Space Ghost with David Pepose

I'm Jason from smoking and drinking in space, a Sci-Fi podcast from a couple guys who think they know Sci-Fi. And I'm rob from smoking and drinking in capes, a superhero podcast from a couple guys who wish they had powers. And we're part of the Gunnigeek network, just like the show you're checking out now. Shows on the network are individually owned, and opinions expressed may not reflect to others, and you can find other cool, awesome, geeky shows@Gunnageeknetwork.com.

And welcome to play comics, where once again, we are here talking to another creator about their cool thing that they're making. Although I can't really say another creator because today's guest has been here with us three times already. You've already heard him talking about Scout's honor, the Oz and the devil that wears my face. That's right, we have David Pepos back again today. This time we are talking space ghost. So, David, how are you?

I'm doing great. Thank you so much for having me. Yeah, I'm very excited to talk about all things Space Ghost, my new series over at Dynamite Entertainment with artist Jonathan Lau. I'm very excited about this book, and more importantly, I'm excited to catch up with you.

Well, yay. I'm happy for that. I need to start this off a little bit differently from the way I usually start these creator talk episodes, just because I'm feeling that that's the way it should happen today.

Sure.

What do I need to know about Space Ghost before I can get into this series from you?

Well, the great thing about Space Ghost of our series on it is that you don't have to watch the original sixties show to understand our book. But for those who aren't familiar with Space Ghost or who only know him as a talk show host from Space Ghost coast to coast, this series is very much reclaiming Space Ghost as the greatest superhero in the galaxy. For those who aren't familiar with him, I say that he's like Batman and Superman by way of Flash Gordon. He shares a lot of DNA with those classic superheroes, but his environment is all across the spaceways. He's fighting all sorts of criminals and hijackers and pirates and evil aliens all across the galaxy. He dives into battle thanks to the power of his inviso belt, which is technology that allows him to turn invisible, as well as his power bands, which are technology that give him laser beams, power over fire, power over ice, as well as an impenetrable force field. And space Ghost teams up with not one, but three sidekicks. He's got teenaged orphans, Jan and Jace, as well as their pet monkey, blip. And together, they fight this really iconic bench of galactic villains, including Zorak, a murderous praying mantis Brack, who's almost a feline kind of space pirate, or metallus armored general of robots. And, yeah, he's just one of those characters that has been a cult favorite for so many years. He was designed by the legendary Alex Toph, and it's one of those things that people either know him from his talk show days on Cartoon Network or the camp of the original 1960 series. And we're trying to take that original vision of space Ghost and reimagining it for the 21st century, and we're really able to kind of dig deeper into the character and his dynamic and how he goes about his adventures in a way that the original cartoons, which usually clocked in at about five or six minutes of pop, never had the Runway to do. So we're really kind of diving into this character in a way that is deeper than anyone has gone before, and we're really able to explore his universe and show readers why he's such an iconic and lasting hero.

So when did Dynamite approach you to do this one, or am I just wrong? And you approached them?

No, Dynamite approached me. It was around New York Comic Con last year. They had just announced that they had entered an agreement with Warner Bros. Discovery to do an entire line of licensed comics based on certain Warner Brothers properties, like Thundercats, Space Ghost, Johnny Quest, the Powerpuff Girls, and more. I have an interesting story with dynamite in that ive known Nick Borucchi over there for over 15 years now. Back when I was a journalist at Newsrama, I covered Dynamite books fairly often. And Nick would actually, he had my cell phone. He would call me and say, oh, hey, we're looking to do an interview on this, that, or the other thing. While I wound up kind of leaving the interview game to focus on reviews and then eventually left the review game to focus on my writing, Nick and I kept in touch, as well as editor Nate Cosby. And so every time I'd have a new book, I would email them and say, hey, I've got this new book coming out. For those who have been following my career, I've been doing a lot of work at Marvel lately. I just did Moon, Knight, City of the dead, and Punisher, both of which just wrapped up. And those books really kind of got me on Dynamite's radar and got me on the desk of Joe Ryban, who said, we've got this new space Ghost book and you're our top pick. And so it was a really wonderful opportunity because the cool thing about space Ghost is, like I said, the original sixties show came out the same year as Adam West's Batman. You could see a lot of the same DNA, but there was really no backstory or continuity, so to speak of because these episodes were so tight. You really only had enough time to kind of, the villain shows up, space ghost fights and defeats them, and then we move on to the next episode. So both dynamite and Warner Brothers said, you know, you can kind of come up with your own backstory for this. You can come up with a brand new continuity. And I thought that was such a gift because, like I said, the sheer potential behind these characters, characters has always been there. Alex Toth was throwing out fastball after Fastball, but nobody really ever had the time or the Runway to dig into these characters or give them additional context. And so we're going to be doing that in a big way for this series. I've likened it to somewhere between Batman, the animated series, and the long Halloween. But we're going to be introducing a whole Galaxy's worth of iconic supervillains for Space Ghost and his friends to face.

