Random Acts of Comics

Walt Curley holds the record for listening to Todd prattle on for hours. It's 7 and 2/3rds hours. Walt has been Todd's comic book soulmate for years and this is them talking about their time together on the brutal frontlines of retail comic book sales. Don't interrupt them -- just listen.   * This episode features an excerpt of "B For My Name" by Beastie Boys 

Rich  Woodall   Rich  Woodall is a writer/artist/publisher/ creator…Jeez,  Rich , got enough hats? He's also a great friend. His self-published Johnny Raygun dripped with all the things  Rich  loves about comics and his Kyrra, Alien Jungle Girl — co-created with Craig Rousseau — at Dark Horse Comics, was the epitome of the sci-fi adventure serial! Here we gush over the comics we love and the peopl...

J.M. DeMatteis has a long list of credits to show for his forty plus years in the business. He's written extensively for Marvel and DC Comics, been responsible for some truly epic tales along the way, including runs on Spider-Man, The Justice League, etc. He's the creator of the acclaimed series Moonshadow and Brooklyn Dreams and is currently creating his own universe at Spellbound Comics. He is a...

Doug Wortel is the producer Random Acts Of Comics . He produces several other podcasts as well, but honestly who cares? He is a musician and composer whose work has appeared on the radio, stage, Internet, Television and even university lecture halls but the latter is a long story. His interests include comic books, novels, music, film, and brutally humiliating anyone who remotely has a hint of com...

Producer Doug Wortel comes on to set up this episode and announce why Todd isn't in the studio/Todd gives us a little slice of history while teaching us how a comic book is made.    This episode features an excerpt of "Manoir De Mes Rêves" by Django Reinhardt"

For Charlotte's readers of comic books, graphic novels and manga, Shelton Drum has achieved the status of a local legend.  Forty years ago, Shelton founded Heroes Aren't Hard to Find, an independent comics shop, which is now located at 417 Pecan Avenue in Charlotte's Plaza-Midwood neighborhood. Although he was only in his twenties at the time, he already had extensive experience collecting comic b...

Mark Waid has been gifting us with some of the most amazing comic book stories for the past…whew!…three decades. With every title or project, he achieves a new level of wow-ness; from his run on the Flash, The Fantastic Four, Kingdom Come, Empire, World's Finest, and Teen Titans . He and  Todd  have been pals from the beginning and talk about some of the crazy stuff that has happened to them along...

Ahoy, gang! By popular demand, here is another companion episode. This one is a list of all of the terms and references that were dropped in the Mark Waid issue!    This episode features an excerpt from " I'll Let You Know " by Houston Person   

John is the son of  Todd 's Perhapanauts partner, Craig, and an incredible specimen of what being enveloped by comic book culture your entire life can do to a kid. He is knowledgable, fascinated, insightful, curious, nonjudgemental, and unjaded. He is also one of  Todd 's favorite people to hang around with. Here they talk about comics and growing up surrounded by pop culture and comics.   *This e...

Tom DeFalco Tom DeFalco has worn all the hats at Marvel. From writer to editor to editor-in-chief, he has created and guided the paths of every character and helmed a ship that weathered some stormy seas. His support and encouragement when Todd was first starting out in comics made the insanity of the infamous Clone Saga period much more tolerable. And fun. Here they talk about Tom's career and lo...

Howard Chaykin is, by far, one of the most direct and outspoken people in comics and that's why he's one of  Todd 's favorites. As a creator/writer/artist, Howard's work on American Flagg, Black Kiss, and Hey, Kids! Comics! has given him the platforms on which to voice his opinions in a smart and entertaining way. On the same night  Todd met Howard, they were later dumped into the trunk of an SUV...

Todd breaks down all of the people, references and terms he and Howard Chaykin mention in the Howard Chaykin episode. If you're new to comicbooks, art or just want to hear Todd mine the cosmos for the most widely understood and downright awe inspiring analogies, then this mini bonus episode is for you!   This episode features a section of Coleman Hawkins' "Body and Soul (1939)" 

June Brigman   June Brigman is an artist known for her lovely work on comic books like Power Pack and the X-Men, comic strips Brenda Starr and Mary Worth, and for being one of the absolute nicest people in comics. Todd talks with her about her life and her work and her time teaching. He also, unconsciously, says "great" a lot. Like, a lot. I didn't count them.

Brad Tree is a long-time comics fan and the Guest Coordinator of the Baltimore Comic Con. His love of comics and the people who make them makes him the kinda guy you want to know. He and  Todd chat about being a fan and how comics can speak to us. Also, What's Your Favorite Comic?™…

Jim Starlin is a writer/artist/creator with more credits than we could attempt to list. But we will; Captain Marvel, Warlock, Dreadstar, Breed. He created Thanos and Gamora and Drax the Destroyer. He destroyed  Todd 's glasses the first night of volleyball…

Ramona Fradon Ramona Fradon, artist on Aquaman, Plastic Man, Super Friends, and co-creator of Metamorpho, talks about her life, being woman in a male dominated industry, and the comic book she'd rather forget. Also, martini lunches and rides in the country…

Todd says a few words about the presentation of Ramona Fradon's final interview. 

Howard Mackie talks about his favorite comic. 

Howard Mackie Howard Mackie and Todd were in the war together; the battle they call the Clone Saga . Here Howard revisits some of the insanity that went on behind the scenes of that now-legendary era in the Spider-Man mythos. Also, some Ghost Rider stuff…

Karl Kesel Karl Kesel, writer/inker of countless Marvel and DC Comics, and co-creator of his babies, Section Zero and Impossible Jones, shares with Todd the three things he feels he contributed to the Fantastic Four. Maybe 2 and a half…