On this special Book Club episode of the Graphic Novel Apostle podcast, we raise an oversized mug in salute to coffee. Geovanni Leiva, founder of Leiva's Coffee, joins host Mark Ohrenberger to share the inspiring story of Leiva's Coffee - growing from a 7-year-old boy who wanted to get as far away from a life of coffee farming in the rural Guatemala of his youth to the passionate head of a U.S.-based coffee company that dedicates a share of its profits to provide education and offer life-changing opportunity to the coffee farming families of his home village, throughout the rest of Guatemala, and beyond. 

Mark and Geo then pour themselves a second cup to share a charming, comedic romp about a Don Quixote-esq insurance adjuster who believe fate has led him to love in a coffee shop in the one-shot comic, Crazy Latte Thing Called Love, from Pesto Comics. Unfortunately for our daydreaming claims agent, the barista who captures his heart is far more interested in her next arson job than in being swept off her feet by some square in her coffee queue. This story is fun!

Book Credits - Crazy Latte Thing Called Love

Writer: Adriano Ariganello (also letterer and publisher!)

Artist: Mattia Monaco (also color artist and cover artist)

Publisher: Pesto Comics

Brew yourself a cup of Leiva's Coffee (we'd recommend the Cookie Doodle roast, but Mark's wife has probably already bought it all) and come sit with us for an hour!

Afterward, check out this awesome video about Leiva's Coffee, from its roots in Guatemala to its HQ in Little Rock, Arkansas.

Let us know what you think. Questions? Comments on the show? Comments on the book we covered? Recommendations for other comic collections or graphic novels?
Email: [email protected]
Instagram: @graphicnovelapostle
Blue Sky: @gnapostlepod.bsky.social
Twitter: @markohrenberger

This week, popular guests Travelle McManus (Ep. 5 - Radiant Black Book Club) and Van Borin (Ep. 29 - Dog Man) return to the show to try out the brand new Massive-Verse Fighting Card Game, from Solis Game Studios. Travelle even teaches me the difference between a trading card game (TCG) and a deck builder card game, like this. The Massive-Verse game is a blast, and I hope you'll check it out. Just go to Solis Game Studio Home Page. 

And be sure to check out Travelle's podcast, The Intake Podcast, on YouTube and wherever fine podcasts are sold. 

Let us know what you think. Questions? Comments on the show? Comments on the book we covered? Recommendations for other comic collections or graphic novels?
Email: [email protected]
Instagram: @graphicnovelapostle
Blue Sky: @gnapostlepod.bsky.social
Twitter: @markohrenberger

Ready for an April Fool's Day surprise in our Batman: The Long Halloween series? Here it is ... there's no murder. Our mysterious killer Holiday takes a month off from murder, while the Riddler, Batman, and even Alfred ruminate on the clues Holiday has over the last six months and theorize about the murder's identity. But do any of these theories hold water? Time will tell!

Batman: The Long Halloween, issue 7
Writer: Jeph Loeb
Artist: Tim Sale
Colors: Gregory Wright
Letters: Richard Starkings and Comicraft
Publisher: DC

Let us know what you think. Questions? Comments on the show? Comments on the book we covered? Recommendations for other comic collections or graphic novels?
Email: [email protected]
Instagram: @graphicnovelapostle
Blue Sky: @gnapostlepod.bsky.social
Twitter: @markohrenberger

GNA podcast presents the second half of our two-part Book Club featuring The Sacrificers, vol. 1. Guest Jimmy Teigen joins host Mark Ohrenberger to discuss the fall out from a pantheon of selfish and power-hungry gods demanding child sacrifices in a "harvest" every twenty years in exchange for providing the mortals with an otherwise perfect world. 

Part 1 of this Book Club discussion was presented in Episode 36 and covered issues 1-2 of The Sacrificers. This episode covers the balance of volume 1, which includes issues 3-6. 

Book Credits: 

The Sacrificers, vol. 1

Writer: Rick Remender

Artist: Max Fiumara

Colors: Dave McCaig

Letters: Rus Wooton

Publisher: Image Comics

I want to thank my guest Jimmy Teigen once again for joining me for this Book Club. Be sure to check out Jimmy's excellent novel, Unlocking Happiness: Cole's Journey, which is available on Amazon. 

Let us know what you think. Questions? Comments on the show? Comments on the book we covered? Recommendations for other comic collections or graphic novels?
Email: [email protected]
Instagram: @graphicnovelapostle
Blue Sky: @gnapostlepod.bsky.social
Twitter: @markohrenberger

For the first entry in this two-part Book Club featuring The Sacrificers, vol. 1, Jimmy Teigen joins host Mark Ohrenberger to discuss cultural stories exploring the value of a single human life when weighed in the balance against the welfare of an entire community, the meaning of sacrifice, the demand for sacrifice, and what these stories might have to say about the individual, the community, and even God. 

Part 1 of this Book Club covers issues 1-2 of The Sacrificers. Next week, Part 2 will cover issues 3-6. 

Book Credits: 

The Sacrificers, vol. 1

Writer: Rick Remender

Artist: Max Fiumara

Colors: Dave McCaig

Letters: Rus Wooton

Publisher: Image Comics

It was such a treat to have Jimmy Teigen on today's episode. Be sure to check out his novel, Unlocking Happiness: Cole's Journey, which is available on Amazon. 

