Podcasts about comics alternative

*Theme Music: Richter FM – Hibiscus* Bandcamp: https://tinyurl.com/55sw82j8 Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/mr2pmykv Apple Music: https://tinyurl.com/y7kwm3nu Soundcloud: https://tinyurl.com/2p8wyh6h YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/yh6puhwn That Comic Smell Issue 1&2 are now available from Big Cartel Go to thatcomicsmell.com for more details on how to get your copy today! [Episode 100 of That Comic Smell is dedicated to Ian Kennedy and Steven Walsh. Thank you, for everything] First of all we want to give a MASSIVE thank you to Richter FM (AKA, Paddy Johnston of Good Comics) for composing this amazing track/new theme music. Please follow the links above and give the Hibiscus EP and the rest of Richter FMs music a listen and follow. Also a HUGE thank you to Chartsmasher (AKA, Joan Edam) for allowing us to use their track for so long. We hope you enjoy the new intro and outro. It's nice to change things up a little but we're not changing too much around here. It's comics, comics, comics, as usual. Seeing as it's episode 100 as well then why not issue #100s to celebrate. There is also a little focus on how some titles seem to get published/publishers, a particular comic that Mike managed to get his hands on (De Cape et de Crocs by Alain Ayroles & Jean-Luc Masbou) and a certain ‘Krazy' collection of Sunday strips that could double as a paving slab. This and all the usual comics chat on… That Comic Smell! To find out where to find, listen, contact us and buy our comics then please visit thatcomicsmell.com Don't forget to Like, Share, Subscribe, Rate & Review. Most importantly… Read/Make More Comics! Thanks again for listening and supporting the podcast Krazy Kat Sundays (George Herriman) The Thing and Ben Grimm #100 (John Byrne, Ron Wilson) 2000AD and Starlord #100 (IPC) Archie Madhouse #100 (Dexter Taylor, Stan Goldberg) Star Wars Weekly #100 (Chris Claremont, Mike Vosburg, Steve Leialoha, John Costanza, Bob Sharen) The Defenders #100 (J.M. DeMatteis, Don Perlin, Joe Sinnott, Sal Trapani, Jack Abel, Al Milgrom, Frank Giacoia) Starblazer #100 (Various, Jesus Redondo) Justice League of America #100 (Len Wien, Dick Dylan) The Nutty #100 (DC Thomson) Master of Kung Fu #100 (Doug Moench, Gene Day, Mike Zeck) Dark Horse Presents #100 1&6 (Various Dark horse Contributors) Iron Man #100 (Jim Starlin, George Tuska) Showcase #100 (Joe Orlando, Joe Staton, Dick Giordano, Paul Levitz, Paul Kupperberg, Joe Staton) The Incredible Hulk: Planet Hulk (Greg Pak, Carlo Pagulayan, Gary Frank, José Ladrönn) The Comics Journal #100 X-Men #100 (Chris Claremont, Dave Cockrum) Doctor Who Magazine #100 Conan #100 (Roy Thomas, Jon Buscema, Ernie Chan) Eagle is 100 (Alan Grant, Ian Kennedy, John Wagner, John Burns, Alan Hebden, Jose Ortiz, Vanyo, Rex Archer, Manuel Carmona, Scott Goodall, Heinzl, Dave Follows, John Cooper, Fred Baker) Marvel Age Special 100th Issue (Fred Hembeck, Tom DeFalco & various Marvel alumni) Amazing Spider-Man #100 (Stan Lee, Gill Kane) Marvel Team Up #100: Fantastic Four & Spider-Man (Frank Miller, Chris Claremont) Cerebus #100 (Dave Sim) The Simpsons #100 (Bill Morrison, Jason Ho, Nathan Kane) The Beano 100 (DC Thomson) The Walking Dead #100 (Robert Kirkman, Charlie Adlard) Penned Guin Strip 100 (Alan Henderson) https://tinyurl.com/5n9xrkj6 Awesome Comics Podcast: https://tinyurl.com/2p9hm8ad iFanboy: https://ifanboy.com/ Comic Books Are Burning In Hell: https://comicsinhell.libsyn.com/ Word Balloon with John Siuntres: http://wordballoon.blogspot.com/ Cartoonist Kayfabe: https://tinyurl.com/h7a4b84j Noah Van Sciver Youtube Channel: https://tinyurl.com/yc4z9m8c 11 O'Clock Comics: https://11oclockcomics.com/ Never Iron Anything: https://neverironanything.com/ Fatman Beyond: https://tinyurl.com/2p8prkfx The Lakes Podcast: https://tinyurl.com/mrxd6u4y Inkstuds: http://www.inkstuds.org/ The Comics Alternative: https://tinyurl.com/wj3t99zm The Earth-2 Podcast: https://tinyurl.com/ymtj77zy

Time Codes: 00:00:25 - Introduction 00:02:20 - Setup of interview 00:03:54 - Interview with Keith Dallas and Jason Sacks 01:22:12 - Wrap up 01:22:52 - Contact us On this, the second show in The Comics Alternative's new Critical Takes series, Derek has back on the podcast Keith Dallas, coauthor of the new book, American Comic Book Chronicles: The 1990s. Listeners might remember that he talked with Keith, along with John Wells, back last summer when their Comic Book Implosion was released by TwoMorrows Publishing. In fact, that was the very first Critical Takes episode. This time around, Keith is joined by Jason Sacks, another comics scholar and historian who has worked on other texts within the American Comic Book Chroniclesseries. The two have just released their volume on the 1990s, a curious and tumultuous time in American comics history. As you'll hear in conversation, Jason and Keith discuss in detail their first-hand experiences during this decade, the process of researching for this project, the various stereotypes that they had to overcome when encapsulating the decade, and what each of them sees as key defining moments for comics during the 1990s. They also talk about the genesis of the American Comic Book Chroniclesseries and what we might expect with future volumes.

Time Codes: 00:00:29 - Introduction 00:02:38 - Setup of interview 00:07:14 - Interview with Craig Yoe 02:16:37 - Wrap up 02:18:05 - Contact us It's a new year, so that must mean that it's time for the annual Happy New Yoe show! On this, The Comics Alternative's very first episode of 2019, Derek talks with Craig Yoe about what he's been up to lately. They spend much of the time talking about the year in review for Yoe Books. And it was a busy one for Craig and his companion/colleague, Clizia Gussoni, who oversaw the publication of such titles as Limbo Lounge, Reefer Madness, We Spoke Out: Comic Books and the Holocaust, Lou Cameron's Unsleeping Dead, Super Patriotic Heroes, The Best of Don Winslow of the Navy, Super Weird Heroes: Preposterous but True!, and new collections of their Weird Loveand Haunted Horrorcomics. Craig also reveals some of the titles we can look forward to in the new year, such as The Unknown Anti-War Comics, Jungle Girls, Swamp Monsters, Clyde, Life on the Moon, and Matchless Beauties: The Art of Pin-up Matchbook Covers. Along the way, the two discuss Yoe Books' recent efforts to publish original graphic novels -- such as Limbo Loungeand Life on the Moon-- the glories of HeroesCon, the future for Craig's various comic-book series, which books caught the most fire in 2018, and plans for Yoe Books to branch out and cover more popular culture topics in addition to comics and comics history. And of course, there are the laughter and wry humor that Craig always brings to every interview he gives to podcast. And this marks the 11th occasion that Craig has been interviewed on The Comics Alternative!   And Craig is also an artist! Design that Craig Yoe created specifically for The Comics Alternative!  

Mike and Derek are back at Heroes Aren't Hard to Findin Charlotte, NC, for their December show. It's been a couple of months since their last visit to the shop -- this past fall was difficult for everyone -- but the guys are excited to sit down among customers and talk comics. And this being the end of 2018, they thought they'd discuss the year in review, the highlights, the news, and the notable titles that defined 2018. Among other topics, they cover the unfortunate passing of several comics legends over the past year, including Steve Ditko, Stan Lee, and Marie Severin. (They mistakenly bring up Bernie Wrightson, as well, although he died last year.) They also spend time talking about 2018 being the year that the imprints Black Crownand Berger Booksreally took off, the 1000th issue of Action Comics, the impact of Tom Kingthis year, Grant Morrison's new work on Green Lantern, and the past year in terms of the Marvel cinematic (and Netflix) universe. While Mike is free to share some of his favorite titles from the past twelve months, Derek is a little reticent because he doesn't want to give away what he'll discuss on next week's year-end episode where he and Stergios reveal what each considers their favorites of 2018. Stay turned for that! And remember, The Comics Alternative's on-location series is part of the Queen City Podcast Network. Check out the other great shows that make up this audio community!  

Time Codes: 00:01:17 - Introduction 00:02:59 - Setup of interview 00:05:14 - Interview with Jon Morris 01:15:03 - Wrap up 01:17:05 - Contact us Jon Morris is back, once again, on The Comics Alternative, to share his research and sense of humor. His latest book The League of Regrettable Sidekicks (Quirk Books) is the follow up to his previous two works, The League of Regrettable Superheroes and The Legion of Regrettable Supervillains. In the spirit of the previous books, this one is a revealing and good-natured look at some of the strange creations making up comic-book history, figures that may be unknown or  completely forgotten by most enthusiasts. And perhaps for good reason. Also like the earlier works, Jon divides his survey into three temporal categories: the Golden Age, the Silver Age, and the Modern Age. Sterg and Derek have a fun time talking about the weirdness of this collection, their favorite "regrettable" sidekicks and henchmen, and their wonderment at how such figures made it into four colors. They also talk with Jon about his other work and future projects, including his own comics work. See where it all started! Visit Jon's blog, Gone and Forgotten, and get the inside scoop on retro comicdom! And if you're a Columbo fan, check out his sleuthy podcast, Just One More Thing.  

