Comic Book Historians

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1976: Marvel Bicentennial with Editor clashes and DC Publisher Changes Jan 06, 2018

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Alex Grand, Bill Field, and Jim Thompson discuss 1976 with the pertinent goings on at Marvel and DC. Marvel Editor-In-Chief plays music chairs, and DC has their own backdoor shake ups as Carmine Infantino is out and Jenette Kahn is in. Jack Kirby returns to Marvel to celebrate the bicentennial, Marv Wolfman creates Nova, and Steve Gerber shakes up the Marvel Universe with a Howard the Duck presidential run, as Vance Astro and Nikki copulate to prevent a universe wide cataclysm, and Phoenix first appears in X-Men as Chris Claremont solo starts his X-Men run. Edited & Produced by Alex Grand. Howard the Duck ©Marvel, Nova ©Marvel, Superman vs Spider-Man ©DC/Marvel, Shazam ©DC, X-Men ©Marvel, No Sense Remix - Standard License. Support us at https://www.patreon.com/comicbookhistorians
Podcast and Audio ©℗ 2019 Comic Book Historians

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CBH Christmas Special: Our Top 5 Christmas Comics! Dec 25, 2017

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Alex Grand, Bill Field, and Jim Thompson celebrate the Holidays and Dawn of the New Year by going over each of their top 5 Christmas Comics of all time. Bill and Jim come up with their theories on why Stan Lee hardly ever wrote a Christmas story, Bill wrestles a gay bear, Alex brings up a yuletide christmas Superman tale that reaks of a prison (g)rape scene, and Jim weeps and mourns... for Starman!? Is the best comic story of all time found in a comic strip or comic book? You decide! Topics range from Strips, to Marvel to DC Comics, to Harvey Kurtzman, Walt Kelly and More! Edited & Produced by Alex Grand. ©Comic Book Historians, Vault of Horror ©Gaines, Fallin Remix - Standard License. Support us at https://www.patreon.com/comicbookhistorians
Podcast and Audio ©℗ 2019 Comic Book Historians

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Tom Orzechowski Career Interview Part 2: Spawn Letterer Dec 17, 2017

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Alex Grand, Bill Field, and Jim Thompson interview legendary Marvel, Image and Darkhorse Comics Letterer, Tom Orzechowski discussing the history of Comic Books alongside his personal and professional involvement in comics, in part 2 starting with why he left Marvel Comics and started working with Todd McFarlane on Spawn, as well as his heavy involvement with Manga, and the change from manual to digital lettering. Alex asks Tom about Jim Shooter’s editorial involvement in the X-Men, and more fun specifics about his professional involvement with Chris Claremont. Jim asks more about Tom’s Silver Age influences, which artist Tom wishes he could have worked with, and who Tom feels was the very best letterer of all time. Edited & Produced by Alex Grand. ©Comic Book Historians, Spawn ©McFarlane/Image Comics, Dirty Pair ©Dark Horse, The Advance Team ©Tor Books, No Sense Remix - Standard License. Support us at https://www.patreon.com/comicbookhistorians
Podcast and Audio ©℗ 2019 Comic Book Historians

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Tom Orzechowski Career Interview Part 1: X-Men Letterer Dec 14, 2017

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Alex Grand, Bill Field, and Jim Thompson interview legendary Comics Letterer, Tom Orzechowski discussing the history of Comic Books alongside his personal and professional involvement in comics starting in 1958, through the impression that Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko and Artie Simek made in the Silver Age, through to the Detroit Fan Fair Comic Convention that united him, Jim Starlin, Arvell Jones, Rich Buckler, Al Milgrom and Mike Vosburg as they entered Marvel Comics with a passion pushing the company into the Bronze Age. Tom also describes his career lettering over 6000 pages of Chris Claremont's run on the Uncanny X-Men through the series' best years, and why they left it in 1992. Edited & Produced by Alex Grand. ©Comic Book Historians. Uncanny X-Men ©Marvel Comics, No Sense Remix - Standard License. Support us at https://www.patreon.com/comicbookhistorians
Podcast and Audio ©℗ 2019 Comic Book Historians

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1986: The Year Comics Grew Up or Turned Out the Lights Nov 29, 2017

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Alex Grand, Bill Field, and Jim Thompson discuss 1986 as the year comics grew up, or became modern, or just became dark while discussing some of the creative achievements of Alan Moore, Frank Miller, and Jim's not personal favorite, John Byrne. How did Frank Miller and Alan Moore change comics forever? Did John Byrne break a new creative height or did he jump the shark that year? What did Mark Gruenwald have to do with DC's Crisis on Infinite Earths? Did Maus popularize the serious adult themed graphic novel? How did Jim Shooter permanently affect DC Comics and how did Cadence selling Marvel to New World Entertainment change the Marvel we all knew and loved? Where did the Bison head go? Edited & Produced by Alex Grand. ©Comic Book Historians, Dark Knight Returns ©DC Comics, Tropical House / Yuriy Bespalov - Standard License. Support us at https://www.patreon.com/comicbookhistorians
Podcast and Audio ©℗ 2019 Comic Book Historians

