Podcasts about DRM

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Send us a textWords can trigger audits, budget panic, or calm execution, and few words carry more weight than “leak” and “breach.” We unpack the real differences, the legal and regulatory implications of each, and how precise language shapes incident response. From there, we get hands-on with CISSP-ready concepts—data states, DLP, CASB, DRM, minimization, sovereignty, and sensitivity labels—and translate them into moves you can make this week.We start by mapping data states—at rest, in transit, in use—and explaining why data in use often deserves the strongest controls. You'll hear how teams over-index on storage encryption while under-protecting live workflows, and how to fix that with device posture checks, least privilege, just-in-time access, and application-layer monitoring. Then we dive into data minimization: setting clear retention rules, automating deletion, and killing the “we might need it someday” habit that inflates breach impact and eDiscovery pain. Along the way, sensitivity labels become the glue for governance, tying classification to access, encryption, and audit.Next, we stress-test common tools. DLP is great at stopping careless exfiltration but struggles with insiders who have legitimate access, so we show how to tune policies, coach users, and add approvals for mass exports. DRM protects intellectual property but introduces compatibility and friction; we outline how to pilot it with high-value content and measure productivity impact. For cloud journeys, CASB delivers visibility into sanctioned and shadow SaaS, enforces consistent policies, and even helps manage data egress costs—vital for budgets and compliance. Finally, we navigate data sovereignty, cross-border flows, and practical tactics like regional storage, masking, and pseudonymization to keep regulators satisfied and data safe.Whether you're studying for the CISSP or leading security strategy, you'll leave with clear definitions, sharper communication, and a toolkit for governing what you keep, protecting what you use, and deleting what you don't. If you found this helpful, subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a teammate who still calls every incident a breach.Gain exclusive access to 360 FREE CISSP Practice Questions at FreeCISSPQuestions.com and have them delivered directly to your inbox! Don't miss this valuable opportunity to strengthen your CISSP exam preparation and boost your chances of certification success. Join now and start your journey toward CISSP mastery today!

Toward the end of our last conversation with Grant Morrison, they mentioned how they would soon be returning to comics, writing a new Batman story. We were ecstatic to hear, but we could not have possibly imagined that the new Batman story would actually be a DC/Marvel Comics crossover featuring the Hollywood darling Deadpool. Even better, it's a reunion between Morrison and his Klaus collaborator, Dan Mora, which also features numerous backup stories by other rad creators, including Scott Snyder, James Tynion IV, Joshua Williamson, Hayden Sherman, Tom Taylor, Bruno Redondo, Amanda Conner, G. Willow Wilson, and Denys Cowan. The comic is possibly the most surprising book of the year, but not as surprising as Morrison's willingness to return to the show for an in-depth discussion all about it. You're in for another treat, friends. Our Grant Morrison Batman/Deadpool conversation is full-spoilers. You must read the comic before pressing play. If you read the book quickly, as our Brad did the first time, you'll probably miss a great deal. The comic is crammed with Easter eggs and winks, many of which we eventually caught, and a few others we did not until Grant Morrison pointed them out to us. Dan Mora and Grant Morrison's Batman/Deadpool is very different from Greg Capullo and Zeb Wells' Deadpool/Batman, which Marvel ran point on a few weeks ago. It's a fun adventure, but it's also a story commenting on comics, crossovers, and the writer/reader's relationship with the fourth wall. Initially, the team-up between Batman and Deadpool felt a little cynical, and/or capitalistic - and it's still that! However, given Grant Morrison's relationship with Animal Man and smashing the fourth wall, Deadpool is kind of the perfect character for them. Batman/Deadpool also allows Grant Morrison to right a wrong that occurred in the pages of...well, read the comic first, will ya? Dear listeners, welcome to Grant Morrisoin's Revenge! We get into it with The Writer, discussing their initial idea for the crossover, their evolving relationship with the fourth wall, and what they hope for future DC and Marvel crossovers. Batman/Deadpool #1 is out now from DC Comics. “The Cosmic Kiss Caper” is written by Grant Morrison, illustrated by Dan Mora, colored by Alejandro Sánchez, and lettered by Todd Klein. If you wish to continue this conversation with Morrison, follow them on their Website, Substack, Instagram, and Bluesky. This Week's Sponsors This November, Event Horizon: Dark Descent, the terrifying comic book prequel series to the classic, 90s, hellraising sci-fi film, reaches its epic third issue, and if you always wanted to know the gory details about exactly what went down when the Event Horizon crew were transported to hell, this is the issue you cannot miss. From writer Christian Ward and artist Tristan Jones, Event Horizon: Dark Descent #3 lands in comic book shops on November 12th courtesy of IDW Publishing, with a killer cover by Jeffrey Alan Love and a variant cover by Chris Burnham. "The dead have appeared to me — and there is something else loose upon the ship. If you can hear me, it may be too late for you. LIBERA TE TUTEMET EX INFERIS!" Are you ready to face the future? Look no further than 2000 AD – it's the Galaxy's Greatest Comic! Every week 2000 AD brings the best in sci-fi and horror, featuring characters like Judge Dredd, Rogue Trooper and more! Get a print subscription to 2000 AD, and it'll arrive at your mailbox every week, and your first issue is free. You'll also receive the HUNDRED PAGE 2000 AD Christmas Special this December at no extra cost! Or, subscribe digitally, and you can download DRM-free copies of each issue for only $9 a month. That's 128 pages of incredible comics every month for less than $10! Head to 2000AD.com and click on ‘subscribe' now – or download the 2000 AD app and start reading today! Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode: Subscribe to The Stacks, Comic Creators Name Their Favorite Comics Previously on CBCC: Grant Morrison on All-Star Superman Live at New York Comic Con: The Massive Comic Book Podcast Crossover Final Round of Plugs (PHEW): Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY. The Comic Book Couples Counseling TeePublic Merch Page. And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren. Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts. Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators. Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.

In this week's episode, we discuss the advantages of digital content ownership for both readers and writers. This coupon code will get you 50% off the audiobook of Cloak of Ashes, Book #3 in the Cloak Mage series, (as excellently narrated by Hollis McCarthy) at my Payhip store: CLOAK2025 The coupon code is valid through November 24, 2025. So if you need a new audiobook this fall, we've got you covered! TRANSCRIPT 00:00:00 Introduction and Writing Updates Hello, everyone. Welcome to Episode 277 of The Pulp Writer Show. My name is Jonathan Moeller. Today is November 14th, 2025, and today we are discussing the benefits of owning your own content for both readers and writers. Before we get to our main topic, we will start off with Coupon of the Week and then a progress update on my current writing, publishing, and audiobook projects. First up is Coupon of the Week. This week's coupon code will get you 50% off the audiobook of Cloak of Ashes, Book #3 in the Cloak Mage series (as excellently narrated by Hollis McCarthy), at my Payhip store. That coupon code is CLOAK2025. And as always, the coupon code and the links to my Payhip store will be available in the show notes. This coupon code is valid through November 24th, 2025, so if you need a new audiobook for your Thanksgiving travels this month, we have got you covered. Now for an update on my current writing, publishing, and audiobook projects. I'm pleased to report the rough draft of Blade of Shadows is done. This will be the second book in my Blades of Ruin epic fantasy series. Right now, it is just about exactly as long as Blade of Flames. It may be a little longer or a little shorter depending on how editing goes since there's some stuff I'm going to cut out, but there's also some scenes I'm going to add. I also wrote a short story called Elven Arrow. Newsletter subscribers will get a free ebook copy of Elven Arrow when Blade of Shadows comes out, which will hopefully be before American Thanksgiving at the end of the month. I'm about 23% of the way through the first editing pass, so making good progress there and hope to keep up with the good progress. I am 11,000 words into Wizard-Assassin. That will be my next main project once the Blade of Shadows is published and probably the final book I publish in 2025, because I think the first book I do in 2026 will be Blades of Ruin #3, if all goes well. In audiobook news, the recording for Blade of Flames is done and it's gradually making its way out into the world (as excellently narrated by Brad Wills). I think as of the time of this recording, the only place where it's actually live is Google Play, but hopefully more stores will come online soon, and it would be cool if the Blade of Flames audiobook was available everywhere before Blade of Shadows came out. Hollis McCarthy is still working on Cloak of Embers and we hope to have that to you before the end of the year, if all goes well. So that's where I'm at with current writing, publishing and audiobook projects. 00:02:25 Main Topic: Digital Content Ownership as a Reader and Writer Now let's move on to our own topic, the ownership of digital content as both a reader and a writer. As the digital revolution has gone on and on and put more decades behind it, people are increasingly building very large digital content libraries and it's an increasingly tangled point of law what happens to those digital libraries when for example, their account gets suspended, or for example, someone else dies and wants to leave their Steam library of games to their heirs. We're today going to be focusing on digital content ownership for readers and writers, and we'll start with readers. Although the price of an ebook and print book of many traditionally published books are roughly the same at this point (and sometimes bafflingly, the ebook versions cost more), the rights you have as the owner of the ebook copy are substantially less powerful. In fact, technically speaking, you aren't actually the owner of an ebook purchased from Amazon or other retailers. It's more accurate to say that you purchased a long-term conditional lease. As a side note, I'm talking about this from the perspective of United States Copyright law and ebook/audiobook stores there. The laws and standards in your own country may be different. Also, I am not a lawyer and nothing in this episode should be taken as legal advice. You obtain legal advice by hiring a lawyer licensed to practice in your jurisdiction. But now back to the main argument. In America, there is something known as the First Sale Doctrine. This section of the US Copyright Act allows physical media to be lent out and resold, among other things. For example, someone who purchases a physical book is considered its owner and the publisher can't take it back from them. The physical version of books can be used in libraries or as classroom materials until they literally fall apart, unlike their electronic equivalents, which face complicated licensing agreements that generally offer far less favorable terms of use for a much larger cost (especially for libraries and academic institutions). In the US, electronic content ownership is covered by contract law instead of the First Sale Doctrine. Although each seller has their own licenses and standards, a few things tend to remain consistent across those licenses: the inability to lend or resell the content, the inability to remove DRM from the content, and the right of the seller to alter or even remove the content. Ownership is not a right guaranteed for digital content. There is an American lawsuit currently challenging Amazon Prime Video and its use of words like "purchase" and "buy" for its video content. The lawsuit accuses Amazon of misrepresenting a heavily conditional license as a purchase, giving the average customer the impression that they own the content in perpetuity. Amazon lawyers argue that the average customer understands the difference, but frequent outrages over content being removed from users' libraries suggests otherwise. Here are four reasons owning your ebook content is important. #1: Keeping access to the content if the company closes or gets bought out. One of the early leaders in the US ebook store market way back at the start of the indie revolution was Sony. When their Sony Reader store closed, they gave readers the option to migrate their libraries to Kobo. Books that were not available through Kobo were not able to be transferred, so some purchased content was lost for readers. A more egregious example comes from, as you might expect, Microsoft with the closing of the Microsoft ebook store in 2019. When the store closed, they offered refunds instead of giving readers an opportunity to self-archive or transfer their purchases. Any margin notes taken by readers were lost, and they were given a $25 credit for the inconvenience. Although refunding customers was a good gesture, it's not a guarantee that readers are able to repurchase the ebooks elsewhere or even that the price would be the same when they did. As an aside, I spent a good chunk of time in 2018 trying to figure out how to get into the Microsoft ebook store and then finally gave up because it was too complicated, which in hindsight turned out to be a good decision. Owning your ebooks outright gives them independence from the store that you bought them from. #2: Keeping content from being altered. Ebooks can be altered anytime. Most of the time these changes are harmless, such as updating a cover, fixing a typo, or adding a preview chapter. I do that myself all the time. Every time I get typo corrections, I upload a new version. Yet there is a potential for books to be edited or censored from the original copy that you purchased. Chapters could be removed, scenes altered, or in extreme cases, the entire book could be removed. Owning a hard copy means that you have a version that cannot be changed without your knowledge. #3: The ability to self-archive. Most ebook stores use a form of digital rights management (DRM) that makes it difficult to transfer or permanently store your collection outside of their collection or library. Trying to do so is a violation of the license you purchased from the store, so I won't discuss how to do that. Amazon recently made self-archiving more difficult by discontinuing the feature to download and transfer Kindle books via USB. Finding DRM-free ebook stores is important if you want to organize and store your ebook collection as you see fit. Two examples of stores with DRM-free ebooks are Smashwords and direct [sales] sites like My Payhip store. Other stores like Kobo have a dedicated section devoted to DRM-free ebooks. #4: Keeping your reading habits private. Companies like Amazon track reading data, mostly out of a desire to sell you similar books or ad space. They track what you're reading, the amount of time you spend reading, your reading speed, and the highlights that you make in a book. Now, most of the time this is generally pretty harmless. It's mostly used for…you look on Amazon, you see that the section "customers who enjoyed this book also enjoyed this". Then if you use the Kindle app on your phone a lot, it has a lot of badges and achievements and it tends to be used for that kind of thing. However, there could be sinister undertones to this, especially if you're reading things you would prefer other people not know about. So if this concerns you, if there are some settings that you can adjust, but if you want complete privacy, outright ownership of your ebooks is the way to go. So what is the easiest way to own your own ebooks as a reader? The easiest way and perhaps the safest way to own your content outright is to buy print copies of books. That said, buying direct from authors or finding ebooks that have more favorable license terms is easiest way to own your ebook purchases. One of the reasons that opening a Payhip store was important to me was I gave my readers a chance to outright own purchased copies of my work and self-archive them in the way that they saw fit, if that was important to them. The price is the same on my Payhip store as other ebook or audiobook stores (and sometimes even cheaper if you're using Coupon of the Week). The ebooks and audiobooks there are DRM-free and untethered from specific stores and companies. You have the option to download files in a variety of file formats and store them in a way that makes the most sense to you. Buying direct also gives a greater share of the sale price to the authors, especially in the case of audiobooks. In conclusion, ebooks lag behind print books in terms of ownership rights for purchasers here in the United States (at the time of this recording). That said, you can be an informed consumer by reading terms of use carefully and educating yourself to make sure that you have the most possible access to your purchased content. Now, we've covered that from the reader side, and let's look at it from the side of the content creators, specifically writers. This can also apply to other content creators such as musicians, and we're going to use a very famous example for that, Taylor Swift. The general public learned about the importance of fully owning your content as a creator during the long and very public battle between musician Taylor Swift and the record company that sold her work to a private equity firm associated with someone she personally disliked. She owned the copyrights to the works (along with her various collaborators), but not the masters, the specific recordings of each song. As long as she didn't own her masters, she didn't have control over song choices for her public performances, the label releasing older content against her wishes, or how her music would be licensed out for commercial use. Swift reasserted control by rerecording old albums (a strategy previously used by the musician Prince), which gave her ownership of these new masters and devalued the original masters to the point where she could later afford to buy them outright. Many artists, including Olivia Rodrigo, credit Swift for helping them to negotiate adding the ownership of their masters into their contracts. As predatory as the publishing industry can be, the music industry tends to make them look like rank amateurs in terms of sheer evil. So it is a testament to her popularity and business success that she was able to convince them to do this. The world's most famous pop star taught millions of fans that owning your work is the ultimate goal of a creative. Why is ownership of your work important for writers specifically and not just American pop stars? We'll discuss six reasons why it's important for content creators and specifically writers in this episode. And as a reminder yet again, I'm talking about this from the perspective of United States law. Laws and standards in your own country may be different. Also, I am not a lawyer and nothing in this episode should be taken as legal advice. You obtain proper legal advice by contacting a lawyer licensed to practice in your jurisdiction. So with that in mind, let's get into the topic. What is ownership as a writer? Writers generally keep the copyrights to works they sell to publishers. Writers are essentially selling the right or a license to produce and distribute their book in a certain format, language, and geographic area. Most of the time, geographic area rights are sold separately. For example, rights for the Harry Potter books are owned by Scholastic in the United States and Bloomsbury in the United Kingdom. Sometimes writers will keep the rights in a specific format, like when I signed with Tantor to give them the audio rights to the first five Frostborn books while keeping the rights to my print and ebook formats. What writers lose in the process of selling to publishers is the ability to control how their work is marketed, packaged, and sold. They do not have the freedom to make major decisions such as when a book is released or where it is marketed. Today I am going to share six reasons that retaining ownership is important for writers and what things you generally sacrifice when you sign with a traditional publisher instead of self-publishing or indie publishing. #1: Creative control. It is not standard to have complete control over your book's cover design. Often an artist is able to submit suggestions to the designer, but the publisher has ultimate authority over the book's cover. Sometimes covers end up being wildly inappropriate for the book, but the author has no recourse. The same is usually true with the ability to pick an audiobook narrator or change anything about the narration. At times, writers (especially new ones) are pressured into changes they do not want by editors. The surest way to completely lose all creative control is signed with a book packager like Alloy Entertainment. If you want to hear the story of how L.J. Smith was fired from her own series due to a plot dispute with that publisher, YouTuber Jenny Nicholson covers it in her epic length summary of The Vampire Diaries show. Although a certain paycheck from a book packager is tempting, you'd be wisest not to create any fictional characters or worlds for this type of publisher for that reason. #2: Dead Series Syndrome. If the first book in a series does not sell well, the publisher tends to abandon the series. The next book in the series might be ready for publication, but they're not obligated to publish it if they suspect it will not be profitable. Unfinished series are extremely common in traditional publishing, unfortunately. Writers who are locked into a contract for a series are generally out of luck putting out the books on their own. Even if they put out later books on their own, not having the rights to the first book in the series makes it difficult for a writer to sell and market subsequent books. I had a series (Demonsouled) that I wanted to continue even though the first book was released by my publisher. I was able to get the rights back for it and then was able to self-publish this rest of the series. This was much easier to do 14 years ago than it is now. Modern contracts, especially from larger publishers, are not so generous in letting authors do this. It would be much easier to start as a self-published author and have full control over the trajectory of your series and make sure readers are able to finish it instead of waiting for a contract to elapse or fighting a difficult, hard to win battle to get the rights back. #3: The ability to change. One of the perks of owning your book is the ability to make quick changes that react to data. For example, I was able to retitle the Stealth and Spells series fairly quickly when it became immediately clear upon release that some found the original title confusing. A traditional publisher would likely not have bothered to make the effort unless there was a legal reason for doing so. The ability to change covers, repackaging books in different ways (like omnibus editions), and to make quick changes to the book on the fly (such as fixing typos or continuity errors), is the unique privilege that comes with owning your own work. Publishers are slow to make these types of changes, if they do it at all. #4: Profit. Writers typically only receive an advance (an initial lump sum) when working with a traditional publisher. The complexities of publisher accounting usually ensure that only great successes receive royalties, and often even those that do can take a while to reach that benchmark. Royalties are typically doled out quarterly or semi-annually, for those who make enough to receive them. The earning statements are fairly byzantine. It's hard for the average person to understand them fully to make sure they're being paid exactly what is owed to them. Owning your own work and publishing yourself means that you keep all of the profit after the cut taken by the ebook store and whatever you pay cover designers, editors, and so on. You can see all of the sales as they come in and don't have to wait for those two to four royalty checks each year in order to get paid. It's much easier to make a living as a writer and to feel confident that you can pay others when you have more accurate data on the money coming in. Indie publishing sacrifices the certainty of an advance for a far, far greater share of the profits in the long run. Additionally, agents typically take a 15 to 20% commission on author earnings, and they are an essential part of the process in traditional publishing. It's just about impossible to get foot in the door with traditional publishing without one. Most self-published writers don't bother with an agent, which means they're able to keep that cut of the money and don't have to shape their work around the preferences and whims of an agent. They also spared the stress and hassle of working with an unethical or bad agent (of which they're unfortunately far too many). #5: Professional freedom. The publisher decides when the books are released or if they're released at all. Are you ready to publish a book two months after the first one is released? Too bad. A publisher is not going to put out the next one that quickly. The traditional wisdom of publishing schedules seems wildly out of date in the content-heavy modern world, where algorithms reward recent titles and frequent publishing. Publishing more often also helps fans stay connected to your work, and frankly, it's much easier to make a living as a writer putting out several books a year instead of just one. Additionally, traditionally published writers do not control how a book is marketed. Are you upset that your book is being marketed as a romance when you think it's complex literary fiction? Too bad. It's not your call. In fact, writers may be contractually obligated to post content to their social media pages written or approved in advance by the marketing department at the publisher. You might have to put your name publicly to marketing copy you dislike or disagree with in order to not violate your contract. In a related vein, you might find that if you post heavily on your social media pages about political or controversial topics, you may be reprimanded by the publisher or in some cases, have your contract canceled entirely. Although indie authors aren't immune from social consequences of what they post, no publisher is holding them back from posting what they want just because they're writers and the publisher is scared of what the shareholders might think. #6: The publisher being sold. One of the biggest problems for traditionally published writers is when their publisher is sold to another one. This may mean restructuring that takes away staff they worked with a long time (like a favorite editor being replaced by an inexperienced one). As smaller publishers are eaten up by the larger ones, you might find that your books become an afterthought and you don't have any power to fix that. You might even have to fight to get paid what you're owed in your own contracts, which writers of Star Wars books found out when Disney acquired Lucasfilm. Apparently when Disney bought Lucasfilm, it decided it no longer owed royalties to several writers of Star Wars tie-in novels that Lucasfilm had published and weren't going to pay them until it went public and caused a bit of controversy. Finally, a settlement was reached. This is sort of the shifty behavior that Disney is well known for in certain circles, and it is something you have to watch out for with large publishers and media conglomerates. The easiest way to keep this from happening is, once again, to publish yourself and keep ownership of your work. In conclusion, when traditional publishing was the only way to become a writer, their restrictions and control were something you had to live with because you had no other option. Now that self-publishing is extremely accessible and traditional publishing is shrinking, it's no longer worth making the trade-offs that authors once had to in order to gain readers of their work. Although I never actually listened to a Taylor Swift song all the way through, her career and business ventures are proof that owning your work as a creative is the best way forward. Ownership should be the starting point, not the end goal of anyone who values creative control and fair, transparent payment for their creative work. So that is it for this week. I hope that illuminated the importance of owning your own work, especially if you are a writer or other creative. Thanks for listening to The Pulp Writer Show. I hope you found the show useful. A reminder that you can listen to all the back episodes at https://thepulpwritershow.com. If you enjoyed the podcast, please leave your review on your podcasting platform of choice. Stay safe and stay healthy and see you all next week.

Send us a textCheck us out at:  https://www.cisspcybertraining.com/Get access to 360 FREE CISSP Questions:  https://www.cisspcybertraining.com/offers/dzHKVcDB/checkoutGet access to my FREE CISSP Self-Study Essentials Videos:  https://www.cisspcybertraining.com/offers/KzBKKouvA graphing calculator running ChatGPT might make headlines, but our real job is keeping sensitive data from walking out the door. We break down the data states that matter most—at rest, in transit, and in use—and show how to pair encryption, access control, and monitoring without drowning in complexity. Along the way, we share a pragmatic blueprint for classification and labeling that teams actually follow, from visual tags and watermarks to tightly governed upgrade and downgrade paths that keep owners accountable.From there, we zoom out to strategy. Risk tolerance drives control selection, so we talk through scoping and tailoring: how to apply NIST and ISO 27001 sensibly, where GDPR and HIPAA come into play, and why focused logging beats “collect everything” fantasies. You'll hear the real differences between DRM and DLP—licensing and usage enforcement versus data path control—and when each tool earns its keep. We also lay out transfer procedures that work in the wild: SFTP with verified keys, email encryption, FIPS‑validated USBs, and restricted cloud shares with time‑boxed access.Cloud isn't a blind spot when a CASB sits between your users and SaaS. We explain how a CASB delivers visibility into shadow IT, enforces policy across apps, integrates with identity for conditional access, and even helps you rein in egress costs. Tie it all together and you get a layered, test‑ready approach that helps you pass the CISSP while protecting what matters most. If this helped sharpen your plan, follow the show, share it with a teammate, and leave a quick review so we can keep building tools that move you forward.Gain exclusive access to 360 FREE CISSP Practice Questions at FreeCISSPQuestions.com and have them delivered directly to your inbox! Don't miss this valuable opportunity to strengthen your CISSP exam preparation and boost your chances of certification success. Join now and start your journey toward CISSP mastery today!

