Capes On the Couch - Where Comics Get Counseling Capes on the Couch: Where Comics Get Counseling

It's time to swim in the Deadpool and do the DEATHSTROKE! Some people would give their left eye for an episode like this. Those people probably need help just like Slade. Listen now!




Intro - Jeremy Whitley Apologies for the delay



Background (2:18) Deathstroke (Slade Wilson) created by Marv Wolfman and George Pérez in The New Teen Titans #2 (Dec. 1980)

At 16, he lied about his age to join the Army during the Korean War, and later met his wife, Captain Adeline Kane - after they married, they had three children: Grant, Joseph, and Rose

Subjected to an experiment where he was injected with a substance that drastically increased his healing, as well as giving him expanded use of his brain’s capacity #BecauseComics

Started working as a mercenary, keeping his business private from Adeline, until a criminal kidnapped Joe to blackmail Slade - although Slade killed the criminal, Joe’s throat was sliced, destroying his vocal cords and rendering him mute - this angered Adeline, who shot Slade through the right eye

Grant took a contract to kill the Teen Titans, but died after an experiment to give him superhuman abilities - Slade vowed vengeance on the Titans, blaming them for Grant’s death, but was defeated

The Judas Contract - Slade used Terra to infiltrate the Titans, then once he learned their identities and weaknesses, systematically went after each of the Titans - Joseph joined with Nightwing to possess his father, and after Terra died, Slade was captured

After that, Slade occasionally worked alongside the Titans while still working as a merc - he was forced to mercy kill Joseph, who was a Titan known as Jericho and was possessed by the souls of Azarath

Gave Adeline a blood transfusion which drove her insane, and she tried to kill all metahumans, blaming them for Jericho’s death - when she requested a mercy kill, Slade refused but Starfire obliged, and he cut ties with the Titans

Jericho possessed Slade right before his death, and used Slade’s body to enact revenge on all the Titans - this led to Slade training Rose, his last remaining child, to kill Jericho, but his methods drove her insane

Was responsible for the destruction of Bludhaven and killing over 100,000 people to mentally destroy Nightwing - he was defeated by Batman, Robin (Tim), and Nightwing

New 52 - reboots Slade as a mercenary who lost his eye in a terrorist attack, and after his sons and wife were killed, he goes on a rampage to protect Rose

Dies in Rebirth after being killed by Red Arrow




Issues - Theme: Being too smart for your own good doesn’t have to turn out this bad! (9:59) Kids: They’re a handful, am I right?

Intellectualization as an isolator 

The definition of “Enough” (26:05)



Break (35:58) Plugs for Sips Suds & Smokes and Frigay the 13th



Treatment (37:57) In-universe - Give him a protection contract and make him honor it

Out of universe - So many examples with real-life veterans (41:35)



Skit (49:29) Hello Deathstroke, I’m Dr. Issues. -Hello, Doctor. *pause* This is unusual and I don’t like it.

Well, therapy or counseling isn’t always meant to be fun, and lots of people hate going to the doctor, so -*interrupting* Not like that. I’ve been a wanted man for ages. You’ve seen patients like me in confined areas before. Yet you let me waltz in without a hint of security. No shackles, no guards, not even a warning. That doesn’t make sense. I can only draw 2 conclusions. Either you are requesting my services, in which case you have no need for safety, or you have an unknown unknown, which uncharacteristically would put me at a disadvantage.

I’m sure you’ve read my profile. -From the “exposure” you had a while back, sure. Very sloppy, and yet cleaned up as if it never happened. Your current information is modest on networks but still acclamatory. But I’m sure you are referencing my ability

We sit down for the SIXTH time with writer Erica Schultz in advance of the release of Rat City. Get comfy, folks, this is our longest creator interview yet - almost TWO HOURS LONG!




Intro

Background What would it take to get you on a Marvel ongoing?

Dream character & artist/team?



X-23: Deadly Regenesis Why go back to this period of Laura’s life?

Created Haymaker, a transmasc non-binary MMA fighter, as the main villain - how did that come about? (21:20)




Hallows Eve (28:31) New evolution for Janine Godbe/Elizabeth Tyne/Mary Bailey/Sarah Porter

Powered masks: did you come up with the masks first and then their impact on story, or was it “what’s the story?” and then work the masks in?



What If: Dark Moon Knight (34:08) How did you select this particular jumping off point? Moon Knight vs. Bushman happens so many times, why this one?

Nice to see Marlene take an active role in a MK story, even if it’s not necessarily clean



Daredevil: Gang War (50:06) Previously written Matt as Daredevil, now Elektra: how to write legacy characters with different voices

What’s it like working on an event tie-in? How much freedom do you have for story you want to tell within obvious constraints, how much editorial oversight, etc?



Rat City (77:15) How did you get this gig?

Spawn cover for Deadliest Bouquet, now an actual Spawn book!

What led to this expansion of the Spawn universe?

How much do you have to understand Spawn to follow this story?

Love the commentary on soldiers being chewed up & spit out, flaws of capitalism, etc.



