Alex Ross is one of the most celebrated artists in the history of comic books; his breathtaking painted covers and interiors are simply unmatched. He breathes life into every character he puts on the page, showing us what these characters would look like if they actually walked among us.

I’ve been lucky to interview Alex a few times through the years. The first time was waaaaay back when I worked at Q101 (the first time around). I also did a piece on him for Time Out Chicago several years ago and interviewed him for a pre-Car Con Carne podcast I hosted called “Stun.” It was a pleasure to sit down with him in a Mazda CX-9 (Thanks, Autobarn Mazda of Evanston) to talk about his current museum exhibit (“Marvelocity: The Art of Alex Ross” in Libertyville) and…

• What is the state of the comic book industry?
• Where does Alex Ross fit in to the industry?
• The impact of comic book movies on the comic book industry.
• Is “The Rock” the right guy to play Black Adam?
• The ascent of Alex Ross in the 90s. “The most radical thing I could do is just draw things to look normal.”
• Alex’s work on “Unbreakable” and “Glass”: What’s his relationship with M. Night Shyamalan?
• Could I be a life model for his work with comic books?
• My phone overheated and killed the Facebook Live feed.
• Alex riffs on some of his most famous works: Marvels, Kingdom Come, etc.
• The new “Marvels” comic that’s on the way.
• Alex’s accidental career advice.

Car Con Carne is presented by The Autobarn Mazda of Evanston. DOWNLOAD THIS EPISODE Google Play Music iTunes Stitcher