Podcasts about Fantagraphics Books

“Even though this is a book about snake girls and lizard boys — it's about universal experiences: we can't change what's happening, but you never know when being kind will change somebody else. ,” Jonathan Hill's an award-winning cartoonist, illustrator, and educator in Portland, Oregon — and a returning guest - to celebrate the launch of his latest graphic novel: “Lizard Boy 2: The Most Perfect Summer Ever.” While the sci-fi title might have you scratching your head, this YA sequel is actually a beautiful, compelling story of self-acceptance, community, and family — we can't recommend it enough for parents and kids alike, as well as it's prequel “Tales of a Seventh-Grade Lizard Boy.” Jonathan is HALF Vietnamese American - and while the story is about an immigrant family, community acceptance, and belonging - Jonathan's work, his characters and their journey are important for all of us to be reading at this particular moment in our nation.  Jonathan's work has been published by Walker Books, First Second, and Oni Press - and featured at ABC New Voices, YALSA and JLG selections, and won awards like the 2012 Carla Cohen Free Speech Award, the 2021 Believer Book Award for Graphic Literature, and the 2022 Junior Library Guild Selection. Jonathan's also an accomplished cartoonist with clients like Microsoft, the Portland Trailblazers, the Viet Nam Literature Project, the Inlander, Fantagraphics Books, Dark Horse Comics, Tor.com, The Believer Magazine, Literary Arts, and Powell's City of Books. AND he's been the staff illustrator to The Asian Reporter since 2007. Jonathan also teaches comics and visual narrative - having taught at the Pacific Northwest College, the Oregon College of Art and Craft. He graduated as valedictorian from the prestigious Savannah College of Art & Design, and currently serves on the Board of Directors of Literary Arts and chairs the Youth Programs Advisory Council.  Jonathan's an important voice, creating important work for not just our kids, but for all of us to be learning from — so be sure to check out his work. LEARN MORE oneofthejohns.com/one-of-the-johns instagram.com/oneofthejohns BOOK 1: Tales of a Seventh-Grade Lizard Boy - penguinrandomhouse.com/books/714742/tales-of-a-seventh-grade-lizard-boy-a-graphic-novel-by-jonathan-hill-illustrated-by-jonathan-hill/ BOOK 2: Lizard Boy 2: The Most Perfect Summer Ever - penguinrandomhouse.com/books/774237/lizard-boy-2-the-most-perfect-summer-ever-by-jonathan-hill-illustrated-by-jonathan-hill/9781536216479/ MENTIONS OUR FIRST CHAT (May 2023): podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/jonathan-hills-tales-of-belonging/id1507595726?i=1000613932953 COMIC: Speechless: A Graphic Novel (Aron Nels Steinke): goodreads.com/book/show/210563340 MUSIC: Neko Case - https://www.allmusic.com/artist/neko-case-mn0000381371 MUSIC:  Kim Deal's New Album - https://kimdeal.bandcamp.com/album/nobody-loves-you-more Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kayla E.'s Precious Rubbish (Fantagraphics, 2025), is an experimental graphic memoir drawn in a style that references the aesthetics of mid-century children's comics and tells the story of a childhood shaped by maternal emotional dysregulation, rural poverty, and incest. The author's childhood is portrayed as a collection of short-form comics and gag panels punctuated by interactive elements like paper dolls, satirical advertisements, games, and puzzles. While the work is concerned with violence and a particularly Texan brand of Pentecostal fanaticism, it is presented in a playful visual language with a deadpan humor that elevates the material beyond mere graphic memoir. Precious Rubbish is a landmark work of comics storytelling and graphic medicine. The debut graphic novel from artist Kayla E., Precious Rubbish asks the reader to do the extratextual work of filling out narrative gaps, which mirrors the challenge of trauma recollection. The reader is invited to co-labor in the meaning-making process, an exercise that facilitates an intimacy (between the author, the subject, and the reader) that is at once horrifying and hilarious. Please note that this interview discusses issues of trauma including sexual violence, incest, and addiction.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/literature

Kayla E.'s Precious Rubbish (Fantagraphics, 2025), is an experimental graphic memoir drawn in a style that references the aesthetics of mid-century children's comics and tells the story of a childhood shaped by maternal emotional dysregulation, rural poverty, and incest. The author's childhood is portrayed as a collection of short-form comics and gag panels punctuated by interactive elements like paper dolls, satirical advertisements, games, and puzzles. While the work is concerned with violence and a particularly Texan brand of Pentecostal fanaticism, it is presented in a playful visual language with a deadpan humor that elevates the material beyond mere graphic memoir. Precious Rubbish is a landmark work of comics storytelling and graphic medicine. The debut graphic novel from artist Kayla E., Precious Rubbish asks the reader to do the extratextual work of filling out narrative gaps, which mirrors the challenge of trauma recollection. The reader is invited to co-labor in the meaning-making process, an exercise that facilitates an intimacy (between the author, the subject, and the reader) that is at once horrifying and hilarious. Please note that this interview discusses issues of trauma including sexual violence, incest, and addiction.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/biography

In this episode of the Comic Crusaders Podcast, host Al Mega sits down with acclaimed comic creators MK Reed and Jonathan Hill to delve into their latest collaborative project, Budding Crisis. This horticultural fantasy series, released through ComiXology Originals, explores a world where magic seeds that grant wishes are on the brink of extinction. Each issue presents a self-contained story, examining how different individuals and societies respond to the impending loss of this precious resource. About the Team: MK Reed: A versatile comic book author, graphic novelist, editor, and publishing consultant, MK Reed is known for her engaging storytelling and unique artistic vision. Her notable works include Americus and Science Comics: Wild Weather. In Budding Crisis, she continues to captivate readers with thought-provoking narratives. Jonathan Hill: An award-winning cartoonist, illustrator, and educator, Jonathan Hill has an impressive portfolio that includes collaborations with Fantagraphics Books and The Believer Magazine. His previous works, such as Americus and Wild Weather: Storms, Meteorology, and Climate, showcase his artistic prowess. Reuniting with MK Reed for Budding Crisis, Jonathan brings the story to life with his distinctive illustrations. Where to Find Budding Crisis: Budding Crisis is available exclusively through ComiXology Originals. You can purchase Issue #1 here: amazon.com Connect with the Creators: MK Reed: Follow her on X (formerly Twitter) at @yesthatmkreed for updates on her latest projects. Jonathan Hill: Explore more of his work on his Amazon author page. Thank You for Watching / Listening! We appreciate your support! Episode 531 in an unlimited series! Host: Al Mega Follow on Twitter | Instagram | Facebook: @TheRealAlMega / @ComicCrusaders Make sure to Like/Share/Subscribe if you haven't yet: Rumble/Twitch: ComicCrusaders YouTube: / comiccrusadersworld Visit the official Comic Crusaders Comic Book Shop: comiccrusaders.shop Visit the OFFICIAL Comic Crusaders Swag Shop at: comiccrusaders.us Website: https://www.comiccrusaders.com/​​​​ Edited/Produced/Directed by Al Mega

Michael Dean has been an editor at The Comics Journal since 1999 and is the co-author (with Tom Spurgeon) of the oral history of Fantagraphics Books, Comics As Art: We Told You So. He's currently editing Fantagraphics' Lost Marvels series, which restores forgotten Marvel classics in beautiful hardcover editions. Volume One reprints the never-before-collected 1969 horror and suspense series, Tower of Shadows. It hits shelves on April 29th and is available for preorder now from Fantagraphics' website and your local comics shop.For 70 minutes of bonus content — including more of our conversation with Michael, our coverage of the Trial of the Falcon in Captain America #191, and our Mighty MBTM Checklist feature — support us at patreon.com/marvelbythemonth. Subscribers at the $5/month level get instant access to our bonus feed of content that contains over 150 extended and exclusive episodes.  Stories Covered in this Episode: "The Tarantula Is a Very Deadly Beast!" - Amazing Spider-Man #147, written by Gerry Conway, art by Ross Andru, Mike Esposito, and Dave Hunt, letters by Joe Rosen, colors by Stan Goldberg, edited by Len Wein, ©1975 Marvel Comics"Jackal, Jackal... Who's Got the Jackal?" - Amazing Spider-Man #148, written by Gerry Conway, art by Ross Andru, Mike Esposito, and Dave Hunt, letters by John Costanza, colors by Petra Goldberg, edited by Len Wein, ©1975 Marvel Comics"Even If I Live, I Die!" - Amazing Spider-Man #149, written by Gerry Conway, art by Ross Andru and Mike Esposito, letters by Annette Kawecki, colors by Janice Cohen, edited by Marv Wolfman, ©1975 Marvel Comics"Spider-Man... or Spider-Clone?" - Amazing Spider-Man #150, written by Archie Goodwin, art by Gil Kane, Mike Esposito, and Frank Giacoia, letters by Joe Rosen, colors by Petra Goldberg, edited by Marv Wolfman, ©1975 Marvel Comics "Marvel by the Month" theme v. 4 written by Robb Milne and performed by Robb Milne and Barb Allen. All incidental music by Robb Milne.Visit us on the internet (and buy some stuff) at marvelbythemonth.com, follow us on Bluesky at @marvelbythemonth.com and Instagram (for now) at @marvelbythemonth, and support us on Patreon at patreon.com/marvelbythemonth.Much of our historical context information comes from Wikipedia. Please join us in supporting them at wikimediafoundation.org. And many thanks to Mike's Amazing World of Comics, an invaluable resource for release dates and issue information. (RIP Mike.)

