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Knarkki leviää postin kautta. Viis vuotta sitten raja Suohmeen panthiin kiini. Hotelli huonossa kunnossa - kenen vastuu? Kunka antaa kläpile meänkieltä? Luulaja hokki haluaa Ruottinmestaruutta. Lyssna på alla avsnitt i Sveriges Radio Play.
Tänään minulla on vieraana Hanna Kontio, joka asuu Meksikossa ja opettaa suomea verkossa. Hannan kotisivut: www.yohablofines.com Hannan Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hanna.yohablofines/ Kuuntele haastattelu ja vastaa kysymyksiin: 1. Kuinka kauan Hanna on asunut Meksikossa? 2. Miten Hanna päätyi Meksikoon? 3. Kuinka Hanna alkoi opettaa suomea Instagramissa? 4. Millaisesta musiikista monet suomenopiskelijat tykkäävät? 5. Mitkä ovat Hannan mielestä isoimmat erot Suomen ja Meksikon välillä? 6. Kunka usein Hanna käy Suomessa? 7. Mitä Hanna tekee ensimmäisenä, kun hän saapuu Suomeen? 8. Millainen viikko Hannalla on edessään?
In this episode of Bottom-Up Shorts, host Norm Van Eeden Petersman is joined by Ken Kunka, a consultant and coach for small-scale developers. A former building and permitting manager, Kunka helps others develop their craft as builders of stronger communities, with a focus on infill development. Here's how he does it. ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES Norm Van Eeden Petersman (LinkedIn). Do you know someone who would make for a great The Bottom-Up Revolution guest? Let us know here!
Kunka paljon tekoäly, eli AI, tietää meänkielestä ja mitä ihmiset hunteeraava siittä? Kuulema kans uuesta prujektistä joka meinaa vahvistaa meänkielen. Lyssna på alla avsnitt i Sveriges Radio Play.
Tasha has lost her voice so this is a Retake: Hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman talk with spec master Daniel Kunka to discuss his latest script: LIFT. Kunka's spec created a frenzy that resulted in him teaming up with Netflix, Simon Kinberg, and Matt Reeves. The Act Two Podcast loves (LOVES) specs, and it was great to have Kunka offer inspiration while sharing his insight. Questions/Comments: ActTwoWriters@gmail.com -- Edited by Paul Lundquist
In this week's episode, Gin gives The Kunka more time to read the War of Scaleborn, and instead runs through a review of the main baddies of the past and how Iridikron is shaping up in comparison to them. Support us on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/livelaughlore Follow us! Twitter: https://twitter.com/live_laugh_lore TikTok = https://www.tiktok.com/@livelaughlorecast Instagram = https://www.instagram.com/livelaughlorecast/ YouTube = https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCawbWDBP7qEl24CZ2GUoSGg
Kruuvapuulaaki Kaunis Iron päätti ette sanoa ylös sopimuksen Snells entreprenaatin kans, nyt lähes sata työntekijää varotethaan irtisanomisesta. Kunka moni oon valmis luovuttamaan orgaanin kuoleman jälkheen? Hietaniemessä oon pantu tukiryhmä pysthöön ja niilä oon selvä kuva tulevaisuuesta. Haaparannala oon kuulo-aisti fuukkyksessä pyhänä ko äänifestivaali Happaraattor ottaa yli rautatieaseman. Pyhänä piethään seminaaria meänkielele ja torniolaaksolaisele kulttuurille Tukholmassa. Lyssna på alla avsnitt i Sveriges Radio Play.
Det är teater på förskolan, och alla föräldrar ska komma. Nalle ska trolla. Men kompisen Emma vill också trolla. Hur ska de göra då? Esikoulula oon teatteri, ja kaikki vanhemat oon tulossa. Nalle meinaa trollata. Mutta kaveri Emma haluaa kans trollata. Kunka net nyt tekevät? Lyssna på alla avsnitt i Sveriges Radio Play. Sanalista – Ordlista:Teater – TeatteriTrolla – TrollataKanin – KaniniVälkommen/välkomna! – Tervetuloa!Kullerbytta – KuperkeikkaSarjasta / Om SerienRandiga sagor är tvåspråkiga berättelser för barn från tre år och deras vuxna. Berättelserna riktar sig till både den som förstår något av de fem nationella minoritetsspråken och till den som bara förstår svenska.Matkassa – MedverkandeMaanys/Manus: Kristina PerézMeänkielen käänös/Meänkieliöversättning: Regina VeräjäMysiikki/Musik: Micaela GustafssonLaulu/Sång: Micaela Gustafsson ja Elina HärmäÄänestys/Ljudläggning: Tuomas OjalaPrutysentti Meänraatiossa: Regina VeräjäTekniikka, loppumiksaus/Teknik, slutmix: Kuvat/Illustration: Lotta Geffenblad
Back by popular demand, Screenwriter Dan Kunka (12 ROUNDS) talks with hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman about his journey through arbitration for his latest film, LIFT, based on his spec, and why more writers need to learn that being rewritten is simply part of the job. Questions / Comments: ActTwoWriters@gmail.com Edited by the GREAT Paul Lundquist Music by 414Beg
Redaktor Michał Nowak rozmawiał z Konradem Kunką z portalu Trajektoria.ia o dynamicznym rozwoju technologii sztucznej inteligencji.
