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Without much in the way of preface, this is a conversation with my friend Scott Hinze, the creator, host, producer of the Fanboy Radio.

DAVID HOPKINS: To make this official, for the record, you acknowledge our friendship and all that it implies? I’m interviewing you as my friend and thus I probably know more about you than the average idiot with a comic website.... and you think I’m awesome. :)

SCOTT HINZE: I… acknowledge our friendship.  There, I typed it.  Whew - it feels good to get that out, you know?  I’ve been holding in and its felt so… unwanted, but - I guess what ‘it’ is, is ‘friend’ship.  Wait - am I the average idiot with a comic website or are you?  Who’s the idiot?  The English teacher /comic writer or the talk show host / nose picker?  Toss-up really.  Yes, you are undeniably an idiotic, awesome enemy-friend.

DAVID: And you, my dear friend, are all over the place. No fears. The “idiot” is a general reference to the riotous mass of fanboys with comic book websites. I’m suggesting that if “they” were to interview you—they wouldn’t know you like I do. However, does it concern you that a website seems to grant instant credibility to someone?

SCOTT: The faster you read my answers, the crazier I sound.  I don’t think a website does grant instant credibility to someone.  A website’s goals, content and audience does.  The web surfer looking for a place to be a member of a community has a TON of choices - especially in the comic book web-o-sphere.  And I think the vast number of unconnected message boards and fans speaks to a larger problem with comics.  Many fans love to bask in the ‘niche-love’ of both their little pocket of the internet and their comic hobby.  But as opposed to their virtual hole, comics should be for everyone and the propitiation of the isolated, anti-social culture of funny books is our biggest obstacle IMHO.  We should want to share our love of comics to the general public - not just people savvy enough to search for the certain words in iTunes’ directory.

DAVID: We first met at Dallas Comic Con. You were interviewing some professionals, and I recognized your voice. I had read about Fanboy Radio from the FW Weekly article, and started listening. I would drive around the TCU campus in my car to get the best reception on the radio. This was before the podcast, the bitpass, or Fanboy Radio VIP membership. When I lived in Dallas (back when gas was cheaper), I’d drive for two hours on Sunday listening to the show. How has the show changed for you since then? Do you ever miss those simpler days?

SCOTT: It’s true, my best friends start as obsessive listeners.  They usually do bug me as I’m interviewing professionals until they themselves become professionals and we catch-up on old times in interviews.  How have things changed?  Well, it’s a helluva lot hotter thanks to O-zone punching a-holes who drive around pointlessly all day.  I do miss the feeling that Josiah or TJ and I had when we got on the air and felt - “Man, NO ONE is talking about this stuff!” It really was a lot simpler, a lot more innocent.  You’ll remember back on the first message board when we had a ton of activity from a slew creative-types that couldn’t go anywhere else for interviews with Max Cannon, Evan Dorkin or David Mack, conversations about the impact of Manga or whether or not Batman was really a perv or a psycho or both.  Talk radio as a whole was a lot different back-in-the-day - local sports radio station The Ticket was about 90% sports talk and now they’re about 40% or 50%.  Five years ago we were much more unique and there was an aura of something special about two nobodies telling the world what they think about their hobbies.  With VH1, YouTube and the like, it seems like that’s all there is. So thanks podcasting, thanks for wizzing all over my invention.

DAVID: I’m sure you’ve looked into it. Have there been other comic book related talk radio shows prior to Fanboy Radio?

SCOTT: Yeah, I think there was and now is again, ‘Nuff Said - http://www.comicbookradioshow.com/ I didn’t actually look into again until you just asked me.  I thought they were gone but as I look through their past programming calendar, they may have been on the air the whole time I was—weird.  They’re an overnight show with a different vibe—people should probably check them out for themselves.  So… you can just edit out that “my invention” part.  :blush:

DAVID: One of the things I respect most about you is that you’re a fan in the noblest form. You appreciate anyone willing to create comics, even if they aren’t to your own personal taste. You respect the medium in all its variety. Is it difficult when your listeners ask you to “be tough” on a guest? Is this just code for them wanting you to be mean to a particular creator they don’t like? Do you feel that pressure?

SCOTT: I think I’m so enthralled with comic creators because it all takes so much damn work for such little return.  It’s not like radio or podcasting that happens in real-time, with maybe some editing drudgery and is benefited by a lot of natural ability.  Creating comics is seriously hard work. There’s nothing natural about creating illustrations or plotlines—it takes blood, sweat and tears to be a comic pro and I really, really respect that in writers and artists as well as people that strive to publish their work even when they know how hard it will be.  Man, I’m a performer-type that wants to do daily radio and tv shows - I’m aiming for the millions, Geppi-style, yo!  One of the few things I have in common with comic creators is that I do, at times, spend a lot of time in a studio working on a never-ending project for a niche market.  It blows my mind that someone can spend all day in a hot room and create something for a few hundred people and be perfectly happy.  Me, I’ve got to hit at least five digits for it to keep my interest.  But I am a wannabe-writer that has is screwing-up my way through a joke of a non-career and I recently joined the DFW Sketch Group where I did some requests (thanks to Khalid for shouting out ‘Don Quixote’ and ‘Cthulhu’ who I made rather tame - fellow sketcher, Scott Kurtz ran with the idea and pumped out ‘Gentleman Cthulhu’ in two seconds).  Ignore my ‘art’ if value your ability to see - which I don’t care about, I’m in radio.

