Comic Book Historians

Presented by Alex Grand
  • 4.6 (66)
  • Arts
  • Updated Monthly

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. Jul 1

    Jim Shooter Biographical Interview Part 5 of 6 by Alex Grand

    Alex Grand & Jim Shooter fill in the gaps not discussed from his career spanning biographical interview with Alex Grand & Jim Thompson.  Shooter starts off contrasting both Stan Lee & Jack Kirby both of whom he worked with from 1976-1978 on the Spider-Man newspaper strip & Eternals, talks about their Silver Surfer graphic novel, working with Sol Brodsky at Marvel, seeing Larry Lieber over at Atlas/Seaboard, the copyright law of 1978 that affected his job from his first day as Editor-In-Chief, the creators union that Neal Adams tried to build in 1978, his role in Neal Adams' film Nannaz,  Steve Ditko's input into the creators union discussion, why Jim Starlin left Marvel in 1977 and came back in 1980,  his last banquet with Wally Wood at SDCC shortly before his death, the altercation between him and Howard Chaykin that caused his departure from Marvel & mainstream comics for a while, the exodus of other artists & writers of Marvel during his tenure, the incoming new crowd of comic artists and writers, why Denny O'Neill arrived at Marvel and then left in the 1980s, the genesis of Marvel Age Magazine with Carol Kalish & Jim Salicrup, working with Danny Fingeroth,  the creation of the 1984 Marvel Fumetti comic, working with Marvel tech expert Eliot R. Brown, and why Mike Carlin left Marvel. Edited & Produced by Alex Grand.   #Marvel #Jim Shooter #SDCC  #Atlas #MarvelAge © 2021 Comic Book Historians Laugh Love LawReal conversations. Real people. Real impact. A podcast about life, law and...Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify Support the show

    Jim Shooter Biographical Interview Part 5 of 6 by Alex Grand

  2. Jun 1

    John Broome & Arnold Drake interview by David Armstrong

    David Armstrong interviewed Golden and Silver Age great, John Broome in 1998 on set at San Diego Comic Con about his entry into comic books and pulps in the 1930s, working at Quality Comics and DC Comics, knowing Otto Binder, his favorite comic book genre, his science fiction stories synergizing with the space race,  trying to gather support for creators to claim reprint rights from Jack Liebowitz, his stories of the 1950s, if comic books were a gateway to larger narrative projects, his enjoyment of films, writing a movie about Casanova, why he left comic books, and his dearest friend, Julius Schwartz. Armstrong also interviewed Pulp & Graphic Novel writer and Silver Age great, Arnold Drake in 2005 on set at San Diego Comic Con about his early forays into writing in the army during the Battle of the Bulge, submitting stories to the vintage paperback market, meeting Leslie Waller with whom he wrote what some consider the first graphic novel, It Rhymes With Lust, entering DC Comics through his friendship with Bob Kane, his opinion of Mort Weisinger, writing Showcase #1, revitalizing Bob Hope and Jerry Lewis licensed comics at DC,  discussing the threat of Stan Lee's Marvel Age with Irwin Donenfeld, creating Doom Patrol, interacting with Dick Giordano, Carmine Infantino and his favorite artist, Bruno Premiani. Interview conducted, recorded and copyrighted to David Armstrong. Remastered, edited, timestamped and postproduction by Alex Grand. Laugh Love LawReal conversations. Real people. Real impact. A podcast about life, law and...Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify Support the show

    John Broome & Arnold Drake interview by David Armstrong

  3. May 1

    Jim Shooter Biographical Interview Part 4 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 brought in and worked with Frank Miller on Daredevil,  behind the curtain scenes into Marvel's sale from Cadence to New World, the transition from him to DeFalco in 1987 (6:32:00),  raising money to bid to buy Marvel from New World in 1989,  his long professional relationship w/ Steve Ditko, his professional relationship w/ Layton & Massarsky (6:35:45), the rise & fall of Valiant Comics, corporate shake ups with Layton & Barry Windsor-Smith, saying goodbye to Don Perlin, giving Joe Quesada his 1st comics job, helped the Image Revolution, helped Milestone comics  the rise & fall of Defiant Comics, efforts to again own Marvel during its 1996 bankruptcy, Broadway Comics w/ Lorne Michaels, behind the scenes corporate warfare between ToyBiz & Marvel, Unity 2000, working on America propaganda comics for the state department distributed to the Middle East, his most recent work for DC Comics on the Legion of Superheroes, other current projects,  who did what at 1960s Marvel; Stan, Kirby or Ditko,  DC comics 1960s suit jacket & tie fashion permeating into 1980s Marvel & 1990s Valiant, & his family. Edited & Produced by Alex Grand.   #Marvel #Jim Shooter #Image #Milestone  © 2021 Comic Book Historians Laugh Love LawReal conversations. Real people. Real impact. A podcast about life, law and...Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify Support the show

    Jim Shooter Biographical Interview Part 4 of 6 by Alex Grand & Jim Thompson

  4. Apr 1

    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 Laugh Love LawReal conversations. Real people. Real impact. A podcast about life, law and...Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify Support the show

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

  5. Mar 2

    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. Laugh Love LawReal conversations. Real people. Real impact. A podcast about life, law and...Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify Support the show

    Martin Filchock interview by David Armstrong

  6. Feb 2

    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 Laugh Love LawReal conversations. Real people. Real impact. A podcast about life, law and...Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify Support the show

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

  7. Jan 1

    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 Laugh Love LawReal conversations. Real people. Real impact. A podcast about life, law and...Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify Support the show

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

  8. 12/01/2025

    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. Laugh Love LawReal conversations. Real people. Real impact. A podcast about life, law and...Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify Support the show

    Creig Flessel & Fred Guardineer interview by David Armstrong
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4.6
out of 5
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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
    150
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Comic Book Historians
  • Show Website
    Comic Book Historians

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