The Comic Source Podcast

Jace welcomes CEO and Chief Creative Officer of Mad Cave Studios, Mark London to the show. Mark founded Mad Cave ten years ago with several titles he himself was writing. Battlecats was one of them and to help celebrate the 10th anniversary, there is currently a Kickstarter for the Battlecats Omnibus, so be sure to check that out! Mark also talks about the challenges of his expanded role as he has gone from creator to executive as Mad Cave has grown. When you hear Mark talk about comics and story, you know that his heart is still in the creative side though. Which makes the growth and business acumen Mad Cave has displayed in recent years only more impressive. They are growing on several fronts and Mark tells us all about the exciting things to come. There's plenty of talk about the origins of Battlecats also and what you can expect in the Kickstarter as well as a rundown of the publishing history for this incredible, medieval, Arthurian-inspired, action-packed world Mark, series artist Michael Camelo and his other collaborators have crafted.

Jace and Rocky talk about the DC Comics titles for the week of September 25, 2024. It's the final week before the All In initiative starts and the feeling of lame duck stories continues as several titles limp to the end of the current story arcs. Some other titles surprise though and there is a ton of talk in this episode about the current philosphy of comic book covers, Amanda Waller and Christopher Reeve's Superman. Join us for a giant-sized episode.

Jace welcomes writer Josepn Sieracki to the show to talk about the Zoop campaign for the collected edition of The Life and Death of the Brave Captain Suave. Inspired by the classic novel Don Quixote, this story focuses on a homeless man who exhibits relentless hope despite mental health challenges that impact they way he percieves reality. The story is set in Cleveland which becomes a character unto itself and adds to the interesting roster of supporting characters in the story.

Jace chats with Director Remsy Atassi and Executive Producer Sal Abbinanti about their documentary showcasing the legendary comic book series Kingdom Come. Written by Mark Waid and fully painted by Alex Ross, this groudbreaking story, first released in 1996, was so impactful it influenced a whole generation of future comic book creators. In this film, you will hear bith Ross and Waid talk about the development of the story, as well as, some behind the scenes moments that led to it's remarkable staying power. Also, veteran comic creators, comics journalists and even fans, give their thoughts on Kingdom Come and the impact it had and continues to have on pop culture.

Jace welcomes writer Pornsak Pichetshote back to the show and artist Terry Dodson is joining us for the first time. The guys are here to chat about The Manchurian, the first of the Horizon Experiment books. The imprint is the brainchild of Pornsak wherein he has recruited writers to take some classic tropes in comics in storytelling and reimagine them with different main characters from diverse backgrounds. Specifically for The Manchurian this means taking the classic idea of James Bond and flipping it around to feature a Chinese spy and showcase the difference between western and eastern spycraft. We get to hear about the impetus of the project and how Terry came on board plus what he enjoys most about drawing something so grounded in the real world. Pornsak also lets us know about the other upcoming Horizon Experiment stories and creative teams.

The digital collecting space is just beginning to take hold and the crossover with physical collectible is just starting. How can you learn more? Tune into Comics and Crypto to learn about the latest trends and what is being offered. Plus what is the difference between owning a digital comic versus having it accessible on a digital reading platform like Comixology? The digital space for collectible is growing quickly and there is so much to learn. So join us as we chat with Spencer and Sean from Comic and Crypto and get the scoop!

Jace and Rocky chat about the DC Comics releases for the week of September 18, 2024. It's a bit of a strange time with so much focus on the upcoming All In initiative, the Absolute Universe and all the new story arcs and creators that are about to make their mark on DC. That being said, there are plenty of great books this week and some we can't wait for a return to regular stories after the end of the Absolute Power crossover.

Jace chats with writer Marc Andreyko and artist Piotr Kowalski about the Violator: Origin series launching Septermber 18, 2024. Set in the greater Spawn Universe this is a series narrated by the Violator himself, so you are never quite sure what is true and what is not. The guys talk about the incredible art from Piotr both in the action and character scenes. Piotr also talks about how he lays out the panels and always tries to add detail in the background to provide realism. Join us to hear about the series and what's to come for this fan favorite Spawn character.

Jace chats with creators J.T. Krul and Freddie Williams II about their run on Captain Atom for The New 52. Starting with an interesting prompt for DC comics on how to approach the character, J.T. and Freddie gave us an incredible foundation for the character that is criminally underrated. Also the guys chat about the creative process and collaboration that was a new way of doing things for both of them and it led to the singular vision for the character that we have in this run. We actually have not seen a lot of Captain Atom since this run and it is hugely disappointing that this take on the character wasn't built upon more. Get some behind the scenes information on how the story was built and some ideas that didn't make it into the back as we look back on one of the best titles from The New 52, that no one talks about.

Jace chats with writer Alex Wilson about the third issue of Starweed. The title has all three issues available on Kickstarter telling the wild story of a world where the remains of dead celebrities are a desireable commodity to smoke! We follow the crew that steals the bodies, from their initial prison break to their heists of the bodies. The guys chat about the origins of the project and how the story was developed. Join us for the chat and be sure you go check out the campaign.