This episode was originally released in January 2023 as Ep. 379.

Dust off your favorite Calvin and Hobbes book, and join us for the latest installment of our artist spotlight series! Today, we're analyzing the life and career of one of comic's most private and beloved creators: Bill Watterson. Hear us talk about our first exposure to Calvin & Hobbes, the best strips to read as a new fan, and the origin of Watteron's unique water color art style. And learn about why there's never been any officially licensed Calvin and Hobbes merchandise. Also in this episode, Ben's Top 3 Comic Picks, and our reaction to the Invincible Season 2 trailer!

Watch the video version of this podcast on YouTube! 

Want to hear bonus episodes? Listen to HUNDREDS of exclusive episodes, over on our Patreon Channel. Try a FREE seven-day membership: Here! 

LINKS: 

• Take your comic shopping experience to the limit, by shopping online at Gotham City Limit!
• MERCH SALE! Get 20% off Short Box merch by using the discount code: “YOO“
• Join our Patreon Community and get VIP treatment, bonus episodes, and other perks and rewards! Try out a free 7-day trial, here. No pressure!

We read Fan Mail! Send us some

Buy your tickets for Collective Con 2025 (here), Northeast Florida's largest pop culture convention!

Proudly sponsored by Collective Con!

Proudly sponsored by Gotham City Limit!


Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

Support the show

REACH OUT TO US! 🤝🏼

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• Website: theshortboxentertainment.com
• The Music Team: DeftStrokeSound, Mecca Tha Marvelous, DJ Crumbz, L.E.R.M., & Dialectable Beats

Christopher Carter is the CEO & Founder of GlobalComix, a new digital comic platform and comic reader app that's quickly growing in popularity among comic fans and comic creators around the world. Chris joins me to talk about the future of digital comics, old-school manga fan forums, hot spots around the globe for indie comics, and how GlobalComix is helping creators around the world get paid.

Watch the video version of this podcast on YouTube!

Want to hear bonus episodes? Listen to HUNDREDS of exclusive episodes, over on our Patreon Channel. Try a FREE seven-day membership: Here! 

LINKS: 

• Take your comic shopping experience to the limit, by shopping online at Gotham City Limit!
• MERCH SALE! Get 20% off Short Box merch by using the discount code: “YOO“
• Join our Patreon Community and get VIP treatment, bonus episodes, and other perks and rewards! Try out a free 7-day trial, here. No pressure!

We read Fan Mail! Send us some

Buy your tickets for Collective Con 2025 (here), Northeast Florida's largest pop culture convention!

Proudly sponsored by Collective Con!

Proudly sponsored by Gotham City Limit!


Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

Support the show

REACH OUT TO US! 🤝🏼

• Email us at [email protected]
• Follow us on IG & tweet us at @theshortboxjax
• Website: theshortboxentertainment.com
• The Music Team: DeftStrokeSound, Mecca Tha Marvelous, DJ Crumbz, L.E.R.M., & Dialectable Beats

This week's episode was originally recorded for Patreon, but it's the holidays, so we're sharing it with everyone! Drew and I celebrated another Friday bonus pod by answering fan mail questions and talking about some recent comic news (Invincible S3 trailer, new Battle Beast series, & Godzilla vs Marvel ). We also get into some random tangents about our favorite gangster movies, One Piece character designs, and comic book novels. 

Want to hear other exclusive episodes? Listen to HUNDREDS of unreleased and bonus episodes, over on our Patreon Channel. Try a FREE seven-day membership: Here! 

LINKS: 

• MERCH SALE! Get 20% off Short Box merch by using the discount code: “YOO“
• Take your comic shopping experience to the limit, by shopping online at Gotham City Limit!
• Join our Patreon Community and get VIP treatment, bonus episodes, and other perks and rewards! Try out a free 7-day trial, here. No pressure!

We read Fan Mail! Send us some

Buy your tickets for Collective Con 2025 (here), Northeast Florida's largest pop culture convention!

Proudly sponsored by Collective Con!

Proudly sponsored by Gotham City Limit!


Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

Support the show

REACH OUT TO US! 🤝🏼

• Email us at [email protected]
• Follow us on IG & tweet us at @theshortboxjax
• Website: theshortboxentertainment.com
• The Music Team: DeftStrokeSound, Mecca Tha Marvelous, DJ Crumbz, L.E.R.M., & Dialectable Beats

I'm back at Gotham City Limit for Ep. 443, chatting with everyone's favorite comic shop owner, Ben Kingsbury, about what it was like to run a comic shop in 2024. We talked about what's new at the shop, industry trends we want to see stay/ leave in 2025, and got an early head start on awarding the best-selling books, most pulled titles, and best sleeper comics of the year, stand-out creative teams and publishers. We also discussed the comics we're looking forward to in 2025, and Ben also answers questions submitted by listeners!

