PODCAST · arts
Radio Free Krypton
by Justin Chandler, Jacob Dubé
Broadcast on CJRU 1280 AM in Toronto from July 2016 to April 2022, hosts Justin Chandler and Jacob Dubé interviewed comic creators from around the world with a focus on Canadian stories. Voted best podcast in the 2018 CanComicsWiki Awards.
Episodes
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Radio Free Krypton returns
To celebrate the 10th anniversary of Met Radio — the campus station Radio Free Krypton calls home — Jacob and Justin returned from the dead for an interview with comic creators Allison O'Toole and Jason Loo. These friends of the show shared what they've been up to since Krypton exploded. For…
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The death of Radio Free Krypton
Here we are, friends, the end. As Krypton explodes, we say our farewells to old co-hosts, esteemed guests, and good friends. Originally broadcast by CJRU 1280 AM in Toronto. Produced by Jacob Dubé and Justin Chandler.
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How François Vigneault set the stage for his gritty sci-fi comic, "Titan"
Montreal's François Vigneault is the author of "Titan," a sci-fi epic about a strike that deals with themes of poverty, exploitation and solidarity. He's also the artist on the very different sci-fi comic "Orcs in Space." François tells Justin and Jacob about the inspiration for "Titan," the…
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Ramón Perez on RAID, collaborating on comics, and a life-sized Boba Fett
This week, hosts Justin and Jacob talk to Ramón Perez, an award-winning comic creator and the managing director of the Royal Academy of Illustration and Design, or RAID, a Toronto-based artist collective and one of the pillars of the city's comics community. We talk about making comics in a...
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Jason Loo on "The All-Nighter" and a comics glow-up
Toronto comics creator Jason Loo is back on RFK to tell Justin and Jacob all about his comics glow-up. Since the last time he was on, Jason's greatly expanded his comics repetoire, working on the Eisner-award-winning "Afterlift," the new book "The All-Nighter," and more. He tells RFK how his...
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Cathon, The Adventures of Sgoobidoo, and a throwback to old Archie Comics
This week, hosts Jacob and Justin discuss The Adventures of Sgoobidoo, a new book from Quebec's Pow Pow Press and a funny take on old Archie digests and detective stories. With the help of some insight from the author, Cathon (who isn't on the show but has graciously remotely answered our...
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Radio Free Rewind: Gord Hill shares comic book histories of resistance
This week we dip into the RFK archives and replay our 2019 interview with Gord Hill, activist and author of "Antifa: The Comic Book," and "The 500 Years of Resistance Comic Book," which was recently updated and republished. Hill, a member of the Kwakwaka'wakw nation, joined the show from the west...
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Radio Free Rewind: Andrew Wheeler and Anthony Oliveira on why we need more queer comics
In this throwback from 2018, hosts Justin and Jacob interview two creators from the "Shout Out" comics anthology. The editor, Andrew Wheeler, and one of the writers, Anthony Oliveira, discuss queer representation in genre fiction, why it matters and why it's so damn hard to get a queer character…
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Radio Free Rewind - "Hawkeye: My Life as a Weapon" — The comic that inspired the show, feat. More or Les
In this episode from 2018, Toronto rapper More or Les tells RFK why he loves the comic "Hawkeye: My Life as a Weapon" — the book that inspired the new Disney+ show. Listen for insight on the private life of the arrow-slinging superhero, and how to make a lower-stakes story work. RFK airs first on...
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Year in Review: 2021 was a weird one, but passions shone through
2021 marked another year of RFK at home, but hosts Justin and Jacob take a look back at their favourite moments, comics, and episodes of the year. We talk about Trese, Dying for Attention, and how we're not making any predictions for 2022. Thanks to all our listeners and supporters for hanging…
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Trusting your subconscious with Stanley Wany
Montreal artist Stanley Wany wrote the stories that make up his new book, Helem, while in a hallucinatory state due to insomnia. The mostly wordless, panel-less narrative is full of symbols and haunting collages. Stanley tells Justin and Jacob what it was like to create a comic from his...
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Erika Chung on racialized women in fandom, harassment and community
This week, hosts Justin and Jacob speak to Erika Chung, a PhD candidate at X University and York University conducting a study on racialized women and their experiences in comic book fandoms. We talk about her research, harassment and gatekeeping in the community, and why some choose not to join…
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Your Story Here — The power of community radio
The CJRU fall fund drive is on! From Nov. 14 to 20, RFK's host station, CJRU 1280AM, is raising funds to develop and implement a mentorship program. Justin and Jacob discuss the initiative and talk about the impact of community radio. They also reminisce about the magic of the radio station and...