Palabras clave: iVox, IA, Términos de servicio, Investigación y Ciencia, BUP, FP, Cosmología, Digitalización, DRM, Scientific American, CZUR, Epson, Brother ADS 4100, Guillotina, OCR, Recursos Humanos. ### Comentarios sobre Plataformas y Patrocinadores ### Historia Personal y la Revista Investigación y Ciencia ### Equipamiento y Proceso de Digitalización de Libros ### Menciones Adicionales

A podcast doesn't last without the support of its friends. We're beyond grateful to fellow comic book maniacs like Badr Milligan of The Short Box, Chris Hacker and Aaron Knowles of The Oblivion Bar, and David Harper of Off Panel. Hopefully, you already subscribe to these shows, and if not, after this week's episode, you will. In October, we assembled in the Javits Center basement during New York Comic Con in an effort to share our four unique vibes with a single crowd. Weeks later, you can now experience the MaCoBoPoCro Event (or, Massive Comic Book Podcast Crossover Event). And, guess what? If video is your thing, you can actually watch the event on the Comic Book Couples Counseling YouTube page. This Week's Sponsors This November, Event Horizon: Dark Descent, the terrifying comic book prequel series to the classic, 90s, hellraising sci-fi film, reaches its epic third issue, and if you always wanted to know the gory details about exactly what went down when the Event Horizon crew were transported to hell, this is the issue you cannot miss. From writer Christian Ward and artist Tristan Jones, Event Horizon: Dark Descent #3 lands in comic book shops on November 12th courtesy of IDW Publishing, with a killer cover by Jeffrey Alan Love and a variant cover by Chris Burnham. "The dead have appeared to me — and there is something else loose upon the ship. If you can hear me, it may be too late for you. LIBERA TE TUTEMET EX INFERIS!" Are you ready to face the future? Look no further than 2000 AD – it's the Galaxy's Greatest Comic! Every week 2000 AD brings the best in sci-fi and horror, featuring characters like Judge Dredd, Rogue Trooper and more! Get a print subscription to 2000 AD, and it'll arrive at your mailbox every week, and your first issue is free. You'll also receive the HUNDRED PAGE 2000 AD Christmas Special this December at no extra cost! Or, subscribe digitally, and you can download DRM-free copies of each issue for only $9 a month. That's 128 pages of incredible comics every month for less than $10! Head to 2000AD.com and click on ‘subscribe' now – or download the 2000 AD app and start reading today! Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode: Subscribe to The Stacks, Comic Creators Name Their Favorite Comics CBCC at NYCC: Michael Walsh and Tristan Jones CBCC at NYCC: Alex Firer and Fred C. Stressing CBCC at NYCC: The Doughboys CBCC at NYCC Watch The Harvey Awards on Popverse Comic Book Film Club 11/16 at 5 PM EST: The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp at the Winchester Alamo Drafthouse, co-sponsored by Four Color Fantasies Final Round of Plugs (PHEW): Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY. The Comic Book Couples Counseling TeePublic Merch Page. And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren. Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts. Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators. Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.

In this week's episode, I take a look at my direct sales for 2025, and consider six lessons for improving direct sales. I also answer a reader question about Kobo Plus. This coupon code will get you 50% off the audiobook of Shield of Battle, Book #5 in The Shield War series, (as excellently narrated by Brad Wills) at my Payhip store: SHIELD2025 The coupon code is valid through November 17, 2025. So if you need a new audiobook this fall, we've got you covered! TRANSCRIPT 00:00:00 Hello, everyone. Welcome to Episode 276 of The Pulp Writer Show. My name is Jonathan Moeller. Today is November 7, 2025, and today we are discussing how I had a 300% increase in direct sales for 2025 so far, and the challenges that might pose. We'll also have Coupon of the Week, an update on my current writing progress, and a reader question about Kobo Plus. First up is Coupon of the Week. This week's coupon code will get you 50% off the audiobook of Shield of Battle, Book #5 in The Shield War series (as excellently narrated by Brad Wills) at my Payhip store, which seems appropriate because we're talking about direct sales. That coupon code is SHIELD2025 and as always, links to my store and the coupon code will be in the show notes for this episode. This coupon code is valid through November 17th 2025. So if you need a new audiobook for this fall, we have got you covered. Now for an update on my current writing progress. As of this recording, I am 70,000 words [into] Blade of Shadows, the second book in my Blades of Ruin epic fantasy series. That puts me on chapter 16 of 20, so I'm about three quarters of the way through. I think the rough draft is going to land at about 85 to 90,000 words. So if all goes well, I'm hoping to finish that rough draft next week and hopefully get the book out before Thanksgiving, but we'll see how the rest of this month goes. I'm also 8,000 words into Wizard-Assassin, which will be the fifth book of my Half-Elven Thief series. If all goes well, I want to have that out in December, which will make it the final book I publish in 2025. In audiobook news, Brad Wills is working on recording Blade of Flames, the previous book in the Blades of Ruin series and good progress is being made there. And Hollis McCarthy is also working on the audiobook of Cloak of Embers, which was Book 10 in the Cloak Mage series. So if all goes well, we should have both of those audiobooks to you before the end of the year. So that is where I'm at with my current writing and publishing and audiobook projects. 00:02:00 Thoughts on Kobo Plus Let's talk a little bit about Kobo Plus before we move on to our main topic. A reader recently asked if I made more money from sales on Kobo from direct sales on the Kobo platform or through Kobo Plus, which is Kobo's subscription service. And the answer is, well, it depends. My primary answer always is that readers should read my books on whatever platform they prefer and which is most convenient for them (with the exception of piracy). As for the specific details, it gets a little bit more complicated. I suspect at this point more Kobo readers use Kobo Plus than actually buy ebooks off Kobo. Like in September alone (which is the last month I have complete figures for), 75% of my Kobo revenue came from Kobo Plus. So very clearly not having my books in Kobo Plus is a non-starter of an idea. That said, Kobo Plus (unlike Kindle Unlimited) runs off minutes read rather than pages read that KU uses, which makes it a lot harder to game the way some people do with Kindle Unlimited because the system is more opaque. So obviously longer books do a lot better with Kobo Plus and I have a lot of longer books in the form of various omnibus editions. Even a fast reader is going to take a while to get through Frostborn: Omnibus One, so I know for a fact those do quite well on Kobo Plus. So I suspect with individual novels I make less with Kobo Plus than I do with ebook sales, but for the omnibus editions, I make more from Kobo Plus than I do with the individual sales. Overall, I would say if you're a Kobo user and you want to read a book just once, Kobo Plus is probably the economical choice, but if you want to reread the book many times, you're better off buying it outright. For an interesting bit of data, here are my 10 most read Kobo Plus books for 2025 so far. Thanks for reading them, everyone! 1.) Shield of Deception 2.) Cloak Mage Omnibus One 3.) Shield of Battle 4.) Ghost in the Assembly. 5.) Cloak of Illusion 6.) Ghost in the Corruption 7.) Cloak of Embers 8.) Dragontiarna Omnibus One 9.) Dragonskull Omnibus One 10.) Cloak of Masks So as you can see, there were three different omnibus editions in that Top 10 list, so those do quite well on Kobo Plus. 00:04:00 Main Topic: Six Lessons Learned from a 300% Increase in Direct Sales Now onto our main topic, six lessons learned from a 300% increase in direct sales for 2025. By means of some background, in 2021 I started a direct sales site for my books and audiobooks using the Payhip platform. I'd been thinking about this for some time and the instigation was that at the time I was about to publish Ghost in the Vision. The Barnes and Noble site had problems with a ransomware attack that made it impossible to upload new books to the Barnes and Noble site for about three weeks (if I remember correctly). And obviously this was concerning because I had Ghost in the Vision coming out during that time and I wanted to be able to get it to Barnes and Noble readers, but I couldn't because the Barnes and Noble site was having technical difficulties. So that's when I started using Payhip and mentioned that hey, Barnes and Noble readers, I know I can't upload it to the Barnes Noble site right now, but you can get it from Payhip and obviously Barnes Noble restored the website and I was able to upload a book again, but I kept going with the Payhip site. Why did I do that? Well, as I've said before for direct sales, it makes sense for me to have a place that I could fully control since (barring technical difficulties that we talked about) the main ebook platforms can take a day or two before the books are ready to be sold. And as we mentioned before, sometimes oddities happen and a book can get delisted on a site like Amazon or a site could suffer a cybercrime attack like Barnes and Noble did in 2021. Direct sales also give authors a greater percentage of the profits, especially for audiobooks. The highest rate of royalty I get for any audiobook sales is definitely through direct sales. Progress was slow for getting people to use the Payhip site for obvious reasons. People are locked into the platforms where they feel the most comfortable (the Kindle Library, for example). It takes a lot to get people to change their buying behaviors, but over the last year, I've seen a 300% increase in sales at my Payhip store over what I had made in 2024. And there are six reasons why I think that happened that I'd like to share with you in this week's episode. #1: The first reason is it gives people an alternative. For a variety of reasons, many people are frustrated with Amazon or Google and the other big tech companies and are boycotting them for a number of reasons. If you've paid attention to the news at all over the last five years, you can probably guess what a few of those reasons might be. Others are concerned with the amount of tracking data on these sites and having their browsing data sold as advertising info. Having a direct sales platform gives readers who have these concerns a way to support you. Payhip is great for those with privacy concerns because it provides us with very, very little user data and there's no way to put ads on the site or even sell ad space there. The only customer data I get from a transaction through Payhip is the email address, which is obviously necessary since there needs to be a place to send the ebooks and the audiobooks. I don't sell or share that data with other companies or even other authors, so that is a good way to buy my books while leaving a minimal data footprint that can't be used for any kind of tracking. #2: The second reason and one that I think is about 50% of the sales growth this year, is new releases. And that is because my Payhip site is always the first place to find any of my new releases since I have complete control over the uploads there. How fast books appear on other sites is out of my control and can sometimes take a day or two (or in extreme cases, even longer than that). But I have complete control on Payhip of upload time (so long as Payhip is working and my internet connection is working). Consistently having the new releases available on my Payhip site right away also makes people feel like they're not missing out by shopping there. Having someone to help me with my Payhip store has made that a lot easier to do that consistently over the past couple of years. I did hire someone to help me out with that and it's been light years forward in having all my ebooks and audiobooks available on the Payhip store. #3: Number three, which I think is the other 50% of the reason I had a direct sales increase this year, is Coupon of the Week, which we already listened to on this episode. Coupon of the Week only takes about a minute to set up, but it has been an effective way to get people to buy ebooks and audiobooks at my Payhip site. The discount amounts I use means I'm still getting paid roughly the same amount that I would from a sale on Audible or Amazon, but the reader is getting a pretty substantial discount. Discount amounts are usually 25% off for an ebook or 50% off for an audiobook. It's enough of a discount to make it worthwhile for my readers. I've also been experimenting with discounting entire series in a Coupon of the Week instead of only one book. This change has been good for sales. It lets readers stock up on a whole series for a fraction of the price. That kind of whole series discount is also a good response to (only a few) readers who want omnibus editions that cover every single book in the series, which frankly isn't profitable to me for a couple of reasons. One is that if it's on Amazon, a file that size would incur a significant delivery fee from Amazon, which would cut into the profits. Another reason is that the file size for that just gets to be unwieldy. Frostborn is 15 books and 15 fairly long novels combined into a single ebook file does get pretty unwieldy. #4: The fourth reason and one that has consistently been helpful is the free short stories. Switching ebook platforms is a big change for many readers and it's best to give them a good incentive to do that. The old saying that it's easier to draw someone in with a carrot instead of a stick is true in ebook sales, as is in every other facet of life. Free items are a low-pressure way for someone to try out the site and test out the experience of downloading a book through my direct sales page. Direct sales pages are the best way to have control of free content that you're giving out to readers since price changes on other sites can vary wildly in when they occur, which makes setting up promotions very difficult if you're not sure when the price change will be live on all platforms. It's also a lot easier than what people used to do in the early 2010s for this kind of thing, which is directly email ebook files to readers, whereas having them nicely delivered through Payhip and then the Book Funnel backend is much more convenient. Coupon codes can be too much of a hassle for some readers, and setting up coupon codes on multiple platforms is definitely a massive hassle and can't be done on some platforms as frequently as I would like, so giving away free short stories via Payhip is an effective use. #5: The fifth reason is my direct sales page [content] is DRM free. This winter, Amazon removed the option to download and transfer Kindle books via USB for any books purchased through Amazon, which created a stir on social media even though most readers weren't using the feature and weren't even aware that it existed. What the outrage over the change did was make many people aware that they weren't truly owners of the content they bought from Amazon. It might be your instinct as a writer to put DRM in your ebooks and audiobooks in the belief that doing so prevents piracy. As anyone in the music industry can tell you, people will always find a way around DRM. All it does is punish the honest people who are supporting you by buying your content legally and making it more difficult for them to use in the ways to make the most sense to them. Selling books without DRM gives people a chance to truly own the content and archive it the way that works best for them. Everything on my Payhip store is DRM free for those reasons. Because the books can be downloaded and stored without restrictions, they can't be removed from your collection like a book in a Kindle Library can. A book purchased from Payhip is one that you can truly and completely own. #6: The sixth reason that has been helpful I think is honestly simple patience. Direct selling ebooks is a lot harder than just putting them on Amazon because Amazon is very well optimized for getting people to buy things and direct sales are often not. The very first year I did direct sales in 2021, by the end of the year I made a grand total of $10. This year I am probably going to make high three figures (if all goes well), which still is not a lot compared to some of the sales people can report off platforms like Amazon. But if you go from $10 in 2021 to high three figures in 2025, that is quite a growth trajectory. So again, if you were to start using direct sales, be patient and bear in mind it might take a long time of using things like free short stories and Coupon of the Week to gradually build up interest in the site. I also want to talk a little bit about what I think will be future challenges with direct sales and a big one that will happen if my direct sales continue to grow at this rate will be US sales tax. In 2018, the US Supreme Court ruled that states can charge sales tax for any purchases online. Previously they had not been able to do so and the law has been changed and challenged and tweaked a little bit since then, but it's boiled down to that for most of the states (it varies by states, and this is not legal advice), the rule is if you are selling more than $100,000 worth of product in their state or more than 200 individual transactions in that state, then you're obliged to pay sales tax on those sales to that individual US state. For me, obviously that is not a problem right now. I believe as of this recording, I have had a total of 95 individual transactions for direct sales. If you divide that out among the 50 US states and UK and several EU countries, I'm nowhere near the reporting thresholds for any individual US state, even the most restrictive ones. That said, it could happen if direct sales continue to grow, that will be a problem I need to address in the future. Payhip collects a VAT for EU countries, but it doesn't do any sales tax collecting for the US. So if my direct sales continue to grow to the point where I'm hitting sales tax thresholds for the individual states, I would probably have to change platforms from Payhip to something like Shopify where there are a number of plugins on Shopify (like Tax Jar for example) that will take care of the sales tax reporting and filing and paying for you. But that is obviously not a problem right now unless my direct sales grow a good bit. But that is something to keep in mind for future endeavors. So in conclusion, Payhip has been a growing source of income for me (although still far from my primary one) because of these strategies. Payhip has been a great platform for direct sales and has given my readers another choice in where to buy my books and audiobooks. And as always, I would like to thank everyone who has bought and read my books from either Payhip or any other platform. And even though I have this direct sales platform, a reminder that my preferred answer to the question "where should I get your books?" is "wherever is most convenient for you" (with the exception of piracy, of course). So that is it for this week. Thank you for listening to The Pulp Writer Show. I hope you found the show useful. A reminder that you can listen to all the back episodes at https://thepulpwritershow.com. If you enjoyed the podcast, please leave your review on your podcasting by form of choice. Stay safe and stay healthy and see you all next week.  

Apple's newest visionOS 26.2 developer beta delivers small but meaningful upgrades — especially for creators, stylus users, and anyone following app optimization on Vision Pro.Primary Source: Apple Developer Documentation — https://developer.apple.com/documentation/visionos-release-notes/visionos-26_2-release-notesKey Details 1. Logitech Muse Stylus Support   - The Muse now communicates more consistently with VisionOS.   - Pressure and button readings are normalized — meaning drawing, writing, and sculpting feel smoother and more predictable across apps.2. App Performance Tracking Fixes   - Apple's “Instruments” tool correctly reports Swift app performance again.   - Developers can spot memory leaks and sluggish code with better accuracy.3. Subscription Testing Enhancements   - Simulated renewals and re-joins for paid plans in Xcode work reliably.   - Known delay: subscription status changes may still take up to 24 hours to refresh.4. TV App SharePlay Limitation   - SharePlay for DRM-protected shows/movies temporarily unavailable.   - Apple has identified the issue and plans a future fix.Email: ThePodTalkNetwork@gmail.comWebsite: ThePodTalk.netYouTube: YouTube.com/@VisionProFiles

MUST HEAR!!!!And if you want to watch, here you go:Rumble Video for this EpisodeYour LINKS:Get Dr Monzo's Whole Food Supplements for your 90 Essential Revitalizing Nutrients here: https://SemperFryLLC.comClick His Picture on the Right for the AZURE WELL products and use code BB5 for your discount.Join Dr. Glidden's Membership site:https://leavebigpharmabehind.com/?via=pgndhealthCode: baalbusters for 25% OffFind clickable portals to Dr Monzo and Dr Glidden on Dan's site, and it's the home of the best hot sauce, his book, and Clean Source Creatine-HCL.Subscribe to the NEW dedicated channel for Dr Glidden's Health Solutions Showhttps://rumble.com/c/DrGliddenHealthShowPods & Exclusives AD-FREE! Just $5/mohttps://patreon.com/c/DisguisetheLimitsDon't be a schmoe, Support the Show!Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/ba-al-busters-broadcast--5100262/support.

Every October, New York Comic Con (NYCC) rolls around. Normally, they don't acknowledge their proximity to the spooky season, but this year, as crowds reached pre-pandemic sizes, they embraced Halloween. Cosplay took on a more deliciously grisly vibe, and we found ourselves feeling more ghoulish than usual, too. The conversations we sought ventured into bloodier tales of both good and bad natures. Michael Walsh joined us in the Tiny Onion booth to explain the game design that birthed Exquisite Corpses, and how such play was influenced by his recent stint on Frankenstein. We met artist Tristan Jones upstairs in the infamous “Butter Corner,” where the IDW Publishing booth found itself this year. We discussed his collaboration with Christian Ward on the utterly surprising Event Horizon: Dark Descent series, and how he finally delivered what the movie only hinted at back in the nineties. Exquisite Corpses Volume 1 is now available from Tiny Onion and Image Comics. Event Horizon: Dark Descent issues 1-2 are now available from IDW Publishing. Issue 3 arrives in comic book shops everywhere on November 12th. Follow Michael Walsh on Blue Sky and Instagram. Follow Tristan Jones on Blue Sky and Instagram. This Week's Sponsors This November, Event Horizon: Dark Descent, the terrifying comic book prequel series to the classic, 90s, hellraising sci-fi film, reaches its epic third issue, and if you always wanted to know the gory details about exactly what went down when the Event Horizon crew were transported to hell, this is the issue you cannot miss. From writer Christian Ward and artist Tristan Jones, Event Horizon: Dark Descent #3 lands in comic book shops on November 12th courtesy of IDW Publishing, with a killer cover by Jeffrey Alan Love and a variant cover by Chris Burnham. "The dead have appeared to me — and there is something else loose upon the ship. If you can hear me, it may be too late for you. LIBERA TE TUTEMET EX INFERIS!" Are you ready to face the future? Look no further than 2000 AD – it's the Galaxy's Greatest Comic! Every week 2000 AD brings the best in sci-fi and horror, featuring characters like Judge Dredd, Rogue Trooper and more! Get a print subscription to 2000 AD, and it'll arrive at your mailbox every week, and your first issue is free. You'll also receive the HUNDRED PAGE 2000 AD Christmas Special this December at no extra cost! Or, subscribe digitally, and you can download DRM-free copies of each issue for only $9 a month. That's 128 pages of incredible comics every month for less than $10! Head to 2000AD.com and click on ‘subscribe' now – or download the 2000 AD app and start reading today! Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode: Subscribe to The Stacks, Comic Creators Name Their Favorite Comics Previously on CBCC: Christian Ward on Event Horizon: Dark Descent The Comics Crossover Event with The Short Box, Oblivion Bar, Off Panel, and CBCC Watch The Harvey Awards on Popverse Comic Book Film Club 11/16 at 5PM EST: The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp at the Winchester Alamo Drafthouse, co-sponsored by Four Color Fantasies Final Round of Plugs (PHEW): Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY. The Comic Book Couples Counseling TeePublic Merch Page. And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren. Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts. Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators. Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.

This is Sarah Jeong, features editor at The Verge. I'm standing in for Nilay for one final Thursday episode here as he settles back into full-time hosting duties. Today, we've got a fun one. I'm talking to Cory Doctorow, prolific author, internet activist, and arguably one of the fiercest tech critics writing today. He has a new book out called Enshittifcation: Why Everything Suddenly Got Worse and What to Do About It. So I sat down with Cory to discuss what enshittification is, why it's happening, and how we might fight it.  Links:  Enshittification | Macmillan Why every website you used to love is getting worse | Vox The age of Enshittification | The New Yorker Yes, everything online sucks now — but it doesn't have to | Ars Technica The enshittification of garage-door openers reveals vast, deadly rot | Cory Doctorow Mark Zuckerberg emails outline plan to neutralize competitors | The Verge Google gets to keep Chrome, judge rules in antitrust case | The Verge How Amazon wins: by steamrolling rivals and partners | WSJ A new web DRM standard has security researchers worried | The Verge Netflix, Microsoft & Google just changed how the web works | The Outline Subscribe to The Verge⁠ to access the ad-free version of Decoder! Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Our producers are Kate Cox and Nick Statt. Our editor is Ursa Wright.  The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

There's zero doubt, Absolute Batman Annual #1 will be one of the year's most talked-about comics. Featuring three stories by Daniel Warren Johnson, Mike Spicer, James Harren, Dave Stewart, Meredith McClaren, and Clayton Cowles, this hefty comic centers on the early Absolute Universe adventures of Bruce Wayne, revealing how that chonky Batmobile came to be, and just how Black Mask's party animals first encountered the Dark Knight. We read the comic a couple of weeks back, and the instant we flipped that last page, we were compelled to get Daniel Warren Johnson into a Zoom room. Thankfully, he obliged. Johnson's untitled story makes up the bulk of the Absolute Batman Annual. It propels Absolute Batman against a white supremacist horde, showcasing some of the most brutal action from the ongoing series so far, while doing so in a way that questions that violence's effectiveness. As Daniel Warren Johnson has showcased in other comics like Murder Falcon, Do a Powerbomb!, and his recent run on Transformers, badass, jaw-dropping visuals are only half his might as a creator. DWJ breaks hearts as often as he breaks bones. “It's in my blood and it's boiling, and I have to get it out.” In an exclusive conversation with Comic Book Couples Counseling, Johnson explains how his tale in the Absolute Batman Annual came to pass. We discuss his reluctance to contribute to the world so expertly crafted by Scott Snyder and Nick Dragotta, and how one single image eventually caused him to put everything he had into this character and universe. Daniel Warren Johnson tells us why supplying only compelling, catastrophic action isn't enough for him as a storyteller. He requires more than an exclamation point to climax his stories. He needs a question. Absolute Batman Annual is now available from DC Comics. Make sure you're following Daniel Warren Johnson on Blue Sky, Instagram, and his Website. This Week's Sponsors Judge Dredd Megazine turns thirty-five years old this October, and it'll be celebrating with a very special issue perfect for first-time readers! Featuring the return of the critically acclaimed series Dreadnoughts and Megalopolis, this 100-page issue is a brilliant way to jump into the crazy world of 2000 AD. You'll also find incredible new stories featuring Judge Dredd, Judge Anderson, and much more inside! Get a print subscription to the Megazine and it'll arrive through your American mailbox every month – or get a combi subscription and receive 2000 AD each week as well! If you subscribe digitally, you can download DRM-free copies of each issue for only $9 a month. That's 128 pages of incredible comics every month for less than $10! Head to 2000AD.com and click on ‘subscribe' now – or download the 2000 AD app and start reading today! Launching this October, it's the latest entry in IDW Publishing's Kei-Sei line of Godzilla comics: Starship Godzilla, a cosmic adventure. It's written by award-winning scribe Chris Gooch (of In Utero fame) and illustrated by inventive artist Oliver Ono (I mean, come on, did you read their Godzilla: Monster Island Summer Camp? Insta-Classic). The Kai-Sei Era is the only ongoing Godzilla story of its kind, crafted for comics readers who have never bought a Godzilla book and Godzilla fans who have never read a comic. Starship Godzilla #1 is out now wherever rad comic books are sold. Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode: Subscribe to The Stacks, Comic Creators Name Their Favorite Comics Previously On CBCC: Daniel Warren Johnson Live at Now or Never Comics Previously On CBCC: Daniel Warren Johnson and Riley Rossmo on The Moon is Following Us Previously On CBCC: Daniel Warren Johnson on Transformers Previously On CBCC: Daniel Warren Johnson on Do a Powerbomb! Previously On CBCC: Daniel Warren Johnson on Beta Ray Bill Previously On CBCC: Scott Snyder and Nick Dragotta on Absolute Batman The Comics Crossover Event with The Short Box, Oblivion Bar, Off Panel, and CBCC Watch The Harvey Awards on Popverse Final Round of Plugs (PHEW): Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY. The Comic Book Couples Counseling TeePublic Merch Page. And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren. Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts. Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators. Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.