This week, we celebrate Revolutions Per Movie's 1 year anniversary with filmmaker and actor OWEN KLINE (A24's Funny Pages), who chose one of the most anticipated music films to discuss on the podcast, THE WHO'S TOMMY. We discuss the chicken/egg of the movie vs. the lp, the baked bean mythology, Ken Russell's pre-filmmaking history from being a ballet dancer to dodging the war, Russell's early BBC Composer films, Richard Lester and Lindsay Anderson, Robert Crumb and Fantagraphics Books, being a cultural dinosaur, the concept of selling out, the precision of the film that betrays its midnight movie status, Who's Next, how the Tommy LP kept The Who from breaking up, the ARP synth, the use of repetition in both the LP and the movie, transgressive music, how and why Townshend kept changing the shape of the story of Tommy, the aborted projects LIFEHOUSE & THE ANGELS that used elements to make the film Tommy, could we pick up the concept album plot before seeing the movie (and even after seeing it!), Ann-Margret's Oscar-nominated performance, the amount of sweat that appears on actors in the film, the surprising debut acting turn of Roger Daltrey, the UK white boy blues movement, Russell's choice of having the actor sing, including Jack Nicholson's strange turn, Keith Moon's approach to Uncle Ernie, Chris's concept double album Colonel Jeffrey Pumpernickel, Tina Turner's incredible performance as the acid queen and how Mick Jagger was in talks to do the role instead, does Elton John and Tina turner steal the film, the strange final 1/3 of the film, Dauhgltrey's perfect cartwheels, acting through song and so much more!We are also joined by special guest Barry Winch, who starred in TOMMY as ‘Young Tommy'!!! He illuminates us both about being a child on the set of the strange film, what it was like working with Ken Russell, Ann-Margret & Oliver Reed, how they got honest performances out of him as a child actor, how The Who protested going to the premiere unless he was invited (since he was underage), how Ken Russell himself accidentally cast him, his family's acting history, playing hide and seek with Oliver Reed, what it felt like being on the set of that movie, what the Tommy props from the film have been auctioned at, why he wasn't allowed to wander around the set, his favorite memories and some moments of being afraid as well.All this and more as we celebrate the one year anniversary of REVOLUTIONS PER MOVIE!!!OWEN KLINE:https://a24films.com/films/funny-pagesREVOLUTIONS PER MOVIE:Host Chris Slusarenko (Eyelids, Guided By Voices, owner of Clinton Street Video rental store) is joined by actors, musicians, comedians, writers & directors who each week pick out their favorite music documentary, musical, music-themed fiction film or music videos to discuss. Fun, weird, and insightful, Revolutions Per Movie is your deep dive into our life-long obsessions where music and film collide.Revolutions Per Movies releases new episodes every Thursday. If you like the show, please subscribe, rate, and review it on your favorite podcast app.The show is also a completely independent affair, so the best way to support it is through our Patreon at patreon.com/revolutionspermovie. By joining, you can get weekly bonus episodes, physical goods such as Flexidiscs, and other exclusive goods.SOCIALS:@revolutionspermovieX, BlueSky: @revpermovie Click here to get EXCLUSIVE BONUS WEEKLY Revolutions Per Movie content on our Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ambition. Perspective. Competition. Kindness. These themes are at the heart of our conversation with essayist and cartoonist Tim Kreider. Drawing from his essay, “The Ones Who Turned Back” we talk about mid-life changes in creative practice, plus thoughts on the tension between doing what you want and doing what you are rewarded for (or what people expect of you) and why you want to stay not only young at heart, but young at mind.  Tim Kreider is the author of the essay collections We Learn Nothing and I Wrote This Book Because I Love You. His Substack is called “The Loaf” and he has contributed to The New York Times, The New Yorker, Vox, Nerve, Men's Journal, The Comics Journal, Film Quarterly, and Fangoria. His cartoons have been collected in three books by Fantagraphics Books. His cartoon, “The Pain—When Will It End?” ran for twelve years in the Baltimore City Paper and other alternative weeklies, and is archived at the paincomics.com. Tim was born and educated in Baltimore, Maryland. He lives in New York City and an idyllic compound in the Ozark woods. His cat The Quetzal died in 2013. His new cat is Richard, who is a fool, an adorable little fool.The ReferendumThe Ones Who Turned Back This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit emergingform.substack.com/subscribe

News Strip November continues! KRAZY KAT (also known as KRAZY & IGNATZ in some reprints and compilations) was an American newspaper comic strip by George Herriman which ran from 1913 to 1944. In this episode, we'll dive into the history of the character and their creator, through the lens of the compilation "The George Herriman Library: Krazy & Ignatz 1916-1918", the first of four oversized Herriman collections published by Fantagraphics Books: https://www.fantagraphics.com/collections/krazy-ignatz/products/the-george-herriman-library-krazy-ignatz-1916-1918 --- Follow us on Instagram at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/theveryfinecomicbookpodcast/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and send us questions to potentially read on-air via IG DM or via email at theveryfinecomicbookpodcast@gmail.com If you're enjoying The Very Fine Comic Book Podcast, please take the time to Rate it [on Spotify], Rate+Review it [on Apple Podcasts], Follow/Subscribe, and tell a friend! New episodes forthcoming weekly! Mail us things c/o Justin Decloux, Unit 1010, 3230 Yonge St, Toronto, ON, M4N 3P6, Canada Thanks for listening! Keep reading comics! ---

This week we talk about Lord Hades's Ruthless Marriage, Cowboy Bebop LIVE, and Yaruki Nante Arimasen! Then we review Susume Higa's fantastic historical manga Okinawa, published through Fantagraphics Books and MSX:Mangasplaining Extra!!! Send us emails! mangamachinations@gmail.com  Follow us on Twitter! @mangamacpodcast Check out our website! https://mangamachinations.com Check out our YouTube channel! https://www.youtube.com/mangamactv Timestamps: Intro Song: “Are You Ready For Me Baby” by Funk Giraffe, Opening, Introductions, Crocheting quilts - 00:00:00 Whatchu Been Reading: Transition Song: “Funkymania” by The Original Orchestra, Morgana loves Lord Hades's Ruthless Marriage - 00:02:40 Darfox talks about his experience seeing Cowboy Bebop LIVE - 00:08:26 dakazu really enjoys Tommy Okuno's middle school drama Yaruki Nante Arimasen - 00:29:49 Next Episode Preview and Rundown: Triple Dip, where we read the beginning of three different manga, including: ATOM: The Beginning by Masami Yuuki & Tetsuro Kasahara, Boy's Abyss by Ryo Minenami, and The Summer Hikaru Died by Mokumokuren - 00:36:06 Main Segment One Shot: Tatsuki Fujimoto Before Chainsaw Man, Transition Song: “It's Over” by Generation Lost, We will review Susumu Higa's tales of the Battle of Okinawa and the modern life of the people living in the aftermath - 00:36:50 Next Week's Topic: ATOM: The Beginning/Boy's Abyss/The Summer Hikaru Died, Social Media Rundown, Sign Off Song: “Crazy for Your Love” by Orkas - 01:29:52

“I remember someone asked ‘why do you only draw white people?' It really put a mirror to me and I was like, ‘why is that?' I think it's the culture I grew up around — I didn't have that opportunity to see myself.” Jonathan Hill is an award-winning cartoonist, illustrator, and educator living in Portland, OR. Jonathan is the creator of numerous graphic novels - including Americus, Odessa, and his latest - Tales of a Seventh-Grade Lizard Boy. And your guess of which of this is about sci-fi dystopia is probably wrong - but all of his works hit on some pretty relevant themes of family and belonging. Jonathan's work does that thing that great fiction does - wrapping an important theme in a seemingly fantastic narrative. While there is a Vietnamese American family as part of the story, let's just say the main characters are also not from around here. In our chat we really got to understand the why behind so many of Jonathan's story telling choices. We'd definitely recommend Tales of a Seventh-Grade Lizard Boy for any of us who have ever just wanted to belong - or for folks who need a better understanding of what it's like to not belong. Beyond being a graphic novelist, Jonathan's an accomplished cartoonist with clients like Microsoft, the Portland Trailblazers, the Vietnam Literature Project, the Inlander, Fantagraphics Books, Dark Horse Comics, Tor.com, The Believer Magazine, Literary Arts, and Powell's City of Books. AND he's been the staff illustrator to The Asian Reporter since 2007. Jonathan also teaches comics and visual narrative — having taught at Pacific Northwest College of Art, Oregon College of Art was Writer in Residence through Literary Arts' Writers in the Schools program — and he currently serves on the Board of Directors of Literary Arts and chairs the Youth Programs Advisory Council. It goes without saying, Jonathan's one of those empathetic creators whose work you'll want to keep an eye on. LEARN ABOUT JONATHAN HILL oneofthejohns.com BOOK: Tales of a Seventh-Grade Lizard Boy - goodreads.com/en/book/show/48622007 BOOK: Odessa - goodreads.com/en/book/show/50891498 instagram.com/oneofthejohns MENTIONS ARTICLE (Time) - I Love America. That's Why I Have to Tell the Truth About It - time.com/5455490/american-like-me BOOK: The Sympathizer (Viet Thanh Nguyen): goodreads.com/en/book/show/23168277 BOOK: Fuzz & Pluck - goodreads.com/en/book/show/648527 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Join Josh in the Hypertime as he discusses the Air Pirates Funnies and the fallout with Disney. WARNING: Some explicit content is mentioned Sources: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_Pirates https://www.copyright.gov/fair-use/summaries/waltdsney-airpirates-9thcir1978.pdf https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/district-courts/FSupp/345/108/1891375/ https://www.hilobrow.com/2020/02/02/taking-mickey-12/ http://cbldf.org/2013/05/disneys-bloody-attack-on-the-air-pirates/ https://www.civilized.life/articles/the-air-pirates-mickey-mouse-copyright-law/ https://youtu.be/Dlm6A0NrSAw https://youtu.be/ni-9pDDNYA0 https://youtu.be/LL4Q3UlT80E https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dan_O%27Neill https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/mlf-communique-1979-air-pirates-2nd-1788632154 https://www.hakes.com/Auction/ItemDetail/29064/WALT-DISNEY-WMICKEY-MOUSE-ORIGINAL-ART-DONE-FOR-MLF-MOUSE-LIBERATION-FRONT https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/mouse-liberation-front-air-pirates-1821150028 http://cbldf.org/2013/05/disneys-bloody-attack-on-the-air-pirates/ Levin, Bob. The Pirates and the Mouse. Seattle, Fantagraphics Books, 2003 Please rate and review! Share our podcast with people you know! Let us know how to get better! Follow the podcast on Twitter: @HypertimePod or send us an email at hypertime2podcast@gmail.com Follow Josh on Twitter: @jmille99 Follow Allan on Twitter: @TheAllanMuir Intro and Outro Music: “RetroFuture Clean” by Kevin MacLeod RetroFuture Clean Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Join Josh in the Hypertime as he discusses the Air Pirates Funnies and the fallout with Disney. WARNING: Some explicit content is mentioned Sources: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_Pirates https://www.copyright.gov/fair-use/summaries/waltdsney-airpirates-9thcir1978.pdf https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/district-courts/FSupp/345/108/1891375/ https://www.hilobrow.com/2020/02/02/taking-mickey-12/ http://cbldf.org/2013/05/disneys-bloody-attack-on-the-air-pirates/ https://www.civilized.life/articles/the-air-pirates-mickey-mouse-copyright-law/ https://youtu.be/Dlm6A0NrSAw https://youtu.be/ni-9pDDNYA0 https://youtu.be/LL4Q3UlT80E https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dan_O%27Neill https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/mlf-communique-1979-air-pirates-2nd-1788632154 https://www.hakes.com/Auction/ItemDetail/29064/WALT-DISNEY-WMICKEY-MOUSE-ORIGINAL-ART-DONE-FOR-MLF-MOUSE-LIBERATION-FRONT https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/mouse-liberation-front-air-pirates-1821150028 http://cbldf.org/2013/05/disneys-bloody-attack-on-the-air-pirates/ Levin, Bob. The Pirates and the Mouse. Seattle, Fantagraphics Books, 2003 Please rate and review! Share our podcast with people you know! Let us know how to get better! Follow the podcast on Twitter: @HypertimePod or send us an email at hypertime2podcast@gmail.com Follow Josh on Twitter: @jmille99 Follow Allan on Twitter: @TheAllanMuir Intro and Outro Music: “RetroFuture Clean” by Kevin MacLeod RetroFuture Clean Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

