Originally posted at PrimeTimeGeek.com

PTG Episode 48 is brought to you by the art of comic book artist Ed Benes. Now, before I lose any of my female listeners upon sight of the image accompanying this article, there is a point to this, and it IS related to this hour’s content. Benes is the artist currently working on Blackest Night Titans, one of two Blackest Night tie-in titles to hit stores during the week ending 8-28-09 that we cover in this week’s ‘Blackest Night Spotlight.’ Though normally I’m a fan of Benes’ comic book work, I think his particular style works against him and the story being told in Blackest Night Titans. In the course of describing that style and why it doesn’t quite work for this book, it was necessary to talk a bit about Benes’ recurring … ahem … artistic focus. I certainly admit that Benes seems to show a preoccupation with a particular portion of the female anatomy, but I don’t think he deserves all the “hating-on” he seems to get from a great portion of comic fandom. I just wish he’d work on making his women look a tad more distinct from one another. Aside from hair color, hair style, and uniform/costume, his female characters attributes seem at times to be interchangeable. More on that during the episode.

In this installment we also talk a little bit about Fan Expo Canada 2009, the largest comic book, sci-fi, and pop culture convention in Canada, and one bit of news that was announced at FEC 2009 that we didn’t get to during the broadcast was Marvel’s announcement of its upcoming Hulk family crossover event … (wait for it) … WORLD WAR HULKS!

Yes, the brain trust behind the current assortment of Hulk comic book titles (Hulk, Incredible Hulk, Incredible Hercules, Savage She-Hulk) are bringing all their storylines together in this mega-event that finds all the various Hulks (Banner Hulk, Red Hulk, Skaar, son of Hulk, original She-Hulk (we think), “new” Savage She-Hulk (from the future!!), Red She-Hulk (WTF?!?), and who knows who else) facing off against a conglomeration of the world’s greatest evil geniuses, including The Leader, MODOK, Dr. Doom, Egghead, Mad Thinker, and probably a few more would-be world conquerors calling themselves “The Intelligencia.” Sound like silly, crazy, Hulk-Smash fun? YOU BET! Honestly, I don’t read the Hulk books, and Jeph Loeb’s work on “Hulk” was offensive enough to my comic book reading sensibilities that I wanted to fight ANYBODY who willingly shelled out money for the title on a monthly basis. But just for the sake having all the mysteries behind the Red Hulk and who’s who and what’s what in that messed up gamma-irradiated family, I might be tempted to give this a try and report on it for PTG. Don’t hold your breath, though–I passed on the entire World War Hulk storyline from a few years back, David Finch and John Romita Jr. artwork and all, just because, well, I’m not a Hulk fan. End of story. I may have to overcome my distaste, however, for the sake of covering the “news.”

Who says I’m not devoted to my craft? Watch out for World War Hulks coming to comic book stores starting in December. Yay.

PTG Episode 46 is brought to you, one last time, by Cure for the Run. The final tally of donations is still not complete, but you’ll have to agree, over $3,100.00 for the hungry and homeless of Orlando in the first year of the event AIN’T TOO SHABBY. Congratulations to those incredible people at SomaCow who lead the effort: Mickey, who came up with the idea; Jen, who worked the hardest of anyone to get local businesses involved; Ross, who promoted the hell out of the event by flexing his infinite Twitter reach and getting people out to the event; Geoff, who wouldn’t shut up about the darned event; and J, who … well, he showed up and ran. We here at PTG like to think we did our part to bring attention and donations to the effort, but we got nothing on SomaCow. Kudos, you guys–next year will be even better. Here are a few choice pics from the event–to see all the pictures from the event, search for the event on Facebook or head over to http://www.peglegpug.com, as many of the images on the Facebook page are courtesy of that site.

