Hello! We’re back with this post Pride 2025 interview with the multi-talented Joe Corallo! Joe is an award-winning editor and writer of comics residing in New York. He’s edited comics for ComicMix, A Wave Blue World, Black Mask Studios, ComiXology Originals, Mad Cave Studios, and Dynamite Entertainment. His writing has been published by DC Comics, Archie Comics, ComiXology Originals, Mad Cave Studios, A Wave Blue World, TKO Studios, and Vault Comics. Outside of comics, he co-hosts a Christmas movie podcast, 12 Months of Christmas, with David Baxter on the Solid Listen Network. He’s also a contributor and editor to this very blog!

Chris Allo: HI Joe thanks for doing this installment of the Queer Creator Spotlight. Can you tell us your origin story? What got you into the comics sphere? What are some of the things you remember from early on that set you on your path?

Joe Corallo: I’m sure I would have gotten there as a child brought up on the cartoons and action figures of X-Men, Spider-Man, and Batman of the 90s, but the Sonic the Hedgehog comics Archie was putting out at the time got me into reading monthly comics as well as dragging my parents all around Long Island with me to back issue hunting. I started with issue 28, searched back for what I missed while getting a mail subscription to the house.

CA: Joe, you are a man of many hats: writer, editor or comics, podcaster, and editor for Geeksout.  All simultaneously at one point or another. How do you do it?

JC: Oh jeez! I mean, I guess I just do it as best I can! I find editing and emails are easier for me earlier in the day and writing works better for me later on. It’s all about carving out time and prioritizing.

CA: How did you initially get hooked up with the Geeks OUT organization?

JC: Over a decade ago I reached out about contributing to the blog and I just stuck with it!

CA: Do you remember your first contribution to GeeksOUT?

JC: If memory serves correctly, it was a write-up or review of Steve Orlando’s Midnighter #1 (2015) around when that came out. I was already familiar with Steve’s work, and I really enjoyed both that issue and the run overall!

CA: How was that experience?

JC: Oh it was great! I had gone to a number of Geeks OUT events and was already doing comics coverage at sites like ComicMix and InsertGeekHere, so I had the sort of experience they were looking for in a contributor. 

Blogging back then, which was a decade ago now, somehow, was a bit of a different landscape. It’s kind of wild to think about. Plus, I’ve gotten to make a number of friends through that, which has been lovely. 

CA: In terms of your editing work how did that happen for you and what was your first project?

JC: I got into editing initially with the Mine! anthology to benefit Planned Parenthood on 2017. That was more of a passion project which led to collaborating with several dozen creators. That led to me keeping at editing, taking on more anthologies as well as mini-series.

CA: Do you have a favorite interview?

JC: It’s cheating since we became good friends, but I’ve gotten to interview Rachel Pollack on a few occasions, so it’s hard not to say those. I think about all the sorts of things she would say often. Lately, I’ve been thinking about how she’d say we would think about the future, but what comes after the future?

CA: Any projects that you’ve edited stand out to you?

JC: Mine! will always be special to me. Having gotten to have a hand in foundational properties like Sheena, Queen of the Jungle and The Green Hornet at Dynamite stand out for me, too.

CA: You’re also a writer!  Can you tell us what you’ve been working on lately?

JC: I had the privilege of contributing a story to Young Men in Love: New Romance from A Wave Blue World which just came out a few weeks ago. I also just had the release of my second YA graphic novel, King Arthur and the Knights of Justice: Morgana’s Revenge, through Mad Cave Studio’s Maverick imprint. I’m still on the train back from the American Library Association conference where I was promoting it’s release as I write this!

CA: As a gay creator how much of that plays a role in what you write and what projects you edit?

JC: I think of it as being inherently part of who I am, so any work I do, writing or editing, is through a queer lens. I’ve worked on overtly queer projects as well as projects where it’s not something that necessarily comes up explicitly, but anything I work on I’d say is inherently queer because I am and I worked on it.

CA: Any queer creators that you feel are doing stellar work and people should be aware of today?

JC: There are so many, and I certainly don’t want to leave any out, so please don’t just go by this list, but Linden Cahill, who colored King Arthur and the Knights of Justice: Morgana’s Revenge, is an excellent artist people should be on the lookout for. Giles Crawford is a great artist, putting out zines and working on larger projects coming up. Keith Frady is a comics writer whom I’ve been impressed with for years, and people need to pay more attention to him. Val Halverson is illustrating a comic miniseries, The Slasher’s Apprentice, at Mad Cave Studios, written by Justin Richards, that people should check out, too!

CA: Tell us a little bit of your podcasting life!

JC: Thank you for asking! I’ve been co-hosting a Christmas movie podcast, 12 Months of Christmas, on the Solid Listen Network with my longtime friend David Baxter. We mostly do a lot of Hallmark and Hallmark adjacent style movies. It’s behind the Solid Listen Network’s Patreon wall, but there are some episodes available for free that people should check out! David and I have both separately guest-starred on Mother, May I Sleep With Podcast? as well. The last time I did was a few months ago when we covered Blood, Sweat, and Cheer for those interested!

CA: Can you talk about upcoming projects? Edited or written by you?

JC: I currently have a Kickstarter campaign going for a queer thriller one-shot comic, Sink to the Top, that I’d love for people to check out! Besides that, I can’t get into too many details, but I do have projects I’ve written slated for release in both 2026 and 2027, so keep an eye out for them! I also have my first prose book I’ve edited that will likely be out in that time period, too. Looking forward to people being able to check them out!

CA: Also, what are your preferred socials for people to check out what you’re doing?

JC: You can follow me on Bluesky @joecorallo and Instagram @corallojoe and keep up with what I’m working on!

CA: Thanks for your time, Joe! Looking forward to your upcoming projects!