Link to bioRxiv paper: http://biorxiv.org/cgi/content/short/2022.10.09.511473v1?rss=1 Authors: Nemergut, M., Marques, S. M., Uhrik, L., Vanova, T., Nezvedova, M., Gadara, D. C., Jha, D., Tulis, J., Novakova, V., Iglesias-Planas, J., Kunka, A., Legrand, A., Hribkova, H., Pospisilova, V., Sedmik, J., Raska, J., Prokop, Z., Damborsky, J., Bohaciakova, D., Spacil, Z., Hernychova, L., Bednar, D., Marek, M. Abstract: Apolipoprotein E (APOE) {varepsilon}4 genotype is the most prevalent risk factor for late-onset Alzheimers Disease (AD). Although APOE4 differs from its non-pathological APOE3 isoform only by the C112R mutation, the mechanism of its proteinopathy is poorly understood. Here, we combine experimental and computational techniques to uncover a "domino-like" effect of C112R mutation on APOE4 behavior. We found that C112R substitution in APOE4 induces long-distance ( greater than 15 [A]) conformational changes leading to the formation of a T-shaped dimeric unit that is geometrically different and more aggregation-prone than the APOE3 structure. AD drug candidate tramiprosate and its metabolite 3-sulfopropanoic acid induce APOE3-like conformational behavior in APOE4 and suppress its aggregation propensity. Analysis of APOE {varepsilon}4/{varepsilon}4 cerebral organoids treated with tramiprosate revealed its effect on cholesteryl esters, the storage products of excess cholesterol. Overall, our results connect the APOE4 structure with its aggregation propensity, providing a new druggable target for neurodegeneration and ageing. Copy rights belong to original authors. Visit the link for more info Podcast created by PaperPlayer
Kunka meänkielen revitaliseerinki toimii praktiikassa - tätä tutkithaan uuessa prujektissa Uumajan Ynivärsiteetilä. Meänkielen resyrsipipliuteekki oon kiertuessa missä tehtävä oon nostaa framile meänkieltä ja Tornionlaakson kylttyyriä Ruottin pipliuteekeissä. Orajärvessä muistethaan pelimannia Lasse Ylitaloa pihakonsertilla. Kohtaama kans mammaryhmän Pajalassa joka viimi vuona kuokki 1000 kiloa pottuja heän yhteisestä kryyvimaasta. Ja Signen keittokoulu jatkuu - opi keittämhään vesiklimppiä.
Kohtaama Met Nuoretin nuoriso-stipentin ja STR-T:n kyltyyri-stipentin voittajat, jokka palkithaan heän työstä kyltyyrin ja kielen puolesta. Suaningissa olhaan touhussa ko "Rajaton" leiri oon käynissä taas, pitkän pantemiia-pausin jälkhiin! Kulttuuritapahtuma Väyläfestivaali oon alkanu ja siinä tullee muun muassa musikkia ja runoja Torniosta Kilpisjärhveen saakka. Kunka sitä keittää oorninki kahvit - opi konstin Signen keittokoulussa.
Conan Neutron's Protonic Reversal
Conan Neutron's Protonic Reversal
The final three winners of the 2022 Acts of Courage Awards, hosted by the American Red Cross of Greater Akron and the Mahoning Valley tell their stories of heroism.
In this episode of QUEER VOICES OF THE SOUTH, I talk with ANDREW J. KUNKA, who is a professor of English and division chair at the University of South Carolina Sumter. He is the author of the book Autobiographical Comics and has also published articles and book chapters on Will Eisner, Kyle Baker, Doug Moench, Jack Katz, and Dell Comics. The Life and Comics of Howard Cruse: Taking Risks in the Service of Truth (Rutgers UP, 2021) tells the remarkable story of how a self-described “preacher's kid” from Birmingham, Alabama, became the so-called “Godfather of Gay Comics.” This study showcases a remarkable fifty-year career that included working in the 1970s underground comics scene, becoming founding editor of the groundbreaking anthology series Gay Comix, and publishing the graphic novel Stuck Rubber Baby, partially based on his own experience of coming of age in the Civil Rights era. Through his exploration of Cruse's life and work, Andrew J. Kunka also chronicles the dramatic ways that gay culture changed over the course of Cruse's lifetime, from Cold War-era homophobia to the gay liberation movement to the AIDS crisis to the legalization of gay marriage. Highlighting Cruse's skills as a trenchant satirist and social commentator, Kunka explores how he cast a queer look at American politics, mainstream comics culture, and the gay community's own norms. Lavishly illustrated with a broad selection of comics from Cruse's career, this study serves as a perfect introduction to this pioneering cartoonist, as well as an insightful read for fans who already love how his work sketched a new vision of gay life. Morris Ardoin is the author of Stone Motel – Memoirs of a Cajun Boy (2020, University Press of Mississippi), which was optioned for TV/film development in 2021. A communications leader in health care, immigration and asylum, and higher education, his work has appeared in national and international media. He divides his time between New York City and Cornwallville, New York, where he does most of his writing. His blog, “Parenthetically Speaking,” which focuses on life as a writer, home cook, and Cajun New Yorker, can be found at www.morrisardoin.com. Twitter: @morrisardoin Instagram: morrisardoin. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/lgbtq-studies
In this episode of QUEER VOICES OF THE SOUTH, I talk with ANDREW J. KUNKA, who is a professor of English and division chair at the University of South Carolina Sumter. He is the author of the book Autobiographical Comics and has also published articles and book chapters on Will Eisner, Kyle Baker, Doug Moench, Jack Katz, and Dell Comics. The Life and Comics of Howard Cruse: Taking Risks in the Service of Truth (Rutgers UP, 2021) tells the remarkable story of how a self-described “preacher's kid” from Birmingham, Alabama, became the so-called “Godfather of Gay Comics.” This study showcases a remarkable fifty-year career that included working in the 1970s underground comics scene, becoming founding editor of the groundbreaking anthology series Gay Comix, and publishing the graphic novel Stuck Rubber Baby, partially based on his own experience of coming of age in the Civil Rights era. Through his exploration