Curt Pires is back on Word Balloon, and he's got a lot happening in the world of creator-owned comics.First, we're talking about his new Kickstarter project, The Objectivist, a dark psychological vigilante thriller with artist Alex Diotto that draws inspiration from Steve Ditko's uncompromising philosophy, The Question, Sin City, and Taxi Driver. It's the story of a man who decides to take justice into his own hands, armed with a hammer and a dangerously rigid worldview.

Then there's Creature Corps, his new Image Comics series with artist JOK, debuting in December. Imagine the creature-battling craze of the '90s colliding with the brutal satire of The Boys. It's a world where monsters from the future have become the stars of a billion-dollar blood sport, and a former teenage champion is dragged back into the game.

We'll also catch up on Curt's expanding fantasy universe at Image, including Lost Fantasy, with artist Luca Casalanguida, where a hidden world of magic and monsters threatens our reality, and Fireborn, co-written with Franklin Jonas and illustrated by Patrick Mulholland, which brings dragons, ancient magic, and superhero action into that same universe.Four ambitious projects, some fascinating creative collaborations, and plenty to discuss about building original comic book worlds in today's industry.

Back in 2015 , this was a great chance to talk with 2 TV writer producers who are at the top of live action television and animation. Both were at Long Beach Comicon that weekend and have great insight on the 2010s superhero tv explosion

Writer- Exec Producer Marc Guggenheim talks about The CW's Arrowverse.  Given the success of both shows, it's no surprise that it was annouced this week that the characters Atom, Professor Stein and White Canary were being devolped for their own future CW TV series.

NOTE- This conversation took place before the Legends Of Tomorrow announcement , but Marc did give insight about the success of introducing these new characters and in theory about expanding the DCU TV universe on The CW. 

Animation writer exec producer Greg Weissman looks back at Gargoyles, Young Justice, Spectacular Spider-Man, his current work with Star Wars Rebels, and the realities behind producing comic book/toy adaptaions for kids television. 

Louis has just completed a sucessful kickstarter and has an upcoming X-O Manofwar story coming up, but mostly he's here  to discuss his new column at the beat , where he tells his observations about how breaking into writing comics has changed in the post covid studio consolidation era. 

plus other movie and tv talk? 

Fall back with me to 2019. Welcome to another Word Balloon Sunday Conversation. Today, we're reaching back to 2019 for an in-depth conversation with writer J. Michael Straczynski, better known to fans as JMS.At the time, Joe was promoting his autobiography, Becoming Superman: My Journey from Poverty to Hollywood, a remarkably candid account of a difficult childhood, personal struggles, and his determination to build a life as a storyteller.

We go down strange career paths, like his writing the 1970s radio drama Alien Worlds, and hosting the lost sci-fi nerd talk show Hour 25, featuring Icons on the genre 

We also dive into his extraordinary career in comics, from his groundbreaking run on The Amazing Spider-Man with John Romita Jr., to Thor, Fantastic Four, Supreme Power, and his creator-owned work on Rising Stars and Midnight Nation. We discuss his approach to character, the challenges of writing iconic superheroes, and the creative decisions that defined his years at Marvel DC and beyond

.And naturally, there's plenty to say about his work in television, including the creation of the landmark science fiction series Babylon 5, but also The Real Ghostbusters and his time scripting and being the story editor on the 1980's Twilight Zone. 

More discussion about Patrick Stuart's passing and his impact on nerd culture with Trek Author Keith RA DeCandido and Larry Young 

Gabriel Hardman Jeff Parker and I talk about Boris Karloff's many performances on live network tv in the 1950s 

Star Trek Scribe Michael Jan Friedman joins the Trek Watch Regulars to honor the life and career of Sir Patrick Stewart 

Ed Brisson returns to discuss his latest project, Hammer Head, a new five-issue horror series from Mad Cave Studios, with artist Damian Couceiro.Brisson takes us back to the bloody world of 1980s slasher movies, with a seemingly unstoppable killer who returns again and again.

At the center of the story is Jules, the sole survivor of a massacre twenty years earlier, who's spent her life trying to escape the trauma of that night. But some nightmares refuse to stay buried.We'll talk about Ed's love of crime and horror storytelling, and how he and Damian are putting their own spin on the familiar slasher formula.

Then we shift gears to some classic Saturday morning animation franchises. Ed discusses his work on ThunderCats and SilverHawks for Dynamite Entertainment, including ThunderCats: Lost, SilverHawks, and the ambitious ThunderCats- SilverHawks crossover. We get into the challenges of bringing these beloved 1980s characters to modern comic books while staying true to what made them popular in the first place.

Today we're looking at the 2020 graphic novel- Voting Is Your Superpower, a fascinating collection of political comics assembled by comics historian and publisher Craig Yoe.The book takes us on a journey through decades of American comic book history, from the pioneering work of Little Nemo's Winsor McCay to the Silver Age, with examples from publishers like Harvey and Marvel.

These are comics that weren't necessarily meant to be sold on newsstands. Many were distributed free, with a specific mission: encouraging Americans to exercise their right to vote.It's an intriguing look at the intersection of comics, politics, and American history, and a reminder that the funny pages and comic books have often had something serious to say.

Joining us for the conversation are two extraordinary, award-winning cartoonists who contributed to the collection with new works: Sanford Greene, the acclaimed DC and Marvel artist and co-creator of Image's Bitter Root, and Emil Ferris, the brilliant writer and artist behind My Favorite Thing Is Monsters.We'll explore this unusual corner of comics history, the artists who contributed to it, and the power of cartooning to communicate ideas beyond simple entertainment.