Comic Book Historians

 Alex Grand and co-host Jim Thompson interview Michael Dooley, Adjunct Professor of Comics and Animation History at Pasadena’s ArtCenter College of Design and Print Magazine Contributing Editor for the past 20 years. Born in 1948, he discusses his youth as a New Yorker, reading Mad Comics and following the careers of Harvey Kurtzman and his disciples, Robert Crumb and Art Spiegelman. He earned his Design Degree at Pratt, entered his feld of graphic design, and launched a career teaching Comic Art history as well as curating Museum exhibits on the topic. He was involved with Comic Fandom in the ’80s, contributing to The Comics Journal. In this episode he covers a variety of topics, including Kurtzman, Steranko, Sienkiewicz, magazine cartoons, editorial cartoons, political comics, comic strips, adventure comics, alternative comics, graphic novels, and the profession and business of Comics. He also discusses his ArtCenter lectures, which include guests like Howard Chaykin and Bill Sienkiewicz, as well as an updating of his 2005 book, The Education of a Comics Artist. Plus, he recommends great comic academic sources like the Comic Book Historians podcast and YouTube channel videos, wink wink ;).   Images used in artwork ©Their Respective Copyright holders, CBH Podcast ©Comic Book Historians. Thumbnail Artwork ©Comic Book Historians. Support us at https://www.patreon.com/comicbookhistorians

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Alex Grand and co-host Jim Thompson interview former Marvel Editor in Chief, Tom DeFalco in a third of a three parter, where we discuss his reign as Marvel as Editor-in-Chief, his run on the Fantastic Four with artist Paul Ryan, the original vision for the Spider-Man Clone Saga, the Marvel bankruptcy of the mid 1990s, the Clone Saga ending that led to his co-creation of the Amazing Spider-Girl, working with Pat Oliffe, the creation of the MC2 timeline, and his post Marvel work, and returning the Archie.  Edited & Produced by Alex Grand.  Images used in artwork ©Their Respective Copyright holders, CBH Podcast ©Comic Book Historians. Thumbnail Artwork ©Comic Book Historians. Support us at https://www.patreon.com/comicbookhistorians

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Alex Grand and co-host Jim Thompson interview former Marvel Editor in Chief, Tom DeFalco in the second of a three parter, where we discuss his creative contributions to GI Joe, Transformers, Marvel Two In One Thing with Sandman, Peter-Porker/Spider-Ham, Machine Man with Herb Trimpe and Barry Windsor-Smith, writing Amazing Spider-Man with artist Ron Frenz, the Mighty Thor, working under Jim Shooter as Marvel as Editor-in-Chief, his replacement by Tom DeFalco, and the sale of Marvel to Revlon by New World, and Marvel going public. Edited & Produced by Alex Grand. Images used in artwork ©Their Respective Copyright holders, CBH Podcast ©Comic Book Historians. Thumbnail Artwork ©Comic Book Historians. Support us at https://www.patreon.com/comicbookhistorians

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Alex Grand and co-host Jim Thompson interview former Marvel Editor in Chief, Tom DeFalco from his early days reading comics, his comic strip work in college, his meetings with John Goldwater, Louis Silberkleit working at Archie Comics, creating the Archie Digests in 1973, his work at DC with E. Nelson Bridwell including Jimmy Olsen, Superman Family, Starfire, his initial meetings with Denny O'Neil, Marvel Two-In-One at Marvel Comics, Avengers and creating Dazzler with John Romita Jr. Edited & Produced by Alex Grand. Images used in artwork ©Their Respective Copyright holders, CBH Podcast ©Comic Book Historians. Thumbnail Artwork ©Comic Book Historians. Support us at https://www.patreon.com/comicbookhistorians

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Alex Grand moderates an Animation Panel at Dallas Fantasy Fair 2018 interviewing two titans of cartoons, Bob Camp and George Lowe with an overview of their careers.  Bob Camp talks about starting at Marvel Comics working with John Buscema and Larry Hama, moving onto animation, working on cartoons like Thundercats, Real Ghostbusters, Tiny Toon Adventures and Ren and Stimpy.  George Lowe discusses his work as a DJ then as a voice over actor including his work as the main voice in Space Ghost Coast to Coast.  Edited & Produced by Alex Grand.  Ren & Stimpy ©Viacom, Space Ghost ©Warner Bros, CBH Podcast ©Comic Book Historians. Thumbnail Artwork ©Comic Book Historians. Support us at https://www.patreon.com/comicbookhistorians

