Danny Bilson
Writer/Producer, Warner Bros. Television
Working on: *The Flash* TV series (CBS)
Writer/producer Bilson discusses developing The Flash as a CBS primetime series, explaining how the show is inspired by Watchmen, The Dark Knight, and American Flagg rather than campy TV superhero conventions. He covers the casting of John Wesley Shipp as Barry Allen, Dave Stevens' costume design, Howard Chaykin's role as story editor, and the challenge of competing against The Cosby Show and The Simpsons in its time slot. He contrasts the show's grounded, dark tone with prior superhero TV productions and previews plans for costumed villains and moral ambiguity.
Jerry Dumas
Cartoonist, King Features Syndicate (Freelance)
Working on: *Beetle Bailey* (with Mort Walker), *Sam & Silo*
Cartoonist Dumas discusses his decades-long collaboration with Mort Walker on Beetle Bailey and Hi & Lois, the origins of his more personal strip Sam & Silo, and his cinematic approach to panel composition and gag construction. He reminisces about breaking into comics through a chance connection with Walker, his Air Force years, and his deep love of classic Hollywood films as an influence on his strip work.
Julius Schwartz
Editor, DC Comics
Working on: Career retrospective
Legendary DC editor Schwartz, retired and serving in an emeritus capacity, recounts his career spanning from the Golden Age through the Silver Age revival of the Flash, Hawkman, Green Lantern, the Atom, and other characters. He discusses the editorial craft of cover-first storytelling, the famous gorilla-cover sales phenomenon, the evolution of Brave and Bold from historical adventure to superhero team-ups, and his innovations in reader letter columns which helped birth comics fandom.
Fulvia Serra
Publisher/Editor-in-Chief, Milano Libri / Rizzoli
Working on: *Linus*, *Corto Maltese* magazines
The editor-in-chief of Milano Libri (a Rizzoli subsidiary) discusses the Italian comics market, covering the history of the prestige magazine Linus (founded with Umberto Eco's involvement in 1965) and the adventure magazine Corto Maltese. She explains the cultural status of comics in Italy, the oversaturation and subsequent market contraction, *Peanuts*' enormous Italian success, and plans to introduce Frank Miller and Alan Moore's works to Italian readers.
DAK expresses disappointment with the CBS Flash TV series despite its producers' comics literacy, questioning why television adaptations of superhero material so often fall short even when made by people who genuinely respect the source material.