What separates a technically solid comic from one that grabs three Marvel editors by the throat at the same time? That question leads John through Jason Aaron’s early career, the difference between having technical chops and possessing a distinct creative voice, and why no stack of screenwriting books can manufacture the magic. David then puts Dynamite’s Thundarr the Barbarian revival to the test, complete with Jason Aaron, Kewber Baal, Kirby-fueled nostalgia, mutant motorcycle rats, and a genuinely surprising victory for the bad guys. From there, John unearths Star Rider and the Peace Machine, a 1982 Canadian comic magazine packed with Captain Canuck resentment, suspicious global alliances, and one extremely committed Richard Comely. David fires back with Swords of the Swashbucklers, launching a larger argument about superhero flaws, team infighting, creator-owned momentum, and why Batman should still be allowed to get hit in the back of the head once in a while.

Captions:

“Knowing all the rules doesn’t make you a good writer. If it did, everybody who read Save the Cat would be one.” — John on why craft books cannot manufacture creative instinct

“I want to surprise and delight on every page—and I’m not talking about the reader. I’m talking about myself.” — David on keeping his own writing unpredictable

“The bad guys win, John.” — David discovering that Thundarr the Barbarian is willing to wreck the nostalgic safety net

“It won’t be biased at all. He’s just reporting the facts.” — David on Richard Comely investigating his own Captain Canuck dismissal

“Some guy hit Batman in the back of the head? You can’t do that. He’s the greatest crime fighter who ever lived.” — John on superheroes becoming too flawless to generate real tension

Splash Page:

[00:24] – The San Diego Time-Travel Incident: John and David attempt to preserve podcast continuity by pretending their Comic-Con panel has already gone perfectly.

[01:40] – Three Editors, One Comic: John remembers himself, Nick Lowe, and Axel Alonso arriving at Marvel with copies of Jason Aaron and Cameron Stewart’s The Other Side.

[02:41] – The Spark Beyond Technique: John explains why a distinct voice matters more than merely producing technically competent pages.

[06:50] – Save the Cat Cannot Save You: The guys wrestle with whether good writing can be taught, measured, or reduced to a dependable formula.

[10:35] – The Sun Sword Correction: John calls Thundarr’s weapon a laser sword and is immediately educated.

[12:06] – Thundarr Changes the Verdict: David’s Jack Kirby appreciation tour leads to a surprisingly enthusiastic reassessment of Dynamite.

[19:43] – Canadian Comics Go Nuclear: Star Rider and the Peace Machine delivers Captain Canuck resentment, bargain-bin space opera, and a four-page global conspiracy article.

[34:02] – Let Hawkeye Be an Asshole: A discussion of Swords of the Swashbucklers becomes an argument for flawed heroes, team tension, and superheroes who are still allowed to fail.

Support the Corner Box:

David Hedgecock (https://funtimego.com) - The Corner Box Co-Host

John Barber (https://www.pugworldwide.com) - The Corner Box Co-Host

The Corner Box (https://www.thecornerbox.club) - Official Website

Dive Deeper Into the Back Issue Bin:

Jason Aaron (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jason_Aaron) - Writer of The Other Side, Wolverine: Weapon X, Bug Wars, and the new Thundarr the Barbarian series that kicks off the episode’s larger discussion about creative voice.

Jack Kirby (https://kirbymuseum.org) - Legendary artist and designer whose visual work helped define Thundarr the Barbarian and inspired David’s recent appreciation tour through Kirby’s career.

Kewber Baal (https://www.instagram.com/kewberbaal) - Artist bringing Thundarr’s ruined future, mutant creatures, and sword-swinging action to the Dynamite series.

Michael Cho (https://www.michaelcho.com) - Artist behind the main Thundarr covers, using a bold retro approach that channels the visual power of Kirby-era comics.

Richard Comely (https://comelyart.com) - Captain Canuck co-creator and the driving force behind Star Rider and the Peace Machine, including its comics, publishing grievances, and startling conspiracy material.

Tom Grummett (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Grummett) - Veteran superhero artist whose early work appears inside Star Rider and the Peace Machine before his later runs on major Marvel and DC titles.

Bill Mantlo (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Mantlo) - Prolific Marvel writer and co-creator of Swords of the Swashbucklers, known for loading his teams with personality clashes, arguments, and constant dramatic friction.

Jackson Guice (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jackson_Guice) - Artist and co-creator of Swords of the Swashbucklers, delivering heavily rendered spacecraft, pirate ships, alien technology, and oversized painted pages.

Colleen Doran (https://www.colleendoran.com) - Acclaimed artist who contributed two issues to the Swords of the Swashbucklers limited series after the original graphic novel.

Daniel Warren Johnson (https://imagecomics.com/creators/daniel-warren-johnson) - Writer-artist behind Transformers, Do a Powerbomb, and the newly announced Chainkata, representing the healthy movement between major characters and creator-owned work.

Tradd Moore (https://www.traddmoorecomics.com) - Distinctive artist and writer whose move toward new creator-driven material helps fuel the closing discussion about the state of comics.

Thundarr the Barbarian (https://www.dynamite.com/htmlfiles/viewProduct.html?CAT=DF-Thundarr_The_Barbarian) - Dynamite’s new comic revival of the animated series, written by Jason Aaron and illustrated by Kewber Baal.

The Other Side (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Other_Side_%28comics%29) - Jason Aaron and Cameron Stewart’s Vietnam War series that immediately caught the attention of several Marvel editors.

Bug Wars (https://imagecomics.com/comics/series/bug-wars) - Jason Aaron’s creator-owned fantasy series, cited by David as part of the writer’s recent run of surprising and adventurous work.

Captain Canuck (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Captain_Canuck) - Richard Comely’s Canadian superhero and the source of the publishing history, resentment, and unfinished business simmering throughout Star Rider and the Peace Machine.

Star Rider and the Peace Machine (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Comely) - Comely’s short-lived 1982 magazine combining illustrated fiction, young artistic talent, publishing commentary, and an alleged global conspiracy.

Swords of the Swashbucklers (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swords_of_the_Swashbucklers) - Bill Mantlo and Jackson Guice’s science-fiction pirate epic, launched as Marvel Graphic Novel No. 14 before continuing as a 12-issue series.

Micronauts (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Micronauts_%28comics%29) - Mantlo’s celebrated Marvel series, discussed as an important earlier collaboration point for the creators behind Swords of the Swashbucklers.

Chainkata (https://imagecomics.com/press-releases/multiple-award-winning-do-a-powerbomb-transformers-dynamo-daniel-warren-johnson-to-launch-epic-new-series-chainkata-this-november-from-image-comics) - Daniel Warren Johnson’s newly announced Image Comics series featuring chainsaws, space combat, and the kind of gloriously impractical weapon editors once might have rejected.