Word Balloon Comics Podcast

Word Balloon Comics Podcast

1 on 1 interview show featuring the creative minds behind Comics TV Film Novels & Animation. Hosted by Chicago Pop Culture expert, John Siuntres

Episodes

February 11, 2026 82 mins
In this episode of Word Balloon, I sit down with longtime DC writer and historian Bob Rozakis for a deep dive into his Bronze Age experiences writing Robin, Teen Titans, Superman, and more during one of the most transitional eras in comics history.

 Bob reflects on crafting character-driven stories at a time when DC was recalibrating its identity, sharing behind-the-scenes insight into working with iconic heroes while balancing cont...
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We review the SAM/DS9 episode, featuring Teen Bar fights a senior staff dinner with a fish that farts and glitter vomit.

This was there idea of an Avery Brooks tribute. At least it was good to see Jake Sisko. 
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February 9, 2026 56 mins
In this episode of Word Balloon, I’m joined by writer Dennis Hopeless for an honest, wide-ranging conversation about career pivots, creative freedom, and why he’s done pitching new ideas to Marvel.

Dennis breaks down what pushed him toward the creator-owned route and why Ignition Press is the right home for his new series Just Brutal. The book flips classic sword-and-sorcery on its head, following a modern family of adventurers who ...
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February 8, 2026 83 mins
The crossover continues as I join Sal Crivelli for Part Two, where the conversation zeroes in on specific creative flashpoints in current comics, and a shared love of pop-culture comfort food. We compare Joe Kelly’s and Zeb Wells’ respective runs on Amazing Spider-Man, breaking down what worked, what frustrated readers, and why Spidey remains one of the toughest characters to steer long-term.

 We also look ahead to the upcoming Supe...
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February 7, 2026 76 mins
In this first half of the Word Balloon / ComicPop crossover, I’m joined by Sal Crivelli for a straight-up, no-nonsense conversation about the current state of comic books, specifically the ongoing competition for readers between Marvel and DC.

We dig into how both publishers are trying to hold attention in a crowded market, what strategies are actually working, and where each company may be losing ground. From creative directions an...
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We kick off with a look under the hood of Speed Racer: Tales from the Road, Richard’s recent one-shot that brings new energy and heart to the iconic franchise. 

 Then we shift gears to SCOOP, his gripping YA graphic novel series that follows teen reporter Sophie Cooper through political intrigue, celebrity secrets, and paranormal mysteries. Part Nancy Drew, part All the President’s Men, and part Buffy, SCOOP is a smart, fun, and soc...
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EDIT- I have included my response to Fmr Heavyweight Champion Deyontay Wilder's Firey UK Interview on the Talk Sport Boxing Podcast, and his delusional accusations that Tyson Fury cheated when he destoryed him in the final bout.

I urge all who are curious to see their interview. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwKZhZywsPQ

Welcome to a special edition of Word Balloon, doubling as a new installment of The Big Bout Podcast, where I get ...
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Garth Ennis has never been interested in playing it safe, and this conversation is a perfect snapshot of why his work still cuts deeper than just about anyone in comics. We dig into Babs from Ahoy Comics, his savage sword-and-sorcery riff that weaponizes absurdity, blood, and pitch-black humor to skewer genre clichés while still delivering the kind of brutal action Ennis fans crave. It’s funny, ferocious, and very deliberately unse...
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February 2, 2026 84 mins
we debate the school debate episode 
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February 1, 2026 60 mins
Recorded live at Cincy Comic Con in September 2014, this panel captures Matt Fraction and Chip Zdarsky at the height of their breakout Image Comics hit Sex Criminals, a book that smashed expectations by blending raunchy comedy, emotional honesty, and high-concept crime storytelling.

