Podcasts about Ignatz Award

In today's conversation, I sit down with Amy Kurzweil, the author of the new graphic memoir, Artificial: A Love Story. Artificial: A Love Story tells the story of three generations of artists whose search for meaning and connection transcends the limits of life. The story begins with the LLM generated chatbot that Amy's father, the futurist Ray Kurzweil, created out of his father's archive, but the story doesn't start and end there. Instead, the story takes us on a journey through new questions that technologies are asking about what it means to be human.  How do we relate to—and hold—our family's past? And how is technology changing what it means to remember the past? And what does it mean to know--and to love--in the age of AI? Amy Kurzweil is a New Yorker cartoonist and the author of two graphic memoirs: Flying Couch, a NYT's Editor's Choice and Kirkus “Best Memoir” of 2016, and Artificial: A Love Story, forthcoming October 2023. She was a 2021 Berlin Prize Fellow with the American Academy in Berlin, a 2019 Shearing Fellow with the Black Mountain Institute, and she's received fellowships from MacDowell, Djerassi, and elsewhere. Her work has been nominated for a Reuben Award and an Ignatz Award for “Technofeelia,” a four-part series with The Believer Magazine. Her writing, comics, and cartoons have also been published in The Verge, The New York Times Book Review, Longreads, Literary Hub, WIRED, and many other places. She's taught writing and comics at Parsons The New School for Design, The Fashion Institute of Technology, Center for Talented Youth, Interlochen Center for the Arts, in New York City Public Schools, and in many other venues, and she currently teaches a monthly cartooning class to a growing community of virtual students all over the world.

Hang out with Al Mega as he chats with award-winning comic book creator and graphic novelist Rich Koslowski. Tune in to learn all about his latest project from Top Shelf/IDW, F.A.R.M. System & more… Rich Koslowski's Website: https://www.richkoslowski.com/ Rich's Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rich.koslowski F.A.R.M. SYSTEM SYNOPSIS: In the Farm System, having an incredible and unique power is only the first step. Guided by an army of agents, managers, and experts, recruits must undergo rigorous psychological evaluations, harassment and sensitivity seminars, marketing, and endorsement workshops, and costume design meetings, all to boost their chances of recruitment into an A-list superhero team. Some recruits make “the Bigs”. Some have fleeting moments of glory, then lose it all. Some take “Blue Cowl” gigs as superpowered bodyguards for famous actors or powerful CEOs. Some flounder in the System for years, never getting “the call”. And some find success by joining teams of a… less reputable ilk. Following the profound pop-culture satire of Three Fingers, The King, and BB Wolf and The Three LPs, award-winning graphic novelist Rich Koslowski examines the hopes, disappointments, perseverance, and triumphs of the super-gifted… and the sometimes drastic lengths they will go to achieve fortune and fame. ABOUT RICH KOSLOWSKI: Rich Koslowski is best known for his fan-friendly comic book series The 3 Geeks (later Geeksville), as the recipient of three Eisner Award nominations, and for the much-lauded graphic novel Three Fingers in 2002 (published by Top Shelf Productions), which won the coveted Ignatz Award for Outstanding Graphic Novel and was named as one of the 500 Essential Graphic Novels by Harper Collins in 2008. In 2005, his second graphic novel with Top Shelf, The King, was released and has been published in multiple foreign languages. In 2007, he wrote his first novel, a Christmas thriller entitled The List. 2008 brought Koslowski his first writing assignment for Marvel Comics, rebooting their popular Guardian character, now named Weapon Omega. Koslowski's writing of Weapon Omega was recognized with a Prism Award. In 2010, his third graphic novel with Top Shelf, BB Wolf and the Three LPs, was released and Koslowski won the Glyph Award for Best Artist. Thank You for Watching / Listening! We appreciate your support! Episode 269 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: https://www.youtube.com/c/comiccrusadersworld Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/comiccrusaders Visit the official Comic Crusaders Comic Book Shop: comiccrusaders.shop Visit the OFFICIAL Comic Crusaders Swag Shop at: comiccrusaders.us Main Site: https://www.comiccrusaders.com/​​​​ Sister Site: http://www.undercovercapes.com​​​​ Pick up official Undercover Capes Podcast Network merchandise exclusively on RedBubble.com: bit.ly/UCPNMerch Streamyard is the platform of choice used by Comic Crusaders and The Undercover Capes Podcast Network to stream! Check out their premium plans for this amazing and versatile tool, sign up now: https://bit.ly/ComicCrusadersStreamyard * Edited/Produced/Directed by Al Mega

Jim Rugg is an Eisner and Ignatz Award-winning cartoonist, designer, and YouTuber. His comics have been published by Marvel, DC, Image Comics, AdHouse Books, New York magazine, Dark Horse Comics, Titan Books, and Fantagraphics. Rugg's comics career began with the publication of Street Angel in 2004. Street Angel comics are part of the National Archives and the Smithsonian Collection. In 2007, Cecil Castellucci and Jim Rugg created The PLAIN Janes, launching the Young Adult graphic novel explosion. Rugg's graphic novel Afrodisiac was honored on the AIGA 50/50 list for book design. In 2018, Rugg started Cartoonist Kayfabe on YouTube with Ed Piskor (X-Men Grand Design). Cartoonist Kayfabe celebrates all things comics – with creator interviews, history, tutorials, and discussions about comics. In 2020, Jim Rugg created the world's 1st blacklight comic book, Mtsyry: Octobriana 1976. He taught visual storytelling at the School of Visual Arts from 2012-2022. Rugg has run one marathon so far and lives in Pittsburgh with his wife and cats. Interviewer Badr Milligan is a project manager by day and an audio creator by night. Since 2012, he has used a mic to help others share their stories. He hosts the award-winning show, The Short Box Podcast, and recently created the Nexxt Spin podcast for fellow vinyl lovers. Inspired by the expanding podcast medium and community around him, he assembled the first Jax Podcaster's United! meet-up in 2018, a now regular event with a fast-growing collective of podcasters and audio enthusiasts dedicated to helping one another through collaboration and community. Badr is also an FSCJ alumnus and veteran of the Florida Air National Guard, using both experiences to run his own small business, The Short Box Entertainment Company. --- Sign Up for Library U to hear about the latest Lit Chats and catch them live! — https://jaxpubliclibrary.org/library-u-enrollment   Jim Rugg Borrow Jim's books from our collection: https://jkpl.ent.sirsi.net/client/en_US/default/search/results?qu=%22jim+rugg%22&te= Website: https://www.jimrugg.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/jimruggart Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jimruggart/   Badr Milligan/The Short Box Website: https://www.theshortboxpodcast.com/  Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheShortBoxJax Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theshortboxjax/    Jacksonville Public Library Website: https://jaxpubliclibrary.org/  Twitter: https://twitter.com/jaxlibrary  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JaxLibrary/  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jaxlibrary/  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/jaxpubliclibraryfl  Contact Us: jplpromotions@coj.net 

Jimmy went to SPX (Small Press Expo) over the weekend and got 15 interviews with almost 5 hrs of coverage. In this episode, Jimmy sat down with the Ignatz Award nominee for Promising New Talent, Juniper Kim. That moniker is very true as Jimmy explored a lot of her work and she is definitely one to watch out for. They talked about her beautiful watercolor book KOREANS SING IN ENGLISH, other mini-zines/comics, her Korean heritage, music, mental health and more. Definitely check her work out. Jimmy guarantees you'll love it and that we'll all be hearing more from the mega-talented Juniper in the very near future. Also, get a hold of us! Thanks for listening!

Welcome to Jo's Boys, a podcast for little women, little men, and everyone in between! We'll be reading through "Little Women" chapter by chapter, pulling out queer and trans threads as we go. Your host is Peyton Thomas, author of the Kirkus-starred novel "Both Sides Now" and a freelance journalist with bylines in Pitchfork, Billboard, and Vanity Fair. You can visit Peyton online at peytonthomas.ca and on Twitter @peytonology. This week, we're joined by special guest Tess Scilipoti, a Ignatz Award-nominated comic artist whose work has appeared in The Nib. We dive into the eleventh chapter of Little Women, "Experiments," where the girlies decide to abandon their chores for a week and wind up regretting everything. You can visit Tess online at tscilipoti.com and on Twitter @tessscilipoti. Our cover art is by Allison Hoffman. It interpolates the cover art for Bethany C. Morrow's book "So Many Beginnings: A Little Women Remix," with permission from Macmillan Children's Publishing Group. Our theme music is Mozart's Piano Sonata No. 16 in C Major.

