Christian Gossett, Kristen Simon, and Superfan Promotions founder David Hyde launch an all-new podcast series, featuring conversations with comic book writers and artists about what they’re passionate about outside of the world of comics.
The Superfan podcast Season One (which debuted on September 19 with Rodney Barnes talking about Stephen King) features an impressive line-up of writers and artists such as Marc Guggenheim (Billy Joel), Kelly Sue DeConnick (Alan Alda), Matt Kindt (John le Carré’s spy novels), Marjorie Liu (gardening), and Patrick McDonnell (Frank Zappa) among others.
We got a chance to discuss the origins of The Superfan podcast with all of the hosts in this exclusive interview.
There are plenty of comic podcasts, but where did you come up with the idea to interview comic pros about things other than comics?
Kristen Simon: We had the idea to do a podcast with the three of us for a couple years now, but the actual concept theme came much later. We knew we wanted to do something different than interviewing comics creators about their projects, something that would invite the audience into the conversation as if they were a part of it. Like we were all at a party, talking to friends about things we love. And that’s actually how we came up with the idea. I had introduced Christian and David to each other at a party, and they discovered they had a mutual love of Kurosawa movies. There was great chemistry between the three of us, and we used it!
David Hyde: There are a lot of comic podcasts out there including some really, really great ones, like Comic Book Club Counseling, Comic Book Club Live, David Harper’s Off Panel, John Siuntes’ Word Balloon. Oblivion Bar, the AIPT podcast, and Fanbase Press. So the three of us knew the Superfan Podcast needed a unique point of view. We realized we had the chance to do something different and let the writers and artists who make the comics you love talk about the things that they love (that aren’t comics) at length. Especially with everything going on in the world these last few years, it made sense to lean into the enthusiasm of our guests.
What can you tell us about your co-hosts and what they bring to the podcast?
Simon: From my perspective, David Hyde is the idea guy. He comes up with the genesis, and then, once we all flesh out the details, he knows exactly how to implement it. And if he doesn’t know how to implement, he lets us know and steps aside; he’s incredibly collaborative. Christian Gossett is a history buff, an artist, and has the perfect voice for a podcast. People love listening to him, but he is also incredibly interested in what people have to say.
Hyde: Christian is an artist and a storyteller and he also has a theatre background, so he’s got great dramatic instincts to the podcast. He’s also doing really charming portraits of each guest for season one.
Kris is an editor, which means she’s used to giving story notes and creative direction while helping keep the trains running on time. She also writes a heck of a Substack.
As for me, as someone who does publicity and marketing, I’m used to being the ghost in the machine and trying to shape conversations from behind the scenes. In another world, I would have loved to have been a journalist, so the Superfan Podcast allows me to put on a different hat, if only for a bit.
Were there certain creators that you knew were fans of certain subjects before contacting them or are most of them a surprise?
Christian Gossett: I had no idea, and each guest was a really fun surprise. Especially when we discovered that one of us was already an expert on whichever subject came up. For instance, my father was a working TV actor from the 70s, so I knew Alan Alda’s history and was ecstatic to get the chance to share the bits and bobs of trivia dwelling in my long-term memory during the conversation with Kelly Sue DeConnick.
Simon: It’s varied! I knew of Rodney Barnes’ love of Stephen King. He’s been pretty open about it, so if you follow him on social media, it’s probably not a surprise. And I think if people know or have met Kelly Sue DeConnick, they’ve probably seen her knuckle tattoos of Alan Alda. But beyond them, I think they have been a complete surprise so far. I feel like I should have known about Marc Guggenheim’s love of Billy Joel, but I had no idea about the breadth of that fandom. However, once you find out, it makes complete sense when you link it to their work.
Which creator had the most intense fandom for their subject?
Gossett: That is honestly impossible to define. I challenge anyone to listen to season one and disagree with me. I would love to have that conversation because when you’re talking to world-class creators like these, you’re talking to people who have built a life in which they have made space for what they love most. We all know how challenging that is, and we cannot help but admire those who live it as thoroughly as our guests do. Fortunately for us, it turns out that there is a great deal of fun to be had listening to them share this part of themselves. For each of them, this expression tapped into wells of intense enthusiasm.
Hyde: I know it’s a copout to say it’s a tie, but it’s a tie!
We have recorded all six episodes of Season One. Each and every episode is genuinely full of joy and lots of surprises, and there’s a moment in the finale when we all reflect on the first season, and it all just made sense. We’re so grateful for the generosity of our guests taking time from their busy schedules. It’s one thing to have the idea to do something, but it’s something else entirely to execute that vision. We’d had so much fun with these guests.
How much research do you have to do about your guest’s loves?
Hyde: We prepare a list of about twenty or so potential questions in advance, in a shared google doc. I add a link to noteworthy stories that might inform our discussions. But like Kris says, we don’t want to overprepare, even though we do our homework. The big thing is to be ready for the conversation to shift in an unexpected direction, because it almost always does.
Gossett: It turns out that we’ve been doing lifetimes of research for the Superfan Podcast and didn’t even know it. Sounds like I’m exaggerating, but hear me out. For every episode, one or two of us had deep knowledge of the guests’ subject, and one of us was the odd person out. Some examples: Kris has loved gardening forever, so she and Marjorie Liu were practically dancing together throughout the interview. Very little research was required there. I myself have long admired the perhaps esoteric but still fascinating story of Billy Joel’s early legal struggles and how, with a bit of help from someone who appreciated his genius, he became free of a deal that could have destroyed him before his fame had a chance to bloom. Marc Guggenheim, of course, knew this history even better than I did! When we interviewed Matt Kindt, David Hyde’s appreciation of John LeCarre preceded the Superfan podcast by decades, and took us through beautifully. The result was a wonderfully balanced set of interviews so far.
Do you already have a number of guests lined-up and have you been getting requests from creators once they find out about the podcast?
Hyde: I don’t want to get too far ahead of ourselves, because all three of us want to savor this moment. After all, we’ve had the great fortune to talk to some of the most talented and interesting people in comics. Rodney Barnes! Marc Guggenheim! Kelly Sue DeConnick! Matt Kindt! Marjorie Liu! Patrick McDonnell! What the season one guests have in common is that they’re curious and generous people.
And as we look ahead, we’ll want to keep that same energy in mind for future conversations. We’ve already agreed on our guests for season two and have discussed a fun swerve for a third season. What will be interesting to see – and what is impossible to predict – is how getting feedback on season one will impact what’s to come.
Some people have reached out about our conversation with Rodney Barnes and we can’t wait to hear from people about this week’s conversation with Marc Guggenheim about Billy Joel. Remember: we didn’t start the fire.
You can listen to the Superfan podcast on Substack, Spotify, Amazon, YouTube, and The Superfan website.
Episode One featuring Rodney Barnes and Episode Two featuring Marc Guggenheim are now available.
