Comic Book Historians

Presented by Alex Grand
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As featured on LEGO.com, Marvel.com, Slugfest, NPR, Wall Street Journal and the Today Show, host & series producer Alex Grand, author of the best seller, Understanding Superhero Comic Books (with various co-hosts Bill Field, David Armstrong, N. Scott Robinson, Ph.D., Jim Thompson) and guests engage in a Journalistic Comic Book Historical discussion between professionals, historians and scholars in determining what happened and when in comics, from strips and pulps to the platinum age comic book, through golden, silver, bronze and then toward modern Support us at https://www.patreon.com/comicbookhistorians. Read Alex Grand's Understanding Superhero Comic Books published by McFarland & Company here at: https://a.co/d/2PlsODNSeries directed, produced & edited by Alex GrandAll episodes ©Comic Book Historians LLC.

  1. Jim Shooter Biographical Interview Part 3 of 6 by Alex Grand & Jim Thompson

    1 APR

    Jim Shooter Biographical Interview Part 3 of 6 by Alex Grand & Jim Thompson

    Alex Grand and co-host Jim Thompson interview Jim Shooter in a career spanning biography.  Travel thru his life as he discusses the Ant-Man Wasp controversy, the dead Korvac saga sequel, oversaw Roger Stern create Monica Rambeaux, improving access to opportunities in the comics industry to African-American, Asian and female creators like Denys Cown, Ron Wilson, Larry Hama and Louise Simonson, how both Star Wars and the Superman film reinvigorated Marvel in 1978, ending the editor-writer arrangement of Marvel's 1970s, overseeing Walt Simonson's Thor, overseeing the genesis of Epic Illustrated with Rick Marschall and Archie Goodwin, explaining the death  of the Marvel Black and White Magazines, the business discussions between Stan Lee, Jim Shooter & Jim Galton in the early 1980s, the creation of Dazzler, starting the royalty incentive plan at Marvel,  his assessment of Paul Levitz, contributing to the growth of the early direct market as Marvel's Editor-in-Chief via Phil Seuling & Chuck Rozanski, bringing Graphic Novels to Marvel with Jim Starlin, overseeing Chris Claremont's X-Men, the inside to Marvel's legal issues with Jack Kirby over original art, the terms of the Steve Gerber - Howard the Duck settlement, the creation of Contest of Champions with Bill Mantlo, the departures of some 1970s Marvel creators for DC Comics in the early 1980s including Wolfman, Colan, Moench, Chaykin, Ploog & Roy Thomas, Secret Wars w/ Mike Zeck & the black Spider-Man suit, wrote or edited the Marvel DC comic crossovers & the dead Avengers/JLA story,  the original Kirby Spider-Man proposal to Marvel, fond memories of Mark Gruenwald, oversaw John Byrne on X-Men, Captain America & Fantastic Four, genesis of the Marvel Universe handbook, the corporate situation that led to his different managerial temperament in the later half of his reign, how Dark Knight Returns begat the Fall of the Mutants. Edited & Produced by Alex Grand.   #XMen #Marvel #Jim Shooter #Avengers #StanLee © 2021 Comic Book Historians Support the show

    1hr 42min
  2. Martin Filchock interview by David Armstrong

    2 MAR

    Martin Filchock interview by David Armstrong

    David Armstrong interviewed Platinum and Golden Age great, Martin Filchock in 2000 on set at his home in Rogersville, Tennessee about his entry into comic books in the 1930s with Tidbits Magazine, his blue collar background working the railroad, meeting Bill Cook at Comics Magazine Company,  working on Mighty Man and other comics at Centaur, his life in the Civilian Conservation Corps and how it reflected in his C.C. Kid strip, working next to Bill Everett, Jack Cole, Lloyd Jacquet, leaving Centaur, and his ability to get work as a cartoonist to get away from the manual labor that most his family settled with. Interview conducted, recorded and copyrighted to David Armstrong. Remastered, edited, timestamped and postproduction by Alex Grand. Support the show

