Comic Book Historians

I'm thrilled to share something truly special with you. Writing my book was a seven-year journey, culminating not just in publication but also in an audiobook that's now available, thanks to an option I discovered with my publisher. Encouraged by my friend, Eric Bailey, I decided to lend my voice to the project. Leveraging years of experience from producing and audio engineering the Comic Book Historians podcast, I poured every ounce of my patience and expertise into recording and editing this audiobook over four months. It was a labor of love to get every detail just right. I'm delighted to announce that it's now available across all major platforms, including Audible, Google Play, and Chirp. For those who love comic history and prefer their reading on the go, this is for you. audible link: https://a.co/d/4n7qXVJ Support the Show.

Alex Grand and co-host Jim Thompson interview Tom Palmer about his extensive career as both inker and illustrator starting at the Frank Reilly school, learning from Jack Kamen, illustration for advertising, then inking various Marvel comic book pencilers in the Silver Age like Gene Colan, Neal Adams, John and Sal Buscema, and eventually others like Howard Chaykin, Walt Simsonson, and Ron Frenz on characters & properties like Dr. Strange, X-Men, Avengers, Dracula, Thor, Star Wars, Batman, Wonder Woman and more. Learn about his first 1968 penciling job with Stan Lee plotter, Roy Thomas writer, and inked by Dan Adkins and move forward in time to inking John Romita Jr's Kick-Ass. Tom was also friends with Stan Drake and gives interesting details of the car accident that killed Alex Raymond. Edited & Produced by Alex Grand. Interview ©Comic Book Historians 2020. Support the Show.

Alex Grand and co-host Jim Thompson interview Tom Palmer about his extensive career as both inker and illustrator starting at the Frank Reilly school, learning from Jack Kamen, illustration for advertising, then inking various Marvel comic book pencilers in the Silver Age like Gene Colan, Neal Adams, John and Sal Buscema, and eventually others like Howard Chaykin, Walt Simsonson, and Ron Frenz on characters & properties like Dr. Strange, X-Men, Avengers, Dracula, Thor, Star Wars, Batman, Wonder Woman and more. Learn about his first 1968 penciling job with Stan Lee plotter, Roy Thomas writer, and inked by Dan Adkins and move forward in time to inking John Romita Jr's Kick-Ass. Tom was also friends with Stan Drake and gives interesting details of the car accident that killed Alex Raymond. Edited & Produced by Alex Grand. Interview ©Comic Book Historians 2020. Support the Show.

Join Alex Grand and Bill Field as they sit down with legendary comic artist Steve Rude in an enlightening episode of the CBH podcast. Dive deep into Rude's early influences, from his passion for 1960s Marvel to the impact of artists like Jack Kirby and Gene Colan on his style. Discover the pivotal moments of his career, from his initial challenges in the business to his successful partnership in creating Nexus with Mike Baron, his dislike of Marvel of DC in the 1980s, and his impression of the corporate side of comic books. Explore his artistic evolution and the personal stories behind his work, including his venture into fine art and the narrative of his documentary on bipolar disorder. Tune in for a masterful blend of art, storytelling, and personal struggle, reflecting over four decades of comic artistry. Support the Show.

David Armstrong interviewed Nick Cardy for a second round on set in 2005 about his time at the Eisner shop, Fiction House, illustrator influences, Lou Fine, anatomy, reference, army sketch book, his Paris exhibit, Science Fiction stories, design, page rates, Brushwork, advertising, his sense of religion, and a sex comic experience at comic con. Interview conducted, recorded and copyrighted to David Armstrong. Remastered, edited, timestamped and postproduction by Alex Grand. Support the Show.

David Armstrong interviewed Golden, Silver, and Bronze Age great, Joe Kubert in 1997 on set at San Diego Comic Con discussing his childhood strip and pulp influences, entering comic books in the early 1940s as a high school student, working with Harry Shorten & Frank Z. Temerson, his professional relation with Norman Maurer, his first job at DC, the 3D Comic book craze of the 1950s, working with Will Eisner, the Green Berets daily strip, functioning as an Editor at DC under Carmine Infantino, the Joe Kubert school, his graphic novels and his pride over his two talented sons, Andy and Adam Kubert. Interview conducted, recorded and copyrighted to David Armstrong. Remastered, edited, timestamped and postproduction by Alex Grand. Support the Show.