of Cruse's life and work, Andrew J. Kunka also chronicles the dramatic ways that gay culture changed over the course of Cruse's lifetime, from Cold War-era homophobia to the gay liberation movement to the AIDS crisis to the legalization of gay marriage. Highlighting Cruse's skills as a trenchant satirist and social commentator, Kunka explores how he cast a queer look at American politics, mainstream comics culture, and the gay community's own norms. Lavishly illustrated with a broad selection of comics from Cruse's career, this study serves as a perfect introduction to this pioneering cartoonist, as well as an insightful read for fans who already love how his work sketched a new vision of gay life. Morris Ardoin is the author of Stone Motel – Memoirs of a Cajun Boy (2020, University Press of Mississippi), which was optioned for TV/film development in 2021. A communications leader in health care, immigration and asylum, and higher education, his work has appeared in national and international media. He divides his time between New York City and Cornwallville, New York, where he does most of his writing. His blog, “Parenthetically Speaking,” which focuses on life as a writer, home cook, and Cajun New Yorker, can be found at www.morrisardoin.com. Twitter: @morrisardoin Instagram: morrisardoin. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/american-south
Hosts L.T. and Steve (along with guest Luke Kunka) discuss the latest in nerd culture, nerd news, and nerd reviews! The group discusses Netflix buying Knives Out Sequels, the Loki and Space Jam: A New Legacy trailer, some interesting casting for Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse 2, and the recent screenshots from the filming of the pilot for the CW's Powerpuff Girls show. They also breakdown their thoughts and reviews for Godzilla vs Kong (with SPOILERS!)
Time Codes: 00:00:26 - Introduction 00:02:17 - Panel context 00:04:01 - "How to Read Nancy" panel 01:04:50 - Wrap up 01:05:19 - Contact us "Draw, you varmint" This past weekend was HeroesCon 2018, and while there Derek was a part of two different scholarly panels. One was about the relationship between print and digital comics texts, “Between Pen and Pixel,” a recording of which was released earlier this week. The second was a panel based on the book by Paul Karasik and Mark Newgarden, How to Read Nancy: The Elements of Comics in Three Easy Panels. Andy Mansell, who oversees the programming every year at HeroesCon, wanted to pull together a panel of scholars to discuss the significance of How to Read Nancy and its potential place in the classroom and in scholarship. In addition, he wanted the panelists to discuss other important books about comics, comics history, and formal aspects of the medium. Other panelists included the former cohost of The Comics Alternative, Andy Kunka, Craig Fischer, Jennie Law, and the new cohost for the podcast's bi-monthly on-location episodes, Michael Kobre. The resulting panel, “How to Read Nancyand Other Indispensable Books about Comics,” is part of the ongoing series of panels that Andy Mansell organizes every year, which he calls the “Comics Canon.” A big thanks to Andy Mansell, not only for pulling together this panel, but for all of the hard he does every year in overseeing the programming at HeroesCon.
Time Codes: 00:00:27 - Introduction 00:02:27 - Aaron Kashtan provides context 00:07:11 - "Between Pen and Pixel" panel 01:08:58 - Wrap up 01:09:55 - Contact us This past weekend at HeroesCon in Charlotte, NC, Derek was on a panel based on a recent book by Aaron Kashtan, Between Pen and Pixel: Comics, Materiality, and the Book of the Future (Ohio State University Press). Aaron pulled together several comics scholars -- in addition to Derek, his former cohost, Andy Kunka, and Craig Fischer -- along with Matt Kindt, whose work Aaron sites extensively in his book. This episode is a recording of that panel, which explored what comics can tell us about the future of the printed word (as well as the digital text), the book industry, and comics as an art object. Stay tuned over the next week for more HeroesCon episodes!
For this interview show, Andy and Derek are very pleased to have as their guest Peter Kuper, whose latest work, Ruins, has just been released through SelfMadeHero. As the author points out, this is a very different kind of book from his usual material, one that has taken over three years to complete. Ruins is the story of a young married couple who travel to Oaxaca, Mexico, for the wife's sabbatical. There the two of them, George and Samantha, bear witness to, and become involved in, some of the political unrest unfolding during their visit. More importantly, each one undergoes a unique journey that defines the trajectory of the life that follows. Paralleling Sam and George's experiences is the flight of a monarch butterfly as she makes her way from Canada to Oaxaca, hovering over much of the social, political, and environmental turmoil that has come to define our times. As the guys point out, this is a very politically conscious narrative, as many of Peter's comics are — see, for example, The System, his work on World War 3 Illustrated, and Diario de Oaxaca: A Sketchbook Journal of Two Years in Mexico, a text that visits many of the real-life contexts underlying Ruins — but his handling of the message(s) is woven seamlessly within the fiction, never heavy-handed, preachy, or didactic. Derek and Andy also use the opportunity to talk with Peter about teaching comics art, which he does at both the School of Visual Arts and Harvard University. They also get around to asking him about some of his other works, including the wordless comic, The System, his Kafka adaptations, Stop Forgetting to Remember: The Autobiography of Walter Kurtz, and, of course, Spy vs. Spy. The guys have been big fans of Peter's work for a long time, and the publication of Ruins, perhaps one of their favorites books of the year, is the perfect opportunity to finally get him on the show.
