JT Wheatley
102 episodes listed below
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A rambling and too brief history podcast on the people, companies and events that make up the great comic book medium.
Based on 5 episodes we listened to · September 2026
JT Wheatley makes comics history legible through the careers, deadlines, production methods, and credit disputes behind familiar characters.
JT Wheatley tells comics history through the people who drew, inked, wrote, and managed the stories. His biographical narrative history follows careers such as those of John Romita Sr., Vinnie Colletta, Bill Finger, and George Tuska, connecting individual working lives to…
Bill Finger's long-missing Batman credit could make you check every name in the fine print.
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Short reviews from the PlayNext desk, based on the episodes we processed.
A clear, craft-minded look at how John Romita Sr. found his Marvel rhythm before Spider-Man.
John Romita Sr.'s Marvel story is framed around a difficult handoff: a return to Marvel in 1965 after earlier Timely Atlas work and a stretch at DC, followed by the looming task of succeeding Steve Ditko on Spider-Man.
A steady working artist's career bends through a comics downturn, demanding strip deadlines, and Buck Rogers' fading reach.
George Tuska's career gives this history episode a sturdy spine: a comic-book artist whose working life ran from the Golden Age into the 1990s, with newspaper strips becoming the next route when the early-1950s sales downturn cut off his comic-book work.
A measured look at Vinnie Coletta's warmth, speed, and disputed work on Jack Kirby's Thor pages.
Vinnie Coletta comes through as a comic-book stylist shaped by pressure, speed, and constant company. His studio sounds less like a quiet workplace than a social stopover, open day and night, with police officers using the phone and friends moving through its club-like orbit.
A fan's continuity question opens into Crisis on Infinite Earths and the production pressure behind it.
A fan letter about a continuity conflict gives Crisis on Infinite Earths a more human entry point than its reputation might suggest. The episode follows Gary Thompson's question to Marv Wolfman before widening into the event's production history, from George Perez's densely…
A clear, grounded look at how Bill Finger helped shape Batman while Bob Kane received the public credit.
Bill Finger remains one of Batman's essential hidden architects, the writing partner whose ideas helped carry the character from Detective Comics number 27 into lasting pop culture life while Bob Kane held the public credit for much of Finger's lifetime.
Continuity arguments at Marvel speed.
Comics talk with memory, tangents, and teeth.
This episode explores the early life of Stan Lee, from his birth as Stanley Lieber in 1922 Manhattan to his childhood during the Great Depression, highlighting his family's immigrant background and the entertainment influences that shaped his future career in comics.
This episode explores the 1993-1994 Deathmate crossover between Image Comics and Valiant Comics, detailing its troubled production and impact on the comic book industry.
This episode explores the origins of Image Comics in the 1990s, detailing how Marvel and DC's dominance was challenged by empowering artists with creative control.
This episode explores the origin story of Hellboy from Mike Mignola's comic 'Seed of Destruction', detailing his WWII resurrection by Rasputin, upbringing by Professor Broom, work with the BPRD, and differences from the movie adaptation.
This episode explores the historical rivalry between Marvel and DC comics, tracing DC's origins back to 1935 with New Fun Comics and its early financial struggles.
This episode discusses the horror comic series 'Locke & Key: Welcome to Lovecraft' by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez, exploring its plot, atmosphere, and artistic merits.
This episode discusses the manga adaptation of the sci-fi novel 'All You Need Is Kill', exploring its time-loop narrative about a soldier fighting aliens and its connections to video games and upcoming anime adaptations.
This episode discusses the classic horror comic miniseries '30 Days of Night' by Steve Niles and Ben Tipplesmith, exploring its plot, characters, art, and Hollywood adaptation.
This episode explores the early history of crime comics, tracing their origins from 15th-century broadsheets through 19th-century crime periodicals to the emergence of detective magazines and comic strips.
This episode discusses Frank Miller's 1995 Sin City one-shot 'Silent Night', a mostly silent Christmas-themed comic featuring the character Marv on a brutal yet beautiful Christmas Eve stroll.
This episode reviews 'Holiday Knights,' the Christmas special and first episode of The New Adventures of Batman & Robin, detailing its three holiday segments featuring Batman villains.
This episode explores the essential role of comic book inkers, focusing on Joe Sinott's legendary contributions to Marvel's classic visual style from the 1960s to 1980s.
This episode explores the history of Fiction House, a pulp publisher that entered the comic book industry during its golden age, known for hiring diverse creators and featuring strong female characters, which eventually led to conflicts with censors.
This episode explores the history of pulp magazines as the precursor to American comic books, detailing their format, influence on writers and characters, and eventual decline.
This episode explores how DC Comics attempted to fix its continuity issues with Crisis of Infinite Earths, only to be beaten to the punch by Marvel's Secret Wars crossover event.
This episode explores the life and career of Whilce Portacio, the 'odd man out' among Image Comics founders, focusing on his artistic journey, family background, and unique position in the comic book industry.
This episode explores the history of horror pulps in the 1930s, detailing their origins, key publishers like Harry Steger and Harry Donenfeld, and their influence on future comic book companies like DC and Marvel.