Alex Grand and co-host Jim Thompson interview painter, autobiographical comics pioneer and 11-time Eisner nominee Carol Tyler, author of Soldier's Heart: The Campaign to Understand My WWII Veteran Father: A Daughter's Memoir (You'll Never Know), Fab4 Mania, and Late Bloomer in the second of a two parter. We cover her early work for Weirdo, Wimmen’s Comix and Twisted Sister to her current project, as well as her marriage to Justin Green (Binky Brown Meets the Holy Virgin Mary), her friendship with the Crumbs, the controversy over her accepting the first Dori Seda Memorial Award, Leonardo DiCaprio’s babysitting skills and her life’s most tragic losses and greatest triumphs. Part 2 of 2. Edited & Produced by Alex Grand. #Beatles #CarolTyler #Eisner ©Comic Book Historians 2020 Support the Show.

Alex Grand and co-host Jim Thompson interview painter, autobiographical comics pioneer and 11-time Eisner nominee Carol Tyler, author of Soldier's Heart: The Campaign to Understand My WWII Veteran Father: A Daughter's Memoir (You'll Never Know), Fab4 Mania, and Late Bloomer in the first of a two parter. We cover her early work for Weirdo, Wimmen’s Comix and Twisted Sister to her current project, as well as her marriage to Justin Green (Binky Brown Meets the Holy Virgin Mary), her friendship with the Crumbs, the controversy over her accepting the first Dori Seda Memorial Award, Leonardo DiCaprio’s babysitting skills and her life’s most tragic losses and greatest triumphs. Part 1 of 2. Edited & Produced by Alex Grand. #Beatles #CarolTyler #Eisner ©Comic Book Historians 2020 Support the Show.

David Armstrong interviewed Golden and Silver Age great, Nick Cardy in 1998 on set at San Diego Comic Con about his entry into comic books in 1940, working with the Eisner & Iger shop, his influences like Gary Cooper, Noel Sickles, working at Fiction House, drafted into the Army, Tarzan and Casey Ruggles daily comic strips, entering DC Comics, interacting with Alex Toth, Jack Kirby, Neal Adams and Mike Sekowsky, working with Julius Schwartz and Carmine Infantino, working on animation, illustration and movie posters for New Line Cinema. Interview conducted, recorded and copyrighted to David Armstrong. Remastered, edited, timestamped and postproduction by Alex Grand. Support the Show.

Explore the life and genius of Steve Ditko, Spider-Man's co-creator, in a special 2-hour interview featuring his family. Discover his early years, creative process, and love for science and Batman, shaping his superhero creations. Dive into his youthful influences, like Tarzan and Charles Bronson, and how Ayn Rand's philosophy impacted his work and comic industry relations. Known for his privacy and humor, Ditko's ethos was to let his work speak for itself, focusing on the present and future. This intimate family perspective highlights Ditko's legacy and enduring impact on the comic world. #SpiderMan #Marvel #DCComics #StanLee #DrStrange #Batman #SteveDitko #ComicStrips #JackKirby #WW2 ©2023 Comic Book Historians Support the Show.

In 1973, John A. Mozzer, lover of pop culture interviewed 6 people in Reading, Pennsylvania to track down the history of Jim Steranko. The 6th person was Western/Kid Colt and Hot Rod comic artist, Jack Keller who worked in comics since the Golden Age for companies like Quality, Fawcett, Atlas/Marvel, Charlton and more who went into detail into the history of his comics career as well as discussing meeting a young impressionable Jim Steranko as well as Stan Lee, Dick Giordano and Sal Gentile. John was gracious to share these files with the world and CBH from his soundcloud, so the first 5 were given a massive audio restoration treatment by Alex Grand and are located and transcribed at the interview section of comicbookhistorians.com, and the 6th one, Jack Keller is digitally restored and audio engineered by Alex Grand and presented here. John A. Mozzer also provided great imagery of these encounters located both at the CBH website, his flickr and as the thumbnail image for the recording presented here. Support the Show.

David Armstrong interviewed Silver & Bronze Age great, John Romita Sr. in 2001 on set at San Diego Comic Con about his entry into comic books with Les Zakarin, first meeting Stan Lee at Timely, his suspense science fiction stories like IT!, working for Famous Funnies, his relationship with Stan Lee in the 1950s, and again in the 1960s, getting inking advice from Joe Maneely, why he joined DC Comics to work on Romance Comics with Zena Brody and Robert Kanigher, discussing Alex Toth, the editorial culture at DC compared to Marvel, Jack Kirby, Martin Goodman, terrible distribution through Independent News, and DC Comics' achilles heel. Interview conducted, recorded and copyrighted to David Armstrong. Remastered, edited, timestamped and postproduction by Alex Grand. Support the Show.

