Comic Book Historians

Alex Grand and co-host Jim Thompson interview Jim Shooter in a career spanning biography.  Travel thru his youth as Mort Weisinger's 14- year-old apprentice created the  rogue's gallery of the Legion of Superheroes, Princess Projectra, #KarateKid,  Ferro Lad's death & intended race,  drew layouts with his scripts for DC artists Gil Kane, Wally Wood, and Neal Adams, Captain Action teaching him Toy-Comics synergy, ...

David Armstrong interviewed Platinum and Golden Age great, Creig Flessel in 1998 on set at Long Island, New York about his early training in the Grand Central Art School, his entry into comic books in the mid 1930s with Vincent Sullivan on More Fun Comics for Major Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson's National Allied Publications, his covers for Detective Comics, other artists like Leo O'Mealia, Bert Christman, Jerry Siegel and Jo...

David Armstrong interviewed Golden Age great, Joe Simon in 1998 on set at San Diego Comic Con about his entry into Hearst comic strips in the 1930s, comic books in Funnies Inc and becoming Timely/Marvel Comics' first editor, meeting Jack Kirby at Victor Fox comics, Wonder Comics with Will Eisner's Wonder Man, Eisner and Iger's split, creating Captain America, leaving Timely for DC Comics, his relationship with Jack L...

In 1955, comic book companies were struggling to stay afloat after a rough five years of censorship, a changing readership, and the invention of television. During an editorial meeting at National Periodical Publications, somebody suggested bringing back the company’s superheroes. National settled on a redesign of an old character—The Flash—and the world would never be the same. This created Marvel Comics and the Marvel Age. Michae...

Panel description: Before Gotham had shadows, writer Bill Finger cast them. Comics scholar Alex Grand (*Understanding Superhero Comic Books*) moderates a lively conversation with Athena Finger (Bill’s granddaughter and advocate), historian Bill Field (Field of Comics), and playwright/filmmaker Leonard Schwartz (Bill Finger: Rise of the Bat), and now with Mark Evanier (Bill Finger Awards). Together we trace Finger’s career across co...

Rob Liefeld returns to the CBH podcast talking about Youngblood hitting its stride, Extreme Studios becomes a hothouse of new series: Brigade, Bloodstrike, and nearly two dozen more, all while he mentors rising talents Dan Fraga, Norm Rapmund and more. Mounting costs inside Image spark sharp discussions with Jim Lee, Todd McFarlane, and Mark Silvestri, nudging Liefeld to open Maximum Press for experiments like Battlestar Galactica ...

Alex Grand and co-host Jim Thompson interview Don McGregor on his career in a final fourth of a four parter discussing his work with Dean Mullaney at Eclipse, Ragamuffins, working at DC Comics with Nathaniel Dusk, Julius Schwartz, Dragonflame with David Anthony Kraft, work for hire with Marvel, Black Panther's Quest for Marvel Comics Presents, Detectives Inc sequel with Gene Colan, the Detectives Inc Movie, Topps, Zorro, Dracu...

Alex Grand and co-host Jim Thompson interview comic writer Don McGregor, in a third parter on discussing Black Panther fighting the KKK, antagonism with editorial, Archie Goodwin & Jim Shooter, the personal issues he was dealing with in the middle to later 1970s that affected his writing output, writing Michael Golden's first Marvel work, Dagger, and Sabre with Eclipse.  Images used in artwork ©Their Respective Copyright h...

Ditkoverse publications are here: http://www.igg.me/at/ditkoverse1

Alex Grand speaks with Steve Ditko’s nephew, Mark Ditko, and longtime Ditko collaborator Mort Todd about their DitkoVerse publishing venture, a project dedicated to “remastering” and re-presenting classic Steve Ditko stories in high-quality editions . They describe their upcoming Indiegogo campaign, which kicks off a broader plan to keep Ditko’s independent...

