Does anyone ever listen to this podcast? It's Kevin Smith interviewing creators on Batman.
Now, let me clarify: I have always either hated (about 80% of the time in the last several years...) or loved Kevin Smith (his Daredevil story was incredible). But what I have discovered since starting to listen in on this podcast and getting caught up on it, is that Smith is brilliant at pulling the good stories out of creators. I have wanted to cry listening to in-depth interviews with the likes of Paul Dini, Greg Capullo, Bruce Timm, Jeph Loeb, Dan Didio, Arleen Sorkin, Scott Snyder, Geoff Johns, Mark Hamill, Grant-freakin'-Morrison, and Kevin Conroy...
I'm so happy that I'm not done getting caught up quite yet.
The difference between Kevin Smith and any of the other podcasters like John Suintres, the iFanboys, or the Hideous Energy guys is that Kevin Smith is the Barbara Walters of the Batman community. He draws out their personal stories of the hardships they went through trying to break into the business. He pulls the tragedies and triumphs from them and encourages them to keep going when they say, "I'm sorry, this isn't what you asked..."
And so many of those creators have brought me around on them. I now find redeeming qualities or actually appreciate or like Loeb, Didio, and Johns.
This is now one of my favorite podcasts, along the likes of This American Life and Radio Lab.
Sure, comic book podcasts are fun. Give me Silence!, Word Balloon, iFanboy, Hideous Energy, or 11 O'Clock Comics any day.
But this? This makes me feel smarter after I've listened to it.
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