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Your Story Here — CJRU's Fall Fund Drive starts now!
From Nov. 14 to 20, CJRU 1280AM is raising funds to develop and implement the Your Story Here mentorship program that will launch in the Spring of 2022. Justin and Jacob will have more to tell you on Thursday, but here's what you need to know for now. Learn more at: https://store.cjru.ca/
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Brigitte Archambault on The Shiatsung Project and getting too close to AI
The younger generations have grown up in a world where smartphones and the internet have always existed, but how has that affected us? This week, hosts Justin and Jacob speak with Brigitte Archambault, a multi-disciplinary artist and creator of the new comic The Shiatsung Project, about a woman...
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"Dying for Attention" with Susan MacLeod
Halifax cartoonist Susan MacLeod tells Justin and Jacob about her comic book memoir, "Dying for Attention," which details the nine years she spent guiding her mother through the long-term care system. High rates of death in Canadian long-term care homes during the COVID-19 pandemic led to renewed...
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Shades of Fear and why you can't escape from horror comics
It's October, so we're getting spooky again. This week, hosts Justin and Jacob talk to friend of the show Allison O'Toole and comic creators Tess Eneli Reid and Joy San about Shades of Fear, a new horror anthology now up on Kickstarter co-edited by Allison and Ashanti Fortson. We talk about the...
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"Gehenna: Death Valley," body horror and comfortable comic convention shoes
Justin and Jacob talk to Becka — a Kitchener, Ont., comic creator crowd-funding the re-release of her body horror webcomic — about writing suspsense, drawing inspiration from cosplay and wearing comfortable shoes. Becka's book "Gehenna: Death Valley," tells the story of a group of young people…
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Radio Free Rewind: Kaj Hasselriis on teaching kids about politics
In November 2019, Winnipeg cartoonist Kaj Hasselriis joined Justin and Jacob to discuss "Politikids," his kid-friendly comic about four of Canada's then-federal-party leaders. While two of those leaders have changed, Canadians are headed to the polls Sept. 20 meaning it's once again time to think...
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Stephanie Cooke and Megan Huang on the vibrant, silent stories of "Life"
If you were creating whole new forms of life, where would you begin? On RFK today, hosts Justin and Jacob ask that question to Megan Huang and Stephanie Cooke, whose recently crowd-funded comic, Life: Beauty, Wonder, Danger is coming out through Toronto Comix Press. We talk about building vibrant...
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Radio Free Rewind: "Plummet" author Sherwin Tija on climate change and experiencing freefall
The world is still on fire, and scientists tell us there's less and less time to take action to stop the worst effects. So for this week, we're bringing back our 2019 interview with artist and writer Sherwin Tija, author of "Plummet". Tija channeled a sense of hopelessness when making "Plummet,"…
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Karl Kerschl on starting a publisher, and why comics creators should learn the business side of the trade
Karl Kerschl of Montreal tells Justin and Jacob about Lethal Comics, the new publisher he's starting with Andy Belanger and Cary Nord. He also shares how he uses a subscription service and Discord server to connect with fans, and why he thinks creators should learn the business and production…
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Shawn Daley on chiptunes and the never-ending desire to self-improve
Hosts Justin and Jacob catch up with returning guest and show-favourite Shawn Daley, author of The Bridgebuilder's Creed and TerraQuill, to talk about his chiptunes albums, how they relate to his comics, and how he almost didn't finish The Bridgebuilder's Creed at all. Originally broadcast on…
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'Trese' puts a noir spin on Filipino folklore
RFK assembles a glorious panel of Filipino nerds, Christine Chua, Ally Enrile and John Mendoza, to discuss 'Trese' — the Filipino comic/new Netflix anime that merges noir storytelling with Filipino folklore. The panel discusses what makes the show culturally unique, and how the folklore they see…
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Dax Gordine on Forest Folk and reliving the magic of newspaper comics
This week, hosts Justin and Jacob interview Dax Gordine. He's a Niagara cartoonist and concept artist who makes the webcomic Forest Folk. Working with Toronto's RAID comic artists collective, he's crowdfunded a print edition of 105 strips of the comic. Dax tells us about Forest Folk, which he...
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Radio Free Rewind: Why language matters in Cole Pauls' "Dakwäkãda Warriors"
This episode originally aired in November 2019. You can find the article we mentioned about passing down Indigenous languages linked here. When it comes to comics, language matters — especially in the case of Dakwäkãda Warriors. Vancouver's Cole Pauls joins Justin to discuss how his Indigenous...
