Podcasts about Alternative comics

In the 1980s, the little Christian comic books known as Chick Tracts were EVERYWHERE. You'd find them in movie theaters and bus station bathrooms, on subways, and all over shopping malls. People would slip them inside VHS rentals or library books. Many Chick Tracts are black and white Christian horror stories that pull from a huge cast of characters: witches, bikers, Hindus, rock and rollers, Catholics, queer people, truckers, Masons and trick-or-treaters. And at some point in the tract, the protagonist often has to make a choice: either accept Jesus as their savior, or get tossed like cordwood into a Lake Of Fire. Chick Tracts have left a really complicated legacy. Collectors are mesmerized by their edginess and kitsch. The Smithsonian regards Chick Tracts as American religious artifacts, and keeps a bunch of them in its vaults.  At the same time, many of these comics are filled with some ugly and dangerous messages, including homophobia and Islamophobia. So the same tracts that have been hoarded and preserved have ALSO been boycotted and banned, and condemned as hate speech.

Nick Drnaso, acclaimed author of Sabrina, is back with Acting Class, his third book on Drawn & Quarterly. A tapestry of disconnect, distrust, and manipulation, Acting Class brings together 10 strangers under the tutelage of John Smith, a mysterious and morally questionable leader. The group of social misfits and restless searchers have one thing in common: They are all out of step with their surroundings and desperate for a change.With mounting unease, the class sinks deeper into Smith's lessons, even as he demands increasing devotion. When the line between real life and imagination begins to blur, the group's fears and desires are laid bare. Exploring the tension between who we are and how we present, Drnaso cracks open his characters' masks and takes us through an unsettling American journey.Like Sabrina—the first graphic novel short-listed for the Man Booker Prize—Drnaso's latest offering is an extremely sharp study of our everyday existence and how we live. His minimalist comic-drawing style is nevertheless awash in a cinematic haze of melancholy and the color palette is hued in a realism that is uniquely his.  A friend handed me Sabrina, several years ago, knowing I was somewhat of an outsider in the realm of underground comic culture, telling me, “You will love the book in the same way you love certain novels.” And he was right.While Drnaso is revered all over the world for his bleak honestness and sly, dark humor, he grew up in the suburbs of Chicago. Although we are of different generations, the subtlety of his style is familiar to me as a fellow Midwesterner and Chicagoan.Notably, this is Big Table's first episode centered around a graphic novel. It's certainly a change from our focus on nonfiction books, but Drnaso's storytelling pulls so effortlessly from real life that one feels his characters are meta comics versions of people encountered in our everyday lives.Here's my conversation with Nick Drnaso discussing his new book, Acting Class.Music by Japan

On this episode of Art Affairs, i talk with, artist, Renee French.We discuss how she first got into making alternative comics, her transition into gallery work and learning to paint, her recent exploration into printmaking, and a whole lot more!Also mentioned in this episode: Penn Jillette, Françoise Mouly, Scott Teplin, Adam Baumgold Fine Art, La Luz de Jesus Gallery, Beinart Gallery, Naoto Hattori, Steven Weber, and Emma Booth.Follow Renee:Instagram: @reneefrenchFollow the Show:Website: artaffairspodcast.comPatreon: artaffairsInstagram: @artaffairspodcastFacebook: @artaffairspodcastTwitter: @art_affairs

It's October in the UK and that means Black History Month has arrived! As a podcast made up of three black people, we wanted to dedicate some real space to discuss some of our favourite black comic/manga creators. In this episode we go through five pieces of work made by talented black people! They gave us story, art and personality the whole shebang. If you're interested in the titles we covered look them up or find them on our social media. 'Stranger Days' by Iman Lake 'Bitter Root' by David F. Walker, Chuck Brown and Sanford Greene 'Monarchs' by Joshua Bullock 'Heru' by Jason Barrett 'Adorned by Chi' by Jacque Aye!, (Art) Magus Ato & Tiana Mone'e You can find us on the following social media platforms for more. Please leave us a review and rating if you like what you hear! Twitter: @NrdAlternative Instagram: @TheNerdAlternative Reddit: The Nerd Alternative

Who's that coming down the track? It's a nonstop independent comics train with anxiety comics from Jenn Woodall, dystopian fantasy from Spugna, the mythical Bat-Man from David Enos, and surprise kids with Joel Orff. Chat us up at ftlindie@gmail.com or on Twitter (@ftlindie). Show notes and other posts are found at www.fortheloveofindie.com.

Wow! Not only is this the awesome monthly Previews episode but we have a NEW INTRO THEME! Once you emerge from the absolute awesomeness of our new theme, Iann delves deep into the new Previews and brings you all the best from those pages. What cool titles has Iann found for you to investigate? Join us for this episode and find out for yourself!Included this month are titles from: Image, Alternative Comics, Boom! Studios. Aftershock, Dynamite, Abrams Comicarts, Dark Horse, IDW, Action Lab/Danger Zone, Amp! Comics For Kids, Caliber Entertainment, Clarkson Potter, Black Dog/Leventhal, Conundrum Press, Drawn & Quarterly, First Comics, Source Point Press, and more!!FOLLOW THE SHOW@creampodcast513 (Instagram)@iannrobinson (Instagram, Twitter)@jaimie_filer (Instagram)Follow Iann's other podcast Aliens, Punks, Monsters & Kung Fu all about B Movies.Follow Jaimie's art blog artofdoom.blogspot.com

For the Love of Indie #94 is here for your small press comics needs. We have space terror from Tyler Landry, the childhood of Jesse Reklaw, colorful fighters from Josh Hicks and a the struggles of a toxic relationship from Mariko Tamaki & Rosemary Valero-O'Connell. Take a listen and hear all about: The Glorious Wrestling Alliance Vile #1: Coward's Hole Couch Tag Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me Cold Blood Samurai Unnatural vol. 2 Fairlady Faithless Notes: www.fortheloveofindie.com Email: ftlindie@gmail.com Twitter: @ftlindie

