The Corner Box

By David & John

Welcome to The Corner Box, where we talk about comic books as an industry and an art form. You never know where the discussion will go, or who’ll show up to join hosts David Hedgecock and John B

... more

Download on the App Store

Download on the App Store

Get it on Google Play

FAQs about The Corner Box:

How many episodes does The Corner Box have?

The podcast currently has 108 episodes available.

The Corner Box episodes:

April 15, 2025Todd Nauck Draws It All on the Corner Box S2 Ep29
Comic book great Todd Nauck joins the show to talk about his work on Pooluminati, Young Justice, his big break into comics, working at Extreme Studios, keeping the drive through the decades, leveling up with digital, beating the Imposter Syndrome, the Mount Rushmore of comic artists, and Todd’s wish list of characters he has yet to draw. Also, John finds out he’s old, David takes over the interview, and a call to assist writer Peter David.
Timestamp Segments
[02:11] Drawing 2 pages a day.
[12:33] Is Todd a Wednesday Warrior?
[13:04] What’s Todd working on?
[14:27] A perfect pairing.
[17:44] Moving to LA.
[18:41] Getting started in comics.
[23:03] The Wildguard mini-comics.
[25:34] Join the FunTimeGo campaign!
[26:33] Traditional vs digital drawing.
[29:47] Winning a talent search.
[33:48] Beating the Imposter Syndrome.
[39:36] What keeps Todd motivated?
[42:02] Todd’s main influences.
[46:19] Don’t be Lisa.
[47:37] Reading runs in order.
[51:38] Todd’s character wishlist.
[53:10] Does Todd have a few more runs in him?
[56:21] Help Peter David.
Notable Quotes
“Stop trying to be what you think people want to see.”
“I’m so old, I don’t know how to do anything else.”
“There’s always 50 artist that can draw kind of like whatever the hot style is.”
“Drawing is a physically demanding job.”
Relevant Links
David's Fun Stuff!
Miss Mina VIP Launches Here!
John is at PugW!
Pug Worldwide
Todd Nauck has the coolest stuff!
toddnauck.com
GoFundMe for Peter David...
Help Peter David
Books Mentioned
Miss Mina and the Midnight Guardians: The Legend of the Golden Jaguar!
Badrock and Company, Youngblood, by Rob Liefeld.
Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man (2005 - 2007).
Guarding the Globe, Invincible Universe, by Phil Hester, John Rauch, & Todd Nauck.
Legion of Super-Heroes (1989-2000).
New Men, by Rob Liefeld, Eric Stephenson, Marat Mychaels, & Jeff Matsuda.
Nightcrawler, by Chris Claremont & Todd Nauck.
Pooluminati (2025 - ).
SpyBoy/Young Justice, by Peter David, Todd Nauck, & Pop Mhan.
Stargirl: The Lost Children, by Geoff Johns & Todd Nauck.
Team Youngblood.
Teen Titans Go! (2004-2008).
Young Ju
...more
1h
April 08, 2025The Next James Bond and Creator's Get Vocal at The Corner Box S2Ep28
John and David talk about the financial struggles of comic book creators, how freelancers can effect lasting change, and the sad business practices of corporate comics companies. Also, David pays creators more than Marvel, and John writes an inspired James Bond movie script.
Timestamp Segments
[01:10] The show’s newfound popularity.
[01:37] The financial problems at Marvel.
[10:14] How change will happen.
[12:43] Join the FunTimeGo campaign!
[13:42] The craziest thing about comics.
[16:37] Marvel’s double-damning response.
[19:33] David writes a superhero comic.
[24:08] James Bond News.
[25:19] The plot of Bond 26.
[28:58] This episode’s topic.
Notable Quotes
“They should be paying what the artist is worth.”
“This is the most opinionated version of The Corner Box we’ve ever done.”
“Sometimes, the world is enough.”
Relevant Links
David's Fun Stuff!
Miss Mina VIP Launches Here!
John is at PugW!
Pug Worldwide
Books Mentioned
Miss Mina and the Midnight Guardians: The Legend of the Golden Jaguar!
Batman: Li'l Gotham, by Derek Fridolfs & Dustin Nguyen.
Captain America & The Falcon, by Christopher Priest.
Justice League Europe.
Spawn, by Todd McFarlane & Greg Capullo.
Wolverine (2020- ).
...more
32min
April 01, 2025Stephanie Williams' Effortless Joy on the Corner Box S2Ep27
Writer and comic historian Stephanie Williams joins the show! John and David talk with Stephanie about swapping her electron microscope for a career in comics, how the best butts in Marvel gave her a big break, increasing comics access with fewer bookstores, the nature of corporate comics, building momentum in the industry, and Stephanie's exciting upcoming projects. Also, John reveals his true origin.
Timestamp Segments
[00:48] Stephanie’s incredibly neat background before comics.