    32 min
  3. Jim Shooter Biographical Interview Part 2 of 6 by Alex Grand & Jim Thompson

    2 FEB

    Jim Shooter Biographical Interview Part 2 of 6 by Alex Grand & Jim Thompson

    Alex Grand and co-host Jim Thompson interview Jim Shooter in a career spanning biography.  Travel thru his life as he joined Marvel as associate editor under Marv Wolfman and his first encounter with the Marvel Method in 1975, the editor-writer wars of the 1970s, origin of Jim Galton, working w/ Editor-in-Chief Archie Goodwin, plotted the Spider-Man news-strip w/ Stan Lee, became Editor-in-Chief in 1978,  and wrote the Avengers comic w/ George Perez.   Edited & Produced by Alex Grand.   #Marvel #Jim Shooter #Avengers #StanLee © 2021 Comic Book Historians Support the show

    1hr 42min
  4. Jim Shooter Biographical Interview Part 1 of 6 by Alex Grand & Jim Thompson

    1 JAN

    Jim Shooter Biographical Interview Part 1 of 6 by Alex Grand & Jim Thompson

    Alex Grand and co-host Jim Thompson interview Jim Shooter in a career spanning biography.  Travel thru his youth as Mort Weisinger's 14- year-old apprentice created the  rogue's gallery of the Legion of Superheroes, Princess Projectra, #KarateKid,  Ferro Lad's death & intended race,  drew layouts with his scripts for DC artists Gil Kane, Wally Wood, and Neal Adams, Captain Action teaching him Toy-Comics synergy, DC’s first drug addiction and rehab comic story, Parasite for Superman, wrote the first Superman-Flash race, Mort Weisinger’s abusive behavior, his short 1969 stay at Marvel Comics, his odd run-ins at the YMCA presented in Hulk Magazine 23 1980, working for an ad agency in the early 1970s, worked at DC Comics again under Julius Schwartz.   Edited & Produced by Alex Grand.   #DCComics #Weisinger #Schwartz #JimShooter © 2021 Comic Book Historians Support the show

    1hr 48min
  5. Creig Flessel & Fred Guardineer interview by David Armstrong

    01/12/2025

    Creig Flessel & Fred Guardineer interview by David Armstrong

    David Armstrong interviewed Platinum and Golden Age great, Creig Flessel in 1998 on set at Long Island, New York about his early training in the Grand Central Art School, his entry into comic books in the mid 1930s with Vincent Sullivan on More Fun Comics for Major Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson's National Allied Publications, his covers for Detective Comics, other artists like Leo O'Mealia, Bert Christman, Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, early Superman, depicting African American protagonists, why he left comic books for advertising at Johnstone and Cushing, comic strips and his relationships with other comic book professionals.  Armstrong also interviewed Platinum and Golden Age great, Fred Guardineer in 1998 on set at San Diego Comic Con about his entry into comic books in the 1930s, working with Street and Smith pulps, getting into the comic book business with Harry Chesler and Vincent Sullivan under Major Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson, and the company shake up with Harry Donenfeld and Jack Liebowitz taking control of Detective Comics, his work in Action Comics creating Zatara, freelancing with other companies like Quality Comics, and lessons he learned about the power of the comic book medium. Interview conducted, recorded and copyrighted to David Armstrong. Remastered, edited, timestamped and postproduction by Alex Grand. Support the show