We all crave a good meal. The challenge is savoring it once it's placed before you. Kelley Jones and Matt Wagner have wickedly, and delightfully, discovered a way to make Bram Stoker's Dracula not one good dish, but three...and possibly four and five. For the last several years, they've transformed the classic vampire novel into a feast impossible to gobble down in one sitting. By taking throwaway sentences in the book and building two graphic novels out of them (Dracula Book I: The Impaler, Dracula Book II: The Brides), they've miraculously extended their love affair with Vlad, and ours in the process as well. Now, with Dracula Book III: The Count, which only has a week left on Kickstarter, Jones and Kelley properly excavate Bram Stoker's book. This third entry tackles the iconic plot, but only from Count Dracula's perspective. We all know this story from Jonathan Harker, Mina, and Van Helsing's point of view, but how did the vicious beast at the center of their fear experience the whole endeavor? No more letters. Only the Count's singular, hungry howl of self. We've read and watched many Dracula adaptations, but none as exhaustive and creative as this. As a result, this week's podcast had to match Jones and Wagner's studious passion. All together, we dig deep into their previous entry, Dracula Book II: The Brides. We discuss how, in chaining themselves to Dracula's perspective, they create unparalleled empathy for the monster and his godless pursuits. Is there danger in that? Again, Dracula: The Count only has seven days left on its Kickstarter campaign. Please visit the crowdfunding project by clicking HERE. You can continue the conversation with Kelley Jones by visiting his Instagram. You can follow Matt Wagner on Blue Sky and Instagram. This Week's Sponsors Launching this October, it's the latest entry in IDW Publishing's Kei-Sei line of Godzilla comics: Starship Godzilla, a cosmic adventure. It's written by award-winning scribe Chris Gooch (of In Utero fame) and illustrated by inventive artist Oliver Ono (I mean, come on, did you read their Godzilla: Monster Island Summer Camp? Insta-Classic). The Kai-Sei Era is the only ongoing Godzilla story of its kind, crafted for comics readers who have never bought a Godzilla book and Godzilla fans who have never read a comic. Starship Godzilla #1 is out now wherever rad comic books are sold. Judge Dredd Megazine turns thirty-five years old this October, and it'll be celebrating with a very special issue perfect for first-time readers! Featuring the return of the critically acclaimed series Dreadnoughts and Megalopolis, this 100-page issue is a brilliant way to jump into the crazy world of 2000 AD. You'll also find incredible new stories featuring Judge Dredd, Judge Anderson, and much more inside! Get a print subscription to the Megazine and it'll arrive through your American mailbox every month – or get a combi subscription and receive 2000 AD each week as well! If you subscribe digitally, you can download DRM-free copies of each issue for only $9 a month. That's 128 pages of incredible comics every month for less than $10! Head to 2000AD.com and click on ‘subscribe' now – or download the 2000 AD app and start reading today! Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode: Previously on CBCC: Kelley Jones and Matt Wagner on Dracula Book 1: The Impaler Subscribe to The Stacks, Comic Creators Name Their Favorite Comics Watch The Harvey Awards on Popverse NYCC 2025 Patreon Dispatch: Michael Walsh on Exquisite Corpses Grab Your Tickets for Addams Family Values on 10/26 at the Alamo Drafthouse Winchester, co-sponsored by Four Color Fantasies Final Round of Plugs (PHEW): Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY. The Comic Book Couples Counseling TeePublic Merch Page. And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren. Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts. Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators. Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.

Transplanting the Doughboys from one medium to another demands collaborators with a firm grasp on both worlds. Podcasters Mike Mitchell and Nick Wiger know their realm, but require a few comic book maniacs to hurl them confidently into the sequential playground. Enter writer Alex Firer and artist Fred C. Stressing (also, colorist Meg Casey). Not only did Firer and Stresing grow up stewing in comics, but they've spent the last several years working together on the Rick and Morty books from Oni Press. They bring with them a strong passion for Harvey Kurtzman, Grant Morrison, and Krazy Kat. They're equally pickled in Doughboys lore, and after a little back and forth with Mitch and Wiger, could decipher the podcast into the epic quest called Doughboys: The Comic Book - Mitch and Wiger Chew America - Crisis on Infinite Girths. Last week, we spoke with Mike Mitchell and Nick Wiger about how they found their way into a comic book, and this week, we're speaking with Alex Firer and Fred C. Stresing about how they helped make that wild fantasy a reality. Also, as a result of hosting the Harvey Awards at New York Comic Con last weekend, we're stewing in Harvey Kurtzman's world ourselves, and his influence is easily identified in the Doughboys Comic Book. It's a joy to discuss madcap comedy, especially the funny book variety, with these two. Make sure you're following the Doughboys on your favorite podcast app, or just click here. Follow Alex Firer on Blue Sky and Instagram. Follow Fred C. Stresing on Blue Sky and Instagram. You can purchase Doughboys: The Comic Book - Mitch and Wiger Chew America - Crisis on Infinite Girths on BeOurKids.com. This Week's Sponsors Judge Dredd Megazine turns thirty-five years old this October, and it'll be celebrating with a very special issue perfect for first-time readers! Featuring the return of the critically acclaimed series Dreadnoughts and Megalopolis, this 100-page issue is a brilliant way to jump into the crazy world of 2000 AD. You'll also find incredible new stories featuring Judge Dredd, Judge Anderson, and much more inside! Get a print subscription to the Megazine and it'll arrive through your American mailbox every month – or get a combi subscription and receive 2000 AD each week as well! If you subscribe digitally, you can download DRM-free copies of each issue for only $9 a month. That's 128 pages of incredible comics every month for less than $10! Head to 2000AD.com and click on ‘subscribe' now – or download the 2000 AD app and start reading today! Launching this October, it's the latest entry in IDW Publishing's Kei-Sei line of Godzilla comics: Starship Godzilla, a cosmic adventure. It's written by award-winning scribe Chris Gooch (of In Utero fame) and illustrated by inventive artist Oliver Ono (I mean, come on, did you read their Godzilla: Monster Island Summer Camp? Insta-Classic). The Kai-Sei Era is the only ongoing Godzilla story of its kind, crafted for comics readers who have never bought a Godzilla book and Godzilla fans who have never read a comic. Starship Godzilla #1 is out now wherever rad comic books are sold. Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode: Subscribe to The Stacks, Comic Creators Name Their Favorite Comics Watch The Harvey Awards on Popverse NYCC 2025 Patreon Dispatch: Michael Walsh on Exquisite Corpses Grab Your Tickets for Addams Family Values on 10/26 at the Alamo Drafthouse Winchester, co-sponsored by Four Color Fantasies Final Round of Plugs (PHEW): Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY. The Comic Book Couples Counseling TeePublic Merch Page. And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren. Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts. Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators. Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.

The podcast crossover event no one was expecting is here. The Doughboys, Mike Mitchell and Nick Wiger, arrive on Comic Book Couples Counseling ready to examine their feelings and suss out why they've propelled their podcast life into comic book form. Collaborating with writer Alex Firer, artist Fred C. Stresing, and colorist Meg Casey, Mitch and Wiger boil down their obsession with fast food and chain restaurants into a delicious four-color stew. It's a six-issue series called Doughboys: The Comic Book - Mitch and Wiger Chew America - Crisis on Infinite Girths. Everything you need to know about the vibe is right there in the title. The book is comic book-y, and a Where's Waldoquest for Wednesday warriors, as well as longtime fans of the podcast. You can nab the first issue here. For ten years, Mitch and Wiger have met weekly to battle it out over Red Lobster, Steak n Shake, and Taco Bell, usually inviting fellow comedy maniacs like Jon Gabrus or Lauren Lapkus to weigh in. The Doughboys comic book operates in a similar fashion, but cranks everything to eleven. Demonic and heavenly forces are at play here, friends. We return from New York Comic Con with the perfect episode. We discuss with Mitch and Wiger what drew them to comics, what they've learned about themselves while spending years talking about food, and how insignificant you can feel when sitting in a football stadium or the New York Javits Center. Make sure you're following the Doughboys on your favorite podcast app, or just click here. You can also follow them on Blue Sky and Instagram. This Week's Sponsors Launching this October, it's the latest entry in IDW Publishing's Kei-Sei line of Godzilla comics: Starship Godzilla, a cosmic adventure. It's written by award-winning scribe Chris Gooch (of In Utero fame) and illustrated by inventive artist Oliver Ono (I mean, come on, did you read their Godzilla: Monster Island Summer Camp? Insta-Classic). The Kai-Sei Era is the only ongoing Godzilla story of its kind, crafted for comics readers who have never bought a Godzilla book and Godzilla fans who have never read a comic. Starship Godzilla #1 is out now wherever rad comic books are sold. Judge Dredd Megazine turns thirty-five years old this October, and it'll be celebrating with a very special issue perfect for first-time readers! Featuring the return of the critically acclaimed series Dreadnoughts and Megalopolis, this 100-page issue is a brilliant way to jump into the crazy world of 2000 AD. You'll also find incredible new stories featuring Judge Dredd, Judge Anderson, and much more inside! Get a print subscription to the Megazine and it'll arrive through your American mailbox every month – or get a combi subscription and receive 2000 AD each week as well! If you subscribe digitally, you can download DRM-free copies of each issue for only $9 a month. That's 128 pages of incredible comics every month for less than $10! Head to 2000AD.com and click on ‘subscribe' now – or download the 2000 AD app and start reading today! Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode: Subscribe to The Stacks, Comic Creators Name Their Favorite Comics Chris Condon in The Stacks at Third Eye Comics Brad and Lisa Gullickson in The Stacks at Third Eye Comics Sanford Greene in The Stacks at Third Eye Comics Philip Kennedy Johnson in The Stacks at Third Eye Comics Steve Anderson in The Stacks at Third Eye Comics David Brothers and Chip Zdarsky in The Stacks at Third Eye Comics Benjamin Percy in the Stacks at Third Eye Comics Final Round of Plugs (PHEW): Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY. The Comic Book Couples Counseling TeePublic Merch Page. And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren. Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts. Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators. Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.

You can’t stop every pirate, but you can slow them down—and keep real customers smiling. Today we cover low-cost deterrents, “soft DRM,” and community perks that make stealing less attractive. Side Hustle School features a new episode EVERY DAY, featuring detailed case studies of people who earn extra money without quitting their job. This year, the show includes free guided lessons and listener Q&A several days each week. Show notes: SideHustleSchool.com Email: team@sidehustleschool.com Be on the show: SideHustleSchool.com/questions Connect on Instagram: @193countries Visit Chris's main site: ChrisGuillebeau.com Read A Year of Mental Health: yearofmentalhealth.com If you're enjoying the show, please pass it along! It's free and has been published every single day since January 1, 2017. We're also very grateful for your five-star ratings—it shows that people are listening and looking forward to new episodes.

Weeks ago, we told you to keep an eye glued to the Macabre Valley #1 Kickstarter from writer Zack Quaintance and artist Anna Readman. Now, you have only one week left to back the project and secure yourself a copy of this fiendishly fun comic. Based on Quaintance's own experiences reporting along the American/Mexican border, Macabre Valley tells a viciously recognizable story, energized by Anna Readman's gnarly creature designs and trippy sequential storytelling. You can even support the project knowing you'll receive your comic soon, as Macabre Valley has surpassed its funding goal spectacularly. To celebrate and encourage last-minute stragglers, we're thrilled to have Zack Quaintance back on the podcast this week to discuss the werewolf priest at Macabre Valley's center, and he's even joined this time by his talented collaborator Anna Readman (making her podcast debut, no less). We discuss what makes the best werewolves and how both creators relate to the real-life horror that surrounds the fantastical horror throughout Macabre Valley. The conversation considers uniforms, from the lawful to the hirsute, and the influence they have on those who wear them. Finally, it leaves the listener imagining a wild, wonderful alternate reality where Cormac McCarthy wrote for EC Comics. Again, Macabre Valley #1 is currently seeking funding via Kickstarter. It's written by Zack Quaintance, illustrated by Anna Readman, colored by Brad Simpson, and lettered by Becca Carey. Please follow Zack Quaintance on Blue Skyand Instagram, and follow Anna Readman on her Website and Instagram. This Week's Sponsors Judge Dredd Megazine turns thirty-five years old this October, and it'll be celebrating with a very special issue perfect for first-time readers! Featuring the return of the critically acclaimed series Dreadnoughts and Megalopolis, this 100-page issue is a brilliant way to jump into the crazy world of 2000 AD. You'll also find incredible new stories featuring Judge Dredd, Judge Anderson, and much more inside! Get a print subscription to the Megazine and it'll arrive through your American mailbox every month – or get a combi subscription and receive 2000 AD each week as well! If you subscribe digitally, you can download DRM-free copies of each issue for only $9 a month. That's 128 pages of incredible comics every month for less than $10! Head to 2000AD.com and click on ‘subscribe' now – or download the 2000 AD app and start reading today! Launching this October, it's the latest entry in IDW Publishing's Kei-Sei line of Godzilla comics: Starship Godzilla, a cosmic adventure. It's written by award-winning scribe Chris Gooch (of In Utero fame) and illustrated by inventive artist Oliver Ono (I mean, come on, did you read their Godzilla: Monster Island Summer Camp? Insta-Classic). The Kai-Sei Era is the only ongoing Godzilla story of its kind, crafted for comics readers who have never bought a Godzilla book and Godzilla fans who have never read a comic. Starship Godzilla #1 is out now wherever rad comic books are sold. Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode: Subscribe to The Stacks, Comic Creators Name Their Favorite Comics Zack Quaintance on The Death of Comics Bookcase Watch The Harvey Awards 2024 via Popverse Final Round of Plugs (PHEW): Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY. The Comic Book Couples Counseling TeePublic Merch Page. And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren. Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts. Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators. Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.

When Francis Ford Coppola shoots you an email asking you to transform his new movie into a comic book, you say yes and worry about the details later. Chris Ryall got the email. Once he got over the shock ot it, he immediately knew who to contact next: Comic Book Couples Counseling regular, Jacob Phillips. They couldn't have possibly understood what an undertaking they were committing to during those early days, but nearly five years later, they have the Megalopolisgraphic novel in their hands. It's something special. As you'll hear on this week's podcast, Francis Ford Coppola wanted Ryall and Phillips to make the comic their own. If that meant chopping up the script or fabricating the designs, so be it. Jacob Phillips approaches the likenesses the way he would any corporate comic character. If he were on Batman, he'd do his version of Batman. So, he'd apply the same logic to Adam Driver. The actor is the design, but the pencils and inks belong to Phillips. The magic is in how the movie and the comic, crafted independently of each other, aligned so well together. Chatting with Ryall and Phillips allowed us to celebrate both artistic mediums. We discuss the challenges of translating cinematic ideas onto panels, the need for repertoire stories, and the hope within Francis Ford Coppola's humanism. Before all that, however, we also discuss the new documentary, Shopping for Superman. Directed by Wes Eastin, the film travels across America, from one comic book shop to another. It's a must-watch for every comic book reader, as it honors the industry while contemplating where it's all going in the wake of Diamond Comic Distributors' destruction. Megalopolis, the comic, is published by Abrams ComicArts and arrives in shops on October 7th. Make sure you're following Chris Ryall on his Substack, Instagram, and Blue Sky. Also, follow Jacob Phillips on Instagram and Blue Sky. This Week's Sponsors Launching this October, it's the latest entry in IDW Publishing's Kei-Sei line of Godzilla comics: Starship Godzilla, a cosmic adventure. It's written by award-winning scribe Chris Gooch (of In Utero fame) and illustrated by inventive artist Oliver Ono (I mean, come on, did you read their Godzilla: Monster Island Summer Camp? Insta-Classic). The Kai-Sei Era is the only ongoing Godzilla story of its kind, crafted for comics readers who have never bought a Godzilla book and Godzilla fans who have never read a comic. Starship Godzilla #1 is out now wherever rad comic books are sold. Judge Dredd Megazine turns thirty-five years old this October, and it'll be celebrating with a very special issue perfect for first-time readers! Featuring the return of the critically acclaimed series Dreadnoughts and Megalopolis, this 100-page issue is a brilliant way to jump into the crazy world of 2000 AD. You'll also find incredible new stories featuring Judge Dredd, Judge Anderson, and much more inside! Get a print subscription to the Megazine and it'll arrive through your American mailbox every month – or get a combi subscription and receive 2000 AD each week as well! If you subscribe digitally, you can download DRM-free copies of each issue for only $9 a month. That's 128 pages of incredible comics every month for less than $10! Head to 2000AD.com and click on ‘subscribe' now – or download the 2000 AD app and start reading today! Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode: Subscribe to The Stacks, Comic Creators Name Their Favorite Comics Chris Condon in The Stacks at Third Eye Comics Brad and Lisa Gullickson in The Stacks at Third Eye Comics Sanford Greene in The Stacks at Third Eye Comics Philip Kennedy Johnson in The Stacks at Third Eye Comics Steve Anderson in The Stacks at Third Eye Comics David Brothers and Chip Zdarsky in The Stacks at Third Eye Comics Benjamin Percy in the Stacks at Third Eye Comics Final Round of Plugs (PHEW): Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY. The Comic Book Couples Counseling TeePublic Merch Page. And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren. Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts. Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators. Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.

Explore game development philosophy and AI's evolving impact through Factorio creator Michal Kovařík's insights on AlphaGo's transformation of Go, current programming limitations, and the future of human-AI collaboration. Bio: Michal Kovařík is a Czech game developer best known as the co-founder and creative head of Wube Software, the studio behind the global indie hit Factorio. Under his online alias “kovarex,” Kovařík began the Factorio project in 2012 with a vision to blend his favorite game elements – trains, base-building, logistics, and automation – into a new kind of construction & management simulation. Initially funded via a modest Indiegogo campaign, Factorio blossomed from a garage project into one of Steam's top-rated games, praised for its deep automation gameplay and technical excellence. Kovařík guided Factorio through an 8-year development in open alpha/early access, cultivating a passionate player community through regular “Friday Facts” blog updates. By 2024, Factorio had sold over 4 million copies worldwide, all without ever going on sale.Michal now leads a team of ~30 in Prague, renowned for their principled business approach (no discounts, no DRM) and fan-centric development style, and he's just launched Factorio's Space Age expansion. FOLLOW ON X: @8teAPi (Ate) @steveruizok (Michal) @TurpentineMedia -- LINKS: Factorio https://www.factorio.com/ -- TIMESTAMPS: (00:00) Introduction and Factorio Discussion (07:36) AlphaGo's Impact on Go and AI Perception (18:56) Factorio's Origin Story and Team Development (30:13) AI's Current Programming Limitations (44:50) Future Predictions for AI Programming (48:31) Societal Concerns: Resource Curse and Human Value (55:21) Privacy, Surveillance, and Training Data (1:01:22) AI Alignment and Asimov's Robot Laws (1:10:00) Social Media as Proto-AI and Dopamine Manipulation (1:20:00) Programming Human Preferences and Goal Modification (1:26:00) Historical Perspective and Conclusion

Thanks to Turtleback Low Vision for sponsoring this episode of Double Tap. As a thank you to the Double Tap community, Turtleback is offering 12% off your entire order with promo code DT12. Visit https://www.turtlebacklv.com to shop the full lineup!Steven Scott and Shaun Preece dive into a lively discussion on Braille, tech accessibility, voice control on iPhone, and the ongoing debate over digital media ownership. From journalling and gym confessions to exploring tools like braille.codes and voice control with VoiceOver, this episode blends humour with practical advice for blind and visually impaired tech users.This episode of Double Tap is a mix of entertainment and insight. Steven and Shaun kick things off with candid banter about journalling, gym routines, and the reality of podcasting when “there's nothing to say.” Listener emails take centre stage, covering: Braille vs. Screen Readers: Joel introduces braille.codes, a resource for learning UEB Grade 1 Braille, sparking a nuanced discussion on Braille's role today. Voice Control on iPhone: Harry shares tips on combining Voice Control with VoiceOver, and Shaun explains how he uses it daily—even while cooking. Accessible Devices: From Olympus DM recorders to Zoom recorders and Victor Reader Streams, the hosts debate changing tools for blind users. Digital Media Ownership: A listener raises concerns about buying movies online after Microsoft account horror stories, leading to a wider discussion of DRM and physical vs. digital media. Listener Insights: Messages from around the world explore tactile learning, Swell paper, STEM opportunities with Monarch displays, and using Envision and iPhone accessibility shortcuts.Relevant LinksBraille Codes: https://braille.codesTurtleback Cases: https://turtlebacklv.comEnvision: https://www.letsenvision.com Find Double Tap online: YouTube, Double Tap Website---Follow on:YouTube: https://www.doubletaponair.com/youtubeX (formerly Twitter): https://www.doubletaponair.com/xInstagram: https://www.doubletaponair.com/instagramTikTok: https://www.doubletaponair.com/tiktokThreads: https://www.doubletaponair.com/threadsFacebook: https://www.doubletaponair.com/facebookLinkedIn: https://www.doubletaponair.com/linkedin Subscribe to the Podcast:Apple: https://www.doubletaponair.com/appleSpotify: https://www.doubletaponair.com/spotifyRSS: https://www.doubletaponair.com/podcastiHeadRadio: https://www.doubletaponair.com/iheart About Double TapHosted by the insightful duo, Steven Scott and Shaun Preece, Double Tap is a treasure trove of information for anyone who's blind or partially sighted and has a passion for tech. Steven and Shaun not only demystify tech, but they also regularly feature interviews and welcome guests from the community, fostering an interactive and engaging environment. Tune in every day of the week, and you'll discover how technology can seamlessly integrate into your life, enhancing daily tasks and experiences, even if your sight is limited. "Double Tap" is a registered trademark of Double Tap Productions Inc. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Not again! Chip Kidd and Michael Cho are the latest comic book creators to find their way, literally, into comics. The Avengers in the Veracity Trap, published as part of the Marvel Arts imprint of Abrams ComicArts, propels the titular superheroes from their dimension into ours, revealing that Kidd and Cho control their free will. The oversized original graphic novel is a stunning-looking comic, thanks to Michael Cho making magic with sequentials, taking a short break from his usual stellar cover work. What is it about comics? Read enough of them, and suddenly you want to be in them. The medium invites invasion, calling folks like Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Grant Morrison, Brian Michael Bendis, Ta-Nehisi Coates, and others to throw themselves upon the panels. Maybe it's because, as children, we wrap this flatland universe around us like a blanket. It's comfy and protective. It's where we want to go when the third dimension reveals itself as too damn physical with our soft little bodies. Chip Kidd joins the podcast this week to discuss how he once again wormed his way into comic book panels (yeah, this is not his first offense. See also, Batman: Death by Design and Alex Ross's Marvelocity). We discuss how "The Veracity Trap" has become a valuable concept for us personally as we struggle with the strings that direct our movements these days. As usual, the conversation gets philosophical, breaking down free will and the troubled waters between artist and audience. The Avengers in the Veracity Trap is now available wherever rad comics are sold. Make sure you follow Chip Kidd on Instagram. This Week's Sponsors Looking for sci-fi comics that go further than you've ever been before? Then you need  2000 AD – it's the Galaxy's Greatest Comic! Whether you're a new or returning reader, September is the perfect time to try out 2000 AD, with the launch of 2000 AD issue 2450 -- a jump-on issue with a fresh start for every story! Featuring a terrifying new Judge Dredd story by Rob Williams and Henry Flint, the issue also has a major new Rogue Trooper story from the team of Alex de Campi and Neil Edwards! Get a print subscription to 2000 AD and it'll arrive through your letterbox every week, and your first issue is free. Or, subscribe digitally and you can download DRM-free copies of each issue for only $9 a month. That's 128 pages of incredible comics every month for less than $10! For thirty years, Street Sharks has remained a fan-favorite franchise, but the fearless Bolton Brothers have been cruelly absent from comic book shops. Until now. This September, IDW Publishing launches a brand new five-issue Street Sharks mini-series from writer Stephanie Williams and artist Ariel Medel. The new series celebrates the JAW-SOME characters you already love while exploring new depths to their souls and universe. So, get ready to return to the chaotic streets of Fission City as Ripster, Jab, Streex, and Big Slammu fight to protect their home against twisted experiments gone wrong, including muscle-bound mutant lobsters, ruthless squids, and deranged scientists. Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode: Subscribe to The Stacks, Comic Creators Name Their Favorite Comics Chip Kidd's Jurassic Park TED Talk Final Round of Plugs (PHEW): Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY. The Comic Book Couples Counseling TeePublic Merch Page. Don't forget to grab your tickets for our September 28th Alamo Drafthouse Winchester screening of Event Horizon, co-sponsored by Four Color Fantasies. And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren. Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts. Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators. Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.

