Pop!Whiz!Bang!

We are taking a break! We will return sometime soon with new topics, new guests and tons to talk about!

Today we talk about our recent trips to A2CAF in Ann Arbor, MI and teaching a week-long comics class at CCA.

Today we are talking about Faith Erin Hicks' wonderful 2012 book, 'Friends with Boys'.

Patrick was at CAKE 2019 for the first time, so we gave it a good run down! Never been to the show before? This is a pretty good primer.

This week we return to the work of Vera Brosgol, in a coming of age story with an obsessed ghost, a surly protagonist, and a message about what we really want and who we really want to be.

It's been a few, so let's look back at some more conventions we attended this spring! Specifically: Alaska Robotics Mini-Con and Comics Camp and VanCAF.

Episode 38 is all about 'Small Favors' by Colleen Coover, a sexy, sexy comic that is also tons of fun. Justin Hall is back with us talking about one of his all-time favorites.

Episode 37- Justin Hall, comic historian, Fulbright scholar, and all-around excellent human joins us to talk about erotic comics. We talk about why erotic comics are overlooked in academia, the power of the erotic imagination and why you should make your own porn!

Our book review today is the collected webcomic 'On a Sunbeam' by Tillie Walden! A powerhouse cartoonist delivering huge star-scapes, intimate characters, and small moments on a huge scale. We are joined again by librarian Jack Baur!

Berkeley librarian Jack Baur joins us to talk about comics in the library, how they are bought, how workshops and programming around comics come to be, and just about every other topic as well.

Thien Pham is back with us as we discuss the first volume of Mike Maihack's 'Cleopatra in Space'.

We interview Thien Pham and talk about everything from publishing your first book to self publishing with the help of the building maintenance guy. Other highlights include the perils of working with Gene Yang (when you also work with him at your day job)and the power of the page turn.

Today we talk about the comic adaptation of 'The Adventure Zone: Here there be Gerblins' written by the McElroy Brothers and Clint McElroy and illustrated by Carey Pietsch. We talk about the difficulties of taking a pure audio medium into comics, the big wins and the not-so-wins in the book.

This week we talk our latest convention, DINK Denver 2019. We talk about the unique aspects, pro's and con's, the cool swag we got, and the cool people we met.

Cordelia McGee-Tubb is back in the studio with us, talking about one of her absolute favorites (and ours too)'El Deafo' by Cece Bell. We talk about being an awkward kid, Bell's brilliant cartooning, and the power of comics as a medium. Read the transcript here! https://docs.google.com/document/d/1BHTFa2vFMzo6zVQcr32hQuuzx3GgvGOVNe9LhHx4ymU/edit?usp=sharing

Pop!whiz!Bang! Episode 29- Accessibility in Comics with Cordelia McGee-Tubb. We talk about different ways comics can be accessible to people with vision impairments and how those methods affect storytelling. Read the transcript here! https://docs.google.com/document/d/1fIUgELJNW6t8-7nARM9K-urWwjNMpHXN17LRF47OXyI/edit?usp=sharing

We take on a comic that is a challenge for both of us and only do a so-so job of staying objective. Maybe less than so-so, but when you are talk about All-Star Superman by Grant Morrison and Frank Quietly, opinions might be a good thing.

Today we are talking about getting ready for a convention; what to bring, tips on etiquette, and table set ups. Check out our Instagram for some examples: https://www.instagram.com/pop_whiz_bang/

We are joined by Lauren Davis to talk about the lovely Jen Wang book: 'The Prince and The Dressmaker'. Lively linework, incredible color choices, beautiful draftsmanship and a narrative about who are and who we choose to be.

Today we talk to Lauren Davis who helps organize SF ZineFest about applying to conventions, what goes into a standard application, what you should include and what maybe to leave out.

Today is a book review and the first volume of Ted Naifeh's gothy teen book 'Courtney Crumrin' is up! If you think having a new friend eaten by a goblin or babysitting a changeling that's sitting in for a baby sound like fun, then this episode is for you.

Pop!Whiz!Bang! Episode 23- No matter how you made your comic, if you want to sell it at a convention or to friends, eventually you will have to print it. We talk about home printing, your local copy shop, and print-on-demand services.

Memoir gets us thinking about stories from our own lives, but after all that we talk about the spectacular 'Fetch' by Nicole Georges, a powerful cartoonist with lovingly crafted pages and sharply written narrative.

