Giant Size Channel

In framing a conversation with writer Greg Pak about the new direction for Superman in Action Comics (as well as his new creator-owned project The Princess Who Saved Herself), we find ourselves also indulging in preaching  the gospel of Adam Warlock. In our conversation with Greg, we look at the importance of "bold, different takes", going back not only to his work on Hulk (Planet- and  World War- specifically) and Adam Warlock, but also the major influence of Bill Mantlo's legendary work on Hulk and Micronauts. Brought to you by... * IDW: In two weeks, long-time My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic  writer (and someimtes also artist) Katie Cooke will be our guest on our Giant Size Comicpalooza 2015 Special. The latest issue of MLP is out this week, as is the six issue of Zombies vs Robots, which completes the backup story written by Steve Niles and drawn by firend-of-the show Val Mayerik.

In the first installment of a new recurring series, we recommend great, currently running reads that we've never discussed on the show. Brought to you by * IDW: with a wide array of great new releases this week, among others... o Locke & Key Master Edition Hardcover Vol 1 o Donald Duck #1 o Mark Waid’s Insufferable #1 and Empire: Uprising #2 o Douglas Adams’ Dirk Gently, Holistic Detective Agency #1 o Transformers: Treasury Edition o Jem and the Holograms #3

ComiXology co-founders David Steinberger and John D. Roberts join us for an annual check-in, discussing library expansion, the changes post-Amazon acquisition, and the possibility of new UI/UX features in the future. Brought to you by * IDW: New issues of Jem and the Holograms, Judge Dredd, and Teenage Murtant Ninja Turtles, and many more are on stands just in time for this weekend's Free COmic Book Day. Revisit a property like these, or try something completely different. Take risks this FCBD!

STAPLE 2015 "Pitching Comics" Panel with Janelle Asselin, hosted by  Meredith Nudo, a valiant Valkyrie from Houston, TX. Whether looking to pitch your own or just learn more about the process of how comics are made, this is a great primer on all of the above. An excerpt of this interview was originally featured on Giant Size #33: Heart and Soul, our STAPLE 2015 Special.

Monica Gallagher started making comics on the web, but before that, anime and manga (and Elfquest) made her a fan who wanted to create in addition to consume. An excerpt of this interview was originally featured on Giant Size #33: Heart and Soul, our STAPLE 2015 Special.

STAPLE 2015 Q&A with Brooke Allen, Grace Ellis, and Babs Tarr, hosted by  Annie Bulloch, Valkyrie owner of 8th Dimension Comics in Houston, TX. Behold (...be-hear?) the origin of "Lumberjumbies", as coined by Brooke Allen and as memorialized on the Lumberjanes page at Wikipedia. This Q&A was not excerpted or otherwise used on Giant Size #33: Heart and Soul, our STAPLE 2015 Special. Think of this as a Special Edition Extra you'd get in the big of a big, expensive hardcover.

Brooke Allen (illustrator, speaks first) and Grace Ellis (writer, speaks second) are two of the co-creators of the mega-smash-hit, *New York Times-bestselling *Lumberjanes. This interview was originally featured (in full, uncut) on Giant Size #33: Heart and Soul, our STAPLE 2015 Special.

In our first-annual STAPLE Special, we dive into some of our mutual comfort foods: autobiographical and otherwise-great indie comics. Intercut throughout are interviews with an all-star, all-woman super-team lineup of comics creators. Brought to you by * IDW: Add Weird Love to your pull list and add a splash of weird romance comics from the past to your diet that are guaranteed to entertain and delight (and horrify)!

In the Epilogue to our comprehensive, decades-spanning, senses-altering  Crossover Event(s), we each name the five events from each publisher we would "save", were we forced to choose. Stay tuned for a shocking conclusion in the conclusion that will change the way you judge us...FOREVER. * Crossovers Epic Event: Epilogue Brought to you by * IDW: Jem and the Holograms #1 is out now. Grab the first printing of this sure-to-sell-out-hit from writer Kelly Thompson and art by John's fellow SCAD alum Sophie Campbell, whom we discuss at the beginning of this episode.

The Crossover Crisis War(s) experience is consummated with a dive from AvX  and its Consequences (without ruining it for you) through the recently-concluded AXIS. * Crossovers Epic Event: Part 8 of 8 Brought to you by * IDW: Want some less-gritty, more-fun stuff appropriate for all ages?  Powerpuff Girls Smash-Up #3 (of 6) and Little Nemo: Return to Slumberland #4 fit the bill. If you prefer gritty and violent, Judge Dredd #28 will suit you nicely. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #44 is a landmark issue in that series. Avoid spoilers and pick it up if you've EVER been a Turtles fan.

