a few thoughts

Eric is writing the new Bizarro Year None with Kevin Smith and Nick Pitarra. Think of it as the reverse mirror image of All Star Superman. It's Jimmy Olsen and Perry White trapped in a very dark Bizarro World held by a very evil Bizarro.Wealso reflect on Eric's workon the Supergirl TV show and his thoughts on the upcoming movie, His work on Masters Of The Universe Revelations, with the new film coming up. Plus new animation with Zack Snyder and a look back at Justice League Action. 

In Part 2, Mike Carlin dives deeper into his defining years at DC Comics, sharing behind-the-scenes stories from his time shaping Superman and reflects on co-editing the landmark Marvel vs. DC alongside Mark Gruenwald, which led to the wild creative experiment of Amalgam Comics. From there, Carlin discusses his role as DC’s animation liaison from 2010 to 2011, helping bridge the gap between comics and screen on a range of shows and films, as well as his contributions to the energetic DC Nation Shorts.Plus collaborating with Jerry Ordway on The Power Of Shazam. Revistiting his run as a writer on Star Trek comics, including the first Star Trek: The Next Generation miniseries He even brings things full circle with recent work in Mad Magazine, proving his voice in comics remains as sharp and versatile as ever.

In Part 1 of this conversation, Mike Carlin takes us back to where it all began, starting with his 1974 internship at DC Comics under legendary editor Julius Schwartz and the early lessons that shaped his editorial instincts. Carlin then charts his path into Marvel Comics, breaking in through the irreverent Crazy Magazine before landing as an assistant editor under Mark Gruenwald, where he worked on powerhouse titles like Thor and Captain America.Then he takes us to the jump to DC where his legendary run as Supermn editor began. It is a candid, ground-level look at Carlin’s formative years, learning the craft, navigating the bullpen, and building the foundation for a career that would eventually reshape Superman and beyond.

Some musings about current headlines. The Supergirl Moview franchise reboots, He-Man Star Wars Dr Who Sherlock Holmes and more. 

Worlds collide in a special podcast crossover as Word Balloon teams up with Comic Book Couples Counseling for a funny insightful conversation . 

We discuss the moonshot, andI can't help but think about apollo days. Keith promotes Green Hornet Noir City from Moonstone Books, and we talk about his TV essays at Reactor Magazine and many other short stories in current magazines, like Weirdi Tales. 

Today on Word Balloon, I’m talking with a creator who’s carving out his own lane between nostalgia, genre chaos, and straight-up adrenaline storytelling, Curt Pires. From his breakout fantasy hit Lost Fantasy at Image Comics: a monster-slaying throwback with serious momentum thanks to artist Luca Casalanguida. To the hyperviolent sexy cosmic trip parody of Galactic at DSTLRY with Amilcar Pinna, Curt’s work is all about big swings and bold humor. Now he’s leveling up again with Fireborn, co-written with musician Franklin Jonas and drawn by Patrick Mulholland. It's a neon-charged, ’90s comics and 32-bit video game fever dream about a billionaire’s reckless son fused with a dragon egg in the heart of New York City. We’ll talk about the evolution of his storytelling, the energy behind these books, and why Fireborn might be his wildest ride yet.

The Beasts Of Berwyn joined ne live on stage to discuss their careers and their excellent Saturday night show on METV 

SCTV Head Writer Dave Thomas joined to to discuss writing comedy, his love for Superman and  promoting his sci-fi comedy book we wrote with Max Allen Collins 

For Part 2 of my conversation on radio sketch comedy, we’re diving deeper with one of the true architects of the form, Phil Proctor from The Firesign Theatre. Long before podcasts made audio storytelling cool again, Firesign was bending minds and blowing up the rules with albums like Don't Crush That Dwarf, Hand Me the Pliers. Layered, surreal, and way ahead of its time. For anyone like me who grew up obsessed with what you could do with sound, characters, and pure imagination, Phil wasn’t just part of the act,he helped invent the language. In this second round, we go even deeper into the craft, the chaos, and the lasting influence of audio comedy that still echoes today.