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Celebrating the 80th anniversary of Canadian Comics with Sequential Magazine
All the way back in 1941, the first comic book ever published in Canada was released. To commemorate the occasion, Sequential Magazine has dedicated their entire latest issue to the achievement. Hosts Justin and Jacob talk to Editor-in-Chief Brendan Montgomery and comics historian Ivan Kocmarek...
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Fell Hound on "Commander Rao," killer lettering and drawing dynamic fights
Fell Hound, winner of the 2020 Sequential Magazine Award for Best Comic Book, joins Justin and Jacob to talk about her winning title: Commander Rao. She unpacks the kinetic revenge tale and shares how she worked with a letterer to make the book even more dynamic. RFK airs first on CJRU 1280 AM in...
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Luke Humphris on "Drunk Days", alcoholism, and how writing about it helped
Hosts Jacob and Justin talk to comic creator Luke Humphris, author of Drunk Days, a personal graphic novel detailing his struggles, and recovery from, alcoholism. We talk about writing as a way to process your feelings, toxic masculinity, and fighting a kaiju version of Ross Geller. CW: This...
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The Canvas of Captain America
Canadian academic Jordan Peterson tweeted his surprise this week after finding a reference to his work in a new Captain America comic. Jacob and Justin discuss Cap's role as a canvas to portray and critique American ideals, from his time battling Richard Nixon, to his elseworld's appearance...
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Toronto lawyer Caryma Sa'd is making sense of the news through her editorial cartoons
Like a lot of comic creators we interview, Caryma Sa'd has a side gig. But in a first for our show, that side-gig is being a lawyer. Hosts Jacob and Justin speak to Sa'd about her editorial cartoons, criticizing the policies and actions of provincial and municipal politicians (sometimes in…
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Radio Free Rewind: Jason Lutes on Berlin, fascism and spending 22 years on one book
host Jacob Dubé speaks with comic creator Jason Lutes about Berlin, a huge 800-page epic telling the stories of the citizens of the German capital between the two World Wars. They talk about the 22-year creation of the book and the everyday stories of those experiencing the rise of fascism in…
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Davis Dewsbury on the teamwork and creativity behind Auric, the North's own comic hero
Justin speaks to Timmins author Davis Dewsbury, founder of Great North Comics and the co-creator of Auric, a Northern Ontario superhero whose newest story comes out soon. Auric is a man blessed with the power to turn into a beast after a Northern Goddess rewards his bravery. The new book features...
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The wonderful weirdness of WandaVision, and the future of comic book cinema
Friend of the show Christine Chua joins Justin and Jacob for a rousing chat about the future of Marvel movies and TV. Does the wonderfully weird WandaVision signal a shift? If movie continuity gets complicated like its source material, will it still be accessible? How is Christine surviving…
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A Neuroscientist talks Robocop, Blade Runner, and memory
Blast from the past! Former co-host Mitchell Thompson returns for an interview with neuroscientist Rodrigo Quian Quiroga, responsible for the discovery of the "Jennifer Aniston neuron", a concept that examines how memories are formed, stored, and connected in our minds. Mitchell and Rodrigo…
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Damned, Cursed Children: How daycare germs inspired a horror comic
When Howard Wong was bedridden with germs from his kid's daycare, an utterance from his friend Josh Stafford inspired the two to make a horror comic about flesh-eating children. They tell Justin and Jacob how writing the book tested their comfort levels, and its eerie similarities to the…
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Highlights from a tough year for comic creators
The comic industry has been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, with independent creators feeling it the most. But throughout the year, we've heard inspiring stories from many creators who are trying to make it work despite it all. In this episode, we revisit our interview with Eric Kostiuk…
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The Wonderful World of Comics Translation
Translating comics is an immersive, sensory and sometimes musical experience — at least the way Helge Dascher and Robin Lang do it. The two tell Jacob and Justin how they worked together to translate Quebec author Sophie Bédard's book "Lonely Boys" from French to English. They also share some…
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Childhood, parenting, and horror with Dakota McFazdean
Hosts Justin and Jacob speak with Canadian comic creator Dakota McFazdean about his new collection of short stories, To Know You're Alive, that features some new and old stories of his. We talk about writing about the weirdness of childhood, and the new perspectives of parenting. Originally...