On this special episode of the podcast, Andy and Derek take a look at a variety of Steve Ditko's self-published comics. Since 2008, Ditko, along with Robin Snyder, has been putting out original work on a fairly regular basis. These comics are created and distributed independently -- and for the past few years have been crowdfunded by Kickstarter campaigns -- and as such, they have fallen below the radar of most comics readers. Beginning with The Avenging Mind, Ditko has sporadically produced superhero stories, crime/noir narratives, psychological allegories, and comics that reflect his socio-political ideas and philosophies. Among the ongoing serials in these self-published comics, Derek and Andy discuss "Miss Eerie," "The Cape," "The ?!," "The Grey Negotiator," "The Madman," "Outline," and "E (e) and I (i)." There are several themes that rise to the surface of these stories, such as traditional heroics, the use of masks, and the tenants of Objectivism. And of course, there are the Mr. A strips that have come to define much of Ditko's later work. Of particular interest to the Two Guys are those comics that reflect Ditko's complicated attitudes toward, and perhaps relationship with, his fans. At first glance, the stories that revolve around Eye Inquire and The Anti-s (AKA, Fan Man and Fan Boy) may seem dismissive and even condescending, but Andy and Derek point out that there is a deep history underlying the tone of these comics and part of their allure are the industry-based questions they open up. Of special note: this is the 300th episode of The Comics Alternative that the guys have produced. Although, and as the title suggests, this may be the 157th weekly show -- those regular review episodes that come out every Wednesday -- it is part of the larger body of podcasting work that has included over three-year's-worth of interviews, on-location shows, specials, and monthly series devoted to webcomics, manga, and young adult/children's comics. Celebrate the occasion by telling others about the podcast!
On this episode of the interview series, Andy W. and Derek have as their guest Jessica Abel, whose latest book, Out on the Wire: The Storytelling Secrets of the New Masters of Radio, was recently released by Broadway Books. In her conversation with the guys, Jessica discusses her history with narrative-based radio and how her earlier work, Radio: An Illustrated Guide (cowritten with Ira Glass), helped to open the door for her exploration of the medium. Out on the Wire is based on over three years of research and hours of interviews she conducted with the creators behind programs such as This American Life, Planet Money, Radiolab, The Moth, and Snap Judgment. The text culls the various storytelling strategies of these producers and dissects their effectiveness. This kind of expositional writing -- or "documentary comics," as Jessica calls it -- is something that the Two Guys rarely discuss, so they use this opportunity as a way into the genre. Along the way they also talk with Jessica about her podcast based on the new book, her work on Trish Trash: Rollergirl of Mars, her series editorship (along with her husband, Matt Madden) of the annual Best American Comics for Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, and her earlier books, including La Perdida, the instructional text Drawing Words and Writing Pictures (again, along with Madden), and the series Artbabe. For those interested in storytelling and the spoken word -- and not only for radio, but also as it applies to podcasting -- this interview with Jessica Abel is essential listening.
Andy and Derek are excited to have as their guest on The Comics Alternative the man behind making Nikola Tesla even cooler than he already is: Brian Clevinger. He and his collaborator, Scott Wegener, have recently joined forces with IDW Publishing to bring us more Atomic Robo. And that's definitely something to celebrate! The newest story arc, Atomic Robo and the Ring of Fire, began last month, and on top of that, IDW has published the first of what promises to be multiple omnibus editions. Atomic Robo: The Everything Explodes Collection includes the first three story arcs -- The Fighting' Scientist of Tesladyne, The Dogs of War, and The Shadow from Beyond Time -- packaged in a hefty, attractive volume. Brian talks with the guys about his and Scott's decision earlier this year to self-publish Atomic Robo on their website, and then the unlikely and out-of-the-blue opportunity to partner with IDW to bring the title back into the direct market. Along the way, they discuss Brian's penchant for science and history, the evolution and discovery of Atomic Robo's reader demographics, the abundant humor found in the title (especially with Doctor Dinosaur), the creators' process of collaboration, and the use of historic personages within the Tesladyne universe. (Derek lobbies hard to get Mark Twain into this narrative world, complete with time-traveling goodness.) This was an interview long in coming, because the guys devoted most of an episode to Atomic Robo way back in the early days of the podcast, and catching Brian's attention by doing so. Andy talked with him briefly at HeroesCon 2014, but this was the first time the Two Guys have talked with Brian in a sustained and thorough manner. And they had a lot of fun doing so. Check out the interview and see why Atomic Robo is one of the most consistently well-written comics being published today. Action Science!
Welcome to October! And to celebrate the occasion, Andy and Derek do what they do at the beginning of every month: look through the current Previews catalog! And for October, the selections are plentiful and exciting. The guys find a number of upcoming titles from the premier publishers, but there are also many coming out from smaller presses, some of which the guys discuss for the very first time. Among the many upcoming releases they discuss on this month's Previews show are titles from Dark Horse, Vertigo, Image, IDW, Fantagraphics, Alternative Comics, Creature, Dover Publications, Comicmix, Locust Moon Press, Humanoids, BOOM! Studios, and Viz Media. Also on this episode: Derek encourages everyone to support Salgood Sam's Patreon campaign, Andy discusses his current situation moisture, the guys express and enthusiastic “Thank you!” to Box and Jared at Big Planet/Retrofit Comics, and Andy shares his deep and abiding love for steampunk comics.