So if they're letting you do pretty much whatever you want, does that mean the old DC comics that they had just don't count for anything as far as holding you back and stuff?

Yeah, this is a brand new continuity. And, you know, that that is. That's both something that I consider to be an ethical thing, but also, you know, a legal thing. You know, we don't want to be trying to pull from another publisher's continuity, especially DC actually has two different space coast continuities already. So for this, you know, we're really kind of. We're starting fresh. You don't have to have read or watched anything to get into our series. You'll get to know everything you need to know. We will dole it out as the series goes on. The thing that I really like about the way that we're approaching this series is not only is space goes gonna be fighting through this gauntlet of his iconic foes, but we're also gonna see how he encounters his sidekicks, Jan, Jace, and their pet monkey, blip for the very first time. Our first issue is really through Jan and Jason's eyes. There are our point of view characters in the same way that Kitty Pryde was the point of view character for X Men a generation ago. And so when we first meet Space Ghost, you know, he's this, you know, kind of lone figure of the cosmos who, you know, is stopping pirates of the distant edges of the galaxy, where the galactic patrol won't be able to stop them in time. When we first meet Space Ghost, these twins, they don't really know what to make of this guy. He cuts an imposing figure. But as you'll see, by the end of our first issue, the circumstances will be as such that space Ghost will wind up taking these kids in to his base at Ghost planet. And so every issue, we will see their dynamic continue to evolve from being these rescued orphans, becoming sidekicks in their own right, and then eventually trusted partners, and then eventually sort of a surrogate found family, really giving Space Ghost a chance to reclaim his humanity and giving him a new reason to live. I like that this book is very much a study in contrast, that we do get the high flying cosmic action and adventure and drama, but we also get the heart and the humor and the wonder of it all through the eyes of Jan and Jace. They really are characters that, having rewatched all the original sixties episodes as well as the eighties revival, as well as every comics appearance I could get my hands on, I think have very defined personalities just as much as space Ghost. And so being able to kind of see them grow into their roles as space Ghost sidekicks, and to watch Space Ghost grow into this role as a surrogate father figure, it really is going to give readers a lot of opportunities to fall in love with these characters. And I think if you haven't fallen in love with them by the end of the second issue, I think your heart is made of harder stuff than mine.

How much space Ghost did you watch growing up, or did you have to watch all of that for the first time?