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More or Les on the Human Condition in 2020
Pandemic, racism, mental illness, polarization — another day in 2020 and a new album for Toronto rapper More or Les. He tells RFK the stories behind the songs in his 15th album, "Human Condition," about writing rhymes to suit our time, and the challenges of sharing one's feelings. RFK airs first…
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Peter Nowak says real-life superheroes walk among us
You know the scene in the superhero movie where the hero is inspired to do good by reading another comic book? What happens when that occurs in real life? This week, Justin speaks to author Peter Nowak about his new book, The Rise of Real-Life Superheroes and the Fall of Everything Else, about…
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Safiyya Hosein is wrapping her research on Muslim superheroes
Jacob and Justin follow up on a 2017 interview and talk to Safiyya Hosein, a comics writer and researcher who studied the significance of Muslim superheroes in comics. Following the news that a Canadian was cast to play Ms. Marvel in an upcoming TV show, they discuss how Muslim participants in...
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Radio Free Rewind: Twisted Dark with Neil Gibson
We're taking it back to 2017, where Jacob goes solo and speaks with Neil Gibson, the author of Twisted Dark, a huge, thrilling, and incredibly organized series of connected stories. We talk about the books, comic TV shows, and some tips on good comic storytelling. Originally broadcast on CJRU…
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Radio Free Rewind: Crisis of Toxic Nerds - Comics Edition
For this year's CJRU fund drive, we partnered with the station's gaming show, Built to Play, to bring you "Crisis of Toxic Nerds," a two-part documentary investigating where the toxicity in geek culture comes from, and what we can do about it. Listen to their part, all about video games, here. In...
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ID-10T Error and Kickstarting your comics career
Especially in a time where going outside and meeting strangers might not be the best plan, listen in as Jacob speaks to Matt McGrath, creator of the upcoming comic ID-10T Error, about the challenges of funding a comic through Kickstarter, and getting noticed in the comics world without going to...
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Howard Chackowicz on WireTap, Montreal's indie scene, cruelty and Aquaman
Cartoonist Howard Chackowicz tells Justin about his new book on cruelty, "Nothing to See Here," and about his time on WireTap, the fan-favourite CBC Radio show that's back on air this summer. Howard digs into his passion for creator-owned comics and the Montreal indie scene of the '90s, then…
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Chickenman is everywhere! Lisa Orkin on re-releasing the beloved radio series
In the mid '60s, with Batman big on TV, legendary radio man Dick Orkin brought Chickenman to air. The audio comedy gained a loyal following and still plays on the radio. Now, Orkin's daughter Lisa is re-releasing the series on streaming platforms. Justin and Jacob talk to the Los Angeles creator...
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Space Cowboy, Grandway Comics and what we're missing from the Silver Age of comic books
Derek Jessome and Jeff Knott, two animators turned comic creators from Dartmouth, N.S., tell Justin about Grandway Comics, their line of Silver Age inspired titles. With the second issue of "Space Cowboy and the Triumphanteers" out now, Derek and Jeff share why they loved the era of comics when...
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Rediscovering '90s comics with Dave Howlett
For the coveted 150th episode of RFK, hosts Justin and Jacob talk to Dave Howlett, manager of the Strange Adventures comics shop in Halifax, and creator of the new comic series The Makers. We talk about running a comics store during a pandemic, and creating a tribute to the buff, edgy, but…
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"A book on acid" — J.B. Lion's Seventh Spark is a multimedia fantasy saga
American author J.B. Lion's upcoming Seventh Spark series spins a fantasy yarn about good, evil and humanity's flaws. He tells host Jacob Dubé about his unique multimedia approach to storytelling. J.B. also shares how events like the police killing of George Floyd and the subsequent protests...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Broadcast on CJRU 1280 AM in Toronto from July 2016 to April 2022, hosts Justin Chandler and Jacob Dubé interviewed comic creators from around the world with a focus on Canadian stories. Voted best podcast in the 2018 CanComicsWiki Awards.
HOSTED BY
Justin Chandler, Jacob Dubé
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Radio Free Krypton have?
Radio Free Krypton currently has 210 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Radio Free Krypton about?
Broadcast on CJRU 1280 AM in Toronto from July 2016 to April 2022, hosts Justin Chandler and Jacob Dubé interviewed comic creators from around the world with a focus on Canadian stories. Voted best podcast in the 2018 CanComicsWiki Awards.
How often does Radio Free Krypton release new episodes?
Radio Free Krypton publishes regularly with 210 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to Radio Free Krypton?
You can listen to Radio Free Krypton on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Radio Free Krypton?
Radio Free Krypton is created and hosted by Justin Chandler, Jacob Dubé.
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