Joshua Cotter's debut book Skyscrapers of the Midwest was nominated for an Ignatz Award. His book Driven By Lemons is a challenging and deeply personal exploration of unstable psychological states. We talk about how creating Driven By Lemons informed his breakout book Nod Away, which was on many top ten lists in 2016. And how reading a random article about the transference of consciousness into an electronic medium provided the “spark” for the Nod Away series (https://www.fantagraphics.com/products/nod-away), which is this massive, expansive story that considers the reductio ad absurdum possibilities of that sort of still science fictional, but increasingly more plausible, technology. He says that he wishes he could find the specific article that sparked the idea for Nod Away, but also seems to suggest it's less important than just being open to the things in the world that are going to “click with you.” Incidentally, I really liked the way he admitted that he can't exactly explain how his stories develop. He says it's mostly intuitive, and compares his creative process to a rock tumbler, in the sense that there is a necessary but indeterminate process of refining your ideas. One of the things he notes-–and I think this is relatable for any artist or writer--is that he now feels more confident with his rendering of this epic story, and that he attributes the level of confidence he feels right now to the experience of being in one place, in a fixed space with a reliable routine. That might not work for everyone—others might be more nomadic–but I'd say that I think I function in the same way. The second installment in the Nod Away series (https://www.fantagraphics.com/products/nod-away-vol-2), released in 2021, advances the plot in exhilarating ways. To give you a sense of what the books are about–since I really tried to avoid spoilers in this interview, here is a summary from Multiversity Comics: “Nod Away is set on a near-future version of earth. A deep space transport has been developed to take a small crew to an earth-like, habitable planet in a nearby system in an attempt to begin colonization/repopulation. The internet is now telepathic and referred to as the “innernet.” When the hub is revealed to be a human child, Melody McCabe is hired to develop" a new nexus to replace that human hub. The books are really beautiful. And I ask Josh a number of questions about his specific cartooning style. The wireframe chaos that has become sort of a trademark, for example, is rooted in a dedication to Representing psychological states that can't be expressed in words. It was amazing to hear that, while these panels seem to be frenetic and out of control, they're actually conscious, controlled experiments in abstraction. We talk about how those choices are always in service of the story, despite the temptation to lean heavily into the aesthetics of splash panels and spectacle. Overall, he says the goal is to explore the “true costs of technology” without resorting to “didacticism.” I think the books definitely do that–-there are all these suggestive ideas surrounding technology-–the way it can act as both a source of escapism and serve as a site of destruction.

Find Keiler Roberts online: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/keilerjean/?hl=en Twitter - https://twitter.com/keilerroberts?lang=en Buy My Begging Chart by Keiler Roberts from Drawn & Quarterly: https://drawnandquarterly.com/author/keiler-roberts Keiler Roberts makes autobiographical comics. She is the recipient of the Slate Cartoonist Studio Prize for Chlorine Gardens and is the author of Powdered Milk, Happy Happy Baby Baby, Miseryland, Rat Time, and Sunburning which was translated into Spanish as Isolada. Also the winner of the Ignatz Award, she teaches comics at The School of The Art Institute in Chicago. === We are thrilled to announce the Autoptic 2021 Digital Festival. Starting on Monday, August 23rd, and in partnership with Gutter Boys and Thick Lines, we'll be releasing a great series of recorded conversations and readings with a roster of fantastic artists, cartoonists, and educators. Check out our full schedule here: Monday, August 23rd Jaime Hernandez Blue Delliquanti Pascal Girard Wednesday, August 25th Weng Pixin Trung Le Nguyen Joshua W. Cotter Friday, August 27th Keiler Roberts Leomi Sadler Shira Spector We'll be releasing all of the Autoptic 2021 Digital Festival content in both audio and video formats via our podcast feed and YouTube channel respectively: Podcast Feed: https://anchor.fm/autoptic-2021 YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8t6eDi8f6b86CH1Are1MaA Subscribe to either of our feeds today so that you can listen in on all of these incredible makers discussing their work and process. Also, make sure you subscribe to our partners Gutter Boys and Thick Lines for great comics content all year long!

Flash Forward: An Illustrated Guide to Possible (And Not So Possible) Tomorrows takes readers on a journey from speculative fiction to speculative “fact.” Producer and host of the podcast Flash Forward, Rose Eveleth poses provocative questions about our future, which are brought to life by 12 of the most imaginative comics and graphic artists at work, including Matt Lubchanksy, Sophie Goldstein, Ben Passmore, and Box Brown. Each artist chooses a subject close to their heart—Ignatz Award nominee Julia Gfrörer, for instance, will imagine a future in which robots make art—and presents their chosen future in their own style. Drawing on her interviews with experts in various fields of study, Eveleth will then report on what is complete fantasy and what is only just out of reach in insightful essays following the comics. This book introduces compelling visions of the future and vividly explores the human consequences of developing technologies. Flash Forward reveals how complicated, messy, incredible, frightening, and strange our future might be.CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS INCLUDE: Matt Lubchansky, Sophie Goldstein, Zach Weinersmith, Box Brown, Maki Naro, John Jennings, Julia Gfrörer, Chris Jones, Blue Delliquanti, Amelia Onorato, Kate Sheridan, Sophia Foster-Dimino, Ziyed Ayoub, Ben Passmore 

“One of the goals of Renegade Rule was to present a book and world that allows for queer joy” - Ben Kahn “The closer it is to trope-y fan fiction the more I like it”  - Rachel Silverstein Meet the writers of a new original graphic novel published by Dark Horse, Renegade Rule! "The Manhattan Mist have beaten the odds to land themselves in the national championships for Renegade Rule, one of the hottest virtual reality games in existence. But they're in for competition fiercer then they ever imagined, and one team member's entire future could be at stake. Four queer female friends will have to play harder than ever against self-doubt, infighting, romantic distraction, and a slew of other world-class teams if they hope to become champions. From Ignatz-nominated writer Ben Kahn, debut author Rachel Silverstein, and artist Sam Beck is a celebration of friendship, competition, queer identity, and the insane things we do for the things and people we love." Rachel Silverstein is a recent law school graduate. Renegade Rule is her first comic book publication. She also has a Master's degree in elephant paleontology. https://twitter.com/flirtymango Ben Kahn is an Ignatz Award-nominated comics writer. Their previous works include the comics series Heavenly Blues (Scout Comics) and Gryffen: Galaxy's Most Wanted (SBI Press). They can usually be found shuttered away in their shoebox-sized New York apartment, afraid to leave the city. https://twitter.com/BenTheKahn Check out Ben's horror podcast: Progressively Horrified https://progressivelyhorrified.transistor.fm/ Hear Ben on my podcast to talk about their earlier comics writing: http://bit.ly/grifBee On Doom Patrol S2 http://bit.ly/DoomPatrolgp & Young Justice S3 http://bit.ly/YJoutsiders

Chow down on pizza with Ignatz Award-winning Alison Wilgus as we discuss how their life might have gone an entirely different way if not for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie, why they describe themselves to people as "a feral nerd," how an unsolicited pitch on a Post-it note led to selling their first script, what fanfic taught them about writing professionally in other people's universes, the best way to interact with sensitivity readers, why they've retired from Hourly Comics, what would have happened with Odo and Kira if their Deep Space Nine spec script been accepted, the big surprise about the way they made their first sale to Analog, and much more.

In Episode 4 of CEREBRO, Connor and Ignatz Award-winning comics artist and editor Matt Lubchansky are undeniably horny for Piotr Rasputin, the man of steel Colossus! A kind Soviet farmboy with an artist's heart, Piotr has been a major X-Men character since his debut in 1975. The CEREBRO character file on Colossus begins at 25:25. (Content Advisory: Piotr's story includes suicide. This episode also discusses the AIDS Crisis.) The episode cover features art of Colossus by Dave Cockrum, Marc Silvestri, and one of the three pencilers of Excalibur vol. 1 #71.