Now, I grew up in the nineties, so, of course, my introduction to Space coast was coast to coast. And it wasn't until I got my start in the industry as an intern at DC Comics that I realized that there was something deeper to this character. When I was at DC, I started learning more about the history of comics and some of the legendary figures that have been a part of this industry. And Alex Toth was one of those names. And I learned that he was the creator and designer of space Ghost. And then I believe they either had a re release of the Joe Kelly and Ariel Olivetti trade paperback, or I somehow got my hands on it while I was interning there. But around the same time, I read Joe Kelly and Ariel Olivetti's run. And that origin story for Space Ghost was almost in the realm of Batman begins, which makes plenty of sense to me given the time that it came out. But it really kind of struck me that, oh, this character is history and that he has had history as a character. That is, even with the camp of the original sixties episodes, was still played straight as a superhero adventure. You know, getting this offer on this project, I thought, oh, like, there's a lot of cool stuff in there. There's so much. There's. There's DNA of Batman, there's DNA of Superman, there's DNA of Flash Gordon. We can really play around with a lot of fun archetypes. So, yeah, I took the time and I just. I watched every episode. I took detailed notes. When I pitched Dynamite and Warner Brothers on my concept, I gave them a 30 page pitch document. The only document longer than that was my notes document for every episode, which I think topped out at like 40 something pages. I know this universe backwards and forwards at this point, but I always say I did the homework so you don't have to. If you're a newcomer, this is a perfect opportunity to dive in and get to know these characters and get to know all these iconic and architects, typical villains that space ghost fights. But if you're a die hard fan, we've also got tons of Easter eggs and cool things for you to cool, references for you to glom onto. So my goal is to really kind of try to appeal to newcomers and die hard fans alike.

And do you know how they got Jonathan Lau involved?

Yeah, Jonathan. I've been such a fan of Jonathan since his work on Green Hornet with Kevin Smith. And so when we were talking about artists that have worked with Dynamite who might be a good fit for Space Ghost, Jonathan was the first one that really popped out at me. I love that he's able to really nail the action bits of everything. Everything feels really exciting and explosive, but also he nails the emotional beats. We have a sequence in our second issue that I wrote and thought, oh, this would be interesting, this will be cool. And then Jonathan turned it in, and it's like the most beautiful sequence in any book that I've ever written. Just really, like, nails the appeal of a character like Space Ghost. But then, you know, a page or two later, we see Jan and Jace just hanging out at Ghost Planet, and you see how engaged they are and you see the emotion behind them. And the fact that I have an artist who can do both is really exciting, because I think he understood when I sent him the pitch document that this book really is a study in contrast. It is its action, but it's also emotion that we want to. We want you to fall in love with the characters so that you feel the tension when they're in the middle of something, when they're in the middle of danger. And so, yeah, you know, he really has done such an incredible job on this book, and he also, he draws, like a terminator. I mean, he really. He's cranking out issues fast. I think by the time that this series comes out, we will be farther along on this, on a book than I have ever been on a book's release date. We are, like, moving real fast, and if anything, that's been my biggest challenge is just to make sure I stay ahead of him. But, yeah, Jonathan is just a sensational artist. I couldn't be happier with the work that he's doing. Our colorist, andrew DALHouse, is also doing fantastic work. Jonathan brought him onto our book by request, and I had worked with Andrew on a miles Morales short over at Marvel. I'm so thrilled with the. The mood and emotion and energy that Andrew brings to the table. And then rounding it all out, our letter. Taylor Esposito. Taylor has been a friend for a long time. Taylor actually introduced me to my very first colorist in the business, the late Jason Smith. And so I owe taylor my career, really. ANd so it's been wonderful to FinAlly get to team up with him on a book. He's really kind of adding so much energy and warmth and even humor to the book. So, yeah, you know, I feel like I'm working with a team that we all feel very passionate about. Space ghost. We all feel very passionate about this story, and so it really. I think it's inspiring all of us to bring our collective a game.

I want to make sure I understand what you just saId. Right. Is this somehow the first time you've worked with Taylor?

Yeah, this is the first. Well, we work together on a two page anthology short that has yet to see the light of day. But, yeah, this was the first time that Taylor and I have ever worked together. We've been friends for years, but, yeah, we've never actually had a chance to work together in a gig before.

That just seems weird. With all of the things that I see both of you on, I would have sworn that you somehow run across each other.

The stars have finally aligned, and the.

Stars are aligning in space, which works out really, really well.

Yeah, no, and I know he's very excited about this book. He's just a lovely guy. I'm very happy to be working with him.

So you keep bringing up contrast. And what I really want to know is, how is Blip going to compare to the monkeys you have in the Oz?

