It's here! Ronin Book II , the long awaited sequel to the Frank Miller classic, hits stores today (11/23), and we have our guest to thank for its breathtaking art. It's just the latest homerun from penciller and writer Philip Tan, who has lent his talents to a number of our favorite books over the years. From Batman and Robin , Green Lantern , and Suicide Squad at DC to Uncanny X-Men at Marvel to Spawn and The Last Shadowhawk at Image, Philip brings his own kind of magic to every project. Heck, ...
Nov 23, 2022•57 min•Season 2Ep. 75
Teamwork makes the dream work. That phrase especially holds true in comics as some of the greatest and craziest team-ups have appeared in a variety of books over the years. Back Issue magazine editor Michael Eury joins the Dollar Bin Bandits to discuss his new book, The Team-Up Companion, which chronicles some of the greatest team-up books ever. A walking comic book encyclopedia, Eury talks about the process of getting the book together and some of his favorite duos. The book can be found on Ama...
Nov 18, 2022•1 hr 4 min•Season 2Ep. 74
Say you're studying filmmaking. And then you bankrupt yourself on one of your student films. Where do you go for a job to make ends meet? Well, if you're D.G. Chichester, the answer is the office of Marvel's EIC, Jim Shooter! From those humble beginnings as the assistant to the assistant of Marvel's head honcho, D.G. went on to serve as editor of the creator-owned imprint Epic Comics. And if that wasn't enough, he started writing comics too, including runs on Nick Fury: Agent of SHIELD and Night...
Nov 16, 2022•1 hr 19 min•Season 2Ep. 73
Correct Handed Comics is the brainchild of independent creator David Whalen. With titles such as The Offspring, The Loved Ones, Shady Lady and more, his creative ability spans a variety of genres. With insight into the independent comics world, Whalen shares his knowledge with the Dollar Bin Bandits. Check out his creations here: https://www.correcthandedcomics.com/books . _____________________ If you liked this podcast, please rate, review, and subscribe on Apple Podcasts . And tell your friend...
Nov 11, 2022•44 min•Season 2Ep. 72
In movies, there's Star Wars. In TV (but also movies), there's Star Trek. And in comics, there's Star*Reach . That highly influential independent comic book anthology was the brainchild of today's guest, Mike Friedrich. The forerunner of indie comics that proliferated in the 80s, Star*Reach published 18 issues in the mid 70s, and is fondly remembered for its envelope-pushing style. Mike was also a prolific writer for mainstream comics in the Silver Age. At DC, where he got his start under Julie ...
Nov 09, 2022•34 min•Season 2Ep. 71
Writers and artists: we're always talking about them. But even though they're the primary movers in the creation of a comic book, they're not everything. Particularly overlooked is the design of the books, especially in physical form. Today's guest, Richard Bruning, knows all about design and how much it contributes to the comic book medium. After serving as editor-in-chief and art director for Capital Comics (overseeing Nexus, Badger, Whisper , and others), he moved to NYC to become design dire...
Nov 02, 2022•1 hr 5 min•Season 2Ep. 70
Hailing from the Great White North, comic creator Ryan Howatt brings the world the next great indie book, Badger . A mix of humor, action and a little bit of everything else, Badger is gaining a strong following for its creator. Ryan chats with us about the ups and downs of independent comics along with so much more! Follow Ryan and Badger on Facebook . ______________________ If you liked this podcast, please rate, review, and subscribe on Apple Podcasts . And tell your friends! Looking for more...
Oct 28, 2022•36 min•Season 2Ep. 69
There's only one Paul Kupperberg. But there's a big group of creators that came up at DC Comics during the so-called Bronze Age of comics, and lucky enough, Paul's friends with most of them. So he decided to do what friends do and reminisce about the days of yore, bringing the adventures of our four-color heroes to life in the 70s and 80s. And then he did something different. He recorded those conversations, transcribed them into text, and compiled it all into a book called Direct Conversations ...
Oct 26, 2022•1 hr 3 min•Season 2Ep. 68
From Popeye to YouTubers, Vannotes has written books that younger readers can relate to, and done it with a distinct style. The author has also created superheroes in the Enigma Agents series. The popular YouTube creators The Spy Ninjas inspired their latest project for Scholastic, and the current graphic novel is a huge success! You can follow Vannotes @vannotesbooks on Instagram and Twitter . __________________________ If you liked this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe on Apple Podc...
Oct 21, 2022•55 min•Season 2Ep. 67
Tom Mandrake is a magician… of comic book art! From his early days on Grimjack , New Mutants , and Batman to his acclaimed work with John Ostrander on The Spectre and Martian Manhunter series, Mandrake can capture emotion like few others. Now, several years after his Sidekick series with J. Michael Straczynski, he's teamed with writer J.M. DeMatteis for one part of his "DeMultiverse" project on Kickstarter . Like everything Tom touches, it's sure to be another fan favorite! _____________________...
