Giant Size

49: Joe Quesada - Reasons Why I’m Here

Moises Chiullan — Thu, 08 Mar 2018 05:59:00 +0000

To celebrate the 20th Anniversary of Marvel Knights, we welcome Joe Quesada to tell the origin story of the imprint and contextualize it within Marvel history. One lucky break he got early in his career came full circle with the launch of Marvel Knights. That single opportunity he was given has continued to inform his creative career (and life) ever since.

Without Marvel Knights, we would not have the version of Black Panther that just hit screens, and were it not for writer Christopher Priest (aka Jim Owsley), we would not have had Marvel Knights in the first place, either.

"The chance that there's an open assignment? Not good, but I'll see."

Interviews with Joe Quesada were recorded live onstage at Fan Expo Canada in Toronto in the fall of 2016.

48: Enforceable Curfew and Women in Towers

Moises Chiullan — Wed, 16 Nov 2016 04:30:00 +0000

John interviews Dean Haspiel pre-Election 2016 about what it is that he's afraid of and the infinite emptiness of the internet, while Moisés talks with Alex de Campi about the glorious darkness of certain fairy tales and the importance of being on a Science Ninja Team.

One-Shot 7: The Death Of

Moises Chiullan — Wed, 19 Oct 2016 06:00:00 +0000

As a coda to our creator spotlight on Dan Slott, we look at the just-released Dead No More: The Clone Conspiracy #1. There's a spoiler warning at the point where we start spoiling, so don't worry. In the outro, we tease some upcoming guests and episodes.

47: Monkey's Paws with Dan Slott

Moises Chiullan — Sun, 16 Oct 2016 00:00:00 +0000

Dan Slott injects danger and fear for our hero's life wherever he can, and that's why we love his work on Spider-Man. Those choices extends to how he has brought unexpected, sometimes-hated (and then loved), but always interesting changes to the status quo of various characters. We also hear from the man himself about not only his sensational and spectacular run onAmazing Spider-Man, but also his work on She-Hulk, The Thing, Silver Surfer, Ren & Stimpy, andArkham Asylum: Living Hell.

One-Shot 6: The Amazing Cube

Moises Chiullan — Thu, 30 Jun 2016 01:15:00 +0000

Special Cameo Appearance by Stan "The Man" Lee! We waited until the second issue of Captain America: Steve Rogers came out to talk about the whole "Hail HYDRA" thing. How many people read comics versus read headlines about them? What is and isn't "a gimmick"? Are we on-board?

One-Shot 5: Emotional Payoff

Moises Chiullan — Fri, 17 Jun 2016 19:30:00 +0000

This is either a "Triple-Sized" One-Shot or a Regular-Sized regular episode (or both!) coveringDC Universe Rebirth #1. There was confusion we were aware of before starting, and all-new, all-different confusion we discover while recording. We stay spoiler-free until the 37-minute mark.

46: Teaser Trailers for Other Superheroes

Moises Chiullan — Thu, 21 Apr 2016 02:30:00 +0000

Neither of us liked Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice. We hadn't spoken to each other about it until we recorded this all-spoiler-filled discussion. Weeks later, neither of us can really tell you what the movie was about or trying to say other than "these characters all suck and need fixing." Well...now they sure as hell do.

45: Do Your Thousand Pages

Moises Chiullan — Wed, 06 Apr 2016 02:30:00 +0000

Southern Cross co-creator Andy Belánger has done Big Two, licensed, and is now a loud-and-proud "creator-owned or GTFO" advocate who is all-in with Image Comics. We discuss his work, fandom, and wrestling. This live episode was recorded at Dallas Fan Days in February 2016.

44: I'm Not Stan, You're Not Jack

Moises Chiullan — Tue, 08 Mar 2016 04:00:00 +0000

Storyteller artist Paul Ryan was more than just a "pencil guy". A consummate draftsman who came to comics work in his mid-30's, Ryan embodied a work ethic seldom seen then or now. The news of his sudden passing this past weekend took everyone by surprise this morning. The majority of this episode is comprised of a "Modern Marvel Masters" panel we hosted at Dallas Fan Days in October 2015. The panel includes Ryan, his friend and colleague Howard Mackie, and Val Mayerik. Rather than edit the panel down to only Paul Ryan's anecdotes, it's presented here uncut, uninterrupted, and followed by a few minutes of further appreciation by your hosts. We'd originally planned to run portions of this as two separate episodes, but considering the circumstances of the day, we hope you agree that this is the best tribute we could offer. Photo credit: Dallas Comic Con Fan Days 2015 From left: Moisés, Howard Mackie, Paul Ryan, Val Mayerik, the side of John's head

One-Shot 4: Dream Big, Jimmy Olsen

Moises Chiullan — Fri, 19 Feb 2016 23:45:00 +0000

Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen #125 is one of the best values you can find for a comic from the 1960’s. Spurred by a Nostradamus prophecy discovered under the sea (you read that correctly), Jimmy Olsen collects the tears of four people, including Superman in the hopes of obtaining superpowers.