Very different blip. So the way that I have approached these characters, Blip is Jan and Jace's loyal pet. We see the three of them from the very opening pages of the book, even before we see space go. And without spoiling too much, you'll get a little bit of an inkling by the end of the first issue. But Blip is more important than, you know, he's the surprise character. He's the one who you don't expect much, and then he winds up doing something that'll surprise you, or that winds up saving the day. You know, he's a very fun character. And I actually have a blip centric issue planned a little bit later on. That, if it goes as planned, might be my favorite issue of the whole run. So he's really fun. But it's also, you know, like I said, the study of contrast is a really good way to describe space Ghost and his dynamic with Jan and Chase. You know, Jan and Chase, the way that I approach them, you know, I said, they're Dick Grayson and Barbara Gordon by way of Lex and Tim from Jurassic park. They are an interesting sort of super ego and id. They also, I think, are. They speak to something very personal to me in my upbringing, in that my younger siblings are triplets, so I understand the psychology of multiples very, very well. I grew up with them. And so, for me, my siblings were born a minute apart, but that minute changed the entire hierarchy of how they've grown up. You know, the oldest, quote unquote, by two minutes. He acts like the oldest. He's the alpha, he's the top dog. Whereas my baby sister, two minutes behind, you know, everybody dotes on her as the baby of the family, whereas my other brother is like. He is the most middle child you've ever met. And so that was something I really took into consideration with Jan and Jace. For me, Jan is the oldest, she's the responsible one. She's sort of been put in a situation that a lot of girls, when they're the only girl in the family, find themselves in, whereas they have to think things through, especially when Jace won't do it, and even when sometimes space goes through, won't do it. But that also means that Jan is feisty. She's the one who will call out space ghost in his crap to his face. And we have a fun sequence in one of our early issues where she lets space ghost habit, and space ghost kind of hightails it out of there, because he would much rather deal with fighting an energy monster than he would dealing with the wrath of a 14 year old girl. And she's also a crack shot with a blaster. She's the tough one out of all of that. She feels like in the wake of the tragedy that has sort of shattered her family, she feels like she has to kind of keep everything together. She feels like she has to be the responsible one, because if she isn't, then this will all just kind of break apart. Whereas Jace is the impulsive one. He's the little brother. I don't know if we'll ever get a chance to mention it in text, but I've always sort of viewed him as a kid who was dyslexic. Probably wasn't a natural in the classroom, but he's great with his hands. A natural mechanic. You know, he's a. He's a born pilot. He's also the guy who kind of sometimes leaps before he looks, but he's also very quick with a joke. He's the one with the sense of humor. He's probably a little bit emotionally closer to blip than he is Jan in terms of maturity level. But that's also his way of kind of coping with. With tragedy is that he's the one who, you know, Jan and Space ghost, they all have their own degree of tragedy spurring them on. And so he's the one trying to kind of keep things lighter. He's the one trying to make everybody laugh in his own form, of people pleasing. So having them, you know, kind of bounce off each other is really fun. And then watching how that affects space Ghost when we meet him, he's a force of nature. You know, he clings to the shadows. He's somebody who will scare the hell out of a pirate before beating him senseless. But that said, he's very good at dealing with pirates, but he hasn't really been great at being a human being. Without spoiling too much, space Ghost has been spurred by his own personal tragedy. And so he's been living on ghost planet for many years, and it's been an isolating experience. He kind of goes out and he stops pirates that the galactic patrol can't or won't stop. Then he comes back home. So he hasn't really had an opportunity to be social. His life is not built for children, and so that causes a little bit of fun, dramatic friction between these four characters is that they all kind of have to grow into each other a little bit. When I pitched this book, I said on the very first page, this is the story of how Space ghost binds is humanity again. And it's because of those kids, I will say that's sort of the greater trajectory of our series, is that he goes from kind of being this gruff lone crusader to being this sort of begrudging father figure. And then eventually these kids really do become his reason to live. And I think that's what makes me love these characters so much, is that I see already, just even in the early issues, I can see them already starting to care for one another. And I already have plans for how we, you know, how we push that and accelerate that for when our series.