It's Spooky Season, y'all! This month the Always YA panel classifies themselves as Spooky, Scary, or Slasher. We all share some YA book picks to read during October, and Susan shares some interesting info about the history horror comics. Listen if you dare! Instagram: @alwaysyapod Email: alwaysyapod@gmail.com Media mentioned in this episode: The Sandman streaming on Netflix, based on the graphic novels by Neil Gaiman. Prey (2022) streaming on Hulu. Kingdom streaming on Netflix. All of Us Are Dead streaming on Netflix. Cobra Kai streaming on Netflix. Hocus Pocus 2 streaming on Disney+. Into the Sublime by Kate A. Boorman Grady Hendrix's My Best Friend's Exorcism streaming on Amazon Prime on September 30th. Sonia Saraiya. The Karate Kid, Cobra Kai, and the Odd Legacy of Mr. Miyagi. Vanity Fair, July 3, 2019. Dade Hayes. ‘Cobra Kai' KOs ‘Bridgerton' On Nielsen Streaming List; ‘Soul' Enters Limbo State. Deadline, February 8, 2021. Problematic Fave podcast on Spotify. Darren Mooney. The Karate Kid Movies Explore Hollywood's Complicated Martial Arts History. The Escapist, January 1, 2021. Haiyang Yang and Kuangjie Zhang, The Psychology Behind Why We Love (or Hate) Horror. Harvard Business Review, October 26, 2021. Merphy Napier's Youtube video How Reading Fiction Affects Your Brain explains the benefit of reading Stephen King's Pet Sematary in helping her process grief. Mike Duran, ordained minister and author of Christian Horror: On the Compatibility of a Biblical Worldview and the Horror Genre, blog post “Is Beowulf the First “Religious Horror” Story Ever Written?” published July 28, 2015. “The Top 10 Most Watched Shows During Quarantine.” Daily Infographic, September 5, 2021. My Heart Is a Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones. Beowulf, translated by Maria Dahvana Headley. Something Is Killing the Children by James Tynion IV, Deluxe hardcover edition book one (collects comic #1-15). The Ten-Cent Plague by David Hajdu. Fredric Wertham. What Parents Don't Know About Comic Books. Ladies Home Journal, November 1953. Joe Sergi. 1948: The Year Comics Met Their Match. Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. June 8, 2012. “How America Almost Destroyed The Comic Book Industry”. CNBC, YouTube, July 17, 2021. Provides a brief overview of the censorship of horror comics. The documentary Comic Book Confidential includes footage from the testimony of Bill Gaines, founder of EC Comics and later Mad Magazine, at the 1954 Senate Subcommittee on Juvenile Delinquency. You can watch some clips from the hearings on YouTube. Kelly McEvers, These 'Paperbacks From Hell' Reflect The Real-Life Angst Of The 1970s. NPR, October 26, 2017. Home to Stay!: The Complete Ray Bradbury EC Stories by Ray Bradbury, Fantagraphics Books, 2022.

On today's nerdtastically newsworthy episode of #NerdORama, we welcome Author & Pop Culture Historian Mathew Klickstein, who joins the program for an in-depth discussion regarding his new Fantagraphics Books release “See You At San Diego: An Oral History of Comic-Con, Fandom, and the Triumph of Geek Culture,” which provides a comprehensive chronicle of the rise of fandom and pop culture nostalgia throughout the past century…

ICYMI: The Mo'Kelly Show Presents – An in-depth conversation with Author & Pop Culture Historian Mathew Klickstein, who joins the program to discuss the Fantagraphics Books release “See You At San Diego: An Oral History of Comic-Con, Fandom, and the Triumph of Geek Culture” … A comprehensive chronicle of the rise of fandom and pop culture nostalgia throughout the past century on KFI AM 640 – Live everywhere on the iHeartRadio app

Links to things we talked about:Love & Rockets T-Shirt from FantagraphicsToronto Comic Arts FestivalMontreal Comic Arts FestivalStone Fruit by Lee LaiA Visit From the Goon Squad by Jennifer EganThe Candy House by Jennifer EganBBC Symphony Orchestra Discover Jonas' presentation at the Forecast Forum, including more original music from himMy Neighbor Totoro from the Royal Shakespeare CompanyThe Sandman IMDB | BookshopOur Plugs:NOW #12 from Fantagraphics Books, featuring a short story by FrançoisScriptnotes interview with Patrick Somerville, writer/showrunner for Station Eleven, based on the book for Emily St. John Mandel | IMDB | BookshopSupport the show by buying any of the books we spoke about from our Bookshop!Follow us:Instagram and TwitterJonas:Instagram and TwitterFrançois:Instagram

THE ISSUE: ACME Novelty Library #8 Written, illustrated, & lettered by Chris Ware Published 1997, Fantagraphics Books, Inc. THE GUEST: Austin English Domino Comics impresario Austin English joins In This Issue… to discuss our first experiences with the Chris Ware comic ACME Novelty Library #8. (We also briefly discuss the legacy of the Vertigo Comics release Dhampire: Stillborn (1997) by Nancy A. Collins & Paul Lee) _

Zack's new pod is over on it's own feed! Check out this second ep here and go subscribe! THE ISSUE: ACME Novelty Library #8 Written, illustrated, & lettered by Chris Ware Published 1997, Fantagraphics Books, Inc. THE GUEST: Austin English Domino Comics impresario Austin English joins In This Issue... to talk about our first experiences with the Chris Ware comic ACME Novelty Library #8. (We also briefly discuss the legacy of the Vertigo Comics release Dhampire: Stillborn (1997) by Nancy A. Collins & Paul Lee)

THE ISSUE: ACME Novelty Library #8 Written, illustrated, & lettered by Chris Ware Published 1997, Fantagraphics Books, Inc. THE GUEST: Austin English Domino Comics impresario Austin English joins In This Issue... to talk about our first experiences with the Chris Ware comic ACME Novelty Library #8. (We also briefly discuss the legacy of the Vertigo Comics release Dhampire: Stillborn (1997) by Nancy A. Collins & Paul Lee)

In postwar America, there was arguably no newspaper comic strip more recognizable than Charles Schulz's Peanuts. It was everywhere, not just in thousands of daily newspapers. For nearly fifty years, Peanuts was a mainstay of American popular culture in television, movies, and merchandising, from the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade to the White House to the breakfast table. Most people have come to associate Peanuts with the innocence of childhood, not the social and political turmoil of the 1960s and 1970s. Some have even argued that Peanuts was so beloved because it was apolitical. The truth, according to history professor Blake Scott Ball, is that Peanuts was very political. Whether it was the battles over the Vietnam War, racial integration, feminism, or the future of a nuclear world, Ball argued in his book Charlie Brown's America: The Popular Politics of Peanuts that the strip was a daily conversation about very real hopes and fears and the political realities of the Cold War world. In conversation with comic book editor Gary Groth, he drew upon thousands of fan letters, interviews, and behind-the-scenes documents to reveal that Charles Schulz used his comic strip to project his ideas to a mass audience and comment on the rapidly changing politics of America. Don't miss this historical journey through the tumultuous decades of the Cold War as seen through the eyes of Charlie Brown, Lucy, Linus, Peppermint Patty, Snoopy, and the rest of the Peanuts gang. Blake Scott Ball is Assistant Professor of History at Huntingdon College. He served as assistant director for the New Summersell Center Public History Initiative at the University of Alabama, and as an editor for the Southern Historian graduate history journal. Gary Groth is an American comic book editor, publisher, and critic. He is editor-in-chief of The Comics Journal, and  co-founder of Fantagraphics Books, which he established In 1976 with Michael Catron and Kim Thompson. Groth's Comics Journal is known for applying rigorous critical standards to comic books. It disparages formulaic superhero books and work-for-hire publishers, and has favored artists like R. Crumb and Art Spiegelman. Groth also founded the Harvey Awards, one of the comic industry's oldest awards. Groth lives and works in Seattle. Buy the Book: https://www.thirdplacebooks.com/book/9780190090463  Presented by Town Hall Seattle. To become a member or make a donation online click here.

