You may know George R.R. Martin as the writer of the epic fantasy series A Song of Ice and Fire, which was adapted into the HBO series Game of Thrones. But long before becoming a world-renowned science fiction and fantasy writer, George R.R. Martin was just a kid in Bayonne, New Jersey, who read a LOT of comics. Lorraine and Evan chatted with George on last week’s episode—but there was so much more to talk about! In this final bonus episode, George speaks more about his early days as an avid Mar...
Jun 01, 2021•39 min•Season 1Ep. 12
To close out this season of Marvel’s Declassified, Lorraine and Evan shift gears to tell the story of Marvel fandom through the years—through the voices of people who were there. From the glory days of the Merry Marvel Marching Society to the massive comic conventions of today, they look at how fandom has evolved since Marvel’s earliest days—and what still holds true today. Fandom means different things to different people—so as Marvel continues to tell the story of the “world outside your windo...
May 25, 2021•58 min•Season 1Ep. 11
How have visions of the future influenced Marvel's stories? And on the flip side, how has Marvel shaped ideas about the future? From Iron Man's armor to the visionary technology of Wakanda, Lorraine and Evan explore how Marvel has answered these questions
May 18, 2021•50 min•Season 1Ep. 10
What are the inner workings of the Spider-Verse? And what happens when a Spider-Man alternate reality spills off the page and into real life? Lorraine and Evan discover all of that and more on today’s episode. After chatting with Spider-Man writers past and present, they unearth what happened when a publisher in Mexico began making its own Spider-Man storyline where Gwen Stacy never lost her life and instead continued her adventures with Peter Parker.
May 11, 2021•57 min•Season 1Ep. 9
Marvel’s Declassified presents: a bonus, extended interview with legendary Captain Marvel writer Kelly Sue DeConnick! In this candid conversation with Lorraine, DeConnick talks about what was on her mind when she was writing Carol Danvers, how the Carol Corps started (hint: the Kiss Army is involved), and why Captain Marvel is an “upward-facing character.”
May 04, 2021•36 min•Season 1Ep. 8
How did Marvel Knights — a now-legendary imprint created by Joe Quesada and Jimmy Palmiotti — save Marvel Comics from near-extinction? On this episode, Evan and Lorraine find out from the people who made it happen. They hear a firsthand account of how Quesada and Palmiotti went from co-founding an indie comic book label to marching into a meeting with the President of Marvel Comics, Joe Calamari, and requesting to be Marvel’s new co-Editors in Chief. They delve into the imprint’s experimental st...
Apr 27, 2021•58 min•Season 1Ep. 7
The Hulk’s creation in 1962 was partly a result of the Cold War. His origin story is not only a metaphor for the fear and tension that permeated society during that time, but also a literal depiction of the capability of nuclear power. On this episode, Evan and Lorraine trace the evolution of The Hulk through the eyes of his creators, and look at how subsequent comic book runs have added pieces to the puzzle—from carefree Professor Hulk to seedy Gray Hulk to World War Hulk. And with the help of ...
Apr 20, 2021•57 min•Season 1Ep. 6
In 1977, Ms. Marvel burst onto the scene and Carol Danvers went from side character to Super Hero. Taking on the honorific “Ms.,” she embodied the identity of the women’s movement in the United States. In this episode, Lorraine and Evan explore how Carol Danvers’ evolution has reflected wider societal trends—from clothing design to larger questions of agency and power. Along the way, they chat with some of the writers who shaped Ms. Marvel’s journey, from Carol Danvers to Kamala Khan. Audio exce...
Apr 13, 2021•1 hr•Season 1Ep. 5
In this bonus, extended cut of Evan’s interview with Christopher Priest, they'll talk about what it was like to be a writer and editor on books like Spider-Man, Black Panther, Power Man and Iron Fist at Marvel from the ‘80s to the ‘00s, his friendship with fellow editor Larry Hama, and how Priest committed to finding his own voice as a creator during some of Marvel’s most creative eras.
Apr 06, 2021•32 min•Season 1Ep. 4
Marvel’s predecessor Timely Comics was founded in 1939, the same year World War II began. From the earliest days, our creators were thinking about battles overseas and close to home. With artists, writers, and editors experiencing the war, sometimes on the frontlines, the pages flooded with patriotism, heroes, and horrors. With World War II and the Vietnam War as benchmarks, Lorraine and Evan look at how Marvel has responded to military conflict on its pages. Along the way, they explore the rela...
Mar 30, 2021•57 min•Season 1Ep. 3
While other heroes were saving fictional metropolises, Marvel’s always thrived by putting our characters squarely in the real world. In this episode, Lorraine and Evan explore the unique, sprawling neighborhoods of the Big Apple to uncover how the Five Boroughs and their inhabitants helped illustrate the fundamental idea that the Marvel Universe reflects the world outside your window. The stakes may be impossibly high for characters like Spider-Man, Black Widow or the Fantastic Four, but their a...
Mar 23, 2021•44 min•Season 1Ep. 2
Today we associate Marvel almost exclusively with Super Heroes and Super Villains, but there was a time when Marvel Comics came in a wide range of genres: comedy, romance, western, sci-fi, horror, and more. In this premiere episode, Lorraine Cink and Evan Narcisse take a deep look into the way heroes like Captain America helped forge a new medium--until they were run out of their own comics by deep societal changes that eventually triggered the return of heroes, an eruption of talent... and the ...
Mar 16, 2021•58 min•Season 1Ep. 1
Marvel’s secrets revealed by those who were there! A nonfiction narrative podcast focusing on the rich, dynamic, and unknown history of Marvel Comics as told through a contemporary lens.
Mar 02, 2021•2 min