Is going to hit its bigger crescendos at this point. And we're recording this March 14, so obviously things can change after now. But do you know how long of a run are they letting you have on this?

Well, they've given me a very generous Runway to date. I've given them plans for over a year of storytelling. I know Michael Cho, our variant cover artist, said he was booked up for twelve covers already. You know, barring any catastrophe, knock on wood, I've got a pretty long Runway on this. I mean, this will be my longest run to date on any title. And it's kind of nice because we've really taken great pains to maximize this Runway. A lot of these stories that we're telling in space Ghost are going to be self contained. They're going to be a lot of done in one stories that sort of feed into a greater kind of meta arc. But like I said, Space coast has such a deep bench of iconic villains, I wanted to make sure we hit as many of them as we could. And I think a lot of the books that I'm really responding to today and that I think the market is really responding to today, they do a lot of dun and one stories. You see Ryan North's fantastic borer. You see Steve Orlando's Scarlet Witch. You see Jed McKay's moon knight. And so that was a lesson that I wanted to take for Space Ghost, is that if you pick up an issue of our series, you're going to get a self contained, exciting chunk of a story. And then we'll save our two parters for, like, the big moments for when space Ghost is really on his heels, when he's fighting the biggest beds. And then, you know, maybe, maybe a three parter down the line for something that's really massive. But, yeah, I think it's been a nice way to kind of structure this book. Like I said, the long Halloween was a big influence on that, but making sure that every issue feels like you've got not just the outer story of the adventure of whatever villain that space Ghost and company are fighting this month, but also kind of an interior story as well, which is just watching space Ghost, his dynamic, evolve with these sidekicks. So it's really been, I think, a real gift of a series to write, if you like some of my work on, say, savage Avengers or even Spencer and Locke, although this book is certainly not as grim or as bleak as Spencer and Locke, but if you like those kinds of books in terms of the found family elements of it all, I think you're going to find a lot to like about space Ghost.

What have been the challenges for you? Writing for something that gets to be ongoing like this, versus something that, you know, for sure is going to be three or four or five issues, and that's it.

Honestly, I think it's been easier, you know, because it gives you a more Runway to get to know these characters. It gives you more Runway to try different things. I think when you're writing for a tight Runway like a four issue mini series like Punisher was, or a five issue miniseries like Moon Knight, City of the Dead, you come up with so many ideas, and it becomes, honestly a challenge to just figure out what's the right one. What's the idea that feels like the most effective fit? Because sometimes you will come up with a whole bunch of ideas that do not go together. And so then you kind of have to, like, sort them out and prioritize and triage to figure out how do I stitch something together that fits, whereas something with space Ghost, especially because we're taking a single issue, episodic way of doing it, I get to have all sorts of ideas, and I know that I can fit most of them in some. You know, it's sort of fitting it in one issue versus one person or fitting into another. It's. It's a really cool experience to just be like, oh, oh, we're painting on a pretty big canvas. And so I'm vastly enjoying it. You know, I think given how volatile the marketplace is today, there aren't always opportunities to do longer runs like this. And so, you know, I pitched dynamite and Warner Brothers 13 issues, and, you know, there's plenty of room for more if we want them. You know, I think that's the cool thing about a character like space Ghost, his deck of villains is just as iconic as Batman or Spider man or the Flash. Like I said, you know, you've got Zorak and Brack and Metallus and creature king and the widow and moltar and the whole council of Doom and other deeper cuts that you might not expect. And so being able to kind of, like, do the Space Ghost world tour essentially through his villains. Yeah, it's the kind of bigger swing that I haven't really had a chance to do since Savage Avengers. And it's. It's a. It's a real gift, honestly. It's a. I don't consider it to be harder. I actually. I think I consider it to be.

More fun for those lucky people who got to get their hands on the ash can because they didn't have monsters like the people at my store who bought them all before I could get there.