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel (here), to watch the extended video version of this episode!

Want to hear exclusive episodes? Listen to HUNDREDS of unreleased and bonus episodes, over on our Patreon Channel. Try a FREE seven-day membership: Here! 

LINKS: 

• MERCH SALE! Get 20% off Short Box merch by using the discount code: “YOO“
• Take your comic shopping experience to the limit, by shopping online at Gotham City Limit!
• Join our Patreon Community and get VIP treatment, bonus episodes, and other perks and rewards! Try out a free 7-day trial, here. No pressure!

We read Fan Mail! Send us some

Buy your tickets for Collective Con 2025 (here), Northeast Florida's largest pop culture convention!

Proudly sponsored by Collective Con!

Proudly sponsored by Gotham City Limit!


Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

Support the show

REACH OUT TO US! 🤝🏼

• Email us at [email protected]
• Follow us on IG & tweet us at @theshortboxjax
• Website: theshortboxentertainment.com
• The Music Team: DeftStrokeSound, Mecca Tha Marvelous, DJ Crumbz, L.E.R.M., & Dialectable Beats

In honor of the John Stewart statue that was unveiled this month, this week's episode is a re-release of Ep. 338! Revisit our contribution to the 2021 Justice League-themed podcast crossover event: UNITE THE SEVEN, and join us as we explore the creation of John Stewart by comic legend Neal Adams, Stewart's military ties, and how Phil Lamar's monumental portrayal of the character inspired a generation.

And don't forget to check out this week's Oblivion Bar podcast to hear Badr on the 2024 Comic Creators Fantasy Draft episode! 

Want more episodes? Listen to HUNDREDS of unreleased and bonus episodes, over on our Patreon Channel. Try a FREE seven-day membership: Here! 

LINKS! : 

• MERCH SALE! Get 20% off your next purchase from our merch store by using the discount code: “YOO“
• Take your comic shopping experience to the limit, by shopping online at Gotham City Limit!
• Join our Patreon Community and get VIP treatment, bonus episodes, and other perks and rewards! Try out a free 7-day trial, here. No pressure!

We read Fan Mail! Send us some

Support the show

REACH OUT TO US! 🤝🏼

• Email us at [email protected]
• Follow us on IG & tweet us at @theshortboxjax
• Website: theshortboxentertainment.com
• The Music Team: DeftStrokeSound, Mecca Tha Marvelous, DJ Crumbz, L.E.R.M., & Dialectable Beats

Walt stops by the show this week, to join Badr & Drew for a long overdue catch-up session! The SBX OGs read some fan mail, and talk about their favorite back-up stories, the state of Spider-Man comics, favorite Tom King books, the genius of Kieron Gillen, and a new segment is introduced this episode that's dedicated to the reading piles/ stacks everywhere.

Want more episodes? Listen to HUNDREDS of unreleased and bonus episodes, over on our Patreon Channel. Try a FREE seven-day membership: Here! 

LINKS! : 

• MERCH SALE! Get 20% off your next purchase from our merch store by using the discount code: “YOO“
• Take your comic shopping experience to the limit, by shopping online at Gotham City Limit!
• Join our Patreon Community and get VIP treatment, bonus episodes, and other perks and rewards! Try out a free 7-day trial, here. No pressure!

We read Fan Mail! Send us some

Buy your tickets for Collective Con 2025 (here), Northeast Florida's largest pop culture convention!

Proudly sponsored by Collective Con!

Proudly sponsored by Gotham City Limit!


Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

Support the show

REACH OUT TO US! 🤝🏼

• Email us at [email protected]
• Follow us on IG & tweet us at @theshortboxjax
• Website: theshortboxentertainment.com
• The Music Team: DeftStrokeSound, Mecca Tha Marvelous, DJ Crumbz, L.E.R.M., & Dialectable Beats

Chris Ryall, the former President, Publisher, Chief Creative Officer, and Editor-in-Chief of IDW Publishing, and now co-founder of Syzygy Publishing, is on the show this week to talk about his LONG career in comics, working for Kevin Smith, creating Zombies vs Robots & Syzygy with Ashley Wood, and his new book: The Mighty Marvel Calendar Book (available now!)...and Locke & Key co-creator: Joe Hill, calls into the show!

Subscribe and watch the video version of this episode on YouTube! 

Want more episodes? Listen to HUNDREDS of unreleased and bonus episodes, over on our Patreon Channel. Try a FREE seven-day membership: Here! 