43: Collaborative and Non-Compliant

Moises Chiullan — Fri, 05 Feb 2016 19:30:00 +0000

Kelly Sue DeConnick has a massive, loyal, and deeply passionate following for a very good reason: she makes comics that mean something to people. In this Creator Spotlight episode, we discuss her body of work, and the distinct humanity of her voice as a writer.

One-Shot 3: Sentient Dough

Moises Chiullan — Sat, 30 Jan 2016 20:30:00 +0000

Captain America gets a lot of Avengers Middle Management Work done! The Red Skull has (consensual) sex with a lady in a hot tub (how does she kiss him?)! Thor (Eric Masterson) is put on probation! Red Skull’s ancestral family house…drips dough!

42: No Children Were Murdered

Moises Chiullan — Thu, 21 Jan 2016 18:00:00 +0000

What is the aftermath of two of the biggest of Big Two Mega-Event Crossovers in comics history? Are our buying habits…FOREVER CHANGED??? (Yes.) How or can we justify $5 cover prices? Find out in a truly 80-ish-“page” (minute) Giant episode of the show! Now that Convergence and Secret Wars (2015+2016) are over, this episode serves as the truefinale to Crossover Crisis Infinity, our 2015 multi-part series on All Big Two Crossovers Ever…which, like Secret Wars, ends the following calendar year and ends up longer in terms of installments than was ever advertised.

One-Shot 2: Issue Ten Out of Eight

Moises Chiullan — Sat, 16 Jan 2016 21:00:00 +0000

Secret Wars (2015) is complete as of this, the second week of 2016. Since we did a mega-event-scale series on crossovers last year that was kicked off by the announcement of Secret Wars, we dig into our spoiler-filled thoughts on the final issue, as well as the event as a whole.

41: Definitely Wedge

Moises Chiullan — Sat, 09 Jan 2016 05:28:16 +0000

A primer on Star Wars comics from 1977 forward, covering everything in general from early movie adaptations to the lengthy Dark Horse work in the Expanded Universe to the "New Marvel Era" and speculation on what is (and we hope) to come.

One-Shot 1: The Comic That Kept Marvel Afloat

Moises Chiullan — Fri, 01 Jan 2016 01:30:00 +0000

In our first-ever, short-length, One-Shot episode, John relates the personal and historical significance of Marvel's Star Wars: Special Edition #1. Coming on Giant Size #41, a full episode covering all of Star Wars in comics.

40: Muscle Memory

Moises Chiullan — Sun, 06 Dec 2015 05:00:00 +0000

“Breaking in” stories from Steve Epting, Jim Cheung, and Val Mayerik. Neal Adams tells us why people call him an idiot and end up calling him a genius. We also look at how this convention in particular marked an artistic turning point for your hosts. Believe it or not, we aren’t running as late as Secret Wars. Fan Expo Dallas 2015 Special, Part 2 of 2

39: Re-Hooked on Comics

Moises Chiullan — Tue, 08 Sep 2015 18:30:00 +0000

In the first installment of our 2-part Fan Expo Dallas Special, we and our special guests talk about the importance and impact of Archie, working with material well-known in another medium, and the vital importance of major publishers staying the course when investing in new voices and audiences. Part 1 of 2

38: When I Was a Kid

Moises Chiullan — Thu, 20 Aug 2015 04:40:00 +0000

In our Comicpalooza 2015 Special, we discuss childhood influences and the importance of licensed properties in comics with a wide array of guests: World Champion wrestler (and comic creator) Booker T, Katie Cook, Peter David, J.M. DeMatteis (albeit briefly), and returning guest Walt Simonson. Our featured guest this week is the great Louise Simonson. Louise Simonson will be the focus of an upcoming Creator Spotlight episode. We'll get to Walt eventually...we suppose.

