Word Balloon Comics Podcast

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Drew Friedman Explores The Underground Apr 27, 2026

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On this episode, I sit down with Drew Friedman for a deep dive into the wild, rebellious world of the underground comix movement of the 1960s and 70s. It's all covered in his Fantagraphics book Maverix and Lunatix: Icons of Underground Comix
We talk about the artists who broke all the rules Figures like R. Crumb, Vaughn Bode, and Trina Robbins , and how their raw, unfiltered storytelling reshaped comics into something far more personal, political, and subversive. Drew shares firsthand insights into that era’s lasting influence and how it informed his own unmistakable style.
From his early collaborations with his brother Josh Alan Friedman to his breakout work in publications like RAW and National Lampoon, we track the evolution of his career and the obsessive detail behind his signature caricatures. We also get into his celebrated portrait work, including books like Old Jewish Comedians and his tributes to pop culture legends, where Drew blends satire, reverence, and razor-sharp draftsmanship. It’s a conversation about craft, counterculture, and the artists who refused to play it safe, and in the process, changed comics forever.

scene missing lured-1947 lucille ball noir Apr 26, 2026

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On this episode of Scene Missing, we head into shadowy postwar London for a stylish and strange detour in the career of Douglas Sirk. Before the lush Technicolor melodramas of the 1950s, Sirk took a crack at noir with the 1947 thriller Lured. A serial killer mystery wrapped in elegance, obsession, and just a touch of dark humor. Starring Lucille Ball in a rare dramatic role, the film follows a woman drawn into a dangerous undercover game as bait for a killer targeting lonely hearts. Along the way, she crosses paths with a gallery of suspects played by the likes of George Sanders and Boris Karloff, each bringing their own eerie flavor to the mystery.
Joining me for the conversation is Washington D.C. comedian Lady Vee, and we dig into what makes Lured such an odd and fascinating hybrid. Is this a straight noir, or something more playful and subversive? How does Sirk’s later thematic obsession with performance and identity show up here? And where does this sit in the evolution of Lucille Ball before I Love Lucy changed everything?

aw yeah podcast spring has sprung pt 2 Apr 25, 2026

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We talk about The re-release of Avengers Endgame with new doomsday related scenes, and other TV anf film talk.

aw yeah podcast spring has sprung pt 1 Apr 24, 2026

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all the guys are back to talk cartoons tv and film

The Rucka Debrief pt 2 Apr 22, 2026

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Greg talks about the dangers of Canon,and promots the return of his series The Forged with Eric Trautman. Plus updates on Lazarus, Black Magic Attikus Kodiak and more.

The Rucka Debrief The Return Of Batwoman Apr 22, 2026

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Greg gets i depth about returning to the world of Kate Kane.

Love Boat ep 3 Kristy Loves Chachi ? Apr 21, 2026

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It’s time for another voyage of E-Motion Sickness: A Love Boat Re-Watch, and this one’s got everything you want out of classic late-70s TV chaos. Joining John and Franco this trip is artist and pop culture lifer Andy Price, ready to break down Episode 3. An hour packed with crushes, awkward reunions, and Julie getting absolutely zero help from the romance gods.
You’ve got Kristy McNichol going all-in on Scott Baio like it’s teen magazine fan fiction come to life, while exes Robert Reed and Loretta Swit collide on deck with their new significant others… because nothing says “relaxing cruise” like unresolved baggage in formal wear.
And poor Julie? She just can’t buy a win. Every time she thinks she’s got a promising passenger date, the universe steps in and says, “Not on this boat.”

The Bendis Tapes Part 2 Apr 20, 2026

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In part 2 Brian answers uestions from the chat and we announce the dates and books for the next book club episodes for April and May.
Next Tuesday night we'll record our book club observations of Absolute Martian Manhunter from Deniz Camp.
You'll hear aout our favorite recent tv podcast and film recommendations, and Brian look back in detail on writing Marvel's Secret Invasion comic event.

The Bendis Tapes Part 1 Powers To Netflix? Apr 19, 2026

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In part 1 of The Bendis Tapes, we’ve got a double shot of Brian Michael Bendis that hits both his past and his next big moves. First up, Powers is back with issue 8 from Dark Horse Comics, dropping Wednesday.
And here’s the kicker. Powers isn’t just living on the page. It’s back in development, this time as an animated series at Netflix. That format might finally be the right fit to capture the scale and grit of Bendis and Oeming’s world without compromise.
At the same time, Bendis is crossing universes again. Also out Wednesday is the Marvel and DC crossover Spider-Man Superman, featuring a brand new story from Bendis and Sara Pichelli, where Miles Morales meets Superman.

Bad Thoughts and Black Ops Ande Parks Apr 18, 2026

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Today on Word Balloon, I’m talking with a guy who’s built a career jumping between crime, history, and deeply human storytelling, Ande Parks. You know him from powerful graphic novels like Union Station and Capote in Kansas, and from his work across comics and film, where he always finds a way to ground big ideas in real emotion. Now he’s back with something new, and it’s a sharp turn into darker territory. We’re talking about Bad Thoughts, his latest project from Ignition Press.
It’s a military espionage story on the surface, but underneath there’s something far stranger and more unsettling at work. This isn’t just about missions and secrets. It’s about what happens when the battlefield starts bending reality itself. And visually, the book hits just as hard. It’s brought to life by Dave Wachter, whose gritty, atmospheric style perfectly matches the tension and psychological edge of the story.

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