Today's Guest: Steven Paul Leiva, filmmaker, "Will Eisner's The Spirit" cartoon; author, Searching for Ray Bradbury I know a thing or two about comic book artist and American master Will Eisner and his best known character, "The Spirit." I spent almost three years researching and writing the only biography of the man –... Continue Reading →
Legendary cartoonist Joe Kubert’s life rocks biography! PODCAST INTERVIEW
(NOTE: I'm sad to update this 2009 interview with the news that author and comics historian Bill Schelly passed away on September 12 2019. He was 67, You can read a little more about Bill in this blog post by Mark Evanier. Rest in piece, Bill. Thanks for gathering so much history for all... Continue Reading →
Bill Mauldin biographer explores Willie and Joe war years! PODCAST INTERVIEW
Today's Guest: Todd DePastino, biographer, Bill Mauldin: A Life Up Front, Willie & Joe: The WWII Years If you were a dog soldier in World War II, there were probably days when the only thing you had to look forward to was the latest issue of Stars & Stripes and the single-panel cartoons of Bill... Continue Reading →
Michael Uslan + Batman movie rights = boffo B.O.! PODCAST INTERVIEW
Today's Guest: Michael Uslan, executive producer, Batman, Dark Knight movies Kids, if you want to grow up to be a successful executive producer of movies like Michael Uslan ("YOU-slin") did, the key is education – and patience. Lots and lots of patience. Uslan secured the rights to make Batman movies years before Tim Burton,... Continue Reading →
Legendary cartoonist Jules Feiffer explains his Explainers! PODCAST INTERVIEW
The word that comes to mind when I think about the comic strips of Jules Feiffer is this: My Microsoft Word dictionary - hey, it's convenient! - defines it as “the act of speaking while alone, especially when used as a theatrical device that allows a character’s thoughts and ideas to be conveyed to... Continue Reading →
The Ten-Cent Plague sponsored by author David Hajdu! PODCAST INTERVIEW
Run for your lives! Hide the women and children! There’s a Ten-Cent Plague loose upon this fine land! My guest today, David Hajdu, is the author of a new book that – at the very least – probably has the best title of the year, The Ten-Cent Plague: The Great Comic-Book Scare and How... Continue Reading →
Legs McNeil on The Ramones, Spin, Hollywood porno and more! PODCAST INTERVIEW
Today's Guest: Legs McNeil, author, Please Kill Me: The Uncensored Oral History of Punk, I Slept with Joey Ramone When Spin magazine started, its staff included two fascinating characters. First was Bob Guccione, Jr., the magazine’s founder and namesake son of the publisher of Penthouse. And then there was Spin’s senior editor, Legs McNeil. Legs McNeil!?!... Continue Reading →
Will Eisner and PS Magazine expert roundtable discussion! PODCAST INTERVIEW
In the pantheon of comic book masters, Will Eisner’s name is at or near the top of pretty much everyone’s list. He was there at the birth of the genre in the late 1930s – he famously turned down a submission from Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster of a comic book about a character... Continue Reading →
Writer Arie Kaplan: From Speed Racer to Masters of the Comics! PODCAST INTERVIEW
What red-blooded man’s heart doesn’t start racing at the “Speed Racer” theme? My guest today is part of the revival of the immortal Speed Racer. He is IDW comic book writer Arie Kaplan, and with the release of the Wachowski Brothers’ big screen, live action adaptation of the Japanese anime classic, I thought it would... Continue Reading →
Disguised as Clark Kent, Danny Fingeroth can soar! PODCAST INTERVIEW
Danny Fingeroth spends a whole lot of time thinking about superheroes. For several years, he did it as the editor of the Spider-Man group of titles at Marvel Comics. Today, he’s the editor of Write Now! magazine and author of two books that go behind the four-color glory of men in tights. Already the... Continue Reading →