[01:59] The yellow brick road to comics.
[07:03] Becoming fans of YA.
[10:17] What turned Stephanie into a fan?
[12:03] Access to comics.
[17:28] Working at Marvel.
[20:20] Stephanie, the Wednesday Warrior.
[21:34] Horrible corporate comics.
[27:07] The business of momentum.
[28:16] Ignition Press.
[31:17] New comics coming soon.
[34:45] Comics and side gigs.
[39:47] Rewatching old movies.
[42:23] Stephanie’s favorite comics.
Notable Quotes
“If Alien had come out before babies had come out, Alien would’ve sued the concept of babies.”
“Corporate comics are just—they’ve always been horrible. Do not create anything for corporate comics.”
“Be careful about turning your hobby into your job.”
Relevant Links
David's Fun Stuff!
Did Someone Say Fun Time? Let's GO!
John is at PugW!
Pug Worldwide
Stephanie Williams Does the Coolest Things!
www.whysteph.com
Books Mentioned
Living Heroes, by Stephanie Williams & O’Neill Jones.
Magic Planeswalkers: Noble, by Dan Warren, Dave Rapoza, Stephanie Williams, Lea Caballero, Raul Angulo, & Arianna Consonni.
Marvel's Voices: Legacy.
Moon Girl & Devil Dinosaur: Wreck and Roll, My Little Pony: Tournament of Mysteries, by Stephanie Williams & Asia Simone.
Nubia & The Amazons, by Stephanie Williams, Vita Alaya, Alitha Martinez, & Mark Morales.
Nubia: Queen of the Amazons, by Stephanie Williams & Alitha Martinez.
Parenthood Activate, by Stephanie Williams & Sarah A. Macklin.
The Raven Boys, by Maggie Stiefvater, Stephanie Williams, & Sas Milledge.
-----------------------
Angry Birds/Transformers: Age of Eggstinction, by John Barber, Marcelo Ferreira, & Livio Ramondelli.
Archie.
The Avengers.
Backflash, by Mat Johnson, Steve Lieber, & Clem Robins.
Black Panther.
...more
50min
March 25, 2025Tony Fleecs Gets Grimm on The Corner Box S2 Ep26
Tony Fleecs joins The Corner Box to talk about his "meteoric" rise within the industry, his upcoming work on The Thing, the lack of institutional knowledge at the "Big 2", how to create evergreen characters, focusing on creator-owned work, how Stray Dogs changed the face of comics, and building a winning creative team. Also, the podcast becomes a dog show, Tony shares a Corner Box Exclusive, and there's a "surprise" ending!
Timestamp Segments
[02:04] Tony’s career trajectory.
[04:59] Where’s the knowledge?
[11:16] Are superheroes getting smaller?
[15:43] Tony’s Marvel work.
[17:59] Switching artists in The Thing.
[20:50] Creating evergreen characters.
[26:23] Breaking the toys.
[27:11] Tony’s creator-owned stuff.
[29:00] Is this a dog show?
[29:48] The craziest break into comics.
[33:57] Stray Dogs’ success.
[42:59] Making cool things count.
[44:57] Corner Box Exclusives.
[45:22] What is Tony drawing?
[47:36] Building a winning team.
[49:23] Go buy Tony’s trades.
[50:25] Corner Box Bonus Content.
Notable Quotes
“They should be so lucky, seeing me in my Ben Grimm costume.”
“I want them punching each other at the dinner table.”
“We are more of a dog show.”
“More importantly, check out the stuff that I own myself.”
Relevant Links
David's Fun Stuff!
Did Someone Say Fun Time? Let's GO!
John is at PugW!
Pug Worldwide
Tony Fleecs is a Powerhouse Creator!
www.tonyfleecs.com
Books Mentioned
Army of Darkness Forever, by Tony Fleecs & Justin Greenwood.
Feral, by Tony Fleecs, Tone Rodriguez, & Trish Forstner.
Local Man, by Tony Fleecs & Tim Seeley.
Stray Dogs, by Tony Fleecs, Trish Forstner, & Brad Simpson.
The Thing, by Tony Fleecs & Nick Bradshaw.
Uncanny Valley, by Tony Fleecs & Dave Wachter.
-----------------
Absolute Batman, by Scott Snyder & Nick Dragotta.
Age of Apocalypse.
Avengers A.I., by Sam Humphries & André Lima Araújo.
Batman: Hush, by Jeph Loeb, Jim Lee, & Scott Williams.
Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees, by Patrick Horvath & Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.
Beta Ray Bill, Wonder Woman: Death Earth, by Daniel Warren Johnson.
Cool World, by Micheal Eury, Stephen DeStefano, Chuck Fiala, & Bill Wray.
Doctor Strange: Fall Sunris
...more
57min
March 18, 2025Pat Shand Making Outside In on The Corner Box S2Ep25
Pat Shand returns with hosts John and David to drop a metric ton of self publishing knowledge! Pat talks about finding his place in self-publishing, embracing horror and sexy comics, Kickstarter vs Direct Market publishing, and how to launch and run a successful campaign. Also, Pat teases some upcoming comics, David considers nuclear physics, and John learns how to spell “Miami.”
Notable Quotes
“I don’t know how it’s even humanly possible to do that.”