That new comic book series, is it going to be a waste of money? That new TV Show, is it going to be a waste of time? That new movie, is it going to be a waste of BOTH? My Big Fat Pull List are here to let you know, quite frankly, “Is It Worth It?” Up first, a look at IDWs Usagi Yojimbo series. (originally released 3/18/20) — Visit Our Patreon Page And Support The Show! — Usagi Yojimbo https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usagi_Yojimbo — Stan Sakai https://stansakai.com/ — Musashi Miyamoto https://www.britannica.com/biography/Miyamoto-Musashi-Japanese-soldier-artist — Space Usagi https://usagiyojimbo.fandom.com/wiki/Space_Usagi — Bucky O'Hare https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bucky_O%27Hare — Volume 1 Fantagraphics Books https://www.fantagraphics.com/usagiyojimbo1/?sef_rewrite=1 — Volume 2 Mirage Comics https://atomicavenue.com/title/3287/Usagi-Yojimbo-Vol-2 — Volume 3 Dark Horse Comics https://www.darkhorse.com/Usagi/Books — Volume 4 IDW https://www.idwpublishing.com/search/USAGI+YOJIMBO/

Explicit Warning! This episode contains strong language and is recommended for mature listeners. For the last episode of 2020, we segue seamlessly from Bucky Barnes to another iconic comics antihero, Buddy Bradley, with a discussion of five stories featuring the Bradley clan from Peter Bagge's 1980s anthology Neat Stuff, published by Fantagraphics Books! Specifically, we dive deep into “Rock ‘n' Roll Refugee,” “Mom Power,” “Sneakin' a Peek at Babs Bradley's Secret Diary,” “Hippy House,” and “Merry F—king Christmas.” (A sixth story that was announced last episode, “You're Not the Boss of Me,” was cut for time.) In these stories and others, Bagge presents a typical '80s suburban family in all its dysfunctional glory, laying the groundwork for the likes of Married ... With Children and The Simpsons. But Bagge balances the caustic family dynamics with faithful depictions of the teenage experience and explorations of such issues as religion and the plight of the working suburban mom, employing a wonderfully expressive and exaggerated cartooning style influenced by MAD Magazine and Looney Tunes shorts, among others. Will Buddy ever stop being such an a—hole? And will the Bradleys be invited into that nuclear family known as ... The Comics Canon? In This Episode: The provenance of Duran Duran's “A View to a Kill” Kevin's Uncle Ben moment The best-ever description of Boone's Farm All in the Family The Complete Hate Our Eltingville Club episode Peter Bagge's recent graphic novel biographies Peepshow: The Cartoon Diary of Joe Matt Join us in two weeks as we begin 2021 with one of the best-reviewed comics of 2020: Superman Smashes the Klan! Until then: Impress your friends with our Comics Canon merchandise! Rate us on Apple Podcasts! Send us an email! Hit us up on Twitter or Facebook! And as always, thanks for listening!

EPISODE 63Greetings, Explorers! Lend me your ear for our season 4 finale and we'll review you a graphic novel called Fab4 Mania. The story was written and illustrated by Carol Tyler. Fantagraphics Books published the story in 2018. The story is a recreation of Tyler's childhood diary and her love, -nay, obsession- with The Beatles as a 13-year-old girl in 1965. Her dream throughout the book is to see The Beatles live.Frankie, Dennis, and Johnny start by discussing the similarities (and differences) between My Favorite Thing Is Monsters to Fab4 Mania. For instance, both stories were published by Fantagraphics Books and share perspectives of being told by children. Secondly, Frankie tells tales about the legendary Chef-Boyardee Pizza Pie Kit from the 1960s. Finally, they discuss how Splendor in the Grass did for pizza what 9 1/2 Weeks did for ice cubes.Further topics include the difference between parenting in the 60s versus the 21st Century; the parallels between The Wonder Years, Stand By Me, and Fab4 Mania; if Frankie and Johnny's love of Paula Abdul compares to Tyler's love of The Beatles; and last, but not least, the storytelling and art of Fab4 Mania.Audio Book Club, Book Club, Carol Tyler, Comic Book, comic book podcast, Comic Books, Dennis Supachana, Fantagraphics Books, Frances Preziosi, Frankie, George Harrison, GNEC, Graphic Novel, Graphic Novel Book Club, Graphic Novel Explorers Club, Graphic Novel Explorers Club Podcast, Graphic Novel Podcast, Graphic Novels, Illustration, John Lennon, Johnny Flores, Paul McCartney, podcast, Ringo Starr, The Beatles, The Fab Four--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/graphicnovelexplorersclub/message See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Tim Kreider is the author of the essay collections We Learn Nothing and I Wrote This Book Because I Love You. He currently has a regular column at Medium, and has contributed to The New York Times, The New Yorker‘s “Page-Turner” blog, al Jazeera, Vox, Nerve, the Men's Journal, The Comics Journal, Film Quarterly, and Fangoria. His cartoons have been collected in three books by Fantagraphics Books. His cartoon, “The Pain—When Will It End?” ran for twelve years in the Baltimore City Paper and other alternative weeklies, and is archived at the paincomics.com. Tim was born and educated in Baltimore, Maryland. He lives in New York City and an Undisclosed Location on the Chesapeake Bay. Connect with Timothy Kreider: http://timkreider.com/ Get Tim's books: https://www.amazon.com/Wrote-This-Book-Because-Love/dp/1476738998/?tag=offsitoftimfe-20 https://medium.com/@t.w.kreider Connect with Nick Holderbaum: Personal Health Coaching: https://www.primalosophy.com/ Nick Holderbaum's Weekly Newsletter: Sunday Goods (T): @primalosophy (IG): @primalosophy iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-primalosophy-podcast/id1462578947 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBn7jiHxx2jzXydzDqrJT2A The Unfucked Firefighter Challenge

Tom Huck has been ‘disgusting the masses since 1995’ with his satirical woodcuts and his incredible art as an American printmaker. Huck is the owner of Evil Prints in St. Louis, a regular contributor to BLAB! of Fantagraphics Books and a personal comrade of Lern. The two met in 2008ish through a mutual friend and have been friends ever since. As you will hear in this interview – Huck has a vast appreciation for music and has created art for Motorhead, The Roots and A Perfect Circle. This episode pairs well with whisky and loud speakers turned all the way to eleven.

In part one of our three-part celebration of the great comics historian Bill Schelly, Bill's close friends Gary Groth of Fantagraphics Books and John Lustig of Last Kiss join Jason to reminisce about Bill, sharing stories about Bill's interesting life and happy late career. We discuss Bill's outstanding writing, his strong motivations to do his work, his unique life and approach to the world, and how neither Gary nor John ever heard Bill use profanity. This is one of my favorite episodes I've ever done of this show. Gary, John and I agreed this was a wonderful chance to celebrate Bill's life, a kind of wake in which we had a chance to trade stories and share our sorrow. I sincerely hope you enjoy it as well. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/classiccomics/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/classiccomics/support

In this episode, Crimewave!, our series on gritty crime comics, comes to a rollicking (and not entirely swear word-free) conclusion with the “Mommy and Clyde” graphic novel Bastard, written and drawn by Belgian cartoonist Max de Radiguès, published in America by Fantagraphics Books! After taking part in a massive heist that targeted 52 different locations in the same city at the same time, May and her son Eugene are on the run, trying to stay ahead of the police while hiding duffel bags stuffed with cash. And if that weren't difficult enough, they soon find themselves hunted by their fellow criminals! After a deadly confrontation, May is forced to make a decision that will change everything Eugene thought he knew about their relationship! Can our fleeing felons elude a pair of dangerous killers long enough for May to turn the tables on the traitor who wants them dead? And can they cross the border to that remote hideout known as ... The Comics Canon? In This Episode! BIG spoiler alert! Southwestern noir vs. urban noir How most criminals see themselves The simple, straightforward artwork of Max de Radiguès Our episode on The Walking Dead #100 Crosswind by Gail Simone and Cat Staggs The Mammoth Book of Best Crime Comics Where to get the perfect Halloween costume! Join us in two weeks as we look ahead to the Oct. 4 release of Joker with an exploration at 1989's controversial graphic novel Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth, by Grant Morrison and Dave McKean! Until then, turn some heads with our snazzy Comics Canon merchandise! And why not accessorize with a little King Krackle from our sponsor at Category 4? Last but not least, please help us spread the word! Rate us on iTunes, send us an email, and hit us up on Twitter or Facebook! We may read your comments in an upcoming episode. And as always, thanks for listening!

Welcome to GCandC'c Comic Book Book Club #2! In this episode Dirk and Corey cover Black Cat #1 by Marvel and Animosity #1 by Aftershock. As a bonus, the original two, Nate and Corey, get back together to discuss the final issue of The Walking Dead, Enjoy! CBBC #3 will Cover the graphic novel Black River written and drawn by Josh Simmons and published by Fantagraphics Books. So read up before watching and join the conversation during our next episode coming August 1st.

