The Comic Source Podcast

Zach Michaels, Director of Events at Fandom, returns to The Comic Source to preview one of San Diego Comic-Con's most sought-after opening-night events. He discusses how fans can win invitations, the work required to produce the massive celebration, and why San Diego provides an experience unlike any other major convention.
Zach also reveals some of this year's entertainment and activations, including The Coverups led by Billie Joe Armstrong, Xbox and Halo: Campaign Evolved, Suntory's -196 brand, Z2 Comics' And Out Comes the Wolf, and an unconventional pep squad that will be part of the performance.
Beyond the party, the conversation explores Fandom's larger mission of providing a place where every interest—from comics and gaming to anime, movies, television, and reality shows—can be celebrated without one community being elevated at the expense of another.

Jace and Rocky break down all 13 DC releases for the week of July 15, 2026. Nightwing #140 brings Psycho Pirate into Dan Watters' Blüdhaven mystery by tying the city's violence to Medusa architecture instead of the Medusa Mask. Wonder Woman #35 works as a Wonder War interlude that retells Diana's origin through Steve Trevor explaining Wonder Woman's history to Trinity. End of Life #6 has Eddie Stallion try to leave Pluto before his reunion with Sophie convinces him to stay while the Menagerie's assassins keep closing in. Batwoman #5 has Kate Kane rescue Alice by removing her mask and reaching her sister directly, while Mother Despina warns that winning may still mean losing. Deathstroke: The Terminator #5 reveals the person behind the attacks on Slade and ends with a threat to Rose Wilson that she may not survive. Absolute Flash #17 ends the Gorilla City story in tragic fashion with the young Grodd caught between loyalty to his father and his bond with Wally. Batman/Superman: World's Finest #53 highlights Dick Grayson's skills as he tries to break Batman and Superman free from Tyrannus Rex's control in Skartaris. Dark Knights of Steel 2 #1 expands the medieval DC world beyond the original kingdoms as Kara is welcomed into Amazonia, Batman remains separated from the League, and Amanda Waller's secret villainy continues to hang over the larger story. New Titans #37 hints at Static joining the team while giving Kid Devil more spotlight and continuing Spoiler's rise into a stronger leadership role. Lobo #5 has the network ordered to bring Lobo back, only for the executive to put a contract on him and send Lip Bomb after the Main Man. Catwoman #89 pushes Selina deeper into her Gotham war with Black Mask while bringing her connection to Carmine Falcone closer to outright confirmation. Superman Unlimited #15 builds on the Ultra Boy reveal by showing Jon Kent's faith in him pay off, while Superwoman's arrival keeps the Earth-3 story from ending cleanly. Absolute Green Arrow #3 shifts further into Black Canary's investigation as the issue reveals Miraclo, Rex Tyler and anti-aging experiments tied to the billionaires being targeted. They also give a rundown of this week's collected editions, reprints and facsimile releases. As always, all books are ranked from top to bottom and each host gives a Book of the Week pick.

Jace welcomes writer Ben H. Winters and Oni Press President and Publisher Hunter Gorinson for an in-depth conversation about the new Archie #1 and the beginning of Oni Press' ambitious Archie publishing program. Hunter explains how the partnership with Archie Comics developed, why Oni is launching the line carefully with Archie, Sabrina the Teenage Witch and Archie in Hell, and how the publisher plans to preserve the characters' history while giving every book a distinct modern identity. Ben discusses writing Archie, Betty, Veronica, Jughead and the Riverdale cast, drawing inspiration from raising three teenagers, balancing humor with authentic adolescent anxiety and finding the humanity beneath the characters' familiar relationships. They also explore Archie's enormous influence on popular culture, the importance of joyful comics, Fábio Moon's interpretation of Riverdale and what Oni has planned for San Diego Comic-Con. Archie #1 is scheduled for release September 2, 2026.
 
