Giant Size

To celebrate the 20th Anniversary of Marvel Knights, we welcome Joe Quesada  to tell the origin story of the imprint and contextualize it within Marvel history. One lucky break he got early in his career came full circle with the launch of Marvel Knights. That single opportunity he was given has continued to inform his creative career (and life) ever since. Sponsored by * Mack Weldon: use GIANT at checkout to save 20% on modern, superhero-grade underwear and men's basics. * You can also support the show directly by becoming an ESN Member. We're launching new Members-only benefits this spring, including early access to upcoming episodes, select interview-only recordings, and more.

John interviews Dean Haspiel pre-Election 2016 about what it is that he's afraid of and the infinite emptiness of the internet, while Moisés talks with Alex de Campi about the glorious darkness of certain fairy tales and the importance of being on a Science Ninja Team. Sponsored by * Fracture: photos printed beautifully on glass to make those once-in-a-lifetime memories last you a lifetime. Made in the USA (with international shipping available). Visit fractureme.com/podcast and tell them we sent you to save 10% on your first order.

As a coda to our creator spotlight on Dan Slott, we look at the just-released Dead No More: The Clone Conspiracy #1. There's a spoiler warning at the point where we start spoiling, so don't worry. In the outro, we tease some upcoming guests and episodes. Sponsored Exclusively by * Fracture: photos printed beautifully on glass to make those once-in-a-lifetime memories last you a lifetime. Made in the USA (with international shipping available). Visit fractureme.com/podcast and tell them we sent you to save 10% on your first order.

Dan Slott injects danger and fear for our hero's life wherever he can, and that's why we love his work on Spider-Man. Those choices extends to how he has brought unexpected, sometimes-hated (and then loved), but always interesting changes to the status quo of various characters. We also hear from the man himself about not only his sensational and spectacular run onAmazing Spider-Man, but also his work on She-Hulk, The Thing, Silver Surfer, Ren & Stimpy, andArkham Asylum: Living Hell. Sponsored Exclusively by * Fracture: photos printed beautifully on glass to make those once-in-a-lifetime memories last you a lifetime. Made in the USA (with international shipping available). Visit fractureme.com/podcast and tell them we sent you to save 10% on your first order.

Special Cameo Appearance by Stan "The Man" Lee! We waited until the second issue ofCaptain America: Steve Rogers came out to talk about the whole "Hail HYDRA" thing. How many people read comics versus read headlines about them? What is and isn't "a gimmick"? Are we on-board?

This is either a "Triple-Sized" One-Shot or a Regular-Sized regular episode (or both!) coveringDC Universe Rebirth #1. There was confusion we were aware of before starting, and all-new, all-different confusion we discover while recording. We stay spoiler-free until the 37-minute mark. Sponsored by * Mack Weldon: use GIANT at checkout to save 20% on modern, superhero-grade underwear and men's basics. Keep them coming back as sponsors and Moisés will do something embarrassing in public wearing their trunks.

Neither of us liked Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice. We hadn't spoken to each other about it until we recorded this all-spoiler-filled discussion. Weeks later, neither of us can really tell you what the movie was about or trying to say other than "these characters all suck and need fixing." Well...now they sure as hell do. Brought to you by * Mack Weldon: use GIANT at checkout to save 20% off modern, superhero-grade underwear and men's basics. Keep them coming back as sponsors and Moisés will do something embarrassing in public wearing their trunks.

Southern Cross co-creator Andy Belánger has done Big Two, licensed, and is now a loud-and-proud "creator-owned or GTFO" advocate who is all-in with Image Comics. We discuss his work, fandom, and wrestling. This live episode was recorded at Dallas Fan Days in February 2016. Special Guest * Andy Belánger (Comic Book DB bibliography, twitter) * Get the first volume of Southern Cross for $9.99, co-created by Andy and Becky Cloonan with coloring by Lee Loughridge

Storyteller artist Paul Ryan was more than just a "pencil guy". A consummate draftsman who came to comics work in his mid-30's, Ryan embodied a work ethic seldom seen then or now. The news of his sudden passing this past weekend took everyone by surprise this morning. The majority of this episode is comprised of a "Modern Marvel Masters" panel we hosted at Dallas Fan Days in October 2015. The panel includes Ryan, his friend and colleagueHoward Mackie, and Val Mayerik. Rather than edit the panel down to only Paul Ryan's anecdotes, it's presented here uncut, uninterrupted, and followed by a few minutes of further appreciation by your hosts. We'd originally planned to run portions of this as two separate episodes, but considering the circumstances of the day, we hope you agree that this is the best tribute we could offer. Photo credit: Dallas Comic Con Fan Days 2015 From left: Moisés, Howard Mackie, Paul Ryan, Val Mayerik, the side of John's head Special Guests * Paul Ryan (Comic Book DB bibli

Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen #125 is one of the best values you can find for a comic from the 1960’s. Spurred by a Nostradamus prophecy discovered under the sea (you read that correctly), Jimmy Olsen collects the tears of four people, including Superman in the hopes of obtaining superpowers. Brought to you by * Comic Bento: The original graphic novel subscription box service. Get $5 off your first month by using GIANTSIZE at checkout.