Pop Quiz: Do you know what a Michigan party store is? Well our guest this month does! We sit down with one of the coolest Seattleites around, Marc Palm! We talk with him about his work at Scarecrow Video, Fantagraphics Books, and his feature in Issue 8 of MAD Magazine. Marc is the maestro of design and his video cover art will transport you to new worlds. Mike and Ben chit chat about porns (pornos? pornys?) and the love Tracie Lords. And who would have guessed that a Mormon thrift store would have shelves or orange cassette Nickelodeon tapes? It's all on this months VHQUEST! *Thank you to all who came to TapeGod Tuesday this month. Please join us in honoring our TapeGod July 9th for another night of debauchery and VHS!

This week Jason speaks with J. Michael Catron, a senior editor at Fantagraphics Books who is responsible for the E.C. Comics and Disney Comics libraries, among others. Jason and Mike talk for around an hour about what made E.C. the greatest company of their time, celebrate some great cartoonists and some rather subpar lettering. They also delve into Mike's history as a publisher at his own Apple Comics. Show notes at comicscavalcade.tumblr.com --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/classiccomics/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/classiccomics/support

Episode 45Join Johnny, Frances, and Dennis as they discuss Ripple: A Predilection for Tina, by Dave Cooper. The book was originally published in 2004 but is now published by Fantagraphics Books. Ripple is the tumultuous story of Martin and Tina, who come together at first as artist and model, but later begin a confusing and antagonistic sexual relationship.In this episode the gang discusses what separates art from pornography; the comparisons that can be made between Martin and Humbert Humbert; why one does not want to read this book on Ash Wednesday; why this is the worse mea culpa of all time if that's what it is; and last but not least, the storytelling and art of Ripple: A Predilection for Tina.We bring season 3 of the podcast to an end with this episode but we'll be back in a few weeks with our Summer Special series. We hope you have a good summer!--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/graphicnovelexplorersclub/message See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Ron writes graphic novels and comics.  His works have been published in Highwater Books, Fantagraphics Books, Buenaventura Press, McSweeney's and Drawn & Quarterly and has also appeared in the New York Times, Vice Magazine, Canada's National Post,  In this episode, we discuss: Skibber Bee~Bye (2000); The Awake Field (2006), The Cartoon Utopia (2012); Paschal Beverly Randolph, Jheronimous Bosch, Maja D'Aoust, gender fluidity, the Cathors, Western Occult practices, orgone energy, and much more.  More Ron is located at http://ronregejr.tumblr.com/. 

Guest: Ed Luce Host: Christopher Kardambikis Recorded on February 24th, 2017 @ at The Los Angeles Art Book Fair // Los Angeles, CA Ed Luce is the San Francisco-based creator of Wuvable Oaf, a two-time Ignatz nominated series of comics and winner of the 2017 Lambda Literary Award for Best LGBTQ Graphic Novel. The first seven years of Oaf comics have been collected into two volumes by Fantagraphics Books. Ed has also created covers, comics and illustrations for VICE, Slate, Image Comics, Heavy Metal Magazine, Oni Press, IDW, Dark Horse, Decibel Magazine, Maximum RocknRoll, Henry & Glenn Forever & Ever series and the Eisner-nominated No Straight Lines Anthology. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/paper-cuts/support

Time Codes: 00:26 - Introduction 03:02 - Setup of interview 05:10 - Interview with Paul Karasik and Mark Newgarden 56:08 - Wrap up 58:29 - Contact us Gene and Derek are happy to have on the podcast Paul Karasik and Mark Newgarden. Their book How to Read Nancy: The Elements of Comics in Three Easy Panelswas released last fall from Fantagraphics Books. The authors are back on the circuit discussing their close reading of Ernie Bushmiller, but they took time to talk with the Two Guys about their landmark work. Over the course of the conversation, Mark and Paul reveal their history reading the Nancystrip, their original "How to Read Nancy" essayand the book that grew from there, the educational function of their detailed analysis, the work -- research, technological, and otherwise -- that went into this project, and, of course, there's the August 8, 1959 comic strip itself that comes under such meticulous scrutiny. Over the course of 44 steps, Paul and Mark pick apart this Nancystrip with painstaking detail. But How to Read Nancyalso includes a thorough biography overview of Ernie Bushmiller, multiple appendixes that provide abundant cultural and aesthetic context, and a "Do It Yourself" section where readers can apply the analytical skills they learn from the text. This is a must-read for every student of comics, creators and critics alike. A big THANK YOU to Craig Yoe, who actually planted the idea for this interview and became its chief encourager!  

Time Codes: 00:00:30 - Introduction 00:03:12 - Welcoming new Patreon supporters, and more listener mail! 00:14:29 - Why Art? 00:42:19 - Infidel #1 00:58:55 - Vampironica #1 01:13:58 - Wrap up 01:15:53 - Contact us This week Gene and Derek discuss three different titles that may or may not be connected (you'll have to ask Gene). They begin with Eleanor Davis's Why Art? (Fantagraphics Books). Going into this reading, the guys thought that the book might be more on the expository or critical side. However, they quickly discovered Davis's unique approach in combining humor, storytelling, and aesthetic analysis. After that they check out the first issue of Infidel (Image Comics), written by Pornsak Pichetshote and with art by Aaron Campbell. This is a curious combination of horror and the dynamics of intolerance, and the first issue raises a variety of questions that start off the series with good story momentum. The Two Guys with PhDs conclude with another horror title, Greg and Megan Smallwood's Vampironica #1. Although in the tradition of Archie Comics' other recent horror titles, this first issue doesn't have the same impact on the guys as did Afterlife with Archie or The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. Still, the art and premise are an attention-grabbing setup.  

Time Codes: 00:00:24 - Introduction 00:02:45 - Setup of interview 00:06:17 - Interview with Ho Che Anderson 01:12:00 - Wrap up 01:14:51 - Contact us On this interview episode, Gene and Derek talk with Ho Che Anderson about his new book Godhead, coming out next week from Fantagraphics Books. This is a work of speculative fiction involving corporate culture and its attempts to communicate with God. It's an ambitious narrative that zeroes in on the juncture of religion, technology, and capitalist greed. The book is the first of two volumes exploring this futuristic world, and it's a project that Anderson has been developing for years. The guys talk extensively with their guest about the genesis of and the creative process underlying Godhead, but they also ask about his larger body of work and its sheer diversity, from the erotic I Want to Be Your Dog, to the five-issue series (along with Wilfred Santiago) Pop Life, to the text he's perhaps best known for, his graphic biography of Martin Luther King. Both Gene and Derek have been big fans of Anderson's comics for years, and they're excited to finally get him on the podcast. Listen up and learn!

In this Valentine's Day episode, Curt and Kevin discuss a tale of love, longing and murder: Heartbreak Soup (or Sopa de Gran Pena) and its prologue, Chelo's Burden, written and drawn by Gilbert Hernandez, from the long-running series Love and Rockets, published by Fantagraphics Books. In the small Latin American town of Palomar, a violent breakup finds dazed, drunken Tip in' Tip in' taken under the wing of headstrong 11-year-old Carmen. Meanwhile, Pipo, Carmen's 14-year-old sister, is quickly falling in love with Manuel, the town's baby-faced lothario. But that doesn't sit well with hot-headed Gato, who carries a major torch for Pipo. When this love triangle turns deadly, will all three live to tell the tale? Can Chelo, the town's bañadora, survive a little competition from beguiling newcomer Luba? And can this indelible cast of characters move on up to that magnificent metropolis known as … The Comics Canon? Things Discussed in This Episode: Love and Rockets A Talking Cat!?! A disturbing age difference One of Kevin's biggest pet peeves The films of Robert Altman Strong women and horny idiots The Soledad problem What Curt has in common with Manuel Human Diastrophism (or Blood of Palomar) Daytripper Join us in two weeks as we anticipate the second season of Marvel's Jessica Jones on Netflix with a look at Alias Vol. 4: The Secret Origins of Jessica Jones! Until then, please rate us on iTunes, send us an email, or hit us up on Twitter or Facebook, and we may read your comments in an upcoming episode. And as always, thanks for listening!

Time Codes: 00:00:24 - Introduction 00:02:24 - Setup of interview 00:04:23 - Interview with Tim Lane 02:13:48 - Wrap up 02:15:18 - Contact us On this interview episode Derek talks with Tim Lane about his series Happy Hour in America, Vol. 2, the first issue of which is just being released from Fantagraphics Books. This isn't the first time that Tim has been interviewed on The Comics Alternative. In January 2015, Derek published on the blog a text-based conversation with him that he had conducted via email. That was a insightful and substantive interview, but the current one goes even further, allowing Tim not only to comment on his current work, but to delve into a variety of other topics, such as the business side of the medium, the state of comic books as a publishing platform, and matters of comics pedagogy. But the core of the conversation concerns Tim's latest efforts in this new volume of Happy Hour in America, his fascination with twentieth-century Americana, his previous collections -- Abandoned Cars and The Lonesome Go -- and the interpretive biography he currently has underway, Just Like Steve McQueen. This is an unusually long interview, running just over two hours, but it's an engaging conversation that will introduce you to Tim's "Great American Mythological Drama." And be sure to support Tim Lane on Patreon!

If only Emil Ferris could have illustrated this episode! This week we talk about the massive graphic novel My Favorite Thing is Monsters Vol. 1 by Emil Ferris, published by Fantagraphics Books. It's got some truly beautiful art and many truly twisty plots, so let's get right to it. **Note: some sort of demon (probably Corinne's cat Murphy) got into the sound board and screwed up Corinne's mic feed while we were playing our quiz, so you'll hear that it cuts short in the episode. Sorry!** You can buy My Favorite Thing is Monsters by Emil Ferris at your local independent bookstore, or borrow it from your library. Our next book discussion is going to be Turtles All the Way Down by John Green and same thing re: bookstores/libraries. You know, if you don't already have it. Please Rate, Subscribe, & Review!