Every few months, the discourse turns to comics journalism. What is it? What's its value? Does it even exist anymore? Of course, if you read SKTCHD or listen to Off Panel every week, these questions are easy to answer. For years, David Harper has been our go-to source for what's happening within the comics industry, and due to recent events in his own life, he's upped his game and committed to comics journalism in a fashion he previously has not. Can the industry sustain him? That all depends on us. This week, we chat with David Harper about his total immersion into SKTCHD/Off Panel. We confront him about his pivot to video, the state of comics journalism, and how he ignores the recurring Chicken Little screams of “The sky is falling.” It's not all so dire, though. We also discuss his ideal comic book shop and the books he's absolutely loving in 2025. Stories and storytellers are vital to human existence, but for various, always frustrating, reasons, we must continually be reminded of this. You, dear listener, are already fighting the good fight, but how do we get others to join us? Share, baby, share. Below you'll find links not only to David Harper's good work, but also to the good work of others working within the field of comics journalism. Give them your clicks, give them your eyes, and maybe, just maybe, if you can afford to do so, give them your dollars. Support Comics Journalism Subscribe to SKTCHD Become an Off Panel Patron Become a Patron of The Beat Become an AIPT Patron Get Your Copy of The Comics Courier Support a Journalist on his Journey to Creator Become a Comic Book Couples Counseling Patron This Week's Sponsors Looking for sci-fi comics that go further than you've ever been before? Then you need  2000 AD – it's the Galaxy's Greatest Comic! Whether you're a new or returning reader, September is the perfect time to try out 2000 AD, with the launch of 2000 AD issue 2450 -- a jump-on issue with a fresh start for every story! Featuring a terrifying new Judge Dredd story by Rob Williams and Henry Flint, the issue also has a major new Rogue Trooper story from the team of Alex de Campi and Neil Edwards! Get a print subscription to 2000 AD and it'll arrive through your letterbox every week, and your first issue is free. Or, subscribe digitally and you can download DRM-free copies of each issue for only $9 a month. That's 128 pages of incredible comics every month for less than $10! For thirty years, Street Sharks has remained a fan-favorite franchise, but the fearless Bolton Brothers have been cruelly absent from comic book shops. Until now. This September, IDW Publishing launches a brand new five-issue Street Sharks mini-series from writer Stephanie Williams and artist Ariel Medel. The new series celebrates the JAW-SOME characters you already love while exploring new depths to their souls and universe. So, get ready to return to the chaotic streets of Fission City as Ripster, Jab, Streex, and Big Slammu fight to protect their home against twisted experiments gone wrong, including muscle-bound mutant lobsters, ruthless squids, and deranged scientists. Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode: Subscribe to the CBCC YouTube Channel and Prepare for The Stacks Zack Quaintance on The Death of Comics Bookcase Tiffany Babb on The Comics Courier Chip Zdarksy on Zdarksy Comic News Brad and Lisa Guest-Star on Off Panel Final Round of Plugs (PHEW): Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY. The Comic Book Couples Counseling TeePublic Merch Page. Don't forget to grab your tickets for our September 28th Alamo Drafthouse Winchester screening of Event Horizon, co-sponsored by Four Color Fantasies. And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren. Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts. Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators. Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.