This episode starts off with a recap of Cure for the Run, but the bulk of the episode is, of course, devoted to coverage of the first-ever MegaCon Mini-Con 2009, a smaller-scale version of the main MegaCon show that traditionally goes on early in the year. We had a great time at the show Saturday morning, had a chance to reconnect with artists, writers, and creators we’d met earlier in the year and let them know, “Hey, Prime Time Geek is still here!” During the hour we gave shout-outs to just about everyone we spoke to or interviewed that day, including (in no particular order) Tony Bedard, Greg Land, Terry Cronin, Steven Shea, Josh Dyson, Banky Farano, Jimmy Palmiotti, and lots more, but I want to send a special shout-out to the Superhuman Experiment, who continue to fascinate and mystify us.

We met Amanda and Test Subject-X of the Superhuman Experiment at the FX International Show earlier this year, where they were very forthcoming about the comic book detailing their adventures, but declined to be interviewed to promote the book, citing the secrecy their endeavors required. We respected their request at the time while eagerly looking forward to the chance to talk to them on the record about the project. Flash forward to this past weekend: once again, the duo who are the very photogenic faces of the Superhuman Experiment were on hand for “Mini” MegaCon, once again they were eager to show off the comic book representation of their story, and once AGAIN they declined to be interviewed on camera! They are certainly an enigma, but we can say this: the production values behind both their comic book AND their website are top-notch. This is a quality production that comic book fans would be wise to keep their eyes on, and there’s no questioning the enthusiasm and the passion with which both Amanda and Test Subject-X take on promoting the project. We definitely look forward to meeting up with them again and learning more about “Superhuman Experiment” and bringing that knowledge to you. Hopefully, you’ll be as intrigued as we are.

PTG Episode 43 is brought to you by the 70th Birthday of Marvel Comics. All this month, to celebrate 70 years of publishing greatness (and also to get a few more bucks out of our wallets, if we have them), Marvel is publishing a number of its issues with special variant covers that … well, cover the breadth of Marvel’s most enduring characters. The art that frames each cover is by artist Jim Cheung. Check out a couple of the covers available this week:

If you’ve got the extra dough to fork out for these, grab ‘em–think of it as supporting the economy, rather than supporting any need to have EVERY variant cover of an issue, no matter how true that might also be. In all honesty, the Cheung art makes them all look quite snazzy.

Episode 43 focuses on J. Michael Stracynzski’s efforts to re-introduce and revitalize comics characters once owned by Archie Comics and published under their Red Circle imprint, now licensed to DC Comics, and situate them within the DC Universe, Those efforts began this week with one-shot issue “The Hangman”. Similar one-shots, each focusing on a Red Circle character, will be released one per week through the month of August. Certainly having JMS’s name attached to it lends serious geek cred to the title, but seriously, does it have a chance to even make an impression on DC readers right now, with that little thing called “Blackest Night” they have going on that’s got everyone, even non-superhero comics fans, snapping up issues faster than anyone can say “Green Lantern”? Time will tell … Also in this hour, PTG’s Top Comics Picks for the week ending 8-8-09 and EricathePimp’s latest book review, this time focused on an older work by science fiction author Orson Scott Card, The Worthing Saga.

Looking ahead to this Saturday, August 15th, PTG welcomes back Mad Mario, Destroyer of Worlds to the SomaCow studios, where he will bring his unique “charm” and insight to a variety of subjects we have on tap, most notably the new film District 9, which will wrap up our coverage of the 2009 Summer Movie Season. We’ll also be tackling this past summer’s movies as a whole as well as looking ahead to movies and television coming up in the Fall. Don’t miss it!

PTG Episode 35 is brought to you by SomaCow’s Cure for the Run. As a part of the SomaCow Media Network, Prime Time Geek will be taking part in this event with supreme geekly gusto! If you’re local to Orlando and you wish to be a part of the event, come down to Wall Street at 4PM to register for the run on Saturday, August 22nd. A form for recording sponsors/donations can be found in the message thread linked above, or you can donate directly, probably the best option for the out of town listeners. All donations will benefit Rock for Hunger. And if you’re worried about actually “running”, not to worry–you run, jog, trot, skip, walk, or crawl the .05k distance (that’s about 164 ft!)

