set sail with its maiden voyage, and we’re not easing into calm waters. In this debut episode, John Siuntres and Franco dive headfirst into Season One, Episode One of The Love Boat, the episode that launched a TV institution and defined late-’70s comfort viewing for decades to come. Joining them as this week’s guest passenger is Margaret Larkin from The Radio Girl Podcast, bringing sharp insight,  and zero tolerance for shallow nostalgia. Together, the crew breaks down:

• The episode’s multiple guest-star storylines and how the rotating-romance format was established right out of the gate
• Who these guest stars really were beyond their Love Boat appearances—career highs, unexpected turns, and pop-culture context
• Behind-the-scenes facts, network strategy, and why this show worked when it absolutely shouldn’t have
• What holds up, what’s already dated, and what still weirdly works

This isn’t a breezy recap. It’s a smart, funny, occasionally skeptical re-watch that treats The Love Boat as both a time capsule and a television machine built to last. Climb aboard. The champagne is cheap, emotions are high, and the seas may get choppy. 

Today On Word Balloon Scene Missing takes a deep dive into Otto Preminger’s Anatomy of a Murder, the landmark courtroom drama that shattered Hollywood taboos and rewrote how adult themes could be portrayed on screen.

Joining me is Chicago radio legend Dan McNeil, known to generations of listeners from WSCR and WMVP, bringing his sharp perspective and cultural memory to the conversation. We break down why Anatomy of a Murder was so controversial in 1950.From its frank sexual dialogue and moral ambiguity to Duke Ellington’s groundbreaking jazz score, and why it still feels modern today. McNeil and I examine James Stewart’s career-defining performance, George C. Scott’s volcanic debut, and Preminger’s fearless refusal to spoon-feed the audience easy answers. 

This isn’t just a film-school autopsy. It’s a conversation about censorship, masculinity, truth versus storytelling, and how a supposedly “old” movie still punches harder than most modern courtroom dramas. Smart, opinionated, and unapologetically adult.

Tim Seeley joins met talk about many current projects includng Deadpool, Godzilla, He-Man, X-Factor Psylocke Ninja, and the status of his SyFy TV Show Revival,

On this episode, I’m joined by writer Chris Roberson for a wide-ranging conversation about Star Trek past, present, and occasionally frustrating. Chris discusses his Star Trek novella and his ambitious IDW Comics crossover teaming up the original series crew with the Legion of Super-Heroes, blending two classic sci-fi universes with big ideas and deep-cut continuity.

From there, the conversation expands to cover every era of Trek, as we compare notes on what’s worked, what hasn’t, and why the franchise continues to inspire such passionate debate. Along the way, I vent some long-simmering frustrations with Kurtzman-era Trek, while Chris offers thoughtful context from the perspective of a writer who’s actually played in the sandbox. It’s a candid, nerdy, and occasionally cathartic discussion about the state of Star Trek, its legacy, and what fans still hope it can boldly be.

Today a discussion of one of the father's of pulp hero fiction. Edgar Rice Burroughs , honoring the legendary creator of Tarzan, John Carter of Mars, Carson of Venus, and a galaxy of other characters who helped define adventure and imaginative storytelling for generations of readers.. ERB was a pioneer in creator ownership of his heroes, and made a masswive media bltz in film radio and comics. 

In this extended conversation, we explore Burroughs’ impact on comics, film, and popular culture, and why his work still resonates with fans around the world. Grab your favorite drink, settle in, and let’s dive into the remarkable legacy of Edgar Rice Burroughs.”

Welcome back to Word Balloon! Today, we’re diving deep into the Star Trek universe with one of its most accomplished storytellers — David Mack. You know his work from the Deep Space Nine episodes “Starship Down” and “It’s Only a Paper Moon”, two fan-favorite installments that captured the show’s emotional depth and moral complexity.

Since then, Mack’s become one of Star Trek’s defining novelists — the author behind landmark books like Destiny, Vanguard, and Control, and now, the brand-new Strange New Worlds novel, Ring Of Fire. We’ll talk about how David approaches writing for different eras of Trek, what it’s like balancing the optimism of Strange New Worlds with the grittier tone of his earlier work, and how he helped expand Star Trek’s literary canon into something as rich and compelling as the shows themselves.

Plus, we’ll get into his latest creative venture — co-writing the Star Trek: Khan audio drama, exploring the rise and legacy of one of the franchise’s most fascinating villains. It’s a fascinating look at a writer who’s helped shape Star Trek across television, novels, and now audio storytelling. So grab your communicator, set your phasers to “listen,” and join me as we boldly go into the creative mind of David Mack — right here on Word Balloon!

A look back with Art Baltazar Franco Scoot McMahon and Me

Powers. Black Hammer Minor Threats, and more. Dark Horse Comics editor Daniel Chabon joins the show for an in-depth conversation about shaping creator-driven comics in today’s industry. Daniel breaks down the editor’s role behind the scenes, from developing pitches and guiding visual storytelling to balancing creator vision with long-term publishing strategy.

We talk about Dark Horse’s approach to original series, working with both established voices and emerging talent, and how the publisher continues to evolve in a changing comics landscape. Daniel also shares insights into collaboration, deadlines, and what makes a project stand out when it lands on an editor’s desk.

In this episode, we sit down with one of the defining writers of modern Marvel to talk about what’s next, what still matters, and what didn’t quite land. Paul discusses his two new Marvel series coming in 2026, including his long-awaited return to The Sentry, launching this March. We dig into why this new Sentry story feels necessary now, how it builds on the psychological core that made the character unforgettable, and what Paul wants to explore that he couldn’t before.

We also get an exclusive look at Captain Marvel: Dark Star, a story that reaches back into Carol Danvers’ Ms. Marvel era to investigate an unsolved crime that has lingered in the shadows for decades. Paul breaks down why revisiting that moment matters—and how reframing the past can change how we understand Carol today.

The conversation turns reflective as we revisit Paul’s Marvel Knights era, including his landmark run on Inhumans—what that period at Marvel felt like from the inside, the creative freedom it allowed, and why those stories continue to resonate.

And yes—we talk about television. Paul finally watched the ABC Inhumans series, and he’s candid about his reaction, where it went wrong, and why adaptations miss the mark when they lose sight of character and theme. It’s a wide-ranging, honest conversation about legacy, reinvention, and returning to the worlds you helped define—on your own terms.