DAVID: I like the sketch of Don Quixote and his little elf friend.

SCOTT: Yeah, you didn’t know Sancho Panza came from Rivendell?  Weird-o.

Oh, you asked a question, my bad.  My policy is only be tough on a guest that can (or should be able to) take it.  For the most part, Indie creators are off limits, because they aren’t interested in a shared mythos and continuity and history and crap - they just want to tell a story.  And they should be able to without any criticism or comparisons to someone else’s work.  Mainstream creators are another thing altogether.  I say that once they agree to write what Moon Knight says or draw what Clark Kent wears, then they have more of a responsibility to the current fanbase and those that are invested in the well-being of said properties.  Hell, Marvel and Warner Bros. are both publicly traded companies and I have exactly one stock in each - hells yeah I’m going to rain fire upon the unworthy Hollywood types that skip in line or the jaded ex-fans that want to stir things up for their own careers’ sake!  Who else is going do it?  You?  No way!  You want to work in the business!

At my first ever San Diego Comic-Con, I got a booth - big mistake.  It cost a ton and I wasn’t really selling anything.

DAVID: I’ve heard a few publishers say the same thing.

SCOTT: Well… at least they had comics!  I was selling CDs of my show that I should have been giving away—which I eventually did.

If I really wanted to promote the show, I should have gotten out there and put mics in front of people like I did the next three years.  However, one of the silver-linings was meeting some very interesting people.  There I was, talking with fellow CrossGen-fans about this no-name Meridian artist, and up walks the largest black man I’ve ever seen in my life.  He puts two massive paws on my table, leans in and growls, “I’ve listened to your show.  You’ve got to be more critical with your guests.” I gathered the courage to un-avert my eyes and actually spoke with him a bit.  He was Kevin Grevioux, writer and star of the upcoming feature film Underworld and I explained to him that my show was FANBOY Radio - I love comics and want to make that love infectious.  Yeah, it’s good fun and even useful to rightfully bitch about creators and publishers’ decisions- especially to their face, but that isn’t the goal. The goal is to keep comics pure and wacky while still exposing it to the masses.  Kevin is a dear, dear friend to this day and mailed me a new study Bible for my birthday this summer - quite a guy.

DAVID: The obligatory favorite guests question. Who are they? Has what you look for in a guest changed since the beginning?

SCOTT: I rarely get interviewed, but when I do, yes - I always get this question and it’s fun because I always seem to give a different answer each time.  I think some of my all-time favorites are Jim MahFood, Mark Millar, Brian Bendis, Peter David, Brain K Vaughan, Neal Adams, Dave Crosland, Mike Wieringo but I’ve got to say that my all-time favorite is John Romita Jr. great guy, great talker.

DAVID: I’d agree.

SCOTT: Um, yeah - things have changed a bit.  I’ve got to stay competitive these days and flashy names are pretty important but so are people that work completely outside of comics that my audience might enjoy like novelists, toy makers, video games folks, etc.  The show is changing all the time, but it’ll make a very interesting series of transitions soon—stay tuned.

DAVID: Unlike most other podcasts, you do live shows with phone callers. What’s the ideal caller? What do you like most about the phone calls?

SCOTT: They’re the best part of the show.  An ideal caller is a regular caller that doesn’t mind making an ass of themselves or developing their on-air ‘personality.’ I don’t mind rambling questions or long detailed compliments like other members of the FbR crew and vocal listeners - I think they give a ton of unique character to our broadcasts (plus, they make me sound GREAT). And don’t just call once, if you’re a repeater, you might find yourself bumped up to the top of the queue.

DAVID: I’ve never talked with you about this before, but do you have any heroes in talk radio?

SCOTT: Yes, we share many of them—Ira Glass, Terri Gross, Mark Davis, Ray and Tom Magliozzi, Peter Sagal, Art Bell, Stern, Glenn Beck, Don and Mike, Ben Dover (seriously, he’s a “real” guy, and he’s good) and about a third of Russ Martin.

DAVID: Melissa and I love Ira Glass. Radio should be entertaining. He’s certainly committed to that philosophy. Just like Fanboy Radio does!

SCOTT: Yep.  Entertainment for the masses is the primary goal of FbR - if that is at the expense of the core audience, so be it.  Goal #2 is informing the masses the comics are good again.  Goal #3 is keeping the established base in the know.  These sometimes get mixed up because I’m up to my neck in comic culture everyday, but I think everything translates rather well to the unwashed masses (wait… which group is that again?)

DAVID: The co-hosts are an important part of the show. And you’ve always had some good ones. In particular, I was thrilled when Oliver Tull came on—and he’s been with you longer than anyone else. From your perspective, what does Oliver bring to air?