LINKS! : 

• MERCH SALE! Get 20% off your next purchase from our merch store by using the discount code: “YOO“
• Take your comic shopping experience to the limit, by shopping online at Gotham City Limit!
• Join our Patreon Community and get VIP treatment, bonus episodes, and other perks and rewards! Try out a free 7-day trial, here. No pressure!

We read Fan Mail! Send us some

Buy your tickets for Collective Con 2025 (here), Northeast Florida's largest pop culture convention!

Proudly sponsored by Collective Con!

Proudly sponsored by Gotham City Limit!


Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

Support the show

REACH OUT TO US! 🤝🏼

• Email us at [email protected]
• Follow us on IG & tweet us at @theshortboxjax
• Website: theshortboxentertainment.com
• The Music Team: DeftStrokeSound, Mecca Tha Marvelous, DJ Crumbz, L.E.R.M., & Dialectable Beats

Calling-in all the way from the UK, is one of the most recognized and celebrated writers of the Transformers and robot-fiction: Simon Furman (Death's Head, Dragon's Claw, Doctor Who). Simon is on the show this week to talk about the release of his latest mech-inspired comic: Astrobots Vol. 1 (available now!), the 40th Anniversary of the Transformers, working at Marvel UK during its peak, and what robot characters can teach us about our own humanity.

Subscribe and watch the video version of this episode on YouTube! 

Want more episodes? Listen to HUNDREDS of unreleased and bonus episodes, over on our Patreon Channel. Try a FREE seven-day membership: Here! 

LINKS! : 

• MERCH SALE! Get 20% off your next purchase from our merch store by using the discount code: “YOO“
• Take your comic shopping experience to the limit, by shopping online at Gotham City Limit!
• Join our Patreon Community and get VIP treatment, bonus episodes, and other perks and rewards! Try out a free 7-day trial, here. No pressure!

We read Fan Mail! Send us some

Buy your tickets for Collective Con 2025 (here), Northeast Florida's largest pop culture convention!

Proudly sponsored by Collective Con!

Proudly sponsored by Gotham City Limit!


Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

Support the show

REACH OUT TO US! 🤝🏼

• Email us at [email protected]
• Follow us on IG & tweet us at @theshortboxjax
• Website: theshortboxentertainment.com
• The Music Team: DeftStrokeSound, Mecca Tha Marvelous, DJ Crumbz, L.E.R.M., & Dialectable Beats

Here's a preview of the latest Patreon bonus episode: Drew and I recap my wedding, list off some wedding-themed comics, and we welcome some new Patrons and read some fan mail!

Listen to the rest of this episode, and a TON of other bonus episodes, over on our Patreon Channel. Try a FREE seven-day membership: Here! 

LINKS! : 

• MERCH SALE! Get 20% off your next purchase from our merch store by using the discount code: “YOO“
• Take your comic shopping experience to the limit, by shopping online at Gotham City Limit!
• Join our Patreon Community and get VIP treatment, bonus episodes, and other perks and rewards! Try out a free 7-day trial, here. No pressure!

 

We read Fan Mail! Send us some

Proudly sponsored by Gotham City Limit!


Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

Support the show

REACH OUT TO US! 🤝🏼

• Email us at [email protected]
• Follow us on IG & tweet us at @theshortboxjax
• Website: theshortboxentertainment.com
• The Music Team: DeftStrokeSound, Mecca Tha Marvelous, DJ Crumbz, L.E.R.M., & Dialectable Beats

Scott Snyder, one of the most celebrated and accomplished Batman writers of all time, joins me this week to talk about his career and how he started writing comics, DC's new All-In Initiative, reinventing Batman for the modern age today, the most important lesson he learned from Stephen King, and what you can expect from Absolute Batman (issue #1 in shops today!) and the Absolute Universe.

Subscribe and watch the video version of this episode on YouTube!

LINKS! : 

• MERCH SALE! Get 20% off your next purchase from our merch store by using the discount code: “YOO“
• Take your comic shopping experience to the limit, by shopping online at Gotham City Limit!
• Join our Patreon Community and get VIP treatment, bonus episodes, and other perks and rewards! Try out a free 7-day trial, here. No pressure!

We read Fan Mail! Send us some

Buy your tickets for Collective Con 2025 (here), Northeast Florida's largest pop culture convention!

Proudly sponsored by Collective Con!

Proudly sponsored by Gotham City Limit!


Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

Support the show

REACH OUT TO US! 🤝🏼

• Email us at [email protected]
• Follow us on IG & tweet us at @theshortboxjax
• Website: theshortboxentertainment.com
• The Music Team: DeftStrokeSound, Mecca Tha Marvelous, DJ Crumbz, L.E.R.M., & Dialectable Beats