Voice of Latveria

Professor James Kakalios, the author of "The Physics of Superheroes," joins Douglas Wolk to discuss Warlock #4-7, featuring a very different Victor Von Doom. Topics discussed include whether Counter-Earth has a moon, how Kate Pryde's powers might work (and why the Flash's powers definitely don't), whether astrophysicists would know about Counter-Earth, how many physics labs have hotlines to the White House, the two other Counter-Earths, and the most important psychological difference between Reed Richards and Doom.

Graeme McMillan (of Wait, What?) joins Douglas to discuss Doctor Doom's appearances in Thor #182-183. Topics include Stan Lee's curious ideas about how jobs work in the real world, what surgeons do, the world's smallest political demonstration, the identity of the scientist in "This Man, This Monster," the background behind O'Bengh from "What If?," Doom's taste in furniture, which country Thor would be most likely to allow to have missiles, and exactly how terrible a doctor Donald Blake is.

Joe Streckert, the host of the Weird History Podcast, joins Douglas Wolk to discuss Sub-Mariner #47-49. Topics include how much Doctor Doom loves drama, the difference between "Kirk Drift" and "Flanderization," The Journal of M.O.D.O.K. Studies, Gene Colan's fondness for drawing very wide punches, what kind of a boss Doom is, the light in the movie The Lighthouse, and the joys of abs and punching.

Bob Calhoun, the author of "The Murders That Made Us," joins Douglas Wolk to discuss Fantastic Four #116. Topics include Doctor Doom's résumé, what Mike Royer had to say about why inking New Gods was easier than inking Fantastic Four, the power of Evil Reed, and the resemblance between Victor Von Doom and the founders of the San Francisco Chronicle.

Gerry Conway, who wrote the Doctor Doom story in 1971's Astonishing Tales #8 at the age of 18, discusses it with Douglas--and writer/editor/semiotician Joshua Glenn shares his story of how he discovered that issue. Topics include the inspiration of Conway's Catholic upbringing, the Stan Lee/Jack Kirby relationship (Conway worked directly with both of them!), Young Frankenstein, the music from Bugs Bunny cartoons, the Bhagavad-Gita, Ruritanian romances, Sir Walter Scott, and Darth Vader.

Retired U.S. diplomat Margaret Pride joins Douglas Wolk to discuss the Doctor Doom stories in Astonishing Tales #6-7... or, rather, to touch on them rather briefly, and then discuss how the relationship between Victor Von Doom and T'Challa is and is not like the relationship between Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un, how exactly diplomatic immunity works in practice (and the biggest crime Doom would be able to get away with thanks to it), and what popular culture gets right and wrong about diplomatic relations in general.

Writer, artist and cartoonist K. Thor Jensen joins Douglas Wolk to discuss Doctor Doom's appearances in The Incredible Hulk #143-144. Topics include Doc Samson's haircut, Doom's signature weapon in Marvel vs. Capcom games, strange flags, the number of times Valeria has appeared, what cocktail conversations are like at parties Doom attends, Doom's most special lever of all, an overlooked and highly meme-able panel, the Funyuns of Marvel, and why this story is like "The Prestige."

Paul Tobin (writer of Bunny Mask, Dr. Doom and the Masters of Evil, etc.) joins Douglas to discuss Astonishing Tales #1-5, but they are attacked by an all-consuming sonic sponge.

Greg Matiasevich (of Multiversity Comics' "Robots from Tomorrow" podcast) joins Douglas to discuss Fantastic Four: The World's Greatest Comics Magazine! #1-12, a Lee/Kirby tribute miniseries spearheaded by Erik Larsen and Eric Stephenson. Topics include "Jack Kirby" as a genre, the lost Kirby black-light poster, and how this cast of thousands went about approximating the vintage F.F. vibe.

Bryan Stratton of "Marvel by the Month" joins Douglas Wolk (during the heat bubble in Portland!) to discuss Sub-Mariner #20 and Rise of the Black Panther #4. Topics include Prince Namor's straightedge side, the many beverages of Victor Von Doom, the staircase-as-Slip 'n' Slide motif in Roy Thomas's stories, why "glazier" is one of the more lucrative trades in Latveria, Doctor Doom and Namor's toxic relationship dynamics, and differing views of autocracy in Marvel Comics.