37: Color Theory

Moises Chiullan — Tue, 23 Jun 2015 12:58:00 +0000

We look at the vital role of the more-precise-than-ever art of comics coloring, shining a spotlight in particular on the work of Elizabeth Breitweiser and featuring special guests Neal Adams, Steve Epting, and Walt Simonson. NOTE: audio gain as well as clarity are less than ideal in some places (totaling under a minute). We've done our best in post to make this episode as listenable as possible at a consistent volume level.

36: T-Shirt and Jeans Look

Moises Chiullan — Mon, 15 Jun 2015 03:27:00 +0000

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.

35: Slap-in-the-Mouth Guarantee

Moises Chiullan — Thu, 21 May 2015 02:30:00 +0000

In the first installment of a new recurring series, we recommend great, currently running reads that we've never discussed on the show.

34: Reading Orders

Moises Chiullan — Tue, 28 Apr 2015 21:04:23 +0000

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.

33: Heart and Soul

Moises Chiullan — Tue, 21 Apr 2015 01:05:09 +0000

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.

32: Every Flavor is Chocolate!

Moises Chiullan — Sat, 28 Mar 2015 01:43:56 +0000

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" if forced to choose. Stay tuned for a shocking conclusion in the conclusion that will change the way you judge us...FOREVER.

31: This Hero Must Die!

Moises Chiullan — Fri, 20 Mar 2015 03:10:47 +0000

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. Part 8 of 8

30: Beyond Continuity Porn

Moises Chiullan — Fri, 13 Mar 2015 21:26:20 +0000

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

29: Doctor Strange Explains It All

Moises Chiullan — Mon, 09 Mar 2015 20:58:00 +0000

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 writer Bendis kicks off the modern era of line-wide, endlessly connecting crossovers. Crossovers Crossover Epic Event: Part 5 of 8

28: Chain Mail and a Bomber Jacket

Moises Chiullan — Sat, 28 Feb 2015 02:00:00 +0000

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 crossovers through the present. Say "hello" and at once (in many ways) "good riddance" to the 90's! Crossovers Crossover Epic Part 5 of ????

27: The Experience Has Been Consummated!

Moises Chiullan — Fri, 20 Feb 2015 04:00:49 +0000

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 Crossover Epic Part 4 of ????

26: Heroes Punching Each Other

Moises Chiullan — Fri, 13 Feb 2015 04:22:58 +0000

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).

25.5: A Game for Children

Moises Chiullan — Thu, 05 Feb 2015 04:13:29 +0000

Recorded after our two-part discussion of DC crossover events, this would usually go in the Test Pattern "extras" feed, but this is a major crossover event, so we're including this tie-in you didn't ask for with everything else in your subscription box. Play along with the Marvel Trivia game to tide you over until this weekend (no fair Googling!).

25: End of the Universe

Moises Chiullan — Sat, 31 Jan 2015 21:50:12 +0000

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). Part 2 of ???

24: Your World is Going to be Destroyed!

Moises Chiullan — Thu, 29 Jan 2015 23:33:49 +0000

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. Part 1 of ???

23: All-New Secret Age of Infinity Crossover War CrisisPoint Convergence

Moises Chiullan — Sun, 25 Jan 2015 23:16:47 +0000

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.

22: Super-Powered Murder Cat

Moises Chiullan — Sat, 24 Jan 2015 05:58:00 +0000

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.

21: The Samurai Code

Moises Chiullan — Tue, 13 Jan 2015 13:30:00 +0000

Usagi Yojimbo celebrated a 30th Anniversary in 2014. In our first single-creator spotlight episode, we celebrate Miyamoto Usagi and his creator, Stan Sakai.

20: Rip a Hole in the Multiverse

Moises Chiullan — Sat, 20 Dec 2014 01:04:23 +0000

In our version of an Annual issue, we deconstruct end-of-year lists by just talking about comic-related topics, happenings, and trends that we're thankful for in 2014.

19: Agent of Chaos

Moises Chiullan — Fri, 12 Dec 2014 04:43:59 +0000

John and Moisés hosted two "sketch duels" at Dallas Fan Days this fall. One of them lent itself nicely to a light "creator sampler" episode. The other was an unmitigated, glorious, and hilarious disaster. Left-to-Right: Crain, Raney, Banks Audio levels and quality are a little dicey in a few places due to multiple not-as-reliable-as-we'd-like source files. This episode has gone through more post-production than any episode of any ESN show yet.