Oct 19, 2022•51 min•Season 2Ep. 66
Cartoons! You love them and so do we. The Fleischer Cartoon Studio created some of the most groundbreaking cartoons ever, and this week's guest, Ray Pointer, gives us the history behind them. An animator himself, Ray is the official historian of the Fleischer works and recently spoke at both San Diego Comic-Con and New York Comic Con about them and the evolution of cartoons. It was a true pleasure speaking to Ray, a fountain of animation expertise and information! __________________________ If y...
Oct 14, 2022•1 hr 6 min•Season 2Ep. 65
Dan DiDio's back. And for the first time in a while, the whole gang's here (even Joe, calling in from vacation)! This time, we dive deep into Dan's new prestige comics line with Frank Miller called, what else... Frank Miller Presents. How did this whole thing come together? How was Dan lured back in to running a comics company? What's the long-term vision for FMP? The answers to these and more will be revealed in this one-topic-only episode of Dollar Bin Bandits! Check out Frank Miller Presents ...
Oct 12, 2022•44 min•Season 2Ep. 64
From DC Comics intern to award-winning independent artist, Jamal Igle brings focus and creativity to his every project. After the internship and building his comics resume with small publishers, Jamal hopped into animation with a storyboarding stint at Sony Animation. New Warriors brought him back into the comics fold, and he's been steadily crushing it ever since. At Marvel, it was Iron Fist/Wolverine and Daredevil/Shi , and at DC, he's best known for long runs on Supergirl and Firestorm . He's...
Oct 05, 2022•1 hr 15 min•Season 2Ep. 63
Jamar Nicholas is in the house! And we couldn't be happier to have him. Creator of the hit kids' graphic novel, Leon: Protector of the Playground , Jamar kickstarted his cartooning career in 1997 with the self-published Jamar Chronicles. Following his creation of the webcomic Detective Boogaloo: Hip-Hop Cop, Jamar became an editorial cartoonist for the Philadelphia Tribune . His most acclaimed work may be his graphic novel adaptation of Geoffrey Canada's memoir Fist, Stick, Knife, Gun , which wo...
Sep 30, 2022•49 min•Season 2Ep. 62
Another inker extraordinaire to add to our collection! It's Randy Emberlin, a prolific artist who embellished some of our favorite work around, including G.I. Joe, Doctor Strange, Alien Legion, and Dark Horse's Ghost. But we know him best from his work on the Amazing Spider-Man, primarily with Erik Larsen and Mark Bagley! He was a key part of the rise of Venom and Carnage in the 90s, and made the Spider-Man of that era a cornerstone of our collecting past. Randy has also worked on many education...
Sep 28, 2022•1 hr 17 min•Season 2Ep. 61
It's the simple story of a letterer-turned-cartoonist, who conquered the world of children's entertainment with the ongoing Ordinary People Change the World book series and the associated Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum cartoon on PBS. But how did Chris Eliopoulos climb this mountain, you ask? Well, listen to the episode. But if you want the Cliff's Notes version: he started out as a highly successful and prolific letterer and font designer, who among other things, hand-lettered the first 10...
Sep 21, 2022•1 hr 5 min•Season 2Ep. 60
Michael dialed in all the way from Israel to talk turkey with the Bandits on this bonus Friday episode. He started, as so many of our guests do, at Neal Adams' Continuity Studio, where he first worked on storyboards and advertisements. He quickly transitioned into comics work, primarily for DC on titles like Challengers of the Unknown , Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes, and Wonder Woman , as well as stories involving Batman, Spider-Man, and Black Lightning. After a decade traveling and pu...
Sep 16, 2022•56 min•Season 2Ep. 59
Animation legend Tom Cook joins the Bandits for some cartoon craziness! Tom has done it all, from He-Man & the Masters of the Universe and She-Ra: Princess of Power to the Smurfs , Super Friends , and Jetsons: The Movie . And he has a ridiculous comic book collection! So get prepared to relive your childhood as we dig into the characters and cartoons of Tom Cook. _______________________________ Check out a video version of this episode on our YouTube channel : youtube.com/dollarbinbandits . ...
Sep 14, 2022•1 hr 9 min•Season 2Ep. 58
Heeeeeeeee's back! That's right, co-creator of everyone's favorite Merc with a Mouth, Fabian Nicieza, returns to the DBB hot seat to run his own mouth. We dive back into some of the voids we left in the last interview -- New Warrior's Rage and X-Men crossovers like X-Cutioner's Song and Fatal Attractions -- and then get the scoop on his new novel, The Self-Made Widow . This is the second in his Suburban Dicks series and has our amateur gumshoes getting into all sorts of new trouble. It's always ...
Sep 07, 2022•1 hr 16 min•Season 2Ep. 57
Ever heard of Howard the Duck? Of course you have! It just so happens that today's guest, Val Mayerik, co-created that filthy foul way back in 1973 while working on Man-Thing stories for Marvel's Adventure into Fear comic . While Howard eventually took on a life of his own, Val continued with Man-Thing, a bunch of other supernatural books, and some jungle adventures with Ka-Zar. After forming Upstart Associates with Howard Chaykin, Walt Simonson, and Jim Starlin, he returned to Howard the Duck w...