“Those eras of thought pass.”
“Do a book that you would want to do, or want to read, that you don’t see in the shop.”
“Talk about your story in the way that would make you want to read it.”
Relevant Links
David's Fun Stuff!
Did Someone Say Fun Time? Let's GO!
John is at PugW!
Pug Worldwide
Pat Shand is Prolific!
www.spacebetweenentertainment.com
Pat's Current/Recent Kickstarters:
Private Dance Season One Hardcover | Vampire Queen of Miami #1 |
Dark Veil #1 | Death Goddess of Cthulhu #1 | Demon Time #1
Books Mentioned
Cheeky, Steamy, Thirsty, by Pat Shand & Amy Shand.
Private Dance, by Pat Shand, Yishan Li, & Jim Campbell.
Destiny, NY, by Pat Shand, Manuel Preitano, & Jim Campbell.
Angel: After the Fall.
Belladonna: Fire and Fury, by Pat Shand & Nahuel Lopez.
Charmed, by Paul Ruditis & Dave Hoover.
Everybody's Dead, by Brian Lynch & Dave Crosland.
Hellina: Scythe, by Pat Shand & Gabriel Andrade.
Lookers: Ember, by Pat Shand, Gabriel Andrade, & Christian Zanier.
Marvel's Spider-Man: Spideyography, by Pat Shand.
Noir: A Collection of Crime Comics.
Timestamp Segments
[00:57] Comics: harder than nuclear physics?
[02:58] Working beyond Zenescope.
[03:52] Pat’s insane output.
[05:02] Sexy covers.
[08:56] Kickstarting comics.
[11:14] Writing for video games.
[15:28] Lessons from publishing on Kickstarter.
[19:37] Getting more people invested in campaigns.
[25:37] The secret sauce.
[28:10] Pat’s upcoming campaig
...more
33min
March 11, 2025Pat Shand Writes Everything on The Corner Box S2Ep24
Comic book disruptor and entrepreneur Pat Shand joins John and David to talk about his journey into becoming a comic book professional, comic books being a lucrative creative endeavor, working with difficult licensors, the reality of having a prolific workload, and the good side of fandom. Also, John remembers to pay people.
Part One of Two.
Timestamp Segments
[01:38] What got Pat hooked on comics?
[05:07] Making more money in comics.
[07:46] Pat’s first paid gig.
[11:53] Getting paid.
[17:02] Pat’s imprints.
[17:25] New opportunities.
[18:35] Working with licensors.
[21:56] The Grimm Fairy Tales Universe.
[24:59] Working in editorial.
[27:59] The best parts of fandom.
Notable Quotes
“I’m shocked to learn that there is a creative endeavor that is less lucrative than comic books.”
“To make a living doing prose, in a licensed way, the output has to be insane.”
“I’ve got to make sure I’m doing this right for Mike.”
Relevant Links
David's Fun Stuff!
Did Someone Say Fun Time? Let's GO!
John is at PugW!
Pug Worldwide
Pat Shand is Prolific!
www.spacebetweenentertainment.com
Books Mentioned
24.
Angel.
Angel: After the Fall, by Joss Whedon, Brian Lynch, & Franco Urru.
Angel Yearbook, by Brian Lynch & Scott Tipton.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
Casper's Scare School.
Charmed, by Paul Ruditis.
Creepshow, by Stephen King & Bernie Wrightson.
Critter, Legend of Oz: The Wicked West, by Tom Hutchison.
Destiny, NY, by Pat Shand, Manuel Preitano, & Jim Campbell.
G.I Joe, by Larry Hama.
Goosebumps, by R.L. Stine.
Grimm Fairy Tales.
Robyn Hood.
The Rocketeer, by Dave Stevens.
Spike TV's 1000 Ways to Die, by Chuck Brown, Neo Edmund, Pat Shand, & Ralph Tedesco.
Transformers.
Van Helsing.
Wonderland.
...more
32min
March 04, 2025Boom! Studios Elizabeth Brei Goes Gaga Over Nana on The Corner Box S2 Ep23
Elizabeth Brei returns with hosts John and David for Part 2 of this Valentine’s Day Special to talk about all things NANA, visual art choices, emotional depth in comic writing, comics that should be in print but aren’t, and Ai Yazawa’s manga being released in English for the first time. Also, David discovers a new rabbit hole, John learns how wrong he did the pandemic, and Elizabeth goes to Jackson Hole.
Timestamp Segments
[00:56] Paradise Kiss & Neighborhood Story.
[02:47] The art in NANA.
[06:21] Digital vs analog art.
[07:04] The details in NANA.
[08:45] NANA’s emotional depth.
[13:35] David’s first impressions on NANA.
[14:00] NANA’s primary love story.
[16:56] Princess Ai.
[18:47] New releases of Ai Yazawa’s manga.
[21:26] John’s Moebius saga.
[22:43] David’s all-time favorite anime.
[24:48] Elizabeth walks David down a new path.
[27:06] Elizabeth’s upcoming projects.
[28:55] John did the pandemic wrong.
[30:42] Jackson Hole.
Notable Quotes
“Am I going to drop $800 on this? Maybe, someday.”
“I feel like I wouldn’t go near that in a flame-proof suit.”
“We’re the gold standard of comic journalism now.”
Relevant Links
David's Fun Stuff!
Did Someone Say Fun Time? Let's GO!