It's here at last! For the Love of Indie #92! It's all back too, the Kickstarter, the new releases, the comics about camaraderie, sex, liberating animals. eternal turtles and so much more, all right here. Listen in to hear about: White Murder Partners Warpaint Hicotea (Nightlights vol. 2) Dark Red #1 Invisible Kingdom #1 Coda vol. 1 Belzebubs Notes: www.fortheloveofindie.com Email: ftlindie@gmail.com Twitter: @ftlindie

Barbara Lüdde ist eine junge Künstlerin, über deren Arbeit Jörg im Verlauf des letzten Jahres immer wieder gestolpert ist. Zuletzt hat sie ein Buch gemacht, das heisst „Our Piece Of Punk". Gemeinsam mit Ihrer Mitherausgeberin Judit Vetter hat sie darin - wie es im Untertitel zum Buch heisst - „Einen queer_feministischen Blick auf den Kuchen“, also die Punk-Szene, geworfen. Das Buch haben die beiden mittels Cowdfunding finanziert, es ist 170 Seiten stark, zweisprachig in deutsch und englisch und enthält - Zitat - „Zeichnungen, Comics, Textbeiträge, Diskussionen und Liebeserklärungen über die Möglichkeiten und Grenzen von Queer_Feminismus im Punk“. Zur Zeit sind die beiden Zeichnerinnen viel unterwegs und machen Lesungen zum Buch. Daneben hat Barbara in diesem Jahr aber auch noch eine vielbeachtete Einzelausstellung in der Âme Nue Galerie in Hamburg gezeigt und bei einigen Gruppenausstellungen mitgemacht. Ihr Stil ist wirklich ganz besonders und fusst in den amerikanischen Urspüngen von Alternative Comics und den Plattencovern und Flyern der Punkbands der 80er. Barbara und Jörg quatschen also über die Kunst und den Punk und ihr Austausch ist natürlich auch ein bisschen generationsübergreifend, wenn man das so sagen will, denn die beiden trennen durchaus ein paar Jährchen. Inhaltlich spannend wird es dadurch für beide ...

Time Codes: 00:25 - Introduction 02:19 - Setup of interview 03:38 - Interview with Hazel Newlevant 53:01 - Wrap up 53:31 - Contact us Hazel Newlevant is an artist and editor, known for their graphic novella Sugar Town, which they call “a queer poly rom-com,” as well as Tender-Hearted, winner of the 2017 Ignatz Award for outstanding minicomic. In 2016 the Two Guys discussed Hazel's edited collection, Chainmail Bikini, an anthology of comics by and about women games released in 2016, and for which Hazel served as editor. Earlier this year they have had two other collections where they served as co-editor: Puerto Rico Strong, released in March by Lion Forge, and Comics for Choice: Illustrated Abortion Stories, History, and Politics, an anthology of comics about abortion and reproductive rights published by Alternative Comics. During this interview, Derek talks with Hazel primarily about Comics for Choice, but they also discuss some of their other work as well, including their many efforts as an editor within the comics industry.  

We talk about the wonderful, silly world of underground comics. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Time Codes: 00:00:32 - Introduction 00:02:58 - Checking in 00:04:42 - Reich 00:48:27 - The American Way: Those Above and Those Below #1 01:10:26 - Time and Vine #1 01:31:08 - Wrap up 01:32:04 - Contact us This week the Two Guys with PhDs Talking about Comics look at three very different titles. They begin with Elijah Brubaker's Reich, a twelve-issue biography published by Sparkplug Comics and distributed through Alternative Comics. The series reveals the life of Wilhelm Reich, the Austrian-American psychoanalyst known for his influential work in character analysis, his advocacy of orgastic potency, and, more controversially, his theories surrounding orgonomy. After that they discuss The American Way: Those Above and Those Below #1 (Vertigo Comics). Written by John Ridley with art by George Jeanty, this is a sequel to their eight-issue Wildstorm series that came out in 2008. Then Andy and Derek wrap things up with Time and Vine #1 (IDW Publishing), Thom Zahler's followup to his 2015 miniseries Long Distance. The guys note that this latest title bears all the markings of Zahler's previous work, including Love and Capes: engaging art, impressive dialogue, and nuanced character interaction that is both romantic and witty.

The Study Comics with Paul podcast http://studycomics.club/ looks at Melissa Mendes’ Lou from Alternative Comics (via the Sequential App), about a girl and her family in rural New England. Paul thinks about the universality and specificity of cartooning and of this story of childhoods, especially in a time when urban vs rural, or New England/West Coast vs Beltway differences are so underscored. Visuals at http://studycomics.club/post/157027358545/lou-by-melissa-mendes-alternative-comics Lou: http://indyworld.com/imprints/alternative-comics/melissa-mendes/lou/ Amazon Associates link to buy Lou: http://amzn.to/2k8xB94 Mendes’ site: http://www.mmmendes.com/ and http://www.mmmendes.com/news/2016/7/5/lou

Jack and Dan back from hiatus and talking with cartoonist Ben Granoff (https://www.picturesforstories.com/) about Sandman and other alternative 90s comics. The Topics: Sandman and Alternative Comics Visit us at: weepodcast.com Discuss at: www.reddit.com/r/worstepisodeever Support us at: amazon.weepodcast.com