Everyone should know that Steve Ditko was the co-creator of Spider-Man and the creator of Dr. Strange, The Question, Mr A., and many others. But most people do not know who he was, let alone know anything about him. Who was he as a person? Did he have a family? What type of person was he? Mark Ditko (Ditkoverse; Steve's nephew), Lenny Schwartz (writer, Ditko the Play; filmmaker, The Haunted and the Hunted), Jackie Estrada (Eisner Awards administrator; correspondent with Steve), Alex Grand (Comic Book Historians; author, Understanding Superhero Comic Books), and Marci Singel (Steve's first cousin) dispel those strange rumors and provide more information about Steve Ditko than you've ever believed possible. Moderated by Tyler McPhail (The Grand Geek Gathering). Recorded and post-production by Alex Grand Images used in artwork ©Their Respective Copyright holders, CBH Podcast ©Comic Book Historians, LLC. Thumbnail Artwork ©Comic Book Historians. Support the Show.

A sit down chat between Alex Grand and Jose Villarrubia, Eisner nominated Comics colorist and Professor of Art at various colleges, universities & museums on various key aspects of his life and career including renovating Richard Corben's Den for Darkhorse. His personal and working relationships with Corben and Alan Moore are discussed, as well as his childhood reading comic books in Spain, moving to the USA in 1980, working as a photographer in the 1980s, entering comics with Jae Lee in the 1990s at Image Comics, working on Neil Gaiman's Wheel of World's, coloring for Marvel, DC Comics, Vertigo on titles such as X-Men, Batman, Spider-Man, Sentry, Sweet Tooth, Promethea, Tom Strong, Cuba, My Revolution, Django Unchained and more . Edited & Produced by Alex Grand. Images used in artwork ©Their Respective Copyright holders, CBH Podcast ©Comic Book Historians. Thumbnail Artwork ©Comic Book Historians. Music ©Lost European Support the Show.

Today we are joined by special guest-host and resident CBH book Editor and Globo Comico social media founder, N. Scott Robinson, Ph.D., who interviews Alex Grand, author of the new book, Understanding Superhero Comic Books A History of Key Elements, Creators, Events and Controversies , delving into its in-depth exploration of the origin, growth, and major influences of superhero comic books. The discussion illuminates how iconic characters such as Batman, Wonder Woman, and Captain America are more than just fictional characters, but reflections of their societal contexts. Further, they delve into the contributions of pivotal creators like Julius Schwartz, Jack Kirby, Stan Lee, Steve Ditko, Jim Starlin, John Byrne, and Alan Moore, highlighting their unique takes on superhero realism, design, revitalization, and deconstruction. Understanding Superhero Comic Books can be found at: click: Amazon, the book's publisher, McFarland & Co, Barnes & Noble, Wal-Mart, Target and more... Images used in artwork ©Their Respective Copyright holders, CBH Podcast ©Comic Book Historians, LLC. Thumbnail Artwork ©Comic Book Historians. Music ©Lost European Support the Show.

Alex Grand interviews Jesse Simon, the grandson of Captain America creator, Joe Simon on his creative and influential grandfather and his family's new comic series, SHIELDMASTER found on Kickstarter. Jesse discusses his grandfather's career at Timely Comics with figures like Stan Lee, Jack Kirby and Martin Goodman, DC Comics, Harvey Comics with Al Harvey, Crestwood, SICK magazine and more. You can get SHIELDMASTER at this link: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/simonstudios/shieldmaster-3. Photo © Jesse Simon. Images used in artwork ©Their Respective Copyright holders, CBH Podcast ©Comic Book Historians, LLC. Thumbnail Artwork ©Comic Book Historians. Music ©Lost European Support the Show.