On today's episode I talk to cartoonist Ben Passmore. Originally from Massachusetts, Ben has been writing and illustrating comics since he was a child. He's created comics like Daygloayhole, the Eisner Award-nominated and Ignatz Award-winning comic collection Your Black Friend, and BTTM FDRS with Ezra Claytan Daniels, which was published by Fantagraphics last year. In addition, he is a regular contributor to the daily satirical publication The Nib.. This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter.

Ms. Skrezec got to speak to two time Ignatz Award winner Hazel Newlevant about their graphic novel No Ivy League, were we get to hear about her life one summer and how it really inspired her. To learn about Hazel and their writing visit http://newlevant.com/ you can also follow them on Twitter @HNewlevant or on Instagram @newlevant You can follow Amongst The Books where ever you get you podcasts or on Twitter @amongstthebooks_podcast and on Instagram @amongstthebookspodcast. You can even find us at our new YouTube Channel by looking for Amongst The Books. For questions or comments write to us at amongstthebookspodcast@gmail.com Our theme music was written, recorded and produced by Jake Thistle

Visit queenofpeaches.com for show notes! Keiler Roberts has been writing autobiographical comics for ten years. Her six books include Sunburning, Chlorine Gardens, and, most recently, Rat Time, all three of which were published by Koyama Press. Her self-published autobiographical comic series Powdered Milk received an Ignatz Award for Outstanding Series in 2016, and in 2019 Chlorine Gardens received Slate's Cartoonist Studio Prize for Best Print Comic of 2018, which was selected by The Slate Book Review and The Center for Cartoon Studies. Her work has been included in The Best American Comics in 2016 and 2018 and was mentioned on their Notables list for 2014. She has taught at the School of the Art Institute in Chicago since 2013 and lives in Evanston, Illinois, with her husband, the artist Scott Roberts, their daughter Xia, and perhaps the most famous cartoon pet since Snoopy, their dog Crooky.

Today on the show, the gang welcome Craig Hurd-McKenney! Craig is a Xeric Grant-awarded and Ignatz Award-nominated writer who has written for Fantagraphics, MTV, and others. His Headless Shakespeare Press was created in 2000 and is a hub for queer comics with an eye towards representation and inclusion. In 2004,... Continue reading →

He's a fan of Oz and the Trojan War and Casper and has done graphic novels and comic books on all three. A graduate of the Joe Kubert School of Cartoon and Graphic Art, our guest has won many awards for his work including two Eisners and a Ignatz Award. Here he is, Eric Shanower.

#WeAreAllOutsiders! I've got the perfect guests talking about the return of DC's beloved animated series, Young Justice Season 3, streaming on DC Universe. Ahmed Ali Akbar is a writer and host of the show “See Something Say Something.” He has worked as Staff Writer at BuzzFeed and has contributed pieces to Netflix, Catapult, Thrillist, Pushkin Industries, and more. He holds a Masters in Islamic Studies from Harvard Divinity School. https://twitter.com/radbrowndads Ardo Omer is a critic and freelance writer whose work can be found in The Comics Journal, Women Write About Comics and more. She's the co-host of the Put A Blurb On It podcast, and has two short comics in the Toronto Comics' Osgoode As Gold anthology and the upcoming Wayward Kindred anthology. https://twitter.com/ArdoOmer Ben Kahn is an Ignatz Award-nominated comics writer. Their previous works include the comics series Heavenly Blues (Scout Comics) and Gryffen: Galaxy’s Most Wanted (SBI Press) https://twitter.com/BenTheKahn Discussed  Young Justice is like being on TwitterJustice Society, "The Original Antifa"Missed opportunities with Halo Halo IS a rebuttal to fascism Superboy learns collective actionThe DCU: Where the UN is really powerful and run by Lex Luthor/Trump“I’m not even mad about Harper Roe?!” https://twitter.com/Elana_Brooklyn

This episode of the Animation Industry Podcast features Aminder Dhaliwal, Director at Disney TV and creator of the massively popular comic Woman World, on how to find success on Instagram as an Artist. You will also learn. *How to refine your storytelling process to be super punchy and clear *The difference in studio culture between Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, and Disney *5 Practical tips on how to stay mentally and physically healthy as a full-time artist *Plus, why Aminder will never show anyone her sketchbook *And… Aminder’s best advice for Sheridan students’ grad film (she’s an alumni!) Aminder Dhaliwal is a native of Brampton, Ontario and received a Bachelors of Animation from Sheridan College in Oakville. She now lives in Los Angeles, where she is a Director at Disney TV Animation. Previously, she worked as a Storyboard Director at Cartoon Network and a Storyboard Director on the Nickelodeon show Sanjay and Craig. On the side, she is very well known for Woman World, her biweekly Instagram comic which started in early 2017. It became very popular and amassed nearly 200,000 followers. Plus, Woman World was nominated for an Ignatz Award for Outstanding Online Comic. Most recently Aminder has been publishing a comic about cyclops life which is equally as amazing. Follow Aminder and read her comics on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aminder_d/?hl=en Learn more about this podcast at terryibele.com/animation-industry-podcast/

Who is Tony Millionaire: Tony writes and draws the ongoing adventures of Sock Monkey, published by Dark Horse Comics since 1998. He is the creator of the syndicated comic strip, Maakies, which has run in weekly newspapers across the country since 1994 and has been collected by Fantagraphics, who also published his graphic novels, Billy Hazelnuts, and Billy Hazelnuts and the Crazy Bird. Tony’s work has garnered him five Eisner Awards, three Harvey Awards, and an Ignatz Award. His comic strip Maakies was adapted to the small screen in 1998 for SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE and in 2008 as THE DRINKY CROW SHOW for Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim, which is now in repeats and available at www.adultswim.com. His illustrations appear in publications around the globe including THE BELIEVER, THE NEW YORKER and THE WALL STREET JOURNAL, and he illustrated many record covers including THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS “Then; The Earlier Years,” and ELVIS COSTELLO’S “Secret, Profane and Sugarcane,” as well as ELVIS COSTELLO’S “National Ransom,” released in November 2010.  Who is Thomas Jefferson: Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826), author of the Declaration of Independence and the third U.S. president, was a leading figure in America’s early development. During the American Revolutionary War (1775-83), Jefferson served in the Virginia legislature and the Continental Congress and was governor of Virginia. He later served as U.S. minister to France and U.S. secretary of state and was vice president under John Adams (1735-1826). Jefferson, who thought the national government should have a limited role in citizens’ lives, was elected president in 1800. During his two terms in office (1801-1809), the U.S. purchased the Louisiana Territory and Lewis and Clark explored the vast new acquisition. Although Jefferson promoted individual liberty, he was also a slaveowner. After leaving office, he retired to his Virginia plantation, Monticello, and helped found the University of Virginia. How to show love to Project Woo Woo: Click here to buy Lisa a cup of joe.   This episode was also supported by Amazon. Click on this link --> Amazon any time you need to make an Amazon purchase. A small percentage of your purchase will support the show (no extra cost to you).  I receive an affiliate commission from some of the links above. Go get your free be happier than all your friends morning routine over here --> Project Woo Woo Listen to Lisa's other podcasts at Love Bites & Honestly Lisa

Today’s episode comes to you from The Panel Jumper **LIVE** Chapter VII which occurred in Fremont’s own West of Lenin on Friday, February 22nd, 2019. Our guest was Kelly Froh, an Ignatz Award nominated cartoonist and Co-founder & CEO of the Short Run Comix & Arts Festival. We talk with... Continue reading →

For their 45th anniversary, Hank and Molly Nonnar decide to undergo an experimental rejuvenation procedure, but their hopes for youth are dashed when the couple is faced with the results: severely disfigured yet intellectually and physically superior duplicates of themselves. Can the original Hank and Molly coexist in the same world as their clones? In Upgrade Soul, McDuffie Award-­winning creator Ezra Claytan Daniels asks probing questions about what shapes our identity. ­Is it the capability of our minds or the physicality of our bodies? Is a newer, better version of yourself still you? This page­turning graphic novel follows Hank and Molly as they discover the harsh truth that only one version of themselves is fated to survive. In Your Black Friend and Other Strangers, Ben Passmore masterfully tackles comics about race, gentrification, the prison system, online dating, gross punks, bad street art, kung fu movie references, beating up God, and lots of other grown-­up stuff with refreshing doses of humor and lived relatability. The title comic earned Passmore an Eisner nomination, Ignatz Award for “Outstanding Comic”, and a coveted spot on NPR’s 100 Favorite Graphic Novelists. The comics in this 120 ­page collection include works previously published by The Nib, VICE, and the As You Were anthology, along with brand new and unreleased material.These comics are essential, humorous, and accessible, told through Passmore’s surreal lens in the vibrant full ­color hues of New Orleans.