Yeah.

Are they essentially getting, like, the first 16 pages and then this first issue will continue, or is there still some changes going to be made or what?

So from what I understand, actually, I also have not gotten a chance to pick up the ash can yet, so that that's on. But in my defense, I'm busy writing more scripts of space Ghost.

You have an excuse, from what I understand.

I believe the ashcan has the first ten pages of the issue, one colored but unlettered. So it's basically an extended preview. But, yeah, for those who have seen it, I mean, most people who've checked out my Twitter page, you can kind of get the gist of what that preview entails. But you see space colony Omicron is being attacked by space pirates. You see some classic space ghost baddies like Tanzan Brago, Juan Lurker as sort of the initial pirate crew. And yes, they are. They are at space Colony Omicron looking for something. And Jan and Jace kind of find themselves trapped in the crossfire. Unbeknownst to them, space Ghost shows up and he. He wrecks these dudes. And this is. It's kind of a cool way of getting a show his powers. But, yeah, it's really the tip of the iceberg. We haven't even kind of scratched the surface, the cool stuff that we're going to see in this. But, yeah, Jonathan Lau and Andrew Dallas did a killer job on that ashcan. And like I said, this is just the beginning. We've got some real cool stuff planned, both for the back half of issue one and beyond. So call your local comic shop, ask them to pre order space goes for you.

Is there a special day that people should make sure that they asked to preorder before to make sure that it can actually happen?

Absolutely. Our final order cut off is Monday, April 8. So if you call your local comic shop between now and April 8 and ask them to pre order space Ghost for you, they should have a copy for you. But yes, calling your local comic shop, it's the best thing you can do for any comic that you're interested in, even a licensed book like Space Ghost. Like I said, I'm committed to this for just over a year. But that said, if the demand is there, there is lots of room to expand. There are tons of deep cut villains that I would love to fit in there that just in terms of space purposes, I wasn't able to do so. But I have ideas for them. I have ideas for lots of them. So, yeah, if you ask your local comic shop to pre order space Ghost, there's. I would love to write more. I am certainly open to doing so. So, yeah, vote with your dollars. Call your local comic shop, ask them to pre order for you.

When I get the store to pre order this for me, because I've gotten there kind of late the past few weeks and I haven't had a chance to tell them to do it yet. How am I supposed to pick a cover.

That is, you know, you can't go wrong? We have so many amazing covers. Francisco Metina, who did our main cover, Jay Lee, who just did an amazing, fiery looking cover. It's my first Jay Lee cover, hopefully not the last. Bjorn Behrens did an amazing cover that was kind of used as the teaser for our announcement for the book. And then Michael Cho doing a retro gold key inspired cover. And like I said, Michael says that he's on for twelve issues. So, yeah, we, we've got some really amazing cover artists. And the great thing is we've also got different variations of all of our covers. We've got blank covers, we've got foil covers, we got virgin covers, we got line art covers, you name it. Ask your comic shop. They will be able to accommodate just about any request.

The only easy decision for me on this is I will definitely not want to get the black blank one because I just like having things on my colors.

I totally get it.

But other than that, I mean, you could almost just spin the wheel and let fate decide for you because you're going to get a good choice.

Yeah, you really can't go wrong on any of these covers. Just, yeah, some real, just, just some killer stuff from all the artists involved, and I would anticipate some more cool covers down the line.

Are you saying that because you've seen them already?

No, I just have not. I haven't seen them yet, but just, you know, Dynamite has a real strong cover game and, yeah, I anticipate some cool stuff coming out of all that.

And this is your first time working with dynamite, right?

Yes, it is my first book with them. And, yeah, they've been really wonderful to work with. Like I said, dynamite and Warner brothers have given me a lot of latitude, me and Jonathan, to really pursue this book in kind of the most dynamic and exciting and character driven way that we can imagine. I'm very happy working with them and. And, yeah, excited to keep this train rolling for some time.

