Valhalla Conversations

Becky Hill

Let's talk all things Norse - the history, the mythology, how each has been reinterpreted or reinvented in the 20th century onwards and in all media forms. From books to comics to TV series to video games and more - join me, a self-confessed Norse Geek with a variety of hosts and special guests including authors, historians and expert academics.

  1. Curses, Trolls and Valkyries with comic writer Doug Wagner

    06.11.2025

    Curses, Trolls and Valkyries with comic writer Doug Wagner

    This episode of Valhalla Conversations is dedicated to comic artist, Tim Odland who sadly passed away this summer of 2025. Tim's life long dream was to illustrate comics for ⁨@imagecomics⁩ and 'Beware The Eye Of Odin' is that comic, that dream. I will treasure my copy as an example of Tim's extraordinary talent. Thank you for your dream, Tim. Rest in Peace. After a hiatus over September and October due to my academic pursuit in valkyries taking priority for a while, I'm delighted to declare Valhalla is once again open and our next new guest is comic writer Doug Wagner. I have invited him to the great mead hall to discuss one of his under-appreciated comics, Beware the Eye of Odin, featuring lots of trolls, curses, huldrafolk and valkyries and so much more. We discuss and explore how he and Tim came up with this wonderfully human story set in a very mythological world of norse myth and folklore. Doug Wagner is an American comic book writer whose Image Comics include PLASTIC (co-created with Daniel Hillyard), THE HARD PLACE (with Nic Rummel), GUN CANDY (with Brian Stelfreeze), and THE RIDE (with too many to list). He’s also written titles such as I.C.E., World of Warcraft: Bloodsworn, Legends of the Dark Knight, and Witchblade/Red Sonja. Doug can be found hiding out in Park City, Utah where he spends his days creating madness, frolicking down the slopes with his lovely wife, and reveling cuddle time with the sweetest kitty in the world. You can follow his exploits at @Doug_Wagner on that social media thingy.

    42 Min.
  2. Vikings & Immortality with comic writer, Zack Kaplan (Kill All Immortals)

    14.08.2025

    Vikings & Immortality with comic writer, Zack Kaplan (Kill All Immortals)

    Joining me in this month's episode is comic writer ⁨@Zackkaps⁩ , we will be discussing Kill All Immortals ( ⁨@darkhorsecomics⁩ ) with spoilers and exploring his creative and cleverly inspired choice to use a family of Vikings, and a particular famous family for those in the US, to grant them immortality and billionaire level wealth. We discuss greed, freedom, independence at what cost, the perception of Vikings as brutal warriors and reveal exciting news for the future of this comic story arc. Zack Kaplan is a break out science fiction comic writer and creator of such comics and graphic novels as KILL ALL IMMORTALS, BEYOND REAL, MINDSET, BREAK OUT, METAL SOCIETY, FOREVER FORWARD, JOIN THE FUTURE, THE LOST CITY EXPLORERS, PORT OF EARTH and ECLIPSE. After just a few short years, he has worked with publishers such as Image/Top Cow, Dark Horse, Aftershock, Vault, Scout Comics and DC Comics. His first three series were all optioned for TV adaptation, with PORT OF EARTH currently being developed by Robert Kirkman’s Skybound Ent. Zack has taught screenwriting and storytelling at the International Academy of Film and TV, located in the Philippines. He currently lives in Los Angeles. https://zackkaplan.com/ - Kill All Immortals - Succession meets John Wick…with immortal Vikings. A thousand years ago, Viking explorer Erik the Red and his four adult children discovered a mysterious source of immortality. Now, in our modern world, they are an enigmatic billionaire family with a powerful banking empire. But when Erik’s only daughter, Frey Asvald, seeks to finally be free from her family’s influence, she must be prepared to reveal their supernatural secrets and confront her well-trained siblings in a deadly and epic struggle for power. Get ready for a bloodthirsty immortal fight like no other! https://youtu.be/nAgOg-zFIrM?si=Dvnt0EUgIv2KubuH Writer: Zack Kaplan Artists: Fico Ossio, Thiago Rocha and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou ⁨@ThoughtBubbleComics⁩ Comic Festival & Comic Con, Harrogate, November 2025. https://www.thoughtbubblefestival.com/

    53 Min.

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Let's talk all things Norse - the history, the mythology, how each has been reinterpreted or reinvented in the 20th century onwards and in all media forms. From books to comics to TV series to video games and more - join me, a self-confessed Norse Geek with a variety of hosts and special guests including authors, historians and expert academics.