Fraction and Zdarsky dig into how Sex Criminals came together, why Image was the perfect home for a book this personal (and this weird), and how humor b...
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Today on Word Balloon, I’m joined by Jim McCann, a creator whose career spans stylish indie storytelling and major superhero runs, and he’s back with something new. Jim joins me to talk about The Other Half, his brand-new detective comic from Ignition Press. It’s a sharp, modern homage to the high-society sleuths of the 1930s and ’40s. Very much in the tradition of Nick and Nora Charles, where glamour, wit, and mystery collide. We ...
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January 30, 2026 117 mins
Today on Word Balloon, I’m joined by two writers who know their way around both classic deduction and deep-cut science fiction as we talk about the Kickstarter for their new novel, Sherlock Holmes: The Southwark Stigmata. This is a project that leans hard into atmosphere, mystery, and character, re-examining Holmes through a darker, more psychologically charged lens, and the Kickstarter is giving readers a chance not just to suppor...
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Mark Waid is back to preview his Superman Spiderman crossover. We talk about Mister Terrific's time dislaced team in Justice League Unlimited with a Tim Drake Batman and Blue Superman . Action Comics and the Superboy Saga , plus The World's Finest team of Superman and Batman and Mark's return to the Flash co-writing with Christopher Cantwell 
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For years, Word Balloon has celebrated comics, pop culture, and the creative voices that shape them. Now, I want to turn the spotlight home, to Chicago radio comedy, a tradition that doesn’t always get its due.

Other cities produced comedy collectives that broke out nationally—groups like The Credibility Gap, The Committee, Ace Trucking Company, and The Firesign Theater. They built reputations that went far beyond their local airwav...
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January 28, 2026 53 mins
Welcome back to E-Motion Sickness, the Love Boat rewatch podcast where we chart the smooth seas, the rough waters, and the truly baffling creative decisions behind one of television’s most unlikely hits.

Today we’re tackling the third Love Boat pilot film,the one where things finally start to feel like The Love Boat we remember. This time around, the puzzle pieces are coming together. Gavin MacLeod and Lauren Tewes finally join the ...
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January 27, 2026 19 mins
The IDW Editors of The Twilight Zone Ellen Boener and Nic Nino talk to me about the new series. It's a great collection of one and done stories that honor the tone and spirit of the iconic show.

Technical issues really messed up the majority of the talk.

Apologies, the arctic weather has been screwing with my streaming ability
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January 26, 2026 83 mins
All aboard for a brand-new podcast that dives headfirst into smooth seas, wild guest stars, and peak pop-culture chaos. E-Motion Sickness: A Love Boat Re-Watch is hosted by John Siuntres and Franco from the Word Balloon Network, and it’s exactly what it sounds like: a loving, clear-eyed, occasionally seasick revisit of The Love Boat, episode by episode.

This isn’t just a recap show. Each episode breaks down the guest stars, the bonk...
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January 26, 2026 92 mins
Today we’re breaking down Starfleet Academy, Episode 3, the episode that really tells us what kind of show this wants to be. The training wheels are off, the characters are starting to lock into focus, and the series finally leans into its core question: what does it actually mean to earn the uniform in a post-Burn, post-myth Federation?

Wraslling with the finer points of the frat wars of the episode special guest Andy Price joins u...
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January 25, 2026 67 mins
Today on Word Balloon, we’re joined by one of the true originals of independent cinema, Lloyd Kaufman, the co-founder and driving force behind Troma Entertainment, the longest-running independent film studio in the world and the home of cult classics like The Toxic Avenger and Class of Nuke ’Em High.

For more than five decades, Lloyd has made movies completely on his own terms, low budget, high attitude, zero apologies. In this conv...
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January 24, 2026 63 mins
Taking a short break with ny voice and letting my colaborator and friend Eoin, host this edition of Word Balloon with an episode of his podcast Creator In Conversation.

On this episode of Creator in Conversation, we’re sitting down with two voices from very different ends of the comics spectrum-Eoin McAuley, the head of Lightning Strike Comics out of Ireland, and a true legend of the medium, Frank Miller.

This isn’t a nostalgia lap o...
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