Francois Daost is a W3C staff member and co-chair of the Web Developer Experience Community Group. We discuss the W3C's role and what it's like to go through the browser standardization process. Related links W3C TC39 Internet Engineering Task Force Web Hypertext Application Technology Working Group (WHATWG) Horizontal Groups Alliance for Open Media What is MPEG-DASH? | HLS vs. DASH Information about W3C and Encrypted Media Extensions (EME) Widevine PlayReady Media Source API Encrypted Media Extensions API requestVideoFrameCallback() Business Benefits of the W3C Patent Policy web.dev Baseline Portable Network Graphics Specification Internet Explorer 6 CSS Vendor Prefix WebRTC Transcript You can help correct transcripts on GitHub. Intro [00:00:00] Jeremy: today I'm talking to Francois Daoust. He's a staff member at the W3C. And we're gonna talk about the W3C and the recommendation process and discuss, Francois's experience with, with how these features end up in our browsers. [00:00:16] Jeremy: So, Francois, welcome [00:00:18] Francois: Thank you Jeremy and uh, many thanks for the invitation. I'm really thrilled to be part of this podcast. What's the W3C? [00:00:26] Jeremy: I think many of our listeners will have heard about the W3C, but they may not actually know what it is. So could you start by explaining what it is? [00:00:37] Francois: Sure. So W3C stands for the Worldwide Web Consortium. It's a standardization organization. I guess that's how people should think about W3C. it was created in 1994. I, by, uh, Tim Berners Lee, who was the inventor of the web. Tim Berners Lee was the, director of W3C for a long, long time. [00:01:00] Francois: He retired not long ago, a few years back. and W3C is, has, uh, a number of, uh. Properties, let's say first the goal is to produce royalty free standards, and that's very important. Uh, we want to make sure that, uh, the standard that get produced can be used and implemented without having to pay, fees to anyone. [00:01:23] Francois: We do web standards. I didn't mention it, but it's from the name. Standards that you find in your web browsers. But not only that, there are a number of other, uh, standards that got developed at W3C including, for example, XML. Data related standards. W3C as an organization is a consortium. [00:01:43] Francois: The, the C stands for consortium. Legally speaking, it's a, it's a 501c3 meaning in, so it's a US based, uh, legal entity not for profit. And the, the little three is important because it means it's public interest. That means we are a consortium, that means we have members, but at the same time, the goal, the mission is to the public. [00:02:05] Francois: So we're not only just, you know, doing what our members want. We are also making sure that what our members want is aligned with what end users in the end, need. and the W3C has a small team. And so I'm part of this, uh, of this team worldwide. Uh, 45 to 55 people, depending on how you count, mostly technical people and some, uh, admin, uh, as well, overseeing the, uh, the work, that we do, uh, at the W3C. Funding through membership fees [00:02:39] Jeremy: So you mentioned there's 45 to 55 people. How is this funded? Is this from governments or commercial companies? [00:02:47] Francois: The main source comes from membership fees. So the W3C has a, so members, uh, roughly 350 members, uh, at the W3C. And, in order to become a member, an organization needs to pay, uh, an annual membership fee. That's pretty common among, uh, standardization, uh, organizations. [00:03:07] Francois: And, we only have, uh, I guess three levels of membership, fees. Uh, well, you may find, uh, additional small levels, but three main ones. the goal is to make sure that, A big player will, not a big player or large company, will not have more rights than, uh, anything, anyone else. So we try to make sure that a member has the, you know, all members have equal, right? [00:03:30] Francois: if it's not perfect, but, uh, uh, that's how things are, are are set. So that's the main source of income for the W3C. And then we try to diversify just a little bit to get, uh, for example, we go to governments. We may go to governments in the u EU. We may, uh, take some, uh, grant for EU research projects that allow us, you know, to, study, explore topics. [00:03:54] Francois: Uh, in the US there, there used to be some, uh, some funding from coming from the government as well. So that, that's, uh, also, uh, a source. But the main one is, uh, membership fees. Relations to TC39, IETF, and WHATWG [00:04:04] Jeremy: And you mentioned that a lot of the W3C'S work is related to web standards. There's other groups like TC 39, which works on the JavaScript spec and the IETF, which I believe worked, with your group on WebRTC, I wonder if you could explain W3C'S connection to other groups like that. [00:04:28] Francois: sure. we try to collaborate with a, a number of, uh, standard other standardization organizations. So in general, everything goes well because you, you have, a clear separation of concerns. So you mentioned TC 39. Indeed. they are the ones who standardize, JavaScript. Proper name of JavaScript is the EcmaScript. [00:04:47] Francois: So that's tc. TC 39 is the technical committee at ecma. and so we have indeed interactions with them because their work directly impact the JavaScript that you're going to find in your, uh, run in your, in your web browser. And we develop a number of JavaScript APIs, uh, actually in W3C. [00:05:05] Francois: So we need to make sure that, the way we develop, uh, you know, these APIs align with the, the language itself. with IETF, the, the, the boundary is, uh, uh, is clear as well. It's a protocol and protocol for our network protocols for our, the IETF and application level. For W3C, that's usually how the distinction is made. [00:05:28] Francois: The boundaries are always a bit fuzzy, but that's how things work. And usually, uh, things work pretty well. Uh, there's also the WHATWG, uh, and the WHATWG is more the, the, the history was more complicated because, uh, t of a fork of the, uh, HTML specification, uh, at the time when it was developed by W3C, a long time ago. [00:05:49] Francois: And there was been some, uh, Well disagreement on the way things should have been done, and the WHATWG took over got created, took, took this the HTML spec and did it a different way. Went in another, another direction, and that other, other direction actually ended up being the direction. [00:06:06] Francois: So, that's a success, uh, from there. And so, W3C no longer works, no longer owns the, uh, HTML spec and the WHATWG has, uh, taken, uh, taken up a number of, uh, of different, core specifications for the web. Uh, doing a lot of work on the, uh, on interopoerability and making sure that, uh, the algorithm specified by the spec, were correct, which, which was something that historically we haven't been very good at at W3C. [00:06:35] Francois: And the way they've been working as a, has a lot of influence on the way we develop now, uh, the APIs, uh, from a W3C perspective. [00:06:44] Jeremy: So, just to make sure I understand correctly, you have TC 39, which is focused on the JavaScript or ECMAScript language itself, and you have APIs that are going to use JavaScript and interact with JavaScript. So you need to coordinate there. The, the have the specification for HTML. then the IATF, they are, I'm not sure if the right term would be, they, they would be one level lower perhaps, than the W3C. [00:07:17] Francois: That's how you, you can formulate it. Yes. The, the one layer, one layer layer in the ISO network in the ISO stack at the network level. How WebRTC spans the IETF and W3C [00:07:30] Jeremy: And so in that case, one place I've heard it mentioned is that webRTC, to, to use it, there is an IETF specification, and then perhaps there's a W3C recommendation and [00:07:43] Francois: Yes. so when we created the webRTC working group, that was in 2011, I think, it was created with a dual head. There was one RTC web, group that got created at IETF and a webRTC group that got created at W3C. And that was done on purpose. Of course, the goal was not to compete on the, on the solution, but actually to, have the two sides of the, uh, solution, be developed in parallel, the API, uh, the application front and the network front. [00:08:15] Francois: And there was a, and there's still a lot of overlap in, uh, participation between both groups, and that's what keep things successful. In the end. It's not, uh, you know, process or organization to organization, uh, relationships, coordination at the organization level. It's really the fact that you have participants that are essentially the same, on both sides of the equation. [00:08:36] Francois: That helps, uh, move things forward. Now, webRTC is, uh, is more complex than just one group at IETF. I mean, web, webRTC is a very complex set of, uh, of technologies, stack of technologies. So when you, when you. Pull a little, uh, protocol from IETFs. Suddenly you have the whole IETF that comes with you with it. [00:08:56] Francois: So you, it's the, you have the feeling that webRTC needs all of the, uh, internet protocols that got, uh, created to work Recommendations [00:09:04] Jeremy: And I think probably a lot of web developers, they may hear words like specification or standard, but I believe the, the official term, at least at the W3C, is this recommendation. And so I wonder if you can explain what that means. [00:09:24] Francois: Well. It means it means standard in the end. and that came from industry. That comes from a time where. As many standardization organizations. W3C was created not to be a standardization organization. It was felt that standard was not the right term because we were not a standardization organization. [00:09:45] Francois: So recommend IETF has the same thing. They call it RFC, request for comment, which, you know, stands for nothing in, and yet it's a standard. So W3C was created with the same kind of, uh thing. We needed some other terminology and we call that recommendation. But in the end, that's standard. It's really, uh, how you should see it. [00:10:08] Francois: And one thing I didn't mention when I, uh, introduced the W3C is there are two types of standards in the end, two main categories. There are, the de jure standards and defacto standards, two families. The de jure standards are the ones that are imposed by some kind of regulation. so it's really usually a standard you see imposed by governments, for example. [00:10:29] Francois: So when you look at your electric plug at home, there's some regulation there that says, this plug needs to have these properties. And that's a standard that gets imposed. It's a de jure standard. and then there are defacto standards which are really, uh, specifications that are out there and people agree to use it to implement it. [00:10:49] Francois: And by virtue of being used and implemented and used by everyone, they become standards. the, W3C really is in the, uh, second part. It's a defacto standard. IETF is the same thing. some of our standards are used in, uh, are referenced in regulations now, but, just a, a minority of them, most of them are defacto standards. [00:11:10] Francois: and that's important because that's in the end, it doesn't matter what the specific specification says, even though it's a bit confusing. What matters is that the, what the specifications says matches what implementations actually implement, and that these implementations are used, and are used interoperably across, you know, across browsers, for example, or across, uh, implementations, across users, across usages. [00:11:36] Francois: So, uh, standardization is a, is a lengthy process. The recommendation is the final stage in that, lengthy process. More and more we don't really reach recommendation anymore. If you look at, uh, at groups, uh, because we have another path, let's say we kind of, uh, we can stop at candidate recommendation, which is in theoretically a step before that. [00:12:02] Francois: But then you, you can stay there and, uh, stay there forever and publish new candidate recommendations. Um, uh, later on. What matters again is that, you know, you get this, virtuous feedback loop, uh, with implementers, and usage. [00:12:18] Jeremy: So if the candidate recommendation ends up being implemented by all the browsers, what's ends up being the distinction between a candidate and one that's a normal recommendation. [00:12:31] Francois: So, today it's mostly a process thing. Some groups actually decide to go to rec Some groups decide to stay at candidate rec and there's no formal difference between the, the two. we've made sure we've adopted, adjusted the process so that the important bits that, applied at the recommendation level now apply at the candidate rec level. Royalty free patent access [00:13:00] Francois: And by important things, I mean the patent commitments typically, uh, the patent policy fully applies at the candidate recommendation level so that you get your, protection, the royalty free patent protection that we, we were aiming at. [00:13:14] Francois: Some people do not care, you know, but most of the world still works with, uh, with patents, uh, for good, uh, or bad reasons. But, uh, uh, that's how things work. So we need to make, we're trying to make sure that we, we secure the right set of, um, of patent commitments from the right set of stakeholders. [00:13:35] Jeremy: Oh, so when someone implements a W3C recommendation or a candidate recommendation, the patent holders related to that recommendation, they basically agree to allow royalty-free use of that patent. [00:13:54] Francois: They do the one that were involved in the working group, of course, I mean, we can't say anything about the companies out there that may have patents and uh, are not part of this standardization process. So there's always, It's a remaining risk. but part of the goal when we create a working group is to make sure that, people understand the scope. [00:14:17] Francois: Lawyers look into it, and the, the legal teams that exist at the all the large companies, basically gave a green light saying, yeah, we, we we're pretty confident that we, we know where the patterns are on this particular, this particular area. And we are fine also, uh, letting go of the, the patterns we own ourselves. Implementations are built in parallel with standardization [00:14:39] Jeremy: And I think you had mentioned. What ends up being the most important is that the browser creators implement these recommendations. So it sounds like maybe the distinction between candidate recommendation and recommendation almost doesn't matter as long as you get the end result you want. [00:15:03] Francois: So, I mean, people will have different opinions, uh, in the, in standardization circles. And I mentioned also W3C is working on other kind of, uh, standards. So, uh, in some other areas, the nuance may be more important when we, but when, when you look at specification, that's target, web browsers. we've switched from a model where, specs were developed first and then implemented to a model where specs and implementing implementations are being, worked in parallel. [00:15:35] Francois: This actually relates to the evolution I was mentioning with the WHATWG taking over the HTML and, uh, focusing on the interoperability issues because the starting point was, yeah, we have an HTML 4.01 spec, uh, but it's not interoperable because it, it's not specified, are number of areas that are gray areas, you can implement them differently. [00:15:59] Francois: And so there are interoperable issues. Back to candidate rec actually, the, the, the, the stage was created, if I remember correctly. uh, if I'm, if I'm not wrong, the stage was created following the, uh, IE problem. In the CSS working group, IE6, uh, shipped with some, version of a CSS that was in the, as specified, you know, the spec was saying, you know, do that for the CSS box model. [00:16:27] Francois: And the IE6 was following that. And then the group decided to change, the box model and suddenly IE6 was no longer compliant. And that created a, a huge mess on the, in the history of, uh, of the web in a way. And so the, we, the, the, the, the candidate recommendation sta uh, stage was introduced following that to try to catch this kind of problems. [00:16:52] Francois: But nowadays, again, we, we switch to another model where it's more live. and so we, you, you'll find a number of specs that are not even at candidate rec level. They are at the, what we call a working draft, and they, they are being implemented, and if all goes well, the standardization process follows the implementation, and then you end up in a situation where you have your candidate rec when the, uh, spec ships. [00:17:18] Francois: a recent example would be a web GPU, for example. It, uh, it has shipped in, uh, in, in Chrome shortly before it transition to a candidate rec. But the, the, the spec was already stable. and now it's shipping uh, in, uh, in different browsers, uh, uh, safari, uh, and uh, and uh, and uh, Firefox. And so that's, uh, and that's a good example of something that follows, uh, things, uh, along pretty well. But then you have other specs such as, uh, in the media space, uh, request video frame back, uh, frame, call back, uh, requestVideoFrameCallback() is a short API that allows you to get, you know, a call back whenever the, the browser renders a video frame, essentially. [00:18:01] Francois: And that spec is implemented across browsers. But from a W3C specific, perspective, it does not even exist. It's not on the standardization track. It's still being incubated in what we call a community group, which is, you know, some something that, uh, usually exists before. we move to the, the standardization process. [00:18:21] Francois: So there, there are examples of things where some things fell through the cracks. All the standardization process, uh, is either too early or too late and things that are in spec are not exactly what what got implemented or implementations are too early in the process. We we're doing a better job, at, Not falling into a trap where someone ships, uh, you know, an implementation and then suddenly everything is frozen. You can no longer, change it because it's too late, it shipped. we've tried, different, path there. Um, mentioned CSS, the, there was this kind of vendor prefixed, uh, properties that used to be, uh, the way, uh, browsers were deploying new features without, you know, taking the final name. [00:19:06] Francois: We are trying also to move away from it because same thing. Then in the end, you end up with, uh, applications that have, uh, to duplicate all the properties, the CSS properties in the style sheets with, uh, the vendor prefixes and nuances in the, in what it does in, in the end. [00:19:23] Jeremy: Yeah, I, I think, is that in CSS where you'll see --mozilla or things like that? Why requestVideoFrameCallback doesn't have a formal specification [00:19:30] Jeremy: The example of the request video frame callback. I, I wonder if you have an opinion or, or, or know why that ended up the way it did, where the browsers all implemented it, even though it was still in the incubation stage. [00:19:49] Francois: On this one, I don't have a particular, uh, insights on whether there was a, you know, a strong reason to implement it,without doing the standardization work. [00:19:58] Francois: I mean, there are, it's not, uh, an IPR (Intellectual Property Rights) issue. It's not, uh, something that, uh, I don't think the, the, the spec triggers, uh, you know, problems that, uh, would be controversial or whatever. [00:20:10] Francois: Uh, so it's just a matter of, uh, there was no one's priority, and in the end, you end up with a, everyone's happy. it's, it has shipped. And so now doing the spec work is a bit,why spend time on something that's already shipped and so on, but the, it may still come back at some point with try to, you know, improve the situation. [00:20:26] Jeremy: Yeah, that's, that's interesting. It's a little counterintuitive because it sounds like you have the, the working group and it, it sounds like perhaps the companies or organizations involved, they maybe agreed on how it should work, and maybe that agreement almost made it so that they felt like they didn't need to move forward with the specification because they came to consensus even before going through that. [00:20:53] Francois: In this particular case, it's probably because it's really, again, it's a small, spec. It's just one function call, you know? I mean, they will definitely want a working group, uh, for larger specifications. by the way, actually now I know re request video frame call back. It's because the, the, the final goal now that it's, uh, shipped, is to merge it into, uh, HTML, uh, the HTML spec. [00:21:17] Francois: So there's a, there's an ongoing issue on the, the WHATWG side to integrate request video frame callback. And it's taking some time but see, it's, it's being, it, it caught up and, uh, someone is doing the, the work to, to do it. I had forgotten about this one. Um, [00:21:33] Jeremy: Tension from specification review (horizontal review) [00:21:33] Francois: so with larger specifications, organizations will want this kind of IPR regime they will want commit commitments from, uh, others, on the scope, on the process, on everything. So they will want, uh, a larger, a, a more formal setting, because that's part of how you ensure that things, uh, will get done properly. [00:21:53] Francois: I didn't mention it, but, uh, something we're really, uh, Pushy on, uh, W3C I mentioned we have principles, we have priorities, and we have, uh, specific several, uh, properties at W3C. And one of them is that we we're very strong on horizontal reviews of our specs. We really want them to be reviewed from an accessibility perspective, from an internationalization perspective, from a privacy and security, uh, perspective, and, and, and a technical architecture perspective as well. [00:22:23] Francois: And that's, these reviews are part of the formal process. So you, all specs need to undergo these reviews. And from time to time, that creates tension. Uh, from time to time. It just works, you know. Goes without problem. a recurring issue is that, privacy and security are hard. I mean, it's not an easy problem, something that can be, uh, solved, uh, easily. [00:22:48] Francois: Uh, so there's a, an ongoing tension and no easy way to resolve it, but there's an ongoing tension between, specifying powerful APIs and preserving privacy without meaning, not exposing too much information to applications in the media space. You can think of the media capabilities, API. So the media space is a complicated space. [00:23:13] Francois: Space because of codecs. codecs are typically not relative free. and so browsers decide which codecs they're going to support, which audio and video codecs they, they're going to support and doing that, that creates additional fragmentation, not in the sense that they're not interoperable, but in the sense that applications need to choose which connect they're going to ship to stream to the end user. [00:23:39] Francois: And, uh, it's all the more complicated that some codecs are going to be hardware supported. So you will have a hardware decoder in your, in your, in your laptop or smartphone. And so that's going to be efficient to decode some, uh, some stream, whereas some code are not, are going to be software, based, supported. [00:23:56] Francois: Uh, and that may consume a lot of CPU and a lot of power and a lot of energy in the end. So you, you want to avoid that if you can, uh, select another thing. Even more complex than, codecs have different profiles, uh, lower end profiles higher end profiles with different capabilities, different features, uh, depending on whether you're going to use this or that color space, for example, this or that resolution, whatever. [00:24:22] Francois: And so you want to surface that to web applications because otherwise, they can't. Select, they can't choose, the right codec and the right, stream that they're going to send to the, uh, client devices. And so they're not going to provide an efficient user experience first, and even a sustainable one in terms of energy because they, they're going to waste energy if they don't send the right stream. [00:24:45] Francois: So you want to surface that to application. That's what the media, media capabilities, APIs, provides. Privacy concerns [00:24:51] Francois: Uh, but at the same time, if you expose that information, you end up with ways to fingerprint the end user's device. And that in turn is often used to track users across, across sites, which is exactly what we don't want to have, uh, for privacy reasons, for obvious privacy reasons. [00:25:09] Francois: So you have to balance that and find ways to, uh, you know, to expose. Capabilities without, without necessarily exposing them too much. Uh, [00:25:21] Jeremy: Can you give an example of how some of those discussions went? Like within the working group? Who are the companies or who are the organizations that are arguing for We shouldn't have this capability because of the privacy concerns, or [00:25:40] Francois: In a way all of the companies, have a vision of, uh, of privacy. I mean, the, you will have a hard time finding, you know, members saying, I don't care about privacy. I just want the feature. Uh, they all have privacy in mind, but they may have a different approach to privacy. [00:25:57] Francois: so if you take, uh, let's say, uh, apple and Google would be the, the, I guess the perfect examples in that, uh, in that space, uh, Google will have a, an approach that is more open-ended thing. The, the user agents has this, uh, should check what the, the, uh, given site is doing. And then if it goes beyond, you know, some kind of threshold, they're going to say, well, okay, well, we'll stop exposing data to that, to that, uh, to that site. [00:26:25] Francois: So that application. So monitor and react in a way. apple has a more, uh, you know, has a stricter view on, uh, on privacy, let's say. And they will say, no, we, the, the, the feature must not exist in the first place. Or, but that's, I mean, I guess, um, it's not always that extreme. And, uh, from time to time it's the opposite. [00:26:45] Francois: You will have, uh, you know, apple arguing in one way, uh, which is more open-ended than the, uh, than, uh, than Google, for example. And they are not the only ones. So in working groups, uh, you will find the, usually the implementers. Uh, so when we talk about APIs that get implemented in browsers, you want the core browsers to be involved. [00:27:04] Francois: Uh, otherwise it's usually not a good sign for, uh, the success of the, uh, of the technology. So in practice, that means Apple, uh, Microsoft, Mozilla which one did I forget? [00:27:15] Jeremy: Google. [00:27:16] Francois: I forgot Google. Of course. Thank you. that's, uh, that the, the core, uh, list of participants you want to have in any, uh, group that develops web standards targeted at web browsers. Who participates in working groups and how much power do they have? [00:27:28] Francois: And then on top of that, you want, organizations and people who are directly going to use it, either because they, well the content providers. So in media, for example, if you look at the media working group, you'll see, uh, so browser vendors, the ones I mentioned, uh, content providers such as the BBC or Netflix. [00:27:46] Francois: Chip set vendors would, uh, would be there as well. Intel, uh, Nvidia again, because you know, there's a hardware decoding in there and encoding. So media is, touches on, on, uh, on hardware, uh, device manufacturer in general. You may, uh, I think, uh, I think Sony is involved in the, in the media working group, for example. [00:28:04] Francois: and these companies are usually less active in the spec development. It depends on the groups, but they're usually less active because the ones developing the specs are usually the browser again, because as I mentioned, we develop the specs in parallel to browsers implementing it. So they have the. [00:28:21] Francois: The feedback on how to formulate the, the algorithms. and so that's this collection of people who are going to discuss first within themselves. W3C pushes for consensual dis decisions. So we hardly take any votes in the working groups, but from time to time, that's not enough. [00:28:41] Francois: And there may be disagreements, but let's say there's agreement in the group, uh, when the spec matches. horizontal review groups will look at the specs. So these are groups I mentioned, accessibility one, uh, privacy, internationalization. And these groups, usually the participants are, it depends. [00:29:00] Francois: It can be anything. It can be, uh, the same companies. It can be, but usually different people from the same companies. But it the, maybe organizations with a that come from very, a very different angle. And that's a good thing because that means the, you know, you enlarge the, the perspectives on your, uh, on the, on the technology. [00:29:19] Francois: and you, that's when you have a discussion between groups, that takes place. And from time to time it goes well from time to time. Again, it can trigger issues that are hard to solve. and the W3C has a, an escalation process in case, uh, you know, in case things degenerate. Uh, starting with, uh, the notion of formal objection. [00:29:42] Jeremy: It makes sense that you would have the, the browser. Vendors and you have all the different companies that would use that browser. All the different horizontal groups like you mentioned, the internationalization, accessibility. I would imagine that you were talking about consensus and there are certain groups or certain companies that maybe have more say or more sway. [00:30:09] Jeremy: For example, if you're a browser, manufacturer, your Google. I'm kind of curious how that works out within the working group. [00:30:15] Francois: Yes, it's, I guess I would be lying if I were saying that, uh, you know, all companies are strictly equal in a, in a, in a group. they are from a process perspective, I mentioned, you know, different membership fees with were design, special specific ethos so that no one could say, I'm, I'm putting in a lot of money, so you, you need to re you need to respect me, uh, and you need to follow what I, what I want to, what I want to do. [00:30:41] Francois: at the same time, if you take a company like, uh, like Google for example, they send, hundreds of engineers to do standardization work. That's absolutely fantastic because that means work progresses and it's, uh, extremely smart people. So that's, uh, that's really a pleasure to work with, uh, with these, uh, people. [00:30:58] Francois: But you need to take a step back and say, well, the problem is. Defacto that gives them more power just by virtue of, uh, injecting more resources into it. So having always someone who can respond to an issue, having always someone, uh, editing a spec defacto that give them more, uh, um, more say on the, on the directions that, get forward. [00:31:22] Francois: And on top of that, of course, they have the, uh, I guess not surprisingly, the, the browser that is, uh, used the most, currently, on the market so there's a little bit of a, the, the, we, we, we, we try very hard to make sure that, uh, things are balanced. it's not a perfect world. [00:31:38] Francois: the the role of the team. I mean, I didn't talk about the role of the team, but part of it is to make sure that. Again, all perspectives are represented and that there's not, such a, such big imbalance that, uh, that something is wrong and that we really need to look into it. so making sure that anyone, if they have something to say, make making sure that they are heard by the rest of the group and not dismissed. [00:32:05] Francois: That usually goes well. There's no problem with that. And again, the escalation process I mentioned here doesn't make any, uh, it doesn't make any difference between, uh, a small player, a large player, a big player, and we have small companies raising formal objections against some of our aspects that happens, uh, all large ones. [00:32:24] Francois: But, uh, that happens too. There's no magical solution, I guess you can tell it by the way. I, uh, I don't know how to formulate the, the process more. It's a human process, and that's very important that it remains a human process as well. [00:32:41] Jeremy: I suppose the role of, of staff and someone in your position, for example, is to try and ensure that these different groups are, are heard and it isn't just one group taking control of it. [00:32:55] Francois: That's part of the role, again, is to make sure that, uh, the, the process is followed. So the, I, I mean, I don't want to give the impression that the process controls everything in the groups. I mean, the, the, the groups are bound by the process, but the process is there to catch problems when they arise. [00:33:14] Francois: most of the time there are no problems. It's just, you know, again, participants talking to each other, talking with the rest of the community. Most of the work happens in public nowadays, in any case. So the groups work in public essentially through asynchronous, uh, discussions on GitHub repositories. [00:33:32] Francois: There are contributions from, you know, non group participants and everything goes well. And so the process doesn't kick in. You just never say, eh, no, you didn't respect the process there. You, you closed the issue. You shouldn't have a, it's pretty rare that you have to do that. Uh, things just proceed naturally because they all, everyone understands where they are, why, what they're doing, and why they're doing it. [00:33:55] Francois: we still have a role, I guess in the, in the sense that from time to time that doesn't work and you have to intervene and you have to make sure that,the, uh, exception is caught and, uh, and processed, uh, in the right way. Discussions are public on github [00:34:10] Jeremy: And you said this process is asynchronous in public, so it sounds like someone, I, I mean, is this in GitHub issues or how, how would somebody go and, and see what the results of [00:34:22] Francois: Yes, there, there are basically a gazillion of, uh, GitHub repositories under the, uh, W3C, uh, organization on GitHub. Most groups are using GitHub. I mean, there's no, it's not mandatory. We don't manage any, uh, any tooling. But the factors that most, we, we've been transitioning to GitHub, uh, for a number of years already. [00:34:45] Francois: Uh, so that's where the work most of the work happens, through issues, through pool requests. Uh, that's where. people can go and raise issues against specifications. Uh, we usually, uh, also some from time to time get feedback from developers and countering, uh, a bug in a particular implementations, which we try to gently redirect to, uh, the actual bug trackers because we're not responsible for the respons implementations of the specs unless the spec is not clear. [00:35:14] Francois: We are responsible for the spec itself, making sure that the spec is clear and that implementers well, understand how they should implement something. Why the W3C doesn't specify a video or audio codec [00:35:25] Jeremy: I can see how people would make that mistake because they, they see it's the feature, but that's not the responsibility of the, the W3C to implement any of the specifications. Something you had mentioned there's the issue of intellectual property rights and how when you have a recommendation, you require the different organizations involved to make their patents available to use freely. [00:35:54] Jeremy: I wonder why there was never any kind of, recommendation for audio or video codecs in browsers since you have certain ones that are considered royalty free. But, I believe that's never been specified. [00:36:11] Francois: At W3C you mean? Yes. we, we've tried, I mean, it's not for lack of trying. Um, uh, we've had a number of discussions with, uh, various stakeholders saying, Hey, we, we really need, an audio or video code for our, for the web. the, uh, png PNG is an example of a, um, an image format which got standardized at W3C and it got standardized at W3C similar reasons. There had to be a royalty free image format for the web, and there was none at the time. of course, nowadays, uh, jpeg, uh, and gif or gif, whatever you call it, are well, you know, no problem with them. But, uh, um, that at the time P PNG was really, uh, meant to address this issue and it worked for PNG for audio and video. [00:37:01] Francois: We haven't managed to secure, commitments by stakeholders. So willingness to do it, so it's not, it's not lack of willingness. We would've loved to, uh, get, uh, a royalty free, uh, audio codec, a royalty free video codec again, audio and video code are extremely complicated because of this. [00:37:20] Francois: not only because of patterns, but also because of the entire business ecosystem that exists around them for good reasons. You, in order for a, a codec to be supported, deployed, effective, it really needs, uh, it needs to mature a lot. It needs to, be, uh, added to at a hardware level, to a number of devices, capturing devices, but also, um, uh, uh, of course players. [00:37:46] Francois: And that takes a hell of a lot of time and that's why you also enter a number of business considerations with business contracts between entities. so I'm personally, on a personal level, I'm, I'm pleased to see, for example, the Alliance for Open Media working on, uh, uh, AV1, uh, which is. At least they, uh, they wanted to be royalty free and they've been adopting actually the W3C patent policy to do this work. [00:38:11] Francois: So, uh, we're pleased to see that, you know, they've been adopting the same process and same thing. AV1 is not yet at the same, support stage, as other, codecs, in the world Yeah, I mean in devices. There's an open question as what, what are we going to do, uh, in the future uh, with that, it's, it's, it's doubtful that, uh, the W3C will be able to work on a, on a royalty free audio, codec or royalty free video codec itself because, uh, probably it's too late now in any case. [00:38:43] Francois: but It's one of these angles in the, in the web platform where we wish we had the, uh, the technology available for, for free. And, uh, it's not exactly, uh, how things work in practice.I mean, the way codecs are developed remains really patent oriented. [00:38:57] Francois: and you will find more codecs being developed. and that's where geopolitics can even enter the, the, uh, the play. Because, uh, if you go to China, you will find new codecs emerging, uh, that get developed within China also, because, the other codecs come mostly from the US so it's a bit of a problem and so on. [00:39:17] Francois: I'm not going to enter details and uh, I would probably say stupid things in any case. Uh, but that, uh, so we continue to see, uh, emerging codecs that are not royalty free, and it's probably going to remain the case for a number of years. unfortunately, unfortunately, from a W3C perspective and my perspective of course. [00:39:38] Jeremy: There's always these new, formats coming out and the, rate at which they get supported in the browser, even on a per browser basis is, is very, there can be a long time between, for example, WebP being released and a browser supporting it. So, seems like maybe we're gonna be in that situation for a while where the codecs will come out and maybe the browsers will support them. Maybe they won't, but the, the timeline is very uncertain. Digital Rights Management (DRM) and Media Source Extensions [00:40:08] Jeremy: Something you had, mentioned, maybe this was in your, email to me earlier, but you had mentioned that some of these specifications, there's, there's business considerations like with, digital rights management and, media source extensions. I wonder if you could talk a little bit about maybe what media source extensions is and encrypted media extensions and, and what the, the considerations or challenges are there. [00:40:33] Francois: I'm going to go very, very quickly over the history of a, video and audio support on the web. Initially it was supported through plugins. you are maybe too young to, remember that. But, uh, we had extensions, added to, uh, a realplayer. [00:40:46] Francois: This kind of things flash as well, uh, supporting, uh, uh, videos, in web pages, but it was not provided by the web browsers themselves. Uh, then HTML5 changed the, the situation. Adding these new tags, audio and video, but that these tags on this, by default, support, uh, you give them a resources, a resource, like an image as it's an audio or a video file. [00:41:10] Francois: They're going to download this, uh, uh, video file or audio file, and they're going to play it. That works well. But as soon as you want to do any kind of real streaming, files are too large and to stream, to, to get, you know, to get just a single fetch on, uh, on them. So you really want to stream them chunk by chunk, and you want to adapt the resolution at which you send the stream based on real time conditions of the user's network. [00:41:37] Francois: If there's plenty of bandwidth you want to send the user, the highest possible resolution. If there's a, some kind of hiccup temporary in the, in the network, you really want to lower the resolution, and that's called adaptive streaming. And to get adaptive streaming on the web, well, there are a number of protocols that exist. [00:41:54] Francois: Same thing. Some many of them are proprietary and actually they remain proprietary, uh, to some extent. and, uh, some of them are over http and they are the ones that are primarily used in, uh, in web contexts. So DASH comes to mind, DASH for Dynamic Adaptive streaming over http. HLS is another one. Uh, initially developed by Apple, I believe, and it's, uh, HTTP live streaming probably. Exactly. And, so there are different protocols that you can, uh, you can use. Uh, so the goal was not to standardize these protocols because again, there were some proprietary aspects to them. And, uh, same thing as with codecs. [00:42:32] Francois: There was no, well, at least people wanted to have the, uh, flexibility to tweak parameters, adaptive streaming parameters the way they wanted for different scenarios. You may want to tweak the parameters differently. So they, they needed to be more flexibility on top of protocols not being truly available for use directly and for implementation directly in browsers. [00:42:53] Francois: It was also about providing applications with, uh, the flexibility they would need to tweak parameters. So media source extensions comes into play for exactly that. Media source extensions is really about you. The application fetches chunks of its audio and video stream the way it wants, and with the parameters it wants, and it adjusts whatever it wants. [00:43:15] Francois: And then it feeds that into the, uh, video or audio tag. and the browser takes care of the rest. So it's really about, doing, you know, the adaptive streaming. let applications do it, and then, uh, let the user agent, uh, the browser takes, take care of the rendering itself. That's media source extensions. [00:43:32] Francois: Initially it was pushed by, uh, Netflix. They were not the only ones of course, but there, there was a, a ma, a major, uh, proponent of this, uh, technical solution, because they wanted, uh, they, uh, they were, expanding all over the world, uh, with, uh, plenty of native, applications on all sorts of, uh, of, uh, devices. [00:43:52] Francois: And they wanted to have a way to stream content on the web as well. both for both, I guess, to expand to, um, a new, um, ecosystem, the web, uh, providing new opportunities, let's say. But at the same time also to have a fallback, in case they, because for native support on different platforms, they sometimes had to enter business agreements with, uh, you know, the hardware manufacturers, the whatever, the, uh, service provider or whatever. [00:44:19] Francois: and so that was a way to have a full back. That kind of work is more open, in case, uh, things take some time and so on. So, and they probably had other reasons. I mean, I'm not, I can't speak on behalf of Netflix, uh, on others, but they were not the only ones of course, uh, supporting this, uh, me, uh, media source extension, uh, uh, specification. [00:44:42] Francois: and that went kind of, well, I think it was creating 2011. I mean, the, the work started in 2011 and the recommendation was published in 2016, which is not too bad from a standardization perspective. It means only five years, you know, it's a very short amount of time. Encrypted Media Extensions [00:44:59] Francois: At the same time, and in parallel and complement to the media source extension specifications, uh, there was work on the encrypted media extensions, and here it was pushed by the same proponent in a way because they wanted to get premium content on the web. [00:45:14] Francois: And by premium content, you think of movies and, uh. These kind of beasts. And the problem with the, I guess the basic issue with, uh, digital asset such as movies, is that they cost hundreds of millions to produce. I mean, some cost less of course. And yet it's super easy to copy them if you have a access to the digital, uh, file. [00:45:35] Francois: You just copy and, uh, and that's it. Piracy uh, is super easy, uh, to achieve. It's illegal of course, but it's super easy to do. And so that's where the different legislations come into play with digital right management. Then the fact is most countries allow system that, can encrypt content and, uh, through what we call DRM systems. [00:45:59] Francois: so content providers, uh, the, the ones that have movies, so the studios here more, more and more, and Netflix is one, uh, one of the studios nowadays. Um, but not only, not only them all major studios will, uh, would, uh, push for, wanted to have something that would allow them to stream encrypted content, encrypted audio and video, uh, mostly video, to, uh, to web applications so that, uh, you. [00:46:25] Francois: Provide the movies, otherwise, they, they are just basically saying, and sorry, but, uh, this premium content will never make it to the web because there's no way we're gonna, uh, send it in clear, to, uh, to the end user. So Encrypting media extensions is, uh, is an API that allows to interface with, uh, what's called the content decryption module, CDM, uh, which itself interacts with, uh, the DR DRM systems that, uh, the browser may, may or may not support. [00:46:52] Francois: And so it provides a way for an application to receive encrypted content, pass it over get the, the, the right keys, the right license keys from a whatever system actually. Pass that logic over to the, and to the user agent, which passes, passes it over to, uh, the CDM system, which is kind of black box in, uh, that does its magic to get the right, uh, decryption key and then the, and to decrypt the content that can be rendered. [00:47:21] Francois: The encrypted media extensions triggered a, a hell of a lot of, uh, controversy. because it's DRM and DRM systems, uh, many people, uh, uh, things should be banned, uh, especially on the web because the, the premise of the web is that the, the user has trusts, a user agent. The, the web browser is called the user agent in all our, all our specifications. [00:47:44] Francois: And that's, uh, that's the trust relationship. And then they interact with a, a content provider. And so whatever they do with the content is their, I guess, actually their problem. And DRM introduces a third party, which is, uh, there's, uh, the, the end user no longer has the control on the content. [00:48:03] Francois: It has to rely on something else that, Restricts what it can achieve with the content. So it's, uh, it's not only a trust relationship with its, uh, user agents, it's also with, uh, with something else, which is the content provider, uh, in the end, the one that has the, uh, the license where provides the license. [00:48:22] Francois: And so that's, that triggers, uh, a hell of a lot of, uh, of discussions in the W3C degenerated, uh, uh, into, uh, formal objections being raised against the specification. and that escalated to, to the, I mean, at all leverage it. It's, it's the, the story in, uh, W3C that, um, really, uh, divided the membership into, opposed camps in a way, if you, that's was not only year, it was not really 50 50 in the sense that not just a huge fights, but the, that's, that triggered a hell of a lot of discussions and a lot of, a lot of, uh, of formal objections at the time. [00:49:00] Francois: Uh, we were still, From a governance perspective, interestingly, um, the W3C used to be a dictatorship. It's not how you should formulate it, of course, and I hope it's not going to be public, this podcast. Uh, but the, uh, it was a benevolent dictatorship. You could see it this way in the sense that, uh, the whole process escalated to one single person was, Tim Burners Lee, who had the final say, on when, when none of the other layers, had managed to catch and to resolve, a conflict. [00:49:32] Francois: Uh, that has hardly ever happened in, uh, the history of the W3C, but that happened to the two for EME, for encrypted media extensions. It had to go to the, uh, director level who, uh, after due consideration, uh, decided to, allow the EME to proceed. and that's why we have a, an EME, uh, uh, standard right now, but still re it remains something on the side. [00:49:56] Francois: EME we're still, uh, it's still in the scope of the media working group, for example. but the scope, if you look at the charter of the working group, we try to scope the, the, the, the, the updates we can make to the specification, uh, to make sure that we don't reopen, reopen, uh, a can of worms, because, well, it's really a, a topic that triggers friction for good and bad reasons again. [00:50:20] Jeremy: And when you talk about the media source extensions, that is the ability to write custom code to stream video in whatever way you want. You mentioned, the MPEG-DASH and http live streaming. So in that case, would that be the developer gets to write that code in JavaScript that's executed by the browser? [00:50:43] Francois: Yep, that's, uh, that would be it. and then typically, I guess the approach nowadays is more and more to develop low level APIs into W3C or web in, in general, I guess. And to let, uh. Libraries emerge that are going to make lives of a, a developer, uh, easier. So for MPEG DASH, we have the DASH.js, which does a fantastic job at, uh, at implementing the complexity of, uh, of adaptive streaming. [00:51:13] Francois: And you just, you just hook it into your, your workflow. And that's, uh, and that's it. Encrypted Media Extensions are closed source [00:51:20] Jeremy: And with the encrypted media extensions I'm trying to picture how those work and how they work differently. [00:51:28] Francois: Well, it's because the, the, the, the key architecture is that the, the stream that you, the stream that you may assemble with a media source extensions, for example. 'cause typically they, they're used in collaboration. When you hook the, hook it into the video tag, you also. Call EME and actually the stream goes to EME. [00:51:49] Francois: And when it goes to EME, actually the user agent hands the encrypted stream. You're still encrypted at this time. Uh, encrypted, uh, stream goes to the CDM content decryption module, and that's a black box well, it has some black, black, uh, black box logic. So it's not, uh, even if you look at the chromium source code, for example, you won't see the implementation of the CDM because it's a, it's a black box, so it's not part of the browser se it's a sand, it's sandboxed, it's execution sandbox. [00:52:17] Francois: That's, uh, the, the EME is kind of unique in, in this way where the, the CDM is not allowed to make network requests, for example, again, for privacy reasons. so anyway, the, the CDM box has the logic to decrypt the content and it hands it over, and then it depends, it depends on the level of protection you. [00:52:37] Francois: You need or that the system supports. It can be against software based protection, in which case actually, a highly motivated, uh, uh, uh, attacker could, uh, actually get access to the decoded stream, or it can be more hardware protected, in which case actually the, it goes to the, uh, to your final screen. [00:52:58] Francois: But it goes, it, it goes through the hardware in a, in a mode that the US supports in a mode that even the user agent doesn't have access to it. So it doesn't, it can't even see the pixels that, uh, gets rendered on the screen. There are, uh, several other, uh, APIs that you could use, for example, to take a screenshot of your, of your application and so on. [00:53:16] Francois: And you cannot apply them to, uh, such content because they're just gonna return a black box. again, because the user agent itself does not see the, uh, the pixels, which is exactly what you want with encrypted content. [00:53:29] Jeremy: And the, the content decryption module, it's, if I understand correctly, it's something that's shipped with the browsers, but you were saying is if you were to look at the public source code of Chromium or of Firefox, you would not see that implementation. Content Decryption Module (Widevine, PlayReady) [00:53:47] Francois: True. I mean, the, the, um, the typical examples are, uh, uh, widevine, so wide Vine. So interestingly, uh, speaking in theory, these, uh, systems could have been provided by anyone in practice. They've been provided by the browser vendors themselves. So Google has Wide Vine. Uh, Microsoft has something called PlayReady. Apple uh, the name, uh, escapes my, uh, sorry. They don't have it on top of my mind. So they, that's basically what they support. So they, they also own that code, but in a way they don't have to. And Firefox actually, uh, they, uh, don't, don't remember which one, they support among these three. but, uh, they, they don't own that code typically. [00:54:29] Francois: They provide a wrapper around, around it. Yeah, that's, that's exactly the, the crux of the, uh, issue that, people have with, uh, with DRMs, right? It's, uh, the fact that, uh, suddenly you have a bit of code running there that is, uh, that, okay, you can send box, but, uh, you cannot inspect and you don't have, uh, access to its, uh, source code. [00:54:52] Jeremy: That's interesting. So the, almost the entire browser is open source, but if you wanna watch a Netflix movie for example, then you, you need to, run this, this CDM, in addition to just the browser code. I, I think, you know, we've kind of covered a lot. Documenting what's available in browsers for developers [00:55:13] Jeremy: I wonder if there's any other examples or anything else you thought would be important to mention in, in the context of the W3C. [00:55:23] Francois: There, there's one thing which, uh, relates to, uh, activities I'm doing also at W3C. Um. Here, we've been talking a lot about, uh, standards and, implementations in browsers, but there's also, uh, adoption of these browser, of these technology standards by developers in general and making sure that developers are aware of what exists, making sure that they understand what exists and one of the, key pain points that people, uh. [00:55:54] Francois: Uh, keep raising on, uh, the web platform is first. Well, the, the, the web platform is unique in the sense that there are different implementations. I mean, if you, [00:56:03] Francois: Uh, anyway, there are different, uh, context, different run times where there, there's just one provided by the company that owns the, uh, the, the, the system. The web platform is implemented by different, uh, organizations. and so you end up the system where no one, there's what's in the specs is not necessarily supported. [00:56:22] Francois: And of course, MDN tries, uh, to document what's what's supported, uh, thoroughly. But for MDN to work, there's a hell of a lot of needs for data that, tracks browser support. And this, uh, this data is typically in a project called the Browser Compat Data, BCD owned by, uh, MDN as well. But, the Open Web Docs collective is a, uh, is, uh, the one, maintaining that, uh, that data under the hoods. [00:56:50] Francois: anyway, all of that to say that, uh, to make sure that, we track things beyond work on technical specifications, because if you look at it from W3C perspective, life ends when the spec reaches standards, uh, you know, candidate rec or rec, you could just say, oh, done with my work. but that's not how things work. [00:57:10] Francois: There's always, you need the feedback loop and, in order to make sure that developers get the information and can provide the, the feedback that standardization can benefit from and browser vendors can benefit from. We've been working on a project called web Features with browser vendors mainly, and, uh, a few of the folks and MDN and can I use and different, uh, different people, to catalog, the web in terms of features that speak to developers and from that catalog. [00:57:40] Francois: So it's a set of, uh, it's a set of, uh, feature IDs with a feature name and feature description that say, you know, this is how developers would, uh, understand, uh, instead of going too fine grained in terms of, uh, there's this one function call that does this because that's where you, the, the kind of support data you may get from browser data and MDN initially, and having some kind of a coarser grained, uh, structure that says these are the, features that make sense. [00:58:09] Francois: They talk to developers. That's what developers talk about, and that's the info. So the, we need to have data on these particular features because that's how developers are going approach the specs. Uh. and from that we've derived the notion of baseline badges that you have, uh, are now, uh, shown on MDN on can I use and integrated in, uh, IDE tool, IDE Tools such as visual, visual studio, and, uh, uh, libraries, uh, linked, some linters have started to, um, to integrate that data. [00:58:41] Francois: Uh, so, the way it works is, uh, we've been mapping these coarser grained features to BCDs finer grained support data, and from there we've been deriving a kind of a, a batch that says, yeah, this, this feature is implemented well, has limited availability because it's only implemented in one or two browsers, for example. [00:59:07] Francois: It's, newly available because. It was implemented. It's been, it's implemented across the main browser vendor, um, across the main browsers that people use. But it's recent, and widely available, which we try to, uh, well, there's been lots of discussion in the, in the group to, uh, come up with a definition which essentially ends up being 30 months after, a feature become, became newly available. [00:59:34] Francois: And that's when, that's the time it takes for the, for the versions of the, the different versions of the browser to propagate. Uh, because you, it's not because there's a new version of a, of a browser that, uh, people just, Ima immediately, uh, get it. So it takes a while, to propagate, uh, across the, uh, the, the user, uh, user base. [00:59:56] Francois: And so the, the goal is to have a, a, a signal that. Developers can rely on saying, okay, well it's widely available so I can really use that feature. And of course, if that doesn't work, then we need to know about it. And so we are also working with, uh, people doing so developer surveys such as state of, uh, CSS, state of HTML, state of JavaScript. [01:00:15] Francois: That's I guess, the main ones. But also we are also running, uh, MDN short surveys with the MDN people to gather feedback on. On the, on these same features, and to feed the loop and to, uh, to complete the loop. and these data is also used by, internally, by browser vendors to inform, prioritization process, their prioritization process, and typically as part of the interop project that they're also running, uh, on the site [01:00:43] Francois: So a, a number of different, I've mentioned, uh, I guess a number of different projects, uh, coming along together. But that's the goal is to create links, across all of these, um, uh, ongoing projects with a view to integrating developers, more, and gathering feedback as early as possible and inform decision. [01:01:04] Francois: We take at the standardization level that can affect the, the lives of the developers and making sure that it's, uh, it affects them in a, in a positive way. [01:01:14] Jeremy: just trying to understand, 'cause you had mentioned that there's the web features and the baseline, and I was, I was trying to picture where developers would actually, um, see these things. And it sounds like from what you're saying is W3C comes up with what stage some of these features are at, and then developers would end up seeing it on MDN or, or some other site. [01:01:37] Francois: So, uh, I'm working on it, but that doesn't mean it's a W3C thing. It's a, it's a, again, it's a, we have different types of group. It's a community group, so it's the Web DX Community group at W3C, which means it's a community owned thing. so that's why I'm mentioning a working with a representative from, and people from MDN people, from open Web docs. [01:02:05] Francois: so that's the first point. The second point is, so it's, indeed this data is now being integrated. If you, and you look, uh, you'll, you'll see it in on top of the MDN pages on most of them. If you look at, uh, any kind of feature, you'll see a, a few logos, uh, a baseline banner. and then can I use, it's the same thing. [01:02:24] Francois: You're going to get a baseline, banner. It's more on, can I use, and it's meant to capture the fact that the feature is widely available or if you may need to pay attention to it. Of course, it's a simplification, and the goal is not to the way it's, the way the messaging is done to developers is meant to capture the fact that, they may want to look, uh, into more than just this, baseline status, because. [01:02:54] Francois: If you take a look at web platform tests, for example, and if you were to base your assessment of whether a feature is supported based on test results, you'll end up saying the web platform has no supported technology because there are absolutely no API that, uh, where browsers pass 100% of the, of the, of the test suite. [01:03:18] Francois: There may be a few of them, I don't know. But, there's a simplification in the, in the process when a feature is, uh, set to be baseline, there may be more things to look at nevertheless, but it's meant to provide a signal that, uh, still developers can rely on their day-to-day, uh, lives. [01:03:36] Francois: if they use the, the feature, let's say, as a reasonably intended and not, uh, using to advance the logic. [01:03:48] Jeremy: I see. Yeah. I'm looking at one of the pages on MDN right now, and I can see at the top there's the, the baseline and it, it mentions that this feature works across many browsers and devices, and then they say how long it's been available. And so that's a way that people at a glance can, can tell, which APIs they can use. [01:04:08] Francois: it also started, uh, out of a desire to summarize this, uh, browser compatibility table that you see at the end of the page of the, the bottom of the page in on MDN. but there are where developers were saying, well, it's, it's fine, but it's, it goes too much into detail. So we don't know in the end, can we, can we use that feature or can we, can we not use that feature? [01:04:28] Francois: So it's meant as a informed summary of, uh, of, of that it relies on the same data again. and more importantly, we're beyond MDN, we're working with tools providers to integrate that as well. So I mentioned the, uh, visual Studio is one of them. So recently they shipped a new version where when you use a feature, you can, you can have some contextual, uh. [01:04:53] Francois: A menu that tells you, yeah, uh, that's fine. You, this CSS property, you can, you can use it, it's widely available or be aware this one is limited Availability only, availability only available in Firefox or, or Chrome or Safari work kit, whatever. [01:05:08] Jeremy: I think that's a good place to wrap it up, if people want to learn more about the work you're doing or learn more about sort of this whole recommendations process, where, where should they head? [01:05:23] Francois: Generally speaking, we're extremely open to, uh, people contributing to the W3C. and where should they go if they, it depends on what they want. So I guess the, the in usually where, how things start for someone getting involved in the W3C is that they have some

