Before Thanos became the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s resident universe-threatening problem, Jim Starlin was drawing Hulk stories on a homemade desk while stationed in the Philippines. Recorded live at San Francisco Comic Con in Oakland in June 2018, this conversation traces the psychology class that inspired Thanos, the surprise of seeing Josh Brolin bring him to life, and the storytelling tricks behind The Infinity Gauntlet. Jim also explains how a grease-stained paper bag changed a Captain Marvel story, why he rescued Adam Warlock from a box of old comics, and what made The Death of Captain Marvel so personal.

• A villain born in a classroom — After coming home from military service, Jim took a psychology class that introduced him to Eros and Thanatos. Those ideas grew into Thanos and his brother Eros, with the Mad Titan driven by an endless hunger for something that never satisfies him.
• Thanos gets the Hollywood treatment — Jim expected a deep-voiced animated character, not Josh Brolin walking around in motion-capture equipment with a tennis ball marking Thanos’s height. Brolin won him over, although Jim still has a complaint about the movie version’s pupils.
• Captain Marvel’s final chapter — Marvel wanted Captain Marvel killed off, but Jim rejected a conventional heroic death. His own father’s death from cancer helped inspire a more personal story that editor Jim Shooter supported despite resistance from other editors.

“I think there’s three Thanoses. Basically, there’s mine, which is the best.” — Jim Starlin

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Real estate agent Thomas Hutter travels to Transylvania to meet the mysterious Count Orlok, unaware of the darkness awaiting him. Meanwhile, his young wife Ellen is haunted by disturbing visions and an overwhelming sense of dread. As an ancient evil begins to stir, their lives become entangled in a terrifying nightmare of obsession, fear, and the supernatural.

Craig, Elisabeth and guest Blake Casselman talk about types of vampires, adapting classics, uncomfortable films and the movie “Nosferatu” on this week’s Matinee Villains!

Show Notes

• 0:57

  Craig, Elisabeth and guest Blake Casselman talk about types of vampires.

• 7:11

  Craig, Elisabeth and Blake discuss “Nosferatu.”

• 32:54

  Recasting

• 1:16:18

  Double Feature

• 1:23:34

  Final Thoughts

• 1:30:35

  A preview of next week’s episode “The Lost Boys.”

When a single mother and her two sons move to the seaside town of Santa Carla, they discover a deadly secret. As the older brother falls in with a mysterious gang, his younger brother learns the terrifying truth: the town is crawling with vampires. With help from two self-proclaimed vampire hunters, the brothers must save their family before they become the newest members of the undead.

Craig and Elisabeth talk 80s vampires, oily saxophonists, billionaire actresses and the movie “The Lost Boys” on this week’s Matinee Villains.

Show Notes

• 1:23 Craig and Elisabeth talk about Halloween and Día de los Muertos.
• 5:15 Craig and Elisabeth discuss “The Lost Boys.”
• 43:03 Recasting
• 1:05:27 Double Feature
• 1:09:19 Final Thoughts
• 1:15:05 A preview of next week’s episode “Superbad.”