Considered a master in horror comic art, Stephen Bissette creates images that are haunting and beautiful at the same time. His celebrated run on Swamp Thing with Alan Moore helped establish his reputation, and since then his various works have been beloved by comic fans. Check out what he has to say about his career and craft today on Dollar Bin Bandits! _____________________ Dollar Bin Bandits is the official podcast of TwoMorrows Publishing . Check out their fine publications at twomorrows.com...
Aug 09, 2023•1 hr 28 min•Season 3Ep. 53
INTERVIEW: Prolific writer J.M. DeMatteis is back for another round of questions, this time focused on his new Magneto mini-series (with Todd Nauck) that debuts today (8/2/23)! The story harkens back to a time in the X-Men's past when Professor X was absent, and Magneto took over as headmaster of the School for Gifted Youngsters, leading the New Mutants. We also get into J.M.'s character development process, the continuing adventures in his DeMultiverse series, and of course... Scooby Apocalypse...
Aug 02, 2023•56 min•Season 3Ep. 52
The Greek gods will always be seen as the archetypes on which most superheroes are based. Therefore, it's only natural that they get the full comic book treatment, and George O'Connor was the one to do it! Through the 12 graphic novels comprising his Olympians series, George brings the classic Greek myths to life. On this episode, we dig into everything Olympians, from how he pitched the huge project to how he picked the stories and created the look of the characters. We also talk about George's...
Jul 28, 2023•1 hr 13 min•Season 3Ep. 51
The Spirit of Vengeance rides again, thanks to writer Howard Mackie, as a new Ghost Rider series is burning up the shelves at comic shops! The legendary writer talks about his inspiration for this new series and how he’s changed as a writer from the original run. _____________________ Dollar Bin Bandits is the official podcast of TwoMorrows Publishing . Check out their fine publications at twomorrows.com . _____________________ Check out a video version of this episode on our YouTube channel: yo...
Jul 26, 2023•1 hr 2 min•Season 3Ep. 50
Mike Grell is back! And he's brought his old editor, and co-founder of First Comics, Mike Gold along with him. That's right, it's a Jon Sable Freelance reunion hosted by Bandit Oren and past guest Jeff Messer! The group gets deep into the origins of the creator-owned title, what made it tick, and its influence on the "grim and gritty" comic stories of the 1980s. So, come reminisce with us about a time of bounty hunting, freelance mercenaries, and all the action and adventure only Jon Sable can b...
Jul 19, 2023•1 hr 28 min•Season 3Ep. 49
Dan Johnson is a heck of a writer. Whether it’s writing independent comics or stories for TwoMorrows Publishing, his way with words set him apart from others. In his career, he’s had the opportunity to interview some of the biggest names in comic history. Check out what he has to say about the comics industry today, the independent scene and what it was like speaking to some of the best in the world! _____________________ Dollar Bin Bandits is the official podcast of TwoMorrows Publishing . Chec...
Jul 14, 2023•54 min•Season 3Ep. 48
As one of the Brothers Hildebrandt (Tim passed away in 2006), Greg Hildebrandt long ago cemented his reputation as a preeminent fantasy/sci-fi illustrator of the past half-century. The brothers are best known for their Lord of the Rings calendars, paintings for Magic: The Gathering and Harry Potter card games, and an iconic early poster for Star Wars. We also get into Greg's work (with and without his brother) on Marvel publications, other movie posters, book covers, and other illustrations. Gre...
Jul 12, 2023•1 hr 13 min•Season 3Ep. 47
You wanna talk cartoons? Let's talk Christy Marx cartoons. There's The New Fantastic Four , Spider-Man , Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends , G.I. Joe , Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles , and X-Men: Evolution , to name but a few. Then there's Jem , in which she was not only head writer, but a co-creator. Same for Conan the Adventurer and Hypernauts . And if all that isn't enough, Christy is also a comics writer, having worked on her own series, Sisterhood of Steel (with recent guest Mike Vosburg), a...
Jul 07, 2023•1 hr 2 min•Season 3Ep. 46
Perhaps best known for American Flagg! at First Comics, artist Howard Chaykin broke into comics under the tutelage of three masters: Gil Kane, Wally Wood, and Neal Adams. He only dabbled in the world of superheroes, preferring instead more less costumed genres, like sci-fi, horror, and adventure. His most mainstream work includes the first ten issues of the adaptation of Star Wars , the World of Krypton miniseries, and a run on Micronauts . Aside from dozens of issues of American Flagg! , Howard...
Jul 05, 2023•1 hr 24 min•Season 3Ep. 45
Talk about an eclectic career! JayJay Jackson started out as a cartographer, drawing street maps in the days before GPS. She also did schematics and production design for various outfits, including Texas Instruments. Somehow, she parlayed this into a gig as a designer (and later art director) at Marvel Comics. She also colored comics and ads, including those for Spider-Man, Punisher, and Alien Legion. More importantly, JayJay met Jim Shooter there, and became an indispensable part of his subsequ...
Jun 30, 2023•1 hr 14 min•Season 3Ep. 44
How many people can say they worked on She-Hulk and Tales from the Crypt ? Mike Vosburg can! The immensely talented artist has done comics, animation and storyboards for numerous popular shows. He has also created his own highly popular Lori Lovecraft series, which is a salute to the noir early days of comics. To find out more, visit vozart.com/vozcomix . _____________________ Dollar Bin Bandits is the official podcast of TwoMorrows Publishing . Check out their fine publications at twomorrows.co...
Jun 28, 2023•1 hr 9 min•Season 3Ep. 43
The legend is back! Longtime Phantom artist Sy Barry (and his son David) returns to discuss his Draw for Life charity and upcoming art auction benefiting the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute / Jimmy Fund in Boston, MA. We also talk more about Sy’s storied career! You can find info about the auction at drawforlife.org . It takes place July 1–8 on eBay, and for those artists out there, you still have time to make a donation! If you’re able, please bid when the auction goes up or make a gift at the sit...
Jun 23, 2023•43 min•Season 3Ep. 42
All hail the King of Fonts! That's right, Richard Starkings is in the hot seat today, answering all of our questions about lettering, font design, Marvel UK, Comicraft, Doctor Who, and his Elephantmen universe. Richard got into comics in his native UK, where he started lettering for 2000 AD , Warrior , and various Marvel UK titles. After moving stateside, he founded Comicraft , a lettering and design company that works with all the major publishers. His original creation, Hip Flask, was born out...
Jun 21, 2023•1 hr 16 min•Season 3Ep. 41
Like many of the artists we have on the show, Jeff Johnson has more than one arrow in his quiver. You may know him from his work on comics as diverse as Wonder Man , Amazing Spider-Man , and Weapon X at Marvel; Solitaire from Malibu's Ultraverse; Crossgen's Way of the Rat ; and Green Lantern and others for DC. But you may also know him from his animation work in popular shows like Boondocks , Spectacular Spider-Man , Batman: The Brave and the Bold , Young Justice and Transformers: Prime. And eve...
Jun 16, 2023•45 min•Season 3Ep. 40
J.C. Vaughn is the President of Gemstone Publishing , which among other things, publishes the legendary Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide . Their recent guides to grading comics have also become indispensable to collectors and traders. But, as the commercials say, that's not all! J.C. is also an accomplished indie comics writer, having created or co-created titles like Zombie-Proof , Vampire, PA , and Bedtime Stories for Impressionable Children. He's even written or co-written issues of Shi , Mi...
Jun 14, 2023•1 hr 19 min•Season 3Ep. 39
JMS: three letters that stand for inventive comic book storytelling. Not that he's a slouch in film, TV, or animation, mind you. J. Michael Straczynski may be best known as the creator of the 90s sci-fi show Babylon 5 , but for our purposes, he's a comic writing genius who's worked on some of the most iconic characters for the past 30 years. Before breaking into the industry with his epic Rising Stars series for Top Cow/Image, he had a solid foundation in animation, having scripted and edited sh...
Jun 07, 2023•1 hr 20 min•Season 3Ep. 38
Year 2 of the Dollar Bin Bandits is in the books! So we're celebrating with a look back, forward, and all around the DBB universe. First, we reveal our new partnership with TwoMorrows Publishing! Then, we get a video greeting from past guest Greg Goldstein and answer questions from our amazing community. Finally, the Bandits interview each other. It's fun, it's funky, it's a rollicking good time! Since this was a live show, we recommend you check out the original on YouTube: https://www.youtube....
Jun 02, 2023•1 hr 1 min•Season 3Ep. 37
When it comes to chronicling comic book history, there are few better than Alex Grand. His YouTube page and Facebook group, Comic Book Historians, is the go-to source for stories and interviews about our favorite industry. Alex also has a book coming out called Understanding Superhero Comic Books , which should be a must-read for all comic fans. Check out Comic Book Historians here: https://m.youtube.com/@ComicBookHistorians . ____________________ Check out a video version of this episode on our...
May 31, 2023•52 min•Season 3Ep. 36
Jeff Messer is Mr. Comics. Why? Besides being a comics creator, he's also a historian and gets to work with comic book legend Mike Grell. Jeff talks to the Dollar Bin Bandits about his career, including the creation of his book Sex, Spies, & Rock 'n Roll, which has become a big hit amongst comics fans. He's also interviewed a number of comic book royalty and works with Mike Grell setting up signings and other projects. Check out and support Jeff's latest project: Sex, Spies, & Rock 'n Ro...
May 26, 2023•1 hr 3 min•Season 3Ep. 35
Are you ready for Graham Nolan? We hope so, because the artist is bringing his unique style to today's episode. Graham broke onto the comics scene in the late 80s, and got early notice for his runs on DC's Power of the Atom and Hawkworld series. He really hit it big with writer (and past guest) Chuck Dixon with epic storylines in Detective Comics and the introduction of Bane. Later, he took up the art chores on the Rex Morgan, M.D. and The Phantom comic strips. Recently, he founded his own publi...
