Episode Summary

On this episode of The Corner Box, hosts Ultimate John Barber and Absolute David Hedgecock get into the Ultimate and Absolute comic lines at DC and Marvel, the differences between Marvel and DC characters, how the new launches compare to the originals, and what does and doesn’t work in each new line, and John says something interesting.

Timestamp Segments

• [00:46] The Big Two’s new lines.
• [02:48] John’s inside knowledge on the Ultimate line.
• [04:03] DC characters vs Marvel characters.
• [09:05] Mark Bagley retires.
• [13:09] John says something interesting.
• [13:19] John joins the Ultimates line.
• [15:05] Why the Ultimate line was successful.
• [18:37] The conceits of the Ultimate line.
• [25:00] DC’s iconic miniseries.
• [26:01] Marvel’s miniseries.
• [28:42] The coherency of the Marvel and DC universes.
• [30:35] Marvel’s new Ultimates line.
• [33:53] Old vs New Ultimate Universe.
• [35:22] Spider-Man is like Shakespeare.

Notable Quotes

• “Accidents happened.”
• “There’s an iconic version of Batman. There’s not an iconic version of Spider-Man in the same way.”
• “This is like Shakespeare.”

Relevant Links

David's Fun Stuff!
Did Someone Say Fun Time? Let's GO!

John is at PugW!
Pug Worldwide

For transcripts and show notes!
www.thecornerbox.club

Books Mentioned

• Absolute DC, All-Star Comics, Ultimate Comics.
• Absolute Batman (2024- ), by Scott Snyder & Nick Dragotta.
• Ultimate Black Panther (2024- ), by Bryan Hill & Stefano Caselli.
• Ultimate Spider-Man (2024- ), by Jonathan Hickman & Marco Checchetto.
• Ultimate X-Men (2024- ), by Peach Momoko.

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• All-Star Superman, by Grant Morrison & Frank Quietly.
• Batman: Arkham Asylum, Dark Knight Returns, Gotham by Gaslight, No Man’s Land, The Cult, The Killing Joke, Year One.
• Astonishing X-Men.
• Daredevil, by Frank Miller.

Episode Summary

On this episode of The Corner Box, hosts John Barber and David Hedgecock talk about the genius of Dav Pilkey, life lessons from Captain Underpants, the true main character in Dog Man, the limitless possibilities of comics, and the promising future of comic book readers, and John gets a puppy, and David goes down an Avengers rabbit hole.

Timestamp Segments

• [00:35] Everything that has happened since the last episode.
• [01:52] David’s Avengers rabbit hole.
• [06:09] Getting into Dog Man.
• [09:02] Dav Pilkey’s origin story.
• [13:12] Introducing Captain Underpants.
• [16:06] The wild success of Captain Underpants.
• [17:11] Captain Underpants Fun Facts.
• [18:05] Captain Underpants life lessons.
• [20:12] John’s theories of what comics are.
• [21:37] The brilliance of Pilkey.
• [25:23] The Adventures of Ook and Gluk.
• [28:58] The origin of Dog Man.
• [32:47] What makes kids’ jokes work?
• [34:43] The Golden Age of Dog Man.
• [41:15] The Tale of Two Kitties.
• [49:29] Cat Kid Comic Club.
• [51:50] Influencing and encouraging youth.
• [54:02] Dog Man’s impossible success.
• [57:15] The future of comic book readers.

Notable Quotes

• “She’s a squishy little puppy.”
• “If Pilkey did nothing else, that Captain Underpants is a true masterwork.”
• “It’s okay to try things and fail.”
• “The possibilities of comics are limitless.”
• “If we could just get North American comics out of the superhero space for half a second and do anything else…”

Relevant Links

David's Fun Stuff!
Did Someone Say Fun Time? Let's GO!