It's a translation bonanza! First, Helge Dascher shares anecdotes and observations from a 20+ year career of translating comics and graphic novels, and discusses how to bring Montreal culture to the world. Then Episode 5 guest Katia Grubisic returns to read from her translation of David Clerson's "Brothers" (Baraka Books/QC Fiction)and her own collection "What if red ran out" (Goose Lane), and to talk about getting literary translation right. Plus, Guillaume Morissette recommends "The Collected Books of Artie Gold" (Talonbooks) for Quebec Libris. Montrealer Helge Dascher specializes in the translation of texts that are linked to images, including comics, digital storytelling projects, and exhibitions. Katia Grubisic is a writer, editor and translator. LITERARY MENTIONS Chris Oliveros/Drawn & Quarterly (publisher) Fantagraphics Books (publisher) Tardi Baru Michel Rabagliati Paul Auster Guy Delisle "Aya of Yop City" (Aya de Yopougon), written by Marguerite Abouet and drawn by Clément Oubreri Benoît Chaput/L'Oie de Cravan (publisher) La Pastèque (publisher) Geneviève Castrée Heather O'Neill Julie Doucet Diane Obomsawin Trois Rivières International Festival of Poetry Dany Laferrière David Homel Gail Scott Véhicule Poets

Editors Julia Gfrörer & Sean T. Collins have amassed some of the darkest talents within as well as outside of comics to create a wholly singular reading and visual experience. From masters of horror like Clive Barker to leading figures in altcomics such as Simon Hanselmann, this collection — focused on the intermingled themes of horror, ography, the Gothic, and the abject —Mirror Mirror II transcends the expectations of what a comics anthology can do. Mirror Mirror II features new and unpublished work from Lala Albert, Clive Barker, Heather Benjamin, Apolo Cacho, Sean Christensen, Nicole Claveloux, Sean T. Collins, Al Columbia, Dame Darcy, Gretchen Alice Felker-Martin, Noel Freibert, Renee French, Meaghan Garvey, Julia Gfrörer, Simon Hanselmann, Aidan Koch, Laura Lannes, Céline Loup, Uno Moralez, Mou, Jonny Negron, Claude Paradin, Chloe Piene, Josh Simmons, Carol Swain, and Trungles. Julia Gfrörer was born in 1982 in Concord, New Hampshire. Her work has appeared in Thickness, Arthur Magazine, Study Group Magazine, Black Eye, Kramers Ergot, and multiple volumes of Best American Comics. Her graphic novels Black is the Color and Laid Waste are published by Fantagraphics Books. Sean T. Collins has written for Rolling Stone, The New York Times, Wired, Vulture, Esquire, Pitchfork, The Comics Journal, and others. His comics have been published by Marvel, Top Shelf, Study Group, and Youth in Decline. He and Julia live with their children on Long Island. Mirror Mirror II is the publisher 2dcloud's annual flagship anthology. 

Cartoon Utopia and What Parsifal Saw (Fantagraphics Books) Join surreal cartoonist Ron Rege Jr. (The Cartoon Utopia) and author Maja D'Aoust (The Secret Source) as they discuss alchemy, spirituality, and the blending of magic and science for modern audiences. They will read from The Cartoon Utopia as well as his new graphic novel, What Parsifal Saw, both of which include texts written by D'Aoust and illustrated by Rege. Bring a little magic into your life with this book release event. Ron Regé, Jr began self publishing & distributing his own comics in Cambridge, MA during the early 1990’s. His first Graphic Novel Skibber Bee~Bye was published by Highwater Books in 2000. Since then he has published books with Drawn & Quarterly, McSweeney’s, Buenaventura Press, and Fantagraphics Books. The Cartoon Utopia, originally released in 2012 is out now in paperback along with his newest collection What Parsifal Saw. He lives in Los Angeles. Maja D'Aoust is a practicing Witch who performs public rituals and gives educational lectures. Maja's interest in Alchemy, magic and the esoteric sciences spans her entire lifetime.  After completing her Bachelors degree in Biochemistry, Maja studied oriental medicine, martial arts and acupuncture, later earning her Masters degree in Transformational Psychology. Maja worked for 11 years as the librarian of Manly P. Hall's Philosophical Research Society. Author of several books, journal articles and blog content Maja writes and is a visual artist. Currently Maja is starting a public educational non-profit 501 c-3 called The Well Wishers which focuses on teaching wellness and esoteric sciences to the community.

The Ill Mac, Mister Joe Fixit and Diabolu Frank return after nearly five months with black & whitesploitation! Fantagraphics Books represent at 0:38 with Johnny Ryan’s Prison Pit, an adults-only sci-fi gorehound wrestling original graphic novel series, currently at five volumes with an animated adaptation of the first. Then at 22:17, Frank offers a second installment of our “Swords of Cerebus” ongoing feature, a look at the seminal Canadian barbarian aardvark self-published series that published 300 regular issues between 1977-2004, taken six at a time. Discussing the encroaching craziness of once-revered creator Dave Sim with Mac leads us to a tangent at 28:54 tracing the similar trajectory of Frank Miller from Sin City to Dark Knight Strikes Again, All-Star Batman, Holy Terror and the upcoming The Master Race. 34:29 brings a theme song to our mail segment, which is so heavy with shop talk between Joe & Frank that it takes up most of the back half of the hour.

Three decades long fans offer their views on “indie” comic books, which basically encompasses everything without a Marvel or DC logo. Join Diabolu Frank, Mister Joe Fixit and the Ill Mac “Illegal Machine” as they toss through titles from Image, Valiant, Dark Horse, First, Fantagraphics, IDW, Epic, Pacific, Slave Labor Graphics, Vertigo, Drawn & Quarterly, Avatar… basically everything in the shadow of the so-called “Big Two.”Kicking it 1990s style for the debut episode as we talk the launch of Image Comics, with an emphasis on early and recent material from Todd McFarlane’s Spawn, Rob Liefeld’s Youngblood, and Erik Larsen’s Savage Dragon. Then, our spotlight original graphic novel is Bob Fingerman’s Minimum Wage Book One from 1995 for Fantagraphics Books, recently reprinted in the large Image Comics collection Maximum Minimum Wage. Also, a brief nod toward Love and Rockets. Tweet us as a group @rolledspine, or individually as Diabolu Frank & Illegal Machine. Fixit don’t tweet.Email us at rolledspinepodcasts@gmail.comIf this blog won’t let you comment, we’ve got a spare

Fantagraphics Books and creator Matt Furie have released a statement condemning the appropriation of the character by racist fringe groups. Pepe the Frog, originally appearing in Furie's "Boy's Club comics" as a mild-mannered stoner, eventually became a popular meme expressing sad, smug and angry reactions across 4chan, Reddit, Imgur, Tumblr, and other social media sites. In the past year Pepe had been claimed and meme'd by white supremacist groups to joking spread their propaganda, and from there picked up steam with other groups as well. Now the original creators are speaking out. Fantagraphics and Furie reject the association of the character with racism. They are urging fans and others to "block, report, and denounce the illegal uses of the character by individuals and groups pirating him to foment hatred."

In this morsel of a pickle, Chris Mautner and Joe McCulloch sit down to gab about Blubber, the latest (greatest) release from Gilbert Hernandez and Fantagraphics Books, alongside Optic Nerve #14 by Adrian Tomine, a blistering piece of work. Two of the best single issues you'll see this year, being talked about by a couple of crackerjacks. Check 'em out!

This week on AGP All Ages I am pleased to welcome back Ken Hunt. Ken is a self-taught artist who has worked in comics, logo design for numerous companies including DC Comics (Talon, Batman), Virus Comix (Bloke's Tomb of Horror), About Time Comics (Godsend, Dreamer), Advent Comics (Titan), AC Comics (Femforce, Men of Mystery), Daystar Studios Entertainment (Love Gun/Synergy Crisis, The Quest), Cryptic Magazine, Jam Packed Productions (Rave Sessions), Fantagraphics Books, Carnal Comics (Demi's Pin-up Diary), B-Brand Comix (Wheela, Djustine), and many more. Ken has also works with The Peace Fund Games, and on the t.v. show Paramedians. So please join us this Tuesday at 7pm EST as we sit down and discuss what Ken has been working on, some of his convention appearances this year, and so much more.

The history of Hip Hop Music and Culture is explored in Pittsburg Cartoonist Ed Piskor's excellent weekly series, online at Boing Boing and in the gigantic treasury edition published format from Fantagraphics Books. We discuss the interesting performance art intersections that helped evolve the Hip Hop Movement from playing at rec rooms in the bronx, to the world wide phenomenon it became.Ed talks about his big break working with Harvey Pekar, his self published work, and more.

The history of Hip Hop Music and Culture is explored in Pittsburg Cartoonist Ed Piskor's excellent weekly series, online at Boing Boing and in the gigantic treasury edition published format from Fantagraphics Books. We discuss the interesting performance art intersections that helped evolve the Hip Hop Movement from playing at rec rooms in the bronx, to the world wide phenomenon it became.Ed talks about his big break working with Harvey Pekar, his self published work, and more.