Time Codes: 00:01:23 - Introduction 00:03:26 - Live streaming again...and some context 00:06:25 - The Best American Comics 2018 01:39:33 - Wrap up 01:41:03 - Contact us As they always do, the Two Guys with PhDs use their penultimate show of the year to discuss the current volume of The Best American Comics. this year guest edited by Phoebe Gloeckner. Earlier in the week they released their interview with Bill Kartalopoulos, the series editor, about the 2018 collection, and in that conversation they talked about the process of pulling the anthology together and Bill's experiences working with Gloeckner. But on this episode, Sterg and Derek discuss the actual content of volume. Among other topics, they highlight the "best of" contributions from creators they were already familiar with -- e.g., Gabrielle Bell, Geof Darrow, Guy Delisle, Jaime Hernandez, Jesse Jacobs, Joe Ollman, Gary Panter, Keiler Roberts, and Ariel Schrag -- and also talk excitedly about artists they hadn't yet discovered, including Margot Ferrick, Julia Jacquette, Julian Glander, Chloë Perkis, and Lale Westvind. In all, it's another great of Best American Comics! Go to The Comics Alternative's YouTube channelif you want to see the recording of the guys' live-streaming broadcast of this show!

Time Codes: 00:01:16 - Introduction 00:03:27 - Setup of interview 00:06:18 - Interview with Bill Kartalopoulos 01:13:04 - Wrap up 01:14:09 - Contact us   As the Two Guys like to do every year, they are back talking again with Bill Kartalopoulos about the latest volume of The Best American Comics (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt). This year the guest editor is Phoebe Gloeckner, perhaps best known for The Diary of a Teenage Girl. In fact, one of the topics of conversation with Bill is how different it might be working with vastly different comics creators as guest editors every year. Sterg and Derek also talk with their guest about the process of pulling together each year's volume, the inundation of submissions he receives, strategies for choosing what to include, the (at times) painful process of excluding from the anthology certain comics due to logistical reasons, his relationship with the publisher, and unique directions that perhaps he may want to take the series. There's not much discussion surrounding the content of this year's volume -- that will be the topic of this week's regular review episode -- but Sterg and Derek ask Bill about the process off Best American Comicsand get quite a bit of behind-the-scene answers. 

Time Codes: 00:01:21 - Introduction 00:03:12 - Setup of interview 00:04:32 - Interview with Tom Hart 01:32:14 - Wrap up 01:33:38 - Contact us On this interview episode, Sterg and Derek are excited to have Tom Hart back to discuss his new book, The Art of the Graphic Memoir: Tell Your Story, Change Your Life(St. Martin's Griffin). Tom was on the podcast not quite three years agoto discuss his new memoir at the time Rosalie Lightning, but this time he's returned to talk not so much about story content, but about the processof creating a graphic memoir. As he discusses with the Two Guys, Tom's latest book is more instructional or how-to, covering the necessary steps in planning for, organizing, structuring, visualizing, and finalizing a memoir through the comics medium. In addition, he points out that the very project of writing and illustrating one's own life story isn't only about sharing a story with readers, but perhaps just as important, using the very process of creation as a way of revisiting, revisualizing, and even coming to terms with important life moments. Along the way Derek and Sterg talk with Tom about his other instructional texts, such as How to Say Everythingand The Sequential Artists Workshop Guide to Creating Professional Comic Strips, his vast knowledge of the comics memoir genre, his new comic-strip project B. Is Dying, and his experiences teaching at and directing SAW, the Sequential Artists Workshopin Gainesville, FL.  

Time Codes: 00:01:32 - Introduction 00:03:42 - Our first-ever live streaming recording 00:07:13 - Thank you to new Patreon backers! 00:09:33 - Che: A Revolutionary Life 00:47:02 - The Lodger #1 & #2 01:11:39 - Die #1 01:34:22 - Wrap up 01:38:05 - Contact us This is a very special episode of The Comics Alternative, in that it's the guys' very first live recording. That's right, Sterg and Derek decided to record this week's show via Google Hangouts. Yesterday -- Tuesday, December 11 -- they scheduled a live-streaming broadcast, and fans of the show could watch the Two Guys with PhDs Talking about Comics record a show in real time. As Sterg put it on Twitter, "Come for the slow motion train wreck, but stay when it is instead a great talk about some recent comics!" And everything went off just fine. On this episode they began with a discussion of Jon Lee Anderson and José Hernández's Che: A Revolutionary Life (Penguin Press). This is graphic adaptation of Anderson's 1997 biography of Che Guevara, and as the guys discuss, Hernández does an outstanding job of illustrating the broader life story of the famous revolutionary. After that they look at the first two issues of David and Maria Lapham's The Lodger. This is the latest series from IDW's Black Crown imprint, and Derek and Sterg note that it's classic Lapham crime noir. In fact, this storyline could easily fit into the Stray Bulletsseries. Then they wrap up with a look at Kieron GIllen and Stephanie Hans's Die#1(Image Comics). This is a D&D-inspired fantasy narrative, and the guys frame this within the context of similar stories, such as Stephen King's It, the Netflix series Stranger Things, and the first Jumanjimovie. Go to The Comics Alternative's YouTube channelif you want to see the recording of the guys' live-streaming broadcast of this show!  

Time Codes: 00:01:15 - Introduction 00:03:32 - Setup of interview 00:04:53 - Interview with Noah Van Sciver 01:15:14 - Wrap up 01:16:39 - Contact us The Two Guys with PhDs are very happy to have back on the podcast Noah Van Sciver. He was first on the show back in March 2015, and a lot of things have changed with him since the guys last talked with Noah (and not just his growing of a mustache). Most significantly, his output has been through the roof! One of the things Sterg and Derek discuss with their guest is the sheer volume of his comics creation. Over the past six months alone he has released four different titles, and from a variety of publishers: Constant Companion (Fantagraphics), Blammo #10(Kilgore Books and comics), One Dirty Tree(Uncivilized Books), and Fante Bukowski 3: A Perfect Failure(Fantagraphics). The guys talk with Noah about his work habits, his penchant for working with different publishers, his ability to juggle different projects at the same time, and his current work and what we can expect from him in the future. And of course, there is a lot of laughter in this episode. Noah is a humorous, and at time quite satirical, writer, yet the humor is often mixed with pathos, as we see not only his autobiographical comics, but most notably in his recent Fante Bukowski. This was a fun interview...and even more fun was had after they turned off the microphones and the guys hung out on Skype to talk about even more matters. Too bad that wasn't captured for the show, but this new interview with Noah Van Sciver is definitely a highlight of Stergios and Derek's year.

Time Codes: 00:01:26 - Introduction 00:03:27 - Late again 00:05:13 - Sailor Moon Eternal Editions, Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 00:46:09 - Mob Psycho 100, Vol. 1 01:14:53 - Wrap up 01:16:01 - Contact us   On this episode of The Comics Alternative/s manga series -- the November show, albeit a little late -- Shea and Derek take a look at two series that give us a varied understanding of the medium. They begin with the first two volume's of Naoko Takeuchi's Sailor Moon Eternal Edition(Kodansha Comics). This is a classic shojo series from the 1990s, and as the guys discuss, it's something that they've heard about for years, but it's not a title that they actually read. Both Derek and Shea are quite surprised with the story, in that it's quite different from what they expected...and in a good way. The guys discuss Takeuchi's visual style, the complex layering of her story elements, and the fantastical tone of the narrative, among other aspects. After that, the Two Guys check out One's Mob Psycho 100, Vol. 1 (Dark Horse Manga). This is the latest translated manga from the creator of One-Punch Man, which Shea and Derek discussed on the September 2015 show. Both enjoy this new (for English speakers) series, and it stands out from One-Punch Manin that One does both the writing and the art. In fact, they spend a bit of time discussing One's aesthetic, the art's "flatness" and simplicity. Some may not appreciate the style, but both of the guys are taken by not only One's storytelling abilities, but his illustrations, as well. They do mention in one long storyline the narrative seemed to drag, but other than that, it's a title, along with the new editions of Sailor Moon, that the guys heartily recommend.

Time Codes: 00:01:15 - Introduction 00:03:15 - Setup of interview 00:05:06 - Interview with Conor Stechschulte 01:15:57 - Wrap up 01:17:44 - Contact us On this episode of The Comics Alternative's interview series, the Two Guys have the pleasure of talking with Conor Stechschulte. The third volumeof his ongoing series, GenerousBosom (Breakdown Press), was released in the spring, and Sterg and Derek have an enlightening conversation with Conor about this narrative. While in the first two parts the story was flowing in one discernible direction, more or less, it takes a strange and disturbing turn in the third part. The guys talk with their guest about this narrative trajectory and what it may portend. And as they intuit from the latest installment of Generous Bosom, there are more surprises in store. They also talk with Conor about his other comics, The Amateurs (which was reviewed on the podcast in June 2014), his self-published work, his relationship with his UK publisher, and his inclusion in last year's volume of Best American Comics. This interview has been a long time in coming, and the guys make the most of it. Be sure to check out Conor's band, Lilac, and the sounds they make!

