Howard Chaykin

The celebrated graphic novel, Lucas Wars, chronicles the hero's journey George Lucas endured to create the original Star Wars movie. We dive deep into the craft with the novel's Parisian creators, Laurent Hopman & Renaud Roche!

From the alleyways of Gotham City in Batman Comics to the streets of Manhattan on NBC’s Law & Order, few writers bridged comics, animation, film, and television as successfully as Gerry Conway. He shaped modern comics with landmark runs on Amazing Spider-Man, Justice League, Batman, Firestorm, and countless others. And as creator and co-creator of enduring icons including The Punisher, Killer Croc, Firestorm, and Jason Todd-Robin, this trailblazer brought humanity, consequence, and emotional realism to sequential storytelling in ways that ripple to today. As the entertainment world mourns his recent passing, Batguys Return presents our conversation on the craft.

Haley Newsome, aka "LavenderTowne" is a highly successful independent artist with millions of online followers across YouTube, Instagram, and multiple artist sites. She's part of the new guard of young creators who use the tools that the modern world gives to reach a whole new world of fans. We sat down with her to hear how it happened, and how she does it.

NSFW Language Warning! Howard Chaykin is a Writer & Artist who pushes boundaries and pulls no punches in both mainstream and creator-owned comics. From the very first Star Wars comics adaptation to his original series American Flagg! & Time Squared, with network and syndicated television shows in between, he’s got distinctive style on the page and off. He is also, bless him, a poet laureate of colorful epithets — before listening, please remove all children…like, to the next state. Then hurry back because you’re about to learn a lot from a true master!

Artist Lynn Johnston is the creator of For Better or For Worse, the beloved daily comic strip featured for decades in newspapers worldwide. This episode, we plunge into the world of comic strips, newspaper syndication, and what it's like to be an artist before, during - and even after - wild success in newsprint.

Part 2 of 2. Klaus Janson is an artist eminence who is best known for his collaboration with Frank Miller on Daredevil and The Dark Knight Returns. In fact he knows how to do every comics creative role from writing to pencilling to inking and coloring. He’s revered amongst colleagues and students alike for his skill and insights. He welcomed Gorf to his Manhattan studio where, surrounded by the tools of his trade and framed original artwork, they had an expansive one-on -one discussion that… well, listen for yourselves!

Part 1 of 2. Klaus Janson is an artist eminence who is best known for his collaboration with Frank Miller on Daredevil and The Dark Knight Returns. In fact he knows how to do every comics creative role from writing to pencilling to inking and coloring. He’s revered amongst colleagues and students alike for his skill and insights. He welcomed Gorf to his Manhattan studio where, surrounded by the tools of his trade and framed original artwork, they had an expansive one-on -one discussion that… well, listen for yourselves!

Part 2 of 2. The conversation continues with Part 2: Jim Shooter (R.I.P.) was the youngest writer in DC Comics history (13 years old!), and later the Editor-In-Chief at Marvel Comics during a seminal period of upheaval and evolution. Jim gave us the full spread of his sharp opinions, no-nonsense insights and professional best practices. We were surprised to learn of his passing shortly after this conversation. This may be one of his very last interviews and we’re grateful we had the opportunity…

Part 1 of 2. Jim Shooter (R.I.P.) was the youngest writer in DC Comics history (13 years old!), and later the Editor-In-Chief at Marvel Comics during a seminal period of upheaval and evolution. Jim gave us the full spread of his sharp opinions, no-nonsense insights and professional best practices. We were surprised to learn of his passing shortly after this conversation. This may be one of his very last interviews and we’re grateful we had the opportunity… (don't miss Part 2...)

Season One of BATGUYS RETURN has begun, with over 20 epic professional-to-professional episodes on the craft and industry of comics and cartooning...or as we like to call it: sequential storytelling. Veteran Batman franchise editor Jordan B. Gorfinkel (Gorf) and sidekick/producer Jeff Thacher plumb the depths of their guests' creative knowledge - and extract war stories you won't hear anywhere else. It's a blend of Scriptnotes and a dash of Inglorious Treksperts - with an ink brush. Stay tuned to this space - same Batguys time...same Batguys channel!