John is at PugW!
Pug Worldwide

Dave Pilkey is Awesome!
pilkey.com

For scary transcripts and spooky show notes!
www.thecornerbox.club

Books Mentioned

• Captain Underpants, Cat Kid Club, Dog Man, Dragon, The Dumb Bunnies, The Paperboy, Super Diaper Baby, World War Won, by Dav Pilkey.
• Action Comics #1.
• Axe Cop, by Malachai and Ethan Nicolle.
• Crisis on Infinite Earths, by Marv Wolfman and George Perez.
• Diary of a Wimpy Kid, by Jeff Kinney.
• Doctor Fate.
• G.I. Joe, by Larry Hama.
• JetCat Clubhouse, Tutenstein, by Jay Stephens.
• Justice League of America #87.
• Justice League,

You got your JLA in my Avengers! John & David regroup to talk about David’s adventures into the Avengers, the true difficulty of comic book collecting, Marvel’s legacy numbering solution, and how you too could own Mark Gruenwald’s ashes. Also, joy-of-joys! The podcast gets a new listener, John renumbers all future episodes, and David makes a shocking confession.

Timestamp Segments

• [01:11] A new listener.
• [02:16] John gets a new dog.
• [03:15] David dives into Avengers.
• [05:13] 2 fun facts about John.
• [07:26] Squadron Sinister.
• [12:50] Squadron Supreme.
• [15:05] A classic Marvel villain.
• [16:45] The Squadron Supreme maxiseries.
• [18:29] The influence of Squadron Supreme on future comics.
• [23:23] Mark Gruenwald’s ashes.
• [24:02] Who is the new listener?
• [24:30] David’s Avengers collection.
• [25:29] Legacy numbering.
• [34:38] David’s shocking confession.

Notable Quotes

• “I’m a Whizzer!”
• “It becomes more and more obvious … how influential the Squadron Supreme is, without ever, themselves, being truly recognized, in any meaningful way, by fandom.”
• “We’re back down to 2 listeners.”

Relevant Links

David's Fun Stuff!
Did Someone Say Fun Time? Let's GO!

John is at PugW!
Pug Worldwide

For scary transcripts and spooky show notes!
www.thecornerbox.club

Books Mentioned

• Squadron Supreme.
• Avengers '63-'96 (#69, #85, #86).
• Avengers ’18-‘23.
• Avengers: No Road Home.
• Batman: Dark Knight Returns, by Frank Miller.
• Captain Britain, Marvelman, Swamp Thing, V for Vendetta, Watchmen, by Alan Moore.
• Daredevil, by Roger McKenzie & Frank Miller.
• Detective Comics (#27).
• G.O.D.S., by Jonathan Hickman.
• Hot Stuff, Richie Rich, by Jerry Beck.
• New Avengers, by Brian Michael Bendis.
• Quasar, by Mark Gruenwald.
• Savage Dragon, by Erik Larsen.

Boldy going where no one dares to go! Eisner Nominated Dave Baker joins regular host David Hedgecock to talk about his essay on John Byrne’s Star Trek: New Visions, the launch of The Comics Courier, the phenomenon of Noble Failures, theories about why this work exists, and the exciting prospect of a Star Trek: New Visions Season 2.

Timestamp Segments

• [01:45] Dave’s research for today’s episode.
• [02:05] John Byrne’s masterpieces.
• [03:40] The Comics Courier.
• [07:30] The worst comic of all time.
• [12:23] Noble Failures.
• [13:39] Dave’s essay: Part 1.
• [15:15] David, the outsider.
• [19:34] Dave’s essay: Part 2.
• [20:33] Why did John Byrne make this?
• [23:47] Dave’s essay: Part 3.
• [25:09] David’s thoughts.
• [29:58] The two styles of issues.
• [32:36] Dave’s essay: Part 4.
• [34:35] The fun short stories.
• [36:18] Does it get better towards the end?
• [40:40] What is Byrne trying to do?
• [41:48] Dave’s essay: Part 5.
• [44:32] Byrne’s pre-production process.

Notable Quotes

• “Star Trek: New Visions, John Byrne’s other masterpiece.”
• “Your perspective on this matter is all dependent on how hard you squint.”
• “Comics will absolutely break you.”
• “The obsessive, monastic ritual of making comics has to be fuelled somewhere.”

Relevant Links

David's Fun Stuff!
Did Someone Say Fun Time? Let's GO!

