Professor Ed Catto: Always Ready for Action

October 18, 2022October 18, 2022 Hard Agree 0 Comments Captain Action, Starman

Sumner is joined on this week’s Hard Agree by his old comics industry pal, Professor Ed Catto. The always-cheerful-and-upbeat Ed has fulfilled many roles in the comics business: illustrator, marketeer, entrepreneur, founder & managing director at the Agendae consuting agency, co-owner of Captain Action Enterprises, pop culture columnist at Comic Mix and professor & instructor at Ithaca College. He’s also one of the nicest guys Sumner has ever met – and their freewheeling conversation in this episode covers: Ed’s diverse career history; his lifelong love of comics; working with Stan Lee; working with the Bonfire Agency; teaching at Ithaca College; working with Joe Ahearn and his business partners on Captain Action, DC Comics’ classic short-lived 1960s Captain Action series (created by Jim Shooter, Wally Wood & Gil Kane) and IDW’s beautiful collected edition of those comics (edited by the mighty Scott Dunbier), the ongoing brilliance of comics writer Mark Waid, the beauty & brilliance of James Robinson’s Starman and Giffen, DeMatteis & Maguire’s Justice League and Brubaker & Phillips’ Reckless, the majesty of Will Eisner; Michael T Gilbert’s groundbreaking research into the life of Eisner’s supernaturally-gifted letterer on The Spirit: Abe Kanegson; Ed’s own tireless work as a leading comics journalist & historian – and the power & importance of aspirational positivity.