18: Permission to Kill Thanos

Moises Chiullan — Sat, 01 Nov 2014 01:10:20 +0000

Marvel announced their movie slate through 2019, and it's full of characters that you may not know very well. John and Moisés blow through a ton of rapid-fire reading recommendations to the extent we can predict (or not) what parts of comic lore the movies will use.

17: Homicide in Gotham

Moises Chiullan — Sat, 25 Oct 2014 03:53:00 +0000

"Batman (Without Batman)" comics, especially Gotham Central and Arkham Asylum: Living Hell, the brand-new Gotham Academy and Arkham Manor, as well as great collected series from the last two decades and a light primer on the work of Ed Brubaker.

16: The Henry Silva of Portland

Moises Chiullan — Mon, 06 Oct 2014 03:32:26 +0000

Among other things, Kevin Maguire talks with John and Moisés about his "signature shot", how Godzilla began and ended his movie career (for now!), the frustrating logic that drives internet insta-controversies in comics, and what he's driven to do next in his career.

15: The Butter Cookie Gateway

Moises Chiullan — Mon, 29 Sep 2014 20:09:48 +0000

We discuss the "origin stories" of how John came to love Swamp Thing, Howard the Duck, and The Thing. From movies on cable and Saturday morning cartoons to reprints and recommendations from friends, we get to better know John's tastes and his "human experience" as "this fan, this podcaster."

14: With a Magic Word

Moises Chiullan — Sun, 14 Sep 2014 03:50:00 +0000

The Power of-, Trials of-, and Magic of Shazam are all on the table this week, as we look at one of John's favorite characters. Old-school fans may know Billy Batson's alter-ego better as The Superhero Formerly Known As Captain Marvel.

13.5: Joker at the Front Door

Moises Chiullan — Thu, 28 Aug 2014 00:14:00 +0000

How to get into Batman, with both older and newer modern-era takes on the Caped Crusader. It's probably best to start with Year One instead of The Dark Knight Returns. This is "Volume 1" in a series of Bat-shows to come.

13: Smoke and Shadows

Moises Chiullan — Sat, 23 Aug 2014 19:27:00 +0000

This is the "Big Damn" Frank Miller episode. We look at his entire body of work while at once barely touching on Sin City or 300. In particular, more attention should be paid to his collaborations with David Mazzuchelli, Geof Darrow, Chris Claremont, Dave Gibbons, Klaus Janson, and Bill Sienkiewicz. Meanwhile, John culls his collection by hundreds of comics, and we discuss the hard choices we make going digital.

12: The Duck in the Room

Moises Chiullan — Fri, 08 Aug 2014 03:21:00 +0000

Val Mayerik (co-creator of Howard the Duck) discusses his career, work with friends like Steve Gerber and Bill Mantlo, untold tales of "The Duck", and his interest in getting back into comics. Cameo appearance by Larry Hama!

11: The Force Behind Fandom

Moises Chiullan — Fri, 01 Aug 2014 02:15:00 +0000

In this year's San Diego Comic-Con special, we further meditate on the balance of forces in fandom. The mainstream has fully invaded comics via TV and movies. Could it be that's how women (both characters and creatives) have gained traction in recent years? Featuring an interview with legendary designer and author Chip Kidd and the majority of the audio from this year's "Superheroines" panel, with Faith Erin Hicks, Marjorie M Liu, Jules Rivera, Joanna Estep, Dr. Andrea Letamendi, Marguerite Bennett, and moderator Dariane Nabor.

10: Out, Out, Dan Slott!

Moises Chiullan — Sat, 19 Jul 2014 01:45:00 +0000

Our Spider-Man Spectacular continues, with Moisés, John, and Todd taking a much deeper focus on more from the modern era of Spider-stories, the work of Dan Slott in particular. We also hear more from the historic "Stan n' Dan" Q&A. Part 2 of 2

9: Real-Life Heroism

Moises Chiullan — Sat, 12 Jul 2014 03:13:20 +0000

Our Amazing Spider-Man Spectacular begins here, True Believers! We've got good jumping-on points, what we like about ol' webhead, and weird one-off stories (like that time Peter Parker made his own detergent). Todd Nauck, Stan Lee, Dan Slott, and Howard Mackie guest in Part 1 of 2!

8: Comics at a Comic-Con

Moises Chiullan — Sun, 22 Jun 2014 01:36:20 +0000

Our Dallas Comic Con Special is full of very special guests and a look at the world of convention-going. Is haggling allowed? What about pet pigs? Stan Lee and Dan Slott will return in our next two episodes for a Giant Size Spider-Man extravaganza.

