The Corner Box
David & John
Welcome to The Corner Box, where we talk about comic books as an industry and an art form. You never know where the discussion will go, or who’ll show up to join hosts David Hedgecock and John Barber. Between them they’ve spent decades writing, drawing, lettering, coloring, editing, editor-in-chiefing, and publishing comics. If you want to know the behind-the-scenes secrets—the highs and lows, the ins and outs—of the best artistic medium in the world, listen in and join the club at The Corner Box!
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Top 10 The Corner Box Episodes
Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best The Corner Box episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to The Corner Box for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite The Corner Box episode by adding your comments to the episode page.
The Corner Box Episode #1! (of Season Two)
The Corner Box
10/01/24 • 49 min
NEW NUMBER ONE! On this episode of The Corner Box, host John Barber is joined by Eisner-nominee, Dave Baker, and Editor-Extraordinaire, Chase Marotz, to kick off SEASON 2! The gang talks about all things Batman: Knightfall, Bane’s misunderstood character, Bruce Wayne’s broken back, when different characters try being Batman, and how Batman comics have evolved since the 90s. Also, David Hedgecock gets lost in the mountains, Chase makes an enemy, and John gives away his Batman: Knightfall collection because they aren't Near Mint (typical).
Timestamp Segments
- [01:00] How to pronounce Chase Marotz.
- [01:55] Chase’s re-reading of Batman: Knightfall.
- [03:28] What happened to Batman: Knightquest?
- [05:51] Batman: Knightfall vs Spider-Man Clone Saga.
- [08:04] Batman in the 90s.
- [09:09] Knightfall in a nutshell.
- [11:13] The genius of Bane.
- [14:47] What does Wayne Tech do?
- [16:12] The prelude to Knightfall.
- [19:56] How to pronounce character names.
- [22:07] Knightfall.
- [24:14] Bruce Wayne gives away the role of Batman.
- [32:32] What you’ll find in an issue of Batman.
- [34:00] KnightsEnd.
- [35:28] Jean-Paul Valley brings down crime.
- [38:52] Who writes the different eras?
- [40:51] What does Knightfall mean?
- [44:19] Chase wants to do steroids.
- [45:30] Chase hates Robin.
- [48:02] Where are the other superheroes?
Notable Quotes
- “It rhymes with shorts.”
- “Spiderman would still be married if Batman’s back hadn’t gotten broken.”
- “It’s brightest for the One More Day after the Knight has fallen.”
- “Real Batman has pheromones.”
- “The ultimate strategic maneuver: hallway.”
- “So many of Batman’s problems could be solved, even, by The Flash.”
Relevant Links
Buy David's New Book!
Miss Mina and the Midnight Guardians
John is helping PugW take over the comic world!
Pug Worldwide
Chase Marotz Rocks!
The Gruesome Details
Dave Baker Makes Books!
Hey! Dave Baker!
Catch up on Batman: Knightfall!
Batman: Knightfall
For transcripts and show notes!
www.thecornerbox.club
10/08/24 • 54 min
On this episode of The Ultimate/Absolute/New Adventures of The Corner Box, Chase Marotz joins hosts John Barber and David Hedgecock to talk about books that have caught their attention, some tragic news in comics, the true quality of improv, IDW’s venture into whiskey, and the mark of a good comic. Also, David gets written out of Corner Box continuity, Chase has to follow too many rules, and John has ideas on how to improve the podcast.
Timestamp Segments
- [00:56] The return of David Hedgecock.
- [04:13] A hell of a week for comics.
- [07:04] Planetary.
- [11:37] An amazing new Groo.
- [16:44] Peepshow #15.
- [20:50] Hellverine #1.
- [26:21] Blood Brothers Mother #2.
- [30:27] Batman/Judge Dredd: Die Laughing #2.
- [33:45] Plastic Man No More!
- [36:45] Is all improv bad?
- [38:45] IDW makes whiskey.
- [39:25] Corto Maltese.
- [45:40] Monsters.
- [47:53] The Monsters vs Hulk controversy.
- [49:27] Barry Windsor-Smith’s existing work.
- [51:56] Rune.
Notable Quotes
- “In a unique twist, the surprise guest is the regular host.”
- “It’s been a hell of a week for comics, and not in a good way.”
- “[I] really was not able to talk about my experience seeing “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” for any length of time.”
- “Is it good? No, but I love it.”
Relevant Links
David's Playground is Here!
Did Someone Say Fun Time? Let's GO!
John is helping PugW take over the comic world!
Pug Worldwide
Chase Marotz Rocks!