It's the first of a new month, and that must mean that the Two Guys with PhDs Talking about Comics will be looking at the latest Previews catalog. This is a rather long episode -- going for almost three hours -- so you get your money's worth! But what makes this show extra special is that it's the 300th episode of The Comics Alternative's weekly review show. As Derek points out, there are over twice as many episodes of the podcast that have been released since August 2012, accounting for the many interviews, specials, and the various monthly shows, but with the regularly weekly review shows, they've now reached a notable milestone. For December, Sterg and Derek discuss a variety of  publishers and titles solicited in Previews such as: Image Comics - Sharkey the Bounty Hunter #1, Bully Wars Vol. 1, High Crimes, and Leviathan Dark Horse Comics - The Girl in the Bay#1 and EC Archives: Two-Fisted Tales Vol. 4 DC Comics/Vertigo - Mera: Tidebreaker, Absolute Daytripper, and Promethea: The 20th Anniversary Deluxe Edition Book One IDW Publishing - Atomic Robo Presents Real Science Adventures: The Nicodemus Job, Dick Tracy: Dead or Alive, The Grave, Diabolical Summer, Springtime in Chernobyl, Life on the Moon, Ditko's Monsters, Punks Not Dead: London Calling#1, Red Panda and Moon Bear, and A Shining Beacon Dynamite Entertainment - Kirby: Genesis Definitive Edition, Nancy Drew: The Case of the Cold Case, and The Boys Omnibus Vol. 1 BOOM! Studios - Hotel Dare Aardvark-Vanaheim - Sim City: A Dave to Kill For#1 Aftershock Comics -Stronghold#1 and Oberon#1 Alternative Comics - Rad Erwank and Conspiracy Dog Arcana Studio - Raygun A Wage Blue World Inc - Love and Lost Cinebook - Bear's Tooth Vol. 3: Werner, Lucky Luke: The Complete Collection Vol. 1, and Trent Vol. 4: The Valley of Fear Drawn and Quarterly - Leaving Richard's Valleyand Credo: The Rose Wilder Lane Story Fantagraphics Books - The Complete Crepax Vol 4: Private Life, Billie the Bee, Eddie Spaghetti, Mr. Fibber, I, Rene Tardi, Prisoner of War at Stalag 118 Vol. 2: My Return Home, The Perineum Technique, and Cult of the Ibis First Second - Bloom, Kid Gloves: Nine Months of Careful Chaos, Maker Comics: Bake Like a Pro, Maker Comics: Fix a Car, PDST, and Secret Coders: The Complete Boxed Set Harper Collins - New Kid Houghton Mifflin Harcourt - Lois Lowry: The Giver Humanoids - Bigby Bearand The Incal: Oversized Deluxe Limited Edition It's Alive - Aztec Ace: The Complete Collection Little Brown Books for Young Readers - Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy: A Modern Retelling of Little Women New York Review Comics: Letters to Survivors Nobrow - Darwin: An Exceptional Voyageand Through a Life Oni Press - A Quick and Easy Guide to Queer and Trans Identitiesand Pilu of the Woods Pegasus - The Be-Bop Barbarians Robots and Monkeys - Eric Silver Sprocket - Egg Cream Vol. 1, Emotional Data, and Magical Beatdown Vol. 1 Starburns Industries Press - Trent William Morow - Good Omens VIZ Media - Urusei Yatsura Vol. 1 Dempa Books - Maiden Railways  

Time Codes: 00:33 - Introduction 02:55 - The Brain: The Ultimate Thinking Machine 17:31 - Hey, Kiddo: How I Lost My Mother, Found My Father, and Dealt with Family Addiction 37:06 - Wrap up 38:00 - Contact us On this episode of the Comics Alternative's Young Readers series, Gwen and Krystal discuss two new releases: Tory Woollcott and Alex Graudins's The Brain: The Ultimate Thinking Machine, the most recent volume in First Second Books' Science Comicsseries, geared towards upper elementary and middle grade readers, and Jarrett J. Krosoczka's Hey, Kiddo: How I Lost My Mother, Found My Father, and Dealt with Family Addiction, a YA comics memoir, published by Scholastic's Graphix imprint. To introduce Woollcott and Graudins' The Brain, Gwen and Krystal talk about non-fiction, informational comics for young readers, bringing up other volumes in the Science Comics series, such as M.K. Reed and Joe Flood's Dinosaurs, as well as Maris Wicks' Human Body Theater, and Gene Luen Yang and Mike Holmes' Secret Coders. Gwen explains that all of these texts place scientific or mathematical information within a fictional frame, and she summarizes the basic premise of The Brain, which places two sisters, Fahama and Nour, in a setting that is reminiscent of wacky 1960s and 1970s monster films or TV shows like The Munsters. Krystal praises Woollcott and Graundin's use of a diverse cast, both in terms of the principal characters and of the individuals who appear in illustrations of the way that the brain impacts human functioning. Both Krystal and Gwen detail some of the memorable spreads in the comic and view the text as an excellent story and reference book for young readers. Next, the two PhDs move on to a young adult graphic memoir, Jarrett J. Krosoczka's Hey, Kiddo, which is already earning critical acclaim and award buzz (it is a National Book Award finalist). Krosoczka is well-known as the author of nearly a dozen picture books and of the Lunch Lady graphic novel series, but Hey, Kiddo is his first YA offering. Gwen recommends Krosoczka's 2012 TED Talk “How a boy became an artist,” as well as his 2014 TED Talk on the Lunch Ladycomics. Both provide insight into Krosoczka's childhood influences and artistic choices. Krystal then gives a detailed description of the way Hey, Kiddo mirrors -- and expands upon -- many of the artist-focused coming of age narratives that have been popular in recent decades, including Alison Bechdel's Fun Home: A Family Tragicomedy (2006) and Özge Samanci's Dare to Disappoint: Growing Up in Turkey (2015).  Krystal also applauds Krosoczka's use of line style and color in commenting on memory, and Gwen testifies to the author's ability to evoke a convincing depiction of 1970s New England. Both reviewers love this text and highly recommend it for teens and adults. The Young Readers series will be on hiatus in December, but Gwen and Krystal will be back in January with a look at some of the YA graphic novel highlights of 2018.    

Time Codes: 00:00:24 - Introduction 00:02:14 - Setup of interview 00:03:59 - Interview with Katriona Chapman 01:06:41 - Wrap up 01:07:15 - Contact us Katriona Chapman first came to our attention through her work at Avery Hill Publishing. She works in marketing there, and back in summer of 2015 she introduced Tillie Walden. Tillie's first book, The End of Summer, had just been released, and Kat worked was instrumental in setting up an interview with the very young artist. But over the subsequent year, we've come to know Kat as more of an artist herself. She had done a lot of illustration work for children's books, but it was her self-published comic, Katzine, that specifically caught our attention. In fact, we had discussed Katzinein a special episode from last year, where we looked at self-published comics. In one of the later issues of Katzineshe mentions working on her first book, an autobiographical work centered on her travels in Mexico. Last month that book, Follow Me In, was released by Avery Hill. This is a fascinating travelogue about her experiences touring Mexico, it's diverse regions, its many ruins, and its vibrant cultures. As you'll hear in this interview, Kat doesn't only write about her experiences touring in this new book, but she also explores her problematic relationship with her companion as well as her own efforts as an artist. As such, Follow Me Inis much more than a travelogue. It's an account of a young artist undergoing new experiences and using those to grow as a creator and to define her art.  

Time Codes: 00:00:35 - Introduction 00:02:35 - Check out Sterg's blog! 00:04:15 - Lennon: The New York Years 00:30:38 - Yellow Submarine 00:44:19 - The Beatles in Comics 01:10:55 - I Am Young 01:33:01 - Wrap up 01:35:02 - Contact us This is a special episode of The Comics Alternative, in that Sterg and Derek focus only on recent comics about The Beatles. Both of the guys are huge Beatles fans, and you can tell how excited they are in discussing these texts. They begin with David Foenkinos, Corbeyran, and Horne's Lennon: The New York Years(IDW Publishing), adapted from Foenkinos prose work on John Lennon. What makes this book stand out is that it's primarily narrated in the first person through imagined therapy sessions that Lennon undergoes. In this way, the text becomes not only an insight into John Lennon's psyche, but also a broad historical overview of The Beatles as a musical phenomenon. After that they jump into Bill Morrison's recent adaptation of Yellow Submarine(Titan Comics). This is a work that is as colorful and as elaborate as the 1968 animated film, and the guys are impressed by how faithful the book is to the film's plot. The only thing you don't get in Morrison's text is the various musical interludes that you have in the animated film (of course), but even then Morrison does an affective job of implying the music as sort of a silent soundtrack. But all of the surreal visuals, the song references, and the many puns are there. Next, they look at a new book just released through NBM, The Beatles in Comics. This is a collection of short essays and comics written by Michel Mabel and Gaet's, and with illustrations by a variety of artists. Much like Lennon, this book provides a broad overview of The Beatles, and the chapters cover such topics as their time in Hamburg, Brian Epstein, when they met the queen, their playing Shea Stadium, the Ed Sullivan Show, the genesis of "Yesterday," their decision to stop touring, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, their time in India, Yoko Ono, the Paul Is Dead phenomenon, and the breakup of the band. Finally, they discuss a new book that really isn't about The Beatles, but uses the Fab Four as a significant backdrop. M. Dean's I Am Young(Fantagraphics) is a series of stories about relationships and music, and the main storyline is the one that uses The Beatles. It's the history of a relationship between Miriam and George, two young people who meet at a Beatles concert when the band first hit it big. M. Dean takes us through the course of this relationship, doing so with The Beatles as a nexus, with the two growing older and getting together, and growing apart, as The Beatles themselves mature and evolve. One book that the Sterg and Derek do not discuss, but one they nonetheless highly recommend, is Carol Tyler's Fab4 Mania(Fantagraphics). This work was released earlier this year, and the reason the guys don't include it in their comics about The Beatles coverage is that Gene and Derek interviewed Carol back in July. As such, they spent a lot of time discussing that book, so the guys already focused on that text. Still, it's another recent graphic novel about The Beatles, and it should stand alongside the other works that Sterg and Derek discuss in this episode.  

Time Codes: 00:00:24 - Introduction 00:02:02 - Setup of interview 00:03:13 - Interview with Liz Prince 01:16:24 - Wrap up 01:18:11 - Contact us On this interview episode, Sterg talks with Liz Prince about her latest books, Look Back and Laugh(Top Shelf Productions) and the colorized Be Your Own Backing Band(Silver Sprocket), as well as several of her past publications. Over the course of the conversation, Sterg talks with Liz about self publishing, writing for certain age-appropriate audiences, the influences of music, her international reach, as well as many of her previous works.