Toward the end of this week's episode, Jesse Lonergan says, “With Drome, it feels like I've done...something.” Since he arrived on the scene, the cartoonist has bashed upon the medium, seeing if he'd be the one to break comics. The art form didn't shatter; it became stronger under Lonergan's pressure. Books like Hedra, Faster, Planet Paradise, and Man's Best electrified readers, showcasing what could only be done in comics. Now, in Drome, Jesse Lonergan whales harder upon the medium than he ever has before, and the result is a smashing celebration of comics and creation. Jesse Lonergan has done...something. He is not the artist who started Drome. We are not the readers we were before the first page. A quick flip through Drome and you'll witness a civilization with champions of order raging against champions of chaos. The visuals recall Jack Kirby and Robert E. Howard. Gods watch their toys in their sandbox. Violence everywhere because life is a violent act. It's the best-looking, sword-and-sandal fantasy adventure you can find at your local comic shop. To begin and end your conversation about Drome with its plot is a catastrophic mistake. With Jesse Lonergan, process is the theme. The color story matters. Form is the point. So, let's get real damn nerdy about it. On this week's episode, we excitedly welcome back Jesse Lonergan and, together, tear our way through one of the year's best comic books. We discuss the first images that eventually became Drome. We talk about the CMYK color model. We embarrassingly reveal the names we gave his characters, and celebrate those other artists, such as Geoff Darrow and Matt Lesniewski, who seem to give everything they have to comics. Drome is now available from 23rd St Books. Make sure you follow Jesse Lonergan on Blue Sky, Instagram, Patreon, and his Website. This Week's Sponsors Looking for sci-fi comics that go further than you've ever been before? Then you need  2000 AD – it's the Galaxy's Greatest Comic! Whether you're a new or returning reader, September is the perfect time to try out 2000 AD, with the launch of 2000 AD issue 2450 -- a jump-on issue with a fresh start for every story! Featuring a terrifying new Judge Dredd story by Rob Williams and Henry Flint, the issue also has a major new Rogue Trooper story from the team of Alex de Campi and Neil Edwards! Get a print subscription to 2000 AD and it'll arrive through your letterbox every week, and your first issue is free. Or, subscribe digitally and you can download DRM-free copies of each issue for only $9 a month. That's 128 pages of incredible comics every month for less than $10! For thirty years, Street Sharks has remained a fan-favorite franchise, but the fearless Bolton Brothers have been cruelly absent from comic book shops. Until now. This September, IDW Publishing launches a brand new five-issue Street Sharks mini-series from writer Stephanie Williams and artist Ariel Medel. The new series celebrates the JAW-SOME characters you already love while exploring new depths to their souls and universe. So, get ready to return to the chaotic streets of Fission City as Ripster, Jab, Streex, and Big Slammu fight to protect their home against twisted experiments gone wrong, including muscle-bound mutant lobsters, ruthless squids, and deranged scientists. Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode: Subscribe to the CBCC YouTube Channel and Prepare for The Stacks Chris Condon in The Stacks at Third Eye Comics Brad and Lisa Gullickson in The Stacks at Third Eye Comics Sanford Greene in The Stacks at Third Eye Comics Philip Kennedy Johnson in The Stacks at Third Eye Comics Steve Anderson in The Stacks at Third Eye Comics David Brothers and Chip Zdarsky in The Stacks at Third Eye Comics Benjamin Percy in the Stacks at Third Eye Comics Join Comic Book Club in Person Final Round of Plugs (PHEW): Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY. The Comic Book Couples Counseling TeePublic Merch Page. Don't forget to grab your tickets for our September 28th Alamo Drafthouse Winchester screening of Event Horizon, co-sponsored by Four Color Fantasies. And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren. Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts. Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators. Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.

Ubuntu 25.10 has a release date and Rust Coreutils still looks good. Pop OS 24.04 is finally almost ready, Kazeta brings back the game carts, and Arch Linux is still under attack. Torvalds takes out the Trash, Firefox has announced the end of 32, and KDE is nearing an exciting 6.5. For tips we have wpctl set-default for controlling WirePlumber defaults, Feral's gamemode for optimized game performance, and strings for pulling ASCII strings out of binaries. You can find the show notes at https://bit.ly/4g88VLk and have a great week! Host: Jonathan Bennett Co-Hosts: Jeff Massie and Ken McDonald Download or subscribe to Untitled Linux Show at https://twit.tv/shows/untitled-linux-show Want access to the ad-free video and exclusive features? Become a member of Club TWiT today! https://twit.tv/clubtwit Club TWiT members can discuss this episode and leave feedback in the Club TWiT Discord.

In today's Daily Fix:Hollow Knight: Silksong was finally released yesterday and broke just about every digital retailer that was selling it. It was even released in a DRM-free version on GOG.com, which of course was cracked by hackers. However, despite now being available to savvy gamers for absolutely free, gamers who have openly supported piracy are making an exception for Silksong, based on the good will developer Team Cherry has earned in the community (charging a more-than-reasonable $20, making it available without DRM, letting original Kickstarter backers get first dibs on the game, etc). In entertainment news, James Gunn wants you to watch Peacemaker Season 2 if you care about the Superman movie sequel, and Tom Holland is pestering his producers on the set of Spider-Man: Brand New Day.

Cloudflare's latest moves to police who can access the internet and governments' push for age verification set off alarms for the future of the open web, as panelists debate the hidden costs of centralization and regulation. Microsoft fires four workers for on-site protests over company's ties to Israel Taco Bell rethinks AI drive-through after man orders 18,000 water Nvidia says two mystery customers accounted for 39% of Q2 revenue FBI cyber cop: Salt Typhoon pwned 'nearly every American Mastodon says it doesn't 'have the means' to comply with age verification law UK's Online Safety Act censors the internet — a preview of US proposal Meta updates chatbot rules to avoid inappropriate topics with teen user Meta reportedly allowed unauthorized celebrity AI chatbots on its service UK's demand for Apple backdoor may have been broader than previously though Bluesky now platform of choice for science community SpaceX's giant Starship Mars rocket nails critical 10th test flight in stunning comeback FCC rejects calls for cable-like fees on broadband providers The web does not need gatekeepers Intel warns a US equity stake could trigger "adverse reactions" US firms are racing through a $1 trillion buyback spree in record time Microsoft reveals two in-house AI models Authors celebrate "historic" settlement coming soon in Anthropic class action A rule exempting small packages from tariffs is ending today Framework is working on a giant haptic touchpad, Trackpoint nub, and eGPU for its laptops Germany fines economist Thomas Vierhaus €16,100 for sarcastic X posts Google wants to make sideloading Android apps safer by verifying developers' identities South Korea bans smartphones in all middle and elementary school classrooms Host: Leo Laporte Guests: Shoshana Weissmann, Cory Doctorow, and Louis Maresca Download or subscribe to This Week in Tech at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-tech Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: shopify.com/twit ZipRecruiter.com/twit NetSuite.com/TWIT zscaler.com/security smarty.com/twit

“Do you see?” We never imagined discussing an Event Horizon comic on the podcast, but the moment the notion was floated, we were enthralled. The original 1997 movie, directed by Paul W.S. Anderson, struck a chord back in the day, but it was also a movie that was obviously jumbled about and fumbled in the editing room. And since the story relied on the device of a spaceship lost in a black hole/literal hell for decades, it so easily allows for prequel expansion. All that's required are the perfect creators to expand the material. Maybe even mend some of it. Christian Ward and Tristan Jones are the perfect creators for Event Horizon. If you've read their work, especially Ward's time on Batman: City of Madness and Jones' time on Aliens, you're probably already subscribed to the new prequel series from IDW Publishing. Event Horizon: Dark Descent tells the story of the original starship crew who ignited the Gravity Drive, popped into the space between spaces, and found their damnation in the abyss. It's always a pleasure to have Christian Ward on the podcast, but this week, that's especially true because we're all geeking out about the original movie, discussing how it influences all of his work, and why prequels are a damn good narrative delivery system. Yes, we talk about trauma and therapy, but also demons and personifying hell in the most joyful comic booky fashion. Event Horizon: Dark Descent is the best book you didn't expect in 2025. Let's all go to hell together. Event Horizon: Dark Descent is written by Christian Ward, illustrated by Tristan Jones, colored by Pip Martin, and lettered by Alex Ray. Variant Covers by Jeffrey Alan Love. Issue 1 is now available from IDW Publishing, and FOC for Issue 2 is Today (9/1/25). Call your shop and get subbed. Also, continue this conversation with Christian Ward by visiting his Website and following him on Blue Sky and Instagram. This Week's Sponsors Looking for sci-fi comics that go further than you've ever been before? Then you need  2000 AD – it's the Galaxy's Greatest Comic! Whether you're a new or returning reader, September is the perfect time to try out 2000 AD, with the launch of 2000 AD issue 2450 -- a jump-on issue with a fresh start for every story! Featuring a terrifying new Judge Dredd story by Rob Williams and Henry Flint, the issue also has a major new Rogue Trooper story from the team of Alex de Campi and Neil Edwards! Get a print subscription to 2000 AD and it'll arrive through your letterbox every week, and your first issue is free. Or, subscribe digitally and you can download DRM-free copies of each issue for only $9 a month. That's 128 pages of incredible comics every month for less than $10! For thirty years, Street Sharks has remained a fan-favorite franchise, but the fearless Bolton Brothers have been cruelly absent from comic book shops. Until now. This September, IDW Publishing launches a brand new five-issue Street Sharks mini-series from writer Stephanie Williams and artist Ariel Medel. The new series celebrates the JAW-SOME characters you already love while exploring new depths to their souls and universe. So, get ready to return to the chaotic streets of Fission City as Ripster, Jab, Streex, and Big Slammu fight to protect their home against twisted experiments gone wrong, including muscle-bound mutant lobsters, ruthless squids, and deranged scientists. Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode: Subscribe to the CBCC YouTube Channel and Prepare for The Stacks Chris Condon in The Stacks at Third Eye Comics Brad and Lisa Gullickson in The Stacks at Third Eye Comics Sanford Greene in The Stacks at Third Eye Comics Philip Kennedy Johnson in The Stacks at Third Eye Comics Steve Anderson in The Stacks at Third Eye Comics David Brothers and Chip Zdarsky in The Stacks at Third Eye Comics Benjamin Percy in the Stacks at Third Eye Comics Join Comic Book Club in Person Final Round of Plugs (PHEW): Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY. The Comic Book Couples Counseling TeePublic Merch Page. Don't forget to grab your tickets for our September 28th Alamo Drafthouse Winchester screening of Event Horizon, co-sponsored by Four Color Fantasies. And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren. Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts. Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators. Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.

Cloudflare's latest moves to police who can access the internet and governments' push for age verification set off alarms for the future of the open web, as panelists debate the hidden costs of centralization and regulation. Microsoft fires four workers for on-site protests over company's ties to Israe Taco Bell rethinks AI drive-through after man orders 18,000 water Nvidia says two mystery customers accounted for 39% of Q2 revenu FBI cyber cop: Salt Typhoon pwned 'nearly every American Mastodon says it doesn't 'have the means' to comply with age verification law UK's Online Safety Act censors the internet — a preview of US proposal Meta updates chatbot rules to avoid inappropriate topics with teen user Meta reportedly allowed unauthorized celebrity AI chatbots on its service UK's demand for Apple backdoor may have been broader than previously though Bluesky now platform of choice for science communit SpaceX's giant Starship Mars rocket nails critical 10th test flight in stunning comeback FCC rejects calls for cable-like fees on broadband providers The web does not need gatekeepers Intel warns a US equity stake could trigger "adverse reactions" US firms are racing through a $1 trillion buyback spree in record time Microsoft reveals two in-house AI models Authors celebrate "historic" settlement coming soon in Anthropic class action A rule exempting small packages from tariffs is ending today Framework is working on a giant haptic touchpad, Trackpoint nub, and eGPU for its laptops Germany fines economist Thomas Vierhaus €16,100 for sarcastic X posts1 Google wants to make sideloading Android apps safer by verifying developers' identities South Korea bans smartphones in all middle and elementary school classrooms Host: Leo Laporte Guests: Shoshana Weissmann, Cory Doctorow, and Louis Maresca Download or subscribe to This Week in Tech at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-tech Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: shopify.com/twit ZipRecruiter.com/twit NetSuite.com/TWIT zscaler.com/security smarty.com/twit

Cloudflare's latest moves to police who can access the internet and governments' push for age verification set off alarms for the future of the open web, as panelists debate the hidden costs of centralization and regulation. Microsoft fires four workers for on-site protests over company's ties to Israe Taco Bell rethinks AI drive-through after man orders 18,000 water Nvidia says two mystery customers accounted for 39% of Q2 revenu FBI cyber cop: Salt Typhoon pwned 'nearly every American Mastodon says it doesn't 'have the means' to comply with age verification law UK's Online Safety Act censors the internet — a preview of US proposal Meta updates chatbot rules to avoid inappropriate topics with teen user Meta reportedly allowed unauthorized celebrity AI chatbots on its service UK's demand for Apple backdoor may have been broader than previously though Bluesky now platform of choice for science communit SpaceX's giant Starship Mars rocket nails critical 10th test flight in stunning comeback FCC rejects calls for cable-like fees on broadband providers The web does not need gatekeepers Intel warns a US equity stake could trigger "adverse reactions" US firms are racing through a $1 trillion buyback spree in record time Microsoft reveals two in-house AI models Authors celebrate "historic" settlement coming soon in Anthropic class action A rule exempting small packages from tariffs is ending today Framework is working on a giant haptic touchpad, Trackpoint nub, and eGPU for its laptops Germany fines economist Thomas Vierhaus €16,100 for sarcastic X posts1 Google wants to make sideloading Android apps safer by verifying developers' identities South Korea bans smartphones in all middle and elementary school classrooms Host: Leo Laporte Guests: Shoshana Weissmann, Cory Doctorow, and Louis Maresca Download or subscribe to This Week in Tech at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-tech Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: shopify.com/twit ZipRecruiter.com/twit NetSuite.com/TWIT zscaler.com/security smarty.com/twit

Cloudflare's latest moves to police who can access the internet and governments' push for age verification set off alarms for the future of the open web, as panelists debate the hidden costs of centralization and regulation. Microsoft fires four workers for on-site protests over company's ties to Israe Taco Bell rethinks AI drive-through after man orders 18,000 water Nvidia says two mystery customers accounted for 39% of Q2 revenu FBI cyber cop: Salt Typhoon pwned 'nearly every American Mastodon says it doesn't 'have the means' to comply with age verification law UK's Online Safety Act censors the internet — a preview of US proposal Meta updates chatbot rules to avoid inappropriate topics with teen user Meta reportedly allowed unauthorized celebrity AI chatbots on its service UK's demand for Apple backdoor may have been broader than previously though Bluesky now platform of choice for science communit SpaceX's giant Starship Mars rocket nails critical 10th test flight in stunning comeback FCC rejects calls for cable-like fees on broadband providers The web does not need gatekeepers Intel warns a US equity stake could trigger "adverse reactions" US firms are racing through a $1 trillion buyback spree in record time Microsoft reveals two in-house AI models Authors celebrate "historic" settlement coming soon in Anthropic class action A rule exempting small packages from tariffs is ending today Framework is working on a giant haptic touchpad, Trackpoint nub, and eGPU for its laptops Germany fines economist Thomas Vierhaus €16,100 for sarcastic X posts1 Google wants to make sideloading Android apps safer by verifying developers' identities South Korea bans smartphones in all middle and elementary school classrooms Host: Leo Laporte Guests: Shoshana Weissmann, Cory Doctorow, and Louis Maresca Download or subscribe to This Week in Tech at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-tech Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: shopify.com/twit ZipRecruiter.com/twit NetSuite.com/TWIT zscaler.com/security smarty.com/twit

Cloudflare's latest moves to police who can access the internet and governments' push for age verification set off alarms for the future of the open web, as panelists debate the hidden costs of centralization and regulation. Microsoft fires four workers for on-site protests over company's ties to Israe Taco Bell rethinks AI drive-through after man orders 18,000 water Nvidia says two mystery customers accounted for 39% of Q2 revenu FBI cyber cop: Salt Typhoon pwned 'nearly every American Mastodon says it doesn't 'have the means' to comply with age verification law UK's Online Safety Act censors the internet — a preview of US proposal Meta updates chatbot rules to avoid inappropriate topics with teen user Meta reportedly allowed unauthorized celebrity AI chatbots on its service UK's demand for Apple backdoor may have been broader than previously though Bluesky now platform of choice for science communit SpaceX's giant Starship Mars rocket nails critical 10th test flight in stunning comeback FCC rejects calls for cable-like fees on broadband providers The web does not need gatekeepers Intel warns a US equity stake could trigger "adverse reactions" US firms are racing through a $1 trillion buyback spree in record time Microsoft reveals two in-house AI models Authors celebrate "historic" settlement coming soon in Anthropic class action A rule exempting small packages from tariffs is ending today Framework is working on a giant haptic touchpad, Trackpoint nub, and eGPU for its laptops Germany fines economist Thomas Vierhaus €16,100 for sarcastic X posts1 Google wants to make sideloading Android apps safer by verifying developers' identities South Korea bans smartphones in all middle and elementary school classrooms Host: Leo Laporte Guests: Shoshana Weissmann, Cory Doctorow, and Louis Maresca Download or subscribe to This Week in Tech at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-tech Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: shopify.com/twit ZipRecruiter.com/twit NetSuite.com/TWIT zscaler.com/security smarty.com/twit

Cloudflare's latest moves to police who can access the internet and governments' push for age verification set off alarms for the future of the open web, as panelists debate the hidden costs of centralization and regulation. Microsoft fires four workers for on-site protests over company's ties to Israe Taco Bell rethinks AI drive-through after man orders 18,000 water Nvidia says two mystery customers accounted for 39% of Q2 revenu FBI cyber cop: Salt Typhoon pwned 'nearly every American Mastodon says it doesn't 'have the means' to comply with age verification law UK's Online Safety Act censors the internet — a preview of US proposal Meta updates chatbot rules to avoid inappropriate topics with teen user Meta reportedly allowed unauthorized celebrity AI chatbots on its service UK's demand for Apple backdoor may have been broader than previously though Bluesky now platform of choice for science communit SpaceX's giant Starship Mars rocket nails critical 10th test flight in stunning comeback FCC rejects calls for cable-like fees on broadband providers The web does not need gatekeepers Intel warns a US equity stake could trigger "adverse reactions" US firms are racing through a $1 trillion buyback spree in record time Microsoft reveals two in-house AI models Authors celebrate "historic" settlement coming soon in Anthropic class action A rule exempting small packages from tariffs is ending today Framework is working on a giant haptic touchpad, Trackpoint nub, and eGPU for its laptops Germany fines economist Thomas Vierhaus €16,100 for sarcastic X posts1 Google wants to make sideloading Android apps safer by verifying developers' identities South Korea bans smartphones in all middle and elementary school classrooms Host: Leo Laporte Guests: Shoshana Weissmann, Cory Doctorow, and Louis Maresca Download or subscribe to This Week in Tech at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-tech Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: shopify.com/twit ZipRecruiter.com/twit NetSuite.com/TWIT zscaler.com/security smarty.com/twit

It’s the 500th edition of my podcast, and to celebrate, I’m bringing you an hour-long excerpt from the audiobook of my forthcoming book Enshittification: Why Everything Suddenly Got Worse and What To Do About It (Farrar, Straus and Giroux US/Canada; Verso UK/Commonwealth). Because Amazon won’t carry my audiobooks (or any DRM-free audiobooks), I have to... more

Early on in Tillie Walden's Clementine: Book Three, which represents the concluding chapter in her The Walking Dead trilogy, an expectant mother grabs our hero's arm and gasps through the pain, “It'll never end.” She's so right, and we should all take those words to heart. Pain is never done with you. Run if you care to, but the worst life has to offer will always find you. The trick is acknowledging your relationship with it and fortifying yourself as a means of surviving until you don't. Pain never ends. You will. Find your community and love them while you can. We've adored Tillie Walden's comics for quite some time. One of our earliest episodes was a deep dive exploration of her exceptional science fiction teen romance, On a Sunbeam. Her work is deeply personal, and Clementine: Book Three is no exception, with the narrative extending from recent events in her life. In today's podcast, we dig into the Clementine trilogy with Tillie Walden. We discuss how she finds herself in Clementine and how Clementine may find herself in Tillie. We talk about The Walking Dead franchise, how Clementine evolves from the Telltale game, and why horror is the most emotionally honest genre. Clementine: Book Three is written, drawn, and lettered by Tillie Walden. Grey Tones by Cliff Rathburn. All three books are now available from Skybound Entertainment and Image Comics. Follow Tillie Walden through her website and Instagram. This Week's Sponsors We're sponsored by 2000 AD, the greatest comic you're not reading! Within its pages is a whole universe of characters, from Judge Dredd and Strontium Dog to Rogue Trooper, Shakara, Halo Jones, and the poor sods slogging across the Cursed Earth in The Helltrekkers. Get a print subscription at your door every week - and the first issue is free! Or subscribe digitally, get free back issues, and download DRM-free copies of each issue for just $9 a month. That's 128 pages of incredible monthly comics for less than $10. Do you want in on the biggest secret in comics today? IDW Publishing's Godzilla line of books is comics' greatest secret weapon. They're constantly snagging rockstar creators like James Stokoe, Tom Scioli, Andrew MacLean, Louie Joyce, Jake Smith, Eric Powell, Rosie Knight, and Oliver Ono to unleash their talents on cinema's most significant kaiju universe. And this July, IDW is taking their Godzilla books to the next level by introducing the Kei-Sei era. This new shared universe line begins with Godzilla #1 by Tim Seeley and Nikola Čižmešija. There's a new Godzilla design, a mess load of Kaiju antagonists…and protagonists - plus, superpowered human characters. Thanks to IDW Publishing, it's a good time to be a fan of the Big G and quality comics. Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode: Subscribe to the CBCC YouTube Channel and Prepare for The Stacks Chris Condon in The Stacks at Third Eye Comics Brad and Lisa Gullickson in The Stacks at Third Eye Comics Sanford Greene in The Stacks at Third Eye Comics Philip Kennedy Johnson in The Stacks at Third Eye Comics Steve Anderson in The Stacks at Third Eye Comics David Brothers and Chip Zdarsky in The Stacks at Third Eye Comics Benjamin Percy in the Stacks at Third Eye Comics Join Comic Book Club in Person Final Round of Plugs (PHEW): Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY. The Comic Book Couples Counseling TeePublic Merch Page. And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren. Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts. Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators. Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.