Do our hosts come to blows over heroes coming to blows in Civil War?! Who will leave this battle "WWH Champion"? Have one or both of us been Skrulls  the whole time? Find out as we take race across the Rainbow Bridge and out of dark-gritty-dark-darkness, toward The Heroic Age! * Crossovers Crossover Epic Event: Part 7 of 8 Brought to you by * IDW: Godzilla - Cataclysm posits the idea that all these monsters caused a global...cataclysm...and follows that destruction. The first volume TPB drops on 24 March 2015, so get this Cullen Bunn + Dave Wachter goodness pre-ordered!

In the aftermath of the 90's and Marvel's bankruptcy, a classic is sequelized, Earth becomes a penal colony for the rest of the galaxy, and Brian Michael Bendis kicks off the modern era of line-wide, connecting crossovers. * Crossovers Epic Event: Part 6 of 8 Brought to you by * IDW: Louise Simonson's Super Secret Crisis War vol.2 TPB is out soon, as is the third issue of the five-issue Star Trek/Planet of the Apes series.

The trilogy of Infinity Something crossovers (Gauntlet, War, and Crusade) and the rest of the Events of the 1990's employ "crossover tactics" seen in Marvel events through the present. Say "hello" and at once (in many ways) "good riddance" to the 90's! * Crossovers Epic Event: Part 5 of 8 Brought to you by * Cards Against Humanity: all-powerful despots we can only stop if they, ultimately, are the engineers of their own undoing.

In an episode where we cover both parts of Secret Wars, you'll be amazed at which Marvel crossover we declare the most influential and important to Marvel history in the years leading up to Infinity Gauntlet.   * Crossovers Epic Event: Part 4 of 8 Brought to you by * IDW: Popeye Classics is the only place you can find Sweet Pea asking for (and receiving!) his first firearm from Popeye and Olive Oyl!

In the first of more parts than we planned, we lay the foundation and start into Marvel Comics crossovers, looking at what a crossover really is (and isn't, and is/isn't perceived to be), including how Marvel invented them (no, seriously).   * Crossovers Epic Event: Part 3 of 8 Brought to you by * IDW: Transformers vs. G.I. Joe is like your childhood play with an unlimited budget!

Recorded after our two-part discussion of DC crossover events, this would usually go in the "extras" feed, but this is a major crossover event, so we're including this tie-in that you didn't ask for along with everything else in your subscription box. Play along with the Marvel Trivia game to tide you over until the next thrilling installment (no fair Googling!).   * Crossovers Epic Event: (Non-Canonical, Inessential, but Fun!) Part 2.5 of 8

The second part of our intra-show crossover event covering DC and Marvel crossover events (all of them), takes us from Zero Hour (1994) to the New52-generating Flashpoint (2011).  * Crossovers Epic Event: Part 2 of 8 Brought to you by * IDW: Sam Kieth's The MAXX: Maxximized is being lovingly remastered and reprinted (vol1/vol2, vol3 drops on 10 February 2015). Looking for something kid-friendly? Powerpuff Girls: Super-Smash-Up! is a five-issue miniseries starting this week!

The first part of our intra-show crossover event covering DC and Marvel crossover events (all of them), starting with DC's "Big Bang" that set their standard, Crisis on Infinite Earths (1985). We leave you hanging off the cliff just before Zero Hour (1994). Part 2 posts tomorrow.  Crossovers Crossover Epic Part 1 of ????

We dispel some misconceptions about this week's major Secret Wars  announcement from Marvel and tease our podcast-redefining, multi-episode, intra-show-crossover event, where we will do an overview of major crossover events at DC and Marvel since they began back in the 1970's. Audio Quality Notice: This short bonus episode was recorded over tethered LTE with Skype calling John's cellphone, with him literally "phoning it in", but in peak form. * Crossovers Epic Event: Prologue to the 8-Part Extravaganza

We memorialize some great comics cancelled in 2014 with a truly Giant-Size episode that is full of complete runs you can start and finish (for the most part) right now. Brought to you by * IDW: Out this week - Galaxy Quest #1(of 4), Zombies vs Robots #1(ongoing), Star Trek: Planet of the Apes #2(of5), Popeye Classics #30 Special Guest * Kevin Wada (twitter) posts amazing art on Tumblr, has done gorgeous covers for the now-ending run of She-Hulk, and has a lot up his sleeve in terms of upcoming work and talent. Become a fan now so you can be a Kevin Wada hipster later. Related Episodes * Artist Edition 58: the exact same interview found in this episode, but isolated on its own for your re-listening convenience.