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 00:02:24 - 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.  

The Skulls of Summer present: an interview with Carolyn Nowak!This week, an interview with two-time Ignatz Award winner Carolyn Nowak (Radishes, Diana's Electric Tongue), whose new book Girl Town is set for release in September. This marks Nowak's 48th appearance on Super Skull, which is a show record.You can learn more about Carolyn and her work at her website: http://carolyncnowak.com/

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

Sometimes when an Aussie and a Canadian who has a hardcore love for Aussies get together, magic happens. That's what happened when Caitlin Major immigrated from Australia with her boyfriend for better comic-making opportunity in Canada and met Canadian Kelly Bastow at a Drink & Draw. Kelly is an artist on the rise, having done variant covers for titles like Lumberjanes and Adventure Time and having been nominated twice for an Ignatz Award (honouring small press comic creators) including for her graphic memoir Year Long Summer. Caitlin is no slouch either, already having two published graphic novels under her belt, including Space Pyrates with partner Matthew Hoddy and Seeds of Svalbard with Alisha Jade. But the alchemy of these ladies coming together is something special. Written by Caitlin with Kelly on art, Manfried the Man (Penguin Random House Canada, Quirk Books) takes place in an alternate universe where cats who behave like humans own men who behave like cats.Amidst the talk of the near-parallel genesis of this latest project and Kelly and Caitlin's friendship, Aaron overshares his his love for his own cat and the lengths certain relatives of his will go to have one. We also learn about the comic scene in Australia and stay tuned until the end for an exclusive Caitlin Major- themed freestyle featuring MC Lil' Spitta! This podcast is sponsored by Hairy Tarantula. Get 10% off geeky t-shirts at riptapparel.com by entering NEVERSLEEPS at checkout.Buy Manfried the Man The Original Manfried Tumblr Manfried's Instagram Manfried's Facebook Manfried's Twitter Caitlin's Portfolio Caitlin's Twitter Caitlin's InstagramKelly's Twitter Kelly's Etsy Kelly's Deviant Art Page Kelly's Tumblr Kelly's InstagramSponsored by Hairy Tarantula – MOVING TO 3456 Yonge Street June 1stGo to riptapparel.com for 10% off geeky t-shirts by entering NEVERSLEEPS at checkout.

Images at http://wp.me/p42KN3-Gbt On this week's Comics Syllabus podcast, Paul has the pleasure of speaking with Paul K. Tunis, comics poet (find him at http://paulktunis.com/) and an editor for InkBrick (at http://inkbrick.com/), the poetry comics journal, for a General Ed segment (at 4:58) to look at how comics do poetry, with the example of Tunis' own beautiful and troubling work (see "Paper Mice" above, as well as many examples on his website). More artists and stuff listed in the links below... (At 1:01:00) Then, Paul discusses two Ignatz Award winners from this past weekend at Small Press Expo (SPX), "Your Black Friend" by Ben Passmore (available at https://store.silversprocket.net/products/your-black-friend-comic-book-by-ben-passmore) and "Say Her Name" by Bianca Xunise (available at https://southsideweekly.com/say-her-name/). Paul explores cartooning and racial discourse in these times, touches on criticism and comics art, and sings kumbaya with more than a little hesitation. Finally, in the Discussion Section (1:43:06), shout outs some good friends and a few questions and recs from you listener-participants of the Syllabus out there. Subscribe and follow the Comics Syllabus podcast on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, or Soundcloud, or copy this RSS feed to your podcatcher: http://feeds.soundcloud.com/users/soundcloud:users:235183739/sounds.rss or you can find archives for this podcast (previously named "Study Comics with Paul") here: http://studycomics.club/ Join the discussion on the Comics Syllabus Facebook page: http://facebook.com/ComicsSyllabus or Follow Paul on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TwoPlai or leave your comments here on the showpage. Thanks for listening! FROM PAUL K. TUNIS: William Blake: http://www.blakearchive.org/ Joe Brainard C Comics: https://www.divisionleap.com/pages/books/20772/joe-brainard-ed/c-comics-no-1 Matthea Harvey: http://www.mattheaharvey.info/ Alexander Rothman: http://versequential.com/ Warren Craghead: http://craghead.com/ IGNATZ and PASSMORE and XUNISE SPX Ignatz Awards: https://www.spxpo.com/ignatz-awards Washington Post Comic Riffs coverage: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/comic-riffs/wp/2017/09/18/emil-ferriss-graphic-novel-monsters-tops-diverse-slate-of-2017-ignatz-award-winners/ Mary Sue coverage: https://www.themarysue.com/2017-ignatz-award-winners/

Time Codes: 00:00:28 - Introduction 00:03:03 - Eisner Award nominees announced 00:10:04 - Isle of Elsi 00:47:30 - Late Bloomer 01:09:44 - Carriers 01:31:32 - Wrap up 01:32:31 - Contact us Sean and Derek are back with your monthly dose of webcomics analysis. Before they jump into their reviews, however, they spending a little time discussing the recent announcement of this year's nominees for the Eisner Awards. The guys will devote next month's episode to the actual webcomics nominated, so they don't go into much detail this time, but they do mention the big news that the judges have tried to distinguish "webcomics" from "digital comics"...albeit rather ineptly. Tune in next month for more in-depth discussion on this matter! But for May, Sean and Derek already have plenty to consider. They begin with Alec Longstreth's Isle of Elsi, an all-age fantasy with a penchant for word play. Both of the guys are bowled away by this webcomic, one of the most impressive that they've discussed on the show. Not only are the art and storytelling top-notch, but the design of the website is a big draw, as well. (And while you're at it, check out the Two Guys' 2014 interview with Longstreth.) Next, they turn to another webcomic from Webtoons, Late Bloomer. Written and drawn by Zealforart (AKA Tiffany Woodall), this is a shōjo-inspired romance about a young woman with a flower bud growing out of her belly, a family condition that can only be overcome with her being "deflowered." Yes, it is quite an unusual premise. Finally, Derek and Sean wrap up with Lauren R. Weinstein's Carriers. This completed webcomic was originally published in five parts on the Nautilus website, and it received an Ignatz Award nomination in 2015 for the "Outstanding Online Comic" category. It's a sobering look at being a carrier of cystic fibrosis and what means for young couples wanting to start a family.

Time Codes: 00:00:25 - Introduction 00:02:18 - Setup of interview 00:04:43 - Interview with Gabby Schulz 01:11:55 - Wrap up 01:14:04 - Contact us "The sewage of negativity I bring to comics" In an interview that is a long time in coming, Gwen and Derek have the pleasure of talking with Gabby Schulz. His new collection of diary comics, The Process of Drastically Reducing One's Expectations, was recently released from Alec Longstreth's Phase Eight Publishing, and in their conversation, Gabby shares his views on the uses and misuses of autobiographical comics. And the three spend a lot of time discussing several of Gabby's earlier works, especially Sick and Monsters (both published through Secret Acres), and how the personal necessarily becomes political when exploring individual shortcomings and predilections. Gwen and Derek also ask Gabby about "Ken Dahl," his recent travels, and the experiences of living on the road. Be sure to visit the artist's Ignatz Award-nominated website Gabby's Playhouse.

The Total Tutor Neil Haley will interview New York Times Best Selling Author Box Brown. Miami Book Nov 13-20th. Box Brown is an Ignatz Award-winning American cartoonist whose first work was the online comic Bellen!. He was the winner of a 2011 Xeric Grant for the comic Love is a Peculiar Type of Thing. It is, perhaps, the perfect video game. Simple yet addictive, Tetris delivers an irresistible, unending puzzle that has players hooked. Play it long enough and you'll see those brightly colored geometric shapes everywhere. You'll see them in your dreams. Alexey Pajitnov had big ideas about games. In 1984, he created Tetris in his spare time while developing software for the Soviet government. Once Tetris emerged from behind the Iron Curtain, it was an instant hit. Nintendo, Atari, Sega—game developers big and small all wanted Tetris. A bidding war was sparked, followed by clandestine trips to Moscow, backroom deals, innumerable miscommunications, and outright theft.  New York Times–bestselling author Box Brown untangles this complex history and delves deep into the role games play in art, culture, and commerce. For the first time and in unparalleled detail, Tetris: The Games People Play tells the true story of the world's most popular video game.