Let us know what you think. Questions? Comments on the show? Comments on the book we covered? Recommendations for other comic collections or graphic novels?
Email: [email protected]
Instagram: @graphicnovelapostle
Blue Sky: @gnapostlepod.bsky.social
Twitter: @markohrenberger

In episode 33 of the podcast, host Mark Ohrenberger raved about a new horror illustrated novella, from writer Dan Baillie and artist Tim Bradstreet, published by AWA, in partnership with Vertigo Entertainment. Now, writer Dan Baillie joins the show to talk about how a little short story he started to write for a horror audience on Reddit became a fully illustrated and published one-shot novella on shelves in your local comics shop. Check out more of Dan's short prose work on Reddit under his username u/SquishyCabbage ... for now.

Let us know what you think. Questions? Comments on the show? Comments on the book we covered? Recommendations for other comic collections or graphic novels?
Email: [email protected]
Instagram: @graphicnovelapostle
Blue Sky: @gnapostlepod.bsky.social
Twitter: @markohrenberger

Co-host of The Intake Podcast, and pal of GNA host Mark Ohrenberger, Carson Miller joins the show for a Book Club episode taking a deep dive into the otherworldly sci-fi series King of Nowhere. Mark and Carson discuss the wild things crawling around inside the mind of author W. Maxwell Prince, react to the fitness of Tyler Jenkins' abstract art style for this particular story, and consider the ways the main characters' substance abuse disorders impact their perspectives and their decision-making. 

King of Nowhere

Writer: W. Maxwell Prince

Art: Tyler Jenkins

Colors: Hilary Jenkins

Letters: Andworld Design

Publisher: Boom! Studios

Check out Carson Miller and Travelle McManus' show, The Intake Podcast, and be extra sure to catch Mark's guest appearance to discuss all things Silver Surfer. 

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: For our next episode, Mark had the honor of interviewing Dan Caillie, author of Look Out, which was featured in Episode 33 of the GNA podcast.

Let us know what you think. Questions? Comments on the show? Comments on the book we covered? Recommendations for other comic collections or graphic novels?
Email: [email protected]
Instagram: @graphicnovelapostle
Blue Sky: @gnapostlepod.bsky.social
Twitter: @markohrenberger

For this mini episode, host Mark Ohrenberger felt compelled to record and publish a rare mid-week podcast to tell listeners about a terrifying new illustrated novella, Look Out, written by Dan Baillie, with art by Tim Bradstreet. This prose and pictures horror one-shot serves as the first offering from AWA and Vertigo Entertainment's multimedia project, Future of Fear. And it is a doosey! 

Give us listen, and then go check out Look Out ... if you dare! And while you're at it, don't forget to give the podcast a rating and review on your favorite podcast platform to help others find the show. 

Next week, we'll be back for a Book Club episode, in which Carson Miller, of The Intake Podcast, will join Mark to discuss King of Nowhere, from Boom! Studios, written by W. Maxell Prince, with art by Tyler Jenkins. 

Let us know what you think. Questions? Comments on the show? Comments on the book we covered? Recommendations for other comic collections or graphic novels?
Email: [email protected]
Instagram: @graphicnovelapostle
Blue Sky: @gnapostlepod.bsky.social
Twitter: @markohrenberger

We continue our series on Batman: The Long Halloween with issue 6, which takes place on St. Patrick's Day in Gotham City. Following the events of issue 5, Bruce Wayne remains under Poison Ivy's irresistible influence, but to what end? Meanwhile, Falcone mob enforcer (who is also the Roman's daughter) Sophia Falcone is home from prison and ready to carry out her father's plan for a hit on the Maroni gang. And who will the idiosyncratic killer at the center of our mystery, Holiday, attack this St. Patrick's Day?

Batman: The Long Halloween, issue 4
Writer: Jeph Loeb
Artist: Tim Sale
Colors: Gregory Wright
Letters: Richard Starkings and Comicraft
Publisher: DC

Let us know what you think. Questions? Comments on the show? Comments on the book we covered? Recommendations for other comic collections or graphic novels?
Email: [email protected]
Instagram: @graphicnovelapostle
Blue Sky: @gnapostlepod.bsky.social
Twitter: @markohrenberger

After a two-month hiatus, the Graphic Novel Apostle podcast is back! It's April, so we have some catching up to do on our Batman: The Long Halloween series. In Gotham City, it's St. Valentine's Day, and there's murder in the air! In this episode, Batman faces off with Carmine Falcone in front of Alberto Falcone's grave, Selina Kyle might have just figured out Batman's secret identity, and another colorful member of Batman's infamous rogues gallery makes her first appearance in our mystery. We should have suspected this villain to appear at Valentine's Day!

Batman: The Long Halloween, issue 4
Writer: Jeph Loeb
Artist: Tim Sale
Colors: Gregory Wright
Letters: Richard Starkings and Comicraft
Publisher: DC

And if you haven't heard enough from me on this podcast, check out my recent appearance on The Intake Podcast, with hosts Carson Miller and Travelle McManus (yes, THAT Travelle McManus, from the Radiant Black book club episode of the GNA). We took a deep dive into what makes the Silver Surfer the best ... and the most emo ... character in comics. 

The Intake YouTube link: https://youtu.be/tcf3nUM2xUM?feature=shared

The Intake audio podcast link: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-power-cosmic/id1795942680?i=1000699825800

Let us know what you think. Questions? Comments on the show? Comments on the book we covered? Recommendations for other comic collections or graphic novels?
Email: [email protected]
Instagram: @graphicnovelapostle
Blue Sky: @gnapostlepod.bsky.social
Twitter: @markohrenberger