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1934: Comics' Born Identity Nov 11, 2017

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Alex Grand, Bill Field, and Jim Thompson discuss the 1934 newspaper comic industry specifically the decline of the old guard like Windsor McCay, and the upsurge of the new guys who would end the newspaper golden age with a bang including Milton Caniff and Alex Raymond. How did Milton Caniff and Alex Raymond change the choreography of Newspaper Strips and how did that affect the buddening Golden Age of Comic Books? Why do Newspaper Comic Strips at this time matter? What was the comic book industry doing at this time? Who is Major Malcom Wheeler-Nicholsen and what did he bring to comic books when he created National Allied Periodicals, the company that would later change its name to DC Comics? Where is the Bison head? Edited & Produced by Alex Grand. ©Comic Book Historians, Flash Gordon ©King Feature Syndicate. Support us at https://www.patreon.com/comicbookhistorians
Podcast and Audio ©℗ 2019 Comic Book Historians

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1972: Marvel Horror Comics Halloween Special!!! Oct 31, 2017

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Alex Grand, Bill Field, and Jim Thompson discuss the 1972 Marvel Horror comics movement pushed mainly by Roy Thomas for our Halloween podcast extra spooky extravaganza. How does DC's exploration into horror in 1968, effect Marvel in 1972? How do the Universal Monsters fit into Marvel? Marvel experiments with monster anti-hero's with Werewolf by Night, Tomb of Dracula, Frankenstein's Monster, Tales of the Zombie with Simon Garth, Man-Thing, etc. What was Roy Thomas' vision for the horror genre at Marvel when he became editor in chief? Bill tells a great story of his grandmother's run in with... Frederic Wertham?!? Find out Jim's conversational kryptonite! What is the secret of the Bison Head?? Edited & Produced by Alex Grand. ©Comic Book Historians, Frankenstein ©Universal, Marvel ©Marvel Comics. Support us at https://www.patreon.com/comicbookhistorians
Podcast and Audio ©℗ 2019 Comic Book Historians

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1968: The Decline of Both Batmania, Old D.C, and the Rise of Carmine Infantino Oct 07, 2017

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Alex Grand, Bill Field, and Jim Thompson wrap up 1966 as Batmania declines and the Superhero glut is shown not to be the significant cash cow it used to be, Carmine Infantino uses corporate change at old DC, as an opportunity to change the creative face of their comics line by enabling the release of the old guard and replacing them with the new artists and writers that would transition into the bronze age. What were the creative titles in 1968 that echoed these internal changes? What does it mean for DC when its old pulp writer editors are replaced with next generation artists? Can DC tap into nonsuperhero genres to soften the superhero crash after the moneymaking glut? Edited & Produced by Alex Grand. ©Comic Book Historians, Deadman ©DC Comics. Support us at https://www.patreon.com/comicbookhistorians
Podcast and Audio ©℗ 2019 Comic Book Historians

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1966 part 4: Tower Comics, Charlton, and Harvey Comics Sep 23, 2017

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Alex Grand, Bill Field, and Jim Thompson discuss more aspects to 1966 and the superhero glut as it strikes Tower Comics, Charlton and Harvey Comics. This episode also goes over where Wally Wood and Steve Ditko went after leaving Marvel in 1966, and how successful those lines showed to be, as well as Charlton Superhero comics and their relation to the Watchmen graphic novel series. What was Joe Simon doing at Harvey Comics? What are Bill and Jim's pet peeves? Do we need lawyers yet? Edited & Produced by Alex Grand. ©Comic Book Historians, Thunder Agents ©IDW Publishing. Support us at https://www.patreon.com/comicbookhistorians
Podcast and Audio ©℗ 2019 Comic Book Historians

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1966 part 3: The Marvel Age with guest historian, Barry Pearl, The Forbush Man Sep 16, 2017

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Alex Grand, Bill Field, Jim Thompson, and special guest, Marvel historian and 4 time published author / co-author, Barry Pearl discuss more aspects to 1966 and its place in the 1960s Marvel Age. This episode goes over the 1954 Comic Code Authority, the 1957 Atlas Implosion, and the 1966 Batman TV's effect on Martin Goodman, Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko, Stan Lee and other freelancers in the "bullpen" and their adaptability and creativity in the market that left Marvel as the ultimate winner of the Silver Age. There's a segment discussing why Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko and Wally Wood left Marvel. Also the weekly rant evolves into a discussion of our current 2017 Superhero glut and how pop culture history will likely repeat itself. Edited & Produced by Alex Grand. ©Comic Book Historians, marvelmania ©marvel comics. Support us at https://www.patreon.com/comicbookhistorians
Podcast and Audio ©℗ 2019 Comic Book Historians

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