7: The Passionate Task

Moises Chiullan — Wed, 21 May 2014 21:04:35 +0000

Rich Stevens and Merlin Mann join Moisés and John to discuss the state of digital comics, discovery, and recommend some good reads.

6: Not Just a Boy Scout

Moises Chiullan — Mon, 21 Apr 2014 02:00:00 +0000

This intro to Captain America gets into why he’s great and great jumping on points for the Sentinel of Liberty with panelists Brad Graeber and Amanda Schuckman. Is it ok/great/bad to start with The Winter Soldier (the movie or comics)? Find out! Creator Interview: current Cap writer Rick Remender

5.5: Throws His Mighty Shield

Moises Chiullan — Sun, 20 Apr 2014 16:00:00 +0000

Full of spoilers and speculation about Captain America: The Winter Soldier. You really should avoid this one until you've seen the movie.

5: Internet Comics Database

Moises Chiullan — Sat, 05 Apr 2014 03:02:00 +0000

Loosen your belt, this one's a chef's tasting! We recap comics-related happenings from SXSW 2014 and since, from Greg Pak, Jonathan Coulton, and Code Monkey to ComiXology Submit, The Bunker, and Doc Unknown to the digital/app/API revolution we welcome with open arms.

4: Personal and Honest

Moises Chiullan — Fri, 07 Mar 2014 16:44:00 +0000

In our first "Creator Sampler" episode, we discuss and recommend the work of Chip Zdarsky, Francesco Francavilla, and Kate Leth. BONUS: Interviews with all three! EXTRA BONUS: Moisés gets thrown out of a comic shop!

3: Jokey-Jokey Bang-Bang

Moises Chiullan — Fri, 28 Feb 2014 04:45:00 +0000

David Sparks and Casey Liss talk about being new and aspiring comics readers as adults. Moisés & John give them a varied pile of recommendations for adults that aren't..."adult". Writer/illustrator Terry Moore talks Rachel Rising.

2: Dimensional Color

Moises Chiullan — Wed, 19 Feb 2014 18:49:32 +0000

The creators of The Joyners in 3D join Moisés and John to talk 3D comics, how they got in as fans, and the unique (lengthy) process of making their new Original Graphic Novel.

1: The New SNIKT

Moises Chiullan — Mon, 10 Feb 2014 04:25:00 +0000

Merlin Mann joins Moisés and John to discuss the X-Men, from reading recommendations and iconic storylines to why they really are so “Gifted” as a team. Interview: Herb Trimpe

ORIGINS 14: Cigar-Smoking Baby

Moises Chiullan — Mon, 04 Nov 2013 18:00:00 +0000

Antony Johnston (Umbral, Wasteland) returns and joins Geoff Barrall (CEO of Drobo) to give Moisés a truly Giant-Size primer on Judge Dredd and 2000AD. Colorist Elizabeth Breitweiser (Image's Velvet) talks about the intricacies and nature of her job, an essential role in modern comics.

ORIGINS 10: Heavy Metal Album Cover

Moises Chiullan — Fri, 02 Aug 2013 16:00:00 +0000

Returning comics reader Matt Alexander joins us to look at the first six months of Marvel NOW!, covering the (other half of) entire line. Part 2 of 2. Preceded by Giant Size ORIGINS #9

ORIGINS 9: Death is a Part of Life

Moises Chiullan — Tue, 23 Jul 2013 16:00:00 +0000

Returning comics reader Matt Alexander joins us to look at the first six months of Marvel NOW!, covering (half of) the entire line. Part 1 of 2. Concluded in Giant Size ORIGINS #10

ORIGINS 4: Taste the Hulk Rainbow

Moises Chiullan — Sat, 09 Feb 2013 20:30:00 +0000

Get ready to Hulk out: on the heels of an early 2013 rumor that Marvel Studios plans to tackle Planet Hulk and World War Hulk, John Gholson joins Moisés to look at great ways to jump into the Jade Giant. From Peter David and Bill Mantlo to Harlan Ellison, John Byrne, and Greg Pak, there's a varied assortment of great Gamma-infused stories to read. Note: the audio quality is atypically bad thanks to Skype. It gets better through the show's run.

0: About Giant Size

Moises Chiullan — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 04:16:00 +0000

A short preview of things to come in this show and its "uncut interview" companion feed, Artist Edition.