One million points to you if you've heard this one before: "If ya got time to lean, ya got time to clean." No? Well, if you've ever worked in the food industry, it's a popular one. Good thing we don't hear it much making comics. Still, the heart of that message may not be as icy as it sounds. How are we, as artists, scheduling our time? What are we doing to make sure we remain productive artists without burying ourselves by taking on too much work? And should we even say no to opportunities? These were just a few of the questions answered and broken down by the incredible group of artistic minds we had for Week 3 of the Get A Grasp! MOOC panel. Now, go download this episode, click the Play button on this podcast, and get back to work, slacker! Ok, check out these links, then get back to work: Patrick Yurick (lead instructor), Making Comics (dotCom) CEO and creator of Hipstr Picnic (@patrickyurick) Christy Blanch, lead instructor of SuperMOOC 2, artist, writer, and owner of Alter Ego Comics (@christyblanch) Jen Vaughn, cartoonist and journalist with Fantagraphics Books (@TheJenya) Lucy Bellwood, writer, artist, and creator with Cartozia Tales (@LuBellWoo) Eric Shanower, writer of Adventures in Oz and Age of Bronze Damon Gentry, creator of Sabretooth Swordsman (@invademyprivacy) Jared Cullum, creator of Pea Green Coffee Cup (@jared_cullum) Alright, alright, these links, too: Intro & Outro Song: "RetroFuture Clean" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)  Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0  http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Transition: InceptionBrassHitMedium.wav: Herbert Boland / www.freesound.org

Jacq Cohen is the publicist of Fantagraphics Books. Before that, she was an assistant publicist at Dark Horse Comics and interned at Top Shelf Comix. Fantagraphics Books has been a proponent of comics as a legitimate form of art and literature since they started publishing the Comics Journal in 1976. Since then, they’ve published some of the greatest cartoonists in history including George Herriman, Charles Schulz, Carl Barks, the Hernandez Brothers, Robert Crumb, Chris Ware, Dan Clowes, Peter Bagge, and many, MANY more (including TMSIDK's own Ed Piskor). This year, Kim Thompson, the co-publisher of Fantagraphics Books and one of the most significant figures in comics history, passed away. As a result, 2013 has been a difficult year for the company. Besides the emotional impact of his loss, there have been financial losses due to his active role at the company. In order to overcome this shortfall, Fantagraphics Books has organized a Kickstarter campaign to help finance next season’s book publishing. Although Cohen no-doubt deserves her own episode of Tell Me Something I Don’t Know, she graciously took time to talk about this fundraiser (don’t worry, dear listeners, we get to hear a bit about her and what she does at her dream job!). Please consider helping Fantagraphics Books by supporting this Kickstarter and share this episode with your friends who love comics. Thank you.

Bill Shannon is a multidisciplinary artist based in Pittsburgh. In 1992, Shannon attended the The Art Institute of Chicago, earning a BFA in 1995. In 1996 Shannon moved to NYC and immersed himself in the art, dance and skate cultures of Brooklyn and Manhattan. Over the past two decades, Shannon's installations, performances, choreography and video work have been presented nationally and internationally at numerous venues, festivals and events including the Sydney Opera House, Tate Liverpool Museum, NYC Town Hall, Portland Institute of Contemporary Art, The Holland Festival, Amsterdam, Temple Bar Dublin, Kiasma Museum Finland, the Hirshhorn Museum, and many more. Shannon also completed a project with Cirque du Soleil: he choreographed an aerial duet and a solo on crutches for their 2002 production "Varekai," which continues to tour. Shannon has been honored with a Newhouse Foundation Award, a John Simon Guggenheim Fellowship, and a Foundation for Contemporary Art Award, among others. He has also received support for his work from the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Dance Project of the New England Foundation for the Arts, Jerome Foundation, New York Foundation for the Arts, and others. [soundcloud url="http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/114934856" params="" width=" 100%" height="166" iframe="true" /] GET TMSIDK: RSS | On iTunes | Download episode | Listen on Stitcher Follow TMSIDK on Twitter Tell Me Something I Don't Know is produced and hosted by three cartoonists and illustrators: Jim Rugg is a Pittsburgh-based comic book artist, graphic designer, zinemaker, and writer best known for Afrodisiac, The Plain Janes, and Street Angel. His latest project is SUPERMAG. Jasen Lex is a designer and illustrator from Pittsburgh. He is currently working on a graphic novel called Washington Unbound. All of his art and comics can be found at jasenlex.com. Cartoonist Ed Piskor (that's me) draws the Wizzywig, and draws the Brain Rot/ Hip Hop Family Tree comic strip at this very site, soon to be collected by Fantagraphics Books and available for pre-order now. Interested in sponsoring one of Boing Boing's podcasts? Visit Podlexing!

Peter Bagge and Evan Dorkin began making alternative comics in the 1980s. Peter Bagge began his career on R. Crumb’s Weirdo magazine as a cartoonist and then editor. He created Neat Stuff and Hate for Fantagraphics Books along with works for DC Comics, Marvel, and Dark Horse including the titles Yeah! (with Gilbert Hernandez), Apocalypse Nerd, and Other Lives. His latest work is the biography, Rebel Woman: The Margaret Sanger Story. Evan Dorkin is best known for Milk & Cheese, Dork, and Superman and Batman: World’s Funnest (he also wrote and drew Bill & Ted’s Excellent Comic Book). He has written for a number of TV shows including Space Ghost Coast To Coast, Superman, and Welcome To Eltingville. He is the co-creator of Beasts Of Burden (with Jill Thompson). Follow TMSIDK on Twitter GET TMSIDK: RSS | On iTunes | Download episode | Listen on Stitcher Tell Me Something I Don't Know is produced and hosted by three talented cartoonists and illustrators: Jim Rugg, a Pittsburgh-based comic book artist, graphic designer, zinemaker, and writer best known for Afrodisiac, The Plain Janes, and Street Angel. His latest project is SUPERMAG. Jasen Lex is a designer and illustrator from Pittsburgh. He is currently working on a graphic novel called Washington Unbound. All of his art and comics can be found at jasenlex.com. Ed Piskor is the cartoonist who drew the comic, Wizzywig, and draws the Brain Rot/ Hip Hop Family Tree comic strip at this very site, soon to be collected by Fantagraphics Books and available for pre-order now.

Dan Nadel is the publisher of PictureBox - primarily known for their art and comics work. He wrote Art Out of Time: Unknown Visionary Cartoonists 1900-1969 and Art in Time: Unknown Comic Book Adventures. He has edited books on Gary Panter, Rory Hayes, and Mark Newgarden. He co-founded and co-edited The Ganzfeld and Comics Comics. He currently co-edits the online Comics Journal. Nadel has curated shows in Tokyo, Paris, LA, and NYC, including the first major Jack Kirby retrospective, the House That Jack Built (Lucerne, 2010) and Karl Wirsum Drawings: 1967-1970. And he received a Grammy for his co-design of Wilco's A Ghost Is Born (2004). Tell Me Something I Don't Know is produced and hosted by three talented cartoonists and illustrators: Jim Rugg, a Pittsburgh-based comic book artist, graphic designer, zinemaker, and writer best known for Afrodisiac, The Plain Janes, and Street Angel. His latest project is SUPERMAG. Jasen Lex is a designer and illustrator from Pittsburgh. He is currently working on a graphic novel called Washington Unbound. All of his art and comics can be found at jasenlex.com. Ed Piskor is the cartoonist who drew the comic, Wizzywig, and draws the Brain Rot/ Hip Hop Family Tree comic strip at this very site, soon to be collected by Fantagraphics Books and available for pre-order now. Follow TMSIDK on Twitter

This is episode 9 of Boing Boing's Tell Me Something I Don't Know podcast. It's an interview show featuring artists, writers, filmmakers, and other creative people discussing their work, ideas, and the reality/business side of how they do what they do. John Porcellino is the creator of the long-running, self-published mini-comic series, King Cat Comics (celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2014). His books include Perfect Example (Highwater Books, Drawn and Quarterly), Diary of a Mosquito Abatement Man (La Mano), King-Cat Classix (Drawn and Quarterly), Map of My Heart (Drawn and Quaterly), and Thoreau at Walden (Hyperion). His work is characterized by a thoughtful, minimal drawing/writing style and a unique approach to narrative interpretation and temporal representation. Besides his influential work as a cartoonist, Porcellino is the founder of Spit and a Half – a small press comics and zine distribution company that began in the early 90s. Tell Me Something I Don't Know is produced and hosted by three talented cartoonists and illustrators: Jim Rugg, a Pittsburgh-based comic book artist, graphic designer, zinemaker, and writer best known for Afrodisiac, The Plain Janes, and Street Angel. His latest project is SUPERMAG. Jasen Lex is a designer and illustrator from Pittsburgh. He is currently working on a graphic novel called Washington Unbound. All of his art and comics can be found at jasenlex.com. Ed Piskor is the cartoonist who drew the comic, Wizzywig, and draws the Brain Rot/ Hip Hop Family Tree comic strip at this very site, soon to be collected by Fantagraphics Books and available for pre-order now. Follow TMSIDK on Twitter GET TMSIDK: RSS | On iTunes | Download episode | Listen on Stitcher

(Illustration by Jim Rugg) This is episode 8 of Boing Boing's Tell Me Something I Don't Know podcast. It's an interview show featuring artists, writers, filmmakers, and other creative people discussing their work, ideas, and the reality/business side of how they do what they do. This week TMSIDK host Jim Rugg is in the hot-seat talking about his new project SUPERMAG -- a glossy, full-color magazine-format homage to the graphic design and comics of the 1990s - published by Adhouse Books. It's a one-man anthology inspired by work like Dan Clowes' Eightball, Dave Cooper's Weasel, David Carson's Raygun, and David Mazzucchelli's Rubber Blanket. Tell Me Something I Don't Know is produced and hosted by three talented cartoonists and illustrators: Jim Rugg, a Pittsburgh-based comic book artist, graphic designer, zinemaker, and writer best known for Afrodisiac, The Plain Janes, and Street Angel. His latest project is SUPERMAG. Jasen Lex is a designer and illustrator from Pittsburgh. He is currently working on a graphic novel called Washington Unbound. All of his art and comics can be found at jasenlex.com. Ed Piskor is the cartoonist who drew the comic, Wizzywig, and draws the Brain Rot/ Hip Hop Family Tree comic strip at this very site, soon to be collected by Fantagraphics Books and available for pre-order now. Follow TMSIDK on Twitter Subscribe to the Tell Me Something I Don't Know podcast | iTunes