Sep 02, 2022•50 min•Season 2Ep. 56
It's two Butlers for the price of one as Steven Butler and his daughter Lily join the show! Steven is a penciller/inker who's worked on everything from Web of Spider-Man and Silver Sable for Marvel to The Badger for First Comics to Sonic the Hedgehog and others for Archie. While at Archie, he led a redesign of many of the classic characters away from their cartoony origins to a more realistic look. Steven's daughter Lily is an up-and-coming young artist who recently collaborated with her old man...
Aug 31, 2022•1 hr 7 min•Season 2Ep. 55
Let's begin with a list. Here are some of the cartoons that today's guest, Buzz Dixon, contributed to: Heathcliff, Thundarr the Barbarian, Alvin and the Chipmunks, Dungeons & Dragons, Mister T, G.I. Joe, Transformers, Garbage Pail Kids, Jem, Chip n' Dale: Rescue Rangers, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Batman: The Animated Series . Are you kidding me?! He also served as an uncredited writer on the G.I. Joe: The Movie and a story consultant on My Little Pony: The Movi e. Really?! And he eve...
Aug 24, 2022•1 hr 17 min•Season 2Ep. 54
The Bandits wade into controversial waters as artist/writer Chris Wozniak joins the show. His career bona fides are not in question: he started right out of school at DC as an inker, soon switched to pencilling, and worked on all manner of titles, including Who's Who in the DC Universe, The Spectre, Justice League, Blue Beetle , and Excalibur . Somewhere along the line (1990 to be exact), Chris wrote a Batman story that was never produced. This story was structured around a violent and sociopath...
Aug 19, 2022•1 hr 13 min•Season 2Ep. 53
Who's ready to break some backs?! That's right, Jim Valentino, the man behind our favorite maiming vigilante ShadowHawk is here to talk to the Bandits about his career and creations. Having started out on small press and indie projects, Jim found his groove on the normalman limited series. Next, it was on to Marvel, where he revived the Guardians of the Galaxy, and redefined the team and book in an epic two-year run. But let's face it, you probably know Jim best as one of the Big 7 creators who ...
Aug 17, 2022•1 hr 6 min•Season 2Ep. 52
Get ready for a wild one, folks! In another "Oren Only" exclusive, the solo Bandit talks to Bill Leff, host of the MeTV cartoon show, Toon In with Me. It's a fun-filled conversation complete with tangents, asides, and "off the rail" topics. If you can watch it or collect it, Oren and Bill chat about it! You can check out Bill doing his thing on Toon in with Me weekdays at 7:00 am on MeTV. __________________________________ Check out a video version of this episode on our YouTube channel : youtub...
Aug 12, 2022•1 hr 15 min•Season 2Ep. 51
A writer and editor par excellence, Bob Greenberger started out just like you and me: as a fan. After cutting his editorial teeth at Starlog Press, Bob joined DC, where he initially worked with luminaries Len Wein, Marv Wolfman, and Dick Giordano on universe-wide projects like Crisis on Infinite Earths and the Who's Who guidebook. He went on to edit titles such as Suicide Squad and Doom Patrol , but really hit his stride with the various adaptations and extensions of the Star Trek franchise (inc...
Aug 10, 2022•1 hr 12 min•Season 2Ep. 50
You may know Bob Wiacek's name from the many other artists he's worked with: Carmine Infantino, Paul Smith, John Byrne, past guest June Brigman, past guest Walt Simonson, John Romita Jr., and past guest Bob Layton. But Bob's a legend in his own right as acknowledged by his recently received Inkwell Awards Joe Sinnott Hall of Fame Award for lifetime achievement in the art of inking. Just like there'd be no Jordan without Pippen, Wiacek's inks enhanced the work every penciller he worked with, from...
Jul 29, 2022•53 min•Season 2Ep. 49
Despite having worked (written and/or illustrated) for most of the major comic publishers, Kevin VanHook is probably best known for his work at Valiant in the early 90s. He co-created Bloodshot, and contributed to books like The Visitor , Eternal Warrior , and Solar: Man of the Atom , among many others. But comics are only part of his career. Kevin also has a successful film career, working as a writer, director, producer, and visual effects artist and supervisor. He's worked on Daredevil , I, R...
Jul 27, 2022•1 hr 21 min•Season 2Ep. 48
Best known for co-creating the Black series of comics, Kwanza Osajyefo began his comics journey at Marvel, where he worked with Bandit Mike and past guest John Roberts (ComiXology) in the early 2000s. From there, he moved to DC, where he co-founded and managed the digital comics imprint and contest, Zuda. After a brief stint at DC headquarters in California (where he continued in the realm of digital comics), Kwanza hooked up with a team of creators and Black Mask Studios to develop his Kickstar...
Jul 20, 2022•1 hr 6 min•Season 2Ep. 47
Are you ready for some more Oren Only action? This time, our solo star goes head to head with artist Howard Bender. Howard started his comics career as a production artist and letterer, both with Marvel and DC. He moved into full pencils with "Dial H for Hero" backups in The New Adventures of Superboy , and illustrated quite a few Superman stories for Action Comics . He's also known for his work on Archie Comics and for his caricatures. He is not known as the inspiration for Bender on Futurama. ...
Jul 15, 2022•50 min•Season 2Ep. 46
