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.

Famous First Editions: Detective Comics 27 on The Corner Box S2Ep14

The Corner Box

12/31/24 • 50 min

This week on The Corner Box, hosts John & David do a deep dive into some Famous Firsts, and talk about navigating the racism in some very old stories, the most appropriate ways to solve crimes, skipping comics with no pictures, what an anthology would look like today, and the crazy original gun ads in the books. Also, David launches another successful Kickstarter campaign, the podcast listeners get visuals, and John teases the next Sensational episode.

Timestamp Segments

[01:59] The Famous First Editions.
[04:26] David is very stressed.
[07:56] 10,000 $1 tips.
[11:00] David becomes a historian.
[12:42] Original comic book formats.
[15:58] Does crime pay?
[16:52] Racism in Detective Comics.
[19:13] The Batman art.
[22:36] The greatest Batman story.
[24:26] Superman vs Batman origin stories.
[26:37] How to solve crimes.
[27:42] Batman’s cool costume.
[30:00] Speed Saunders, Ace Investigator.
[31:05] Buck Marshall, Range Detective.
[36:59] Crimson Avenger.
[37:24] Death on the Airwaves.
[37:34] All the gun ads.
[37:48] The Bruce Nelson art.
[39:27] Dr. Fu Manchu.
[41:00] Collecting stamps.
[41:38] Cosmo, The Phantom of Disguise.
[43:06] Plain Clothes Pete.
[44:06] The concept of the book.
[45:41] David’s new favorite curse.
[47:35] Ads at the back of the book.
[50:00] A teaser for the next episode.

Notable Quotes

“Crime never pays.”
“You never see the lower half of the horse.”
“There’s a reason why you’ve never heard of a lot of this stuff.”

Relevant Links

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

For transcripts and show notes!
www.thecornerbox.club

Books Mentioned

The Real Creature Commandos Storm the Beach on The Corner Box S2Ep19

The Corner Box

02/04/25 • 43 min

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.

Ultimate-Absolute New Adventures of The Corner Box! S2Ep02

The Corner Box

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

The Corner Box S1Ep25 - Top 5 of 2023 with Special Guest Dave Baker!

The Corner Box

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

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.

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

The New Big Two! Talking the Absolute and Ultimate lines at The Corner Box S2Ep08

The Corner Box

11/19/24 • 39 min

Episode Summary

On this episode of The Corner Box, hosts Ultimate John Barber and Absolute David Hedgecock get into the Ultimate and Absolute comic lines at DC and Marvel, the differences between Marvel and DC characters, how the new launches compare to the originals, and what does and doesn’t work in each new line, and John says something interesting.

Timestamp Segments

[00:46] The Big Two’s new lines.
[02:48] John’s inside knowledge on the Ultimate line.
[04:03] DC characters vs Marvel characters.
[09:05] Mark Bagley retires.
[13:09] John says something interesting.
[13:19] John joins the Ultimates line.
[15:05] Why the Ultimate line was successful.
[18:37] The conceits of the Ultimate line.
[25:00] DC’s iconic miniseries.
[26:01] Marvel’s miniseries.
[28:42] The coherency of the Marvel and DC universes.
[30:35] Marvel’s new Ultimates line.
[33:53] Old vs New Ultimate Universe.
[35:22] Spider-Man is like Shakespeare.

Notable Quotes

“Accidents happened.”
“There’s an iconic version of Batman. There’s not an iconic version of Spider-Man in the same way.”
“This is like Shakespeare.”

Relevant Links

David's Fun Stuff!
Did Someone Say Fun Time? Let's GO!
John is at PugW!
Pug Worldwide

For transcripts and show notes!
www.thecornerbox.club

Books Mentioned

Absolute DC, All-Star Comics, Ultimate Comics.
Absolute Batman (2024- ), by Scott Snyder & Nick Dragotta.
Ultimate Black Panther (2024- ), by Bryan Hill & Stefano Caselli.
Ultimate Spider-Man (2024- ), by Jonathan Hickman & Marco Checchetto.
Ultimate X-Men (2024- ), by Peach Momoko.

---------------------

All-Star Superman, by Grant Morrison & Frank Quietly.
Batman: Arkham Asylum, Dark Knight Returns, Gotham by Gaslight, No Man’s Land, The Cult, The Killing Joke, Year One.
Astonishing X-Men.
Daredevil, by Frank Miller.

