John Siuntres
John Siuntres

About

1 on 1 interview show featuring the creative minds behind Comics TV Film Novels & Animation. Hosted by Chicago Pop Culture expert, John Siuntres

  • Olan Soule: The Forgotten Knight of Batman Voice Actors
    Today on Word Balloon, we’re diving into the legacy of Olan Soule — the original animated Batman — and the long, fascinating TV career that made him a cornerstone of early superhero entertainment. And there’s no better guide for this conversation than...
  • Jeremy Adams Talks DC KO and more
    A new talk with writer Jeremy Adams — digging into his personal takes on Flash Gordon, Green Lantern, and Aquaman, and what draws him to (and challenges him about) each iconic mythos. They get into how classic pulp energy, cosmic storytelling, and...
  • Trek Watch Starfleet Academy Teaser Scene Review
    Get ready — on this episode of Trek Watch, we break down the brand-new sneak preview for Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, dropped at CCXP 2025 before the official premiere on January 15. We talk about what the clip reveals: the fate of the U.S.S. Athena...
  • Best of 2025 Al Ewing Marvel and DC Greatness
    Another great talk from this year with acclaimed comics writer Al Ewing with deep-dives. First into two legendary mythic heroes: Thor and Metamorpho.Ewing explores the mythic roots, narrative shifts, and creative challenges behind modern takes on...
  • Fear Agent 20th Anniversary Celebration – Remender, Moore & Hawthorne
    Two decades after it crash-landed into comics, Fear Agent is still one of the most ferocious, heartfelt, and inventively insane sci-fi adventures ever put to paper. For its 20th anniversary, we bring together the core creative team — Rick Remender,...
  • WB 3001 Marty Pasko 2015 pt 2
    - Pasko and I continue our wide-ranging discussion on comics, television, and animation — expanding into old-time TV, behind-the-scenes film and show business, and the sometimes surprising roots of comic-book properties. - They talk about the...
  • Word Balloon #3000 – Part 1: A Classic 2015 Conversation with Martin Pasko
    For this landmark 3000th episode, we’re opening the vault for a special two-part conversation from 2015 with the late Martin Pasko — writer, editor, historian, and one of the sharpest, funniest minds ever to shape modern comics and genre television....
  • Best of 2025 Christopher Cantwell pt 2 Crime Comics and 2026 TV Plans
    We discuss Chris's books Out Of Alcatraz from Oni Press , Kid Maroon from Vault, and his upcoming season of The Terror Siler In Black on AMC next year
  • Best of 2025 Christopher Cantwell pt 1 DC Marvel Star Trek and More
    - In this 2 part chat, Chris and I talk about his comic book hits - Star Trek: Redshirts (IDW) — Cantwell’s latest project, a take on the classic “redshirt expendables” trope from the Star Trek universe. The conversation touches on the creative...
  • Mike Norton A Dog's Life Battlepug Krypto and More
    In this episode, Mike Norton returns to dig into three big projects at very different stages of his creative journey. We kick things off with Battlepug Vol. 3, fresh off his successful Kickstarter campaign. Mike talks about building the latest chapter...
  • Origins Of 100 Bullets w Azzarello Risso and Johnson
    The 2016 100 BULLETS Panel brings together the full creative hit squad: writer Brian Azzarello, artist Eduardo Risso, and cover artist Dave Johnson for a raw, no-BS conversation about their landmark Vertigo crime saga. Recorded live at a 2016...
  • Christos Gage on Marvel Battleworld, DC Dark Legion and the Streaming Wars
    In this wide-ranging conversation, writer Christos Gage digs into the creative madness behind his Marvel Battleworld mini-series. A multiversal romp where time-displaced heroes and villains collide. Gage breaks down how he approached juggling...
  • Happy Belated Birthday Jerry Ordway
    Here's my first in-depth interview with Jerry Ordway, focusing on his legacy in the Superman mythos, his work on the Justice Society of America (JSA) and All Star Squadron, his role in creating/working on Infinity, Inc., and other characters he helped...
  • Aw Yeah Podcast: “The Shoemaker” (Feb 2014)
    In this February 2014 episode of the Aw Yeah Podcast, the boys slip on the boots for a free-wheeling pop-culture marathon they lovingly call “The Shoemaker.” A big celeb name dropping episode. It’s one of those classic hangout sessions where every...
  • Mike Gold pt 2 Beyond The Bronze Age
    We continue the 2020 conversation with Writer Editor Mike Gold who made his mark at DC and First Comics. The topics include... - Overview of the 1980s era at DC Comics — what the publisher looked like in that decade....
  • A Bronze Age Deep Dive With Mike Gold Pt 1
    From 2020 at the start of COVID, I had this great talk with writer/editor extrordinare Mike Gold. Here are the highlights ... Career Overview — Mike Gold’s background and path in the comics business, including early experiences and how he came to...
  • Comics, Classic Movies & AI: My Unusual Interview with Annie
    In this episode, I sit down with “Annie,” an AI who says she’s a fan of comic books, classic Hollywood, and television shows. This isn’t a gimmick and it’s not a therapy session, it’s an honest look at what happens when humans and AI get into real,...
  • Gabriel Hardman On Batman The Question and Green Arrow
    In this interview, comic-book veteran Gabriel Hardman takes us behind the scenes of his bold, new four-issue miniseries Batman/Green Arrow/The Question: Arcadia — out now under DC Comics’ Black Label. We break down why Bruce Wayne, Green Arrow, and...
  • Tom Scioli on The Twilight Zone, Godzilla, and more
    Comics visionary Tom Scioli joins me for a wide-ranging, brain-melting conversation that jumps from classic TV to kaiju carnage to cosmic storytelling. If you know Tom’s work — GØDLAND, Transformers vs. G.I. Joe, Fantastic Four: Grand Design — you...
  • Book Club: Bendis & the Patrons - Birds of Prey Vol. 1 by Kelly Thompson
    Welcome to another Word Balloon Book Club, where Brian Michael Bendis and the Word Balloon Patreon community get together for a smart, funny, no-BS discussion about one of the hottest titles on the shelves: Birds of Prey Vol. 1 by Kelly Thompson....