Top Ten Hottest Artists - April 2026 on The Corner Box - S3ep30

David survives a once-in-a-century storm in Hawaii, and it’s back to business as John and David break down the creative DNA of comics — including the return of the “Top 10 Hottest Artists” list! From a Silver Age deep dive into Don Heck and the surprisingly bold Avengers #32, to the wild discovery of a pre-Fantastic Four appearance of Ben Grimm as a WWII flying ace, it’s equal parts nostalgia, disbelief, and appreciation. Add in John’s latest indie finds and you’ve got a packed, can’t-miss episode.

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Captions

• "Don Heck is the guy who should have sued Harlan Ellison and Gary Groth." — John Barber
• “If anybody ever says that Stan Lee and Marvel weren't forward-thinking and aggressively progressive... they're wrong." — David Hedgecock
• "Nick Dragotta on Absolute Batman continues to dominate." — David Hedgecock

Splash Page

• [00:01:25] – Storming the Set: David reports on the Hawaii tropical storm that wrecked the Jurassic Park sets.
• [00:03:22] – “What John and David Read This Week”: John and David recap this week’s reads.
• [00:04:15] – Avengers Time Capsule: David hits issue #32 and finds modern relevance
• [00:13:05] – The Leatherneck Raiders: John discusses Captain Savage #7 and the bizarre visual of soldiers on surfboards.
• [00:18:45] – The Thing’s Flight School: Discussing Ben Grimm’s history as a World War II air ace.
• [00:25:35] – The Grading Shift: News on CBCS shutting down and the differences in signature verification.
• [00:28:20] – The Hottest Artists: David dishes out this month’s Top 10 Hottest Artists.
• [00:33:45] – The One to Watch: David spotlights Pye Parr and the upcoming M.A.S.K. comic from Skybound.
• [00:44:20] – The Absolute Champion: LISTEN IN TO FIND OUT WHO takes the number one spot on the Hottest Artists list.

Support the Corner Box

David Hedgecock (https://linktr.ee/funtimego) - TCB Co-Host

John Barber (https://www.pugworldwide.com) - TCB Co-Host

The Corner Box (https://www.thecornerbox.club) - Official Website

Dive Deeper Into the Back Issue Bin

• Don Heck (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Heck) - Silver Age Marvel artist known for Avengers and Iron Man.
• Stephen McArdle (Vendetta Holy Vindicator) - Creator of Vendetta: The Holy Vindicator and Crowbar 9.
• Ken Landgraf (https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Ken_Landgraf) - Veteran artist who provided a new pinup for the Crowbar 9 revival.
• Archie Goodwin (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archie_Goodwin_(comics) - Legendary writer/editor mentioned for his work on Captain Savage.