Keiler Roberts is an Ignatz Award winning cartoonist whose autobiographical comics series, Powdered Milk, focuses on her family, her daughter Xia and husband Scott, and her childhood memories. I talked to Keiler about how she started Powdered Milk, now a 15-volume, seven year series. We discuss comics and mental health, and the way the latter effects our processes. Keiler Roberts Website Buy Miseryland on Amazon Issues of Powdered Milk are available through Spit and Half Other links: Tight Pencils on Twitter Kevin on Twitter This episode is sponsored by Basecamp Tight Pencils is a proud member of the Chicago Podcast Cooperative

On this episode, Gwen and Derek discuss last week’s Small Press Expo and the 2016 Ignatz Award nominations.

Last weekend was the Small Press Expo held in Bethesda, MD, and a big part of that event was the recognition of the 2016 Ignatz Award nominees. So for this week's episode, Gwen and Derek discuss the many and diverse titles populating that list, looking for trends and making observations about this year's selections. The nominees in all nine categories, announced last month, were chosen by a five-member jury, and then attendees voted on their favorites during the first day of the event. Gwen starts things going by asking Derek about his experiences at SPX, and then the two plunge into the heart of the discussion. They do not run down the entire list of nominees in an organized manner, beginning with one category and then moving on to the next, but their exchange is more free-flowing and associational, taking up titles as they come up in the conversation. In this way, Gwen and Derek are able to cover about all of the nominees and draw insightful connections among many of the texts. They notice, for example, that many of the winners seem to skew younger, and that, at times, complex and longer-form storytelling doesn't get the same kind of attention as episodic or one-off narratives. They also comment on the fact that established names within the medium, such as Daniel Clowes, Adrian Tomine, Trina Robbins, and Kim Deitch, were completely shut out in the final selection. However, Gwen and Derek do not so much emphasize the actual winners of the nine categories -- although they do discuss these -- as they do the broader sweep of each category's population and what that might say about the current state of small press and indie comics.

Last week at Small Press Expo, Derek had the opportunity to sit down with Carol Tyler for a one-on-one interview. Her book from last year, Soldier's Heart: The Campaign to Understand My WWII Veteran Father: A Daughter's Memoir (Fantagraphics) was up for a 2016 Ignatz Award in the "Outstanding Graphic Novel" category. Derek talked with Carol about the book's nomination and about the impact her memoir has had on her own life since its publication. They spend a good deal of time talking about the current state of veteran's affairs, the debilitating effects of PTSD, and how Soldier's Heart both has and hasn't resonated within the veteran's community. Carol also discusses the current projects she has underway, including a follow up (sort of) to her father's story and a project documenting the days leading up to her attending The Beatles concert at Comiskey Park in August 1965. As she tells Derek, in that work she'll be channelling her inner 13-year-old-girl self. This is a moving and, at times, a deeply personal interview, one that reflects the sheer impact of Carol Tyler's writing.

Time Codes: 00:00:27 - Introduction 00:07:03 - Brief comments on the 2016 Ignatz Award nominees for Outstanding Online Comic 00:18:07 - The Red Hook 00:57:28 - Kill 6 Billion Demons 01:21:11 - Interview with Jim McClain and Paul Schultz 01:41:15 - Rice Boy 02:13:55 - Wrap up 02:15:30 - Contact us On this extra-long episode of The Comics Alternative Webcomics, Sean and Derek cover a lot of territory on the webcomics front. They begin with a few brief comments on this year's Ignatz Award nominees for Outstanding Online Comic. They also contrast the way that the Ignatz judges classify webcomics with what the Eisner Awards has been doing lately, combining webcomics and digital comics. After that, the guys jump into the core of this month's episode with a look at Dean Haspiel's The Red Hook. They discuss, among other things, the fact that superhero comics are relatively rare in webcomics and that this title is reminiscent of what Haspiel did with The Fox, for Archie Comics, and with his own comics centered on Billy Dogma and Jane Legit. Sean and Derek also spend a bit of time talking about Webtoons, the platform where you'll find The Red Hook. Next, they review Kill 6 Billion Demons. Both of the guys are impressed by Tom Parkinson-Morgan's art and the intricacies involved in his world-building, but they are somewhat critical of the webcomic's design and usability. It's not easy to navigate that site, which is surprising, given the fact that Kill 6 Billion Demons has been around since 2013. Before they turn to the final webcomic of the month, Derek and Sean introduce what they hope will be a new feature of the monthly series. Beginning with this episode, they will talk briefly with Jim McClain and Paul Schultz about a new webcomics they're creating, Poe and the Mysteriads. Every month they hope to check in with the creators about the step-by-step process they're going through in developing the title, from story concept to art choices to the design of the website. Finally, Sean and Derek look at Evan Dahm's already completed webcomic, Rice Boy. This is the second time Dahm's work has been a focus of the webcomics series, the first occasion being a discussion of Vattu back in January 2015. This is a much earlier webcomic, and the guys discuss the evolution of Dahm's art and storytelling style as the story develops. It's an intriguing fantastical quest narrative, and if you're not already familiar with Dahm, then this would be a great way to get to know his work.    

Tom Neely is the Ignatz Award winning artist of The Blot. His collective, the Igloo Tornado, is behind the best-selling Henry & Glenn project and his Image Comics series The Humans is part of a growing trend away from superhero comics. Matt and Tom discuss the pros and cons of taking a comic on tour, the differences between freelancing and self-publishing, and what to do when your idol wants to kill you. All on this exciting episode of Pod Sequentialism with Matt Kennedy Presented by Meltdown Comics Produced by Mason Booker Engineered by Mason Booker Theme music "Rumble" provided by www.Bensound.com Logo design by Joshua Geisler www.selfuno.com. #Podcast #podsequentialism #Mattkennedy #interview #Meltdowncomics #Tomneely #episode017

This week Meredith Gran, the Ignatz Award winning creator of long-running webcomic Octopus Pie, joins us to talk about her creative history and process as well as the release of Octopus Pie in trade form from Image Comics, out February 26th. … Continue reading →

The Feminist Utopia Project: Fifty-Seven Visions of a Wildly Better Future (Feminist Press)Alexandra Brodsky, editor at Feministing and co-founder of Know Your IX, and Rachel Kauder Nalebuff, playwright and New York Times bestselling author of My Little Red Book, bring together feminist thinkers, writers, and artists for a groundbreaking anthology that asks: what would a feminist utopia look like? The book features contributions from feminist heroes Janet Mock, Melissa Harris-Perry, Sheila Heti, Jill Soloway, and many more. Join us for an evening with five contributors to FUP: Jill Soloway, Abigail Carney, Richard Espinoza, Cindy OK, Yumi Sakugawa, and William Schlesinger.Jill Soloway is the creator of Amazon Studios' Transparent, which won a Golden Globe for best TV series and an Emmy award for her directing in 2015. Jill won the US Dramatic Directing Award at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival for her first feature, Afternoon Delight. She is the author of the memoir Tiny Ladies in Shiny Pants, and the cofounder of Wifey.tv, a video network for women.Abigail Carney is a writer from Ohio. Her plays have been produced at the Secret Theatre, the Young Playwrights Festival, NYC Fringe, the Yale Playwrights’ Festival, the New School for Drama, and in Sitka, Alaska.Richard Espinosa is from New Jersey and is currently a student at the Yale School of Art studying graphic design. Richard is the current director of YAMP—the Yale AIDS Memorial Project, a localized narrative-based alumni-led initiative to honor the lives of the deceased students, faculty, and staff affiliated with Yale.Cindy OK is  a public high school teacher in Los Angeles. Just one year out of college, Ok teaches physics, computer science, and math to roughly two hundred students per day in seven different classes.Yumi Sakugawa is an Ignatz Award–nominated comic book artist and the author of I Think I Am in Friend-Love with Youand Your Illustrated Guide to Becoming One with the Universe. Her comics have also appeared in Bitch, the Best American Nonrequired Reading 2014, the Rumpus, the Believer, and other publications. A graduate of the fine art program of University of California, Los Angeles, she lives in Los Angeles.William Schlesinger completed a Fulbright fellowship in the politics of HIV/AIDS, immigration, and integration in Germany. In the future, he hopes to pursue an MD/PhD in medical anthropology to combine practicing medicine as a primary care physician while conducting ethnographic research on health inequalities.