Time Codes: 00:01:50 - Introduction 00:03:37 - Setting up our favorites 00:07:16 - Year-end statistics 00:15:54 - Our favorites of 2016 01:43:22 - Wrapping up our favorites, and honorable mentions 01:48:55 - Contact us This is the last regular review episode of 2016, and as the Two Guys with PhDs do annually, they use their final show of the year to share their favorite comics from the past twelve months. Both Andy and Derek have each chosen what he considers the 10 best of 2016 -- and in no particular order -- but neither has shared his list with the other until the recording of this episode. So there are some surprises along the way. There is not much overlap between the guys' lists, and only two titles are mentioned by both. Taken together, this is a wide-ranging selection that includes everything from mainstream superhero comics to small-press selections, from webcomics to manga, from comics in translation to works that are sure to become part of many readers' canon. However, before they plunge into their lists the guys share some year-end statistics. By the end of 2016 The Comics Alternative will have produced 162 episodes (including this episode and the December manga review). Among those shows, 278 print titles will have been discussed along with 36 webcomics. Derek also crunched the numbers in terms of the most reviewed publishers. The one whose titles were discussed most frequently was Image Comics, with the guys focusing on 25 of their titles. Next is Fantagraphics and Dark Horse Comics with 21 reviewed titles each. After that it's IDW with 19, DC/Vertigo with 17, First Second with 13, and BOOM! Studios with 11. Other publishers whose titles have been reviewed at least 5 times over the past year include Kilgore Books (9), Kodansha Comics (8), Alternative Comics (7), Aftershock (7), Floating World (6), Drawn and Quarterly (5), Retrofit/Big Planet (5), and Avery Hill Publishing (5). After that numerical rundown, the Two Guys get into their 10 favorite titles of 2016: Andy's Top 10 of 2016 The Nib - Various (The Nib)  Young Animal line - Various (DC Comics)  Vision - Tom King. Gabriel Hernandez Walta, and Kevin Walsh (Marvel Comics)  The Sheriff of Babylon - Tom King and Mitch Gerads (DC/Vertigo)  The Fix - Nick Spencer and Steve Lieber (Image Comics)  Rolling Blackouts: Dispatches from Turkey, Syria, and Iraq - Sarah Glidden (Drawn and Quarterly)  The One Hundred Nights of Hero - Isabel Greenberg (Little, Brown and Company)  March: Book Three - John Lewis, Andrew Ayden, and Nate Powell (Top Shelf/IDW)  The Art of Charlie Chan Hock Chye - Sonny Liew (Pantheon Books)  Rosalie Lightning / We All Wish for Deadly Force - Tom Hart / Leela Corman (St. Martin's Press / Retrofit/Big Planet) Derek's Top 10 of 2016 Paper Girls - Brian K. Vaughan and Cliff Chang (Image Comics) Adam Sarlech: A Trilogy - Frédéric Bézian (Humanoids) Mary Wept over the Feet of Jesus - Chester Brown (Drawn and Quarterly) 5,000 km Per Second - Manuele Fiore (Fantagraphics) The Fix - Nick Spencer and Steve Lieber (Image Comics) Blammo #9 - Noah Van Sciver (Kilgore Books) Delilah Dirk and the King's Shilling - Tony Cliff (First Second) The Art of Charlie Chan Hock Chye - Sonny Liew (Pantheon Books) Highbone Theater - Joe Daly (Fantagraphics) Goodnight Punpun / The Girl on the Shore - Inio Asano (VIZ Media / Vertical Comics) The Honorable Mentions…These Titles Almost, but Just Didn't Quite, Make It onto Each Guy's List For Andy The Black Monday Murders - Jonathan Hickman and Tomm Coker (Image Comics) Dept. H - Matt Kindt (Dark Horse Comics) Happy Trails - Scott Roberts (Ubutopia Press) Paper Girls - Brian K. Vaughan and Cliff Chang (Image Comics) Faith - Jody Houser, Pere Perez, and Marguerite Sauvage (Valiant Comics) Future Quest - Evan Shaner and Steve Rude (DC Comics) Blubber - Gilbert Hernandez (Fantagraphics) Someone Please Have Sex with Me - Gina Wyndbrandt (2dcloud) For Derek March: Book Three - John Lewis, Andrew Ayden, and Nate Powell (Top Shelf/IDW) Briggs Land  - Brian Wood and Mack Chater (Dark Horse Comics) Super Weird Heroes: Outrageous but Real! - Craig Yoe, ed. (Yoe Books/IDW) The Eltingville Club - Evan Dorkin (Dark Horse Books) Panther - Brecht Evens (Drawn and Quarterly) Patience - Daniel Clowes (Fantagraphics) The One Hundred Nights of Hero - Isabel Greenberg (Little, Brown and Company) Various manga: I Am a Hero - Kengo Hanzawa (Dark Horse Manga); Princess Jellyfish - Akiko Hagashimura (Kodansha Comics); Otherworld Barbara, Vol. 1 - Moto Hagio (Fantagraphics)

Another “Previews” in the pullbox means another look into our comics future! This first half of our expanded “Previews” coverage focuses on the catalog's Green section, the back half that just so happens to cover about 75% of comics publishers. What impending December 2016 releases catch Mike & Greg's fancy? Magnetic Press/Lion Forge's Viewpoint! Love is Love! Our Mother! The Complete Crepax, Volume Two! Wuvable Oaf! Tomie! Heavy Metal! (The publisher) Alternative Comics! SP4RX! All that, plus the best place to go for unsettling sweetness, what project (probably) got Brian Michael Bendis back to the art table to write & draw something new, how Eric Powell makes the second helping of “Chimichanga” even better, Shin Godzilla and the comics circle of life, and just who convinced Disney that sending Mickey Mouse to Hell was a great idea. So a little something for everyone in part the first of our two-part “Previews” episode! Robots From Tomorrow is a weekly comics podcast recorded deep beneath the Earth's surface. You can subscribe to it via iTunes or through the RSS feed at RobotsFromTomorrow.com. You can also follow Mike and Greg on Twitter. This episode is brought to you by Third Eye Comics. Enjoy your funny books.

Another “Previews” in the pullbox means another look into our comics future! This first half of our expanded “Previews” coverage focuses on the catalog's Green section, the back half that just so happens to cover about 75% of comics publishers. What impending October 2016 releases catch Mike & Greg's fancy? Charles Burns' “Last Look!” The entire Alternative Comics' publishing slate! Cinebook's “Clear Blue Tomorrows!” “Mega-Man!” Archie jamming with The Ramones! “Betty Boop!” “Chimera Brigade!” “Giant Days!” Kelley Jones & Bob Kane! “Platinum End!” Hester & Ellis! “Kelly - The Cartoonist America Turns To!” “Reich!” King-sized “Prince Valiant!” All that, plus which opinions will get you punched in the f%#*ing mouth if spoken at your LCS. So a little something for everyone on Part one of our two-part “Previews” episode! Robots From Tomorrow is a weekly comics podcast recorded deep beneath the Earth's surface. You can subscribe to it via iTunes or through the RSS feed at RobotsFromTomorrow.com. You can also follow Mike and Greg on Twitter. This episode is brought to you by Third Eye Comics. Enjoy your funny books.