Bill Field returns from the exciting life of television production to host and interview comics historian Alex Grand & medical marijuana pioneer Joshua S. Berman about their award-winning graphic novel, Hashman about real-life raconteur 'Joey Berkowitz' and his life in the vice world of the illegal and legalized cannabis trade. Hashman available on Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble and other online retailers. Hashman Trailer here: https://youtu.be/0j2FALN9KbQ Hashman synopsis: Award-winning graphic novel about Criminal-turned-psychologist Joey Berkowitz whose complicated past, extends through East Coast mobs, the psychedelic 60s, the New York celebrity drug culture, Berkeley Peace movement, the Paris riots, Altamont, Woodstock, laundering money in Southeast Asia, and sitting meditation courses in Tibet. Join Joey as he manages to escape prosecution time and time again by the seat of his pants, ultimately becoming a noteworthy shrink in Seattle where he manages to find himself as a central figure in the worldwide cannabis legalization scene as its most notorious authorizing doc, dispensary financier, and industry stalwart. Will he make it thru? Or will the law finally catch up with him? Hashman is important because it offers a true snapshot of life as a hustler in the late 20th century American pop culture landscape, and how he enters the modern era, offering a view of the underground world of cannabis, and how it evolved for the last 5 decades from its seedy roots to a sterile and legalized corporate venture. Get a front row seat in how the massive need for security, rooted in a childhood trauma, can mix with greed and an obsession for vice to eventually lead to one's personal destruction. Based on a series of interviews with eye witnesses, court reports, and newspaper articles carefully used to construct an authentic and visually visceral ride through the life of a well connected cannabis pioneer. Edited & Produced by Alex Grand. Images used in artwork ©Their Respective Copyright holders, CBH Podcast ©Comic Book Historians. Thumbnail Artwork ©Comic Book Historians. Support the Show.

A sit down chat between Alex Grand and Bud Plant discussing his early years in 1960s fandom, Rocket Blast Comic Collector, Golden Age Timely, Quality and Fiction House comics, EC Comics, Carl Barks, Julius Schwartz comics, Jules Fei¦er's Great Comic Book Heroes, business in the first comic book shops, Sci-Fi Bay Con 1968, 1960s Fanzines, meeting Steranko at New York Comic Con 1970, starting Bud's Mail order, co-founding Comics and Comix and its various stages, finding the Tom Reilly Collection at 1973 Bay Area Comics Convention, from meeting Phil Seuling, starting the direct market, New Media/Irjax lawsuit, Seuling's death, encountering Gary Groth at Fantagraphics, business with Kirby and Eisner, getting into the comic direct distribution business from 1982-1988, publishing Alfredo Alcala and Jack Katz, encountering Steve Geppi at Diamond which decided the course of comic history, getting the inkpot award in the 1990s, and phasing out of San Diego Comic-Con. ©Comic Book Historians, LLC. Support the Show.

A sit down chat between Alex Grand and Bud Plant discussing his early years in 1960s fandom, Rocket Blast Comic Collector, Golden Age Timely, Quality and Fiction House comics, EC Comics, Carl Barks, Julius Schwartz comics, Jules Fei¦er's Great Comic Book Heroes, business in the first comic book shops, Sci-Fi Bay Con 1968, 1960s Fanzines, meeting Steranko at New York Comic Con 1970, starting Bud's Mail order, co-founding Comics and Comix and its various stages, finding the Tom Reilly Collection at 1973 Bay Area Comics Convention, from meeting Phil Seuling, starting the direct market, New Media/Irjax lawsuit, Seuling's death, encountering Gary Groth at Fantagraphics, business with Kirby and Eisner, getting into the comic direct distribution business from 1982-1988, publishing Alfredo Alcala and Jack Katz, encountering Steve Geppi at Diamond which decided the course of comic history, getting the inkpot award in the 1990s, and phasing out of San Diego Comic-Con. Edited & Produced by Alex Grand. ©2021 Comic Book Historians. Vote Bud Plant for Eisner Hall of Fame here: https://form.jotform.com/230927489799177 Support the Show.

As featured in Roy Thomas’ Alter Ego Magazine, Alex Grand and co-host Jim Thompson interview Professor William H. Foster III, published comic book historian, former Eisner judge and award-winning museum exhibit curator on the evolving roles of African Americans in Comics. William discusses his early forays into reading comics in the 1960s and 70s, then goes into a fascinating discussion of the portray and involvement of African American characters and creators in comics starting from the Yellow Kid, Krazy Kat, Ebony in Spirit, World's Finest, Sgt Fury, Fantastic Four's Black Panther, Luke Cage, Black Lightning, Black Vulcan, Fast Willie Jackson, Robert Crumb in Zap Comics, Storm of the X-Men, Sabre, Hypno Hustler, Milestone Comics, Trading Cards, Captain America, Thunder and ending into present day comic books. Originated, Edited & Produced by Alex Grand. Transcript available in Alter Ego 174. Images used in artwork ©Their Respective Copyright holders, CBH Podcast ©Comic Book Historians. Thumbnail Artwork ©Comic Book Historians. Music ©Lost European Support the Show.