Word Balloon Comics Podcast

Our long nightmare is over...for now.

Dan is back to talk about Superman Unlimited and the big Supes event that starts this Wednessday Reign Of The Superboys with issue 11.We also talk about his upcoming Sipder-Man Noir '38 Superman crossover, in the Marvel version of the event April 15thDan alo previews a new FF story in the Fantastic Four First Foes MCU one shot with Mark Buckingham.plus he teases comic back to a monthly Spidey book, with the return of The Spectacular Spider-Man in May. 

Ahoy again, cruise lovers! Welcome back to E-Motion Sickness, the Word Balloon Love Boat re-watch where Ian Brill Franco and I climb aboard the Pacific Princess and relive the romance, comedy, and wonderfully over-the-top guest stars that made this show a Saturday-night TV institution.Today we’re diving into Season 1, Episode 2, which originally aired October 1st, 1977 — and already you can see the formula that would make The Love Boat a hit for the next decade. Three stories, a boatload of celebrity guest stars, and plenty of romantic chaos on the high seas.First up is “Oh, Dale!” featuring a very young John Ritter, playing a heartbroken guy who sneaks onto the cruise disguised as a woman just to chase after the girlfriend who dumped him — and winds up sharing a cabin with another jilted passenger played by Tovah Feldshuh.Then there’s “The Main Event,” where future Jeffersons legend Sherman Hemsley and comedy powerhouse LaWanda Page play a constantly bickering married couple who suddenly have to confront their relationship when they get trapped together in an elevator.And finally “A Tasteful Affair,” starring Jaclyn Smith and Dennis Cole in a romantic mystery where a woman trying to escape her troubled marriage takes the cruise — unaware that the charming man she’s met on board is actually the private investigator her husband hired to spy on her.It’s classic Love Boat: disguises, romantic misunderstandings, and a cast list that looks like a 1970s TV all-star game. So pour yourself a tropical drink, grab a deck chair, and join us as we revisit John Ritter in drag, elevator warfare with Hemsley and Page, and one of the early Jaclyn Smith appearances just before Charlie’s Angels took off. This is E-Motion Sickness — a Love Boat re-watch — only on Word Balloon.

Along with thoughts on Big Jim and The White Boy, we get into David's upcoming book on Black Cinema, his thoughts on Sinners, in time for the Oscars, and more

Today we’re talking about one of the biggest icons in pop culture, Godzilla, and how the King of the Monsters is stomping his way through comics right now over at IDW. My guest is Jake Williams, the editor guiding the current and upcoming wave of Godzilla books. And if you’ve been paying attention, IDW has been building something really fun in the kaiju corner of the comics world. Bringing in a wide range of creators with very different storytelling styles to tackle the legendary monster.We’ll talk about the current titles and what’s coming next, including past work from creators like Tim Seeley, Van Jensen, Tom Scioli, and more, each bringing their own spin to the mythos. From wild monster battles to sci-fi world-building and some very unexpected takes on the Godzilla universe, there’s a lot going on in these books. Jake also gives us a peek behind the curtain at how the line is being shaped, what it’s like coordinating different creators in the Godzilla sandbox, and how IDW is planning the future of their kaiju comics.

Today on Word Balloon, we’re blasting off with two creators bringing one of science fiction’s most legendary heroes back into orbit. Writer Alex DeCampi and artist Marc Laming have launched a Kickstarter to revive the classic British space adventurer Dan Dare, the Pilot of the Future. For generations, Dan Dare has been a cornerstone of UK science-fiction comics, created by Frank Hampson for the pages of Eagle back in 1950. Think epic space exploration, alien empires, and that clean, bold optimism that made the strip a cultural icon, alongside classic villains like the Mekon. Now DeCampi and Laming are bringing that universe roaring back with a new interpretation funded directly by fans. Today we’re talking about why Dan Dare still matters, how you modernize a legendary character without losing the DNA that made him special, and what they’re building with this Kickstarter campaign. From the story approach to the visual style, and what longtime fans and newcomers can expect.

In this episode, I sit down with cartoonist and longtime Marvel letterer Rick Parker for a wide-ranging conversation about his career in comics and cartooning. Rick spent years lettering at Marvel Comics, working during a fascinating period in the company’s history and contributing his distinctive hand to titles like Amazing Spider-Man and many others. We talk about what lettering at Marvel was really like. How the job worked day-to-day, the production realities of the era, and how lettering quietly shapes the rhythm and storytelling of a comic page.Rick also discusses his creator-owned graphic novel Drafted, a powerful and personal project that reflects his own experiences with the Vietnam draft and military service. It’s a candid look at the book’s origins, the emotional weight behind the story, and why he felt compelled to tell it in comics form.And of course we dig into Rick’s work as an artist, including his run drawing the Beavis and Butt-Head comic book, translating the anarchic MTV characters into comics while keeping their chaotic humor intact.

Today I’m talking with actor, writer, and lifelong comics fan David Dastmalchian. You know David from a ton of great genre work . He played Thomas Schiff in The Dark Knight, Kurt in Marvel’s Ant-Man, and Polka-Dot Man in The Suicide Squad. And horror fans have been raving about his performance as the haunted late-night host Jack Delroy in Late Night with the Devil.But beyond acting, David is also a serious comic book storyteller. This week he’s launching a brand-new graphic novel called Through, created with artist Cat Staggs. It’s a haunting supernatural story that mixes horror, trauma, and redemption in a way that feels very personal to David. We talk about how Through came together, what it was like collaborating with Cat Staggs, and how comics have been part of David’s life long before Hollywood came calling. We also get into his earlier comic work, the influence of classic horror and indie comics on his writing, and of course some stories from the sets of The Dark Knight, Ant-Man, The Suicide Squad, and the breakout horror hit Late Night with the Devil.