Today, September 30, is International Podcast Day! To celebrate the occasion the Two Guys with PhDs Talking about Comics get together with some of the other cohosts of the show, Gwen Tarbox, Andy Wolverton, and Gene Kannenberg, Jr., to talk about podcasts and podcasting. As such, they don't necessarily focus on comics podcasts — although podcasts about comics comes up often during the discussion — but instead, they share their insights and experiences concerning a wide variety of podcasts. For example, everybody begins by recounting the first podcasts they ever listened to, or what brought them to the medium. They also discuss how they discern podcasts in terms of topic, content, hosting, and sound quality. And of course, each shares the various podcasts she or he currently listens to on a regular or semi-regular basis…and how and when they listen to them. They even discuss their work on The Comics Alternative and how their experiences as podcasters have affected the way they listen to (and critique) other podcasts. But overall, everyone has a great time getting together — the first time more than three cohosts appear on the same show! — and talking about a medium that has increasingly become a part of their lives. So sit back, fire up that listening device of choice, and enjoy the fun that is The Comics Alternative celebrating International Podcast Day.
For the September episode of the manga series, Shea and Derek discuss two very different titles, although both heavily invested in popular genres. They begin with Eiji Otsuka and Housui Yamazaki's The Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service Ominibus 1 (Dark Horse Books), a different take on both horror and detective narratives. Although the English-language releases of this title began in 2006, Dark Horse has just this month published the first of the omnibus editions, one that collects the first three volumes of the series. The guys begin by describing the premise as a cross between supernatural horror and Scooby-Doo, where you have a bunch of young investigators, each with a particular set of skills informing their unique form of "detecting." (Derek also compares Otsuka's storylines to The Rockford Files, another series featuring an unlikely investigator constantly down on his luck.) Both enjoy the title well enough, although Shea is less impressed than is Derek, feeling that the routine becomes formulaic rather quickly and that the individual characters are never fully realized, at least in the segments featured in this initial omnibus edition. Next, the Two Guys turn to the first two volumes of One-Punch Man, a satiric series by the pseudonymous One with art by Yusuke Murata (VIZ Media). This began as a webcomic by One in 2009, but then Murata helped to remake the series a few years later, and VIZ Media's recent release of volumes 1 and 2 are the first print versions in English (although originally serialized in the digital Weekly Shonen Jump magazine). Both of the guys love One and Murata's humorous spin on the superhero and shonen formulas, although Derek wonders if the premise may soon wear thin (an inverse of what the guys felt about Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service). However, it is Murata's art that solidly captures the guys' attention. As a result, both Shea and Derek are interested in seeing how this series develops, especially if it continues to bring the keen genre-deconstructing insights found in the first two volumes.
On this episode of the interview series, Andy and Derek are happy to have as their guest Dean Mullaney, the editor of IDW's the Library of American Comics and the EuroComics series. His most recent book, The King of the Comics: One Hundred Years of King Features Syndicate will be coming out next month, just in time for the world-famous syndicate's centennial. Dean talks with the Two Guys about the process of gathering strips, his experiences digging through library archives, the importance of working with collectors and enthusiasts, and the challenges of culling the most representative selections for each of his volumes. His new King Features project is no exception, and in fact, Dean describes it as one of his most ambitious, and satisfying, collections to date. Coming in at over 300 pages, the book covers the entire history of the syndicate, even touching upon the early days of William Randolph Hearst's newspapers. Derek and Andy also talk with Dean about a couple of his other recent works, Bravo for Adventure, Alex Toth's magnum opus that has been collected in book form for the first time, and the second release in EuroComics' definitive English-language editions of Hugo Pratt's landmark series, Corto Maltese: Beyond the Windy Isles. Both speak to Mullaney's passion for classic comics as well as his expertise as an editor/curator. Along the way, the guys also discuss Dean's award-winning Genius Alex Toth series, the edited Terry and the Pirates volumes, and his seminal work at Eclipse Comics. This is a must-listen episode for anyone interested in comics strips, comics history, and comics preservation.
And here it is, the third (and final) of the three on-location shows of interviews Derek and Andy W. conducted while at last weekend's Small Press Expo. At the event, the Two Guys spoke with a number of creators attending SPX, interviewing each for anywhere from 5 to around 20 minutes. In some cases, the guys are quite familiar with the artist's works (and may even have reviewed their comics on past episodes). At other times, Andy or Derek may not know the work of the creator, but use the interview opportunity to learn more about the artist. In this episode, you will hear conversations with Amy Godfrey & Patrick Holt, Will Dinski, R. Sikoryak, Jay Hosler, Nick Bertozzi, Jason Little, Simon Rinehardt, and Mickey Zacchilli. The exhibition hall of SPX 2015 was packed, and, as a result, the din of the crowd was at times difficult to talk over. But the Two Guys addressed the sound challenges as best they could. Sometimes they talked with the creators at their tables, and at other times -- such as the interviews with R. Sikoryak, Nick Bertozzi, and Jason Little -- they were able to find a space away from the exhibition floor where the sound was less chaotic. The first two segments of the guys' on-location interview shows from SPX went up on Thursday and on Friday. And be sure to check out Derek's much longer conversation with Bill Griffith that was released separately.
This is the second of three on-location interview shows based on Derek and Andy W.'s attendance at last weekend's Small Press Expo. At the event, the Two Guys took the opportunity to talk with several creators exhibiting at SPX, interviewing each for anywhere from 5 to around 20 minutes. In some cases, the guys are quite familiar with the artist's works (and may even have reviewed their comics on past episodes). At other times, Andy or Derek may not know the work of the creator, but use the interview opportunity to learn more about the artist. In this episode, you will hear conversations with Dakota McFadzean, Andy Warner, Jonathan Baylis, Amelia Onorato, Sam Spina, Keith Knight, Gregory Benton, and Dean Haspiel. The exhibition hall of SPX 2015 was packed, and, as a result, the din of the crowd was at times difficult to talk over. But the Two Guys addressed the sound challenges as best they could. Sometimes they talked with the creators at their tables, and at other times — such as the interviews with Gregory Benton and Dean Haspiel — they were able to find a space off the floor where the sound was less chaotic. The final on-location interview episode will be released on Saturday. The first was published yesterday. And be sure to check out Derek's much longer conversation with Bill Griffith that was released separately.