This is episode 7 of Boing Boing's, Tell Me Something I Don't Know. It's an interview podcast featuring artists, writers, filmmakers, and other creative people discussing their work, ideas, and the reality/business side of how they do what they do. Jeff Smith began writing, drawing, and publishing Bone in 1991, through his company, Cartoon Books. He championed self-publishing in the 1990s with other independent cartoonists known as the Spirits of Independents and continues to self-publish through Cartoon Book. Since 1991, Bone has become a world-wide phenomenon, published in nearly 30 languages. In 2005, Scholastic reissued Bone in color through their Graphix imprint, inspiring an entire generation of young cartoonists who found his work through traditional book stores, comic book shops, schools, and libraries. He followed the Tolkien-esque, Bone, with Shazam! The Monster Society of Evil (DC Comics) and RASL (Cartoon Books) - a sci-fi noir about a dimension-hopping art thief. Smith recently announced his next project, Tüki Save the Humans, about the first human to leave Africa during the Ice Age. Tell Me Something I Don't Know is produced and hosted by three talented cartoonists and illustrators: Jim Rugg, a Pittsburgh-based comic book artist, graphic designer, zinemaker, and writer best known for Afrodisiac, The Plain Janes, and Street Angel. His latest project is SUPERMAG. Jasen Lex is a designer and illustrator from Pittsburgh. He is currently working on a graphic novel called Washington Unbound. All of his art and comics can be found at jasenlex.com. Ed Piskor is the cartoonist who drew the comic, Wizzywig, and draws the Brain Rot/ Hip Hop Family Tree comic strip at this very site, soon to be collected by Fantagraphics Books and available for pre-order now. Follow TMSIDK on Twitter Subscribe to the Tell Me Something I Don't Know podcast | iTunes

Robin Bougie is a film journalist, cartoonist, and publisher in Vancouver. He publishes the underground film magazine, Cinema Sewer focusing on exploitation, genre, and cult films. He also publishes (and contributes to) Sleazy Slice, an annual anthology of adult comics. His writing and art have been collected in three Cinema Sewer books by FAB Press (volume four will be out later this year). In July, FAB Press will release Bougie’s Graphic Thrills: American XXX Movie Posters, 1970 to 1985. Get your hands dirty on his website and order some of his work at Cinema Sewer. Tell Me Something I Don't Know is produced and hosted by three talented cartoonists and illustrators: Jim Rugg, a Pittsburgh-based comic book artist, graphic designer, zinemaker, and writer best known for Afrodisiac, The Plain Janes, and Street Angel. Jasen Lex is a designer and illustrator from Pittsburgh. He is currently working on a graphic novel called Washington Unbound. All of his art and comics can be found at jasenlex.com. Ed Piskor is the cartoonist who drew the comic, Wizzywig, and draws the Brain Rot/ Hip Hop Family Tree comic strip at this very site, soon to be collected by Fantagraphics Books. Follow TMSIDK on Twitter Subscribe to the Tell Me Something I Don't Know podcast | iTunes Thanks to Soundcloud for hosting TMSIDK!

Thanks to Soundcloud for hosting Boing Boing's podcasts! This is episode 5 of Boing Boing's newest podcast, Tell Me Something I Don't Know. It's an interview podcast featuring artists, writers, filmmakers, and other creative people discussing their work, ideas, and the reality/business side of how they do what they do. Jesse Schell is the CEO of Schell Games - a video game and transformational game design company, a Professor at Carnegie Mellon University's Entertainment Technology Center, and the author of The Art of Game Design. He is a prolific speaker, well-known for his 2010 DICE talk, "Beyond Facebook", which has had over 1 million views online. His resume also includes stints as a juggler, comedian, and Creative Director for Walt Disney Imagineering. The best way to keep up with Jesse Schell's many activities is through his website. You should probably follow him on Twitter @jesseschell. Tell Me Something I Don't Know is produced and hosted by three talented cartoonists and illustrators: Jim Rugg, a Pittsburgh-based comic book artist, graphic designer, zinemaker, and writer best known for Afrodisiac, The Plain Janes, and Street Angel. Jasen Lex is a designer and illustrator from Pittsburgh. He is currently working on a graphic novel called Washington Unbound. All of his art and comics can be found at jasenlex.com. Ed Piskor is the cartoonist who drew the comic, Wizzywig, and draws the Brain Rot/ Hip Hop Family Tree comic strip at this very site, soon to be collected by Fantagraphics Books. Follow TMSIDK on Twitter Subscribe to the Tell Me Something I Don't Know podcast | iTunes

Thanks to Soundcloud for hosting Boing Boing's podcasts! This is episode 4 of Boing Boing's newest podcast, Tell Me Something I Don't Know. It's an interview podcast featuring artists, writers, filmmakers, and other creative people discussing their work, ideas, and the reality/business side of how they do what they do. In this episode Jim, Jasen, and Ed interview Katie Skelly, a cartoonist who lives and works in New York City. She has been making mini-comics since 2003, and has contributed to several comic anthologies including the Garo-inspired Secret Prison #7 and Thickness #1. In 2012, Sparkplug Comic Books published her first graphic novel, the Barbarella-esque, psychedelic sci-fi Nurse Nurse. She is currently serializing her girl-biker gang graphic novel, Operation: Margarine, as silkscreen-covered, limited-edition mini-comics. Number 2 debuts at MoCCA 2013. Learn more at her website and follow her on Twitter and Tumbler. TMSIDK produced and hosted by three talented cartoonists and illustrators: Jim Rugg, a Pittsburgh-based comic book artist, graphic designer, zinemaker, and writer best known for Afrodisiac, The Plain Janes, and Street Angel. Jasen Lex is a designer and illustrator from Pittsburgh. He is currently working on a graphic novel called Washington Unbound. All of his art and comics can be found at jasenlex.com. Ed Piskor is the cartoonist who drew the comic, Wizzywig, and draws the Brain Rot/ Hip Hop Family Tree comic strip at this very site, soon to be collected by Fantagraphics Books. Follow TMSIDK on Twitter Subscribe to the Tell Me Something I Don't Know podcast | iTunes

Gary Groth is the founder/publisher of the Comics Journal and Fantagraphics Books. His influence on the state of the contemporary American comics industry and on the art-form itself is difficult to overstate. As a publisher, Fantagraphics' list of works include such celebrated comics as Charles Shultz' Peanuts, George Herriman's Krazy Kat, the Complete Crumb Comics, the Hernandez Bros.' Love and Rockets, Dan Clowes' Eightball (including Ghost World and the original appearance of Ice Haven), Chris Ware's early Acme Novelty Library (including Jimmy Corrigan's original serialization), Charles Burns' Black Hole series, and literally dozens of other significant comics from the last 35 years. Meanwhile, as the founder of the Comics Journal, Groth established and maintained levels of journalistic standards and critical writing never-before-seen in the American comics industry. Fantagraphics.com Hosts/producers: Jim Rugg is a Pittsburgh-based comic book artist, graphic designer, zinemaker, and writer best known for Afrodisiac, the PLAIIN Janes, and Street Angel. His next book is actually a magaz-- nay -- a SUPERMAG from Adhouse Books! Twitter.com/jimrugg www.jimrugg.com Jasen Lex is a designer and illustrator from Pittsburgh. He is currently working on a graphic novel called Washington Unbound. All of his art and comics can be found at jasenlex.com. Ed Piskor is the cartoonist who drew the comic, Wizzywig, and draws the Brain Rot/ Hip Hop Family Tree comic strip at this very site, soon to be collected by Fantagraphics Books. http://boingboing.net/tag/brainrot twitter.com/edpiskor

Barack Hussein Obama by Weissman; The Cartoon Utopia by Regé (both books published by Fantagraphics) L.A.-based graphic novelists Steven Weissman (Yikes!) and Ron Regé, Jr. (Against Pain and the band Lavender Diamond) will discuss and sign their respective graphic novels, Barack Hussein Obama and The Cartoon Utopia. "Steven Weissman is a cartoonist who is so good, so funny, and so original that he doesn't have to be serious to be taken seriously." —Jaime Hernandez "To me, Ron Regé is unquestionably one of 'the greats.'" —Chris Ware Steven Knight Weissman, at various times known as "Steve," "Ribs," and "Weissman" (but never "Stevie Knight," as one potential employer threatened to call him in 1987), was born in California on June 4, 1968. He won the Harvey Kurtzman Award for "Best New Talent" in 1998 with his acclaimed, ongoing series, Yikes. He's written and drawn comics for Marvel Entertainment, Nickelodeon Magazine and, most TRIUMPHANTLY, Fantagraphics Books. He currently lives in the Los Angeles' "Little Armenia" neighborhood with his wife, Charissa, and their son, Charles. Ron Regé, Jr. was born in 1969 in Plymouth, Massachusetts. His first book, Skibber Bee-Bye, was published by in 2000 and has also authored the books Against Pain and The Awake Field. His comics and drawings have appeared in hundreds of zines and comics anthologies. Illustration clients have included Nike, Sony, Tylenol, HP, McSweeney's, Vice, The New York Times, and Canada's National Post. Ron currently lives in Los Angeles. His current project The Cartoon Utopia began in early 2008 as a series of 60 small drawings, but has expanded to include larger drawings, and longer comics pieces, including those presented here. Drawings from The Cartoon Utopia have been presented as solo gallery shows in Los Angeles, Montreal, Richmond VA, and Austin TX. THIS EVENT WAS RECORDED LIVE AT SKYLIGHT BOOKS OCTOBER 28, 2012. Copies of the book from this event can be purchased here: http://tinyurl.com/aelqumg

VinceB and David Faust talk up William S. Burroughs and Malcom McNeill's The Lost Art of Ah Pook Is Here from Fantagraphics Books.