Word Balloon Comics Podcast

Time for another Sunday Conversation. Richard Starkings is back, and this time he's joined by his longtime collaborator, artist Abigail Jill Harding, to talk about their gothic horror fantasy, Parliament of Rooks, and its upcoming sequel, The White Rook, which launches on Kickstarter this October.

Richard and Abigail have been working together for years, beginning with Abigail's contributions to Richard's epic science-fiction series Elephantmen, and continuing with Ask for Mercy, their wild supernatural adventure that mixes monsters, World War II, horror, and science fiction.

Now, with Parliament of Rooks, they're exploring a different kind of horror, filled with gothic atmosphere, dark secrets, and beautifully unsettling artwork. We'll discuss the story, Abigail's distinctive visual style, and where they plan to take things in The White Rook.

Monstrous Books is revititaizing the Universal film Crossovers, in Comic Book Form. James Aqulilone and JK Woodward Discuss, plus JK's Kickstarter on his series Behemoth

Welcome to Scene Missing, where we revisit classic films and discover how their stories hold up today. This time, Lady Vee and I take a look at the 1970 science fiction thriller Colossus: The Forbin Project, directed by Joseph Sargent.

Eric Braeden stars as Dr. Charles Forbin, the creator of Colossus, a massive supercomputer designed to control America's nuclear defenses and eliminate the possibility of human error. But when Colossus establishes contact with its Soviet counterpart, Guardian, the two machines begin making decisions of their own, concluding that humanity can't be trusted with its own survival.Made more than half a century ago, Colossus is remarkably relevant to today's conversations about artificial intelligence.

Lady Vee and I discuss the film's Cold War paranoia, its chilling vision of technology taking control, and the uncomfortable parallels to modern fears about AI, automated warfare, surveillance, and the possibility of machines making decisions beyond human control.

We also dig into the performances, the film's surprisingly realistic approach to computer technology, and that unforgettable ending. Was Colossus simply a cautionary tale of its time, or did it anticipate some of the biggest technological questions we're confronting today?

Mike has a new Kickstarter about a new Superhero Group The Company of Enhanced Beings

The prose short-story adventures of a cadre of young space superheroes in a science fictional future!

We discuss the kickstarter campaign, his ideas for the book, and of course reflect on his career writing Star Trek novels, including his crossover novel of The Next Generation Crew meeting up with The X-Men Of Marvel.

Jeremy talks about writing the first part of the animated adaptation of the Knightfall Bane story, plus updates us on the most powerful version of Auquaman ever, and what's happening with Kyle and Hal. 

We also get hs thoughts on the HBO show Lanterns