Two former students have been talking comics on KTCU since Thanksgiving 2001, and, starting next month, they will begin airing their live television versions of the show on Fanboy.tv.Fanboy Radio was first started by co-host and 2002 graduate Scott Hinze, 26, more than five years ago. Now Hinze, along with co-host Oliver Tull, 43, will begin airing live episodes of their show April 2 on Fanboy.tv. The show, which is being produced by Market News Network, MN1, will air at 7:30 p.m. Mondays and Thursdays. The episodes will also be available on demand, Hinze said.

Hinze first started talking about comics on the radio while he was an undergraduate on a show called “Thursday Come Friday,” he said.

“We were required to spend nine hours a week in the production room as part of our production class,” Hinze said.

Hinze continued with the radio show and started Meteorite Entertainment Inc. with the help of his wife, Britta Hinze, 24, a 2005 graduate.

“Britta is the other half of MEI,” Hinze said. “She is the glue that holds it all together. I could not do it without her by my side.”

In 2003, Hinze met his future partner Tull, who is a member of the comedy group, “Four Day Weekend,” in Fort Worth.

“Oliver was more experienced at talking and speaking on the radio,” Hinze said. “He also has a deep love for comics and brings great energy to the show and to our listeners.”

Tull, who served in the Army from 1982 to 1986 in Germany, went to but did not graduate from Texas A&M University. Tull was working with his comedy group when he met Hinze. Tull wanted to be a part of the show, and he soon became a co-host with Hinze.

“It was three months ago when we were approached by MN1,” Tull said. “It is going to be exciting and great for our listeners to be able to watch us broadcasting. We hope that this will give our listeners more of an opportunity to get involved in the show.”

Part of the show’s success is that there are not many radio shows that talk specifically about the world of comics, according to MN1. Because this is the case, Hinze and Tull have total creative control in what they talk about and in who they invite onto the show.

“It is unreal that we have total control over our show,” Hinze said. “That is something that is very rare in the type of medium that we work in.”

Russell Scott, KTCU station manager, as well as listener of the show, is most impressed about how fast Fanboy Radio has taken off and the highly respected guests that they have gotten on the show.

“It is such a great show, and both Scott and Oliver are very dedicated to it,” Scott said. “They have made their show into a quality product, with listeners from all over.”

Past guests on the show include comic legends Kevin Smith and Joss Whedon.

“We have had such highly accomplished writers and artists in the past,” Hinze said. “Both Kevin and Josh were excellent guests. They took calls and even gave ideas and hints about getting discovered in the industry.”

Hinze said they also allow for upcoming artists or artists that are underground on the show and try to help them get noticed by comic book publications.

“Recently we held a contest where listeners got the chance to send in their work,” Hinze said. “Fanboy Radio staff then selected which work they thought was the best.”

The winner of the show was just recently signed by a comic book publication in California, Hinze said.

Hinze and Tull not only help upcoming artists but have recently started a program called “Hero For Heroes.”

“We send over packages of comics, movies and music to the troops over in Iraq,” Hinze said. “These guys are the real heroes. We send them these things to remind them home that they would not normally get.”

Tull added that he knows from experience about being in war, and that something as simple as a comic book can really help raise morale amongst the soldiers.

Meghan Fischer, a senior RTVF major and assistant for the show, will also be working on the news portion of the show.

“I will be writing the news scripts for the live show,” Fischer said. “This is a great opportunity for Fanboy. I am also a little nervous since the TV show will be live.”

Donald Punchatz, adjunct professor of illustration in art & art history, a listener and one of the show’s callers, said he is most impressed by the amount of information in each broadcast.

“It is a wonderful insight for those interested in comics to find out about the past, present and future of comic books,” Punchatz said. “The interviews are so fascinating. They give the comic book world exactly what it needs.