It's the first of the month, and that must mean that it's time, once again, for the Two Guys with PhDs to take a conversational stroll through the latest Previews catalog. For the month of June, there is an inordinately large number of notable titles for Derek and Andy W. to discuss, making this a longer-than-average episode (a little over two hours). So strap in and get ready to boogie! Among the many solicits they highlight are from publishers such as Dark Horse Comics - Briggs Land #1, Lady Killer 2 #1, Moebius Library: The World of Edena, and Terminal City: Library Edition DC/Vertigo - The Hellblazer #1 and Survivors' Club IDW Publishing/Top Shelf - The Adventures of Augusta Wind, Vol. 2 #1, Superf*ckers Forever #1, The Killer Inside Me #1, March: Book 3, and Ditko Unleashed Image Comics - The Black Monday Murders #1, Kill or Be Killed #1, Demonic #1, Prince of Cats, and Solstice Abstract Studios - Rachel Rising Omnibus AfterShock - Animosity #1 Alternative Comics - 23 Skidoo, At the Shore, Fancy Froglin Uncensored, and Vile #2 Big Planet/Retrofit Comics - Hellbound: Lifestyle BOOM! Studios - Backstagers #1 and Thomas Alsop, Vol. 2 Dover Publications - Sam Glanzman's Attu: The Collected Volumes Drawn & Quarterly - The Greatest of Marlys Fantagraphics Books - We Told You So: Comics as Art, Spanish Fever, Growing Up in Public, The Longest Day of the Future, Cosplayers, and Blubber #3 First Second - Bera the One-Headed Troll, Friends Is Friends, and Secret Coders, Vol. 2: Paths and Portals Graphix - Ghosts Liveright - Cousin Joseph Microcosm Publishing - Manor Threat: Snakepit Comics 2013-2015 NBM - Equinoxes and Bubbles and Gondola Oni Press - Jeff Steinberg #1 and Oh Joy Sex Toy, Vols. 1 and 2 Shambhala - Bushido: The Soul of the Samurai T Pub - Turncoat Titan Comics - Doctor Who: The Third Doctor #1, The Best of Shoe, Vol. 1, and Flash Gordon Dailies: Dan Barry, Vol. 2 University Press of Mississippi - Forging the Past: Seth and the Art of Memory and The Comics of Hergé: When the Lines Are Not So Clear Andy and Derek also discuss the new Goodreads reading group The Comics Alternative is setting up, and they ask listeners for their input in how they'd like to use that social media platform. They also share some audience feedback and encourage everyone to go to the podcast's iTunes page to leave a rating and review, if they haven't already.  In other words, do your part for The Comics Alternative!

Sean and Derek are back for another month's-worth of webcomics talk, and for May they discuss three intriguing titles. They begin with Maritza Campos and Bachan's Power Nap. This is the second time the guys have focused on Bachan's art, the first occasion being his anthropomorphic humor/crime series, Vinny, back in September of last year. He provides the art on the Campos-scripted Power Nap, a story set in a dystopic future where everyone uses pharmaceuticals to stay awake 24/7 in order to produce more for their corporations...except if someone is allergic to the drug. Drew Spencer, the story's protagonist, is just such an individual. Sean and Derek enjoy the webcomic's strange melding of reality and dreamscape, although there are occasions when the storyline becomes unnecessarily fractured. Sean believes that this is the result of the sporadic scheduling of the updates, with long stretches between some story events. Next, the Two Guys check out Jake Wyatt's Necropolis, a webcomic that is fairly new and in its early stages. This is a fantasy where the creator is establishing quite an elaborate narrative world, complete with its own mythology. Derek and Sean are impressed with the art, especially, and they're curious about the fact that, according to the webcomic's "About" page, this story is already set to be published by Image Comics in English and Casterman in French. That's quite an achievement for a webcomic only in its second chapter and with only 32 pages of story, so far. Finally, the guys wrap up with a webcomic that was completed in March 2013 and published in book form from Alternative Comics the following month. Elaine M. Will's Look Straight Ahead is a moving story about mental illness and the struggles of adolescence. It follows the final high school months of Jeremy Knowles, a 17-year-old who has difficulty fitting in and whose psychiatric state exacerbates his alienation. He comes to use his art as a way of dealing with his condition, and Sean and Derek are fascinated by the way Will represents psychological states through her black-and-white style and her selective use of colors. Whether you read this story online -- and the complete webcomic is still available -- or you buy the book, this is definitely a narrative worth exploring.

This week the Two Guys with PhDs focus a critical spotlight on the spring releases coming out from Alternative Comics and the other small presses that are part of its distribution co-operative, Floating World Comics, Hic + Hoc Productions, Study Group Comics, and Press Gang. This is a jam-packed episode and longer than usual, a discussion that covers eighteen different titles among the five indie presses. Before they jump directly into the comics, though, Derek has a brief conversation with Marc Arsenault, the publisher of Alternative Comics and one of the ringleaders of the co-operative. He asks Marc about the origins of the press, its relaunch in 2012, its distribution agreement with the other indie publishers, and what readers could anticipate coming out of Alternative Comics in the months to come. After that introductory interview, Andy W. and Derek begin discussing the individual titles some out this spring, and organizing their conversation by publisher. These books include: Alternative Comics Incomplete Works, by Dylan Horrocks The Sequential Artists Workshop Guide to Creating Professional Comic Strips, by Tom Hart From Now On, by Malachi Ward Compulsive Comics, by Eric Haven Chainmail Bikini: The Anthology of Women Gamers, edited by Hazel Newlevant Ohio Is for Sale, by Jon Allen Lou, by Melissa Mendes Floating World Comics Test Tube, by Carlos Gonzalez Scab County, by Carlos Gonzalez Winners, by Anna Ehrlemark Jonny Negron Selected Works 2012-2013, by Jonny Negron Bartkira: Nuclear Edition, edited by James Harvey and Alex Jaffe Video Tonfa, by Tim Goodyear Hic + Hoc Productions Why Would You Do That?, by Andrea Tsurumi Street Dawgz, by Lizz Lunny Study Group Comics Titan #1, #2, #3, by François Vigneault Vile #1, Tyler Landry Press Gang Sun Bakery #1, Corey Lewis As Andy and Derek mention in the show, this has been a spotlight episode they've been wanting to do for some time. The guys are truly excited to talk about the new releases coming out from Alternative Comics (and its co-op partners)...and not just this publisher's name is an inversion of the podcast title.