Time Codes: 00:30 - Introduction 02:49 - Introducing Krystal, and a Farewell to Paul 07:24 - 3x4 17:44 - The Creepy Case Files of Margo Maloo: The Monster Mall 32:40 -Sheets 42:54 - Wrap up 43:42 - Contact us On this episode of the Comics Alternative's Young Readers show, Gwen is joined by her new co-host, Dr. Krystal Howard, an assistant professor in the Liberal Studies and English departments at California State University, Northridge. Krystal has been reading, writing about, and teaching children's and YA comics for a number of years and has a particular interest in gender and comics studies. In 2017, Krystal's essay “Gothic Excess and the Body in Vera Brosgol's Anya's Ghost” appeared in Gwen's co-edited volume (with Michelle Ann Abate), Graphic Novels for Children and Young Adults, and she has another comics-related essay, “Comics Grammar in Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean's Picture Book Collaborations” that is forthcoming in The Artistry of Neil Gaiman: Finding Light in the Shadows. Regular listeners to the Young Readers show will already know Krystal from her spot as a panelist last summer on a special roundtable that Gwen and Paul Lai hosted on the future of children's and YA comics. Before they begin discussing the books for this month's show, Gwen and Krystal mention the wonderful contributions of Paul Lai, who has recently graduated with his doctorate from the School of Education in Language, Literacy, and Culture at the University of California, Berkeley, and who has begun a new position as Director of UC Berkeley's prestigious BE3 program, which stands for Berkeley Educators for Equity and Excellence. Paul intends to return to the Comics Alternativefamily from time to time as a podcaster, and Gwen and Krystal wish him the very best in his new role. During the main portion of the show, Gwen and Krystal discuss three new releases: Ivan Brunetti's 3 x 4, published last month by TOON Books and geared towards early elementary readers, and two Halloween-oriented middle grade graphic novels: Drew Weing's The Creepy Case Files of Margo Maloo: The Monster Mall, which is the second in the Margo Maloo series from First Second books, and Brenna Thummler's debut, Sheets, put out by Lion Forge's Cubhouse imprint. Both Krystal and Gwen found Brunetti's 3 x 4 to be a great addition to the plethora of STEM-focused comics that have been published in the last five years, including First Second's Science Comics series and Mike Holmes and Gene Luen Yang's Secret Coders. Krystal praises Brunetti for his inclusion of a diverse and eclectic group of young people, and Gwen notes that for the detail-oriented child, every page offers up an opportunity to discover the many ways that the number 12 can be divided into sets! Next, the two PhDs consider Drew Weing's follow up to his highly successful first volume of the Margo Maloos series: The Creepy Case Files of Margo Maloo: The Monster Mall. Gwen appreciates Weing's decision to continue focusing on the costs of gentrification, while Krystal notes that the inclusion of teenage characters adds a new dimension to the series. Finally, Gwen and Krystal discuss the amazing debut by Brenna Thummler, Sheets (Lion Forge), which takes place in a lake resort town and focuses on the struggles of a young woman who has become the proprietor of her family's laundromat, all while trying to fit in at middle school. Her interactions with Wendell, the ghost of an eleven-year-old boy, end up making life a lot better for both of them. Krystal points out Thummler's attention to figural placement and atmospherics, and Gwen suggests that while some of the plot points might seem a little far-fetched, the novel holds together well and deals with class conflict in a manner that is also present in Weing's Margo Maloo series. In November, Gwen and Krystal will be back with another set of books to review, as well as 2018 best-of-list recommendations for our listener's winter holiday celebrations.  

Time Codes: 00:00:24 - Introduction 00:02:22 - Setup of interview 00:03:58 - Interview with Howard Shapiro 01:06:33 - Wrap up 01:07:06 - Contact us A common theme in Howard Shapiro's stories is the significance of music. His first graphic novel, The Sterotypical Freaks, revolved around competing high school bands and how that competition and their dedication to the music defined each member's life. In his latest book, Queen of Kenosha (Animal Media Group), music once again takes center narrative state. It's the story of young singer-songwriter from Wisconsin, Nina Overstreet, who comes to New York City in the early 1960s to make it on the folk scene. What she unexpectedly finds is espionage and ideological conspiracy. Whereas in his earlier Forever Friends series of graphic novels Howard wedded music to hockey as the backdrop for his stories, here in Queen of Kenosha -- the first book in what he's calling The Thin Thinline Trilogy -- he uses music within the context of geopolitical intrigue. In this conversation, Derek talks with Howard about the impetus behind his latest project, the importance of music to his storytelling, the kind of research he conducted to set the historical stage, and his plans for following up on his songwriting protagonist. Howard was on the podcast a couple of years agowhen Hockey Karmawas released, and it was nice to touch base with him again and discuss his subsequent work.

In celebration of International Podcast Day 2018, Derek invites a variety of other comics podcasters to discuss their experiences in the medium. Joining him are Gina Gagliano, from Graphic Novel TK; Greg Matiasevich, from Robots from Tomorrow; Jay Loving, from The Best of the Rest; and Gwen Tarbox, from The Comics Alternative for Young Readers. Find out more about International Podcast Dayand how you can help promote podcasting worldwide. And be sure to share your thoughts on social media using #PodcastDay.    

Michael and Derek are back at their local shop, Heroes Aren't Hard to Find, to discuss recent mainstream and indie titles that have captured their attention. Mike starts the ball rolling by focusing on recent expressions of a couple of second-tier characters, Doctor Strangeand Hawkman, as handled by Mark Waid and Robert Venditti, respectively. He then takes the conversation into a more "adult" direction with the first issue in Batman: Damned, part of DC's new Black Label imprint. This title is notable for a couple of reasons. First, it's now difficult to find, and as such, both fans and retailers are selling copies for a hefty price. But even more significant is the fact that in this first issue, readers get to see Batman naked. That's right, Wayne's wang. Batman's junk. The recent titles that Derek brings up are much tamer in nature. He begins with Matt Kindt and Tyler Jenkins's Black Badge (BOOM! Studio), the second issue of which will be released next week. This is a promising new limited series that has all of the secretive, undercover, and espionage-y markings of a Kindt narrative. However, Derek isn't as excited about the new Image series, Man-Eaters, written by Chelsea Cain and art by Kate Niemczyk. While he admires the message that seems to be embedded in the story, the first issue is rather sketchy in laying any satisfying narrative groundwork. But Derek more enamored by the minicomic Common Blessings and Common Curses, written by Maritsa Patrinos and nominated this year for an Ignatz Award in the Outstanding Minicomic category. It was a wonderful find at this year's Small Press Expo. Remember that The Comics Alternative's on-location series is now part of the Queen City Podcast Network! Check out the great podcast series that give life to Charlotte!

Time Codes: 00:00:24 - Introduction 00:02:20 - Setup of interview 00:04:01 - Interview with Tillie Walden 01:15:35 - Wrap up 01:17:30 - Contact us Sterg and Derek are happy to have Tillie Walden back on the podcast. (She was originally on The ComicsAlternativein June 2015, her very first podcast interview!) Her latest book, On a Sunbeam, will be released next week from First Second. This narrative actually began as a webcomic -- one that was nominated for an Eisner Award last year, and one that is still available online-- but now it will be available in print. The Two Guys talk with Tillie about the process of creating On a Sunbeamand its importance as a webcomic, the science fiction scaffolding around which the narrative is constructed, and how this work compares to some of her earlier books. In fact, much of the conversation is focused on the kind of fantastical stories Tillie spins out, with flying fish planes and cats large enough to ride on. The guys also ask her about last year's Spinning, the winner of a 2018 Eisner Award for Best Reality-Based Work, and the creative shifts she had to make with this outright autobiography. Over the course of their conversation, Tillie shares her experiences growing as a storyteller, her large and dedicated fanbase, the almost improvisational nature of her writing, and her discomfort being pigeonholed primarily as a writer for teens or as a lesbian creator.

Time Codes: 00:00:24 - Introduction 00:02:26 - Setup of interview 00:04:50 - Interview with Jason Lutes 01:20:31 - Wrap up 01:21:13 - Contact us Jason Lutes began his Berlin series in the spring of 1996, with plans to publish his ambitious project over a 24-issue run. Over the years, he pared down the number of issues to 22, and the last of those was released in March of this year. Earlier this month, Drawn and Quarterly released a complete single-volume edition of Berlin, clocking in at over 550 pages, as well as a third volume of the series, City of Light, for those who had already gotten the previous two collections, City of Stones and City of Smoke, and didn't want to get the completed series in just one volume. Berlinis a massive narrative with an ensemble cast. It takes place in that volatile city during the last days of the Weimar Republic, 1928-1933, when Germany was struggling with its economy and war reparations, and a variety of political factions -- in particular, the Communist Party and the National Socialist Workers Party -- were vying for power. Lutes's story primarily focuses on the lives of Kurt Severing, a world-weary journalist, and Marthe Müller, an uncertain art student moving to Berlin and longing to define herself in this newly adopted city. But there are a variety of other characters, as well, and Lutes even peppers his fictional cast with several historically based figures, including the jailed journalist Carl von Ossietzky, Joseph Goebbels, Josephine Baker, and, yes, Adolf Hitler himself. The result is an expansive narrative that not only captures the Weimar culture at the time, but also explores individual desires and unpredictable relationships in the midst of political and economic upheaval. In his interview with him, Derek talks with Jason about the origins of the series, the amount of research that went into the project, how the city of Berlin became a point of inspiration, the various challenges he faced maintaining such an ongoing series for over 20 years, and where Jason's artistic ambitions may take him next.

