Word Balloon Comics Podcast

John Siuntres

1 on 1 interview show featuring the creative minds behind Comics TV Film Novels & Animation. Hosted by Chicago Pop Culture expert, John Siuntres

  1. HACE 7 H

    The King Kirby Podcast Drama

    In 2020, playwrights Crystal Skillman and Fred Van Lente joined me to talk about transforming their acclaimed stage play King Kirby into an ambitious audio drama. The original play explored the life, imagination, and complicated legacy of comics legend Jack Kirby — from the birth of the Marvel Universe to the battles over credit, ownership, and artistic identity that followed him throughout his career. In this conversation, Crystal and Fred discuss the challenge of adapting such a visually explosive story into a purely audio experience. They break down how sound design, voice performance, and narrative structure became tools to recreate Kirby’s cosmic imagination for listeners, while still grounding the story in the emotional realities of Jack’s life, his partnership and conflicts with Stan Lee, and the larger history of the comics industry. We also get into the timing of the project during the pandemic-era rise of audio storytelling, why Kirby’s struggles over creator rights remain relevant today, and how the medium of audio drama unexpectedly mirrored the intimacy and imagination of old-time radio adventures that inspired Kirby himself. It’s a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at honoring one of comics’ greatest visionaries while reinventing his story for a new audience. Here's a link to the series  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/king-kirby/id1543433086

    1 h 16 min

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    Kirby Vs Lee On-Stage Pt 2 Mark Pracht

    From 2024 Chicago Playwright Mark Pracht, and his actors who playedd Stan Lee and Jack Kirby discuss his play The House Of Ideas.

    1 h 9 min

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    Larry Lieber’s Chirps: From Marvel Heroes To A Talking Mutant Budgie?

    Today on Word Balloon, comics legends Larry Lieber and Danny Fingeroth join us for a fun and imaginative conversation about Larry’s new prose novel Chirps. The story centers on Chirps, a mutant budgie who can think and speak like a human being. Alongside his billionaire industrialist friend, Chirps finds himself pursued by dangerous forces determined to capture him and exploit the secrets behind his extraordinary intelligence. The novel blends science fiction adventure, humor, and old-school pulp storytelling in a way that feels very true to Larry’s classic comic book roots. And what roots they are. Larry was one of the foundational writers of the early Marvel Universe, scripting the very first adventures of Iron Man, Thor, and Ant-Man. He also wrote countless giant monster stories during Marvel’s pre-superhero era, including the first appearance of Groot, and chronicled dozens of western adventures starring Rawhide Kid. Larry talks about creating the world and personality of Chirps, writing prose instead of comics, and building suspense around a tiny feathered hero caught between powerful allies and ruthless enemies. Danny Fingeroth helps provide additional context throughout the conversation, including stories about working under Larry during their time together in the Marvel UK office and firsthand observations of Larry’s quiet but enormously influential role in Marvel history. Along the way, the conversation naturally drifts into comics history, Marvel memories, editorial war stories, and Larry’s remarkable body of work as one of the key creative figures from the early Marvel era.

    1 h 25 min

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    Comicpalooza With Stanford Carpenter

    Today on Word Balloon, we welcome educator, writer, and pop culture historian Stanford Carpenter to talk about this year’s Comicpalooza happening Memorial Day weekend in Houston. Stanford gives us a preview of some of the convention’s standout programming, including an exciting panel on the history and cultural impact of Blaxploitation cinema featuring acclaimed writer David F. Walker and legendary film icon Pam Grier. From films like Coffy and Foxy Brown to the influence those movies still have on comics, action films, music, and modern genre storytelling, the discussion promises to be one of the weekend’s highlights. We also talk about Comicpalooza’s growing reputation as one of the country’s most eclectic fan conventions, blending comics, film, television, gaming, and academic pop culture discussion into one massive event. Stanford shares what makes the show unique and why these kinds of historical and cultural conversations matter just as much as the celebrity appearances and entertainment news.

    49 min

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    The War Between Stan And Jack On-Stage

    Playwright and Director Josh Chamberlin has created a new play exploring the partnership of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby playing this June at the Fringe Festival in Los Angeles.  We talk about their iconic collaboration, and the behind the scenes conflict, over the decades This episode includes AI-generated content.

    1 h 6 min

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    Word Balloon Playhouse With Cesar Romero -The Heist

    Ceasar and I star in this little playlet about a safe heist gone wrong.

    6 min

  7. HACE 6 DÍAS

    History Of Radio Sketch Comedy The National Lampoon Radio Hour

    Back in 2016, Word Balloon welcomed the late great satirist and comedy legend Tony Hendra for a fascinating conversation that covered everything from modern political comedy to the birth of some of the most influential comedy institutions of the last fifty years. Tony joined us to promote the comedy album Are There Any Triggers Out There?, but the discussion quickly became a remarkable tour through his own comedy history. Hendra was one of the founding creative voices behind National Lampoon and The National Lampoon Radio Hour, which became the first national sketch comedy showcase for performers like Gilda Radner, Christopher Guest, John Belushi, Bill Murray, and many other future comedy giants before their rise on Saturday Night Live and beyond. Tony also co-wrote National Lampoon's Lemmings, the legendary off-Broadway stage parody of Woodstock and youth culture that became a launching pad for many of the same performers and helped define the aggressive, counterculture edge of 1970s American comedy. We also talked about Tony’s years at Cambridge Footlights, where he performed sketch comedy alongside future Monty Python members John Cleese and Graham Chapman during a revolutionary era for British comedy. And of course, fans know Tony best on screen as the hilariously exasperated Ian Faith, manager of This Is Spinal Tap, delivering some of the film’s most quotable moments while trying to hold together the world’s most disastrous rock band. It’s a funny, insightful conversation with one of comedy’s sharpest and most influential voices

    56 min

  8. 15 MAY

    Book Club Absolute Martian Manhunter

    Welcome to another Word Balloon League Bendis Discord Book Club conversation, as Brian Michael Bendis and I gather with our dedicated Word Balloon listeners and Discord members for a live Zoom chat all about Absolute Martian Manhunter, written by Deniz Camp with stunning artwork by Javier Rodríguez. It’s a real back-and-forth with passionate readers digging into the themes, storytelling, artwork, and big ideas behind the series. This time, the spotlight is on one of DC’s boldest new reinterpretations of Martian Manhunter, with Camp and Rodríguez delivering a visually inventive and psychologically layered take on the character. Brian also shares his perspective as both a longtime creator and fan, while our League members bring sharp observations, theories, and reactions from the latest issues. It’s funny, smart, nerdy, and exactly the kind of comics conversation Word Balloon was built for.

    1 h 40 min
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1 on 1 interview show featuring the creative minds behind Comics TV Film Novels & Animation. Hosted by Chicago Pop Culture expert, John Siuntres

Información

  • Creador
    John Siuntres
  • Años de actividad
    2006 - 2026
  • Episodios
    1 k
  • Clasificación
    Explícito
  • Copyright
    © Copyright John Siuntres
  • Mostrar sitio web
    Word Balloon Comics Podcast

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