John is at PugW!
Pug WorldwideCornerbox.club.
Elizabeth Brei is Making Cool Things!
Elizabeth Brei
Books Mentioned
NANA, by Ai Yazawa.
Last Song, by Elizabeth Brei & Kay Lucero.
————————————
Airtight Garage, Moebius Library: The Major, by Moebius.
Bronze Faces, by Shobo Coker, Shof Coker, & Alexandre Tefenkgi.
Fence, by C.S. Pacat, Johanna the Mad, Joana Lafuente, & Taylor Esposito.
Hunter x Hunter, by Yoshihiro Togashi.
I Heart Skull-Crusher, by Josie Campbell, Alessio Zonno, Angel de Santiago, & Jim Campbell.
Innocent, by Shin-Ichi Sakamoto.
Juror 13, by D.J. Milky.
Last Quarter, Neighborhood Story, Paradise Kiss, by Ai Yazawa.
Princess Ai, by Courtney Love, D.J. Milky, & Misaho Kujiradou.
Sailor Moon, by Naoko Takeuchi.
...more
33min
February 25, 2025Boom! Studios Editor Elizabeth Brei on The Corner Box S2 Ep22
Boom! Studios Editor, Elizabeth Brei, joins the show! Elizabeth joins John and David for this Valentine’s Day Special to talk about the gatekeepers of the comics industry, where new comic readers should (and definitely shouldn’t) get started, making comics more accessible, and John and Elizabeth’s shared love of the manga, NANA. Also, David apologizes (once again), and John tries to explain industry BS.
Stay tuned for Part 2 of The Corner Box vs Elizabeth Brei.
Timestamp Segments
[01:24] The first thing John ever said to Elizabeth.
[02:07] David apologises.
[03:03] Elizabeth discovers the podcast.
[04:33] Self-publishing comics.
[05:56] Elizabeth’s origin story.
[09:35] John’s Diamond story.
[12:23] Getting back into comics.
[15:42] Why the industry is struggling.
[17:27] John explains the BS.
[21:07] Elizabeth’s recommendations for starters.
[22:42] David’s 3 go-to first comics.
[24:08] Which superhero comic would Elizabeth recommend?
[26:06] The changing aesthetic of comics.
[27:23] Discovering NANA.
[28:47] The NANA 101.
[34:20] NANA’s popularity.
Notable Quotes
“I almost never recommend superhero comics.”
“You can have a really emotional response to a comic book.”
“NANA is still considered the most popular, the most successful shojo manga of all time.”
Relevant Links
David's Fun Stuff!
Did Someone Say Fun Time? Let's GO!

