Shows
Comics A-Z PodcastM is for MAD Magazine - What, Me, Worry?For more than half a century, MAD Magazine was not merely a humor publication. It was an attitude, a worldview, a survival guide for young readers navigating a confusing modern world filled with advertising lies, political hypocrisy, corporate doublespeak, and pop-culture absurdity. If Superman stood for idealism and Reader’s Digest stood for earnest uplift, MAD stood for skepticism—armed with jokes, cartoons, parody lyrics, and relentless mockery.
Recommended reading for this episode:
MAD Art: A Visual Celebration of the Art of MAD Magazine and the Idiots Who Create It — Mark Evanier (2002)
The MAD Wo...
2026-02-1738 minComics A-Z PodcastL is for Little Orphan Annie - From Strip to Stage to ScreenFrom the outset, Little Orphan Annie distinguished itself. It wasn’t merely a humorous sketch or a suburban gag panel — it was a serialized adventure with recurring characters, dramatic arcs, and a wide thematic range.
Its blend of youthful innocence, gritty street-wise adventures, and socio-political flair helped it become both popular and provocative, captivating adults as well as children.
Recommended reading list for this episode:
Little Orphan Annie by Harold Gray – (IDW / Library of American Comics editions) 2008
The Autobiography of Little Orphan Annie by Harold Gray 1948
The Smithsonian Collection of New...
2026-02-1027 minComics A-Z PodcastK is for Kal-El, the Last Son of KryptonKal-El, also known as Superman, the towering figure in blue with his red cape, stands as arguably the most recognizable fictional hero in global popular culture. First introduced in Action Comics #1 in June 1938, Superman predates and defines what generations of readers and audiences understand as the “superhero.” A conflation of immigrant aspirations, mythic archetypes, and escapist fantasy distilled into a costumed adventurer, Superman swiftly became an unprecedented commercial and cultural success.
Recommended reading list for this episode:
Super Boys: The Amazing Adventures of Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster — Brad Ricca (2013)
The Science of Superh...
2026-02-0526 minComics A-Z PodcastJ is for Justice Society & League - The First Super TeamThe Justice League is a Cornerstone of Superhero Mythology. First appearing in 1960, the Justice League transformed the superhero genre by consolidating DC Comics’ most powerful and recognizable characters into a single, cooperative entity. The League was not merely a team but a conceptual shift in how superhero narratives could operate—emphasizing collaboration, shared universes, and escalating stakes that exceeded the scope of individual hero stories.
Recommended reading list for this episode:
The Ten-Cent Plague by David Hajdu
Supermen! The First Wave of Comic Book Heroes by Brad Ricca
Julius Schwartz: Man of T...
2026-01-3043 minComics A-Z PodcastI is for Invincible - Real Heroes Don’t ResetInvincible is an American superhero comic book series created by writer Robert Kirkman and artist Cory Walker, published by Image Comics—more specifically under the Skybound imprint—beginning in January 2003.
The series follows the journey of Mark Grayson, a teenager whose father, Nolan Grayson (Omni-Man), is the most powerful superhero on Earth.
At age seventeen, Mark manifests his own superpowers and adopts the mantle of Invincible, navigating both adolescent life and the brutal realities of superhero conflicts.
Recommended reading list for this episode:
Invincible: Ultimate Collections
The Walking Dead (Comic...
2026-01-2223 minComics A-Z PodcastH is for Hägar the Horrible - A Very Modern VikingAmong the most recognizable and widely syndicated comic strips of the late twentieth century is Hägar the Horrible, a daily gag strip centered on a bearded Viking warrior, his family, and his clan. Since its debut in 1973, Hägar the Horrible has become an international phenomenon, appearing in thousands of newspapers worldwide and translated into dozens of languages. Its success lies in its ability to combine historical parody with modern domestic humor, allowing readers to see their own anxieties about work, family, and society reflected through the lens of a fictional Viking Age.
Recommended Reading List fo...
2026-01-1318 minComics A-Z PodcastG is for Green Lantern - No Evil Shall Escape His SightGreen Lantern isn’t just one superhero. It’s a legacy. A title. A symbol. And over the last 80-plus years, it’s become one of the most flexible and meaningful concepts in all comic books. From its mystical Golden Age origins in 1940 to its science-fiction reinvention during the Silver Age and its later evolution into one of comics’ most philosophically rich mythologies, Green Lantern has reflected shifting American ideals about heroism, authority, fear, and willpower.