Another Previews catalog showed up on their doorsteps, so it's time to gaze into the tomorrow of May 2016 and see what catches Mike and Greg's fancy. Titan! Alternative Comics (again, just the publisher)! Cinema Purgatorio! Civil War II! Marvel Covers! Valiant in the year 4001! Kaijumax Season 2! Viz art books and recolored editions! Golden Age omnibi! Comic Book Fever! All that, plus what DC books Greg has discovered he loves (to the chagrin of one of Multiversity's DC3), Mike's recommendation for picking up Noah van Sciver's work, Civil War I v Civil War II, the shambling return of Archie & Sabrina, how The Black Dahlia picked up David Fincher on its way back home from France, and much more! Robots From Tomorrow is a weekly comics podcast recorded deep beneath the Earth's surface. You can subscribe to it via iTunes or through the RSS feed at RobotsFromTomorrow.com. You can also follow Mike and Greg on Twitter. This episode is brought to you by Third Eye Comics. Enjoy your funny books.

Another Previews catalog showed up on their doorsteps, so it's time to gaze into the tomorrow of April 2016 and see what catches Mike and Greg's eyes. Dark Night! Black Panther! Mike Mignola's Amazing Screw-On Head! Over The Garden Wall! Heavy Metal! Divinity II (the Second Coming?)! The Making Of! Alternative Comics (again, just the publisher)! Micronauts! Dept. H! Dungeons & Dragons! Irmina! 5000 Km Per Second! Sooner or Later! Unfollow! All that, plus the full breadth of IDW's Ninja Turtle output, the difficulty of proper cover credits, making sense of Power Fist, finally giving Natasha Romanov her due, who Grant Morrison is really giving the finger to on that “Heavy Metal” cover, the knife in the water, and so much more! Robots From Tomorrow is a weekly comics podcast recorded deep beneath the Earth's surface. You can subscribe to it via iTunes or through the RSS feed at RobotsFromTomorrow.com. You can also follow Mike and Greg on Twitter. This episode is brought to you by Third Eye Comics. Enjoy your funny books.

Another Previews catalog showed up on their doorsteps, so it's time to gaze into the tomorrow of March 2016 and see what catches Mike and Greg's eyes. Bartkira! Goodbye PunPun! Patience! Saints! IDW Deviations! Robin! Patrick Gleason! More Sachin Teng! Sam Glanzman's U.S.S. Stevens! Trump (not that one, the Kurtzman/Hefner one)! Turncoat! Baker Street Peculiars! Brobots! GOLDTIGER! Draw Magazine! The Shadow Over Innsmouth! Milligan and Fernandez! All that, plus why The Flash works and why he doesn't when he doesn't, an extended shout-out to Tom Katers and his myriad podcasts, tales of Robins present and future, Dan McDaid vs Dave McCaig, another clean sweep for Alternative Comics (publisher, not genre), just what Elseworlds or DC/DH books would YOU collect if you were given the chance, and so much more! Robots From Tomorrow is a weekly comics podcast recorded deep beneath the Earth's surface. You can subscribe to it via iTunes or through the RSS feed at RobotsFromTomorrow.com. You can also follow Mike and Greg on Twitter. This episode is brought to you by Third Eye Comics. Enjoy your funny books.

Another Previews catalog showed up on their doorsteps, so it's time to gaze into the tomorrow of February 2016 and see what catches Mike and Greg's eyes. Alternative Comics (yet again, the publisher)! A Sammy Harkham double-shot of Kramers Ergot & Crickets! The Art of Charlie Chan Hock Chye! Kennel Block Blues! Jonesy! Wet Moon! Bakuman! School Judgment! From Now On! Shaft! As You Were! Powr Mastrs! All that, plus effective logo design and when words become images themselves, the nostalgia for living in shitty group houses with live bands playing all the time, how awesome “Titan” by François Vigneault turned out to be, and more! But wait, where's all the Marvel/DC talk? Well, friends, we got so into the spirit of talking comics that we had to split this episode in twain to fit it into the schedule. So look for the ensuing discussion about the front-half of the catalog next week! Robots From Tomorrow is a weekly comics podcast recorded deep beneath the Earth's surface. You can subscribe to it via iTunes or through the RSS feed at RobotsFromTomorrow.com. You can also follow Mike and Greg on Twitter. This episode is brought to you by Third Eye Comics. Enjoy your funny books.

Welcome to October! And to celebrate the occasion, Andy and Derek do what they do at the beginning of every month: look through the current Previews catalog! And for October, the selections are plentiful and exciting. The guys find a number of upcoming titles from the premier publishers, but there are also many coming out from smaller presses, some of which the guys discuss for the very first time. Among the many upcoming releases they discuss on this month's Previews show are titles from Dark Horse, Vertigo, Image, IDW, Fantagraphics, Alternative Comics, Creature, Dover Publications, Comicmix, Locust Moon Press, Humanoids, BOOM! Studios, and Viz Media. Also on this episode: Derek encourages everyone to support Salgood Sam's Patreon campaign, Andy discusses his current situation moisture, the guys express and enthusiastic “Thank you!” to Box and Jared at Big Planet/Retrofit Comics, and Andy shares his deep and abiding love for steampunk comics.