Time Codes: 00:00:24 - Introduction 00:02:22 - Setup of interview 00:04:01 - Interview with Youssef Daoudi 01:52:10 - Wrap up 01:52:47 - Contact us   Youssef Daoudi is a French creator whose previous albums include La Trilogie Noire, published by Casterman, and several works released by Glénat, including Mayday, Ring, and Tripoli. Unfortunately, these books aren't yet available in English, but you can discover the art and storytelling of Daoudi through his brand new book from First Second, Monk!: Thelonious, Pannonica, and the Friendship behind a Musical Revolution. Indeed, as Youssef discusses with me in this interview you're about to here, Monk!is his first work to be written originally in English, and later to be translated into French. This isn't a graphic biography of the jazz legend, often called “The Mad Monk” or “The High Priest of Bop,” but a portrait of his relationship with Kathleen Annie Pannoica de Koenigswarter, a free-spirted and jazz-impassioned baroness who was a member of the Rothschild family. Daoudi meticulously lays out the contours of that relationship and how each sustained the other. In our conversation Derek talks with Youssef about the genesis of this project, his love of jazz, and what it was about mid-century bebop culture -- and in particular, the lives of Monk and Pannonica -- that so captured his imagination.

Time Codes: 00:00:24 - Introduction 00:02:37 - Setup of interview 00:04:33 - Interview with Summer Pierre 01:19:14 - Wrap up 01:20:13 - Contact us The Two Guys were first introduced to the work of Summer Pierre during June of 2017. At the time, they were wanting to do a special episode of The Comics Alternative devoted to self-published creators, and John Porcellino recommended to Derek that they check out the work of Summer Pierre. At the time her minicomic Paper Pencil Life was at its fourth issue, and so they went to her website to get the full run of the title up to that point. They were impressed by her art and storytelling, and since then, Derek has made it a point of following Summer's work. She had told him last year in an email that she planned to have a new graphic memoir coming out from Retrofit in 2018, and at this week's Small Press Expo that book will officially debut. All the Sad Songs is a moving account of the role of music in Summer's life, from the creation of mix tapes to her performances as a musician, and how that music is linked to key moments with her various relationships and her growth as an artist. In many ways this book is a work of remembrance, but it's not soaked in the kind of nostalgia that would come across as sentimental. On the contrary, Summer takes a hard look at herself during those times in her life, bearing herself in ways that, at times, may be a bit uncomfortable. But her story is authentic and speaks from the heart. In this interview, Derek talks with Summer about the genesis of this project, her experiences writing in long-form narrative, the role that music has played in her life, and the potential pitfalls in writing about her past in such an open and honest way. This is an interview that's been a long time in coming, but it was definitely worth the wait.

Time Codes: 00:00:23 - Introduction 00:02:29 - Setup of interview 00:04:11 - Interview with Tim Bird 01:00:17 - Wrap up 01:00:53 - Contact us The Great North Wood, which was just released through Avery Hill Publishing, is Tim Bird's longest work to date. It's the story of -- or perhaps a better way of putting would be that it's a history or a meditation on -- an area in South London known for its wooded past. This includes areas such as Norwood, Gipsy Hill, Honor Oak, and Sydenham Hill Woods. In fact, as Tim mentions in the interview, Sydenham Hill Woods is really the last vestige of the heavily forested area south of London, and it's where Tim and his family currently reside. What makes The Great North Woodstand out is Tim Bird's use of geographic space to tell his story. As he and Derek discuss over the course of their conversation, character is at a minimum in Tim's work, and he uses location and space to carry his narrative. What's more, the creator often underscores the mystery and magic that has traditionally been a part of Britain's wooded areas. Much of Derek's talk with Tim centers on the new book, but they also discuss his previous comics, such as the various works in his Grey Areaseries, also published by Avery Hill. These are also largely based on location and geographic space, and Tim goes into detail about his evolution as an artist, working through his Grey Areacomics to get to a place where he can more fully explore his surroundings in his latest book.

Time Codes: 00:00:24 - Introduction 00:02:24 - Setup of interview 00:04:41 - Interview with Keiler Roberts 01:04:06 - Wrap up 01:04:48 - Contact us In 2009 Keiler Roberts began putting out a series of self-published minicomics that she titled Powered Milk. These were brief stories and scenarios where she represented the experiences she had as a mother, wife, and friend. Many of the situations were observational in nature -- for example, some of her Powered Milkcomics were one-panel expressions of something off-beat and telling that her daughter, Xia, had said -- but occasionally she would illustrate longer narratives that concerned her life as a mother. She has gathered these earlier minicomics in collections such as Powered Milk: Collected Stories and Miseryland. Last year, however, Keiler began turning to book-length format and publishing her Powered Milkstories, what she continues to call her work, through Koyama Press. In fact, Sunburning was one of the texts discussed last year during the publisher spotlight on Koyama Press' spring 2017 releases. And this week we'll see the release of Keiler's next book, Chlorine Gardens. It's a work that's certainly in the Powered Milkspirit, but this book is notable in that Keiler engages more in long-form storytelling than she does in her previous comics. What's more, and as Derek discusses with her, Keiler brings a structure to the various stories and observations that is more apparent than in the past. In this interview, Derek talks with Keiler about the evolution of her comics-writing, the role of journaling or diary illustration in her work, the process she undergoes in creating her stories, and the power -- as well as the limitations -- of exposing herself and her loved ones as subject matters for her narratives. Keiler has been on the podcast before, albeit briefly, during the 2016 Small Press Expo, an event at which she won an Ignatz Award for Best Outstanding Series, but this is a special occasion in that Keiler gets to discuss her work in a longer, more sustained manner.  

It's time for another on-location episode recorded at Heroes Aren't Hard to Find in Charlotte, NC. In this first of two planned September visits, Michael and Derek talk with customers -- Zyg, Brian, and Alonzo -- and discuss some recent releases that strike their attention. Focusing on the mainstream, Michael highlights Fantastic Four#1. He discusses Marvel's former flagship title's return, and he goes on to speculate on the significance of Jack Kirby and Stan Lee's creation...not only with the Marvel Universe, but for all comics. Derek focuses on a few non-superhero titles, including Christopher Sebela and Shawn McManus's House Amok#1(IDW/Black Crown), Eric M. Esquivel and Ramon Villalobos's Border Town #1(DC/Vertigo), and the first two titles in DC's new Sandman initiative, The Sandman Universe#1and The Dreaming#1. With this episode, The Comics Alternative's on-location series joins the Queen City Podcast Network!

Time Codes: 00:00:27 - Introduction 00:03:03 - Fare-thee-well to Paul! 00:05:51 - The Cardboard Kingdom 00:28:41 - All Summer Long 00:44:11 -Be Prepared 01:06:46 - Wrap up 01:08:09 - Contact us On this episode of the Comics Alternative's Young Readers show, Gwen and Derek discuss summer 2018 new releases, all geared to middle-grade readers. The first text, edited and illustrated by Chad Sell, is The Cardboard Kingdom, released by Random House Graphic. Readers learn about the lives and dreams of a group of neighborhood kids in short stories written by Jay Fuller, David DeMeo, Katie Schenkel, Kris Moore, Molly Muldoon, Vid Alliger, Manuel Betancourt, Michael Cole, Cloud Jacobs, and Barbara Perez Marquez. The second text they discuss is Hope Larson's All Summer Long from Farrar Straus Giroux. And finally, Gwen and Derek review Vera Brosgol's long-awaited memoir, Be Prepared, released by First Second Books. They start by reviewing a comic that demonstrates the experimentation that is currently taking place in the young reader category: Chad Sell's edited collection of connected short stories, The Cardboard Kingdom. Set in a suburban neighborhood and featuring a truly diverse and engaging group of young kids, these stories show how imagination can function as a coping device. Young reader short story collections are not entirely new. Random House has also supported the Comics Squadseries, edited by Jennifer Holm and a rotating cast of co-editors, that have included themed volumes on "Recess," "Lunch," and "Detention." However, this short story collection boast only one artist, Chad Sell, and is presented as a cohesive narrative, with authors identified only at the end of the text. As such, the comic has a more cohesive feel, rather than a collection of fundamentally different stories that are linked only by theme. After that, Gwen and Derek check out Hope Larson's All Summer Long. This is the story of a 13-year-old, Bina, and her attempts to find meaning over the course of a summer. Growing up, she had been used to spending the summer with her best friend Austin, but during this particular summer, Austin goes off to soccer camp, leaving Bina to fend for herself. And part of this fending includes Austin's aggressive older sister, Charlie. This is a book all about growing up and finding your way over the course of significant life changes. Finally, Gwen and Derek discuss Vera Brosgol's BePrepared. This memoir focuses on the summer between 4th and 5th grades, when she attends Russian summer camp in the hope of finding friends with whom she will have something in common. The opening vignette in the novel focuses on young Vera's sense of cultural and economic isolation: as an immigrant from Russia and the daughter of a single mom living in a prosperous east coast suburb, she is often slow to pick up on the latest trends -- such as American Girl dolls -- and unable to approximate the lavish birthday parties that her classmates' parents are able to throw for their children. At the end of the school year, Vera listens to the plans that her friends are making, attending girl scout camp, taking vacations to faraway destinations…and she feels left out again. However, at the Russian Orthodox church that she attends, Vera learns from Ksenya, a Sunday school friend, about Orra, a Russian heritage camp, and she is certain that it will not only be fun, but will give her something to talk about with her school friends in autumn. While the experience is certainly life changing, it nonetheless becomes something quite different than what Vera had expected.