I'm excited for this, too. Everything that I personally have looked at from dynamite has been put together with such quality and care. I mean, granted, with every other publisher, I'm kind of cherry picking what I'm getting from stuff, so there's always that to consider. But just the construction quality on the books and the covers and everything, honestly, it just makes me wish that I had more money.

Well, if you. If you pre order our books, I'm hoping to make sure that it's. That it's plenty of bang for readers bucks because, yeah, my puppy's kibble doesn't come cheap. And so I want to make sure that I am bringing value to our amazing readership, because without them, I wouldn't have this job. So, thank you for everybody listening and everybody buying.

And speaking of your puppy, when are they going to appear in the series? Because I know you're going to sneak them in somewhere.

Yeah, I don't know. You know, I gotta figure out when Ruby's gonna show up. We did have a little nod to Ruby and my moon Knight black, white and blood story. We had a diner waitress named Ruby at Ruby's diner, and that was no coincidence. Yeah, we'll see. I gotta see if I can fit her in anywhere else down the line. Never say never. But, you know, the thing is, like, we already have a pet monkey in this book, so I don't know if we have room for a dog as well. But one of these days I will get old Ruby in another book. Even though she can't read, I know she appreciates the effort.

Of all the people that I've talked to, you are the one that I know would probably be. I'm going to sleepily say top five best at sneaking in your pet.

Somehow I hope so. I've already snuck in my fiance into a fantastic four two parter. So, yeah, I gotta see. I gotta see. I have a few more family members I gotta try to shove in there somewhere, but it might not be this book, but somewhere down the line, I gotta figure it out.

Well, David, it has been great talking to you about all of this. If people want to hear more from you, where else can they find you around the Internet? And what else can they find you on right now in the comic shops?

You can follow me online at Twitter, Instagram, at blueskypposd. You can follow me at David Peppos Comics on Facebook. You can subscribe to my newsletter, peptalks it Lee Pet news. Or you can visit my website, davidpeppos.com, that is under construction because we got attacked by hacker. Yeah, you can follow me in all these places, and I'll be at c two e two in Chicago, San Diego Comic Con in July, and then New York Comic Con, I believe, in October. So, yeah, if you're at any of those shows, flag me down. I would love to chat with you and sign some books for you.

Did you call space Ghost to help take care of the Internet pirates that attacked your site, or did you have to get someone else for that one?

He's looking for them, but it is a big galaxy out there. He is still searching, and he may be distracted by Brack and Zorax. So hopefully one of these days, old Space Ghost will fix my website. But yes, it is currently a work in progress under construction, much like my life.

As always, if you want to hear more from me, you can head on over to playcomics.com, where there's links to all the social media things. Mostly I'm on Twitter because I can't get away. It's Stockholm syndrome. I've said it before, and I will continue to say it. I just cannot leave because it's where my people are. If you want to help support the show, you can be like, oh, no, lit class or Dan McMahon or Carl Antonovitz and help out with Patreon because, you know, hosting the show costs money and stuff. Or you can just leave a review on Podchaser or Apple Podcast, any of those places like that. Tell a friend about it. You know, all those things that just help other people know about the show and hear about the show and go tell the creators that are on episodes like this that you are buying their thing partly because you heard about it on my show. Cause that makes both of us happy. Or all three of us, I guess because you could be happy when you say it too. Dont forget that play comics is a part of the Gunna Geek network, home to such wonderful shows as legends of S h I E l D, where you get to hear me most of the time talk about things that are cool. Like right now were talking about X Men 97 because its super cool. If you like the music that I'm rudely talking on top of, head on over to soundcloud.com. Best day to check out Bestday's music. But most of all, just grab a game, grab a stack of comics, and go find yourself a new favorite character. Oh, I forgot to check audio levels here. Since we got you on what are the three best animals at the zoo?

Three best animals at the zoo. Monkeys and tigers. And tigers.

What are the next three?

Let's see. Polar bears and iguanas and giraffes.

That'll do it.

Great.

All right. The rest of it I will do eventually if it'll stop recording like I told it to because I pressed the button.