    34 min
  6. Joe Simon & Vincent Sullivan interview by David Armstrong

    03/11/2025

    Joe Simon & Vincent Sullivan interview by David Armstrong

    David Armstrong interviewed Golden Age great, Joe Simon in 1998 on set at San Diego Comic Con about his entry into Hearst comic strips in the 1930s, comic books in Funnies Inc and becoming Timely/Marvel Comics' first editor, meeting Jack Kirby at Victor Fox comics, Wonder Comics with Will Eisner's Wonder Man, Eisner and Iger's split, creating Captain America, leaving Timely for DC Comics, his relationship with Jack Liebowitz, Sandman & Boy Commandoes, his friend Charles Nicholas, Al Harvey, creating Romance Comics with Jack Kirby, their special contrast at Prize/Crestwood, leaving comic books and his encounter with Jim Steranko at the Harvey Thrillers line. Armstrong also interviewed Platinum and Golden Age superhero comic book medium cofounder, Vincent (Vin) Sullivan in 1998 on set at Long Island, New York about his beginnings as a sports cartoonist, entry into comic books with Major Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson's New Fun comics, their bullpen, meeting Creig Flessel, distribution through Independent News, encouraging Bob Kane to create his superhero (Batman), working with Whitney Ellsworth, overseeing Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster's early comics, editing Action Comics 1 with the first appearance of Superman, editing the covers of Adventure comics, his failed cartoon strip with Jimmy Durante, observing Donenfeld and Liebowitz's take over of the company, leaving DC to start Magazine Enterprises, his editor Ray Krank, international distribution, and looking back at the comic book industry 50 years later. Interview conducted, recorded and copyrighted to David Armstrong. Remastered, edited, timestamped and postproduction by Alex Grand. Support the show

    37 min
  7. The Silver Age Panel at San Diego Comic Con 2025: How Flash Saved the Comic Book Industry

    01/10/2025

    The Silver Age Panel at San Diego Comic Con 2025: How Flash Saved the Comic Book Industry

    In 1955, comic book companies were struggling to stay afloat after a rough five years of censorship, a changing readership, and the invention of television. During an editorial meeting at National Periodical Publications, somebody suggested bringing back the company’s superheroes. National settled on a redesign of an old character—The Flash—and the world would never be the same. This created Marvel Comics and the Marvel Age. Michael Lites, Bill Field, Alex Grand, Kevin Garcia, Flaming Carrot creator Bob Burden, and Philip Nelson (Nelco Comics) investigate how the reintroduction of this superhero became a smash hit and inspired a resurgence of imagination that saved the industry. #dccomics #silverage #marvel #marvelcomics #stanlee #jackkirby #steveditko Support the show

    45 min
  8. The Many Hands of Bill Finger SDCC 2025 Panel

    01/09/2025

    The Many Hands of Bill Finger SDCC 2025 Panel

    Panel description: Before Gotham had shadows, writer Bill Finger cast them. Comics scholar Alex Grand (*Understanding Superhero Comic Books*) moderates a lively conversation with Athena Finger (Bill’s granddaughter and advocate), historian Bill Field (Field of Comics), and playwright/filmmaker Leonard Schwartz (Bill Finger: Rise of the Bat), and now with Mark Evanier (Bill Finger Awards). Together we trace Finger’s career across comics, television, and film, and show why crediting Batman’s co-creator still matters to today’s storytellers and fans.   #Batman  #DCComics  #BillFinger  #ComicBooks  #ComicsHistory  #Gotham  #BatmanCreator  #Superheroes  #ComicCon  #ComicBookPanel  Support the show

    45 min
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About

As featured on LEGO.com, Marvel.com, Slugfest, NPR, Wall Street Journal and the Today Show, host & series producer Alex Grand, author of the best seller, Understanding Superhero Comic Books (with various co-hosts Bill Field, David Armstrong, N. Scott Robinson, Ph.D., Jim Thompson) and guests engage in a Journalistic Comic Book Historical discussion between professionals, historians and scholars in determining what happened and when in comics, from strips and pulps to the platinum age comic book, through golden, silver, bronze and then toward modern Support us at https://www.patreon.com/comicbookhistorians. Read Alex Grand's Understanding Superhero Comic Books published by McFarland & Company here at: https://a.co/d/2PlsODNSeries directed, produced & edited by Alex GrandAll episodes ©Comic Book Historians LLC.

Information

  • Creator
    Presented by Alex Grand
  • Years Active
    2017 - 2026
  • Episodes
    147
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Comic Book Historians
  • Show Website
    Comic Book Historians

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