John is at PugW!
Pug WorldwideCornerbox.club.
Elizabeth Brei is Making Stuff!
Elizabeth Brei
Books Mentioned
NANA, by Ai Yazawa.
Last Song, by Elizabeth Brei & Kay Lucero.
————————————
Good-bye, Chunky Rice, by Craig Thompson.
Fear Itself.
Final Crisis, by Grant Morrison.
March, by John Lewis, Andrew Aidin, & Nate Powell.
Maus, by Art Spiegelman.
Paradise Kiss, by Ai Yazawa.
Saga, by Brian K. Vaughan & Fiona Staples.
Sailor Moon, by Naoko Takeuchi.
Scott Pilgrim, by Bryan Lee O’Malley.
Secret Invasion, by Brian Michael Bendis, Leinil Yu, & Gabriele Dell’otto.
We3, by Grant Morrison & Frank Quitely.
Young Avengers, by Kieron Gillen & Jamie McKelvie.
Young Avengers, by Allan Heinberg & Jim Cheung.
...more
37min
February 18, 2025Rich Douek is Cooking on The Corner Box S2Ep21
Writer Rich Douek (Batman, Edge of Spiderverse, Drive Like Hell, Heartpiercer) joins hosts John & David to talk about how Rich found his way into comics from prose-writing, turning ideas into stories, the ripple effects of tariffs and Diamond’s bankruptcy, succeeding with a great writer/artist team, and how marketing could save comic books. Plus, David has some thoughts on Infinity Comics, and Rich cooks with comics.
Timestamp Segments
[00:50] Rich’s 173-year career.
[01:46] David’s thoughts on the Infinity Comics.
[04:57] When Rich started loving comic books.
[08:34] Comics as a medium, not a genre.
[11:15] Making comics a career.
[16:35] Making ideas work.
[18:31] John reviews Rich’s scripts.
[20:02] Getting Gutter Magic out into the world.
[23:34] Hitting it big with Road of Bones.
[25:37] Sea of Sales!
[26:55] 3 Worlds / 3 Moons.
[30:52] What’s Rich up to now?
[32:22] The current state of the industry.
[34:00] The digital comics conspiracy.
[35:11] The Diamond silver lining.
[40:32] Saving comics with marketing.
[45:34] Comic Book Kitchen.
[50:05] Rich’s announcements.
Notable Quotes
“It’s sphincter-clenching time around comic books.”
“In the long-term, we’re going to see, the industry’s going to come out of this healthier than it was going into it.”
“Getting people to understand that you have a book out is so different now than it was even 3-4 years ago.”
Relevant Links
David's Fun Stuff!
Did Someone Say Fun Time? Let's GO!

