week. Ka-Zar , Captain America and The All Winners Squad and a series of Thor One shots. Jenkins has interesting character challenges for all, and shares his point of view on telling stories for each of these heroes.
We also talk about past works like The Sentry and Captain Marvel's Civil War Return, and Paul gives an eye opening perspective on how a writer starts telling one story that becomes something quite different after the Marvel Universe status quo changes. Plus Paul has news about a new The Darkness video game, and other video projects like the upcoming web series Shelf Life.

Friday, June 03, 2011

DC's Reboot w Art and Franco! and Moonstone Books Lori Gentile

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An informal conversation about DC's Big news this week. A reimagining of the DCU? 52 new titles? What parts of continuity stays, and what goes? The Tiny Titans team of Art Baltazar and Franco! are huge DCU fans, and as in the dark as we are! They wonder with me about the intersting posibilities.

Then from Moonstone Books, Lori Gentile is here to promote Saturday's FREE Fantasy Con in Kankakee IL's Public Library. A great one day event with a good line-up of comic book writers and artists. Plus we discuss the new Moonstone short story collection CHICKS IN CAPES featuring super heroine stories and art from comic women like Trinna Robbins, Barbara Randall Kesel, Emily Stone and Nicola Scott.