Time Codes: 00:00:26 - Introduction 00:02:25 - Setup of interview 00:03:54 - Interview with Christopher Sebela, Ro Stein, and Ted Brandt 01:06:23 - Wrap up 01:06:59 - Contact us In Crowded (Image Comics), the protagonist Charlie Ellison finds herself the victim of a crowdfunded assassination. That's right, a crowdfunded assassination. Charlie lives a quiet, normal life, going about her daily routine as anyone would. But she soon finds herself under fire, hunted by all of Los Angeles with her potential killers fueled by crowdfunding platform Reapr. As a result, Charlie hires Vita, one the lowest-rated bodyguards employed by the Dfend, an app allowing you to hire protection. The two then go on a quest to discover who is behind Charlie's crowdfunded contract, and do so without Charlie falling victim or Vita screwing up. The first issue of Crowdedwas released in August, and last month Derek talked with the creators, Christopher Sebela, Ro Stein, and Ted Brandt, immediately before the release date. The second issue will be coming out next week, on September 12. In this interview Derek talks with the creators about the ideas behind this project, the role that social media and technology plays in the series, how the three collaborate on each issue, and what we might expect as the series unfolds.

Time Codes: 00:00:26 - Introduction 00:02:36 - Setting a James Bond context 00:04:59 - A discussion of the James Bond comics published by Dynamite Entertainment 00:59:59 - Wrap up 01:01:43 - Contact us This week's episode of The Comics Alternative is special. Gwen and Derek devote their entire show to the the James Bond comics that have been coming out from Dynamite Entertainment for the past few years. They begin the show by sharing some of their own experiences with the James Bond franchise and how much it was a part of their childhoods. Then they get into the core of the show, discussing the eight James Bond trades, along with the recent six-issue The Body, that have been released since 2016. While they are unable to talk in detail about all of the works -- after all, there's a lotto cover -- they nonetheless provide a broad overview of the various elements, themes, and styles that define Dynamite's James Bond, plunging into deeper readings whenever possible. The various works they cover, along with the creators and years of trade publication, include: Vargr– Warren Ellis and Jason Masters   2016 Eidolon– Warren Ellis and Jason Masters  2017 Hammerhead– Andy Diggle and Luca Casalanguida  2017 Black Box– Benjamin Percy and Ralph Lobosco. 2017 Felix Leiter– James Robinson and Aaron Campbell. 2017 Kill Chain– Andy Diggle and Luca Casalanguida  2018 Casino Royale– Van Jensen and Dennis Calero  2018 Case Files– Various creators (including the one-shots Service, Moneypenny, Solstice, and M)  2018 The Body– Ales Kot and various artists  2018  

Time Codes: 00:00:24 - Introduction 00:02:34 - Setup of interview 00:04:37 - Interview with Sean Lewis and Caitlin Yarsky 01:03:03 - Wrap up 01:03:44 - Contact us In November of last year readers saw the first issue of what was a brand-new series from Image Comics, Coyotes. It was the latest creation from writer Sean Lewis, who had authored other Image series including The Few and Saints, as well as writing recent titles for Aftershock such as Betrothed and Clankillers. For Coyotes, Sean chose as his illustrator a relative newcomer to comics, Caitlin Yarsky. While this is the first ongoing series where she provides all of the interior art, Caitlin's work is a standout component and, in many ways, primarily defines the tone and sheer impact of Coyotes. As revealed in the first narrative arc, collected as a trade earlier this spring, Coyotesis about a young girl, name Red, who lives in a southwest border region fighting against a legion of wolves who prey upon women. She's aided in her fight by the Victorias, an all-female society empowered by an earth goddess and united to fight against the masculinist lycanthropes. The series has a feel of a grand mythology, and it touches upon a variety of topics, including female empowerment, coming of age, and socio-industrial exploitation. In the first issue of the second narrative arc, there is quite a bit of backstory and context to the world Lewis and Yarsky establish in the first four issues, including a history of the Four Grannies of the Earth, the earth goddess Gaia, and the transformative nature of the lycanthropes. In this interview, Derek talks with Cailtin and Sean about their collaborative process, where they are in their story, and what plans they have for the series as a whole.  

Time Codes: 00:00:25 - Introduction 00:02:11 - Introduction of new Critical Takes series, and setup of interview 00:05:00 - Interview with Keith Dallas and John Wells 01:12:11 - Wrap up 01:12:47 - Contact us With this episode the Two Guys are starting a brand-new series on The Comics Alternative, one they're calling "Critical Takes." This will be an occasion series devoted to critical and scholarly works about comics. In the past, whenever they've talked with a comics scholar or historian on the show, they've included those in their Interview series, one where they primarily focus on comics writers and artists. But they wanted to spin off their focus on critical works with its own series. After all, and as the show's tagline states, they're “Two Guys with PhDs Talking about Comics,” so it's only appropriate that the guys devote a series of episodes to the more theoretical, historical, and scholarly side of comics studies. Some of these shows, such as the current one, will be interviews with authors of critical texts that enlighten our understanding of the medium. Others may be general discussions or reviews of critical or scholarly texts, like the histories coming out from TwoMorrows Publishing or McFarland or the kind of scholarly works one will find through the University Press of Mississippi, Rutgers University Press, or Bloomsbury Academic. Unlike the regular monthly series, but similar to what you find with the guys' interviews, these Critical Takes episodes will be released on no set schedule, but just whenever the shows are completed and can fit into The Comics Alternative's ever-expanding offerings. And today the Derek starts off the new Critical Takes series with a conversation with Keith Dallas and John Wells. They are the authors of a new book from TwoMorrows Publishing, Comic Book Implosion: An Oral History of DC Comics Circa 1978. As the title suggests, this is an in-depth look at the events leading up to the DC Implosion of June 1978, the buildup of the Explosion that preceded it, and the effects and ramifications of the Implosion, as well as its impact on what at the time was the highly flawed distribution system. What makes this text unique is its construction. This is an oral history, and John and Keith have excerpted a variety of first-hand accounts from interviews, news stories, and fan publications of the time, stories from the insiders who personally witnessed and were even victims of the DC Implosion. These accounts are presented in such a way that they create a cohesive and compelling narrative of this moment in DC Comics history. Derek talks with Keith and John about the genesis of this project, some of the challenges they faced when doing their research, and their manner of chronicling comics history.

Time Codes: 00:24 - Introduction 02:16 - Setup of interview 04:20 - Interview with Jules Feiffer 58:54 - Wrap up 59:26 - Contact us In 2014 Jules Feiffer published Kill My Mother (Liveright Publishing), a noir crime narrative set in 1933 -- and then later moving forward into 1943 -- involving not only hard-boiled characters, but also their exploits within the entertainment industry. Feiffer followed that up in 2016 with Cousin Joseph, the second book in what was now projected as a trilogy. That graphic novel is, in many ways, a prequel to the earlier book. Taking place in 1931, readers are introduced to police detective Sam Hannigan, a figure who looms largely over Feiffer's recent run. His spirit is likewise prevalent in the new graphic novel, The Ghost Script. With this book, Feiffer wraps up his series, which he has called an “accidental noir trilogy.” In this interview, Derek talks with Feiffer about the “accidental” nature of his writing and how the idea for a trilogy came into play. They also discuss his writing style, where, curiously enough, Feiffer sees himself as both instigator and observer to what unfolds under his pen. Over the course of their conversation, Feiffer meditates on his love of noir fiction and films, the challenges he faced in writing this trilogy, and the overriding influences of such legends as Milton Caniff and, especially, Will Eisner. He also discusses the impact of 1950s red scare and the blacklist, which is the temporal setting of The Ghost Script, what that time meant to him as a young writer, and how those politics are not entirely alien to us today. The guys had the pleasure of talking to Feiffer back in 2014 when Kill My Mother was released, so it's only appropriate that Derek talk with him again upon the completion of his noir trilogy.

Time Codes: 00:00:50 - Introduction 00:03:32 - It's our 6th birthday! 00:09:03 - The Seeds#1 00:36:02 - Euthanauts#1 00:54:51 - The New World#1 01:09:38 - Unnatural#1 01:24:00 - Bone Parish#1 01:40:02 - Wrap up 01:41:15 - Contact us This is a special episode of The Comics Alternative, as it's the guys' sixth anniversary! The podcast began on August 1, 2012, and Paul and Derek discuss some of the things they've done over the past six years, the number of episodes they've published, the amount of interviews they've conducted, etc. It's a celebratory time, and the Two Guys hope that listeners will join in on the celebration and chime in with some of their favorite moments from The Comics Alternative's past. After a brief discussion of the podcast's anniversary, Paul and Derek then leap into the episode's core, a discussion of five recent #1 titles. They begin with Ann Nocenti and David Aja's The Seeds, the latest in Dark Horse Comics' Berger Books imprint. The guys are fascinated by this first issue, not only with Nocenti's multi-layered storytelling, but also with Aja's signature art and design. They then look at the first issue of Tini Howard and Nick Robles's Euthanauts, part of IDW Publishing's Black Crown imprint. While they're intrigued by the series' premise, they're not entirely sure if this is a successful #1 issue. There are confusing moments and, arguably, too many unanswered questions that dampen any desire to read on before the trade. After that, Paul and Derek discuss two recent #1 titles from Image Comics. First, they look at Aleš Kot and Tradd Moore's The New World, an intriguing futuristic narrative that juggles contemporary socio-political concerns along with a Romeo and Juliet-inspired storyline. They also review the first issue of Mirka Andolfo's Unnatural, an erotic -- but tasteful -- anthropomorphic tale that was originally published in Italian and now is available as a limited series. Finally, the guys wrap up with the first issue of Cullen Bunn and Jonas Scharf's Bone Parish (BOOM! Studios). This appears to be a horror title -- after all, that's primarily what Bunn is known for -- but as Paul and Derek point out, this first issue reads more as a crime mystery than it does horror. It's an interesting premise, one that the guys are curious to see unfold. So enjoy this week's episode, and celebrate The Comics Alternative's sixth anniversary!

