Episode 5

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Published on:

12th Sep 2025

TT S3 E5: Four-Color Mutants with Matt Bors, Writer of The Toxic Avenger and Toxic Crusaders Comics

Throughout history, we've seen some truly iconic team-ups: peanut butter and jelly, Ren and Stimpy, Batman and Robin. But one partnership you might not immediately think of—yet one that's just as important—is the bond between Troma and comic books.

Troma co-founder and Toxie's cinematic dad, Lloyd Kaufman, was close friends with Marvel's legendary Stan Lee—the father of Spider-Man himself. So it only made sense that in the 1990s, Marvel Comics brought Tromaville into the four-color world, publishing eleven issues of The Toxic Avenger and eight issues of The Toxic Crusaders. Both titles were canceled around the same time as the Toxic Crusaders animated series was not picked up for a second season.

Which brings us to today's special guest: Matt Bors. Matt is a Pulitzer Prize finalist, the founder of the comics site The Nib, and an award-winning writer and cartoonist known for his sharp wit and social commentary. Now, he's turned his talents toward Tromaville, writing The Toxic Avenger and Toxic Crusaders for AHOY Comics, which are both out now in comic shops and bookstores everywhere.

Enjoy our exclusive interview with Matt Bors, recorded live at San Diego Comic-Con!

Mentioned in this episode:

Hosted by Zack Beins. Produced by Chris Lanphear for Loudspeaker Studios. Talkin' Troma Theme Music by J57 and Bald Halfwit. Special thanks to Matt Bors and AHOY Comics.

Featured Music:

  • "Marching Crusaders" by Dennis C. Brown and Larry Brown, from Toxic Crusaders: Original Television Soundtrack

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About the Podcast

Talkin' Troma with Zack Beins
A deep dive into the vast filmography of Troma films.
A deep dive into the vast filmography of the oldest independent film studio in the world: Troma Entertainment. Join host, filmmaker, and Troma super fan Zack Beins as he guides you through films like The Toxic Avenger, Sgt. Kabukiman, NYPD, and Terror Firmer, along with lesser-known entries from Troma's nearly fifty year history.

Hear the stories behind the films from those who worked on them and those who were inspired by them, only on Talkin' Troma!

A production of Loudspeaker Studios. Hear live, commercial-free independent radio, original podcasts, and discover everything we have to offer at https://www.loudspeaker.org.
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About your host

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Zack Beins

Zack Beins is a filmmaker from Denver, CO. He has made several films and music videos including The Misled Romance of Cannibal Girl and Incest Boy, and Atom the Amazing Zombie Killer. Zack has a life long passion for cinema and cult films. His love of celluloid brought him to Tromaville where he worked on Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead (2006) and volunteered at the TromaDance Film Festival, and now to Talkin' Troma with the Loudspeaker network!