Call the Major Spoilers Hotline - 785-623-3493 Share your thoughts - http://wp.me/p8YAd-1vn4 Support this show https://members.majorspoilers.com I love variety in my comics reading, and one of my favorite webcomics/trade paperbacks is the Vattu series from creator Evan Dahm, who I talk with during this 206th episode of my Wayne’s Comics Podcast. The first volume, called Vattu: the Name & the Mark, got me hooked when I met Evan at this year’s Heroes Con in North Carolina. He’s now in the middle of a current Kickstarter.com project for his second book, Vattu: the Sword & the Sacrament.They’re described as “the first two books of a graphic novel series about conquest and identity, set in a world of strange creatures.” To participate, be sure to go to this link before the project concludes on Thursday, December 17, at 9:10 a.m. EST. Evan and I talk about several of the series’ engaging layers of story, what attracted me to it and keeps me coming back for more, the various characters in the books, and how you can also access Vattu! Go to rice-boy.com/vattu to enjoy this title as a webcomic series, which is how I got to read the second trade (and even part of the third)! It’s the winner of the 2014 Ignatz Award for Best Online Comic and the 2013 Stumptown Comic Arts Award for best webcomic. You can follow along via Tumblr, Facebook, or RSS. If you’re looking for something new, creative and different, don’t miss this excellent series in graphic novel or webcomic format – after you hear my fun conversation with Evan, of course!

Call the Major Spoilers Hotline - 785-623-3493 Share your thoughts - http://wp.me/p8YAd-1vn4 Support this show https://members.majorspoilers.com I love variety in my comics reading, and one of my favorite webcomics/trade paperbacks is the Vattu series from creator Evan Dahm, who I talk with during this 206th episode of my Wayne’s Comics Podcast. The first volume, called Vattu: the Name & the Mark, got me hooked when I met Evan at this year’s Heroes Con in North Carolina. He’s now in the middle of a current Kickstarter.com project for his second book, Vattu: the Sword & the Sacrament.They’re described as “the first two books of a graphic novel series about conquest and identity, set in a world of strange creatures.” To participate, be sure to go to this link before the project concludes on Thursday, December 17, at 9:10 a.m. EST. Evan and I talk about several of the series’ engaging layers of story, what attracted me to it and keeps me coming back for more, the various characters in the books, and how you can also access Vattu! Go to rice-boy.com/vattu to enjoy this title as a webcomic series, which is how I got to read the second trade (and even part of the third)! It’s the winner of the 2014 Ignatz Award for Best Online Comic and the 2013 Stumptown Comic Arts Award for best webcomic. You can follow along via Tumblr, Facebook, or RSS. If you’re looking for something new, creative and different, don’t miss this excellent series in graphic novel or webcomic format – after you hear my fun conversation with Evan, of course!

This week's episode of the podcast is special, and in a number of ways. First, Derek and Andy W. record the show "live" from a common location and not from a distance via Skype. Also, they discuss their experiences at this year's Small Press Expo, which took place September 19-20. Most importantly, though, this episode is notable for its focus on the 2015 Ignatz Awards, the first time that the Two Guys have discussed this industry recognition in any in-depth manner.  In fact, almost the entire episode is devoted to the Ignatz nominees, a substantial number of texts, and as a result, this show goes longer than usual. And they break up recording the show over a two-day period: the first third after day one of SPX (and before the Ignatz winners have been announced), and the final segment after the event has ended. Andy and Derek begin by sharing some of their experiences at SPX, including the people they met, the creators they talked with, the small press publishers who attended, and the general demographics of the crowd (this was a con that definitely skewed young). Then they go into a rundown of all the 2015 Ignatz Award nominees, discussing the nine different categories and briefly highlighting the five nominees under each. There are some categories, such as "Outstanding Anthology or Collection," that the guys find a little problematic. Both Andy and Derek feel that a collection by a single artist and an anthology comprising a variety are completely different beasts and, as such, shouldn't be clumped together in this manner. There are others, including "Promising New Talent" and "Outstanding Comic," that would benefit by clearer context. (For example, what exactly defines a "new talent," and how   might an "outstanding comic" be distinguished from an "outstanding graphic novel"?) In the final segments of the episode -- the last 2/3 that was recorded after that final day of SPX -- Derek and Andy go into detail about many of the titles nominated for an Ignatz. They list the winners of each category, which were made public on Saturday night of the con, and provide a few observations. The Ignatz Awards winners are chosen by popular vote, anyone who attends the event can cast a ballot, so the Two Guys with PhDs take some of the results with a sizable grain of salt. For example, they're surprised by the fact that neither Noah Van Sciver and Ethan Riley (both highly accomplished and nominated multiple times) received anything. Or that Drawn and Quarterly: 25 Years of Contemporary Cartooning, Comics, and Graphic Novels was shut out. Or how Sophia Foster-Dimino came out as she did. Still, one of the most notable takeaways from this year's ceremony is the fact that women completely swept the awards, so this is definitely a year of significance. After a brief discussion of the winners, Andy and Derek get into a detailed analysis of may of the nominated titles, especially focusing on those works they've not yet discussed on previous episodes. These include Ed Luce's Wuvable Oaf (Fantagraphics), Jillian Tamaki's SuperMutant Magic Academy (Drawn and Quarterly) and "Sex Coven" (from Frontier #7, published by Youth in Decline), M. Dean's K.M. & R.P. & MCMLXXI (1971), Walter Scott's Wendy (Koyama Press), Gina Wyndbrandt's Big Pussy (2D Cloud), Jason Little's Borb (Uncivilized Books), John Porcellino's King Cat #75, and Georgia Webber's Dumb series. There are so many great titles to cover, and as a result, the show goes longer than the guys anticipated. But that's OK. SPX and the Ignatz Awards only come once a year, so why not take advantage of this celebrated occasion?

And the Interview-a-ganza continues! This time we are joined multi-Eisner Award-winner Raina Telgemeier (Smile, Sisters, Babysitters Club), and Ignatz Award-winner Dave Roman (TeenBoat, Agnes Quill, Nickelodeon Magazine).  You can learn more about Raina and her work at her website: goraina.com Learn more about Dave and his work at his website: yaytime.com Learn about them both at the same time at: www.comicsbakery.com

On today's show I talk to cartoonist Pete Toms. Born in New York, Pete works in the comics industry as a colorist and on his own web comics as a writer and artist. Much like Wonder Showzen, Pete's comics are a wonderful mix of surreality, political and social commentary, violence, and above all, humor. Many of his works can be read through his own website or through Study Group Comics, and they include a strip he co-authors called The Short Con, his fantastic graphic novel Paws, and the Ignatz Award-nominated series On Hiatus. All of which are well worth your time.This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on iTunes, follow me on Twitter.

While Derek and Andy W. were at HeroesCon last weekend, they were able to meet a variety of artists and writers tabling in Artists Alley. Many of these creators took time from their busy schedules -- talking with fans, signing books, and working on commissions -- to talk with the guys for a few minutes, discussing their works and sharing their experiences at the con. This episode of the podcast includes brief conversations with ten different artists and that, taken together, demonstrate the creative diversity to be found at this year's HeroesCon. First, Derek talks with Sophie Goldstein and Jenn Jordan about their webcomic-turned-book, Darwin Carmichael is Going to Hell, as well as Sophie's Ignatz Award-winning House of Women and the recently published The Oven. After that, Andy has a conversation with Michel Fiffe about his ongoing Copra series and his recent work on various Marvel titles. This is followed by another f**k-filled conversation with Tom Neely and Keenan Marshall Keller (who were just on the podcast last month) about the reception to the latest issue of The Humans, and then a more toned-down discourse with friend-of-the-podcast Craig Yoe on his experiences at HeroesCon, Weird Love, his enjoyment of cosplayers, and an awards message that he delivers for Steve Ditko. Next, Andy talks with Royden Lepp about his high-octane adventure series, Rust, and his process of writing for young readers. This is followed by conversations with Justin Jordan about Spread, Dead Body Road, and the return of Luther Strode, and with Hoyt Silva on the reaction to his and Josh Blaylock's Operation Nemesis: A Story of Genocide and Revenge. Finally, Derek wraps up this this on-location interview segment by talking with Max Dowdle about his fine art background and his graphic novel Shattered with Curve of Horn.

