Lloyd Kaufman Of Troma Films

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 conversation, we talk about how Troma survived outside the Hollywood system, why embracing the underground still matters, what it really takes to stay independent, and how creativity thrives when you stop waiting for permission. This isn’t just a trip through cult-film history, it’s a master class in doing it yourself and sticking around long enough to prove it works

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 or a greatest-hits rundown. It’s a real conversation about storytelling, creative risk, influence, and how the medium keeps evolving,sometimes uncomfortably, sometimes brilliantly. We talk process, career arcs, the weight of legacy, and what it actually means to keep creating when expectations are sky-high and the industry never stops shifting.

Jeremy Haun joins Word Balloon for a timely, wide-ranging conversation about creator ownership, publishing independence, and the moment The Beauty is having right now. With The Beauty debuting this week as an FX/Hulu television series produced by Ryan Murphy, Jeremy breaks down how the show translates his original Image Comics series to the screen, what stayed true, what changed, and why those differences actually matter. It’s an honest look at adaptation, collaboration, and letting a story evolve without losing its core. From there, the conversation shifts to the launch of Ignition Press: why Jeremy helped build a new publisher, what gaps he sees in the current comics landscape, and how Ignition plans to support creator-owned projects from concept to long-term success. Jeremy is candid about the realities of adaptation, the lessons learned from The Beauty, and why betting on bold, creator-driven ideas is more important now than ever. If you care about where comics, TV, and creator ownership intersect, this episode hits the sweet spot.

Van Jensen joins Word Balloon for a wide-ranging conversation about genre, adaptation, and why the best stories don’t play it safe. We dig into God Fall, Van’s epic, faith-shaking fantasy novel series that’s now being developed as a television project by Ron Howard and Imagine. Van breaks down what drew Hollywood to the property, how the story’s mix of theology, rebellion, and cosmic war translates to the screen, and what he hopes survives the adaptation intact.From there, we zoom out on Van’s knack for genre splicing—stories that take familiar frameworks and twist them into something sharper and stranger. That includes his IDW comic Godzilla: Heist, which turns the King of the Monsters into the centerpiece of a crime caper, and his take on Pinocchio, which leans far closer to the original, darker fairy tale than the softened Disney version most people know. It’s a conversation about respecting myth, bending expectations, and trusting readers—and viewers—to follow bold ideas wherever they lead.

Today on the show, I’m joined by one of the most influential visual storytellers in modern comics, Charlie Adlard. Best known as the co-architect of The Walking Dead, Charlie helped redefine what long-form horror could look like on the page, grounding the apocalypse in raw humanity, brutal choices, and unforgettable imagery that fueled a global phenomenon across comics, television, and pop culture.Now Charlie is turning the page with a powerful new graphic novel, Altamont, a deeply personal and atmospheric work that strips everything down to essentials: memory, loss, place, and the quiet weight of time. Altamont was the location for the infamous tragic 1969 concert that claimed the life of a fan, by the hands of a security person. We’ll talk about the origins of Altamont,and how it reflects where he is creatively today. We’ll also look back at The Walking Dead itself: how lightning struck, why it connected so deeply with readers, what surprised him most about its rise, and how he views the legacy of the series now that the dust has settled.

School is in sessio with new characters and old Disco folk. What did our crew members think?

Brad Meltzer is back talking comics and his amazing novels. You ever hold a book in your hand and feel like the world just flipped on its axis? That’s what happens when Brad drops a thriller. And today? We’ve get the lowdown on The Viper — the latest, pulse-pounding, turn-every-page thriller that just hit bookstores and is already getting the kind of buzz most authors only dream about. It's a bizzare case for Nola Brown, High stakes. Deep conspiracies. Characters you swear are real. That’s classic Meltzer — smart, sharp, unrelenting — and The Viper delivers in spades.But if you think that’s big… wait for this. Brad Meltzer is stepping into an entirely new arena. A crossover that nobody saw coming — a collision of icons that will shake the comics world to its core. He’s writing Spider-Man/Superman — yes, Spider-Man and Superman — in an unprecedented crossover event for Marvel, dropping mid-April. Two universes. Two legends. One story. And Brad is the architect. So buckle up, because whether you’re here for the thriller or the superhero spectacle, Brad Meltzer just flipped the script — again.

Today we’re dialing it up with one of the most provocative, inventive voices in comics: Tom King. We’re breaking down all the big news around Tom’s upcoming DC slate — including the Mister Miracle animated project that’s turning heads with its bold reimagining of Scott Free, and the fresh twists he’s bringing to Lanterns that are already reshaping the mythos of the emotional spectrum. Yep, we’re talking what it means for the future of the DCU, what fans can expect, and why these books matter beyond just explosions and capes.But we’re not stopping there. Later in the show: Archie Movie Roundup — we’re diving into what’s next for Archie on the big screen, how the classic juggernaut’s Hollywood evolution is playing out, and what it means for the Riverdale universe and beyond. We’ll also take a hard look back at classic movies that shaped storytelling — old favorites, hidden gems, and the films that keep influencing creators today.Plus: The usual deep dive into craft, comics philosophy, life lessons from panels and pages, and the sort of honest, sharp talk only you’ll hear right here. 

It's a new King's speech with writer Tom King We open with breaking ground on the big screen. Tom King talks about the upcoming Supergirl movie and how his Eisner-winning comic Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow became the creative DNA for the film. In Trinity, Tom breaks down the core idea behind the series—using time travel not as a gimmick, but as a way to finally let Wonder Woman’s daughter Lizzie truly know her father. Through fractured timelines and lived-in moments, Lizzie comes to understand Steve Trevor not as a legend or a memory, but as a man. It’s personal, it’s intfilm, imate, and it reframes the Trinity legacy in a way that sticks. We also widen the lens and talk Wonder Woman herself—what she represents now, what she’s always represented, and why writing her requires a different emotional frequency than almost any other character in comics. And yes—we go there. Tom is candid about his lingering regret in the Bat-corner of the DC Universe: Alfred Pennyworth is still gone, and Tom reflects on the weight of that decision, the permanence of death in superhero storytelling, and how it continues to haunt his run on Batman. This is a thoughtful, honest, and creative deep dive—less about plot mechanics, more about legacy, consequence, and emotion. 

This special episode commemorates the 60th anniversary of the groundbreaking ABC television series Batman, the pop-culture lightning bolt that turned comic books into primetime spectacle and permanently rewired how superheroes could be portrayed on screen. I share a couple of professional and personal encounters with "The Bright Knight" But, at the heart of the episode is a rare 2016 interview with the late, great Adam West, recorded not long before his passing. West reflects candidly on stepping into the cape and cowl, navigating the razor-thin line between sincerity and satire, and why playing Batman seriously—even when the world was laughing—was the key to the show’s success. He discusses:How the series embraced comic-book logic without mocking itThe cultural shockwave of Batmania in the 1960sThe unexpected responsibility of becoming Batman to generations of fansWhy the role followed him for life—and why he ultimately embraced that legacyThis episode isn’t just a celebration of a TV show. It’s a tribute to an era, a performance, and a philosophy of heroism that proved Batman could be smart, strange, colorful, and iconic—all at the same time. Six decades later, the Bat-signal still shines. And Adam West is a big reason why. 🦇