Kirt Burdick’s Bringing Heat with “Death of Power” on The Corner Box S2Ep18

The Corner Box

01/28/25 • 63 min

Kirt Burdick joins hosts John and David to talk about Kirt’s new and extended Death of Power series, the problematic marketing of superhero comic tropes, how Batman memes will cause a nuclear meltdown, the future of digital art, and how extended copyright stifles creativity. Also, the podcast gets a new listener, Kirt dislikes musicals, David has his heart broken, and John takes down Diamond.

Timestamp Segments

[00:39] Kirt’s new Kickstarters.
[03:34] The El Santo rabbit hole.
[05:00] Death of Power #6.
[08:46] The problem with superhero comics.
[11:42] A very likely AI future.
[17:52] Concluding Death of Power.
[22:08] The Expanded Death of Power Universe.
[24:28] Kirt’s sales pitch.
[29:18] Diamond’s bankruptcy.
[35:24] David’s broken heart.
[36:24] Making comics for kids.
[39:43] What is Kirt reading?
[41:49] Does digital art suck?
[53:35] What else is Kirt reading?
[55:35] Fair use in comics.
[60:16] Evolving kids’ cartoons.
[62:07] One more time, for those at the back.

Notable Quotes

“That’s the equivalent of narrative fast food.”
“Netflix will start owning nuclear power plants.”
“I’m just not into musicals.”
“Don’t put lyrics in your comics.”
“When we’re protecting the rights of corporations, and not the rights of human beings, that way lies folly.”

Relevant Links

Cornerbox.club

Death of Power #6, Galacto Pit-Fighter | Kickstarter

Books Mentioned

#DRCL, Innocent, by Shin-Ichi Sakamoto.
Action Comics #466.
All-Star Superman, by Grant Morisson, Frank Quietly, & Neal Adams.
American Flagg!, Fargo: Hell on Wheels, Time2 Omnibus, by Howard Chaykin.
America's Best Comics, The Moon and Serpent Bumper Book of Magic, by Alan Moore & Steve Moore.
The Batman's Grave, by Warren Ellis & Bryan Hitch.
Beano.
BRZRKR, Keanu Reeves, Matt Kindt, Ron Garney, Rafael Grampá, & Clem Robins.
Cobra Commander, by Joshua Williamson, Andrea Milana, & Annalisa Leoni.
The Death of Superman.
Dog Man, by Dav Pilkey.
Doom Patrol.
Duke, by Joshua Williamson, Tom Reilly,

Sharing Turkeys and Giving Thanks on The Corner Box S2Ep10

The Corner Box

12/03/24 • 53 min

John & David get together to celebrate the season of giving THANKS by discussing the comics that they’re thankful for! Then, keeping with the spirit, they discuss some comic book TURKEYS that weren’t quite what they should’ve been. Along the way, the guys talk about how to monetize a comics podcast, the Mike Tyson vs Jake Paul fight, and the importance of access to comics. Also, John has an incredible skill, and David finishes off another book.

Timestamp Segments

[01:09] John’s incredible skill.
[02:11] David’s exciting book news.
[06:46] How to monetize a comics podcast.
[08:59] Mike Tyson vs Jake Paul.
[11:12] Social media marketing attempts.
[17:43] John’s Turkey: Donna Matrix.
[25:07] David’s Turkey: Conan: Ravagers Out of Time.
[32:25] John’s Thankful: The Greatest Superman Stories Ever Told.
[36:41] Access to comic books.
[41:31] David’s Thankful: Savage Dragon.
[48:45] Comics that age in real time.

Notable Quotes

“You can never take back quotes.”
“Everybody comes into stuff with different perspectives.”
“I don’t really watch The Simpsons, but I’d be sad if it went away.”

Relevant Links

DAVID's NEW BOOK IS KICKSTARTING!
Oh My Kirby! It's Happening! IT'S HAPPENING!
John is at PugW!
Pug Worldwide

For transcripts and show notes!
www.thecornerbox.club

Books Mentioned

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 81 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 47 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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The Corner Box

David & John

Top 10 The Corner Box Episodes

FAQ

How many episodes does The Corner Box have?

What topics does The Corner Box cover?

What is the most popular episode on The Corner Box?

What is the average episode length on The Corner Box?

How often are episodes of The Corner Box released?

When was the first episode of The Corner Box?

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