The Gruesome Details
Listen to our All-GROO episode!
S1E17 - Sergio Aragones' Groo the Wanderer and the Dream Team
For transcripts and show notes!
www.thecornerbox.club
02/13/24 • 63 min
Episode Summary
It's our 25th issue! And that means a special, over-sized edition! On this episode of The Corner Box, Eisner-nominated Dave Baker, returns to join hosts John Barber and David Hedgecock to talk about their Top 5 comics from 2023, featuring In Summer, Roaming, Deadpool Badder Blood, Every Love Story is a Ghost Story, Monica, Spider-Boy, Dwellings, Death of Power, Acting Class, Halloween Boy, Ax-Wielder Jon, Blood of the Virgin, and Kaiju No.8.
Timestamp Segments
· [02:11] Dave’s Number 5: In Summer, by Seong Ryul.
· [07:13] John’s Number 5: Roaming, by Jillian and Mariko Tamaki.
· [08:48] Dave’s thoughts on Roaming.
· [11:36] David’s Number 5: Deadpool Better Blood by Rob Liefeld and Various.
· [14:56] Dave’s Number 4: Every Love Story is a Ghost Story, by D.T. Max.
· [21:54] John’s Number 4: Monica, by Daniel Clowes.
· [23:47] Did Dan Clowes loosen up?
· [25:34] David’s Number 4: Spider Boy by Dan Slott, Paco Medina, and Various.
· [27:53] Dave’s Number 3: Roaming, by Jillian and Mariko Tamaki.
· [29:15] John’s Number 3: Dwellings, by Jay Stephens.
· [31:07] Dave’s thoughts on Dwellings.
· [32:06] David’s Number 3: Death of Power, by Kurt Burdick.
· [34:48] Thoughts on Death of Power.
· [36:16] Dave’s Number 2: Acting Class, by Nick Drnaso.
· [39:38] John’s Number 2: Halloween Boy, by Dave Baker.
· [42:51] David’s Number 2: Ax-Wielder Jon, by Nick Pitarra.
· [45:43] Thoughts on Nick Pitarra.
· [51:32] Dave’s Number 1: Blood of the Virgin, by Sammy Harkham.
· [54:28] John’s Number 1: Blood of the Virgin, by Sammy Harkham.
· [59:08] David’s Number 1: Kaiju No.8, by Naoya Matsumoto.
· [60:53] Top 5 Recap.
Notable Quotes
· “I think Jillian Tamaki is the greatest living illustrator.”
· “Zoop rhymes with poop.”
· “This year seems to be the year of Kaiju.”
· “There’s certainly a lot of great work being produced right now.”
Relevant Links
Death of Power Review
Join the launch for David's new graphic novella:
Super Kaiju Rock n Roller Derby Fun Time Go!
Check out John's latest work:
PugWorldWide.com
www.heydavebaker.com
www.thecornerbox.club
The Corner Box S1Ep22 - The Chris Eliopoulos Interview: Complex Continuity and the Tik Tok Era
The Corner Box
01/25/24 • 37 min
Episode Summary
On today’s episode of The Corner Box, Chris Eliopoulos, joins hosts John Barber and David Hedgecock for part two this two-part conversation to talk about the decline of the comic book industry, how manga and anima have dominated the markets, why continuity has made comic books too complex, the struggle of getting more mainstream readers, how the TikTok era changed entertainment consumption, and Chris teases some of his exciting upcoming projects.
Timestamp Segments
· [00:45] Chris’s influences.
· [05:35] The comics business is like model railroads.
· [10:47] The success of manga and anime.
· [21:38] The complexity of continuity.
· [24:23] Getting more mainstream readers.
· [29:40] The adult graphic novel section.
· [32:51] The TikTok era.
· [35:51] Chris’s upcoming projects.
Notable Quotes
· “You don’t have to make them simple and bad.”
· “I don’t know if there’s enough hours in my lifetime to get caught up on the Marvel stuff I haven’t watched yet.”
· “Love doesn’t put food on the table.”
· “When it all comes down to it, it’s John’s fault.”
· “Social media is the junk food of entertainment.”
Relevant Links
The Corner Box S1E15 - Licensing Your Childhood Part 1
The Corner Box
12/19/23 • 53 min
Episode Summary
On this episode of The Corner Box, hosts John Barber and David Hedgecock get into this first part of the conversation around licensed comics. They talk about the new Spider Boy comics, why David watches Rob Liefeld slap his butt on Whatnot, John’s experience working with Stephen King, David’s DreamWorks license, what it’s like to work with licensors, what makes a good license, the expensive process of securing a comic book license, and what to expect in the next episode.
