Recent news from the comics industry – particularly DC Comics' May 31 announcement that it will be relaunching its entire line of superhero titles in September with new number one issues – has rocked comics fandom and has made headlines across the country in various entertainment-related websites and publications including USTownhall.com.

We wanted to go beyond the marketing hype and get a retailer's perspective on all of this in order to gauge just how effective, or risky, this bold move may be and what it, and other annoucements made recently – such as offering comics in digital format simultaneously with their print versions – mean for comics fans and for the comics industry as a whole.

Toward that end, we sat down for an extended interview with Nick Purpura, the General Manager of Jim Hanley's Universe.  Since Jim Hanley's Universe first opened its doors in 1985, it has become one of New York City's – and the country's – most preeminent retailers of comic books, graphic novels, and related merchandise.  Mr. Purpura himself has been an enthusiastic advocate and cheerleader of the comic book artform during his long career at Jim Hanley's so his observations and insights are of particular interest both to comics fans and to the companies who put a lot of time and money into their publishing initiatives.

This interview was filmed in Jim Hanley's Universe's Manhattan location on Wednesday, August 3, 2011 and will be posted here in four parts.  Enjoy part one now, and keep checking back during the week as we upload the remaining segments.

If you are in New York City, be sure to visit Jim Hanley's Universe at either of their two locations: 4 West 33rd Street (opposite the Empire State Building) in Manhattan, and 299B New Dorp Lane in Staten Island.  Go to http://www.jhuniverse.com for more details.

On Monday, February 7, we spoke to acclaimed comic book writer, Steve Niles, who is known to fans as the preeminent writer of horror-oriented comics working today.  Niles' love of the horror genre began when he was young and was heavily influenced by the classic horror novel, I Am Legend by Richard Matheson.  This seminal 1954 novel popularized the zombie apocalypse genre of horror fiction. Niles was able to secure the rights from Matheson himself to adapt the story into comic book form, and it was published by Eclipse Comics in 1991.  Following this early career highlight, Niles came to greater fan attention with his cult classic series, 30 Days of Night and the Cal MacDonald / Criminal Macabre series of horror mysteries.

For his latest project, Niles goes in somewhat of a different direction as he spearheads the revival of the Bronze Age comics character, Wulf the Barbarian, which is being published by the revived Atlas Comics in partnership with comics company Ardden Entertainment.  In the new Wulf series, the titular character is a barbarian out of time – somehow having been transported from his own era into ours.

We spoke to Niles about his involvement with Wulf and Atlas and also got some details about his early career and what the latest scoop is on future projects from the 30 Days of Night and Cal MacDonald franchises in both print and film.  Niles also teases an upcoming Cal MacDonald / Goon crossover comic and weighs in on Goon creator Eric Powell's recent YouTube video imploring fans to seek out and support more diverse material in the comics market.

Wulf #1, written by Niles and illustrated by Nat Jones, arrives in comics stores in March, and to whet your appetitie, Atlas Comics has provided us with some sample art.  Click on each image to enlarge, and enjoy the interview, which can be played by clicking on the triangular "play" button in the widget just below.

Click on the graphic below to listen to our interview with Dan Herman, Publisher at Hermes Press.  Hermes Press publishes a diverse line of books that celebrate the history of the comic book and newspaper comic strip.  Their hardcover collections of such classic comic strips as Buck Rogers and Lee Falk's The Phantom have won accolades for their superior reproduction values and archival quality format.  Hermes also publishes many of the classic television tie-ins from the Silver Age of comic books such as Land of the Giants, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, and Dark Shadows.

Upcoming projects from Hermes include Brenda Starr Reporter, Johnny Hazzard, and the Gold Key comic book adaptation of My Favorite Martian.

They also publish a wide range of art books that spotlight some of the most prolific and influential comics artists and books that focus on the history of the comics industry.  Be sure to head on over to www.hermespress.com because there is sure to be a great gift idea for anyone in your life that is interested in comic books or the classic adventure characters.

Click on the triangular "play" button to listen to the show, which was recorded on Thursday November 4, 2010.  Our apologies for some of the audio quality on our side of the conversation as it seems there was some weather interference on our line, but fortunately Mr. Herman's stories and anecdotes come through crystal clear, so this is definitely an interview not to be missed!

Tune in Friday, October 29 at 3pm Eastern for the next episode of US Townhall RealStories Internet Radio show.  Our guest will be Bruce Canwell, the Associate Editor for the hardcover series of books comprising The Library of American Comics.  This book series seeks to reprint the classics of the American newspaper comic strips in an archival, permanent format.  Books include Milton Caniff's Terry and the Pirates and many others such as Blondie, Bloom County, Dick Tracy, Little Orphan Annie, Scorchy Smith, Secret Agent X-9, Li'l Abner, and Family Circus.  With the holiday gift-giving season coming up, these books make great presents for any fan of comic books or newspaper comic strips, so listen in to hear about their existing catalog as well as whatever projects they have coming up.

Click on the triangular "play" button on the graphic below to listen to the episode!