Episode 85 – “JJM @ B&N G’TOWN”

Lin WorkmanOct 28, 2025

Show notes: In this first episode of the start of Drawing Funny‘s 6th season we get to hear from Memphis native now Wisconsin wordsmith John Jackson Miller about his early years in the M-town from a Batman book signing in the G’town. JJM was recently back in the midsouth to promote the Random House Worlds‘ release of “BATMAN: REVOLUT?ON” (his 2nd Batman novel and follow-up to “BATMAN: RESSURECTION“) at the new Barnes & Noble in Germantown, TN. He talks about the ’89 Batverse and WWTBD? (What would Tim Burton do?), plus we get to hear John’s origin story straight from the writer’s mouth and learn how he got from Memphis to Gotham City by way of strange new worlds in a galaxy far, far away!

John’s childhood sounds very similar to my own, and not just the growing up in and around Memphis parts. We were both named after our fathers who came from large families, and both of our moms were an only child- and knew Elvis back in the day. My wife Nicki and I have known JJM since before she and I were actually officially a couple, and often see him at local book signings, library appearances, and conventions around the mid-south. He was a fixture at MidSouthCon for many years, and is currently on a signing tour where he’s been hanging out with some super-folks like “Batman” movie executive producer Michael Uslan at the New York Comic Con, and in a convention green room with “The Flash” star John Wesley Shipp. At this JJM B&N book signing, Nicki and I ran into some friends of ours from MidSouthCon– and the Bluff City Batman!

In addition to John’s book signing life story audio, I catch you up on some local art scene news including details on the current Mid-South Cartoonists Association “Drawn Of The Dead” art show at Germantown Community Theatre, the group’s next game themed art show at the Jewish Community Center in December/January, the MSCA’s upcoming monthly dinner gathering at Garibaldi’s Pizza on November 4th, this weekend’s Memphis Comic and Fantasy Convention and Memphis Japan Fest, and next month’s Memphis Zine Fest!

Thanks to John Jackson Miller and Barnes & Noble for such a BATASTIC book signing event. I hope they’re have JJM back in town again soon. Maybe for a 3rd Bat-book..? We’ve had “BATMAN: RESSURECTION” and “BATMAN: REVOLUT?ON“, so I’m just throwing “BATMAN: RESOLUTION” out there if no one else has used it yet- just sayin’… 😉