Writer Rich Douek (Batman, Edge of Spiderverse, Drive Like Hell, Heartpiercer) joins hosts John & David to talk about how Rich found his way into comics from prose-writing, turning ideas into stories, the ripple effects of tariffs and Diamond’s bankruptcy, succeeding with a great writer/artist team, and how marketing could save comic books. Plus, David has some thoughts on Infinity Comics, and Rich cooks with comics.

Timestamp Segments

• [00:50] Rich’s 173-year career.
• [01:46] David’s thoughts on the Infinity Comics.
• [04:57] When Rich started loving comic books.
• [08:34] Comics as a medium, not a genre.
• [11:15] Making comics a career.
• [16:35] Making ideas work.
• [18:31] John reviews Rich’s scripts.
• [20:02] Getting Gutter Magic out into the world.
• [23:34] Hitting it big with Road of Bones.
• [25:37] Sea of Sales!
• [26:55] 3 Worlds / 3 Moons.
• [30:52] What’s Rich up to now?
• [32:22] The current state of the industry.
• [34:00] The digital comics conspiracy.
• [35:11] The Diamond silver lining.
• [40:32] Saving comics with marketing.
• [45:34] Comic Book Kitchen.
• [50:05] Rich’s announcements.

Notable Quotes

• “It’s sphincter-clenching time around comic books.”
• “In the long-term, we’re going to see, the industry’s going to come out of this healthier than it was going into it.”
• “Getting people to understand that you have a book out is so different now than it was even 3-4 years ago.”

Relevant Links

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

John is at PugW!
Pug WorldwideCornerbox.club.

Rich Douek is Making Cool Things!

www.rdouek.com

BlueSky | Facebook | Instagram | X/Twitter

Books Mentioned

• 3 Worlds / 3 Moons, by Mike del Mundo, Jonathan Hickman, Mike Huddleston, & Nick Spencer.
• Batman: Knightfall.
• Batman: The Brave and The Bold.
• Civil War, by Mark Miller & Steve McNiven.
• Conan.
• Death of Superman.
• Drive Like Hell, Road of Bones, Sea of Sorrows, by Rich Douek & Alex Cormack.
• Edge of the Spider-Verse.
• Flash Gordon Quarterly #2.
• Gutter Magic, by Rich Douek & Brett Barkley.
• Heartpiercer, by Rich Douek & Gavin Smith.
• The Invisibles.

Episode Summary

John & David discuss the state of the comics industry after losing Diamond, the possible future of the TMNT license, what taxes and tariffs could mean for the industry, reminisce about their fondest memories of reading comics while sick, then David goes down the rabbit hole of luchador films from the 1970s. Also, John has an epiphany about Walt Simonson.

Timestamp Segments

• [00:36] Reminiscing about being sick.
• [02:28] The comic book industry is not winning.
• [08:43] TMNT: The Ultimate Brand.
• [20:00] Taxes & tariffs (and what they mean for the industry).
• [29:22] El Santo and Blue Demon VS the Monsters.
• [36:44] John’s epiphany about Walt Simonson.

Notable Quotes

• “One of my fondest memories is me being really sick.”
• “The stuff that we’re doing is really hard, and it takes a lot of people a lot of time to do it.”
• “Start making cool stuff, and be proud of it, and charge what you have to charge to make that thing work.”
• “If you’re chasing the discount, you can’t compete with free.”

Relevant Links

Late Pledges Are Open!
Super Kaiju Rock n Roller Derby Fun Time Go Book #2 | Kickstarter

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

John is at PugW!
Pug Worldwide

Viva El Santo!
Santo and Blue Demon VS the Monsters | YouTube.

Santo and Blue Demon VS Dracula and the Wolf Man | YouTube.

Books Mentioned

• Clue, by Paul Allor & Nelson Daniel.
• Elric, by Michael Moorcock & Walter Simonson.
• Hellcat, by Steve Englehart & Norm Breyfogle.
• The Last Ronin, by Kevin Eastman & Tom Waltz.
• Ragnarök, Star Slammers, by Walter Simonson.
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
• Transformers.
• World of Warcraft, by Walter Simonson, Ludo Lullabi, & Sandra Hope.
• X-Factor.

The show gets its first archenemy! John & David talk about their successful Kickstarter campaigns, David’s new and expensive collector bug, Jim Lee’s return, and David dives into the DC Creature Commandos limited series from 1999 by Truman & Eaton (the FIRST Creature Commandos #1).

Timestamp Segments

• [00:49] David and John’s mutual printer.
• [04:34] The show gets its first archenemy.
• [05:02] David’s shiny and metallic rewards.
• [09:02] New Champions.
• [12:42] Getting distracted.
• [15:48] All the Signa extras.
• [16:16] The Creature Commandos Universe.
• [18:59] Creature Commandos comics.
• [28:26] Pat Broderick’s art.
• [29:44] Jim Lee returns.
• [35:40] When the script and the art meld together.
• [39:35] WildC.A.T.S or X-Men?

Notable Quotes

• “Comics are wildly undervalued.”
• “He would be our friend, if only he’d known us.”
• “God-level Batman is just not entertaining.”

Relevant Links

Late Pledges Are Open!
Super Kaiju Rock n Roller Derby Fun Time Go Book #2 | Kickstarter

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

John is at PugW!
Pug Worldwide

Books Mentioned

• Alpha Flight.
• The Avengers.
• Batman: Arkham Asylum, by Grant Morrison & Dave McKean.
• Batman: Hush, by Jeph Loeb, Scott Williams, & Jim Lee.
• Batman: The Long Halloween: The Last Halloween, Jeph Loeb & Tim Sale.
• Blade, by Bryan Edward Hill & Elena Casagrande.
• Chainsaw Man, by Tatsuki Fujimoto.
• Champions, by Jim Zub & Steven Cummings.
• Conan the Barbarian.
• Corto Maltese, by Hugo Pratt.
• Creature Commandos, by J.M. DeMatteis, Robert Kanigher, & Fred Carrillo.
• Creature Commandos, by Tim Truman, Scot Eaton, & Ray Kryssing.
• Divine Right, by Jim Lee.
• Groo, by Sergio Aragones.
• Hawkworld, by Tim Truman.
• Legends of the Dark Knight: Marshall Rogers.
• Legends of the Dark Knight: Norm Breyfogle.