433. Jim Starlin (Creator of Thanos, Gamora)

Longtime comic book writer and artist Jim Starlin created iconic Marvel characters Thanos, Gamora, Drax, and Shang-Chi. These characters and his work on the Infinity Gauntlet and its subsequent sequels were featured heavily in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He also revamped Captain Marvel and created his own character, Dreadstar. He also wrote the iconic book Batman: Death in the Family for DC Comics, where Jason Todd, the second Robin, was killed after a fan vote via a 900-phone number.

In this episode, Starlin discusses how it feels to see his creations in the Marvel movies. He talks about being a work-for-hire and how there have been recent controversies surrounding certain comic book creators who created characters that are used by Marvel and DC. He discusses the benefit of owning your own work and how he created Dreadstar. He also spoke about how his relationship with Marvel is in a good place. He also added some insight into the Jason Todd DC Comics storyline.

This episode was recorded live at the Garden State Comics Fest in West Orange, New Jersey, on Sunday, June 29, 2025.