Any new stories coming up? Blood Hunters & Darth Maul Black White & Red: - more Marvel mini/tie-ins



Ending Plugs for social




References:


Erica’s website

Erica’s interview on ITK - Anthony (34:19)

Key & Peele - Text Message Confusion - Erica (57:10)

Dirty Dancing “I carried a watermelon” - Erica (65:17)


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After months of talking about it, we finally get overridden with guilt and break down ROBBIE BALDWIN! Whether Speedball or Penance, this rapid-fire hero has no shortage of issues - listen now!


Intro SIX YEARS!!!

New subseries: Colleagues on the Couch, where we interview MH professionals about their work in the field



Background (6:55) Robbie Baldwin (Speedball) created by Steve Ditko and Tom DeFalco in The Amazing Spider-Man Annual #22 (Jan. 1988)

Robbie Baldwin is a Connecticut high school student who is bombarded with other-dimensional energy during an accident at a lab he works at - the explosion gives him endless kinetic energy, which also creates a protective force field

He calls himself Speedball and begins working as a teenage superhero, coming into conflict with his district attorney father, who despises masked vigilantes

He later joins the New Warriors, but his frequent trips to New York to join the team create stress on his home life, and his parents divorce shortly after learning the truth about his abilities

Robbie is at the center of Civil War: He and the New Warriors attempt to capture a group of villains, and Nova explodes, killing 612 people including 60 children - Robbie initially was thought dead but was the only survivor - his kinetic field kept him alive, but as a result of the overexertion he loses his powers

After being arrested, he is shot in the spine by a father of one of the children killed in the blast - this leads to him changing his mind and registering

He has a new suit made, one with 612 internal spikes to cause him constant pain - calling himself Penance, he joins the Thunderbolts, where he is under constant surveillance

He stole a SHIELD jet and made his way to Latveria, where he defeated Doctor Doom in combat to get his hands on Nitro, who was being held prisoner there - Robbie placed his spiked suit on Nitro to torture him

After Doc Samson was able to make headway with Robbie in several therapy sessions, Norman Osborn had him heavily sedated and manipulated by a therapist to keep him in a mentally fragile state for Osborn’s own machinations - after a battle with some of his former New Warriors teammates, he is able to break free of the conditioning

He joins Avengers Academy, calling himself Speedball again, in an effort to seek forgiveness for his previous actions, although he still retains much of the Penance guilt and attitude - after defeating a group of villains at the Stamford memorial site, he quits the Academy and teams up with Justice to reform the New Warriors, where they recruit Sam Alexander among others

Joins CRADLE, where he enforces the law preventing anyone under the age of 21 from operating as a superhero




Issues (14:41) Conflict with his parents over him being a teenage superhero

Survivor’s guilt over the Stamford incident (24:50)

Severe PTSD (35:29)



Break (42:44) Plugs for Into the Knight, Comic Book Keepers, and Al Ewing



Treatment (44:40) In-universe - Focus on other feelings Robbie could have expressed to people

Out of universe - (47:01)



Skit (51:52) Hello Robert, I’m Dr. Issues. -Robert, huh? So I guess this is meant to be that kind of encounter. Hello, doctor.

I didn’t mean to infer that your formal name implies a demure tone. I’ve seen Robbie in your chart. Is that preferred? -Whatever floats your boat. You mentioned my chart, so I take it Doc Samson gave you my records? I said it was ok.

Yeah, but I don’t dwell on what other doctors have done. Even if they’re literal giants in their field… What can I do for you now? -That’s what’s weird about a meeting like this. I’m not sure I’m in the right frame of mind to get help.

That’s either quite insightful or quite dangerous. -Why not both?

Fine. Care to elaborate? -Lots of lives lost. I’m involved. I almost die. I lose everything. THAT’S when most people t

We follow up last episode with the second half of our discussion with writer Phillip Kennedy Johnson - this time we're talking James Bond, John Stewart, and the Incredible Hulk! Plus a meaningful discussion on patriotism, and Anthony & Doc make a pitch to work with PKJ ;)


Creators on the Couch - Phillip Kennedy Johnson 3


Intro

Superman One last question: Metallo giving everything for his sister - where did that idea come from?



James Bond (11:52) Based more in Fleming novels vs. films?

Was there a particular Bond you had in mind while writing?

What makes him such an enduring character, in light of the constant reboots and takes on him?

Admittedly only read first half - could not access God & Country



John Stewart (23:12) Given your military background, did you gravitate towards John vs. other Lanterns?

Focus on John’s family life - mother with dementia and loss of younger sister

Revenant Queen - like her speech style (35:18)

Obviously it’s ongoing, but how far out do you have mapped storylines?



Incredible Hulk (39:05) This story is much more monster-oriented than previous Hulk runs - was this intended to shift away from internal/mental focus like the Ewing run?

Body horror - story and art focus on the pain and effects of transformation

What inspired Charlie? Feels like more than just audience surrogate



What’s next for you? (52:24)

Ending Next episodes: Speedball, Deathstroke

Plugs for social




References:


Marvel Team-Up #145 - PKJ (2:55)


GonnaGeek Network


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TuneIn: here


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