Last weekend, Andy W. and Derek attended Small Press Expo in Bethesda, MD. While there, they were able to interview a variety of creators about their recent releases, their larger body of work, and any future projects they may be working on. The result was an impressive collection of interviews -- 28 in all -- each of which lasted from anywhere between 5 minutes to over 20 minutes. The guys have now edited these conversations and are presenting them in a series of three on-location interview episodes conducted at SPX. In this first installment, Derek and Andy talk with Derf Backderf, Theora Kvitka, Ethan Riley, Miss Lasko-Gross, Stuart & Kathryn Immonen, Jennifer Jordan & Sophie Goldstein, Gina Wynbrandt, Julian Hanshaw, Kristen Gudsnuk, Rune Ryberg, Ben Towle, Cole Closser, and Meags Fitzgerald. The exhibition hall of SPX was packed, and, as a result, the din of the crowd was at times difficult to talk over. But the Two Guys persevered, despite the sound challenges. Sometimes they talked with the creators at their tables, and at other times -- such as the interviews with Cole Closser and Meages Fitzgerald -- they were able to find a space outside of the hall that demonstrated less auditory chaos. Two other episodes of on-location interviews will be released on Friday and Saturday. Derek's much longer conversation with Bill Griffith was released separately. But for now, enjoy the smooth, creamy, indie goodness of today's installment.
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?
While at this year's Small Press Expo, Derek had the opportunity to talk with the great Bill Griffith, whose new book from Fantagraphics, Invisible Ink: My Mother's Secret Love Affair with a Famous Cartoonist, debuted at the event and will soon be available in stores everywhere. As the subtitle suggests, this is a different kind of book for Griffith, a radical departure from his syndicated Zippy strip. Not only is it a deeply personal and moving memoir, but it's his first long-form work in comics. It is a narrative of his mother's sixteen-year love affair with a prolific and recognizable cartoonist of the of the 1950s and 1960s. But even more than that, it's Bill's own story about the discover of his mother's hidden secret -- he learned about the affair in 1972, right after the death of his father -- and his ongoing attempts to undercover the details and understand the dynamics of a family life now long behind him. Indeed, Invisible Ink can be read as a detective narrative, with its autobiographic protagonist visiting aged relatives, investigating long-forgotten documents, and putting together the pieces of his parents' lives that may never render a complete picture. Perhaps most notable, Invisible Ink is a book about family and memory. Time itself stands as a central focus of the text, with Griffith juxtaposing past and present events in a very fluid and psychologically revealing manner. Dreams and fantasies become tangible. Reminiscences define current reality. In all, it is a narrative that is Faulknerian in scope. In his interview with Derek, Griffith discusses the circumstances surrounding Invisible Ink and the history of its gestation. But the conversation doesn't end with the new book. The two also discuss Bill's time in underground comix, his world-famous Zippy the Pinhead, the unlikely backstory of Zippy's syndication with King Features, and the eventual winding down of the strip's current Dingburg run (which began in 2007). Equal parts history, insights, and laughter, Derek's interview with Bill Griffith was perhaps the highlight of his time at SPX 2015. Yow!
This week the Two Guys with PhDs Talking about Comics explore four new titles, each quite different one from the other. They begin with the new graphic novel from New Zealand creator Ant Sang, The Dharma Punks (Conundrum Press). On the surface it is a story about coming to terms with death, but there's much more going on in this 415-page book. In fact, this is one of the most ambitious narratives the guys have encountered so far this year, and certainly the most philosophical. Its protagonist, Chopstick, tries to comes to grips with the suicide of a close friend and what that loss means in his own life, while at the same time participating in an anarchist act against a corporate franchise. The events in the book take place roughly over a two-day period, but one of strengths of this narrative is how Sang manipulates time in a Faulkner-like manner, making the past ever-present. This is a rich and complex text, and at times Gene and Derek feel at a loss trying to put the gist of The Dharma Punks into words for an audio podcast. Next, the guys take on a much more constrained narrative, but one that is nonetheless multifaceted in its own ways, Noah Van Sciver's My Hot Date (Kilgore Books). This is an autobiographical comic, and as the title suggests, it's about a date that the fourteen-year-old Noah has with someone he met via America Online. Van Sciver has written short memoir-inspired stories in the past, but this is the longest, and definitely the most humorously self-deprecating, that he's produced to date. This is just one of the many comics that Van Sciver has released over the past year, many of which are published through Kilgore Books...a growing presences in the Two Guys' arsenal of go-to small publishers. After that, Derek and Gene turn their attention to the first issue in Rick Remender and Sean Murphy's new series from Image Comics, Tokyo Ghost. This is a futuristic story that takes as its premise the overriding and ever-present impact of on-demand digital culture in our lives. This inaugural issue does a fine job of setting up this narrative world, but Gene wonders if the nonstop action and complex visuals may be too much at times. Lastly, the guys take a brief look at an issue of an online zine they have just discovered, Jackie Batey's FutureFantasteek! Issue #16 was released at the beginning of 2015, and while the latest installment can stand on its own, Derek and Gene suggest that the title can best be appreciated when read over the course of its run. For those with a diverse taste in comics, this episode is definitely for you!
