Arts
**Voice of Latveria**

Comics critic Douglas Wolk (“All of the Marvels”) and guests take a weekly trip through the Marvel Comics history of Doctor Doom: hero of Latveria, master of science and sorcery, roboticist supreme, and arch-rival of the Fantastic Four’s accursed Reed Richards. The Voice of Latveria is a project of the Cynthia Von Doom Memorial Foundation. Our motto: “We will always tell you the truth… as Doom sees it.”

Latest Episodes:

S1E20 - 20: The Power and the Pride! (with Charles Hatfield) Jul 06, 2021

Show notes

Charles Hatfield, Professor of English at California State University and the author of Hand of Fire: The Comics Art of Jack Kirby, joins Douglas Wolk to discuss Kirby's final contribution to the Doctor Doom story, Fantastic Four #84-87. Topics include the influence on this story of Patrick McGoohan's The Prisoner, the relationship between portraits of Doom and of Shah Jahan, the implied moral resemblance between Gustav Hauptmann and Adolf Eichmann, and the appearance of a pair of suspiciously familiar-looking chefs.

S1E19 - 19: This Man... This Demon! (with Laura Hudson) Jun 29, 2021

Show notes

Comics critic, cultural commentator and screenwriter Laura Hudson joins Douglas Wolk to discuss Marvel Super Heroes #20--Doctor Doom's first cover feature, and the first appearance of Valeria! Topics include what exactly Diablo keeps in his costume, Doom's problematic modes of thinking about romantic relationships, Frank Giacoia's game attempt at pulling off a Jim Steranko riff, what (if anything) the U.S. Civil War has to do with all of this, and "the putrid pledges of diplomatic immunity."

This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

S1E18 - 18: Don't Look Now, But It's--Dr. Doom! (with Christine Hanefalk) Jun 22, 2021

Show notes

Christine Hanefalk of The Other Murdock Papers and the #savedaredevil campaign joins Douglas Wolk to discuss Doctor Doom's battle with Daredevil in Daredevil #37-38 and Fantastic Four #73. Topics include the quasi-science of Daredevil's radar sense, the question of whether it's a good idea for him to be driving a car, Gene Colan's approach to pacing stories, and Reed Richards' bizarre forgetfulness about the first time Doom switched bodies with him.

This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

S1E17 - 17: Behold the Savage Sky! (with James Romberger) Jun 15, 2021

Show notes

James Romberger - artist, teacher, and author of "Steranko: The Self-Created Man" - joins Douglas Wolk to discuss Jim Steranko's Nick Fury serial in Strange Tales #161-167... in which Doctor Doom only appears in the final panel, but WHAT A PANEL IT IS. Topics include Steranko's formal innovations, the early connections between Steranko and Art Spiegelman, and the chessboard motif in this story. (Also: apologies for the slightly glitchy sound quality this week!)

This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

S1E16 - 16: The Peril and the Power! (with Rhett Thomas) Jun 08, 2021

Show notes

Comics historian Rhett Thomas joins Douglas Wolk to talk about Fantastic Four #57-60, Silver Surfer: Loftier than Mortals #1-2 and "The Silver Burper" from Not Brand Echh #1! Topics include the unwieldiness of the device with which Doctor Doom steals the Silver Surfer's power, the curious creative relationship between Jack Kirby and Stan Lee in 1966, and who owns a hundred pairs of stretch socks.

S1E15 - 15: Enter... Dr. Doom! (with Dugan Trodglen) Jun 01, 2021

Show notes

Dugan Trodglen--musician, comics retailer, journalist, and technically a character within the Marvel Universe--joins Douglas Wolk to discuss Avengers #25! (And the final panel of #24.) Topics include Don Heck's fortes as an artist, the beginning of Wanda Maximoff's fraught relationship with TV sets, the putative hipness of Hawkeye, Wally Schirra's advertisement for Actifed, and relevant videos of MF DOOM.

S1E14 - 14: Bedlam at the Baxter Building! (with Chelsea Gaia) May 25, 2021

Show notes

Chelsea Gaia--co-host of "Experience: A Career Stories Podcast," and a former wedding photographer--joins Douglas Wolk to discuss Fantastic Four Annual #3, Marvel Heroes & Legends '96, and Fantastic Four 40th Wedding Anniversary Special. Topics include Roz Kirby's possible influence on Susan Storm's wedding outfit, Stan Lee and Steve Ditko's surprising final collaboration, which superhero picks up the check when everybody goes to eat at Tavern on the Green, and why honeymooning in the Blue Area of the Moon is a terrible idea.

S1E13 - 13: Crisis on Campus! (with Robb Milne) May 18, 2021

Show notes

Robb Milne of the excellent "Marvel by the Month" podcast joins Douglas Wolk to discuss two much later stories that take place very shortly after Fantastic Four #40: Jeph Loeb and Ed McGuinness's backup story from 2006's Stan Lee Meets Doctor Doom #1, and Christos Gage and Mario Alberti's 2010 Spider-Man/Fantastic Four #1! Topics include a secret moonlighting gig the 616 Stan Lee might have had, the sorts of continuity glitches over which Douglas gets extra finicky, and how one of Eero Aarnio's classic Ball Chairs might have ended up in a panic room for visiting dignitaries at a thinly disguised Columbia University.

S1E12 - 12: The Battle of the Baxter Building (with Jeet Heer) May 11, 2021

Show notes

Jeet Heer--national affairs correspondent for "The Nation," master of intellectually omnivorous Twitter threads, and Jack Kirby scholar--joins Douglas Wolk to discuss Fantastic Four #39 and 40. Topics include Doctor Doom as Hobbes' Leviathan, Kirby's personal background and how it informed Fantastic Four's characters, the proto-Doom in Challengers of the Unknown #4, the Inhumans' story as an allegory for Jewish assimilation, and the F.F. as a Kennedy-era Democratic coalition.

S1E11 - 11: Picture Perfect (with Kian Ross) May 04, 2021

Show notes

Episode Notes

Kian Ross of the 616 Society joins Douglas Wolk to discuss Spider-Man/Human Torch #1, from 2005! Topics include the evolving relationship between Peter Parker and Johnny Storm, which mutant is best prepared to do the bookkeeping for X-Corp, Doom's surprising credulousness, and what exactly goes on in Douglas's secret book club for his patrons.

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Voice of Latveria

Episode Notes

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected