A fount of superlative editorial skill and knowledge, you may know Diana Schutz from her 25 years at Dark Horse Comics, where she oversaw such game-changing series as Frank Miller's Sin City , Mike Mignola's Hellboy , Stan Sakai's Usagi Yojimbo , Paul Chadwick's Concrete , and Matt Wagner's Grendel , to name but a few. Of course, we rewind all the way back to the beginning, where Diana started her comics career at a Canadian shop earnestly titled The ComicShop . Diana then created a comicsw news...
Mar 20, 2024•1 hr 12 min•Season 4Ep. 23
Mike Spring is on a mission to bring fun back into comics. His Outtatime Comics imprint has already brought to life Red, White & Broke: Confessions of an American Superhero and Uncaped , and now he's Kickstarting 8-Bit Slasher , a nostalgic horror comedy that's a 90s kid's dream. Besides comics, Mike has also written a novel ( Bloodsucker Blues: A Vamps in Vegas Story ), does voice-over narration, and hosts After the Ending, a popular film podcast. You can find Mike on Facebook and X @TheMik...
Mar 15, 2024•51 min•Season 4Ep. 22
The (returning) guest may be Jack C. Harris , but the topic of today's episode is none other than Steve Ditko , one of comics' foundational creators. In his new book, Working With Ditko , Jack looks back on his many collaborations with the illustrator extraordinaire on titles like The Creeper , The Demon , Wonder Woman , and Legion of Super-Heroes . The Bandits get into it all, from the nature of their collaborations to Ditko's ideas and creative process. Did you know Ditko even redesigned Batma...
Mar 13, 2024•45 min•Season 4Ep. 21
Art, sculpture, and writing are just a few of the things Guy Dorian Sr. excels at. From working on ROM , New Warriors, and his own creations, his artistic vision makes each project stand out in a crowded field. He has also done designs for various toys and posters through the years. For more information, visit guydorianart.com . ___________________ Check out a video version of this episode on our YouTube channel: youtube.com/dollarbinbandits . If you like this podcast, please rate, review, and s...
Mar 08, 2024•1 hr 42 min•Season 4Ep. 20
They came out of nowhere, like a jolt of lightning in 1990. Packs of trading cards, but instead of featuring sports heroes, they were the heroes of the Marvel universe. That's right, we're talking Marvel trading cards with the two guys who did the heavy lifting for those early 90s sets: Bob Budiansky and Tom Brevoort! Celebrating the 34th anniversary of the first set (why wait for a round number?), we get into everything cards: how the project came about, how (and by whom) they were designed, ma...
Mar 06, 2024•1 hr 22 min•Season 4Ep. 19
Known as the Godfather of the Graphic Novel, Phil Yeh has left his mark on the comic community with his art and creativity. Self publishing numerous books for children and adults, today he also paints murals in schools across the country. He was also the first to bring to attention the plight of the creators of Superman. For more information, visit wingedtiger.com . ___________________ Check out a video version of this episode on our YouTube channel: youtube.com/dollarbinbandits . If you like th...
Mar 01, 2024•1 hr 5 min•Season 4Ep. 18
Painter, illustrator, design director: Mark Chiarello is all that and more! Today's guest has done just about everything in the comics world (and beyond), starting with the painted Batman tale Batman/Houdini: The Devil's Workshop (winner of the 1993 National Cartoonists Society Award for Best Comic Book). For nearly 27 years, Mark was the Senior VP, Art & Design Director for DC Comics, where (among other things) he created anthologies like Batman: Black and White , Solo , and Wednesday Comic...
Feb 28, 2024•56 min•Season 4Ep. 17
Canadian independent comics creator Preston Squire has been developing a new universe with his series Brute . His creativity and strong storytelling has drawn in fans from all over the world. To find out more, visit brutecomic.com/author/preston-squire . ____________________ Check out a video version of this episode on our YouTube channel: youtube.com/dollarbinbandits . If you like this podcast, please rate, review, and subscribe on Apple Podcasts . And if you really like this podcast, support w...
Feb 23, 2024•47 min•Season 4Ep. 16
Do you remember Tribe ? Of course you do! The first issue from Image sold over one million copies , making it the best selling comic from African American creators of all time. And it's just those creators that join us today. Writer Todd Johnson and artist Larry Stroman redefined the multicultural team book with four issues spanning three publishers (including their own Axis Comics), and now they're readying a revival of the property. We get into the origins of the story and characters, how the ...
Feb 21, 2024•1 hr 6 min•Season 4Ep. 15
He's back! And this time, he's solo. That's right, editor/writer Terry Kavanagh jumps back into the hot seat to reminisce about his career at Marvel Comics. During his time as editor there, from 1985 to 1997, Terry oversaw titles like the anthology Marvel Comics Presents and Nick Fury, Agent of SHIELD . Like many editors do, he also did some writing of his own, starting with a story in Kickers, Inc ., and followed by longer runs on Marc Spector: Moon Knight , X-Man and the Spider-Man/Punisher/Sa...
Feb 16, 2024•1 hr 2 min•Season 4Ep. 14
Paul Levitz and Paul Kupperberg were fast comic fans and friends growing up in NYC in the late sixties. Soon, they were producing amateur fanzines and then The Comic Reader as they made their way into the industry. They continued crossing paths at DC, where both would become editors, and they remain friends to this day. We get into those early memories, reminisce about DC days gone by, and take a look back at the legacy of each in the industry. Get thee to Kickstarter, and back Paul Kupperberg's...
Feb 14, 2024•1 hr 4 min•Season 4Ep. 13
Independent comic creator Dave Baker has a phenomenal stable of characters he's developed, including Halloween Boy and Mary Tyler Moorehawk . He's also written for Star Trek and other titles as well. Check out everything Dave Baker at heydavebaker.com . _____________________ Check out a video version of this episode on our YouTube channel: youtube.com/dollarbinbandits . If you like this podcast, please rate, review, and subscribe on Apple Podcasts . And if you really like this podcast, support w...
Feb 09, 2024•51 min•Season 4Ep. 12
Yes, that Terry Moore : the mastermind behind Strangers in Paradise , the groundbreaking self-published series about the adventures of Francine and Katchoo (and David). But if SiP is all you know him from, you're missing out on a whole lot Moore <wink>! Terry's done work at other publishers (including on Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane and Runaways for Marvel; Birds of Prey for DC, and even the Darkness/Vampirella one-shot for Image), but his best stuff is his own. Titles like the sci-fi Echo ,...
Feb 07, 2024•1 hr 14 min•Season 4Ep. 11
If you were a 90s kid, Bobbie Chase may be one of the first editors you ever knew the name of. She was omnipresent in the pages (especially the letter pages) of Peter David's 10-year run on The Incredible Hulk . But more than that, she found the most amazing talent (including Salvador Larroca and Jamal Igle) and was amazingly empowering of that talent to do their best work. Overseeing a legendary slate at Marvel that included titles like G.I. Joe , Captain America , Iron Man , Sensational She-Hu...
Feb 02, 2024•57 min•Season 4Ep. 10
Patrick Olliffe makes his return to the Dollar Bin Bandits, this time as a solo guest! It's fitting, because he's done a lot of work on solo books, including Spider-Girl and Untold Tales of Spider-Man . You may also know him from his extensive credits across the big two, including Thor , Nomad , Warlock and the Infinity Watch , JSA Classified , and 52 . He's also illustrated various children's and young adult books. You can follow Pat on X @patolliffe65 and Instagram @polliff65 . _______________...
Jan 31, 2024•56 min•Season 4Ep. 9
How many folks can say they’ve written for DC and Tiger Beat ? Well, author Arie Kaplan can. He was also a longtime writer for MAD Magazine , wrote books about Taylor Swift, and penned children’s stories for Golden Books. He has also done incredible interviews and research on Jewish history in comics. For more information, visit ariekaplan.com . _____________________ Check out a video version of this episode on our YouTube channel: youtube.com/dollarbinbandits . If you like this podcast, please ...
Jan 26, 2024•1 hr 3 min•Season 4Ep. 8
Breaking in at Milestone with a distinctive style and artistic approach, ChrisCross is always one to keep an eye on. From those early years on Blood Syndicate and the Xero miniseries (w/ Christopher Priest) to his heroic run on Captain Marvel (w/ Peter David) and stints on Outsiders , Firestorm , and Smallville Season 11 , Chris' work always shows the humanity in the heroes. But of course, there's plenty of whiz-bang too! Now, Chris is teaming up with his old pal (and past guest) Joe Illidge to ...
Jan 24, 2024•1 hr 22 min•Season 4Ep. 7
Return to the world of independent comics as David Whalen makes his second appearance on the pod. The founder of Correct Handed Comics has a variety of books in his stable. He recently created an omnibus for his series The Offspring, which has become a fan favorite. From what it takes to get your comics on the market to how to create characters, David talks about it all. Check out his site: correcthandedcomics.com . _____________________ Check out a video version of this episode on our YouTube c...
Jan 19, 2024•39 min•Season 4Ep. 6
Today's guest, Ann Nocenti , has been there and done that. Not only did she break in as a writer with Marvel on titles such as Bizarre Adventures , Spider-Woman , and the Dazzler and Beast miniseries Beauty and the Beast , she in short order became an assistant editor for Carl Potts , where she worked on such titles as The Incredible Hulk , The Defenders , Doctor Strange , and The Thing . Not only did she and the elusive Arthur Adams create Longshot and launched him in his own miniseries, she te...
Jan 17, 2024•56 min•Season 4Ep. 5
The Svengoolie family is growing, and the Dollar Bin Bandits got a chance to talk to the new additions! Bill Leff (Nostalgiaferatoo) and Sarah Palmer (Gwengoolie) are quickly becoming fan favorites along with IMP. Besides the show, Bill wrote a story about his character in last year’s Svengoolie comic from Frank Miller Presents. What’s it like to work with a legend, and how did they get the gig? Check it out and be sure to watch them every Saturday night at 8 pm on MeTV. _____________________ Ch...
Jan 12, 2024•36 min•Season 4Ep. 4
In a 30+ year career, Mike Deodato has penciled just about every major character under the sun! Starting with Wonder Woman in the early 90s (where he co-created Artemis of Bana-Mighdall), and continuing with Thor , Glory (Extreme Studios), Incredible Hulk , Amazing Spider-Man , and all types of Avengers (New, Dark, Secret), his art never fails to impress. And now, Mike’s taking The Flash to the next level, and there's plenty more to come! You can follow Mike on X and Instagram @MikeDeodato . ___...
Jan 10, 2024•57 min•Season 4Ep. 3
From comics to the Weekly World News , Jeff Rovin has put together an incredible career. Besides working at DC, Jeff pretty much ran Atlas Comics in the 1970s, handling a variety of titles from some of the biggest names in the business. From there, he’s written video game guides and biographies, worked with Tom Clancy and took a top position at the Weekly World News ! _____________________ Check out a video version of this episode on our YouTube channel: youtube.com/dollarbinbandits . If you lik...
Jan 05, 2024•1 hr 17 min•Season 4Ep. 2
For the first DBB episode of 2024 (and season 4), we're joined by the workhorse editor of DC, Mr. Mike Carlin! Mike started at DC way back in 1974 as a high school intern, before becoming an assistant editor under Mark Gruenwald at Marvel. But he made perhaps his biggest mark as the Superman group editor, where he orchestrated big changes for the Man of Steel, including the triangle numbering across titles, the Death and Return of Superman storylines, and the introduction of new books and charac...
Jan 03, 2024•1 hr 7 min•Season 4Ep. 1
Actor, creator and comic book writer Kevin Grevioux is living every fan’s dream. From co-creating and starring in the Underworld trilogy to working with Marvel and DC, he’s steeped in the geek culture we know and love. Kevin has also created a number of his own books including his latest project, Djinntara: Rise Of The Djinn ! _____________________ Check out a video version of this episode on our YouTube channel: youtube.com/dollarbinbandits . If you like this podcast, please rate, review, and s...
Dec 23, 2023•1 hr 4 min•Season 3Ep. 90
It's the last Wednesday episode of the Dollar Bin Bandits for 2023 and, with Christmas a few days away, the Bandits are bringing you some holiday magic with a "Just Joe" episode featuring none other than Paul Pelletier. With a career spanning over three decades, Paul has worked for DC, Marvel, Eclipse, and CrossGen, and with iconic characters like Batman, Superman, Green Lantern, Hulk, Wolverine and Silver Surfer. We get into all of it and even discuss a little forgotten gem called Superboy and ...
Dec 20, 2023•47 min•Season 3Ep. 89
Thanks to Cliff Biggers and his publication Comic Shop News , comic fans get the inside scoop of what's going on in the industry. A comic shop owner himself (Dr. No's Comics & Games Superstore), he's been involved in the industry through fanzines and even wrote a few comics himself. Recently, he sold off CSN but still remains active in covering the world of comics. _____________________ Check out a video version of this episode on our YouTube channel: youtube.com/dollarbinbandits . If you li...
Dec 15, 2023•56 min•Season 3Ep. 88
Alex Maleev doesn't do many interviews, preferring to let his work speak for him. And if you could illustrate like he can, you'd probably take the same approach. Most know Alex from his defining run with frequent collaborator Brian Michael Bendis (BMB) on Daredevil . But he had an interesting path to that project, and has only evolved after it. After moving to the U.S. from Bulgaria in 1995, he quickly got work on a succession of high-profile projects, including The Crow , storyboarding the Lost...
Dec 13, 2023•58 min•Season 3Ep. 87
Brooklyn's own Dean Haspiel joins us for a spell, pontificating on his career and recent work. If you're not familiar with this independent creator, he cut his teeth at Upstart Associates, assisting the likes of past guests Howard Chaykin, Walter Simonson, and Bill Sienkiewicz with some of their most acclaimed projects. His first major work was the anthology Keyhole , where he introduced one of his longest running characters, Billy Dogma. Dean collaborated with Harvey Pekar on American Splendor ...
Dec 08, 2023•1 hr 1 min•Season 3Ep. 86
From drawing for Marvel to working with some of the biggest names in Hollywood, Geof Isherwood has had quite the career. The artist has worked on Daredevil, Conan and Dr. Strange along with numerous other projects. He’s also a sculptor and teacher to boot! For more information, visit https://geoffreyisherwood.ca . _____________________ Check out a video version of this episode on our YouTube channel: youtube.com/dollarbinbandits . If you like this podcast, please rate, review, and subscribe on A...
Dec 06, 2023•1 hr 10 min•Season 3Ep. 85
Author and historian Chris Irving looks back at the birth of comic books and films coming together with his book Cliffhanger ! From early serials featuring Tarzan, Batman, Superman, Dick Tracy and more, the groundwork was laid for what has become the MCU and DCU. An author of many TwoMorrows stories, Irving looks behind the scenes of these films and the folks portraying our heroes. The book is available at: https://twomorrows.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=1706 and https://...
Dec 01, 2023•58 min•Season 3Ep. 84
