BONUS: Inside Life At Marvel

04/06/21 • 31 min

In this bonus, extended cut of Evan’s interview with Christopher Priest, they'll talk about what it was like to be a writer and editor on books like Spider-Man, Black Panther, Power Man and Iron Fist at Marvel from the ‘80s to the ‘00s, his friendship with fellow editor Larry Hama, and how Priest committed to finding his own voice as a creator during some of Marvel’s most creative eras.

Previous Episode

War Stories

Marvel’s predecessor Timely Comics was founded in 1939, the same year World War II began. From the earliest days, our creators were thinking about battles overseas and close to home. With artists, writers, and editors experiencing the war, sometimes on the frontlines, the pages flooded with patriotism, heroes, and horrors. With World War II and the Vietnam War as benchmarks, Lorraine and Evan look at how Marvel has responded to military conflict on its pages. Along the way, they explore the relationship between art and propaganda, and how a good idea can be used for both good and evil.

Archival clip of the 1939 Nazi rally courtesy New York Public Radio.

Archival clip of “This Is Our Enemy” courtesy Municipal Archives, City of New York.

Paul S. Hirsch’s upcoming book, Pulp Empire: The Secret History of Comic Book Imperialism, will be available in February 2021 from the University of Chicago Press. The book is available for preorder on Amazon here, and more information is available via his website.

Next Episode

The Rise and Fall and Rise of Captain Marvel

In 1977, Ms. Marvel burst onto the scene and Carol Danvers went from side character to Super Hero. Taking on the honorific “Ms.,” she embodied the identity of the women’s movement in the United States. In this episode, Lorraine and Evan explore how Carol Danvers’ evolution has reflected wider societal trends—from clothing design to larger questions of agency and power. Along the way, they chat with some of the writers who shaped Ms. Marvel’s journey, from Carol Danvers to Kamala Khan.

Audio excerpt provided by the Texas Archive of the Moving Image, www.texasarchive.org.