It's Avengers week on Talkin' Comics Podcast!

We're celebrating the release of Avengers #1 with a special Avengers mystery box unboxing! We picked up an Avengers blind bag box packed with variant covers, exclusive artwork, and the possibility of finding something really special. Will we pull a sketch cover? Which covers will be our favorites? And why did we end up with two exclusive covers instead of the promised number of blind bags?

This week, AJ and Annakhan also share their weekly comic book pulls, talk about their latest reads, and take a look at what's happening in the world of Marvel Comics.

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Like, comment, and subscribe. Let us know which Avengers variant cover was your favorite and whether you think we could have pulled a sketch cover!

#Avengers #MarvelComics #comicbookunboxing

⏱️ Chapters

0:00 Christmas Decorations and Talking Comics Episode 166

2:20 Remember, Remember the Fifth of November

2:50 This Week’s Comic Book Picks

5:22 Batman: Justice Buster and This Week’s Reading

7:02 Catching Up on Thor and Harley Quinn

10:05 Avengers Blind-Box Unboxing

23:10 Avengers Trivia and This-or-That

36:57 What’s Coming Up This Week

38:27 Weekend Sign-Off

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How do you break into comic book writing? What does it really take to create an independent comic book? And what happens when a comic book story begins with a family's real-life history?

On this episode of Talkin' Comics Podcast, AJ Reimann sits down with comic book writer C.E. Massari for a wide-ranging conversation about the creative journey, the challenges of independent comics, learning from failure, and the remarkable family history that inspired his graphic novel, The Mafia vs. the Clan.

C.E. Massari didn't take a straight path into comics. His writing career began with mixed martial arts journalism before he moved into comics journalism, interviewed industry creators, and pursued his own comic book projects. Along the way, he experienced setbacks, projects that didn't work out, and lessons that helped him develop as a writer.

We talk about why aspiring comic creators should stop waiting for the perfect idea and start making comics, why learning by doing matters, and how setbacks can become valuable experience rather than reasons to quit.

Then we dive into the fascinating story behind The Mafia vs. the Clan. Inspired in part by C.E.'s Italian-American family history, the graphic novel combines historical research, family stories, and creative storytelling. C.E. explains how researching his grandfather's past uncovered details about a tragic family event that had largely faded from the family's collective memory.

We also discuss the responsibility of telling real family stories, the balance between historical accuracy and entertainment, and how a creator can transform years of research into a compelling comic book narrative.

Plus, we discuss comic book collecting, Spider-Man, anime, Marvel and DC, favorite comic runs, and C.E.'s upcoming supernatural comic aimed at teen readers.

Host: A.J. Reimann https://linktr.ee/Talkin_Comics_Podcast

Guest: C.E. Massari @c.e.massari

Please take a look at the current Kickstarter, Accepting Late Backers!

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/cemassari/the-mafia-vs-the-klan

🚀 Don’t Miss Out

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📚 Follow Our Journey Into Comics

👫 Family Friendly

🎙 Creator Conversations

🦸🏼 Learning to Write & Draw

👉 Order The Chronicles of Panel Pete and more at https://www.talkincomics.com/category/comics

Sponsors:

• Allegra Printing – Printing The Chronicles of Panel Pete

👉🖨 For your comic book printing needs please visit Allegra Traverse City (Tell them AJ Sent You) https://www.allegramarketingprint.com...

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⏱️ Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Background

00:11 The Journey into Writing and MMA Journalism

03:02 Transitioning to Comics and Creator-Owned Projects

05:54 Networking and Learning from Industry Professionals

09:03 The Importance of Persistence and Learning from Failure

12:16 Balancing Life Responsibilities with Creative Pursuits

15:04 The Value of Doing and Practical Experience

21:14 The Importance of Creating Comics

26:01 Exploring Personal Stories in Comics

26:29 The Mafia vs. The Klan: A Historical Narrative

37:18 Family History and Its Impact on Storytelling

50:48 Exploring Family Heritage and Storytelling

53:13 The Importance of Crafting a Compelling Narrative

55:06 Personal Connections to History and Ancestry

55:23 Comic Book Influences and Early Memories

57:17 Imagining Superpowers and Sidekicks

01:04:05 Life as a Comic Book: Master of None

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🎃 HALLOWEEN COMICS, SUPERHERO TRIVIA & OUR WEEKLY COMIC BOOK HAUL! 🎃

Welcome back to Talkin' Comics Podcast! AJ and Annakhan are back for Episode 164, and we're celebrating Halloween with new comic books, superhero trivia, spooky comic book characters, and plenty of comic-loving fun!

This week, we're showing off our latest comic book pickups, talking about what we've been reading, exploring some classic Thor moments, and testing our comic book knowledge with Halloween-themed Marvel and DC trivia.

Host: A.J. Reimann https://linktr.ee/Talkin_Comics_Podcast

Co-Host: Annakhan

🗯️Find our comic books, merch, trading card art, and more!: https://www.talkincomics.com/

📰Sign up for our newsletter 🗨 Get your FREE preview of The Chronicles of Panel Pete https://talkincomicspodcast.substack.com/

🎥 🎞️ We Didn't Just Make a Comic... We MADE the Comic. Hit the Notify me on lunch to support this documentary made by Talkin’ Comics Podcast! https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/641500179/we-didnt-just-make-a-comic-we-made-the-comic

🫵 Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/c/TalkingComicsPodcast

👉 Order The Chronicles of Panel Pete and more at https://www.talkincomics.com/category/comics

Sponsors:

• Allegra Printing – Printing The Chronicles of Panel Pete

👉🖨 For your comic book printing needs please visit Allegra Traverse City (Tell them AJ Sent You) https://www.allegramarketingprint.com...

Printing-Comic Books-Fliers-Prints-Business Cards-Rack Cards-Promotional Items-Etc

⏱️ Chapters

0:00 Welcome to Episode 164 and Halloween Excitement

1:16 Weekly Pulls: Wonder Woman, Absolute Batman and More

4:29 Bad Seeds Covers and Harley Quinn Finds

7:12 Yellow Bird Comics' Store-Exclusive Absolute Batman Variant

8:54 What We Read This Week

11:15 Thor Dives: Captain America Loses His Name

14:07 Question Time: The "Same Answer" Game

21:55 Halloween Comic Trivia

25:36 This or That: Halloween Edition

28:00 Bonus Questions: Haunted Mansion or Vampire Castle

29:58 Harley and Elvira, and Next Week's Reading

30:48 Sign-Off: Halloween Plans and Clocks Back

#TalkinComics #ComicBookHaul #ComicBookTrivia #MarvelComics #DCComics #HalloweenComics

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