Another Previews catalog showed up on their doorsteps, so it's time to gaze into the tomorrow of November 2015 and see what catches Mike and Greg's eyes. Alternative Comics (again...still the publisher and not the category)! Night and the Enemy! Dover Publications! Mega Man Tribute HC! Peanuts Peanuts Peanuts (is there a movie coming out or something?) Our Expanding Universe! Heavy Metal past and present! Seconds Helping! Lumberjanes deluxe hardcover! Brian Chippendale's Puke Force! Sky Doll! All-New All-Different Marvel! Jeffrey Jones' Idyll! Grimjack is back! All that, plus Gerard Way versus Max Landis, some Dredd talk, Francesco Francavilla channeling his inner Bryan Lee O'Malley, how likely Mark Waid is to write a Marvel event, and so much more! Robots From Tomorrow is a weekly comics podcast recorded deep beneath the Earth's surface. You can subscribe to it via iTunes or through the RSS feed at RobotsFromTomorrow.com. You can also follow Mike and Greg on Twitter. This episode is brought to you by Third Eye Comics. Enjoy your funny books.

On today's show I talk to comic book writer/artist Dash Shaw. Originally from Richmond, Virginia, Dash studied at the School of Visual Arts in New York City, and is the author of numerous graphic novels. These include Love Eats Brains! published by Odd God Press, GardenHead published by Meathaus, The Mother's Mouth published by Alternative Comics, Bottomless Belly Button and New School published by Fantagraphics, and BodyWorld published by Pantheon Books.This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on iTunes, follow me on Twitter.

Another Previews catalog showed up on their doorsteps, so it's time to gaze into the tomorrow of October 2015 and see what catches Mike and Greg's eyes. One-Punch Man! Claymore! Titan (not "Attack on...")! Iscariot! Robin: Son of Batman! Prez only getting a single term? Weirdworld! Kelley Jones on Spingebob! Lumberjanes! Magnetic Press's Love! The Maxx: Artist Edition! The Comic Book Story of Beer! Junji Ito's Cats! Alternative Comics (again...the publisher, not the category)! All that, plus some thoughts on the Morrison-led Heavy Metal's future, just what a Duncan Fregredo comic from 1990 would look like, whether or not there's a tipping point for Image Comics' line output, why Tim Drake had such a great set-up as Robin, the varying styles of small-a 'artist editions', and so much more! Robots From Tomorrow is a weekly comics podcast recorded deep beneath the Earth's surface. You can subscribe to it via iTunes or through the RSS feed at RobotsFromTomorrow.com. You can also follow Mike and Greg on Twitter. This episode is brought to you by Third Eye Comics. Enjoy your funny books.

On this episode of The Comics Alternative, Gene and Derek turn a critical spotlight on the upcoming releases from the small press, Hang Dai Editions. The guys begin with a brief conversation with Dean Haspiel and Gregory Benton, two of the founders of the Hang Dai Studio, a collective that they founded along with Josh Neufeld and the late Seth Kushner. In this interview, they describe the origins of their publishing line and share many of their experiences in getting it off the ground. Hang Dai Editions began as their studio imprint back in 2013, and up until recently the creators had limited their publications to smaller, personal projects available mainly through conventions and local events. But as announced earlier this year, Hang Dai became part of Marc Arsenault's Alternative Comics publishing co-op, and with wider distribution, the Hang Dai folks wanted to up their game with longer and more ambitious projects. The first three releases since becoming part of the co-op, all being releases on September 15, are what Derek and Gene discuss for the remainder of the show. They begin with Haspiel's Beef with Tomato, a collection of autobiographic shorts that reads as a sequel or follow-up to his 2001 comic, Opposable Thumbs. As with the earlier work, the stories in this new Hang Dai book are woven together by particular themes or gain cohesion through a shared tone. In the case of Beef with Tomato, that commonality is largely the risks and the unexpected occurrences of close urban living. The book also includes a variety of short prose pieces and previously published comics that, while similar in subject matter and tone to the first (and newer) twelve stories, stand apart in style yet provide a nice coda to the collection as a whole. Next, the Two Guys turn their attention to Gregory Benton's Smoke. Much like last year's B+F, this is a large-format wordless comic featuring Xolo, a large skull-faced dog based on Xolotl, the Aztec god associated with fire, sickness, and death. The story follows two brothers as they work on an industrial tobacco farm, and the hazardous conditions they work under spawn a surreal journey into another dimension, something dreamlike while at the same time darkly foreboding. Benton's vibrant, beautiful art is front and center in this work, and Gene and Derek point out his strategic handling of art styles when straddling the book's different narrative worlds. Finally, the guys look at Seth Kushner's Schmuck, a collection of twenty-two autobiographic stories, all written by Kushner but each illustrated by a different artist. Derek and Gene recognize many of those whose art is featured in the book -- e.g., Haspiel and Benton, but also Noah Van Sciver, Nick Bertozzi, and Josh Neufeld -- but there are several illustrators who are new to the guys. All of this gives Schmuck a feeling of both fragmentation and cohesiveness. Each artist provides a unique visual lens through which to interpret the book's protagonist, Adam Kessler, the fictional persona of Kushner. Yet at the same time, all of the stories unfold along one trajectory: Adam's attempts to find a meaningful relationship with a woman. Seth Kushner passed away earlier this year, but Schmuck was a life labor, ambitious in scope, that becomes fully realized next month. It, along with Smoke and Beef with Tomato, marks a new beginning for Hang Dai Editions, and one that Gene and Derek are excited to discuss.

Another Previews catalog showed up on their doorsteps, so it's time to gaze into the tomorrow of September 2015 and see what catches Mike and Greg's eyes. Miracleman by Gaiman & Buckingham! Jaegir! Alternative Comics (again...the publisher, not the category)! Gigant! Wilds End! Diesel! Pitiful Human Lizard! Turtles 50! Sacred Heart! Elk's Run! The Z Word! Puma Blues! Plus, everything you need to know to get started reading Benjamin Marra, what Dynamite book Mike is excited about, what Farel Dalrymple kid's comic Greg is talking about (seriously...which one is it?), where Atomic Robo has landed, why no comic will have a Steve Gerber cover, and so much more! Robots From Tomorrow is a weekly comics podcast recorded deep beneath the Earth's surface. You can subscribe to it via iTunes or through the RSS feed at RobotsFromTomorrow.com. You can also follow Mike and Greg on Twitter. This episode is brought to you by Third Eye Comics. Enjoy your funny books.