In this episode, I fume for a bit about DC Comics‘ replacing current Batman scribe Judd Winick and artist Mark Bagley with Battle For the Cowl writer Tony Daniel after just four issues, the latest in a seemingly-interminable string of blunders in regards to restarting mainstay titles, while also professing complete and utter mea culpa over “Wednesday Comics“, which is turning out to be lots of fun and worth the $3.99 each week. Funny thing, though–not sure what to do with 16 pages of newspaper-quality paper once I’m done reading it. Bagging it won’t protect it from turning yellow, but throwing it away or recycling it like regular newspaper just seems … wrong. Current favorite strips running in Wednesday Comics: Jimmy Palmiotti and Amanda Conner’s “Supergirl”, Brian Azzarello’s “Batman”, and Kurt Busiek’s “Green Lantern.” I want to like the “Superman” strip from John Arcudi and Lee Bermejo, but so far I’m digging Arcudi’s characterization of Clark, and Bermejo’s art and colors, while pitch perfect for stories like Lex Luthor: Man of Steel and Joker, is a bit too subdued for a Superman story. Watch for more reviews of “Wednesday Comics” in the weeks to come–I have a feeling it’s going to end up in PTG’s Top 3 more often than not.

Oh, and special guest co-hosts Loubowski (Lou Ornstein) and Glakk (Howard Herbst) help me break down Domino’s new line of “American Legends” pizzas in the “Eat More Geek” segment. Or perhaps it’s more accurate to say we imagine how tasty they might be if someone ELSE besides Domino’s made them. It’s a fun segment, definitely–we enjoyed recording it, so I hope you enjoy listening.

Prime Time Geek’s video coverage of last April’s FX! International 2009 show here in Orlando, FL continues with this interview with independent comic book writer Shannon Chenoweth. Shannon talks to us about her two ongoing titles, ‘The Line’ and ‘Hypersonic’, as well as the challenges of publishing independently, finding great artists to work with, and marketing her work. Check out everything that Shannon is working on over at her website, http://www.rangerchic.com. You can also find her on MySpace and Twitter. Enjoy!

Imzadi, by Peter David

On Thursday, May 21st, renowned comics writer/novelist/screenwriter Peter David (The Incredible Hulk, Supergirl, Fallen Angel) appeared at Coliseum of Comics at the Fashion Square Mall to meet with fans and sign autographs, ahead of his scheduled appearance the following weekend at the Orlando Area Science Fiction Society’s OASIS 22 Convention. The Eisner-award winner and bestselling author of numerous novels set in the Star Trek, Babylon 5, and Alien Nation science fiction settings as well as in his own original settings (Sir Apropos of Nothing, Tigerheart) took a few minutes to talk to us at the start of the signing, and in those few minutes he lived up to his reputation of being as outspoken in his views as he is prolific as a writer. During the interview he shared his thoughts on advising aspiring writers, the current plight of the publishing industry in North America, and what he would do to fix the business model currently in use by the comics industry. He also talks about the fan fiction project currently exploding on his personal website, peterdavid.net, a farcical sequel to Twilight entitled “Potato Moon.”

Thanks to Aaron Holland over at Coliseum of Comics for allowing PTG to monopolize Mr. David’s attention for the interview, and to Mr. David himself for granting the interview as well as signing my first edition hardcover copy of the Star Trek: The Next Generation novel Imzadi that will never see the light of eBay or half.com as long as I live.

As promised, here is the full audio recording of PTG’s interview with writer Jimmy Palmiotti (Jonah Hex, Painkiller Jane) and artist Amanda Conner (The Pro, Terra), talking about their new ongoing monthly series for DC Comics, Power Girl. Having both worked with Power Girl back in 2005 (along with Geoff Johns) in the opening storyline of JSA Classified, Palmiotti and Conner now return to the character with ideas to both flesh out her personal life away from the JSA and being a superhero, as well as make that personal life in some ways even more challenging than being one of the DC Universe’s most physically powerful heroines.

Special thanks to both Jimmy and Amanda for taking the time during their recent signing here in Orlando for the interview, and also to Aaron Haaland, Jason Blanchard, and the staff at A Comic Shop for allowing PTG to shoot and record the interview at their store.