David Armstrong interviewed Golden Age great and Graphic Novelist, Will Eisner in 1997 on set at San Diego Comic Con about the early history of comic books, comic strip reprints, his entry into comics, WOW What A Magazine!, his partnership with Jerry Iger, the growing concept of early comic books with original material, starting the Eisner and Iger shop, partnering with Everett M. Arnold at Quality Comics on the Spirit Newspaper In...

Alex Grand & Filippo Marzo interview Jerry Ordway for an hour in a co-interview process where the english version is here at Comic Book Historians, and the italian version is at Comics Reporter.  Jerry is asked about his DC Comics career highlights from the 1980s through the 2000s with All-Star Squadron and Infinity Inc with Roy Thomas, Crisis on Infinite Earths with George Perez, Adventures of Superman with Marv Wolfman and Jo...

Alex Grand and co-host Jim Thompson interview Bob Hall part 2, from his early days as a comic reader, his University education in Theatre, his turned in first work for Charlton Comics, studying at the John Buscema Comic Art School, getting into Marvel under editor Archie Goodwin, then under new editor-in-chief Jim Shooter, the Yellowjacket Wasp story, Squadron Supreme with Mark Gruenwald, co-creating West Coast Avengers, Emperor Do...

Craig Yoe’s biographical interview highlights his creative journey through personal struggles and reinvention, who transforms adversity into creativity while remaining true to his innovative spirit. He discusses his graphic novel Woman & Man+, a psychedelic reflection on leaving the U.S., a painful divorce, and using art therapy to rebuild his life. Raised in the Midwest, Yoe credits his parents for encouraging his creativity, ...

Alex Grand and co-host Jim Thompson interview Bob Hall, from his early days as a comic reader, his University education in Theatre, his turned in first work for Charlton Comics, studying at the John Buscema Comic Art School, getting into Marvel under editor Archie Goodwin, then under new editor-in-chief Jim Shooter, the Yellowjacket Wasp story, Squadron Supreme with Mark Gruenwald, co-creating West Coast Avengers, Emperor Doom, Val...

In today's special episode, Alex Grand and Bill Field delve into a fascinating phone conversation from August 27, 1994, between comic book historian and writer, Steve Ringgenberg and the legendary fantasy artist Frank Frazetta. Steve Ringgenberg, known for his deep knowledge and contributions to the comic book industry, chats with Frazetta about his then-upcoming projects and his return to comics, albeit in a supervisory role.

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Alex Grand interviewed Rob Liefeld for the Comic Book Historians Podcast, a key figure in the revolution of comic books in the 1990s, known for his intense storytelling and artistic impact. The conversation focuses on Liefeld’s approach to comics, particularly his efforts to inject fun and boldness into his work, drawing inspiration from his inner child and childhood influences like Jack Kirby. Liefeld discusses how his passion for...

David Armstrong interviewed Golden & Silver Age great, Jim Mooney in 1997 on set at San Diego Comic Con about his entry into pulp magazines like Weird Tales, meeting Julius Schwartz and Mort Weisinger, entering comic books in the early 1940s with Fiction House, Ace Magazines and Timely, meeting Golden Age publishers like Victor Fox, entering DC Comics under Whitney Ellsworth, his friendship with Stan Lee, working on Spider-Man,...

David Armstrong interviewed Golden Age great, Irwin Hasen in 1999 on set at San Diego Comic Con about his entry into comic books in the late 1930s, illustrating sports figures for newspapers including an interesting experience at the Daily Worker, working for Harry Chesler, covers for DC Comics, rivalry with Shelley Mayer,  contributing to the Justice Society of America, working with Bill Finger, Alex Toth and a tense situation at ...

I'm thrilled to share something truly special with you. Writing my book was a seven-year journey, culminating not just in publication but also in an audiobook that's now available, thanks to an option I discovered with my publisher. Encouraged by my friend, Eric Bailey, I decided to lend my voice to the project. Leveraging years of experience from producing and audio engineering the Comic Book Historians podcast, I poured...