Speech Bubble

Ron Kasman is the man behind The Tower of the Comic Book Freaks, a graphic novel and coming of age story of friends who travel from Toronto to a New York City in 1971 for a comic convention and how the events at that convention change their lives. Though the story is fictional, it mimics many of Kasman’s experiences as a comic fan in the 1970s. Ron actually played an integral part in Toronto’s budding comic scene. His first comic shop was Canada’s first comic shop, “Captain George” Henderson’s Memory Lane Books on Markham Street. He also helped organize Cosmicon, what was likely Toronto’s first comic convention, at York University where he watched legendary artist Neal Adams drop acid for the one and only time in his life. If that weren’t enough, Ron served as a reference model for comic artists and worked professionally as a letterer for DC Comics. This episode is sponsored by Hairy Tarantula.

Ron Kasman’s Tumblr blog

Cosmicon 1972-1975: A Tell-all Expose by Ron Kasman

The Tower of the Comic Book Freaks

Caliber Comics (Publisher of The Tower of the Comic Book Freaks)

Episode Sponser: Hairy Tarantula.

Eisner award-winning comic artist and de-facto patriarch of Toronto’s Raid Studio Ramon Perez (Nova, Hawkeye, Spider-Man: Learn to Crawl) comes by to tell us what it’s like to be called an overnight sensation when you’ve been toiling in the industry for years. Thanks to the awards and accolades for his graphic masterpiece Jim Henson’s Tale of Sand, he has now drawn many Marvel icons like Hawkeye, Spider-Man, Nova, Wolverine and the X-Men. He might be in demand like never before, but you’ll hear he has always been uncompromising with his artistic vision, even as a non-name up-and-comer working on his own projects, Butternut Squash and Kukuburi. This episode is sponsored by Hairy Tarantula.

@theramonperez

ramonperez.com

Instagram

RAID! Studio

Episode Sponser: Hairy Tarantula.

With the live-action version of Beauty and the Beast opening Friday (March 17, 2017) there’s no better time to talk to Megan Kearney (The Secret Loves of Geek Girls). She’s a comic writer, artist and animator who is currently producing her own Beauty and the Beast the Comic Series web comic, but hers is not the Disney version. She tells us how the original fairytale is much more about Belle’s journey, while the Disney version focuses much more on the Beast’s character and why her webcomic tries to give equal time to both. We also discuss the evolution of fairy tales in general, her love of manga and how being the manager of Toronto’s basically made her career. This episode is sponsored by Hairy Tarantula.

@SpookyMeggie

Megan’s Website

The Secret Loves of Geek Girls

Beauty and the Beast the Comic Series

Comic Book Embassy

Once Upon a Winter Wood (Megan’s animated short film)

Episode Sponsor: Hairy Tarantula

If you live in Toronto, you know him as the popular DJ on 102.1 The Edge. But his comic book geek cred is strongest as the writer behind the scifi epic, The Fourth Planet published quarterly by Chapterhouse Comics. He’ll tell us how the idea had its roots in his love of paleo-cultural anthropology (the origins of culture) and how Marvel’s Infinity Gauntlet changed his life. Meanwhile, we discuss why the endless crossover events and relaunches are ruining comics, how Fred got his start in radio and why he entered the ring with his own podcast Issue Zero. This episode is sponsored by Hairy Tarantula.

@Fearless_Fred

Issue Zero

The Fourth Planet

102.1 The Edge

Episode Sponsor: Hairy Tarantula

Speech Bubble: Comics on Comics: K Trevor Wilson

Aaron faces off with the Mountain Man…er…Man Mountain of comedy for this second episode of the Comics on Comics series. Our host gets tips on performing the perfect Letterkenny dialect from Squirrely Dan himself before the two explore the reasons behind K Trev’s love of The Incredible Hulk and Professional Wrestling. Oh, and we also learn that the best way to book a stand-up comedy spot on Jimmy Kimmel Live is by bumping into Jimmy in the men’s room.

@KTrevorWilson

K Trevor Wilson’s IMDB profile

Letterkenny’s Best of Squirrely Dan

Buy K Trevor Wilson’s comedy album SexCop FirePenis

K Trevor Wilson’s performance on Jimmy Kimmel Live

Episode Sponsored by Hairy Tarantula

A backpacking trip through Amsterdam had Daniel Brodie wondering if he was really in control of his body and that led to Morgan’s Organs – his comic that takes a look at the various characters controlling the organs of a college student named Morgan. Touted as Pixar’s Inside Out for grown ups, Morgan’s Organs was meant to be an animated TV show, but is now a comic funding its second issue through Kickstarter as of this recording’s release. Brodie talks about the projects transformation and the deeper meanings that underlie its sophomoric humour. This episode sponsored by Hairy Tarantula — join them for week two of their bye-buy sale at their 354 Yonge St. location from Feb. 17th to 23rd, 2017.

Morgan’s Organs

Facebook

Instagram

Episode Sponsored by Hairy Tarantula

With U.S. President Donald Trump writing executive orders outlining his intent to build a wall along the Mexican border and banning all travelers from a number of muslim countries in recent weeks, there seems no better time to talk about migrant detention. It’s under that backdrop that Tings Chak, the writer and artist behind a new graphic novel called Undocumented: The Architecture of Migrant Detention, comes to Speech Bubble.

Published by our friends at Ad Astra Comix, Undocumented analyzes how architecture and design are used to reinforce the agenda of the state. Tings explains how she got involved with migrant detention, her own experience with racism as an immigrant herself and why a comic was the best medium to bring attention to this issue. In so doing, she deconstructs the myths of Canadian multiculturalism and puts in fine relief that inhumane policies in regards to immigration are just as prevalent in this country as they are in the U.S., even with Justin Trudeau at the helm.

Undocumented.ca

Ad Astra Comix

@t_ings

Episode Sponsor: Hairy Tarantula

The co-creators and co-writers behind Songs for the Dead – a new indie comic about a young female necromancer who goes on an adventure to rescue a boy from her village – stop by to relay what it was like making and publishing their first real comic book. From how their romantic relationship plays into their professional one to the real stresses and fears behind business incorporation and copyright protection, these two bare it all. It’s a must listen for anyone who wants to get into the business of making comic books.

www.songsforthedead.com

www.comixology.com

Twitter: @songscomic

Episode Sponsor: Hairy Tarantula

Independent comic book artist Shane Heron (Black Hole Hunters Club, Monstrosity) always had a huge talent for drawing, but didn’t actually make his first comic until his mid-twenties. Despite the relatively late start, he made up for it with gusto, collaborating with past Speech Bubble guest Ricky Lima on a 24-hour comic that would eventually become the alien bounty hunters adventure Black Hole Hunters Club. He even created a comic with the host of this very podcast. Now he’s working on a new book of his own called Morris – a post-apocalyptic western featuring a sheriff with more than a passing resemblance to actor Wilford Brimley.

Shane Heron Art

@YoungShaney

Instagram

Leon Emmett, the iconoclast owner of Toronto’s Hairy Tarantula Comics & Games, comes to the Never Sleeps Network Studios at a crossroads: his original store at 354 Yonge St. will be closing at the end of the month after 22 years. Don’t worry, its second location at Yonge and Steeles will remain, but the closure of the downtown store also means Leon needs to find a place to live, since he lives in the apartment above it. As our newly-crowned founding sponsor, he looks back to the beginning of the Hairy Tarantula story and explains why hes having more and more Abe Simpson moments as the comic business evolves.

Episode Sponsor: HairyTarantula

Twitter: @HairyTarantula