This year’s FX International Show, in addition to being the 20th anniversary show, also featured another milestone: it was the first time that Marvel Comics has sent down such a large group of its current writers to present panels over all three days of the show. Shepherding this collective effort to promote Marvel’s hottest titles was writer Jim McCann, currently the mind and heart behind the New Avengers/Dark Reign tie-in limited series, New Avengers: The Reunion.

Marvel Comics’ Jim McCann (photo courtesy of MySpace)

In our exclusive interview, Jim shares his thoughts about the heroes at the center of the story, Clint Barton and Bobbi Morse, better known as Hawkeye/Ronin and Mockingbird; specifically, he addresses the challenge of creating interest in Mockingbird, a character who has been gone from comics for 15 real-time years, and the possible perception that Mockingbird and Hawkeye were simply Marvel’s Black Canary and Green Arrow. Truth be told, he talks about a lot of things, and they were all too fun to edit out, so rather than cut it down to the size I could use during a live show, here’s the interview in its entirety. Enjoy! (and yes, this interview was also shot on video, so watch for the video version of this interview in the coming weeks, right here at Prime Time Geek!)

Hour 2 of Prime Time Geek’s FX International Wrap-Up Edition is brought to you by another clip from Chasing Amy. I’m sure that by the time I have the opportunity to cover another convention, I will have found another sound drop to use to open up a show focused on convention coverage, but until then, this clip is too good not to use. In case you’re not familiar with the film, please be warned that f-bombs abound at the end of the clip.

So you may be wondering why you haven’t seen or heard anything in all this coverage focused on THE biggest name at the convention, the venerable Leonard Nimoy. There may come a day when PTG is so well established and entrenched in the media that dropping $125 to simply be in the same room with the man while he hosts his own panel is not an issue, or perhaps the show is so well established that such fees would be waived entirely. It is certainly my ambition for the show to reach such heights. For now, however, just four months into the life of this program, such expenses are not only prohibitive, but rather simply impossible.

So yes, bottom line: I couldn’t afford to get in the door of his panel, and trust me, neither could a lot of the vendors and exhibitors, even when they ‘discounted’ the entry fee for those working the convention. Yes, I know this is ‘Spock‘ we’re talking about here–only a visit from ‘The Shatner’ himself could trump such star-power–but in this economy, to expect convention goers AND vendors/exhibitors/press to pony up such prices … well, it would seem as though Mr. Nimoy or those in charge of such decisions might indeed be just getting off a shuttlecraft from Vulcan. Under the circumstances, I was happy to simply wish Mr. Nimoy a fond ‘live long and prosper’ from the dealer room and not give it another thought.

Highlights of Hour 2:

• Interview with Christos Gage: Probably one of the busiest writers in comics today, Christos Gage has his writing fingers in many different pies these days, and those pies are being baked by many different bakers. For Avatar Press, he’s writing Absolution (indeed, we interviewed him at the Avatar Press table, where he was firmly entrenched whenever he wasn’t participating in a panel discussion). For Marvel Comics, he’s currently the writer on Avengers: The Initiative, a book that he co-wrote with Dan Slott at the book’s inception and throughout the Secret Invasion storyline. For Wildstorm , he’s continuing his work on WildC.A.T.S in the wake of the crossover story “World’s End”, and for IDW Publishing, he’s co-writing G.I. Joe: Cobra along with Mike Costa. He has a lot to say about his current projects and also about writing in so many different genres at the same time.
• Interview with Jonathan Hickman: Currently the writer on Marvel’s Secret Warriors, Jonathan Hickman describes the way the book has been received by comics readers, working with the character of Nick Fury and the bizarre assortment of Hydra-related villains arrayed against him, and the incredible work of artist Stefano Caselli on the book. Hickman maintains that this book, despite it’s broadening scope is all about Fury’s personal journey, and maintains a focus on character development while building an large-scale epic story through issue #25 and beyond (issue #4 hits stands this month).
• Interview with Sergio Cariello: Illustrator Sergio Cariello graciously took time out from doing sketches for fans to talk about his approach to his various art projects, whether they be set in the ‘Old West’ (The Lone Ranger for Dynamite Entertainment), World War II (The Iron Ghost for Image Comics), or even in biblical times (Son of Samson for Zondervan, The Picture Bible for Cook Communications).