Toward the end of our conversation with Matt Fraction, he mentions how his upcoming Batman book with Jorge Jiménez represents where his Hawkeye series would have gone if he and David Aja had continued. What does that mean, exactly? It's complicated, and you'll just have to listen to this week's podcast to fully understand. And that's what we call in the biz, a big ol' tease. Our chat with Matt Fraction concludes our San Diego Comic-Con International coverage, and we're so frickin' excited that we get to do so with this writer and this creation. As longtime listeners know, Batman is one of our boys, and the character has never been in as many good hands as he is right now at DC. Beyond this new Batman relaunch with Fraction and Jiménez, we have stellar titles in Absolute Batman, Batman and Robin, Batman and Robin: Year One, Batman: Dark Patterns, and probably a half dozen books we're forgetting about at this moment. Batman, created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane, first appeared in Detective Comics #27, published on March 30th, 1939. The character's longevity makes him indestructible. He won't break, no matter what Matt Fraction and Jorge Jiménez do to him. This comes with tremendous freedom, allowing Fraction and Jiménez to throw everything of themselves into the character, and their longevity on the line will ultimately be determined by us, the readers. Having read the first two issues in the new series, we can happily report that Matt Fraction and Jorge Jiménez's take on the character is very much our jam, and rather unique from the other excellent flavors you can find on the stand every month. Their Batman operates in a semi-one-and-done structure, embracing the medium of comics while still satisfying those who crave long-haul storytelling. Mostly, it's a fun as hell ride that looks slick. These are superhero comics that are not afraid to be superhero comics. They're damn proud of it, in fact. However, before we dive into all the Batman talk with Matt Fraction, we must regale you with our recent comic shop road trip to Richmond and Virginia Beach, Virginia. We did it, gang. We've already completed our mission to visit fifty comic book shops in fifty-two weeks. We've learned a lot from this experiment, and we need to discuss both the wonderful and not-so-wonderful aspects we've observed in these stores. Strap in for some serious retail talk. Batman #1 is written by Matt Fraction, illustrated by Jorge Jiménez, colored by Tomeu Morey, lettered by Clayton Cowles, and published by DC. The first issue arrives in comic book shops on September 3rd. Our SDCC Coverage: Eric Powell and Harold Schechter on "Dr. Werthless" Alex Segura on Star Wars Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing on Thunderbolts Learn Oni Press SDCC Battle Plans Chip Zdarsky on Zdarsky Comic News Daniel Warren Johnson Live at Now Or Never Comics Gene Luen Yang and Andrew Joustra on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles This Week's Sponsors We're sponsored by 2000 AD, the greatest comic you're not reading! Within its pages is a whole universe of characters, from Judge Dredd and Strontium Dog to Rogue Trooper, Shakara, Halo Jones, and the poor sods slogging across the Cursed Earth in The Helltrekkers. Get a print subscription at your door every week - and the first issue is free! Or subscribe digitally, get free back issues, and download DRM-free copies of each issue for just $9 a month. That's 128 pages of incredible monthly comics for less than $10. Do you want in on the biggest secret in comics today? IDW Publishing's Godzilla line of books is comics' greatest secret weapon. They're constantly snagging rockstar creators like James Stokoe, Tom Scioli, Andrew MacLean, Louie Joyce, Jake Smith, Eric Powell, Rosie Knight, and Oliver Ono to unleash their talents on cinema's most significant kaiju universe. And this July, IDW is taking their Godzilla books to the next level by introducing the Kei-Sei era. This new shared universe line begins with Godzilla #1 by Tim Seeley and Nikola Čižmešija. There's a new Godzilla design, a mess load of Kaiju antagonists…and protagonists - plus, superpowered human characters. Thanks to IDW Publishing, it's a good time to be a fan of the Big G and quality comics. Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode: Subscribe to the CBCC YouTube Channel and Prepare for The Stacks Brad and Lisa Gullickson in The Stacks at Third Eye Comics Sanford Greene in The Stacks at Third Eye Comics Philip Kennedy Johnson in The Stacks at Third Eye Comics Steve Anderson in The Stacks at Third Eye Comics David Brothers and Chip Zdarsky in The Stacks at Third Eye Comics Benjamin Percy in the Stacks at Third Eye Comics Join Comic Book Club in Person Final Round of Plugs (PHEW): Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY. The Comic Book Couples Counseling TeePublic Merch Page. Don't forget to grab your tickets for our August 23rd Alamo Drafthouse Winchester screening of Lone Wolf and Cub: Babycart on the River Styx, co-sponsored by Four Color Fantasies. And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren. Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts. Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators. Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.

The great thing about the zombie sub-genre is that every time you think it's played out, a new creative team arrives to inject some fresh life into it. Everything Dead and Dying, the new Image Comics series by Tate Brombal and Jacob Phillips, imagines the last living farmer on the planet, sitting satisfied on his homestead, surrounded by his dead and rotting loved ones. The corpses he once called friends and family are trapped in the routine of their last living day, performing mundane tasks such as delivering the mail and receiving a bedtime story. If he squints hard enough, the farmer, Jack Chandler, can soldier on as if each new day is as good as the old ones were. Everything Dead and Dying is a deliciously, satisfyingly sad zombie story, and like the best entries in this sub-genre, it has a lot on its mind and heart. The first issue is easily one of our favorites of the year, and demands attention from those already fond of walkers or those who'd rather avoid them. Brombal and Phillips have constructed a perfect zombie gateway comic. Having recently visited the Monroeville Mall in Pittsburgh, the site where George R. Romero shot the classic Dawn of the Dead, we were eager to chat with Tate Brombal and Jacob Phillips about what drew them to this particular story engine. What do the undead offer us as metaphors, especially in a culture so near its own global catastrophe? On this week's podcast, we discuss their connection to zombies, why they previously never considered contributing to the sub-genre, and how Jacob Phillips built an entire town from scratch. Final Order Cutoff for Everything Dead and Dying#1 is Today (8/11), so call your comic book shop asap so you won't miss out on reading this story when it arrives on September 3rd. Make sure you're following Tate Brombal on Blue Sky and Instagram, as well as Jacob Phillips on Blue Sky and Instagram. This Week's Sponsors We're sponsored by 2000 AD, the greatest comic you're not reading! Within its pages is a whole universe of characters, from Judge Dredd and Strontium Dog to Rogue Trooper, Shakara, Halo Jones, and the poor sods slogging across the Cursed Earth in The Helltrekkers. Get a print subscription at your door every week - and the first issue is free! Or subscribe digitally, get free back issues, and download DRM-free copies of each issue for just $9 a month. That's 128 pages of incredible monthly comics for less than $10. Do you want in on the biggest secret in comics today? IDW Publishing's Godzilla line of books is comics' greatest secret weapon. They're constantly snagging rockstar creators like James Stokoe, Tom Scioli, Andrew MacLean, Louie Joyce, Jake Smith, Eric Powell, Rosie Knight, and Oliver Ono to unleash their talents on cinema's most significant kaiju universe. And this July, IDW is taking their Godzilla books to the next level by introducing the Kei-Sei era. This new shared universe line begins with Godzilla #1 by Tim Seeley and Nikola Čižmešija. There's a new Godzilla design, a mess load of Kaiju antagonists…and protagonists - plus, superpowered human characters. Thanks to IDW Publishing, it's a good time to be a fan of the Big G and quality comics. Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode: Subscribe to the CBCC YouTube Channel and Prepare for The Stacks Brad and Lisa Gullickson in The Stacks at Third Eye Comics Sanford Greene in The Stacks at Third Eye Comics Philip Kennedy Johnson in The Stacks at Third Eye Comics Steve Anderson in The Stacks at Third Eye Comics David Brothers and Chip Zdarsky in The Stacks at Third Eye Comics Benjamin Percy in the Stacks at Third Eye Comics Join Comic Book Club in Person Final Round of Plugs (PHEW): Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY. The Comic Book Couples Counseling TeePublic Merch Page. And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren. Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts. Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators. Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.

For the past year, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise has been as exciting and essential as DC's Absolute Universe or Skybound's Energon Universe. Writer Jason Aaron and artist Juan Ferreyra have built an unmissable monthly comic, not to forget the numerous other splinter titles and crossover minis. Shortly before San Diego Comic-Con International, The Hollywood Reporter announced Aaron and Ferreyra's departure, and we were a little heartbroken. Their time on the book was too brief, but if they must go, the news that cartoonist extraordinaire Gene Luen Yang and lifelong Turtle maniac Freddie E. Williams II eased the pain some. One of our missions for this year's San Diego Comic-Con was to return with more news regarding the TMNT baton pass between Aaron and Ferreyra and Yang and Williams. After moderating IDW Publishing's “The New Era of Turtle Power” panel, we retreated to the Hilton Bayfront, where we had a lengthy conversation with Gene Luen Yang about his passion for the Turtles and how he would apply it to the series, starting with issue thirteen. Also discussed at San Diego Comic-Con, Andrew Joustra, the script coordinator for the animated Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, will write an arc for the newly announced Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series, bringing the iconic Fugitoid character to the latest iteration of the TMNT universe. As passionate fans of Fugitoid ourselves, we had to trap Joustra in a media room for a deep dive into his take on the character and why he put so much of himself into the troubled fugitive android. Today, you get two podcasts for the price of one. With Gene Luen Yang, we discuss where we find the Turtles when his story begins, how they've grown throughout the Jason Aaron and Juan Ferreyra run, and why a certain new antagonist was necessary for his story. With Andrew Joustra, we explore the Fugitoid concept, his relationship with the Turtles through the various franchise incarnations, and why this story is so deeply personal. Be sure to follow Gene Luen Yang on his website, Blue Sky, Instagram, and TikTok. Also, follow Andrew Joustra on his website, Blue Sky, and Instagram. Our SDCC Coverage: Eric Powell and Harold Schechter on "Dr. Werthless" Alex Segura on Star Wars Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing on Thunderbolts Learn Oni Press SDCC Battle Plans Chip Zdarsky on Zdarsky Comic News Daniel Warren Johnson Live at Now Or Never Comics This Week's Sponsors We're sponsored by 2000 AD, the greatest comic you're not reading! Within its pages is a whole universe of characters, from Judge Dredd and Strontium Dog to Rogue Trooper, Shakara, Halo Jones, and the poor sods slogging across the Cursed Earth in The Helltrekkers. Get a print subscription at your door every week - and the first issue is free! Or subscribe digitally, get free back issues, and download DRM-free copies of each issue for just $9 a month. That's 128 pages of incredible monthly comics for less than $10. Do you want in on the biggest secret in comics today? IDW Publishing's Godzilla line of books is comics' greatest secret weapon. They're constantly snagging rockstar creators like James Stokoe, Tom Scioli, Andrew MacLean, Louie Joyce, Jake Smith, Eric Powell, Rosie Knight, and Oliver Ono to unleash their talents on cinema's most significant kaiju universe. And this July, IDW is taking their Godzilla books to the next level by introducing the Kei-Sei era. This new shared universe line begins with Godzilla #1 by Tim Seeley and Nikola Čižmešija. There's a new Godzilla design, a mess load of Kaiju antagonists…and protagonists - plus, superpowered human characters. Thanks to IDW Publishing, it's a good time to be a fan of the Big G and quality comics. Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode: Subscribe to the CBCC YouTube Channel and Prepare for The Stacks Brad and Lisa Gullickson in The Stacks at Third Eye Comics Sanford Greene in The Stacks at Third Eye Comics Philip Kennedy Johnson in The Stacks at Third Eye Comics Steve Anderson in The Stacks at Third Eye Comics David Brothers and Chip Zdarsky in The Stacks at Third Eye Comics Benjamin Percy in the Stacks at Third Eye Comics Join Comic Book Club in Person Final Round of Plugs (PHEW): Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY. The Comic Book Couples Counseling TeePublic Merch Page. And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren. Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts. Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators. Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.

Lords: * Kory * Ryan Topics: * Incorrect stuff they teach you in school (blood, bats, soda cans, etc) * Oops I've started over remaking my game again, ECS edition * https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8OkkHSQjWg * https://bevy.org/ * Accidentally finding a cat on vacation * Being Boring, by Wendy Cope * https://www.reddit.com/r/Poetry/comments/18ihpmd/poembeingboringbywendy_cope/ Microtopics: * Watching an epicurean professional licking the Switch and Switch 2 cartridges back to back. * Switch 2 cartridges that don't contain a game but still taste disgusting. * A digital key that tastes awful. * 1 in 100,000 Switch 2 cartridges tasting absolutely delicious. * Castlevania: Lords of Shadow: Relorded. * How many people have licked the Switch game you just bought used. * A construction worker spitting a big loog of chew and there's a Switch cartridge floating in it. * Not everybody is Jim Stormdancer. * And independent game design aficionado. * The New York Mayoral primary. * Hackmud. * Games that get two soundtracks while some games don't even get one. * Disasterpeace's Soupertasters theme song. * How to prove that your blood is not blue until it hits the air. * Why do bats e-chocolate?? * What color lobsters are until you cook them. * In space, noone can not see your blue blood. * Eating a 9-volt battery that tastes like chocolate. * Strawberry flavored chocolate that you puff on. * Hey, look who capitalism finally enslaved. * A can of A&W Root Beer that folds in on itself like a neutron star and you don't get to drink any because it's just empty space. * Believing the thing you were told before you turned 18. * Bodyboarding on a plank of wood in an open field. * An empire of the skies and caves. * Whether the tritone was ever illegal. * Education as a Russian doll of nested simplifications. * Wait, this isn't plum pudding! * Blood color facts. * Tuning your piano down to A=420. * Making one mistake and proceeding from the premise that everything you know is wrong. * A t-shirt reading "My favorite guests don't have their fontanelles closed yet." * How to structure your game world. * A grid of lights that are flickering on and off. * The tilty wooden labyrinth with holes in it. * Always on the lookout for the next engine to rewrite your game in. * One of those newfangled scripting languages that targets the NES. * Renting a magic want and running from kiosk to kiosk doing quests. * Finding the Pinecone of Peril. * Capacitative touch interfaces aren't magical for you?? * Asymptotically approaching cat saturation. * Framily. * Hot and cold running cat slides. * Weird reverb where things don't echo right because everything's wet. * A Rainforest Cafe the size of several football fields. * Rainforest Cafe Chic. * A liquid balance tied to your QR code. * Jailbreaking the soda fountain DRM, yelling "kill the banks" and spraying everyone with Mr. Pibb. * Striving to be as boring as possible. * Being boring. (In a good way.) * Being asked how you're doing and scrambling to come up with something interesting to say. * Trying to explain the Video Game History Foundation to your boss. * The Video Game Thing Guy. * Maintaining a garden and posting your harvests on your private Instagram. * Stopping someone on the street and asking them what are the last six vegetables you grew. * How to perform boredom after people realize that yawning means you're tired. * Starting to make omelets a new way. * Asking how someone is doing and bracing yourself for the answer. * Getting emotional and intellectual sustenance from cleaning the bathroom. * The me that comes up when you google my name.

As reported by The Beat, the Eisner-winning comics journalism website (hell yeah), Comic Book Couples Counselingkinda kicked off San Diego Comic-Con International this year with our Live Podcast Recording at Now or Never Comics in Downtown San Diego. On Tuesday, July 22nd, we invited superstar cartoonist Daniel Warren Johnson to chat with us after a signing at the shop. With The Moon Is Following Us recently concluded, his final issues of Transformerson their way, and the Kickstarter launch of his behemoth art book, we had a lot to discuss with DWJ. Today's episode presents the audio from our discussion in full, complete with questions from the audience, and a serious discussion of where The Moon Is Following Us took its readers, without spoiling the narrative for those who have not finished the comic. We also explore Daniel Warren Johnson's relationship with comic book shops and comic conventions. What is his ideal store? Is San Diego different from the many other comic conventions across this country? While our conversation with Daniel Warren Johnson may have launched Comic-Con for us, it represents the conclusion of our SDCC coverage. Please hit those links below to experience pop culture's greatest gathering as we bring numerous other creator interviews to your ears. Make sure you're following Daniel Warren Johnson on Blue Sky, Instagram, and his Website. Our SDCC Coverage: Eric Powell and Harold Schechter on "Dr. Werthless" Alex Segura on Star Wars Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing on Thunderbolts Learn Oni Press SDCC Battle Plans Chip Zdarsky on Zdarsky Comic News This Week's Sponsors We're sponsored by 2000 AD, the greatest comic you're not reading! Within its pages is a whole universe of characters, from Judge Dredd and Strontium Dog to Rogue Trooper, Shakara, Halo Jones, and the poor sods slogging across the Cursed Earth in The Helltrekkers. Get a print subscription at your door every week - and the first issue is free! Or subscribe digitally, get free back issues, and download DRM-free copies of each issue for just $9 a month. That's 128 pages of incredible monthly comics for less than $10. This July, IDW Publishing's Eisner-nominated cozy horror hit series returns in Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees: Rite of Spring #1. Superstar Cartoonist Patrick Horvath's delightfully twisted tale about an anthropomorphic serial killer bear is returning to comic shops for a new story that is guaranteed to shock readers. Return to the seemingly idealistic suburban town of Woodbrook as Samantha, the bloodlusting brown bear, got away with her crimes and is now the town's one and only serial killer. Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees: Rite of Spring #1 is out now from IDW Publishing. This July, one of the greatest creator-owned comic series of all time begins a powerful new chapter! From Oni Press, return to the Eisner-nominated world of The Sixth Gun as creators Cullen Bunn and Brian Hurtt reunite for The Sixth Gun: Battle for the Six #1 – an extra-sized comics' event told across three prestige format issues. The Sixth Gun is about to be Reborn anew - as it has been countless times across the centuries. This time, however, a brigade of familiar fighters is ready and waiting to challenge a secret cabal. The Sixth Gun: Battle for the Six #1 arrives in comic shops everywhere on July 23rd. Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode: Subscribe to the CBCC YouTube Channel and Prepare for The Stacks Philip Kennedy Johnson in The Stacks at Third Eye Comics Steve Anderson in The Stacks at Third Eye Comics David Brothers and Chip Zdarsky in The Stacks at Third Eye Comics Benjamin Percy in the Stacks at Third Eye Comics Join Comic Book Club in Person Final Round of Plugs (PHEW): Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY. The Comic Book Couples Counseling TeePublic Merch Page. And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren. Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts. Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators. Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.

Cory shares the motivation behind keeping his audiobooks off Audible—even if it means sacrificing a paycheck—and explains how DRM laws allow Amazon to exert control over books they didn't even create. The conversation covers everything from how monopoly power has shaped the digital marketplace, to the rise of “enshittification,” a term Cory coined to describe the lifecycle of once-useful tech platforms. They also discuss the importance of decentralized social media, the future of authorship in a platform-dominated world, and why it's time to stop trying to shop your way out of broken systems and start organizing for real change. Read the full transcript: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1bC4FqH1ZzxPlbtH-Vs1-u-oJFnu4WRKHVHszr4VAbtI/edit?tab=t.0 Use promo code: SWITCH when signing up for a new Libro.fm membership to get two additional credits to use on any audiobooks—meaning you'll have three from the start. About Cory Doctotow: Cory Doctorow is a bestselling author of both fiction and nonfiction, a longtime advocate for digital rights, and co-editor of the blog Boing Boing. His recent works include The Bezzle, Picks and Shovels, and the upcoming nonfiction book Enshittification. He also runs the daily newsletter Pluralistic.net. Get Cory's Books: Picks and Shovels Enshittification Books discussed on today's episode: Little Bosses Everywhere by Bridget Read Careless People by Lucy Osborne Original Sin by Alex Thompson and Jake Tapper I'll Tell You When I'm Home by Hala Alyan Disappoint Me by Nikole Dinan

Should Chip Zdarsky's promotional magazine, Zdarsky Comic News, win an Eisner at this weekend's San Diego Comic-Con International ceremony? We brought the question to him directly, and as you'll hear, he rejected the whole notion of a nomination extremely quickly. Zdarsky is having a ball working on his free periodical every month. He puts tremendous time, energy, and thought into each issue. Still, as far as the category of Best Comics-Related Periodical/Journalism is concerned, he wants someone else to take home the statue, and “knows” that someone else will take home the statue. We shall see the results very soon. Zdarsky Comic News began as a lark, as most things with Chip Zdarsky do. He turned his back on social media, adamantly believing it served no positive purpose, especially when it came to promoting his comics. Zdarksy Comic News' primary mission was to inform folks in comic shops about what he was working on and give them a little chuckle in the process. Since the first issue, however, Zdarsky Comic News has become its own unique monster. The cartoonist is slowly building a staff around himself, and it's time to decide whether or not to kill the beast or let it grow into something larger and more significant. Through advertising, Zdarsky Comic News pays for itself, but it might need a little more to become the next Comics Journal, or its evil stepbrother. Shortly before the 2025 Eisner Awards, we spoke with Chip Zdarsky about his free pamphlet, and that's all we talked about, which seemed to surprise him. If you want more Captain America talk or Public Domain conversation, you'll have to go somewhere else. We were only interested in Chip Zdarsky's mad side-hustle and what he thinks about the current state of comic book journalism. You can find Zdarsky Comic News at your local comic book shop, and you should also consider subscribing to Chip Zdarsky's Substack. Our SDCC Coverage: Eric Powell and Harold Schechter on "Dr. Werthless" Alex Segura on Star Wars Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing on Thunderbolts Learn Oni Press SDCC Battle Plans This Week's Sponsors We're sponsored by 2000 AD, the greatest comic you're not reading! Within its pages is a whole universe of characters, from Judge Dredd and Strontium Dog to Rogue Trooper, Shakara, Halo Jones, and the poor sods slogging across the Cursed Earth in The Helltrekkers. Get a print subscription at your door every week - and the first issue is free! Or subscribe digitally, get free back issues, and download DRM-free copies of each issue for just $9 a month. That's 128 pages of incredible monthly comics for less than $10. Do you want in on the biggest secret in comics today? IDW Publishing's Godzilla line of books is comics' greatest secret weapon. They're constantly snagging rockstar creators like James Stokoe, Tom Scioli, Andrew MacLean, Louie Joyce, Jake Smith, Eric Powell, Rosie Knight, and Oliver Ono to unleash their talents on cinema's most significant kaiju universe. And this July, IDW is taking their Godzilla books to the next level by introducing the Kei-Sei era. This new shared universe line begins with Godzilla #1 by Tim Seeley and Nikola Čižmešija. There's a new Godzilla design, a mess load of Kaiju antagonists…and protagonists - plus, superpowered human characters. Thanks to IDW Publishing, it's a good time to be a fan of the Big G and quality comics. In stores this June, Oni Press proudly presents a science fiction icon's unlikely return to existence in Benjamin #1 - a new, prestige format limited series from Philip K. Dick Award winner Ben H. Winters and artist Leomacs. Do you remember the work of acclaimed novelist Benjamin J. Carp? Across more than 44 novels and hundreds of short stories, Carp established himself as a counterculture revolutionary. He died in 1982, after years of Southern Californian excess finally claimed his life...until 2025...when Benjamin Carp awakens, alive, in a burned-out motel room on the fringes of Los Angeles. Explore the metatextual nexus between existence and oblivion, past and future, genius and madness, this June in Benjamin #1 – only from Oni Press. Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode: Subscribe to the CBCC YouTube Channel and Prepare for The Stacks Philip Kennedy Johnson in The Stacks at Third Eye Comics Steve Anderson in The Stacks at Third Eye Comics David Brothers and Chip Zdarsky in The Stacks at Third Eye Comics Benjamin Percy in the Stacks at Third Eye Comics Join Comic Book Club in Person Final Round of Plugs (PHEW): Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY. The Comic Book Couples Counseling TeePublic Merch Page. And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren. Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts. Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators. Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.