The Two Guys are happy to have as their guests Gabriel Hardman and Corinna Bechko. Their first collected volume of Invisible Republic has just recently been released, and the guys talk with the creators about the origins of this project, its initial incubation period, and their efforts in bringing the series to Image Comics. Invisible Republic is a science fiction narrative, taking place on a distant moon in the Gliese system in the twenty-eighth century, but it's much more of a story of political intrigue set against a backdrop of journalistic investigation. The first trade collects issues #1-5 of the series, and the next narrative arc begins later this month with issue #6. Derek and Andy W. also ask Corinna and Gabriel about their collaborative relationship, their work on Invisible Republic as well as other series (including the Planet of the Apes franchise), and how it may complement -- or perhaps even challenge -- their personal partnership. The guys also use the opportunity to talk with the two about their other creator-owned projects, such as Kinski, Heathentown, and the upcoming The Crooked Man. The topics of beekeeping, pet ownership, and even Donald Trump (unfortunately) make their ways into their conversation, making this a well-rounded talk. There is a lot packed into this interview, and the discussion that unfolds is one of the most thought-provoking you'll hear in any comics podcast.
Mullets, Cheesecake, and FantasyvilleFor September's webcomics episode, Sean and Derek have some fun titles lined up for you, the devoted Comics Alternative listener. They begin with an incredible futuristic sci-fi series partially informed by one of the worst hairstyles to come out of the 1970s/1980s. Daniel Warren Johnson's Space Mullet is the story of an ex-United-Earth-space-marine-turned-space-trucker and his partner, a sensitive yet wisecracking Zozobian, as they try to come to terms with their pasts as their pasts doggedly continue to creep back into their lives. The guys are absolutely taken by Johnson's highly detailed art -- Sean, in particular, loves Johnson's spaceships, although he's not entirely thrilled by the way the protagonist's mustache is drawn -- as well as the complex way in which his story is unfolding. They point out that the webcomic does not come out as consistently as the creator would like, and he apologizes often for this fact. But that's OK; given the quality of Space Mullet, the guys are more than willing to wait. After that, Derek and Sean turn their attention to Bachan's Vinny: El Perro de la Balbuena. This began as a Spanish-language webcomic several years ago, and now the artist is going back and translating this strips into English...a process that is helping him to learn the language, he says. But to read Vinny, you wouldn't know there's been any translation of any sort, as the story and the comedy are smooth and seamless. This is a strip that reminds the guys of the old Tex Avery cartoons, as well as Ren and Stimpy. Lots of physical comedy, lots of action, lots of exaggerated fun. Finally, the Two Guys wrap up with a webcomic that just recently ended, Kelci Crawford's Johnson and Sir. This one is quite different from the other titles discussed in this episode. While Space Mullet is an ongoing narrative with multiple and complex story arcs, and while Vinny is a serial with a clearly discernible through-line, Johnson and Sir is more like a daily gag strip. In fact, much of Crawford's humor is reminiscent of the kind of comics you'd find in a daily newspaper. There is, at times, some story across installments, but the real impact of the comic is its one-time comedic punch. And Crawford's sense of humor includes elven police officers, fairies, dinosaurs, and aliens all populating a fantasyland that is not too dissimilar from our own. Be sure to check out all of the webcomics highlighted this month!
On this week's review show, Derek and Andy W. look at three new titles, beginning with the new graphic novel from Ethan Young, Nanjing: The Burning City (Dark Horse). This is a riveting historically based narrative centered on Japan's actions against the Chinese Nationalist capital during the Second Sino-Japanese War. It involves a captain in the Republic of China's army trapped within Nanjing, now overrun by the Japanese, and his attempts to get himself and one of his soldiers out to safety. Young never flinches from the horrors of the war, yet at the same time he never falls prey to the temptation of demonizing the aggressor. His is a very human story, and both the invading Japanese troops and Chinese victims are shown in all of their complexities. Next, the guys discuss the first issue of Jeff Lemire and Emi Lenox's new series, Plutona (Image). This is a different kind of spin to the superhero genre, and the story begins by introducing us to a group of five suburban kids, each with his or her own personality and complications. What binds them all together is the discovery of the titular character, one of their city's crime-fighting heroes who now lies inert in the woods. What makes this first so compelling is not only Lenox's unique art, but the colors provided by Jordie Bellaire. And this more conventional narrative stands in stark contrast to the third title the guys discuss, Michael DeForge's Lose #7 (Koyama Press). This is the latest in DeForge's annual one-man anthology series, and in this issue we get three stories. The first and third are short, untitled abstract narratives, but the middle story is longer and more traditional in its construction. "Movie Star" is an unusual tale about a daughter whose father unexpectedly finds his long-lost sibling and how this discovery changes his life in unlikely ways. As Andy points out, all of the stories in this latest issue of Lose are thematically linked by a search for identity. In fact, you could look at all of the comics discussed on this episode as dealing with this very theme.