Chapters
00:00 Introducing Oni Press' New Archie Era 00:32 How the Oni and Archie Partnership Happened 03:12 Why Ben H. Winters Said Yes to Archie 05:20 Modernizing Archie for Every Generation 07:34 Choosing Fábio Moon and Kano 11:38 Betty or Veronica? 13:45 Building a Sustainable Archie Publishing Line 16:28 Balancing Teenage Drama, Humor and Optimism 18:50 Jughead's Journal 20:15 Why Archie Comics Are So Hard to Write 23:55 Making Comics Fun Again 27:19 The Fizz of Teenage Potential 29:38 Finding Archie Andrews' Voice 31:31 Archie's Influence on Popular Culture 33:00 The Responsibility of Publishing an Icon 35:16 What Makes Oni's Archie #1 Different 37:40 San Diego Comic-Con Plans 39:35 Why Comic Conventions Matter 42:46 Final Thoughts and Preordering Archie #1
 
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This week on The Comic Source Weekly, Jace breaks down the biggest comic book news for the week of July 8, 2026. The lead story is Skybound, Image Comics, Hasbro and Crystal Dynamics revealing the first-ever crossover between G.I. JOE: A Real American Hero and Tomb Raider, with Lara Croft making a surprise appearance in G.I. JOE: A Real American Hero #330 before the launch of a five-issue G.I. JOE: A Real American Hero / Tomb Raider mini-series in October. That surprise immediately turned into a sales story as G.I. JOE #330 sold out at the distributor level and was rushed back to print. Jace also covers DC and Skybound's Comic-Con International 2026 plans, Daniel Warren Johnson launching Chainkata at Image Comics, Do A Powerbomb Black & White #1 selling out, Ignition Press adding new creators and revealing its SDCC Pavilion schedule, Bad Idea's WARBIRD, Planet Death and SDCC Tiki Party announcements, Judge Dredd crossing over with Biker Mice from Mars, Ghost Machine's Radioactive Revolution cover contest, Oni's Fort Psycho Comic in a Can and Sabrina first look, Universal Monsters: Frankenstein Black & White Special, Mike Mignola's Circus of Bones art book, Zero Instance from Comixology Originals, and the Waypoint Kickstarter. Plus, Jace looks at what hit for the week of July 8, counts down the Prana Bestseller Top 10 for the week of June 30, and highlights books coming up on Final Order Cutoff. The Comic Source Linktree: https://linktr.ee/thecomicsource #ComicBooks #ComicBookNews #TheComicSource
00:00 Hook, Intro and Housekeeping 03:22 G.I. JOE / Tomb Raider Crossover and #330 Sellout 06:03 DC Unveils SDCC 2026 Lineup 09:04 Skybound Announces SDCC Panels and Exclusives 10:59 Daniel Warren Johnson Launches Chainkata 12:20 Do A Powerbomb Black & White #1 Sells Out 13:12 Ignition Press Creator Wave and SDCC Pavilion Schedule 17:17 Bad Idea Block — WARBIRD, Planet Death and SDCC Tiki Party 20:13 Judge Dredd / Biker Mice from Mars Crossover 21:25 Ghost Machine Radioactive Revolution Contest and Geiger Exclusives 24:43 Oni Press Fort Psycho Comic in a Can 26:01 Sabrina the Teenage Witch #1 First Look 26:54 Universal Monsters: Frankenstein Black & White Special 28:20 Circus of Bones: The Art of Mike Mignola 29:31 Zero Instance from Comixology Originals 30:56 Waypoint Kickstarter 32:21 What Hit 37:36 Prana Bestseller Top 10 44:02 Final Order Cutoff 49:04 Closing

Artist Gyula Németh joins Jace to discuss his work on the VeeFriends Topps Chrome trading-card set. Gyula explains how his years creating artwork for Panini's Kaboom inserts led to his involvement with VeeFriends, how Gary Vee's original character sketches are reinterpreted by different artists, and why preserving each character's established personality can make the process more challenging than illustrating a real athlete.
Gyula also reveals which monsters became his favorite characters to draw, discusses the revisions behind some of the finished cards, and reacts to seeing rare collectibles featuring his artwork listed for extraordinary prices. The conversation concludes with a broader look at the accessibility of card collecting and its ability to connect collectors across generations.
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Chapters
00:00 Introduction 00:31 What Are VeeFriends? 00:58 How Panini Kaboom Led to VeeFriends 02:43 Reimagining Gary Vee's Original Character Sketches 04:19 Drawing Athletes vs. VeeFriends Characters 05:18 Revising the Gorilla's Personality and Expression 06:31 Gyula's Favorite VeeFriends Characters 07:41 Rare Erupt Cards and the $99,000 Listing 09:00 VeeFriends, Pokémon and Collecting as a Family 10:33 Why Card Collecting Reaches More Generations Than Comics 11:55 VeeFriends Cards at Conventions 12:38 Where to Follow Gyula Németh 13:15 Closing