SCOTT: Comedy.  ...I was going to leave it at that but I wussed out.  He’s made me better.  He’s such an amazing improv comic and honest-to-goodness fanboy that he really does shine in a live, open mic environment.  I’m in Improv Acting class now and am learning about the subtleties of line-building and listening correctly - he’s a real master of his craft of improv and I hope to create even more venues to show-off his amazing talent.

DAVID: Yeah, how are the Improv classes going?

SCOTT: Swimmingly!  I hope to start ‘Level-2’ courses in October.  Active listening is my Achilles heel and that is the key to sounding ‘quick.’ Finding your weaknesses and overcoming them is what the Saturday classes are all about.  I recommend the ‘Level-1’ course to EVERYONE—especially performers, writers, people who work in a corporate setting, people who work with other people… everyone.

Plus it’s always a good thing to bring in a fresh perspective like you and indie comics or TJ and being an artist - Oliver has been collecting comics for awhile longer than I have, has different tastes and has a background and ethnicity that many listeners can identify with as comic fans.  That is to say, he’s black.  He’s a sexy bald black man and I’m not giving him up.  So quit leering Hopkins!

DAVID: And he’s getting married. I’ll have to stop my leering ways.

SCOTT: And who could forget the oh-so-smooth and hilarious Sean Jackson and the girly-fangirl Meg Fischer?  They’ve added a WHOLE LOT to the show.

DAVID: For a very long time, Fanboy Radio was the only comic-related radio show around. You were podcast before they started calling them podcasts. Now there are a ton of them. Any thoughts on this phenomena? Has this changed the way you do FbR?

SCOTT: Well, I almost automatically want to say that it’s good - it’s kept me on my toes and made me work harder, but in some ways it’s made me into the competitor I never thought I was going to be.  I didn’t want to be known as “the comic show that takes calls” in all honesty, I wanted to be known as “the comic show” but that is WAAY greedy of me with the spread and popularity of podcasting.  The reaction to the floodgate being open is – I either need to carve a finer niche for the show - just mainstream talk, just writers, etc. -OR- expand the show to much more than comics” more games, more tv chat - two things I’d rather not do.  I just had a meeting today about how radio is changing because of podcasting and it is - but you know what?  Podcasting is changing because radio is changing.  Podcasting is getting better and podcasting listeners know it and are expecting more from their hosts and producers and that makes me very happy indeed.  There are some AMAZING comic book podcasts out there and I encourage everyone to check them out.  But of course, I hope they eventually land on mine and get the exact amount of comic talk that a healthy person needs each week from me and almost no one else.  I’m all Geppi, baby!

DAVID: Ha! That’s two Geppi’s so far.

SCOTT: Dude—he flew Oliver and I out to Baltimore a few weeks back to tour his ‘Geppi Entertainment Museum’ before it opened and that place is PIMP!  He is quite literally, The Man - maybe right behind Stan Lee, I guess.

Despite possibly being thought of as a pompous ass, I’m surprised I don’t get any feedback or words of encouragement from other comic shows. Honestly, John Siuntres of Wordballoon.com, Ron from iFanboy and the ‘men’ at Indie Spinner Rack have been the show’s ONLY peers to recognize any of the trail-blazing contributions FbR has made in comic talk in any fashion. I’m friendly with all the other shows, and am even a part of the ‘Comics Podcasting Network’ but the love isn’t really there.  It’s kinda weird—maybe because I make enough money to work part-time on the show gets to the newer podcasts - not sure.

DAVID: Wait a few years. Some podcasts will fizzle and disappear, and some will stand the test of time. When the dust settles and Fanboy Radio is still there, you’ll get your props.

SCOTT: We shall see—maybe if the money stream dries up, I’ll be the fizzler.

DAVID: Fanboy Radio is not a hobby. I’m sure it’s incredibly frustrating when people assume you’re just another dude with a podcast. Heck, it frustrates me! Fanboy Radio is an actual company, legally legitimate and trademarked, part of Meteorite Entertainment which you own. What does Fanboy Radio and Meteorite Entertainment do, in addition to the radio show?

SCOTT: We aren’t really that public about it but—we consult comic publishers on talent acquisitions and PR/marketing development, we do programming for comic book conventions, we organize and emcee live art shows, we develop web content, we produce other radio shows, we produce other podcasts, and we make television shows… when we get around to it.

DAVID: Any announcements or plans for the future of the show?

SCOTT: 11/5 - Darwyn Cooke, 11/8 - Joe Quesada, 11/12 - novelist Laurell K. Hamilton, 11/15 - Alan Moore, 11/19 - open lines with past hosts, 11/22 - Paul Levitz and Dan Buckley, 11/26 - Joss Whedon, 11/29 - Mike Mignola. More news at the FanBoard Forums!

DAVID: Thanks for the chat!

SCOTT: Thanks for the chit!

For more information about Scott Hinze and Fanboy Radio, CLICK HERE.

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