This Monday is a brand new episode of Graphic Policy Radio with two special guests. Joining us are Keenan Marshall Keller and Tom Neely, the team behind the Image Comic series, The Humans. Apart, they are nothing...deemed by society as outcasts, misfits, losers, no good punks! But together, they are THE HUMANS! The Humans is a high-octane, no-holds-barred, ape-biker-gang chopper ride into '70s exploitation genre bliss. Follow Bobby, Johnny, and all The Humans as they fight and fly down the road to oblivion on a ride filled with chains, sex, leather, denim, hair, blood, bananas, and chrome. Tom Neely is a painter and cartoonist best known for the cult-hit indie comic book Henry & Glenn Forever, which he created with his artist collective The Igloo Tornado. His debut graphic novel, The Blot, earned him an Ignatz Award. He authored the Melvins comic book, Your Disease Spread Quick, and a collection of comic strip poems called Brilliantly Ham-fisted, and the painted novel, The Wolf. Keenan Marshall Keller is a letterer, colorist, inker, penciler, and writer. His work has been seen in Marvel Comics Presents, Henry & Glenn Forever, Eerie, and now he's the writer for The Humans. Join us this Monday as we talk to these two about this fantastic new series. We want to hear from you. Tweet us your thoughts @graphicpolicy.

The Two Guys are back for another installment in their new monthly show devoted to webcomics. For January, Derek and Andy W. have three engaging titles to discuss. First, they look at Evan Dahm's Vattu, a fantasy adventure reminiscent of Bone, and with tones of sword-and-sorcery. This webcomic has been going on since July 2010, updated every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Currently it's in its third book — the first, comprising 270 pages, has been collected in printed form and can be purchased through Dahm's website — and the initial storyline has evolved into a much vaster narrative. The guys comment on Dahm's knack for complex world-building, as well as the vibrant, eye-catching art. Vattu is the winner of the 2014 Ignatz Award for Best Online Comic, and there is a reason why Andy and Derek wanted to feature this as one of their current and ongoing webcomics for the month. Next, they turn their attention to another current title, Minna Sundberg's Stand Still. Stay Silent, a post-apocalyptic adventure set in a ravaged Scandinavian setting. Its premise is that a virus suddenly wipes out much of the human, and mammal, population, leaving only a limited number of survivors. This event, referred to as “the great cataclysm,” has ended the world as we know it, and an unlikely group of survivors — including mages — sets out to make safe a world of violence, desolation, and fantastical beasts. Both Andy and Derek are enjoying this ongoing tale, but they note an abrupt (and perhaps unexpected?) shift in tone from a more realistic style into one that is more fantastical. What's more, they feel mixed about Sundberg's commentary that accompanies each story installment. Sometimes, these reflections or annotations turn out to be unintended spoilers, and readers can leave their own spoilery thoughts. But fans of SSSS (as it is commonly know) apparently love this kind of reader engagement, making Sundberg's one of the most popular webcomics around. Finally, and for their older and already completed webcomic, they discuss one of the first high-visible advocates for webcomics, Scott McCloud. His two-part graphic novella, The Right Number, was written between 2003 and 2004, and it utilizes an experimental zooming format. There is a projected third installment, as McCloud points out on his website, but due to unexpected delays and competing projects, the conclusion has yet to be written. But although we've been waiting ten years for the story to wrap up, and although this isn't technically a “completed” webcomic, Derek and Andy nonetheless wanted to give some love to one of the earliest experimenters of the webcomic format.

Tomboy (Zest Books) Razorcake and Skylight Books are teaming up to present graphic novelist Liz Prince, presenting her new graphic memoir Tomboy!  Growing up, Liz Prince wasn't a girly girl, but she wasn't exactly one of the guys either (as she learned when her little league baseball coach exiled her to the distant outfield). She was somewhere in between. But with the forces of middle school, high school, parents, friendship, and romance pulling her this way and that, the middle wasn't exactly an easy place to be. Tomboy follows award-winning author and artist Liz Prince through her early years and explores—with humor, honesty, and poignancy—what it means to “be a girl.” From staunchly refuting ”girliness” to the point of misogyny, to discovering through the punk community that your identity is whatever you make of it, Tomboy offers a sometimes hilarious, sometimes heartbreaking account of self-discovery in modern America. Praise for Tomboy “Liz Prince tells gender norms to eat dirt. A delightful, thoughtful, and compulsively readable memoir. And an important one.” —Ariel Schrag, author of Adam and Potential  “Liz Prince may have been an uncertain, confused kid, but she's a confident and sincerely expressive cartoonist. Tomboy is a funny and relatable look at what every child has to deal with at some point—figuring out who you really are inside, when everyone else only sees what they think you should be on the outside.” —Jeffrey Brown, author of Clumsy, Jedi Academy andDarth Vader and Son “It's hard to imagine anyone failing to be charmed by this entertaining, clever, and genuinely funny memoir of growing up with gender identity confusion. Even this pretty unconfused regular old dude found plenty to identify with in Liz Prince's story of adolescent bafflement, exploration, and discovery—all delivered, like all the best such stories, with a light touch, wry wit, understated irony, and not one iota of preachiness. Meaning: I'm a fan. Go Liz!” —Frank Portman, author of King Dork  “Tomboy is a thoughtful, honest look into the evolution and acceptance of personal gender identity, as told by a smart-mouhed punk named Liz Prince. I wish it had existed when I was in high school.” —Nicole Georges, author of Calling Dr. Laura “Liz Prince portrays the awkwardness and humiliation of childhood with wonderful (not to mention painful) accuracy. Any kid that picks up this book is going to be privy to secrets most of us don't learn until it's too late, and any adult who reads it will be reminded of an essential truth: that's it's okay to be exactly who we want to be, no matter how weird everyone else thinks we are. Tomboy isn't a self help book, but it should be.” —Julia Wertz, author of Drinking at the Movies and The Infinite Wait “It's not very often you read a goofy coming-of-age comic written with an astutely critical lens… and then there's Liz Prince'sTomboy. By tackling everything from Green Day to girl-hate, Prince does a kick-ass job at dissecting gender politics (and playground politics) through riotous anecdotes from her childhood, making this feminist inquiry, well, fun.” —Suzy X., illustrator at Rookie Mag  “Navigating life as a young tomboy would have been a lot easier if I'd had Liz's brave, hilarious, and honest story to guide me. Reading this book will make weird kids like us feel a little less alone.” —Melissa Mendes, author of Freddy Stories  Liz Prince's first book, Will You Still Love Me If I Wet the Bed?, was nominated for several awards and won the Ignatz Award for Outstanding Debut in 2005. Born in Boston, MA, she grew up in Santa Fe, NM, and has been drawing comics since the third grade. She has since produced many of her own comics and mini-comics, which mix her real-life foibles with charming cartooning and comic timing. Fans have described her work as being "cute," making them feel "warm and fuzzy," or simply being "too much information." She now lives outside of Boston and drinks more than her fair share of coffee. 