Timestamp Segments
· [01:35] Spider Boy.
· [06:15] Rob Liefeld’s Whatnot.
· [11:32] Working with Stephen King.
· [23:42] Getting the DreamWorks license.
· [28:11] What it’s like working with licensors.
· [29:41] What makes a good license?
· [40:25] The minimum guarantee and royalties.
· [44:45] Comic book licenses vs other media.
· [52:11] What we want to talk about next.
Notable Quotes
· “It usually comes down to money.”
· “Comics are rock n roll, man.”
Relevant Links
The Corner Box S1E10 - The Ron Marz Interview Part 2
The Corner Box
11/22/23 • 35 min
Episode Summary
On this episode of The Corner Box, veteran comic writer Ron Marz joins hosts John Barber and David Hedgecock in part two of The Corner Box vs Ron Marz to talk about working on DC vs Marvel, introducing Kyle Rayner, writing an effective character death, and Ron plugs his upcoming work to the vast podcast audience.
Timestamp Segments
· [01:01] DC vs Marvel.
· [09:42] Ron’s dream project.
· [12:33] Introducing Kyle Rayner.
· [16:51] Green Lantern’s Fridging.
· [28:10] What’s next for Ron?
Notable Quotes
· “If you don’t make people feel bad about a character’s death, you haven’t done your job.”
· “The one thing you can never get back is time.”
Relevant Links
The Corner Box S1E8 - The Comic Book Writing Process
The Corner Box
11/14/23 • 52 min
Episode Summary
On this episode of The Corner Box, Megan Brown joins hosts John Barber and David Hedgecock to talk about David’s first comic book script after decades in the industry, everyone’s writing processes, writing issues at breakneck speeds, working with artists, how to compel readers to continue reading, and serving the role of an editor.
Timestamp Segments
· [01:33] David has written a comic book script.
· [03:51] John’s writing process.
· [07:59] Megan’s writing process.
· [10:15] When the script doesn’t hit.
· [12:46] Speed-writing.
· [17:53] Writing to an artist.
· [22:29] How to compel page-turning.
· [26:54] Hating on infinite scroll.
· [29:20] Approaching artists.
· [34:32] The role of an editor.
· [47:24] John’s Action Man.
· [48:46] Scriptwriting How-To.
Notable Quotes
· “Every panel should make you read the next panel. The end of every page should make you turn the page.”
Relevant Links
10/10/23 • 36 min
Episode Summary
On today’s episode of The Corner Box, hosts John Barber and David Hedgecock talk about how Kickstarter has started to disrupt the comic book business, how the distribution model has changed, and they highlight some notable examples of Kickstarter campaigns, including Labyrinth, The Few and Cursed, We Will No Longer Have to Cover Each Other’s Wounds, and the Sixth Gun Deluxe Omnibus Library.
Timestamp Segments
· [03:20] How Kickstarter has helped the comic book cause.
· [14:00] The Labyrinth campaign.
· [15:59] Variant covers on Kickstarters.
· [18:56] The Few And Cursed.
· [25:31] We Will No Longer Have to Cover Each Other's Wounds.
· [28:10] The Sixth Gun Deluxe Omnibus Library.
· [33:14] Kickstarter and WebComics.
Notable Quotes
· “The comic book industry has had decades of a monopoly in the distribution system.”
· “The direct connection between the comic and the person who wants to read it is front and center on something like Kickstarter.”
Relevant Links
Comics are Scary at... The Corner BOOox! S2Ep04
The Corner Box
10/22/24 • 31 min
More spooky goodness! John & David return for Part 2 of the Halloween Special! The guys talk about more of their favorite spooky comics, how to create a jump scare in a comic book, the perfect artist/writer balance, and the problematic trajectory of superheroes. Also, David has beef with Eisner Nominated Dave Baker.
Timestamp Segments
- [00:45] John’s spooky pick: When I Arrived At The Castle.
- [05:23] Creating a jump scare in a comic.
- [06:51] David’s spooky pick: Batman: Long Halloween #1.
- [10:32] A return to the true Batman.
- [12:28] The artist/writer balance.
- [18:10] When superheroes became too good.
- [23:03] John’s spooky pick: Dracula Book 1: The Impaler.
Notable Quotes
- “I think a good game. I can’t talk it, though.”
- “The writers keep thinking that they’re the most important thing, and they need to stop thinking that.”
- “Thanksgiving is Halloween for turkeys.”
