Book Club Absolute Martian Manhunter

From 2024 Chicago Playwright Mark Pracht, and his actors who playedd Stan Lee and Jack Kirby discuss his play The House Of Ideas. 

Today on Word Balloon, comics legends Larry Lieber and Danny Fingeroth join us for a fun and imaginative conversation about Larry’s new prose novel Chirps. The story centers on Chirps, a mutant budgie who can think and speak like a human being. Alongside his billionaire industrialist friend, Chirps finds himself pursued by dangerous forces determined to capture him and exploit the secrets behind his extraordinary intelligence. The novel blends science fiction adventure, humor, and old-school pulp storytelling in a way that feels very true to Larry’s classic comic book roots.And what roots they are. Larry was one of the foundational writers of the early Marvel Universe, scripting the very first adventures of Iron Man, Thor, and Ant-Man. He also wrote countless giant monster stories during Marvel’s pre-superhero era, including the first appearance of Groot, and chronicled dozens of western adventures starring Rawhide Kid. Larry talks about creating the world and personality of Chirps, writing prose instead of comics, and building suspense around a tiny feathered hero caught between powerful allies and ruthless enemies.Danny Fingeroth helps provide additional context throughout the conversation, including stories about working under Larry during their time together in the Marvel UK office and firsthand observations of Larry’s quiet but enormously influential role in Marvel history. Along the way, the conversation naturally drifts into comics history, Marvel memories, editorial war stories, and Larry’s remarkable body of work as one of the key creative figures from the early Marvel era.

Today on Word Balloon, we welcome educator, writer, and pop culture historian Stanford Carpenter to talk about this year’s Comicpalooza happening Memorial Day weekend in Houston.Stanford gives us a preview of some of the convention’s standout programming, including an exciting panel on the history and cultural impact of Blaxploitation cinema featuring acclaimed writer David F. Walker and legendary film icon Pam Grier. From films like Coffy and Foxy Brown to the influence those movies still have on comics, action films, music, and modern genre storytelling, the discussion promises to be one of the weekend’s highlights.We also talk about Comicpalooza’s growing reputation as one of the country’s most eclectic fan conventions, blending comics, film, television, gaming, and academic pop culture discussion into one massive event. Stanford shares what makes the show unique and why these kinds of historical and cultural conversations matter just as much as the celebrity appearances and entertainment news.

Playwright and Director Josh Chamberlin has created a new play exploring the partnership of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby playing this June at the Fringe Festival in Los Angeles. We talk about their iconic collaboration, and the behind the scenes conflict, over the decadesThis episode includes AI-generated content.

Ceasar and I star in this little playlet about a safe heist gone wrong. 

Back in 2016, Word Balloon welcomed the late great satirist and comedy legend Tony Hendra for a fascinating conversation that covered everything from modern political comedy to the birth of some of the most influential comedy institutions of the last fifty years.Tony joined us to promote the comedy album Are There Any Triggers Out There?, but the discussion quickly became a remarkable tour through his own comedy history. Hendra was one of the founding creative voices behind National Lampoon and The National Lampoon Radio Hour, which became the first national sketch comedy showcase for performers like Gilda Radner, Christopher Guest, John Belushi, Bill Murray, and many other future comedy giants before their rise on Saturday Night Live and beyond.Tony also co-wrote National Lampoon's Lemmings, the legendary off-Broadway stage parody of Woodstock and youth culture that became a launching pad for many of the same performers and helped define the aggressive, counterculture edge of 1970s American comedy. We also talked about Tony’s years at Cambridge Footlights, where he performed sketch comedy alongside future Monty Python members John Cleese and Graham Chapman during a revolutionary era for British comedy.And of course, fans know Tony best on screen as the hilariously exasperated Ian Faith, manager of This Is Spinal Tap, delivering some of the film’s most quotable moments while trying to hold together the world’s most disastrous rock band.It’s a funny, insightful conversation with one of comedy’s sharpest and most influential voices

Welcome to another Word Balloon League Bendis Discord Book Club conversation, as Brian Michael Bendis and I gather with our dedicated Word Balloon listeners and Discord members for a live Zoom chat all about Absolute Martian Manhunter, written by Deniz Camp with stunning artwork by Javier Rodríguez.It’s a real back-and-forth with passionate readers digging into the themes, storytelling, artwork, and big ideas behind the series. This time, the spotlight is on one of DC’s boldest new reinterpretations of Martian Manhunter, with Camp and Rodríguez delivering a visually inventive and psychologically layered take on the character.Brian also shares his perspective as both a longtime creator and fan, while our League members bring sharp observations, theories, and reactions from the latest issues. It’s funny, smart, nerdy, and exactly the kind of comics conversation Word Balloon was built for.

Artist Mike Perkins returns to Word Balloon to talk about The Bat-Man: Second Knight, now available in graphic novel format. Mike breaks down the visual approach behind this 2nd series set in 1939, collaborating with writer Dan Jurgens, and the challenge of capturing a dark pulp-era Gotham through his detailed painted style. We also discuss Mike’s artistic process, from layouts and reference work to balancing mood, storytelling, and page design.Plus, Mike gives a preview of his upcoming new Vertigo project with Ram V. The conversation also dives into Mike’s lifelong love of Marvel UK, and 2000 AD, growing up on British comics, and what it meant to finally draw Judge Dredd in collaboration with legendary creator John Wagner. 

Today on Word Balloon, we welcome writer Steve Darnall to talk about his new prose adaptation of Marvels, the landmark series created by Kurt Busiek and Alex Ross that redefined how readers looked at the Marvel Universe. The new novel with new cover and illustrations by Alex  is out in the next 2 weeks from Abrahms. Steve has a long history with Alex Ross, including their acclaimed collaboration on DC's Uncle Sam, and he also played an important role in the original Marvels project itself, co-writing the Marvels #0 story that explored the origin of Human Torch, the Golden Age android hero Jim Hammond. We talk about translating Ross’s iconic painted imagery and Busiek’s emotional storytelling into prose form, revisiting the history of the Marvel Universe through the eyes of ordinary people, and what it was like working alongside Ross during the formative years of some of his most celebrated projects. It’s a great conversation about comics history, superhero mythology, and the lasting influence of Marvels.

It's a very special Scene Missing as Actress and stunt performer Tatiana Neva joins Word Balloon to talk about her new espionage thriller Prey Of Wrath, now streaming free on XUMO, alongside martial arts legend Cynthia Rothrock.Neva discusses the physical and emotional challenges of making the indie action thriller, balancing fight choreography with character work, and what it takes to bring intensity to a modern spy story on a tight schedule. We also talk about her wide-ranging career in television and genre entertainment, including appearances on The Mindy Project and her many turns portraying comic book characters like Catwoman, Domino, and Black Widow in various film projects. It’s a fun conversation about action filmmaking, stunt work, superhero fandom, and building a career across indie film and pop culture entertainment.