Rage of Poseidon (Drawn & Quarterly) + Ant Colony (Drawn + Quarterly) Anders Nilsen & Michael DeForge join forces for a can't-miss reading and presentation. Imagine you are Poseidon at the dawn of the twenty-first century. The oceans are dying and sailors have long since stopped paying tribute. They just don't need you anymore. What do you do? Perhaps, seeking answers, you go exploring. Maybe you end up in Wisconsin and discover the pleasures of the iced latte. And then, perhaps, everything goes wrong. Anders Nilsen, the author of Big Questions and Don't Go Where I Can't Follow, explores questions like these in his newest work, a darkly funny meditation on religion and faith with a modern twist. Rage of Poseidon brings all the philosophical depth of Nilsen's earlier work to bear on contemporary society, asking how a twenty-first-century child might respond to being sacrificed on a mountaintop, and probing the role gods like Venus and Bacchus might have in the world of today. Nilsen works in aunique style for these short stories, distilling individual moments in black silhouette on a spare white background. Above all, though, he immerses us seamlessly in a world where gods and humans are more alike than not, forcing us to recognize the humor in our (and their) desperation. In the few short years since he began his pamphlet-size comic book series Lose, Michael DeForge has announced himself as an important new voice in alternative comics. His brash, confident, undulating artwork sent a shock wave through the comics world for its unique, fully formed aesthetic. From its opening pages, Ant Colony immerses the reader in a world that is darkly existential, with false prophets, unjust wars, and corrupt police officers, as it follows the denizens of a black ant colony under attack from the nearby red ants. On the surface, it's the story of this war, the destruction of a civilization, and the ants' all too familiar desire to rebuild. Underneath, though, Ant Colony plumbs the deepest human concerns--loneliness, faith, love, apathy, and more. All of this is done with humor and sensitivity, exposing a world where spiders can wreak unimaginable amounts of havoc with a single gnash of their jaws. Michael DeForge's striking visual sensibility--stark lines, dramatic color choices, and brilliant use of page and panel space--stands out in this volume. Anders Nilsen is an award-winning cartoonist and visual artist. He is the author of several books, including Don't Go Where I Can't Follow and the magnum opus Big Questions, for which he was awarded the 2012 Lynd Ward Graphic Novel Prize by the Pennsylvania Center for the Book and the Ignatz Award, and was nominated for the top prize at the Angouleme International Comics Festival. Nilsen's works have been translated into a number of languages, and he has exhibited his drawing and painting internationally. He lives and works in Minneapolis. Michael DeForge was born in 1987 and grew up in Ottawa, Ontario. After a few years of experimenting with short strips and zines, he created Lose #1, his first full-length comic, which won Best Emerging Talent at the Doug Wright Awards. He has since published a handful of comic books, which have received industry praise and two Eisner Award nominations. His illustrations have been published in The New York Times and Bloomberg View; his comics have appeared in Believer, Maisonneuve, and the Adventure Time comic book series.

A discussion by comics creator Dean Haspiel on the new Small Press Expo (SPX) collection of the Serial & Government Publications Division. The collection of mini-comics -- "small in size but impressive in cultural impact" -- will contain, among other worthy selections, past and future Ignatz Award nominated works. For captions, transcript, and more information visit http://www.loc.gov/today/cyberlc/feature_wdesc.php?rec=5709.

On today's show, we talk to writer and artist Nicholas Gurewitch. Nick began writing and drawing his comic the Perry Bible Fellowship in his college paper, and since then, the comic has appeared in a number of newspapers and magazines and was released in two anthologies by Dark Horse Comics. Nick has also won some of the top awards in comics for the Perry Bible Fellowship including the Ignatz Award, the Harvey Award and the Eisner Award.A few weeks ago, while accidentally in town for a canceled meeting, Nick stopped by the Wrestling Team apartment to discuss Disney and classical music, memory and creativity, and transcendence and religion.Subscribe on iTunes and follow Andy and Mark on Twitter!

This week on the show: David Gallaher, Wonder Woman kicked to the curb, and our 300th Episode with you as our guest! NEWS NBC Kicks Wonder Woman to the Curb Link Locke & Key passed over LINK INTERVIEW BOX 13 creator David Gallaher stops by to talk up the series, and hint at what is next. REVIEWS Stephen THE LONE RANGER #25
By: Brett Matthews, Sergio Cariello, John Cassaday
The end of the line. The Lone Ranger and Butch Cavendish do battle for the first -- and final -- time. Will The Ranger destroy Cavendish and himself... or find a way to save both?
[rating:3.5/5] Rodrigo All Nighter #1 "STEALING COINS," Part One Kit Bradley is a 20 year-old art student and petty criminal who knows it's time to leave her delinquent past behind, but isn't ready for the responsibilities of adulthood. Her social headquarters is an all night diner, and while trying to put the 'off' on an on-again-off-again boyfriend, she runs into an old flame, and an enigmatic loner named Martha, who alters Kit's life forever. Created by Eisner and Ignatz Award nominee DAVID HAHN. [rating:4/5] Matthew COMICS: George Carlin Writer: Jaymes Reed Pencils: Apriyadi Kusbiantoro Cover Artist(s): 2 covers: Apriyadi Kusbiantoro & Patricio Carbajal George Carlin is the subject of the first issue of “COMICS”, an all-new biography series about stand-up comics, sitcom stars & comedians in general, notably those who have made a huge impact on popular culture. Launching this series is this in-depth narrative of the eventful (and sometimes tragic) life and career of arguably the greatest and most influential comedic genius of all time. [rating:2.5/5] MAJOR SPOILERS POLL OF THE WEEK This week, Thor, the God of thunder, and Aquaman, the King of Atlantis enter the ring to battle it out.  Will the uru hammer beat the the fish man? HAVE AT THEE! [poll id="183"] VOTE Issue 300 and your phone calls Our live cast continues with your phone calls and comments. Contact us at podcast@majorspoilers.com Call the Major Spoilers Hotline at (785) 727-1939. A big Thank You goes out to everyone who downloads, subscribes, listens, and supports this show. We really appreciate you taking the time to listen to our ramblings each week. Tell your friends about the podcast, get them to subscribe and, be sure to visit the Major Spoilers site and forums.

This week on the show: David Gallaher, Wonder Woman kicked to the curb, and our 300th Episode with you as our guest! NEWS NBC Kicks Wonder Woman to the Curb Link Locke & Key passed over LINK INTERVIEW BOX 13 creator David Gallaher stops by to talk up the series, and hint at what is next. REVIEWS Stephen THE LONE RANGER #25
 By: Brett Matthews, Sergio Cariello, John Cassaday
 The end of the line. The Lone Ranger and Butch Cavendish do battle for the first -- and final -- time. Will The Ranger destroy Cavendish and himself... or find a way to save both?
 [rating:3.5/5] Rodrigo All Nighter #1 "STEALING COINS," Part One Kit Bradley is a 20 year-old art student and petty criminal who knows it's time to leave her delinquent past behind, but isn't ready for the responsibilities of adulthood. Her social headquarters is an all night diner, and while trying to put the 'off' on an on-again-off-again boyfriend, she runs into an old flame, and an enigmatic loner named Martha, who alters Kit's life forever. Created by Eisner and Ignatz Award nominee DAVID HAHN. [rating:4/5] Matthew COMICS: George Carlin Writer: Jaymes Reed Pencils: Apriyadi Kusbiantoro Cover Artist(s): 2 covers: Apriyadi Kusbiantoro & Patricio Carbajal George Carlin is the subject of the first issue of “COMICS”, an all-new biography series about stand-up comics, sitcom stars & comedians in general, notably those who have made a huge impact on popular culture. Launching this series is this in-depth narrative of the eventful (and sometimes tragic) life and career of arguably the greatest and most influential comedic genius of all time. [rating:2.5/5] MAJOR SPOILERS POLL OF THE WEEK This week, Thor, the God of thunder, and Aquaman, the King of Atlantis enter the ring to battle it out.  Will the uru hammer beat the the fish man? HAVE AT THEE! [poll id="183"] VOTE Issue 300 and your phone calls Our live cast continues with your phone calls and comments. Contact us at podcast@majorspoilers.com Call the Major Spoilers Hotline at (785) 727-1939. A big Thank You goes out to everyone who downloads, subscribes, listens, and supports this show. We really appreciate you taking the time to listen to our ramblings each week. Tell your friends about the podcast, get them to subscribe and, be sure to visit the Major Spoilers site and forums.

Reviews: Billy the Kid's Old Timey Oddities and the Ghastly Fiend of London #1, Mecha-Nation #1, Ratchet and Clank #1, Resident Evil: Afterlife 3D The boys discuss the numbering of episodes, the upcoming 300th, VMA's, Spidey Musical, Brea Grant's movie short (and smart & sexy!), and Alan Moore. News includes: Black Panther: The Man With No Fear, William S. Burroughs graphic novel, Caprica returns early, The Dark Tower comes to TV, Top Shelf Sale, Ignatz Award winners at SPX and more! Plus, it's part 2 of our interview with voice over goddess, Andrea Romano. She's awesome and you will love her as much as we did! The boys also do a quick preview of some of the shows they will be watching in the new fall TV season.