Wicked Horror interviews Superfan Podcast co-hosts Kristen Simon and David Hyde!
Just in time for the spooky season, all-new episodes of the Superfan Podcast might are dropping!
Focusing on “the people who make the stories that scare you, ” season three of the Superfan Podcast features co-hosts Kristen Simon (Executive Editor at Mad Cave Studios’ Nakama Press) and David Hyde (Superfan Promotions founder). Kris is a comics industry veteran with over 20 years experience in editorial and events.
For each episode, the co-hosts share a dessert recipe and a recommended cocktail and sometimes a mocktail inspired by the conversation.
The Superfan Podcast hosts are joined by an all-star line-up of award-winning comic book writers and artists who are both experts and enthusiasts of the horror genre. The season’s episodes pair friends and creative collaborators talking about a favorite, shared, spooky obsession.
Listeners will get conversations about David Lynch with the creative team of Oni Press’ eagerly awaited Archie in Hell series: Patrick Horvath, the Eisner Award Nominated creator of Beneath The Trees Where Nobody Sees, and Tyler Crook, the Russ Manning award-winning co-creator of Harrow County. Part of the focus is on “Lynch’s dream-like, extreme, and often horrific and violent filmography, the appeal of his controversial and divisive adaptation of Frank Herbert’s Dune, and the many, many references to The Wizard of Oz in his stories.”
Listeners will also hear from Victor LaValle (Black Panther, The Ballad of Black Tom) and Matt Wagner (Grendle).
For paid subscribers on Halloween, a “fun-sized episode” will be available in which Matt Wagner and Kelley Jones talk about making Dracula graphic novels.
Wicked Horror posed a few questions to David and Kristen to learn more about what’s in store.
WH: Tell us a little about some of the guests coming up on the Superfan Podcast for spooky season.
KS: We’ve got an amazing lineup this season, including recent Eisner and Harvey Award winners Mariko Tamaki and Nicole Goux for their book This Place Kills Me, as well as horror superstars Eric Powell and Steve Niles. We decided we wanted to celebrate our favorite time of year: the spooky season! So we gathered up our favorite spooky comic book people to talk about their favorite spooky things. And they did not disappoint!
You call the podcast a love letter to the stories that inspire contemporary creators. What are some of the tales and authors that get discussed?
DH: This season has had it all!
The third season begins in style with an extra caffeinated conversation about David Lynch with Patrick Horvath, the Eisner Award Nominated creator of Beneath The Trees Where Nobody Sees, and Tyler Crook, the Russ Manning award-winning co-creator of Harrow County. Lynch looms as one of the great directors of our lifetime. That episode has a call-in question from friend of the podcast Paul Pope who asks an interesting question: is Lynch the last of the surrealists?
In episode two the award-winning novelist and comic book writer Victor LaValle and the award-winning novelist, comic book writer and screenwriter Mat Johnson delve into John Carpenter’s first big studio picture, The Thing. Then we’ve got Grendel creator Matt Wagner and the legendary artist Kelley Jones discussing Brian De Palma’s film Phantom Of The Paradise and director Krzysztof Kieślowski’s ambitious TV mini-series The Dekalog. This week, 30 Days of Night co-creator Steve Niles and The Goon creator Eric Powell are talking about their love of the novelist and screenwriter Richard Matheson.
WH: David Lynch certainly made a contribution to cinema of the fantastic. What are some of the points you hit about his work and vision?
DH: In Lynch’s stories there are a lot of dangerous car rides and what I’ll always remember about our conversation is the idea that watching a David Lynch movie is a lot like riding shotgun in the car with Frank Booth: someone else is in control and things are going to get very weird and more than a little dangerous.
Lynch was a painter, musician, a photographer, and the creator of The Angriest Dog in the World cartoon strip. He has inspired filmmakers, musicians, painters, and novelists alike. And his art continues to captivate new generations. We talk about why Lynch’s work continues to resonate and why so many of his movies and shows are so endlessly quotable. And we definitely talk about all the references to The Wizard of Oz sprinkled throughout his stories.
WH: Modern horror certainly owes a great debt to Richard Matheson, yet as you’ve noted, everyone these days might not know his name. What are some points you delve into in discussing the man who gave us I Am Legend and The Legend of Hell House?
DH: Matheson also wrote 16 television episodes of The Twilight Zone. We talk about why he was such a perfect writer for that seminal, spooky show.
But mostly we talk about Eric and Steve’s favorite Matheson stories and what they would recommend as a starting point for people new to Matheson’s body of work.
A highlight of the episode is hearing Steve Niles talk about meeting Matheson, who was generous and charming. People say don’t meet your heroes, but in this case at least, that was absolutely not true.
Matheson was both talented and charming. He’s due for a rediscovery.
WH: You get call ins from some top creators. Who will fans hear from?
KS: We get some great contributions to the discussions from Marjorie Liu and Paul Pope, to name a couple. I think this is one of David’s most fun ideas, because the guests are always so surprised! And the call-in questions and comments are great, I think it really shows how much we all have in common with our fandom crossovers. We’re all just big nerds at heart who want to talk endlessly about the things that excite us!
WH: Not to be too cute, but each episode kind of offers some icing on the cake. What will fans learn about on the, shall we say, tasty side of things?
KS: For the desserts, I decided to simplify things this season. The last couple of seasons I was getting into some somewhat complicated themed recipes, and nobody has time for that! So I took a page out of David’s cocktail book, so to speak, and found very simple, tasty dessert recipes that I tweaked to fit our guests’ topics. For example, David Lynch’s Blue Velvet Cupcakes are really red velvet cupcakes with blueberries inside, and the cream cheese frosting is dyed blue with food coloring. Super easy, and super delicious!
DH: We really want every episode of the podcast to feel like a great conversation at a wonderful party. The recipes are a fun way to keep that conversation going.
The first few free Episodes are Available below on the SuperFan Substack and on YouTube:
Episode 13 Featuring Patrick Horvath
Episode 14 Featuring Victor LaValle
Episode 15 Featuring Matt Wagner