May 24, 2023•59 min•Season 3Ep. 34
TwoMorrows Publishing has been producing quality content on comics and pop culture for years, making it a staple in many fans' lives. Publisher John Morrow started this company with a focus on preserving historical content, and over time, TwoMorrows has grown to publishing numerous magazines and books. Check out the story of how it all came together, and when you’re done, pick up some fun reading at their website: twomorrows.com ! ___________________ If you liked this podcast, please rate, revie...
May 19, 2023•50 min•Season 3Ep. 33
Yes, that Geoff Johns! In this episode, Bandit Joe goes mano a mano with the powerhouse comics writer/executive and film/TV producer for an in-depth discussion of all things geek. The former President and Chief Creative Officer of DC Entertainment got his start as an intern for legendary Superman director Richard Donner and eventually found his way to DC, where he pitched and wrote Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E . The next thing you know, he's co-writing JSA , then fully writing The Flash , and finally d...
May 17, 2023•1 hr 10 min•Season 3Ep. 32
Here it is, our live episode with the new Shazam! creative team, Mark Waid and Dan Mora! We get into all the good stuff with the writer/artist duo, including how the project came about, the classic look of the character, what to call him (Shazam, Captain Marvel, The Captain?), how the book fits into the new DC universe, the similarities and differences with World's Finest , and where the series goes from here. Look out for gorillas, space dinosaurs, Firestorm, and more in this wide-ranging discu...
May 12, 2023•1 hr•Season 3Ep. 31
It’s the comedy duo behind Toon in With Me on MeTV, as Bill Leff and Kevin Fleming join the Dollar Bin Bandits! The weekday morning cartoon show has become a huge hit with fans, with Bill and Kevin doing a variety of skits and characters. Besides that, the duo talks comics, wrestling, baseball, movies and a variety of other topics in this Oren Only episode. Be prepared for another off-the-rails interview! _____________________________ If you liked this podcast, please rate, review, and subscribe...
May 05, 2023•1 hr 23 min•Season 3Ep. 30
This is a big one, Banditos! One of our white whales, the elusive but influential Jim Shooter, finds himself in an Oren Only interview of epic proportions! Though he needs no introduction, we'll give him one anyway. Jim is known primarily as the former Editor in Chief of Marvel Comics, Valiant Comics, and Defiant Comics. He started his comics career at the ripe old age of 14, selling stories that appeared in Action Comics , Adventure Comics , and Legion of Super-Heroes for DC. Eventually, he mad...
May 03, 2023•1 hr 15 min•Season 3Ep. 29
It’s the team-up independent comic fans have been waiting for: Silver & Steam combines the talents of Shane Luttrell and Peter Welmerink in an exciting new adventure. Luttrell’s Suzie Steam and Welmerink’s Silver Skati take readers on a galactic journey with fantastic storytelling. How did this project come together and what’s it like working on the independent scene? Check out the interview to find out! While the Kickstarter is over, you can email Shane (shaneluttrell@hotmail.com) or Peter ...
Apr 28, 2023•46 min•Season 3Ep. 28
Get ready for a two-part Mike on the Mic adventure with the one and only Liam Sharp! Roaming power outages couldn't stop this interview from rolling on, and we still only get to a fraction of the artist/writer's career. We start in London with early work at 2000 AD and Marvel UK, where he first popped onto the mainstream radar with the Death's Head II mini-series. He parlayed this into stateside stints on major Marvel books like Venom: The Mace , Incredible Hulk , and Man-Thing . After 14 issues...
Apr 25, 2023•1 hr•Season 3Ep. 27
Get ready for a two-part Mike on the Mic adventure with the one and only Liam Sharp! Roaming power outages couldn't stop this interview from rolling on, and we still only get to a fraction of the artist/writer's career. We start in London with early work at 2000 AD and Marvel UK, where he first popped onto the mainstream radar with the Death's Head II mini-series. He parlayed this into stateside stints on major Marvel books like Venom: The Mace , Incredible Hulk , and Man-Thing . After 14 issues...
Apr 25, 2023•1 hr 5 min•Season 3Ep. 26
Mike Gustovich made his mark with art filled with detail and creativity. From creating Justice Machine to working for DC, Milestone, Marvel and more, his art excites fans and enhances the reading experience. Now working for Power Comics, he continues to expand his reach in the comics world! _________________________ If you liked this podcast, please rate, review, and subscribe on Apple Podcasts . And tell your friends! Looking for more ways to express your undying DBB love and devotion? Email us...
Apr 21, 2023•42 min•Season 3Ep. 25
The Rons are back! And so is Adam Warlock in a new limited series coinciding with the character's big screen debut in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 . We get into the creators' history with the golden boy, where in the multiverse this story takes place, the Infinity Watch-heavy supporting cast, and the mysterious new character Eve Warlock. The episode goes a bit off the rails at the end, but with guests this good, we can't help ourselves! Cosmic Punisher FTW! The first issue of Warlock: Rebirth ...
Apr 19, 2023•50 min•Season 3Ep. 24