Kelly Sue DeConnick has a massive, loyal, and deeply passionate following for a very good reason: she makes comics that mean something to people. In this Creator Spotlight episode, we discuss her body of work, and the distinct humanity of her voice as a writer. This episode features excerpts from a previously recorded interview with DeConnick. Kelly Sue portrait art by the amazing Christian Ward. Brought to you by * Comic Bento: The original graphic novel subscription box service. Get $5 off your first month by using GIANTSIZE at checkout.

Captain America gets a lot of Avengers Middle Management Work done! The Red Skull has (consensual) sex with a lady in a hot tub (how does she kiss him?)! Thor (Eric Masterson) is put on probation! Red Skull’s ancestral family house…drips dough! * Have you rated and reviewed the show in iTunes? Recommended episodes in Overcast? Sent us a feedback email? Promoted the show on social media or supported our sponsors? You could be the Giant Size Fan of the Show of the Month and win a box full of various comics including  Captain America #395! * Their first ad doesn't run until next week, but you can get $5 off of your first month of Comic Bento using the offer code GIANTSIZE at checkout. This is a great way to bribe your way to Fan of the Show of the Month, for what it's worth.

What is the aftermath of two of the biggest of Big Two Mega-Event Crossovers in comics history? Are our buying habits…FOREVER CHANGED??? (Yes.) How or can we justify $5 cover prices? Find out in a truly 80-ish-“page” (minute) Giant episode of the show! ...with Special Guest and former Marvel EIC (and the writer of the original Secret Wars) Jim Shooter. Now that Convergence and Secret Wars (2015+2016) are over, this episode serves as the truefinale to Crossover Crisis Infinity, our 2015 multi-part series on All Big Two Crossovers Ever…which, like Secret Wars, ends the following calendar year and ends up longer in terms of installments than was ever advertised.

Secret Wars (2015) is complete as of this, the second week of 2016. Since we did a mega-event-scale series on crossovers last year that was kicked off by the announcement of Secret Wars, we dig into our spoiler-filled thoughts on the final issue, as well as the event as a whole.

A primer on Star Wars comics from 1977 forward, covering everything in general from early movie adaptations to the lengthy Dark Horse work in the Expanded Universe to the "New Marvel Era" and speculation on what is (and we hope) to come.

In our first-ever, short-length, One-Shot episode, John relates the personal and historical significance of Marvel's Star Wars: Special Edition  #1. Coming on Giant Size #41, a full episode covering all of Star Wars in comics.

“Breaking in” stories from Steve Epting, Jim Cheung, and Val Mayerik. Neal Adams tells us why people call him an idiot and end up calling him a genius. We also look at how this convention in particular marked an artistic turning point for your hosts. Believe it or not, we aren’t running as late as Secret Wars. Fan Expo Dallas 2015 Special, Part 2 of 2 Brought to you by * IDW: Check out the wide array of comics from IDW including Val Mayerik’s work on the first arc of Zombies vs. Robots. * SaneBox: Stop “Hulk-ing out” over your email. Get a no-credit-card-required, 2-week free trial and $25 off your new membership when you sign up by visiting SaneBox.com/esn.

In the first installment of our 2-part Fan Expo Dallas Special, we are joined by some very special guests to discuss the importance and impact of Archie, working with material that is well-known in other media, and the vital importance of major publishers staying the course when investing in new voices and audiences. Part 1 of 2 Brought to you by * IDW: Walt Simonson's first arc of Ragnarök is now complete, and you can pre-order the hardcover (or get the Limited Edition version from your Local Comic Shop). Also new from IDW: Drive (continuing the story of the movie) and Star Trek/Green Lantern: The Spectrum War. To win a signed-by-Simonson copy of the first printing of Ragnarök #1, just email, tweet, or just plain contact us to let us know what you want to hear more of on the show. * SaneBox: Stop "Hulk-ing out" over your email. Get a no-credit-card-required, 2-week free trial and $25 off your new membership when you sign up by visiting SaneBox.com

In our Comicpalooza 2015 Special, we discuss childhood influences and the importance of licensed properties in comics with a wide array of guests: World Champion wrestler (and comic creator) Booker T, Katie Cook, Peter David, J.M. DeMatteis (albeit briefly), and returning guest Walt Simonson. Our featured guest this week is the great Louise Simonson. Louise Simonson will be the focus of an upcoming Creator Spotlight episode. We'll get to Walt eventually...we suppose. Brought to you by * IDW: Katie's My Little Pony comics continue to tear up the sales charts, and you can now get a lovely hardcover edition of J.M. DeMatteis' Augusta Wind from your local shop (along with tons and tons of other great comics from IDW). * SaneBox: Stop "Hulk-ing out" over your email. Get a no-credit-card-required, 2-week free trial and $25 off your new membership when you sign up by visiting SaneBox.com/esn.

We look at the vital role of the more-precise-than-ever art of comics coloring, shining a spotlight in particular on the work of Elizabeth Breitweiser and featuring special guests Neal Adams, Steve Epting, and  Walt Simonson. NOTE: audio gain as well as clarity are less than ideal in some places (totaling under a minute). We've done our best in post to make this episode as listenable as possible at a consistent volume level. Brought to you by * IDW: a new TPB from Katie Cook's run on My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic just hit the stands, alongside the collected edition of Eric Shanower and Gabriel Rodriguez's Little Nemo: Return to Slumberland.