COLUMBUS, OHIO – Joe Stuber still believes man can fly.

“I saw it with my own eyes when I was 9-years-old,” he said. “And I’ve been seeing it everyday since I saw him as Superman.”
Stuber is referring to the interview he will never get; the late great Christopher Reeve. Reeve, along with the director of “Superman: The Movie”, Richard Donner, were responsible for Stuber’s belief in man’s ability to fly.
“What happened to Christopher is a tragic story, but I have interviewed many who have worked with him on the film and it is amazing to hear their tales.”
Joe’s interviews are a part of his website, ComicBookCentral.net. Published as podcasts and nestled in the “Secret Archive”, the episodes are categorized by month, beginning in November, 2013. And these interviews are nothing to sneeze at. Stuber has landed time with the greatest in the comic book movie and TV industry, such as Lou Ferrigno (pictured above), Jeff East (Superman: The Movie), Rachel Skarsten (Birds of Prey), Richard Anderson (The Six Million Dollar Man), and maybe the most exciting to this writer, Stan Lee, co-creator of the Marvel Universe. Lee was a guest on Stuber’s premiere episode.
“Long story short, I had an opportunity to speak to Stan Lee years ago about an aspect of Comic Book Central, and he said he would help out if he was able. When I launched the podcast, I reached out to him again, and he kept his word. He was generous with his time and granted the interview.”
According to Stuber, landing interviews with famous people is not easy. It takes equal parts patience and perseverance and walking a fine line between persistence and irritation, he said. Juggling the tasks of booking guests, accommodating their schedules, finding the time in his schedule to prep, write, interview, edit and ultimately post the show, can be a challenge that Stuber is all about.
“It’s just a matter of making a list of folks I want to talk to, getting information about their publicists and reaching out with requests,” he said.
Initially, once Stuber had a few episodes under his belt, he was able to e-mail those podcast links to guests who wanted to listen to an interview ahead of time. And his credentials also helped open doors, as he is able to reference his professional background as a journalist and an Emmy Award-winning video writer/producer, in order to lend credibility to the show. As far as mentioning his favorite interviews to date, Stuber struggles as he truly enjoys them all. But as a writer/producer, he gravitates towards individuals with those talents he admires – writing and producing – such as: Michael Uslan, producer of the Batman films; Kenny Johnson, creator of the Bionic Woman and the Incredible Hulk television shows and Deborah Joy LeVine, Creator of “Lois and Clark.”
“Those are the folks in on a project from the very beginning – writing, casting, etc. They have all the best stories,” he said.
One of the biggest surprises Stuber discovered about someone in an interview was that Adrienne Barbeau had forgotten she was a guest on “Match Game.”
“I know it was 40 years ago, but c’mon! That’s the greatest game show of all time. I’m also surprised at how many stunts some of the actors were allowed to do themselves, including Adrienne. The 70’s and 80’s were a whole different world,” he said.
Stuber’s earliest memories of comics go back to visiting his namesake, Uncle Joe, in Beaverdale, Pa. His eyes light up as he recalls that special time.
“He always took me to the local newspaper shop – I wish I could remember the name – where I would get first crack at the comic books that came in before they hit the stand. From the cartoony stuff: “Archie”, “Richie Rich”, “Sad Sack”, “Dagwood and Blondie”; to the superhero stuff: “Superman”, “Batman”, “Spider-man”, “Hulk”, “Fantastic Four” – I read ‘em all. I was fascinated at how many different types of stories could be told in just a few pages: the art, the colors, the adventures – it was all amazing! And then, when I saw these characters come to life on television: Batman, Spider-Man – and on the movie screen: Superman – that just took it to the next level. I am not exactly sure when I first became interested, but I learned to read them before I started school,” he said.
Stuber’s favorite comic book character is Superman – the greatest of all superheroes. For many, it is the idea of super special skills or powers these characters have that is so appealing. But for Stuber, it is their values that the writers have attributed to them over the years.
“The majority of comic book characters have a strong sense of justice. They are written to embody fairness and right over wrong – at least, they were when I was younger. And that’s what I remember,” he said.
This passion for comics drove his website Comic Book Central, where comic books come to life. It premiered Nov. 8, 2013, and his podcasts have been heard in more than 80 countries. In addition to creating a forum for his podcasts, the site is full of interesting history and conversation. Stuber even wrote his own comic book to use as a marketing tool. He used it to get the larger picture of Comic Book Central into a clear, concise, memorable format. Stuber wrote it and sketched it out. A comic book artist (Stuber’s friend, Brandon Wilt) created the illustrations.
“Then I went in and completed the lettering and the coloring. You can see some of that artwork on the Comic Book Central website. I hope to be able to use it all to launch Phase 2 someday…which is still under wraps.” he said.
As a comic enthusiast and true scholar, Stuber has learned a lot. He is most surprised by the fact that it has taken Hollywood this long to figure out there are decades of finished stories out there that can be adapted from the comics. Stuber has had no problem accessing them for his purposes. He is always working on the next interview. And who might that be?
“Several have asked me that and I never have a good answer. Not because I want to be evasive, it’s just that I have so many that I’ve asked and I’m waiting to hear back. I don’t want to spoil any surprises if they agree to an interview,” he said.
Stay tuned for the next episode on ComicBookCentral.net.

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E-mail: joe@comicbookcentral.net