This episode explores the Marvel vs.
This episode explores the 1990s speculation crash in the American comic book industry, detailing how speculative buying led to a devastating collapse and tracing its origins back to the 1970s direct market system.
This episode explores the history of war comics, focusing on British publications like Battle Picture Weekly and their various storylines from the 1970s onward.
This episode introduces the horror-comedy comic series 'The Goon' by Eric Powell, focusing on its first collection 'Nothing But Misery' and highlighting its blend of dark humor, action, and adult themes.
This episode explores the creation and development of DC's war comic hero Sergeant Rock, detailing his first appearances and the creators behind the character.
This episode explores Alan Moore's definitive 1984 run on Swamp Thing, highlighting its horror elements, character evolution, and lasting impact on the series and adaptations.
This episode continues the history of Fiction House comic book publisher, focusing on its Big Six comic series, their marketing strategies, and the influential 'good girl art' style that defined the company.
This episode continues the biography of comic book artist Joe Kubert, covering his U.S.
This episode details how comic book artist Joe Kubert documented his friend Irvin Rust Magic's harrowing experiences during the Bosnian War through faxes, which inspired a graphic novel.
This episode explores the early life and family background of Joe Kubert, a foundational but underappreciated comic book professional whose legacy of working professionalism set industry standards.
This episode explores the origins and early history of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, focusing on the backgrounds and influences of creators Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird.
This episode explores the life and career of Jim Valentino, one of the founders of Image Comics, detailing his unique background, influences, and contributions to the comic book industry.
This episode explores the early life and career beginnings of comic book artist Jim Lee, focusing on his childhood as an outsider, artistic development, and path to becoming a key figure in Image Comics.
This episode explores Todd McFarlane's role as a leader in founding Image Comics and his impact on the comic book industry.
This episode explores the life and career of comic book artist Marc Silvestri, focusing on his role as an Image founder and the controversies surrounding him.
This episode analyzes the 2019 Shazam movie as a Christmas classic, praising its adaptation of DC Comics, fun tone, and heartwarming family themes.
This episode explores Joe Kubert's career at DC Comics, including his work on Sergeant Rock, collaborations with artists like Sergio Argonas, and his dream opportunity to illustrate Tarzan.
This episode explores the transition of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles from comics and cartoons to live-action movies, focusing on production decisions and key figures like Mark Friedman and Steve Barron.
This episode explores the life and legacy of Osamu Tezuka, known as the god of manga, while tracing the historical origins and evolution of manga in Japan.
This episode continues the history of Kitchen Sink Press, focusing on its publications in the early 1980s including works by Will Eisner, Robert Crumb, and other comic creators.
This episode explores the history of war comics, focusing on the character Phantom Eagle from his origins in Fawcett Comics through various Marvel reboots and alternative reality versions.
This episode concludes the history of war comics by examining modern examples like Combat Zone, Pride of Baghdad, and adaptations of conflicts such as the Iraq War and The Troubles.
This episode explores the early life and career of Erik Larsen, focusing on his journey from high school dropout to creating Savage Dragon as one of Image Comics' founders.
This episode explores the early history of war comics, focusing on Milton Knife's influential works like Terry and the Pirates and Steve Canyon, set against the backdrop of World War II.
This episode concludes Stan Lee's life story, covering his rise to celebrity after a disastrous Carnegie Hall event, his frustrating tenure as Marvel president, his final comic writings, and his efforts to expand Marvel through magazines and TV adaptations.
This episode covers the life and career of Frank Miller, focusing on his work in the 1990s and his involvement with the Robocop franchise.
This episode explores the history of Kitchen Sink Press, an underground comic publisher known for explicit content that challenged the Comics Code Authority.
["JT Wheatley's Archives segment profiles John Romita Sr., the Marvel artist who took over Amazing Spider-Man in 1965 and helped define the company's look for decades.", "It starts in Brooklyn, where Romita drew with scavenged plaster, traced Action Comics No.
History of Comic Books Podcast profiles George Tuska, the artist who worked from Buck Rogers to Iron Man and said he missed only two weeks of work across his career.
History of Comics Podcast centers on Vinnie Colletta, the inker whose Jack Kirby pages at Marvel and DC still divide comics readers.
This episode begins with a sponsor ad for Viking cruises before presumably diving into the history of comic books.
A fan letter from Gary Thompson about Green Lantern 136-137 and Showcase 100 is the trigger JT Wheatley uses for Crisis of Infinite Earths.
History Comics Podcast centers on Bill Finger, the writer who helped shape Batman with Bob Kane and only received full co-creator credit decades later.
This episode explores the history and creation of the classic comic book Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons.
This episode explores the early life and career of comic book artist Steve Ditko, from his childhood to his work at Charlton Comics.
This episode continues the biography of Will Eisner, focusing on his revival of The Spirit in the 1970s and the controversy over the character Ebony White.
This episode covers the early life of comic book pioneer Will Eisner, from his birth in Brooklyn to his upbringing during the Depression.