Thinking about teaching a comics class or workshop for kids? We have some tips based on our experiences to help keep the classroom under control, design your classes, and hopefully give you the confidence to get in there!

Our first guest is in the house and tapping the table (you'll get it, there are some taps) but it's all worth it because GB Tran is an amazing cartoonist that is dropping all kind of knowledge on how he plans his visually dense comics.

This week we talk about the first volume of a book we both love: Rickety Stitch and The Gelatinous Goo-The Road to Epoli. Perfect for kids, but gnarly enough for adults, with some wonderful cartooning and interesting decisions, we get into what makes the book great!

Today we talk that magical comic element that makes all the movement, sounds, and smells possible. Well, better anyway. Emanta! We talk about the lines and squiggles that make comics speak!

Pop!Whiz!Bang! Episode 17-Spider-man: Into the Spider-verse. We talk about the amazing comic references and tools in the new animated film, as well as the spectacular storytelling elements. We loved this movie!

This week we highlight our favorite tips for starting a new comic. Some are good for everyone and a couple are for beginners, but we all could use a reminder about the basics from time to time (especially before you start that new project).

You are still shopping!!!? Good! Because we have some more recommendations, this time stuff for the comic creator in your life (which might be yourself). Some materials, some things that make the hours of hard artwork more comfortable, we are handing you some great gift options.

If you are shopping for a comic lover, casual interester, or someone that might be into comics, if they just read a couple, then we have the right show for you. Recommendations for readers of all ages!

Look, paper isn't always at the top of the list when you think comics-making. But the list is usually written on some paper, so it's pretty dang important. We talk terminology, so you can buy the right product, and different kinds of paper people use to make comics. We even talk some alternative options so you can go nuts and try something new!

Today we take on the beautiful and cozy 'Sheets' by Brenna Thummler. Not every aspect of the book works for us though, so we talk about what we loved, what we didn't and what we think might help those issues.

Sure, pictures are all fine and good, but comics love text-image relationships. That means words! We talk lettering tips, ways to make your speech bubbles look more polished and our own personal lettering methods.

Are you ready for this? 'Beautiful Darkness' by Fabien Vehlman and Kerascoet is a gorgeous but messed up book that we love and can't get enough of. We talk about the creators, the beautiful artwork, the disturbing and adorable characters and ask: what does it all mean?

Drawing your comic seems simple, but there are all these panels, where are you gonna put them? What's a panel anyways? We dig in to some theory and some process in today's episode.

Do you want a story about an awkward kid? How about summer camp, missing hampsters, gross latrines, jerky kids, and midnight moose? Vera Brosgol's 'Be Prepared' has all of that and we try to talk about it all too.

We go more in depth on scripting a comic- how to generate ideas, what to include, writing for yourself vs. writing for an artist and a bunch of other useful tools for getting a comic script on the page!

Another book review! Locke and Key is an amazing book, with great characters, amazing layouts, and chilling moments. We give an overview of the book and talk about some of its best moments.

How do you even make comics, anyways? We are going to blaze through the steps that most comics go through to get made! From writing to flatting, we are going to hit the essentials so we are all on the same page.

Winter's Bone. The Lovely Bone. All good bones, but not as good as Jeff Smith's Bone! Episode 4 is part 4 of a conversation on Jeff Smith's 'Bone', an amazing work that Meggie and Patrick can't get enough of! Ad: Queer Cartoonists of Color Database (http://queercartoonists.com/) and Cartoonists of Color Database (http://cartoonistsofcolor.com/)

Let's talk about 'Bone' baby! Let's talk about hist-o-ree! Let's talk about self publishing, distributing, and drawing! Episode 3 is part 1 of a conversation on Jeff Smith's 'Bone', an amazing work that Meggie and Patrick can't get enough of!

In Episode 2 we are talking categories! What is the difference between a newspaper strip and a webcomic? Graphic novel vs trade paper back? Why does any of it even matter? We'll well ya! Today's book/tool recommendations are the Pentel Waterbrush, Dr. PH Martin's Black Star Ink, and 'Sheets' by Brenna Themmler. Today's episode is brought to you by Sakura.

Welcome to the first episode of Pop!Whiz!Bang!, a new podcast about theory and process around the comics you love. Today we tackle the ages old question: what are comics, anyway?