John is at PugW!
Pug Worldwide

For scary transcripts and spooky show notes!
www.thecornerbox.club

Episode Errata
The Comics Courier
Deep Cuts Podcast

Books Mentioned

• Star Trek: New Visions, by John Byrne.
• Alpha Flight, Babe, Danger Unlimited, Fantastic Four, Man of Steel, Next Men, She-Hulk, Uncanny X-Men, by John Byrne.
• Incredible Hulk (art: Dale Keown, Gary Frank, George Perez, Jeff Purves, Liam Sharp, Todd McFarlane), X-Factor, Young Justice, by Peter David.
• Justice League: Cry For Justice, by JT Krul.

More spooky goodness! John & David return for Part 2 of the Halloween Special! The guys talk about more of their favorite spooky comics, how to create a jump scare in a comic book, the perfect artist/writer balance, and the problematic trajectory of superheroes. Also, David has beef with Eisner Nominated Dave Baker.

Timestamp Segments

• [00:45] John’s spooky pick: When I Arrived At The Castle.
• [05:23] Creating a jump scare in a comic.
• [06:51] David’s spooky pick: Batman: Long Halloween #1.
• [10:32] A return to the true Batman.
• [12:28] The artist/writer balance.
• [18:10] When superheroes became too good.
• [23:03] John’s spooky pick: Dracula Book 1: The Impaler.

Notable Quotes

• “I think a good game. I can’t talk it, though.”
• “The writers keep thinking that they’re the most important thing, and they need to stop thinking that.”
• “Thanksgiving is Halloween for turkeys.”

Relevant Links

David's Frightfully Fun Stuff!
Did Someone Say Fun Time? Let's GO!

John is jump-scaring at PugW!
Pug Worldwide

For scary transcripts and spooky show notes!
www.thecornerbox.club

Episode Errata
www.emcarroll.com

Kickstarter: Dracula Book 2, by Matt Wagner and Kelley Jones

Bleeding Cool: DC To Give Fans What They Want

Books Mentioned

• Through The Woods, When I Arrived At The Castle, A Guest In The House, by E.m. Carroll.
• Batman: Long Halloween, by Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale.
• Dracula: Book 1 - The Impaler (Kickstarter), by Marr Wagner and Kelley Jones.
• ACME Novelty Library, by Chris Ware.
• Batman: Dark Victory, by Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale.
• Batman: Hush, by Jeph Loeb and Jim Lee.
• Batman & Dracula, by Doug Moench and Kelley Jones.
• Batman: Year One, by Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli.
• #DRCL, by Shin’Ichi Sakamoto
• Eightball, by Daniel Clowes.
• Grendel, by Matt Wagner.
• Groo, by Sergio Aragones.
• Hate, by Peter Bagge.
• PeePee PooPoo, by Caroline Cash.

Get into the Halloween Spirit! On this episode of The Corner Box, hosts John Barber and David Hedgecock talk about some of their favorite spooky comics, the advantage of public domain, how Japan has stayed ahead of the graphic storytelling curve, and the many eras of Malibu comics. Also, David scratches an itch, and John dreams of teeth.

Stay tuned for Part 2 of The Corner Box Halloween Special.

Timestamp Segments

• [00:53] The new Beetlejuice.
• [03:35] David’s writing success.
• [07:42] Jack Kirby’s Crest commercial.
• [12:08] John’s spooky comic: #DRCL.
• [18:18] The beauty of public domain.
• [19:49] Japan dominates graphic storytelling.
• [23:32] David’s spooky comic: Evil Ernie.
• [32:57] Dinosaurs for Hire.
• [35:15] Untangling Malibu.

Notable Quotes

• “This is the thing that we’ve been robbed of by all these properties that have existed for almost 100 years still not being in public domain.”
• “There’s plenty of mangaka that we don’t hear about.”
• “I don’t know how you get this in the United States, unless you buy my book.”

Relevant Links

David's Frightfully Fun Stuff!
Did Someone Say Fun Time? Let's GO!

John is jump-scaring at PugW!
Pug Worldwide

For scary transcripts and spooky show notes!
www.thecornerbox.club

Books Mentioned

• SUPER KAIJU ROCK-N-ROLLER DERBY FUN TIME GO!
• Miss Mina and the Midnight Guardians.
• #DRCL Midnight Children, by Shin’Ichi Sakamoto.
• Evil Ernie #1, by Brian Pulido.
• Dinosaurs for Hire, by Tom Mason.