Another Previews catalog showed up on their doorsteps, so it's time to gaze into the tomorrow of July 2015 and see what catches Mike and Greg's eyes. Alternative Comics (the publisher, not the category)! The Spirit! Island! Eisner Eisner Eisner! Oyster War! The Spire! Fante Bukowski! Secret Wars/Battleworld/Mass Hysteria! Dan Hipp covers galore! EC at IDW! Prez! Proust! The Divine! Mox Nox! Plus, why we are living in a comics golden era, the short line to connect Dean White to John Entwhistle, the Eisner podcasts you never knew you absolutely needed, who drew a Godzilla cover good enough to have Mike pick it over a Stokoe Godzilla cover, which creator did Greg unknowingly gender-swap, how Image even reinvents how it solicits books in Previews, when the hell did Gabriel Hardman have time to draw a 96-page OGN, which picks wouldn't even have been considered for Previews inclusion on a few years prior, and so much more! Robots From Tomorrow is a weekly comics podcast recorded deep beneath the Earth's surface. You can subscribe to it via iTunes or through the RSS feed at RobotsFromTomorrow.com. You can also follow Mike and Greg on Twitter. This episode is brought to you by Third Eye Comics. Enjoy your funny books.

It's the first of the month, so that means that Andy and Derek flip through the latest Previews catalog and share some of the upcoming releases they are most excited about. And April is jam-packed with solicits worth highlighting...which is one of the reasons why this week's episode is extra long. After sharing a bit of listener mail -- and it's always great to get letters, so keep those correspondences a-comin'! -- the guys jump into this month's offerings, beginning where they usually do with Dark Horse Comics. There they find intriguing titles such as Black Hammer #1, Bowery Boys: Our Fathers, Nanjing: The Burning City, and The Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service Omnibus, Book 1. After a brief conversational detour about DC's Convergence event and the controversy surrounding Rafael Albuquerque's variant cover for Batgirl #41, the Two Guys highlight Will Eisner's The Spirit: A Celebration of 75 Years and the final issue of Fables (pulling double duty as issue #150 and volume 22 of the trade paperbacks), both from DC/Vertigo. From there the good stuff just keeps on coming, including upcoming titles such as Long Distance #1, Bacchus Ominbus Edition Vol. One, American Barbarian: The Complete Series, and Bravo for Adventures (all from IDW Publishing); Airboy #1, Starve #1, 8House: Arclight #1, Empty Zone #1, Astronauts in Trouble #1, Nonplayer #1, and the XXX variant of Sex Criminals #11 (Image Comics); Pope Hats #4 (AdHouse); Death in Oaxaca #2 and The Hic Hoc Illustrated Journal of Humor Vol. 1 (Alternative Comics); Mark Waid and Fiona Staples's Archie #1 (Archie Comics); The Fiction #1, Strange Fruit #1, and Broken World #1 (BOOM! Studios); Towerkind (Conundrum Press); the new edition of DeMatteis and Johnson's Mercy (Dover Publications); Showa: A History of Japan, 1953-1989 (Drawn and Quarterly); Dörfler, Leaf, Not Funny Ha-Ha: A Handbooks for Something Hard, Blubber #1, and Demons and Angels: The Mythology of S. Clay Wilson, Vol. 2 (Fantagraphic Books); Last Man, Vol. 2: The Royal Cup and Mike's Place: A True Story of Love, Blues, and Terror in Tel Aviv (First Second); Anomal (Gen Manga Entertainment); Re*Pro*Duct (Magnetic Press); Borb (Uncivilized Books); Junji Ito's Fragments of Horror (Viz Media); and The League of Regrettable Superheroes (Quirk Books). Derek and Andy also give a shout-out to all of their Patreon supporters out there, especially thanking for this week the several new $1/month backers. A big ol' hearty THANK YOU everyone!

It's the beginning of the month, and that means that the Two Guys with PhDs Talking about Comics take a metaphorical stroll through the latest Previews catalog. And this month, their peregrinations are more than casual; this is more like a power walk. The March Previews contains a hefty series of solicitations that make for an extra-long episode, almost leaving the guys feeling like they've completed a marathon. Among the many upcoming titles that Derek and Andy highlight are Fight Club 2 #1, Harrow County #1, and High Crimes (from Dark Horse Comics); You Don't Say, Little Nemo: Return to Slumberland, and Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency #1 (IDW Publications); the usual slew of #1 issues from Image Comics such as Injection, Mythic, Material, Valhalla Mad, and Minimum Wage: So Many Bad Decisions; Russian Olive to Red King (AdHouse Books); a variety of books from and distributed through Alternative Comics, such as Irene Vol. 4, It Will All Hurt #1, Island of Memory Vol. 1, The Secret Voice #2, and Smilin' Ed Comics; the first issue in Alan Moore's new Lovecraftian series, Providence (Avatar Press); the new Captain Canuck #1 (Chapter House Publishing); Don't Get Eaten by Anything and The Disappearance of Charley Butters (Conundrum Press); Drawn and Quarterly: Twenty-five Years of Contemporary Cartooning, Comics, and Graphic Novels and Optic Nerve #14 (Drawn and Quarterly); the usual impressive offerings from Fantagraphics, including Maria M. Book 2, Adventures of Tad Martin #Sick Sick Sick, and The Life and Legend of Wallace Wood; Exquisite Corpse (First Second); Annihilator, Vol. 1 (Legendary Comics); Louise Brooks, Detective (NBM); Aama Vol. 3: The Desert of Mirrors and The King in Yellow (SelfMadeHero); Surface Tension #1 and The 6 Voyages of Lone Sloane #1 (Titan Comics); and Monster Mash: The Creepy, Kooky Monster Craze in America: 1957-1972 (Tomorrows Publishing). In addition to focusing on all of these upcoming releases, Andy and Derek also discuss Dark Horse's recent decision to make several of their ongoing series digital-only, IDW's acquisition of Top Shelf Productions as a new imprint, Alternative Comic's new distribution agreement with several small presses, the joys of Adrian Tomine, and the fact that this is “Women in Comics” month in the March Previews catalog. In all, lots o' things are covered…the kind of substantive, quality programming you've come to expect from the Two Guys with PhDs.

