The Short Box Podcast: A Comic Book Talk Show

This episode was recorded at Heroes Con 2025! 

Brad & Lisa Gullickson, hosts of the Comic Book Couples Counseling podcast, found time away from the busy convention floor to join me to talk about their first time experiencing Heroes Con. We discussed everything from the people we met, the art and merch we saw, the comics we found, white whale interviews, married couples in comics, building and finding community, and our favorite ...

Mark Spears, the artist behind the breakout horror hit: MARK SPEARS MONSTERS, joins The Short Box to talk about his rise from rejection to recognition. He unpacks the eerie origins of MONSTERS, and his early journey of trying to break into comics, as well as the cult-favorite (and sold-out!) MONSTERS trading cards, becoming Dynamite's go-to cover guy, his first sold-out comic con appearance, and how a self-made horror project ...

Fan-favorite sci-fi comic writer: Zack Kaplan is back on the show for his third appearance to talk about his upcoming Masterminds comic (coming out through Darkhorse in August), the success of Kill All Immortals, the experience of comic to TV adaptations, and the freedom that comes with creator-owned comics. 

LINKS: 

• Watch the uncut video version of this episode, here, and subscribe on YouTube for more video content!
• Join our Patr...

IDW Comic Editor: Jake Williams, is on the show to talk about the new Godzilla comic book shared-universe: The Kai-Sei Era. It's an ambitious project which brings three new Godzilla comics series to life this summer: Godzilla, Godzilla: Escape The Deadzone, and Starship Godzilla. Jake spills the beans on what fans can expect from each series, what it's like working with TOHO and abiding by the "Godzilla Rules", ...

Greg Weisman, the creator and producer of the hit Disney cartoon series: Gargoyles, is on the podcast to talk about his new comic series: Gargoyles: Demona, and shares some details about the upcoming Gargoyles/ Fantastic Four crossover! Greg also shares some stories from working on shows like Young Justice, Gargoyles, and Star Wars: Rebels, and on comics like Star Wars: Kanan and The Spectacular Spider-Men, and explains how he navi...

Here's something a little different from normal, thanks to our awesome Patronies, we had a fun mail bag episode and talked about everything from the Superman Trailer, Andor season two, new comics, mental health, and MCU's Phase 5 lineup. 

Also, welcome to our newest Patrons: Dave Wilson, Kyle Conway, and Goncalo Fortes!

Part two of this conversation dropping soon on Patreon.com/theshortbox! 

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Invincible Co-Creators, Robert Kirkman and Ryan Ottley are reunited once again for the brand-new Invincible Universe: Battle Beast series. (The first issue is in comic shops today!) Kirkman and Ottley reflect on the making of Battle Beast, the success of the Invincible animated show, their favorite Image Comic characters and creators, and talk about what fans can expect from this new Invincible comic.

LINKS: 

• Watch the uncut vide...

Comic writer and filmmaker, Kyle Higgins, joins the show to talk about the return of Radiant Black, and it's new Rebuild Arc. Kyle also shares details about the upcoming Radiant Black Audiobook (featuring Rider Strong & Will Friedle!), working with Dan mora on Immortal Legend Batman, hanging out with Kid Cudi, and talks about what's next for the indie superhero shared universe: Massive-Verse. 

LINKS: 

• Watch the...

Ben Kingsbury (Gotham City Limit Comic Shop) joins the show to talk about this year's Free Comic Book Day event (taking place Saturday, May 3rd). We discuss how GCL is celebrating the event, the free comics that will be available, the state of the comic book industry, hope for James Gunn's Superman movie, and the best comics to be collecting right now. We also discuss how Diamond Comic's bankruptcy could possibly cha...

Al Letson — award-winning journalist, Godzilla: Monarch writer, and Emmy winning host of Reveal — joins the show to talk about his upcoming DC Comics debut: Mr. Terrific: Year One. We dive into the emotional inspiration behind the series, the differences between writing for TV and comics, and how Al is redefining Michael Holt’s origin story—just in time for the character’s live-action debut in Superman this summer. 

Order Mister Ter...

The Short Box is the best way to get your weekly dose of comic shop vibes without ever leaving the house! Join your host, Badr Milligan, every Wednesday, for news, reviews, and interviews about comic books and comic culture, and hear exclusive conversations with the top comic creators in the world. 

Join the Short Box Nation on Patreon.com/theshortbox to listen to bonus episodes and get other exclusive perks!

We read Fan Ma...

Battle Quest Comics Publisher, and writer, Andrew Kafoury stops by the show to talk about navigating Diamond Comics Distribution and the direct market as an indie publisher, creating fantasy/ sci-fi stories for all ages, and teaching morality through comics. He also gives an in-depth look into the Battle Quest line of comics. Check out the titles we talk about, here: https://battlequestcomics.com/comics/ 

LINKS: 

• Watch the uncut ...

This episode was originally released last month for our Patrons: Drew and I talked about a new shop in town (Black Cat Comics), buying wall comics, the upcoming Marvel & DC crossover, and we also reviewed the first two episodes of Daredevil: Born Again (SPOILERS!)

Listen to our latest bonus episode, talking about the first issue of Hush 2: HERE, 

Become a Patron of the show and get all the bonus episodes as soon as they drop! Try...

Writer-slash-artist, Tim Seeley, is on the show this week to talk about his new comic projects, including:  Red Sonja vs Army of Darkness crossover (in shops April 9th) and Peacemaker Presents: The Vigilante / Eagly Double Feature, and his experience teaching art at Columbia College, tips for collecting original comic art (check out Panel Punk Comics Originals), the upcoming Revival television show, finding inspiration from 90s Ima...

David Harper (Off Panel, SKTCHD) is back on the show this week to talk all things manga! We discuss how we both got into manga, the manga we're reading, what we've learned about the art form, and explore some key differences and similarities between Manga and Western comics.

Artwork by Salva Makoto

Read David's articles about manga: Here and here

LINKS: 

• Subscribe on YouTube, and watch the uncut video vers...

Longtime comic writer, and animation scribe, Joe Casey (Superman, X-Men, Avengers, Wildcats) joins the show this week to talk about his upcoming Space Ghost & Jonny Quest crossover comic: Space Quest (issue one available 4/23!). Joe also recounts how he broke into the comic industry, and talks about the influence of Hanna-Barbera cartoons, the genius of Alex Toth and Dan Wildey. He pays respect to George Lowe (Space Ghost Coast...

This episode was originally recorded and released in November 2018.

The SBX Crew put Frank Miller and David Mazzuchelli's Marvel classic: Daredevil: Born Again, under the microscope in front of a live audience at Coliseum of Comics! Join Badr, Cesar, Ashley, and Ed as they talk about how the comic came to be, Miller & Mazzuchelli's partnership, and explore the story's religious themes and ever lasting relevance. T...

This is the one you all have been waiting for — the return of Ashley, Cesar, and Ed! The band's back together this week, to celebrate the show's milestone 450th episode. Ashley and Cesar reveal what they've been up to since becoming parents (check out Cesar's band: Peyote Coyote), Ed shares his favorite comics from last year (Final Cut & Dynamite Diva), and we also talk about downsizing and tips for selling ...

Here's a preview of last month's Patreon bonus episode: Badr & Drew answer some questions submitted by listeners about the new Bad Bunny album, Daredevil: Born Again, and politic's place in comics…before going off into some interesting tangents about the ideal comic shop experience, playing Marvel Rivals for the first time, and the ultimate mashup that is Bartkira! 

Check out the full episode, for FREE: Here. And ...