On this episode of The Ultimate/Absolute/New Adventures of The Corner Box, Chase Marotz joins hosts John Barber and David Hedgecock to talk about books that have caught their attention, some tragic news in comics, the true quality of improv, IDW’s venture into whiskey, and the mark of a good comic. Also, David gets written out of Corner Box continuity, Chase has to follow too many rules, and John has ideas on how to improve the podcast.

Timestamp Segments

• [00:56] The return of David Hedgecock.
• [04:13] A hell of a week for comics.
• [07:04] Planetary.
• [11:37] An amazing new Groo.
• [16:44] Peepshow #15.
• [20:50] Hellverine #1.
• [26:21] Blood Brothers Mother #2.
• [30:27] Batman/Judge Dredd: Die Laughing #2.
• [33:45] Plastic Man No More!
• [36:45] Is all improv bad?
• [38:45] IDW makes whiskey.
• [39:25] Corto Maltese.
• [45:40] Monsters.
• [47:53] The Monsters vs Hulk controversy.
• [49:27] Barry Windsor-Smith’s existing work.
• [51:56] Rune.

Notable Quotes

• “In a unique twist, the surprise guest is the regular host.”
• “It’s been a hell of a week for comics, and not in a good way.”
• “[I] really was not able to talk about my experience seeing “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” for any length of time.”
• “Is it good? No, but I love it.”

Relevant Links

David's Playground is Here!
Did Someone Say Fun Time? Let's GO!

John is helping PugW take over the comic world!
Pug Worldwide

Chase Marotz Rocks!
The Gruesome Details

Listen to our All-GROO episode!
S1E17 - Sergio Aragones' Groo the Wanderer and the Dream Team

For transcripts and show notes!
www.thecornerbox.club

NEW NUMBER ONE! On this episode of The Corner Box, host John Barber is joined by Eisner-nominee, Dave Baker, and Editor-Extraordinaire, Chase Marotz, to kick off SEASON 2! The gang talks about all things Batman: Knightfall, Bane’s misunderstood character, Bruce Wayne’s broken back, when different characters try being Batman, and how Batman comics have evolved since the 90s. Also, David Hedgecock gets lost in the mountains, Chase makes an enemy, and John gives away his Batman: Knightfall collection because they aren't Near Mint (typical).

Timestamp Segments

• [01:00] How to pronounce Chase Marotz.
• [01:55] Chase’s re-reading of Batman: Knightfall.
• [03:28] What happened to Batman: Knightquest?
• [05:51] Batman: Knightfall vs Spider-Man Clone Saga.
• [08:04] Batman in the 90s.
• [09:09] Knightfall in a nutshell.
• [11:13] The genius of Bane.
• [14:47] What does Wayne Tech do?
• [16:12] The prelude to Knightfall.
• [19:56] How to pronounce character names.
• [22:07] Knightfall.
• [24:14] Bruce Wayne gives away the role of Batman.
• [32:32] What you’ll find in an issue of Batman.
• [34:00] KnightsEnd.
• [35:28] Jean-Paul Valley brings down crime.
• [38:52] Who writes the different eras?
• [40:51] What does Knightfall mean?
• [44:19] Chase wants to do steroids.
• [45:30] Chase hates Robin.
• [48:02] Where are the other superheroes?

Notable Quotes

• “It rhymes with shorts.”
• “Spiderman would still be married if Batman’s back hadn’t gotten broken.”
• “It’s brightest for the One More Day after the Knight has fallen.”
• “Real Batman has pheromones.”
• “The ultimate strategic maneuver: hallway.”
• “So many of Batman’s problems could be solved, even, by The Flash.”

Relevant Links

Buy David's New Book!
Miss Mina and the Midnight Guardians

John is helping PugW take over the comic world!
Pug Worldwide

Chase Marotz Rocks!
The Gruesome Details

Dave Baker Makes Books!
Hey! Dave Baker!

Catch up on Batman: Knightfall!
Batman: Knightfall

For transcripts and show notes!
www.thecornerbox.club