Recommended reading list for this episode:
Gil Kane: Art of the Comics by Gary Groth (2003)
Neal Adams: The DC C...
2026-01-0626 minComics A-Z PodcastF is for Fantastic Four - The First Family of Marvel ComicsWhen The Fantastic Four #1 debuted, it did not merely add another superhero title to newsstands, it fundamentally altered the direction of American comic books forever. More than a successful comic, The Fantastic Four stands as one of the most influential works in the history of popular culture.
Recommended Reading List for this episode:
Tribute to Comics Legend Jack Kirby in “The Art of Fantastic Four.” by Chalgren & Lind. Dark Horse Comics, 2025.
The Art of Fantastic Four. Edited by John Lind, Penguin Random House / Dark Horse Books, 2025.
Stan Lee and Jack Kirby’s Fant...
2025-12-3040 minComics A-Z PodcastE is for Eisner - The Father of the Graphic NovelToday we will explore Will Eisner’s life, his major works, and the seismic influence he exerted—on the art, business, and cultural perception of comics. His contributions not only changed how comics are made but how they are understood as a medium with unique narrative capacities.
Recommended reading for this episode:
The Best of the Spirit or The Spirit Omnibus
A Contract with God
The Dreamer
Comics and Sequential Art
Graphic Storytelling and Visual Narrative
All are by Will Eisner.
COMICS A-Z is t...
2025-12-2428 minComics A-Z PodcastD is for Daredevil - The Man Without FearToday we explore Marvel Comic's Daredevil, his creation, evolution, and enduring social significance - especially as a blind superhero, a Catholic hero, and a grounded urban crime-fighter whose stories reflect the complexities of modern American society.
Recommended reading for this episode:
Marvel Comics: The Untold Story by Sean Howe (2012)
Marvel Comics: A History of the Marvel Universe by Scarlett Thomas
Comic Book Nation: The Transformation of Youth Culture in America by Bradford W. Wright
Daredevil: The Man Without Fear (1993) – Frank Miller & John Romita Jr.
Daredevil by Frank Mi...
2025-12-1724 minComics A-Z PodcastC is for Carl Barks - "The Good Duck Artist"Today C is for Carl Barks, so we examine Barks’s life and creative development, explore his enormous body of work, and analyze his lasting social and cultural significance—from his invention of Scrooge McDuck and Duckburg’s expansive mythology to his influence on generations of cartoonists, writers, economists, filmmakers, and global readers.
Recommended reading:
The Complete Carl Barks Disney Library (Fantagraphics Books)
Walt Disney’s Donald Duck: Lost in the Andes (The Carl Barks Library Vol. 7)
Carl Barks and the Disney Comic Book: Unmasking the Myth of Modernity by Thomas Andrae
2025-12-1323 minComics A-Z PodcastB is for Batman - The Dark KnightSince his debut in Detective Comics #27 in 1939, Batman has become more than a comic-book superhero—he is a modern myth, a cultural archetype, and a dynamic reflection of society’s shifting values, fears, and aspirations.
Some Recommended Reading:
Bill the Boy Wonder: The Secret Co-Creator of Batman by Marc Tyler Nobleman
Batman: The Complete History by Les Daniels
Batman The Ultimate Guide by Matthew K. Manning
The Official Batman Batbook by Joel Eisner
The Dark Knight by Frank Miller
COMICS A-Z is the podcast that showc...
2025-12-1022 minComics A-Z PodcastA is for Archie - America's Favorite TeenagerArchie Comics is far more than a series of teen humor stories from the mid-20th century; it is a living, evolving cultural landmark. From its 1941 origins in Pep Comics to the global success of Riverdale, the franchise has continually adapted while retaining its essential charm.
Recommended reading for this episode:
Archie: His First 50 Years By Charles Phillips
Archie: A Celebration of America's Favorite Teenagers - Craig Yoe, Editor
The Best of Archie Comics Book 1 Deluxe Edition from Archie Comics
COMICS A-Z is the podcast that showcases the history o...
2025-12-0621 min