Time Codes: 00:00:34 - Introduction 00:02:44 - Setup of interview 00:04:38 - Interview with Carol Tyler 01:36:12 - Wrap up 01:38:15 - Contact us On this interview episode, Gene and Derek are excited to have Carol Tyler back on the podcast. Her new book Fab4 Maniahas recently been released from Fantagraphics. It's Carol's memoir about her time growing up as a Beatles fan, covering the early years of the mop tops and especially The Beatle's presence in America. As Carol reveals, she was a devotee from the very beginning, watching the group's legendary appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show on February 9, 1964, their initial tour around the United States immediately after, the media and merchandising circus surrounding it, and the almost never-ending radio presence of four lads. And everything in the book leads up to the crescendo of The Beatles' appearance at Comiskey Park on August 20, 1965, a concert that Carol excitedly attended. Fab4 Maniaalso covers the many excitements and challenges Carol faced in displaying her love of The Beatles, especially among friends and when it came to her Catholic school. In her conversation with Gene and Derek, Carol talks not only the book, but her own personal recollections growing up during that time. They talk music of the time -- where Carol disses by comparison other British groups such as Herman's Hermits, Gerry and the Pacemakers, and The Dave Clark Five-- and Carol even DJs and sings for the guys. It's definitely a memorable interview, one that Derek and Gene will not soon forget.

Time Codes: 00:00:23 - Introduction 00:02:38 - Setup of interview 00:04:02 - Interview with Nate Powell 01:19:33 - Wrap up 01:22:26 - Contact us Paul and Derek are pleased to have Nate Powell back on the show. This time they talk with him about his new book Come Again, just released from Top Shelf Productions. They discuss the genesis of this project, the significance of the story's setting, the unsteady balance between needs for personal isolation and the importance of community, and the narrative's forays into the fantastic. Yet they also talk about several of Nate's other works, including March, Swallow Me Whole, Any Empire, and Sounds of Your Name. But what comes out over the entire course of the conversation is the kind of fun these three guys have talking together. Can't you just hear it?

Time Codes: 00:00:24 - Introduction 00:02:18 - Setup of interview 00:03:49 - Interview with Julian Hanshaw 01:04:39 - Wrap up 01:05:08 - Contact us Many U.S. readers were introduced to Julian Hanshaw through his book Tim Ginger, released in 2015 from Top Shelf Productions, an imprint of IDW Publishing. It's the story of man in his later years coming to terms with the decisions he's made, including his choice to remain childless. As Julian discusses in this interview, the text was largely autobiographical in nature. And the same can said of his new book, Cloud Hotel. The story was inspired by a UFO encounter he had as a young boy and the psychological affect such an experience had on him afterwards. As Julian discloses during his conversation with Derek, Cloud Hotelis the second of what will be a trilogy of autobiographical works, beginning with Tim Ginger. But they also discuss some of his earlier works that may not be familiar to American readers, such as The Art of Phoand I'm Never Coming Back. Julian also talks about his upcoming book from SelfMadeHero, I Feel Machine, a collection of six comics stories that he edited with Kent Able, all by different creators and all focusing on how technology has transformed the way we communicate and frame our culture.

Time Codes: 00:00:24 - Introduction 00:02:25 - Setup of interview 00:04:11 - Interview with Luke Healy 01:04:50 - Wrap up 01:05:30 - Contact us Luke Healy was first on The Comics Alternative at Small Press Expo in 2016, where he briefly spoke with Derek about his provocative self-published minicomic The Unofficial Cuckoo's Nest Study Companion, which was nominated that year for an Ignatz Award. A couple of months later Luke came back on the show, this time for a long and more in-depth interview about his new book at the time, How to Survive in the North, released from Nobrow Press. And now, Luke comes back on podcast to discuss his most recent work. His brand-new book revisits some of his older writings and places them within an entirely new context. Permanent Press has just been released from Avery Hill Publishing, and it's a mock autobiographical text that explores the world of independent comics creators and the relationship between a cartoonist and his ego. What's more, the new book incorporates the previously self-published The Unofficial Cuckoo's Nest Study Companion, but it does so in a way that brings a fresh perspective to the story and even underscores its experimental nature. In this interview, Derek talks with Luke Healy about the origins of Permanent Press, its highly satirical tone, and the process of looking inside of himself and pulling out a narrative that is not entirely autobiographical, but at the same time, not purely fiction. As you'll hear, Luke is certainly one of the medium's most meditative creators.

Time Codes: 00:00:24 - Introduction 00:02:23 - Setup of interview 00:04:03 - Interview with Sean Karemaker 01:04:51 - Wrap up 01:05:23 - Contact us Sean Karemaker's comics are a different kind of reading experience. He illustrates in a highly detailed textured style, and his stories flow in a dreamlike manner, free from the constrictions of sequential paneling. In fact, he creates many of his comics in a scroll-like manner, writing out his narratives across a broad horizontal field, and then later deciding how to break up his illustrations across pages. The result, as we find in his latest book Feast of Fields (Conundrum Press), is story whose unveiling reflects the process of memory, a sort of streaming of experience with a zig-zagging quality between past and present.  In this interview with Sean, Derek talks with his guest about this style of cartooning and especially the genesis of his latest book. It's largely the story of his mother during her time in a Danish orphanage, but Sean contextualizes her narrative by placing it within his own life experiences and revealing what his mother's past has meant to him. Derek also talks with Sean about his previous book from Conundrum, The Ghosts We Know, a collection of short pieces that are largely autobiographical in nature and provide a wonderful introduction to Karemaker's style of comics storytelling.

Time Codes: 00:24 - Introduction 02:16 - Setup of interview 03:40 - Interview with Erin Nations 51:50 - Wrap up 52:14 - Contact us In December of 2016, Top Shelf Productions published the first issue of Erin Nations's Gumballs, the one of four issuesthat would be released over the course of the following year. This quarterly ran as a one-personal anthology, a collection of stories and observations, many of which were autobiographical in nature. Gumballsstood out among its peers in that it recalled the kind of comic books we used to get from other alternative creators such as Seth, Daniel Clowes, and Chris Ware. Now those creators have turned to the “graphic novel” or book form, and it's a rarity that we get a comic book like this, making Gumballsstand out as a title of note. Now those four issues have been collected as a trade, one that has just been made available in the direct market and next week will be out for wider release.  In this interview, Derek talks with Erin Nations about the genesis of his Gumballsseries, his thoughts on being an autobiographical cartoonist, how he uses comics to chronicle his transitioning, and the various tones he strikes among the many stories contained within his series.

Time Codes: 00:00:26 - Introduction 00:02:17 - Panel context 00:04:01 - "How to Read Nancy" panel 01:04:50 - Wrap up 01:05:19 - Contact us "Draw, you varmint" This past weekend was HeroesCon 2018, and while there Derek was a part of two different scholarly panels. One was about the relationship between print and digital comics texts, “Between Pen and Pixel,” a recording of which was released earlier this week. The second was a panel based on the book by Paul Karasik and Mark Newgarden, How to Read Nancy: The Elements of Comics in Three Easy Panels. Andy Mansell, who oversees the programming every year at HeroesCon, wanted to pull together a panel of scholars to discuss the significance of How to Read Nancy and its potential place in the classroom and in scholarship. In addition, he wanted the panelists to discuss other important books about comics, comics history, and formal aspects of the medium. Other panelists included the former cohost of The Comics Alternative, Andy Kunka, Craig Fischer, Jennie Law, and the new cohost for the podcast's bi-monthly on-location episodes, Michael Kobre. The resulting panel, “How to Read Nancyand Other Indispensable Books about Comics,” is part of the ongoing series of panels that Andy Mansell organizes every year, which he calls the “Comics Canon.” A big thanks to Andy Mansell, not only for pulling together this panel, but for all of the hard he does every year in overseeing the programming at HeroesCon.  

Time Codes: 00:00:25 - Introduction 00:02:26 - Setup of interview 00:03:56 - Interview with Max de Radiguès 01:01:11 - Wrap up 01:01:47 - Contact us Arthur Fellig, better known as Weegee, was a street photographer for New York's popular press during the 1930s and 1940s. He worked primarily in Manhattan's Lower East Side, and he developed a signature style that captured a gritty, unflinching view of urban life. What's more, he was, famous, or rather infamous, for adjusting his tableau, in particular the position of dead bodies at crime scenes, in order to capture an image that was to his liking. Max de Radiguès, along with his co-creator Wauter Mannaert, has decided to take on this historical figure as the subject matter of his latest book, Weegee: Serial Photographer. In this interview, Derek talks with Max about his fascination over Weegee, the origins of this project, and the challenges of writing such a condensed graphic biography.  But we also cover Max's previous work, Moose, and what we might expect from his upcoming book, Bastard, being released this fall from Fantagraphics.

Time Codes: 00:00:24 - Introduction 00:02:55 - Setup of interview 00:04:07 - Interview with Dean Haspiel 01:09:43 - Wrap up 01:11:07 - Contact us Welcome to New Brooklyn Gene and Derek are happy to have Dean Haspiel on The Comics Alternativeto discuss his new book from Image Comics, The Red Hook, Vol. 1: New Brooklyn. This is the first in a planned trilogy introducing readers to his universe of New Brooklyn. The Red Hook is a reluctant hero. Once a super-thief, his unlikely encounter with the legendary superhero, The Green Point, bequeathes unto him The Omni-Fist of Altruism. This transform him into a hero, where he cannot resist helping others in distress, despite his better judgment. In this role, The Red Hook becomes a major player in New Brooklyn, a borough whose heart had been broken by commerce and real estate speculation, and, as a result, secedes from New York, and America. Sound unlikely? Well, listen to Dean as he explains the premise and his plans for future New Brooklyn narratives. The guys talk with Dean, asking him a variety of questions not only about his new book, but about his other publications, as well. But then Dean turns the tables and begins interviewing Gene and Derek. It's a wild experience with an indefatigable Haspiel.