You don't need to be told this: San Diego Comic-Con International is a comic convention unlike any other in the world. As yearly attendees, it's our favorite time of the year at our favorite place on the planet, but what does such a colossal gathering of geekdoms truly mean for a publisher, and how can a company raise its voice above a million other competing screams? We presented these questions to Oni Press Publisher and President Hunter Gorinson, as well as Editor-in-Chief Sierra Hahn. Somehow, they're madly in love with SDCC, and we're eager to share with you the Oni Press 2025 Comic-Con battle plan. From their words, you can form your path to conquering Comic-Con. This year marks the third anniversary of Hunter Gorinson and Sierra Hahn's time at Oni Press. You've undoubtedly noticed, they've been extremely productive. Beyond recent partnerships with EC and the NacelleVerse, they've recently announced dealings with Elijah Wood, Daniel Noah, and Josh C. Waller's SpectreVision. High Strangeness is a five-part experiment in sequential storytelling, featuring firsthand accounts of real paranormal encounters, guided by creators such as Chris Condon, Christopher Cantwell, Christian Ward, Dave Chisholm, Zac Thompson, and Cecil Castellucci. Say no more, we're in. We also discuss the recently announced Crownsville from Rodney Barnes and Elia Bonetti. This supernatural twist on true-life horror is precisely what you want from the co-creator of Killadelphia, and it's guaranteed to stir profound emotions in any contemporary reader. Hunter Gorinson and Sierra Hahn are very excited for folks to discover what Barnes and Bonetti are brewing with this one. Most importantly, our conversation puts you on the showfloor at San Diego Comic-Con as a publisher. The stakes are as high as the excitement that runs down every aisle. Whether you want to attend SDCC as a guest or a creator, our chat with Gorinson and Hahn will get you strategizing your own Comic-Con mission statement. Make sure you're following Oni Press on their Website, Blue Sky, and Instagram. Our SDCC Coverage: Eric Powell and Harold Schechter on "Dr. Werthless" Alex Segura on Star Wars Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing on Thunderbolts This Week's Sponsors We're sponsored by 2000 AD, the greatest comic you're not reading! Within its pages is a whole universe of characters, from Judge Dredd and Strontium Dog to Rogue Trooper, Shakara, Halo Jones, and the poor sods slogging across the Cursed Earth in The Helltrekkers. Get a print subscription at your door every week - and the first issue is free! Or subscribe digitally, get free back issues, and download DRM-free copies of each issue for just $9 a month. That's 128 pages of incredible monthly comics for less than $10. This July, IDW Publishing's Eisner-nominated cozy horror hit series returns in Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees: Rite of Spring #1. Superstar Cartoonist Patrick Horvath's delightfully twisted tale about an anthropomorphic serial killer bear is returning to comic shops for a new story that is guaranteed to shock readers. Return to the seemingly idealistic suburban town of Woodbrook as Samantha, the bloodlusting brown bear, got away with her crimes and is now the town's one and only serial killer. Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees: Rite of Spring #1 is out now from IDW Publishing. This July, one of the greatest creator-owned comic series of all time begins a powerful new chapter! From Oni Press, return to the Eisner-nominated world of The Sixth Gun as creators Cullen Bunn and Brian Hurtt reunite for The Sixth Gun: Battle for the Six #1 – an extra-sized comics' event told across three prestige format issues. The Sixth Gun is about to be Reborn anew - as it has been countless times across the centuries. This time, however, a brigade of familiar fighters is ready and waiting to challenge a secret cabal. The Sixth Gun: Battle for the Six #1 arrives in comic shops everywhere on July 23rd. Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode: Subscribe to the CBCC YouTube Channel and Prepare for The Stacks Philip Kennedy Johnson in The Stacks at Third Eye Comics Steve Anderson in The Stacks at Third Eye Comics David Brothers and Chip Zdarsky in The Stacks at Third Eye Comics Benjamin Percy in the Stacks at Third Eye Comics Join Comic Book Club in Person Final Round of Plugs (PHEW): Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY. The Comic Book Couples Counseling TeePublic Merch Page. And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren. Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts. Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators. Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.

If you've read comics from the Hivemind, aka Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing, then you know their specialty. Everyone goes to therapy! Whether you're Peter Quill, Bucky Barnes, or Brad and Lisa Gullickson, if you're in a Hivemind comic, or reading a Hivemind comic, you're entering some kind of therapeutic discussion. Kelly and Lanzing put their characters on the couch, asking them some tough questions and listening to their answers. The results are always compelling, especially if we examine their recent run on Marvel's Thunderbolts. Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing recently finished their time on Thunderbolts, wrapping up their even larger Bucky Barnes story, with Doomstrike, out now as a five-issue series. As part of our San Diego Comic-Con Internationalcoverage, happening all week long on Comic Book Couples Counseling, we put the Hivemind in session with our particular brand of armchair psychology. The result, we hope, is an engaging, thorough exploration of who Bucky Barnes was, is, and will be. Not to mention all the other beautiful “heroes” brooding their way through the Thunderbolts team. We discuss their original plan for Bucky Barnes and how that evolved throughout Thunderbolts and the One World Under Doom event. We consider how Bucky's time as The Revolution parallels Captain America's time as Nomad, and why the character needed to become a cause rather than simply existing as a fist...or a trigger finger. It's a heavy conversation at times, but also one packed with joy and excitement. Just like their Thunderbolts comic. Thunderbolts: Doomstrike issues one through five are now available from Marvel Comics. They're written by Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing, illustrated by Tommaso Biachi, colored by Yen Nitro, and lettered by Joe Sabino. Make sure you're following Collin Kelly on Blue Sky and Instagram, and Jackson Lanzing on Blue Sky and Instagram. Our SDCC Coverage: Eric Powell and Harold Schechter on "Dr. Werthless" Alex Segura on Star Wars This Week's Sponsors We're sponsored by 2000 AD, the greatest comic you're not reading! Within its pages is a whole universe of characters, from Judge Dredd and Strontium Dog to Rogue Trooper, Shakara, Halo Jones, and the poor sods slogging across the Cursed Earth in The Helltrekkers. Get a print subscription at your door every week - and the first issue is free! Or subscribe digitally, get free back issues, and download DRM-free copies of each issue for just $9 a month. That's 128 pages of incredible monthly comics for less than $10. Do you want in on the biggest secret in comics today? IDW Publishing's Godzilla line of books is comics' greatest secret weapon. They're constantly snagging rockstar creators like James Stokoe, Tom Scioli, Andrew MacLean, Louie Joyce, Jake Smith, Eric Powell, Rosie Knight, and Oliver Ono to unleash their talents on cinema's most significant kaiju universe. And this July, IDW is taking their Godzilla books to the next level by introducing the Kei-Sei era. This new shared universe line begins with Godzilla #1 by Tim Seeley and Nikola Čižmešija. There's a new Godzilla design, a mess load of Kaiju antagonists…and protagonists - plus, superpowered human characters. Thanks to IDW Publishing, it's a good time to be a fan of the Big G and quality comics. In stores this June, Oni Press proudly presents a science fiction icon's unlikely return to existence in Benjamin #1 - a new, prestige format limited series from Philip K. Dick Award winner Ben H. Winters and artist Leomacs. Do you remember the work of acclaimed novelist Benjamin J. Carp? Across more than 44 novels and hundreds of short stories, Carp established himself as a counterculture revolutionary. He died in 1982, after years of Southern Californian excess finally claimed his life...until 2025...when Benjamin Carp awakens, alive, in a burned-out motel room on the fringes of Los Angeles. Explore the metatextual nexus between existence and oblivion, past and future, genius and madness, this June in Benjamin #1 – only from Oni Press. Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode: Subscribe to the CBCC YouTube Channel and Prepare for The Stacks Philip Kennedy Johnson in The Stacks at Third Eye Comics Steve Anderson in The Stacks at Third Eye Comics David Brothers and Chip Zdarsky in The Stacks at Third Eye Comics Benjamin Percy in the Stacks at Third Eye Comics Join Comic Book Club in Person Final Round of Plugs (PHEW): Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY. The Comic Book Couples Counseling TeePublic Merch Page. And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren. Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts. Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators. Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.

Today, we begin our mission to bring San Diego Comic-Con International to you. That means four episodes in your podcast feed this week! First up is writer Alex Segura. He's been handed the keys to the Star Wars kingdom, working on the new Marvel Comics ongoing series alongside artist Phil Noto and letterer Clayton Cowles. The new series fills the gaps between Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens. The New Republic just slayed the Empire. Now what? We chat with Alex Segura about his Star Wars origin, the responsibility of steering the ship during such a critical moment within the canon, and how he'll test Luke Skywalker when he's seemingly at his Jedi Knight peak. Some writers would throw all their childhood toys into the sandbox with a project like this one, but Segura is cautious not to stuff the story with wish-fulfillment. His Star Wars is a carefully considered narrative, beautifully realized by two top-tier collaborators. As you'll also hear, a franchise like Star Wars can be overwhelming for the audience as well. How do you push the envelope for diehard readers while not alienating potential new fans of the series? What's that line in Hamilton? War is the easy part; governing is the hard part. Star Wars is rolling out monthly from Marvel Comics. Make sure you keep up to date with everything Alex Segura has going on by following his Blue Sky, Instagram, and Substack. This Week's Sponsors We're sponsored by 2000 AD, the greatest comic you're not reading! Within its pages is a whole universe of characters, from Judge Dredd and Strontium Dog to Rogue Trooper, Shakara, Halo Jones, and the poor sods slogging across the Cursed Earth in The Helltrekkers. Get a print subscription at your door every week - and the first issue is free! Or subscribe digitally, get free back issues, and download DRM-free copies of each issue for just $9 a month. That's 128 pages of incredible monthly comics for less than $10. This July, IDW Publishing's Eisner-nominated cozy horror hit series returns in Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees: Rite of Spring #1. Superstar Cartoonist Patrick Horvath's delightfully twisted tale about an anthropomorphic serial killer bear is returning to comic shops for a new story that is guaranteed to shock readers. Return to the seemingly idealistic suburban town of Woodbrook as Samantha, the bloodlusting brown bear, got away with her crimes and is now the town's one and only serial killer. Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees: Rite of Spring #1 is out now from IDW Publishing. This July, one of the greatest creator-owned comic series of all time begins a powerful new chapter! From Oni Press, return to the Eisner-nominated world of The Sixth Gun as creators Cullen Bunn and Brian Hurtt reunite for The Sixth Gun: Battle for the Six #1 – an extra-sized comics' event told across three prestige format issues. The Sixth Gun is about to be Reborn anew - as it has been countless times across the centuries. This time, however, a brigade of familiar fighters is ready and waiting to challenge a secret cabal. The Sixth Gun: Battle for the Six #1 arrives in comic shops everywhere on July 23rd. Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode: Subscribe to the CBCC YouTube Channel and Prepare for The Stacks Steve Anderson in The Stacks at Third Eye Comics David Brothers and Chip Zdarsky in The Stacks at Third Eye Comics Benjamin Percy in the Stacks at Third Eye Comics Join Comic Book Club in Person CBCC's Comic Shop Road Trip Patreon Exclusive: Saga of the Swamp Thing Book Club Support Your Local Comic Shop Free Patreon Series Final Round of Plugs (PHEW): Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY. The Comic Book Couples Counseling TeePublic Merch Page. And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren. Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts. Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators. Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.

If you're a comic book reader like we are, around the same time you learn about Batman and Robin, you're introduced to the medium's scariest boogeyman, Dr. Fredric Wertham. The publication of his Seduction of the Innocent in 1954 thrust Wertham into the popular consciousness, sparking hysteria and moral panic, hindering the medium's growth, and significantly harming the artists who worked within it. We assumed that Harold Schechter and Eric Powell's latest true crime collaboration would roast Wertham viciously, but Dr. Werthless is far too good a work to be an attack. Schechter and Powell reveal a much more complicated character, one who devoted years of his life to the Civil Rights movement and experienced tremendous horror while working with some of this nation's most notorious human monsters. Eric Powell, the creator of The Goon, knows a thing or two about this art form and how it can stir an intense reaction from “concerned citizens.” The era in which Wertham's book dominated boob tube conversation does not feel too far away from 2025, as politicians charge against graphic novels and libraries. The concerns around what stories can be told and who should be telling them indicate their power to influence and broaden our perspectives beyond the tiny universe within our eyeline. The desire to police narratives stems from fear and a need to control. If someone tells you not to read a book or watch a movie, you must read that book and watch that movie. As you'll hear, we had a wonderful time chatting with Harold Schechter and Eric Powell about Dr. Werthless. We discuss comic books' greatest boogeyman and all the complexities that brought him to write Seduction of the Innocent. We dig into this medium's power, the artists who were hurt by Werthem's attack, and how it all relates to what we're seeing around us today. Also, we may argue about what is and is not a comic book. Fun stuff! Dr. Werthless is now available as a hardcover from Dark Horse Comics. You can find more information on the comic by visiting Powell's site or Schecter's site. You can find Eric Powell on Bluesky and Instagram, and Harold Schechter on Facebook HERE. This Week's Sponsors We're sponsored by 2000 AD, the greatest comic you're not reading! Within its pages is a whole universe of characters, from Judge Dredd and Strontium Dog to Rogue Trooper, Shakara, Halo Jones, and the poor sods slogging across the Cursed Earth in The Helltrekkers. Get a print subscription at your door every week - and the first issue is free! Or subscribe digitally, get free back issues, and download DRM-free copies of each issue for just $9 a month. That's 128 pages of incredible monthly comics for less than $10. Do you want in on the biggest secret in comics today? IDW Publishing's Godzilla line of books is comics' greatest secret weapon. They're constantly snagging rockstar creators like James Stokoe, Tom Scioli, Andrew MacLean, Louie Joyce, Jake Smith, Eric Powell, Rosie Knight, and Oliver Ono to unleash their talents on cinema's most significant kaiju universe. And this July, IDW is taking their Godzilla books to the next level by introducing the Kei-Sei era. This new shared universe line begins with Godzilla #1 by Tim Seeley and Nikola Čižmešija. There's a new Godzilla design, a mess load of Kaiju antagonists…and protagonists - plus, superpowered human characters. Thanks to IDW Publishing, it's a good time to be a fan of the Big G and quality comics. In stores this June, Oni Press proudly presents a science fiction icon's unlikely return to existence in Benjamin #1 - a new, prestige format limited series from Philip K. Dick Award winner Ben H. Winters and artist Leomacs. Do you remember the work of acclaimed novelist Benjamin J. Carp? Across more than 44 novels and hundreds of short stories, Carp established himself as a counterculture revolutionary. He died in 1982, after years of Southern Californian excess finally claimed his life...until 2025...when Benjamin Carp awakens, alive, in a burned-out motel room on the fringes of Los Angeles. Explore the metatextual nexus between existence and oblivion, past and future, genius and madness, this June in Benjamin #1 – only from Oni Press. Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode: Subscribe to the CBCC YouTube Channel and Prepare for The Stacks Steve Anderson in The Stacks at Third Eye Comics David Brothers and Chip Zdarsky in The Stacks at Third Eye Comics Benjamin Percy in the Stacks at Third Eye Comics Join Comic Book Club in Person CBCC's Comic Shop Road Trip Patreon Exclusive: Saga of the Swamp Thing Book Club Support Your Local Comic Shop Free Patreon Series Final Round of Plugs (PHEW): Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY. The Comic Book Couples Counseling TeePublic Merch Page. And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren. Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts. Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators. Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.

Not too long ago, the United States Government confirmed the existence of UFOs, but we had too much going on to care at the time. Maybe we needed more concrete evidence. What if ET arrived on our doorstep? But he was already dead? That's the premise of Alienated, the new Comixology Original written, colored, and lettered by Taki Soma, with art by John Broglia and covers by Michael Avon Oeming. Alienated begins with one of our great mysteries solved, but done so in a horrifying, unsatisfying way. Alien arrival on Earth shakes society's core, spreading panic and existential dread...until people get distracted and move on to the next day's news cycle. There's only one problem: a single Alien survives, and it's on one disconnected family to keep them breathing. We're ecstatic to have creative couple Taki Soma and Michael Avon Oeming on the podcast this week. We discuss how storytelling impacts every element of their relationship, their fascination with UFO mythology, and how Taki Soma's graphic novel memoir Sleeping While Standing impacted her method of creating fiction. The first four Alienated issues are out now, and the fifth issue will arrive on August 5th. Please follow Taki Soma on Blue Sky and Instagram, and follow Michael Avon Oeming on Blue Sky, Instagram, and his Website. This Week's Sponsor We're sponsored by 2000 AD, the greatest comic you're not reading! Within its pages is a whole universe of characters, from Judge Dredd and Strontium Dog to Rogue Trooper, Shakara, Halo Jones, and the poor sods slogging across the Cursed Earth in The Helltrekkers. Get a print subscription at your door every week - and the first issue is free! Or subscribe digitally, get free back issues, and download DRM-free copies of each issue for just $9 a month. That's 128 pages of incredible monthly comics for less than $10. This July, IDW Publishing's Eisner-nominated cozy horror hit series returns in Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees: Rite of Spring #1. Superstar Cartoonist Patrick Horvath's delightfully twisted tale about an anthropomorphic serial killer bear is returning to comic shops for a new story that is guaranteed to shock readers. Return to the seemingly idealistic suburban town of Woodbrook as Samantha, the bloodlusting brown bear, got away with her crimes and is now the town's one and only serial killer. Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees: Rite of Spring #1 is out now from IDW Publishing. This July, one of the greatest creator-owned comic series of all time begins a powerful new chapter! From Oni Press, return to the Eisner-nominated world of The Sixth Gun as creators Cullen Bunn and Brian Hurtt reunite for The Sixth Gun: Battle for the Six #1 – an extra-sized comics' event told across three prestige format issues. The Sixth Gun is about to be Reborn anew - as it has been countless times across the centuries. This time, however, a brigade of familiar fighters is ready and waiting to challenge a secret cabal. The Sixth Gun: Battle for the Six #1 arrives in comic shops everywhere on July 23rd. Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode: Subscribe to the CBCC YouTube Channel and Prepare for The Stacks David Brothers and Chip Zdarsky in The Stacks at Third Eye Comics Benjamin Percy in the Stacks at Third Eye Comics Join Comic Book Club in Person CBCC's Comic Shop Road Trip Patreon Exclusive: Saga of the Swamp Thing Book Club Support Your Local Comic Shop Free Patreon Series Final Round of Plugs (PHEW): Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY. The Comic Book Couples Counseling TeePublic Merch Page. And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren. Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts. Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators. Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.

We love a good comic book explosion. The Writer smashes superheroes, comic book history, Jewish Folklore, Indiana Jones, The Princess Bride, Mike Mignola, and a little Looney Tunes existential dread. It's born from a unique sibling collaboration between the Berkowitz Bros., Max and Ben, as well as actor Josh Gad, master illustrator Ariel Olivetti, and letterer Frank Cvetkovic. At its center is the aggressively middle-aged Stan Siegel, a comic book writer avoiding life's next big chapter, who gets sucked into a supernatural battle with demons and nazis. And drags his mother and daughter into that war alongside him. The Writer is a meta feast for those steeped in comics and pop culture, nodding to the iconic and not-so-iconic characters who populate our collective imagination. With the trade paperback now available from Dark Horse Comics, we were eager to have the Berkowitz Bros. on the show this week. We discuss their comic book origin stories, a particular Bob Kane painting, middle-aged hero worship, and celebrating family. The conversation stirs intense feelings about siblings and why they make the best and worst collaborators. Also, during this week's introduction, we dive into our first HeroesCon experience. Did we meet all the creators we wanted to meet? Did we buy all the comics we wanted to buy? Are Rick Quinn and Dave Chisholm as cool in person as they are in our six Spectrum podcast episodes? We get into it. And don't forget to follow the Berkowitz Bros. on Blue Sky, Instagram, and their website. This Week's Sponsor We're sponsored by 2000 AD, the greatest comic you're not reading! Within its pages is a whole universe of characters, from Judge Dredd and Strontium Dog to Rogue Trooper, Shakara, Halo Jones, and the poor sods slogging across the Cursed Earth in The Helltrekkers. Get a print subscription at your door every week - and the first issue is free! Or subscribe digitally, get free back issues, and download DRM-free copies of each issue for just $9 a month. That's 128 pages of incredible monthly comics for less than $10. Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode: Subscribe to the CBCC YouTube Channel and Prepare for The Stacks Brad and Lisa Gullickson Talk Heroes Con on The Short Box Podcast The Best Superman Comic for the Curious Reader Join Comic Book Club in Person CBCC's Comic Shop Road Trip Patreon Exclusive: Saga of the Swamp Thing Book Club Support Your Local Comic Shop Free Patreon Series Final Round of Plugs (PHEW): Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY. The Comic Book Couples Counseling TeePublic Merch Page. And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren. Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts. Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators. Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.

Once again, fear and dread shroud the world outside our window. Chris Condon and Jeffrey Alan Love offer assistance with their terrifyingly relatable News from the Fallout, a zombie story that chews on the military-industrial complex, belief in apocalyptic certainty, and humanity's stumbling response. You can read their series as a scary, thrilling, atmospherically rich shock-fest or recognize its narrative as our past, present, but hopefully not future. The zombie genre has served humanity well since Night of the Living Dead hit drive-ins in 1968. The Walking Dead subgenre allows creators to house all their political anxieties into a thrilling narrative, offering cathartic relief to their hungry audience. When there's no more doom to scroll, the dead will stalk your imagination. Of course, News from the Fallout's shambling creatures is not necessarily zombies. They're the Rotten, poor fools who followed orders and got their face full of some unknown agent after a military test goes wrong...or right. Only Otis Fallows was smart enough to slap on a gas mask and flee across the Nevada desert. With beasts on his heels, the soldier finds solace in a diner full of patrons. They should all listen to reason and band together against a ravenous horde. Tune in next month for the second issue. Until then, enjoy our hearty conversation with Chris Condon and Jeffrey Alan Love. We discuss George R. Romero's zombie legacy, the Criterion Collection, and how it feels to work in a terrifying narrative that doesn't look much different than what we see daily on TV and our phones. News from the Fallout looks unlike anything else in comic shops right now, thanks to Jeffrey Alan Love's incredible work, which embraces distortion and atmosphere to achieve emotional reality. So, naturally, we gotta dig into the whole look, too. News from the Fallout #1 is out now from Image Comics. It's written by Chris Condon, illustrated by Jeffrey Alan Love, lettered by Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou, and designed by Michael Tivey. Follow Chris Condon on Bluesky. Follow Jeffrey Alan Love on Instagram and his Website. This Week's Sponsor We're sponsored by 2000 AD, the greatest comic you're not reading! Within its pages is a whole universe of characters, from Judge Dredd and Strontium Dog to Rogue Trooper, Shakara, Halo Jones, and the poor sods slogging across the Cursed Earth in The Helltrekkers. Get a print subscription at your door every week - and the first issue is free! Or subscribe digitally, get free back issues, and download DRM-free copies of each issue for just $9 a month. That's 128 pages of incredible monthly comics for less than $10. Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode: The Best Superman Comic for the Curious Reader Join Comic Book Club in Person CBCC's Comic Shop Road Trip Patreon Exclusive: Saga of the Swamp Thing Book Club Support Your Local Comic Shop Free Patreon Series Final Round of Plugs (PHEW): Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY. The Comic Book Couples Counseling TeePublic Merch Page. Don't forget to grab your tickets for our June 29th Alamo Drafthouse Winchester screening of James Gunn's THE SUICIDE SQUAD, co-sponsored by Four Color Fantasies. And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren. Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts. Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators. Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.