All-New Superfan Podcast Makes it Debut
Have you ever wondered what inspires and fascinates the writers and artists who create comics and graphic novels? Welcome to the Superfan Podcast, where the people who make the comics you love talk about the things that they love… that aren’t comics. Join co-hosts Christian Gossett (Story Artist, Eyes of Wakanda, The Red Star), Kristen Simon (Executive Editor at Mad Cave Studios’ Nakama Press), and Superfan Promotions founder David Hyde, as they launch an all-new podcast series, where they’ll interview superstar comic book writers and artists about what they’re passionate about — outside of comics.
The Superfan Podcast debuts on September 19 with a conversation with Peabody Award-winning screenwriter and producer Rodney Barnes (Killadelphia) talking about Stephen King. In the pilot episode, Barnes reflects on what makes for a seminal Stephen King story and what the King of Horror’s novels reveal about American life. Barnes also opens up about his own creative journey, which was forever transformed in unexpected ways by his up-close and personal experience on the film The Green Mile, with his favorite novelist.
Season one of the Superfan Podcast includes an all-star line-up of award-winning writers and artists. Acclaimed comic book writer, novelist, and Emmy Award-winning screenwriter Marc Guggenheim (Star Wars: Jedi Knights) chats about growing up on Long Island obsessed with the music of Billy Joel. Eisner Award-winning and Hugo Award-nominated writer Kelly Sue DeConnick (Wonder Woman Historia) talks about being inspired by actor, director, screenwriter, and author Alan Alda — and her decision to get Alan Alda knuckle tattoos. Harvey Award-winning and New York Times bestselling cartoonist Matt Kindt (Mind MGMT) decodes the joy of John le Carré’s spy novels. Eisner Award-winning writer Marjorie Liu (Monstress) discusses being the keeper of a plant passed down for generations and why gardening is her obsession. And New York Times bestselling and Caldecott Honor-winning cartoonist (and former musician) Patrick McDonnell (Mutts) reveals why he’s fascinated by Frank Zappa. For each episode, the co-hosts also share a conversation-appropriate dessert recipe, as well as a cocktail and/or mocktail inspired by the interview.
“Comic book writers and artists are often asked the same questions over and over,” said Hyde. "What's exciting for us – and for our guests – is that we’re having a conversation that is freed from the usual promotional constraints. One of the most rewarding parts of the podcast is that we do a lot of preparation and research into the primary topic, but there’s almost always an unexpected rabbit hole that leads to discussing another passion altogether. These are deep dive dialogues — full of passion, memories, and mementos, and a lot of laughter.”
“As co-hosts, we bring decidedly different sensibilities to the Superfan Podcast,” said Kristen Simon. “As a comic book editor, I spend my days unpacking stories, beat by beat. As a publicist, David Hyde is focused on getting a book into the hands of the right journalist and then getting that journalist to ask interesting questions. Concept and Character Design has been Gossett’s specialty for most of his career. Our different backgrounds inform our points of view on the podcast, sometimes in unexpected ways, but what the three of us have in common is that we’re curious people who really enjoy each other’s company, and that sense of curiosity is central to the podcast.”
Gossett was the writer, artist, and creator of the hit Image Comics series The Red Star before working on movies for George Lucas, Peter Jackson, and Tim Burton, and directing television episodes for the CW network. He recently provided story art for Netflix’s Twilight of the Gods and the Disney+ original animated series Eyes of Wakanda. He is, arguably, best known for his radical concept drawing of a double-bladed lightsaber, which was personally approved by George Lucas and was later made famous as Darth Maul's signature weapon. For season one of the Superfan Podcast, he has drawn portraits of each of the guests.
“The guest portraits are about trying to capture the moment and feel of our freewheeling conversations,” said Gossett. “I’m less interested in nailing an exact likeness, per se, than I am in capturing the vibe. This is a podcast about joy and the excitement that comes from being a fan, and we want to celebrate that feeling – on the show, with the portraits, with the mid-century inspired logo, and with the Superfan theme song.”
The Superfan Podcast theme song is performed by the band Low in the Shag, featuring Daniel Shulman on bass, Sasha Brustinov on keyboards, Ziv Fisher on drums, Eric Garcia on guitar, Jacob Shulman on saxophone, and Derek Zimmerman on percussion. The song was written by Daniel Shulman, who has played bass for Garbage and is currently performing with The Halloween Jack, alongside Gilby Clarke (Guns N' Roses), Stephen Perkins (Jane’s Addiction), and Eric Dover (Alice Cooper).
The Superfan Podcast is a production of Superfan Media. Season One’s episodes have been edited by Bryant Dillon with production help by Fanbase Press, who are title sponsors of Season One’s episodes. The Superfan Podcast logo is designed by Criswell Lappin, former Creative Director of the legendary Metropolis Magazine, whose design work can be seen at criswelllappin.com.
“We’ve been quietly working on the podcast for quite some time, bringing together an incredible group of talented people,” said Hyde. “Our goal from day one is to create something unique, something fun and joyous. The idea is that these might be the conversations you’d overhear at a great party – and everyone’s invited."
You can listen to the Superfan Podcast via:
For more information, follow the Superfan Podcast on Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube and visit https://superfanmedia.net. For behind-the-scenes information, dessert and cocktail recipes, and show notes, follow the Superfan Signal Substack, which will have paid subscriber-only content.