Time Codes: 00:00:32 - Introduction 00:02:47 - Broken promises 00:04:09 - Dead Dead Demon's De De De De Destruction, Vol. 1 01:01:16 - The Troublemakers 01:58:46 - Wotakoi: Love Is Hard for Otaku, Vol. 1 02:20:52 - Wrap up 02:22:11 - Contact us Fully Loaded On the last episodein The Comics Alternative's monthly manga series -- a show that was supposed to be the May episode, but was actually a late April show -- Shea and Derek promised that they would provide an additional manga episode at the very end of May, and that thatshow would be the realMay show. As reality unfolded, the two guys had problems in coordinating their schedules and being available at the same time. And as a result, you get this episode. But it's an extra-long episode, one that includes discussions of not two but three recent manga releases. They begin with the first volume in a the latest series from one of their favorites, Inio Asano. Dead Dead Demon's De De De De Destruction (VIZ Media) is an unusual work that, in many ways, reminds the guys of Goodnight Punpun they reviewed in March 2016, a title that they especially loved. And they appreciate this new work at least as much. This new book begins as a realistic narrative of Tokyo schoolgirls and their everyday interactions at school. Soon, though, the reader discover that this is not a normal environment, but one where the city is, literally, living under the shadow of a giant mysterious spaceship that visited them three years previously. Next they turn to a notable new release from Retrofit/Big Planet Comics, Baron Yoshimoto's The Troublemakers. Translated and edited by Ryan Holmberg, this is a collection of six short works of gekiga that vary in narrative approach, theme, and (to a lesser degree) style. All of these pieces were originally released between 1966 and 1974, and in a variety of publications. The volume ends with a magnificent essay, providing history and context, by the book's editor. This book marks the first translation of Yoshimoto's into English. The guys conclude with a completely different kind of book, Fujita's Wotakoi: Love Is Hard for Otaku, Vol. 1(Kodansha Comics). The title is a series of episodes -- think of a sitcom -- of a small group of young workers, all of whom are otaku (those with obsessive interests in very specific, especially fan-based, media and culture) and interact in everyday scenarios, at work and otherwise. The guys aren't near as enthusiastic about this work as they are with the others reviewed in this episode. However, Derek is more open to Wotakoithan Shea. In fact, Shea even wonders if the emphases in this series may not even be counterproductive, if not harmful, to consumer health.

Time Codes: 00:00:23 - Introduction 00:02:22 - Setup of interview 00:03:31 - Interview with Karl Stevens 01:03:39 - Wrap up 01:04:05 - Contact us A Pope Cat and A Floating Gandhi Head Derek first talked to Karl Stevensin February of last year, and during that discussion he had mentioned that he was working on a new project for Retrofit/Big Planet called The Winner, and now we have the book out, being released on May 23. The two discuss Karl's new work, its very autobiographical quality -- no masking any identities here -- and it's curious structure and fantastical interludes. But they also talk about Karls others works, as well, including the Xeric Award-winning Guilty(2004), his series of books that followed, all published by Alternative Comics -- Whatever(2008), The Lodger(2010), and Failure (2013)-- as well as his Pennystrips that ran in the Village Voicebetween November 2016 and March 2017. Karl is wonderful guy to interview, as you'll hear from the conversation.

On the current Kickstarter episode, Derek talks with comics legend Denis Kitchen about Madness in Crowds: The Teeming Mind of Harrison Cady, the latest campaign from Beehive Books, in association with Denis. Madness in Crowdswill be a large-format hardcover art book -- a towering 10" x 14" and with 176+ pages-- collecting the works of the definitive early 20th-century illustrator and cartoonist Harrison Cady (1877–1970). So, who was Harrison Cady? As Denis and company describes the artist: Over the course of a 70 year professional career, he created countless overflowing worlds, bustling with life and energy and detail and chaos. His illustrations were generous, abundant, warm and humane. There was never another artist like him. He specialized in frenzied crowd scenes, in which each tiny character came armed with their own distinct personality and a sense of humor that projected off the page. He especially loved animals and insects, spawning and exploring vast eco-systems of creeping crawlers with human affectations: beetle ballerinas, ladybugs in spats and umbrellas, fiddle-playing mosquitos. A committed political progressive, Cady frequently made cartoons about women's suffrage, injustice and the exploitation of the working classes. In his long and productive career, he laid an endless array of visual feasts out for the eyes of readers and art-appreciators all over the world. But, as is too often the case with illustrators and cartoon artists, his work faded from memory very quickly once his career ended. Though there remains a loyal cadre of fans and collectors, trading old tear-sheets and  weathered magazine clippings, his name is largely unknown by modern lovers of illustration, cartooning and graphic art. As Denis tells Derek, this is an absolute must for any serious student of illustration and cartoon art. Not only are Cady's visuals absolutely stunning, but this is sure to be a highly sought-after collectable in the years to come. What other reasons do you need to support this Kickstarter campaign? Head on over to their page and back Madness in Crowds! Cover and Sample Art  

Time Codes: 00:24 - Introduction 02:19 - Setup of interview 04:13 - Interview with Peter Normanton 55:17 - Wrap up 55:53 - Contact us On past episodes of The Comics Alternative, the Two Guys have discussed comics fandom and zine culture quite often, although usually the context surrounds American fan activity. But as Derek points out in his conversation with Peter Normanton, he has little knowledge of fanzines outside of the states, particularly within the United Kingdom. That's why Peter's latest book, It Crept from the Tomb, was such an enlightening read. Normanton was the publisher and editor of the UK horror zine, From the Tomb, which began in 2000 and ran for over 20-some issues. Several years ago, he was approached by Roy Thomas about the possibility editing a collection from the pages of his horror zine, and the result was The Best of From the Tomb, which came out from TwoMorrows Publishing in 2012. And then more recently, John Morrow asked Peter about a second “best of” collection surrounding From the Tomb…and this request eventually became Peter's newest release, It Crept from the Tomb. In his conversation with Peter Normanton, Derek talks with his guest about his time as an editor and publisher, the history of comics in in the UK, his love of the horror genre and comics fandom, and the many challenges he faced in putting out a fanzine over the years. NOTE: Over the course of Derek's conversation with Peter, they experienced occasional problems with the internet connection. Peter lives in northwest Britain, and at times the connection on Skype was sketchy. So apologies in advance for the several breaks and momentary silences that are noticeable on Peter's track. Still, the gist of his comments comes through clearly, so please overlook any technical difficulties they may have had.

Time Codes: 00:00:33 - Introduction 00:02:57 - Listener mail! 00:10:23 - James Joyce: Portrait of a Dubliner - A Graphic Biography 00:41:38 - NOW#3 01:13:43 - A discussion of the 2018 Eisner Award nominations 02:00:49 - Wrap up 02:01:55 - Contact us This week Paul and Derek review two recent releases, and they also take the time to discuss this year's Eisner Award nominations. They start off with Alfonso Zapico's James Joyce: Portrait of a Dubliner - A Graphic Biography (Arcade Publishing). Originally published in Spanish, this is a look at the life of the famous Irish modernist, covering not only his accomplishments as a writer, but his family and personal relations, as well. As the guys discuss, Zapico's text provides a general outline of the major events and relationships in Joyce's life, but as with most comics-based biographies, the interiority of the subject is limited. At the same time, this is a well-paced and even detailed look at the author of Dubliners and Ulysses, with Zapico presenting a very human portrait of a writer most may only know from a critical distance. After that, the Two Guys check out the latest issue of NOW, the Fantagraphics anthology edited by Eric Reynolds. This has become an ongoing obligation of The Comics Alternative, covering each issue of this anthology as it's released. (Paul and Derek discussed NOW#1 last fall, and then Gene and Derek looked at NOW#2 back in January.) The latest collection brings together several artists contributing to previous issues -- e.g., Noah Van Sciver, Eleanor Davis, and Dash Shaw -- but also a variety of creators who are not only new to the anthology, but brand new to both Paul and Derek, as well. In fact, this is one of the things they enjoy about NOW, its diversity and the editor's dedication to exposing the work of little-known comics artists. Some of the most notable pieces in this third issue are from contributors outside of North America, including Marcello Quintanhila (Brazil), Anne Simon (France), and Roberta Scomparsa (Italy). The guys wrap up this week's show with a discussion of the 2018 Eisner Award nominations. Paul and Derek do not make any predictions, nor do they second-guess the award judges or speculate as to internal dynamics about which they had no way of knowing. What they dodiscuss are the various creators and publishers under nomination, any trends or tendencies they can possibly discern from this year's selections, the process of categorization and definition within the industry, and the sheer number of current nominees, artists and texts, that were actually discussed on The Comics Alternative.  

For this week's Kickstarter show, Derek talks Rickman about his current campaign Sock: The Comic Book. It's the (largely) wordless story of an unlikely hero displaced from his companion in the laundromat, and going at it on his own as a crimefighter. Sockwill be a 32-page black-and-white comic book, one that will be appropriate for all ages. Rickman describes the origins of Sockthis way: The idea came to me during the 1999 San Diego Comic Con while at the pool with friends after a day at the show. The conversation turned toward the weirdest comic characters we knew. Flaming Carrot, The Tick, Ed the Happy Clown, Reid Fleming: World's Toughest Milkman, Sam and Max: Freelance Police, were all tossed about. The question was asked: what would be the wackiest thing to make into a comic? As my feet dangled in the water I glanced toward my shoes and saw my socks. I reached for my sketchbook (always next to me) and "SOCK" was born. Offbeat, wacky, wordless, all-ages, lost laundry...what's not to like? Be sure to check out Sock: The Comic Book, and see exactly what happens when yoursocks go missing. Sample Art