Thanks again to Christos Gage, Jonathan Hickman, and Sergio Cariello for sharing their time and their insights.As with the interviews played back in Hour 1, all these interviews were shot on video as well as recorded for audio, so keep checking back here at Prime Time Geek in the coming weeks for the video footage.

Hour 1 of PTG Episode 17, our special FX International Wrap-Up Edition, is brought to you by the movie Chasing Amy. The hour kicks off with a scene from the film that any comics convention goer or convention guest can relate to in some way: either you KNOW someone like this, you’ve SEEN someone like this, or … well, you ARE someone like this, someone this … passionate-to-the-point-of-creepiness about comics. For those not familiar with this clip or this film, yes, there’s a bit of naughty language here, but in this case I chose not to bleep it simply because it adds to the authenticity of the scene … and it’s pretty funny.

The FX International Show continues to grow in leaps and bounds, and this year they set out to outdo all previous years with an aggressive marketing campaign and unprecedented star-power and numbers in terms of guests invited to the show. The number of celebrities from television and film were certainly in line with previous FX Conventions, but the number of comic book writers and artists displaying their tremendous talents in the Creators’ Alley was far more impressive this year than in previous years. The number of writers present that are currently working for Marvel Comics was particularly impressive, and if they carry back good buzz about their experiences at FX to the New York offices, it bodes well for future conventions in Orlando featuring full-on representation from the “Big Two”, as DC Comics sent a sizable ‘delegation’ to MegaCon last month.

Highlights of Hour 1:

• Interview with Steve Rude: The “Rude Dude” took a few minutes to chat with me before his painting demonstration at Bad Apple Comics last Wednesday. The ten-time Eisner winner readily shared his views on the direction taken by comics in terms of the darkness of their content, the goals of the company he founded along with his wife, Jaynelle, Rude Dude Productions, and also his desire to meet and mentor younger artists whose talents might be going unnoticed by the industry at large.
• Interview with Tony Bedard: Currently the writer on R.E.B.E.L.S. for DC Comics, Bedard, who lives in Tampa and is able to attend events like MegaCon and FX here in Orlando with little difficulty, shared his affinity for meeting fans at shows as well as some information about where R.E.B.E.L.S. and its main character, Vril Dox (Brainiac 2), are headed in coming issues.
• Interview with Billy Tucci: The creator of Shi and the writer/artist bringing us Sgt. Rock: The Lost Battalion for DC, Tucci took a little time while working on a sketch to us about his research to write the Sgt. Rock series, the ongoing affection Shi and demand for new Shi stories, and his looking forward to working on Jonah Hex. He also spontaneously provided us with our first VIP-recorded bumper–listen for that right before his interview. Always mean to ask people I interview to do that, and I never remember to do it, so MANY thanks to Billy for simply offering it up.

All of these interviews were shot on video, so keep checking here at primetimegeek.com to catch those as they get posted.

Finally, just wanted to post some links to some of the folks I gave shout-outs to during the broadcast–check out their websites and their ongoing work, and check out Hour 2 when it uploads later this week for more shout-outs and links:

Hippojuice – sketch comedy, podcasting, video documentaries, and image editing, based out of South Florida. Find them at:
http://hippojuice.com
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/_hippojuice
Twitter: hippojuicefilm

Andrea Dean Van Scoyoc – Multiple-award winning gothic horror novelist–check out her latest, Fallen From Shadow Found in Grace, as well as her venture into pirate novels, The Grounds of Nachmasheghan, and many other works in various genres! Click on the banner below:

Exploding Moose Productions – Featuring the photography work of Chris Albritton (featuring among other models our friend Ana Aesthetic) along with his brand-new webcomic, Duck vs. Squirrel, Exploding Moose is set to … well, explode onto the scene as a company and media experience. Check them out:
http://moosegoboom.com

Shannon Chenoweth – Orlando-based comic book writer, currently self-publishing two titles, The Line, and Hypersonic. For more information, check out:
http://www.rangerchic.com
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/rangerchic
Twitter: http://twitter.com/rangerchic