John is at PugW!
Pug WorldwideCornerbox.club.
Rich Douek is Making Cool Things!
www.rdouek.com
BlueSky | Facebook | Instagram | X/Twitter
Books Mentioned
3 Worlds / 3 Moons, by Mike del Mundo, Jonathan Hickman, Mike Huddleston, & Nick Spencer.
Batman: Knightfall.
Batman: The Brave and The Bold.
Civil War, by Mark Miller & Steve McNiven.
Conan.
Death of Superman.
Drive Like Hell, Road of Bones, Sea of Sorrows, by Rich Douek & Alex Cormack.
Edge of the Spider-Verse.
Flash Gordon Quarterly #2.
Gutter Magic, by Rich Douek & Brett Barkley.
Heartpiercer, by Rich Douek & Gavin Smith.
The Invisibles.
...more
52min
February 11, 2025El Santo and the Blue Demon vs the Diamond Bankruptcy on The Corner Box S2Ep20
Episode Summary
John & David discuss the state of the comics industry after losing Diamond, the possible future of the TMNT license, what taxes and tariffs could mean for the industry, reminisce about their fondest memories of reading comics while sick, then David goes down the rabbit hole of luchador films from the 1970s. Also, John has an epiphany about Walt Simonson.
Timestamp Segments
[00:36] Reminiscing about being sick.
[02:28] The comic book industry is not winning.
[08:43] TMNT: The Ultimate Brand.
[20:00] Taxes & tariffs (and what they mean for the industry).
[29:22] El Santo and Blue Demon VS the Monsters.
[36:44] John’s epiphany about Walt Simonson.
Notable Quotes
“One of my fondest memories is me being really sick.”
“The stuff that we’re doing is really hard, and it takes a lot of people a lot of time to do it.”
“Start making cool stuff, and be proud of it, and charge what you have to charge to make that thing work.”
“If you’re chasing the discount, you can’t compete with free.”
Relevant Links
Late Pledges Are Open!
Super Kaiju Rock n Roller Derby Fun Time Go Book #2 | Kickstarter

David's Fun Stuff!
Did Someone Say Fun Time? Let's GO!

John is at PugW!
Pug Worldwide
Viva El Santo!
Santo and Blue Demon VS the Monsters | YouTube.
Santo and Blue Demon VS Dracula and the Wolf Man | YouTube.
Books Mentioned
Clue, by Paul Allor & Nelson Daniel.
Elric, by Michael Moorcock & Walter Simonson.
Hellcat, by Steve Englehart & Norm Breyfogle.
The Last Ronin, by Kevin Eastman & Tom Waltz.
Ragnarök, Star Slammers, by Walter Simonson.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
Transformers.
World of Warcraft, by Walter Simonson, Ludo Lullabi, & Sandra Hope.
X-Factor.
...more
43min

FAQs about The Corner Box:

How many episodes does The Corner Box have?

The podcast currently has 108 episodes available.