This week the Two Guys with PhDs (talking about comics) are back for another review episode, and this one is jam-packed with nougaty comics goodness. They begin with Scott Snyder and Sean Murphy's  deluxe edition of The Wake (DC/Vertigo). They had discussed the first couple installments of the ten-issue series on last year's publisher spotlight on recent Vertigo titles, but now they are able to plunge into the the complete story…and they do so with relish. Both Andy and Derek love the way the narrative unfolds — it's the kind of work they have come to expect from both Snyder and Murphy — although they do have their quibbles, e.g., unexpected/unlikely surprises in character development and occasional ambiguous transitions. But overall, the guys feel this is an outstanding story, an example of what Vertigo does best. Next, they turn to Derf Backderf's True Stories, Vol. 1 (Alternative Comics), the first of four — or is it five? — collections of the “True Stories” pieces culled from Backderf's comic strip, The City, between 1990 and 2014. While there are a few vignettes in this title that verge on belittlement, the collection as a whole is a discerning, satirical, and hilarious look at the state of our contemporary culture. Finally, Derek and Andy look at one of the new #1s coming out of Image Comics this month, Matt Fraction and Christian Ward's ODY-C. This is an inverted retelling of Homer's Odyssey, where genders are switched and the high seas become the far reaches of space. This is a dense, immersive narrative that requires multiple readings. Knowledge of The Odyssey isn't necessary, but it wouldn't hurt for readers to have their copies of Edith Hamilton's Mythology (or perhaps have Wikipedia) readily at hand when turning through Fraction's narrative. And Ward's art is what makes this first issue truly stand out, visually stunning and almost surreal, a nice pairing with one of the guys' favorite comics storytellers. All in all, this was a fun week of reading!

It's a new month, so that means it's time for Derek and Andy to take a look at the new Previews catalog. September's holds a lot of solicits that the guys want to discuss, comics that they're looking forward to in the coming months. Some of the upcoming titles they highlight include Resurrectionists #1 and Vault of Horror Vol. 4 from Dark Horse; The Kitchen #1 and Howard Chaykin's Twilight from DC/Vertigo; Shadow Show #1 and Ditko's Shorts from IDW; and ODYC #1, Tooth and Claw #1, and Intersect #1 from Image. There's also a whole slew of comics from the back half of the catalogue that the Two Guys discuss, including Derk Backderf's True Stories #1 (Alternative Comics), Hung Hung and Chioi's The Train (Conundrum), Lynda Barry's Syllabus (Drawn and Quarterly), Grady Hendrix and Ryan Dunlavey's Li'l Classix: Little Women (Evil Twin Comics), Dylan Horrock's Sam Zabel and the Magic Pen (Fantagraphics), Jamie Coe's Art Schooled (Nobrow Press), and Derek Van Gieson's Eel Mansions (Uncivilized Books)...among many others. All in all, it's another jam-packed Previews, and it's all the guys can do to squeeze everything into this one show.

Sam Henderson has been making his Magic Whistle comics for the last 20 years. The latest issue, number 13 will be out this fall by the recently revitalized Alternative Comics. Sam has also been doing short animations of his work … Continue reading →

First episode of The Comics Alternative where Andy and Derek introduce themselves, discuss the focus of the podcast, and lay out its broader mission.

In this episode we talk to Kevin Colden is an Eisner Award-nominated, Xeric Grant winning American comic book writer and artist. Primarily known as a webcomics artist, his work has been published in print by Zuda Comics, IDW Publishing, Image Comics, Alternative Comics, and Top Shelf Productions. And his most recent project the Crow published by IDW. http://www.kevincolden.com/ http://jkwoodwardart.blogspot.com/ http://thetaylornetwork.wordpress.com/

In this episode we talk to Kevin Colden is an Eisner Award-nominated, Xeric Grant winning American comic book writer and artist. Primarily known as a webcomics artist, his work has been published in print by Zuda Comics, IDW Publishing, Image Comics, Alternative Comics, and Top Shelf Productions. And his most recent project the Crow published by IDW. http://www.kevincolden.com/ http://jkwoodwardart.blogspot.com/ http://thetaylornetwork.wordpress.com/

In this episode we talk to Kevin Colden is an Eisner Award-nominated, Xeric Grant winning American comic book writer and artist. Primarily known as a webcomics artist, his work has been published in print by Zuda Comics, IDW Publishing, Image Comics, Alternative Comics, and Top Shelf Productions. And his most recent project the Crow published by IDW. http://www.kevincolden.com/ http://jkwoodwardart.blogspot.com/ http://thetaylornetwork.wordpress.com/

  Recorded at the Reg's Place (San Antonio, TX) on April 5, 2012. This week, we brought in our good friend Jay Whitecotton in for a home recording in our continued efforts to "grip the format". And here we go: With The Hunger Games making a big splash, Jess takes time to pimp the US release of Japanese cult favorite Battle Royale in this weeks "Yeah, Imma Look Into Dat!". Then we reveal who'd kill first in a game of death...or any game for that matter. "Wah, why are they remaking *blank*? They're just going to ruin it and buttfuck my childhood!" Really? Are they that bad or have they been rehashing shit longer than you think? Word on the street is that Russia is developing a "zombie gun", a gun that turns people into zombies. Somehow, this leads into talks of the future of pornography (which is robots watching humans have sex) and how the Richest Man in the World gets off. Fascinating. In Larry's "Dad's Corner(ed)", we mow over the phenomenon of "bullying". Is this something that society needs to work together to dissipate or are we just creating a soft world full of soft people? Personal experiences are shared and Regan reveals he hates Star Trek literature. Club Comics vs. Alternative Comics. As Larry puts it so well, "[They're] the same, just doing different things." Eh. We think there's more to it than that. Let us know what you think, folks. Any improvements, suggestions? Comment, yo! LINKS: Battle Royale US Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIuRjqcpuGQ Total Recall (2012) Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GljhR5rk5eY Zombie Gun Story: http://www.forbes.com/sites/daviddisalvo/2012/04/04/are-we-ready-for-the-russian-zombie-gun/ Bill Burr Nerd Rant: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=3CQmzbmV7j0

First show! Manga (the boys-in-love kind), Conan, and Alternative Comics.