Relevant Links
David's Frightfully Fun Stuff!
Did Someone Say Fun Time? Let's GO!
John is jump-scaring at PugW!
Pug Worldwide
For scary transcripts and spooky show notes!
www.thecornerbox.club
Episode Errata
www.emcarroll.com
Kickstarter: Dracula Book 2, by Matt Wagner and Kelley Jones
Bleeding Cool: DC To Give Fans What They Want
Books Mentioned
- Through The Woods, When I Arrived At The Castle, A Guest In The House, by E.m. Carroll.
- Batman: Long Halloween, by Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale.
- Dracula: Book 1 - The Impaler (Kickstarter), by Marr Wagner and Kelley Jones.
- ACME Novelty Library, by Chris Ware.
- Batman: Dark Victory, by Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale.
- Batman: Hush, by Jeph Loeb and Jim Lee.
- Batman & Dracula, by Doug Moench and Kelley Jones.
- Batman: Year One, by Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli.
- #DRCL, by Shin’Ichi Sakamoto
- Eightball, by Daniel Clowes.
- Grendel, by Matt Wagner.
- Groo, by Sergio Aragones.
- Hate, by Peter Bagge.
- PeePee PooPoo, by Caroline Cash.
Dog Man Deep Dive! The Corner Box S2Ep07
The Corner Box
11/12/24 • 60 min
Episode Summary
On this episode of The Corner Box, hosts John Barber and David Hedgecock talk about the genius of Dav Pilkey, life lessons from Captain Underpants, the true main character in Dog Man, the limitless possibilities of comics, and the promising future of comic book readers, and John gets a puppy, and David goes down an Avengers rabbit hole.
Timestamp Segments
- [00:35] Everything that has happened since the last episode.
- [01:52] David’s Avengers rabbit hole.
- [06:09] Getting into Dog Man.
- [09:02] Dav Pilkey’s origin story.
- [13:12] Introducing Captain Underpants.
- [16:06] The wild success of Captain Underpants.
- [17:11] Captain Underpants Fun Facts.
- [18:05] Captain Underpants life lessons.
- [20:12] John’s theories of what comics are.
- [21:37] The brilliance of Pilkey.
- [25:23] The Adventures of Ook and Gluk.
- [28:58] The origin of Dog Man.
- [32:47] What makes kids’ jokes work?
- [34:43] The Golden Age of Dog Man.
- [41:15] The Tale of Two Kitties.
- [49:29] Cat Kid Comic Club.
- [51:50] Influencing and encouraging youth.
- [54:02] Dog Man’s impossible success.
- [57:15] The future of comic book readers.
Notable Quotes
- “She’s a squishy little puppy.”
- “If Pilkey did nothing else, that Captain Underpants is a true masterwork.”
- “It’s okay to try things and fail.”
- “The possibilities of comics are limitless.”
- “If we could just get North American comics out of the superhero space for half a second and do anything else...”
Relevant Links
David's Fun Stuff!
Did Someone Say Fun Time? Let's GO!
John is at PugW!
Pug Worldwide
Dave Pilkey is Awesome!
pilkey.com
For scary transcripts and spooky show notes!
www.thecornerbox.club
Books Mentioned
- Captain Underpants, Cat Kid Club, Dog Man, Dragon, The Dumb Bunnies, The Paperboy, Super Diaper Baby, World War Won, by Dav Pilkey.
- Action Comics #1.
- Axe Cop, by Malachai and Ethan Nicolle.
- Crisis on Infinite Earths, by Marv Wolfman and George Perez.
- Diary of a Wimpy Kid, by Jeff Kinney.
- Doctor Fate.
- G.I. Joe, by Larry Hama.
- JetCat Clubhouse, Tutenstein, by Jay Stephens.
- Justice League of America #87.
- Justice League,
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FAQ
How many episodes does The Corner Box have?
The Corner Box currently has 68 episodes available.
What topics does The Corner Box cover?
The podcast is about Pop Culture, Leisure, Comics, Comic Books, Podcasts, Books, Superhero, Comic Book, Arts, Batman, Avengers and Superman.
What is the most popular episode on The Corner Box?
The episode title 'The Corner Box S1Ep43 - A Higher Level of Stupid Conversation' is the most popular.
What is the average episode length on The Corner Box?
The average episode length on The Corner Box is 46 minutes.
How often are episodes of The Corner Box released?
Episodes of The Corner Box are typically released every 7 days.
When was the first episode of The Corner Box?
The first episode of The Corner Box was released on Sep 26, 2023.
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