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Alex Grand and co-host Jim Thompson interview Frank Thorne, born in 1930, he discusses his past and current works, with a career that spans from the late 1940s, utilizing and expanding on inspirations like Alex Raymond, Hal Foster, and Neil O'Keefe, a late 1940s graduate of the Art Career School in Manhattan, working at Dell, Gold Key and DC Comics with an explosion of fan activity in the 1970s and 80s with his comic work centered around strong beautiful female characters like Red Sonya. This episode finishes after his work on Red Sonya and we explore his famous other femme fatales like Ghita, Lann for Heavy Metal, Ribit for Comico, Danger Rangerette for National Lampoon, Moonshine McJuggs for Playboy, his working relationship with Hugh Hefner, his interactions with other prominent comic figures like Alex Toth, Gary Groth, Jim Steranko and Neal Adams.  Edited & Produced by Alex Grand.  Images used in artwork ©Their Respective Copyright holders, CBH Podcast ©Comic Book Historians. Thumbnail Artwork ©Comic Book Historians. Support us at https://www.patreon.com/comicbookhistorians

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Alex Grand and co-host Jim Thompson interview Frank Thorne, born in 1930, he discusses his past and current works, with a career that spans from the late 1940s, utilizing and expanding on inspirations like Alex raymond, Hal Foster, and Neil O'Keefe, a late 1940s graduate of the Art Career School in Manhattan, working at Dell, Gold Key and DC Comics with an explosion of fan activity in the 1970s and 80s with his comic work centered around strong beautiful female characters like Red Sonya.  Edited & Produced by Alex Grand. Images used in artwork ©Their Respective Copyright holders, CBH Podcast ©Comic Book Historians. Thumbnail Artwork ©Comic Book Historians. Support us at https://www.patreon.com/comicbookhistorians

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Alex Grand and co-host Jim Thompson discuss the history of Harvey Comics with the grandson of Leon Harvey, Jonny Harvey, documentary filmmaker.  From its humble beginnings in 1939, Al Harvey started Harvey comics from a business deal with Irving Manheimer and Worth Carnahan.  His two brother’s, Robert and Leon Harvey joined and this family found success licensing characters for comics like the Green Hornet, Dick Tracy, Flash Gordon and Paramount Picture's Casper the Friendly Ghost.  Harvey developed Casper into what we know today and also created original characters like Richie Rich.  In 1958, Harvey purchased the rights to Casper, and got more characters like Hot Stuff printing comics for young kids.  Despite its huge pop cultural success, The Harvey Family ceased publishing comics, and then sold the company in 1989.  How did this mighty empire collapse and leave us the legacy of Casper the Friendly Ghost? Edited & Produced by Alex Grand. Images used in artwork ©Their Respective Copyright holders, CBH Podcast ©Comic Book Historians. Thumbnail Artwork ©Comic Book Historians. Support us at https://www.patreon.com/comicbookhistorians

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Alex Grand and co-host Jim Thompson interview Paul Levitz, former President and Publisher of DC Comics, In this second of a 2-parter, we discuss his writing and editing Batman in 1978, working with Julius Schwartz, the changes in the 1980s that he and Jenette Kahn brought to DC Comics, Jim Shooter's effect on both companies, the payment of royalties to artists and creators, publishing Will Eisner's work, the effect of the DC Movies on DC Comic's corporate identity, growth of the Direct Market, hiring Frank Miller, John Byrne, Alan Moore, Karen Berger's Vertigo, his role as President and his new project for Valiant Comics, The Visitor. Edited & Produced by Alex Grand.  Images used in artwork ©Their Respective Copyright holders, CBH Podcast ©Comic Book Historians. Thumbnail Artwork ©Comic Book Historians. Support us at https://www.patreon.com/comicbookhistorians

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Alex Grand and co-host Jim Thompson interview Paul Levitz (currently writing his Visitor run for Valiant).  Paul is former President and Publisher of DC Comics, who started in the Fanzines in 1971, assistant to Joe Orlando, working under Carmine Infantino then Jenette Kahn as Publisher, and Freelance writer, to full time Editor and writer in 1976, working on All Star Comics with Wally Wood, Stalker with Steve Ditko, and promotion to upper management, Vice President in the 1980s with a lengthy run on the Legion of Superheroes and co-creating many characters like Huntress. Edited & Produced by Alex Grand. Images used in artwork ©Their Respective Copyright holders, CBH Podcast ©Comic Book Historians. Thumbnail Artwork ©Comic Book Historians. Support us at https://www.patreon.com/comicbookhistorians

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