On this episode of the interview show, Andy and Derek have as their guest Glenn Head, whose new book Chicago: A Comix Memoir was just released from Fantagraphics. They talk with Glenn extensively about the the work and how it is a marked departure from his previous comics. Chicago is Glenn's coming-of-age account of leaving Madison, NJ, in 1977 to attend the Cleveland Institute of Art, and then deciding to find himself by suddenly running off to Chicago with no friends, no money, and no plans. He quickly finds himself destitute, panhandling on the streets, and young prey for any number of nefarious forces. Between homeless shelters and McDonald's meals, Glenn tries to make his way into the comics business, along the way meeting the likes Skip Williamson, Robert Crumb, and even Muhammed Ali. His sojourn in the Windy City leads him down some dark paths, but not nearly as dark as the aftermath back home in Madison where he begins to process the events and come to terms with what those Chicago experiences meant to him. This isn't the first time that Glenn has created autobiographically tinged comics -- such pieces had appeared in some of his older comics, such as Avenue D and Guttersnipe -- but this is the first time he has done so in longer form. Indeed, this is Glenn's first sustained book-length narrative, having defined much of his career through shorter comics collected in various anthologies, such as Weirdo and Zero Zero, or by editing collections of his own, such Snake Eyes and, most recently, Hotwire Comics. The guys talk with Glenn about those projects, as well, and discuss with him the changes he's witnessed in the field between the final days of the underground comix to the legitimization of the "graphic novel" form. So this isn't just an interview with an established creator about his latest book. It's also a conversation about the current state of comics with a witness to that form's decades-long trajectory.
The Two Guys with PhDs Talking about Comics are proud to have as their guest Marisa Acocella Marchetto. Her new graphic novel, Ann Tenna, was just released by Knopf, and it's a fantastical, sci-fi-infused story of psychological balance and self-discovery in our overly “media-cated” culture. The titular protagonist, a glamorous, super-connected entrepreneur of glitz and gossip, becomes disconnected from her higher self…literally. Her cosmic doppleganger, Superann, steps into Ann's life via a near-fatal accident, and results are a hard-cold lesson in emotional and interpersonal priorities. Along the way, Ann visits psychedelic celestial planes, experiences out-of-this-world fashions, rubs elbows with the spirits of Coco Chanel and Heinrich Hertz, and taps into universal networks of communication that put our social media to shame. Andy and Derek talk with Marisa about the genesis of of this narrative and how it fits in with her earlier books, Just Who the Hell Is She, Anyway? and Cancer Vixen. They learn that Ann Tenna actually has long roots dating back to some of Marisa's earliest comics efforts, but that the story evolved over time to take on deeper meaning informed by the author's own traumatic experiences. In fact, they spend a good bit of time talking with Marisa about Cancer Vixen, how that book has helped define her career, and about her efforts as the founder and chair of the Marisa Acocella Marchetto Foundation at Mount Sinai Beth Israel Comprehensive Cancer Center. Along the way, the guys make it a point to address Marisa's sense of humor, her work for The New Yorker, her iconographic fascination (obsession?) with eyes, her razor-sharp word play, and the cool font that she created specifically for the new book. So get those antennas up and consider this podcast episode a most necessary transmission, beaming to you with love from the other-worldly offices of Comics Alternative Central.
Another month is upon us, so that means it must be time for Andy and Derek to open up the latest Previews catalog and begin making out their wish lists. (Actually, Derek is the only one opening up the catalog. Andy finds himself without one for this month, having to rely only on text-only order form.) Most of solicits in the September catalog will be released in either November or December, just in time for the holidays, and the guys wondered if this would be another chock-full issue leading to another longish episode of the podcast. They got their answer fairly quickly. They cover a lot in this episode. However, there's much more that the Two Guys wanted to highlight, but there's only so much time to record the episode (plus, toward the end, the guys were getting a little tired and hungry). Also in this episode, the guys fantasize about themselves being tastemakers, discuss the challenges in teaching Alison Bechdel's Fun Home, and highlight Garth Ennis and John McCrea's memorable run on The Demon. More notably, Andy ridicules Derek on his critique of the Lumberjanes phenomenon, and Derek punches back. Do we have the beginnings of another Beyond Watchmen fracas between the Two Guys?
On this month's manga episode, Shea and Derek discuss two distinctly different titles. They begin with Batman: The Jiro Kuwata Batmanga (DC Comics). The second in this planned three-volume series, collecting all of Kuwata's Batman work, just came out last month, and the Two Guys look at both volumes one and two. These Batmanga stories were originally serialized in Japan between 1966 and 1967, at the height of the Adam West Batman craze, and both Derek and Shea comment on how much Kuwata's stories were informed by that TV series, as well as by the "New Look" of earlier in the decade. At the same time, this manga never comes across as intentionally campy or self-conscious of itself as a pop-cultural product. In fact, one of the guys' first topics of conversation is how much Kuwata's Batman takes from its American version and how much is unique and original to the manga. Surprisingly, there are relatively few American imports into the Batmanga stories -- Jim Gordon is prominent throughout, and both Alfred Pennyworth and Vicki Vale make brief appearances -- and the villains in Kuwata's stories are either street-level thugs or unique to the manga. Indeed, Derek comments on the weirdness of many of Batman's nemeses in these stories -- at least, more weirdly off-beat than those in the American version -- including Lord Death Man, the Human Ball, Professor Gorilla, the Hangman, and, one of his favorites, Go-Go the Magician. (Clayface is the focus of a chapter in the second volume, but it's a different Clayface from the American version.) These are definitely stories of their time, and the guys point out that Kuwata's Batmanga is perhaps best read as a rich cultural artifact. To fully appreciate Batman, you should understand the property's many historical contexts and manifestations. Next, the guys look at the the first volume in Dark Horse Comics' new Oh My Goddess! Omnibus series. Neither Shea nor Derek knew exactly what to expect with Kosuke Fujishima legendary title, except for the fact that it was a widely popular manga series. Derek expected something along the line of josei, and Shea thought that the title might be defined by several of the stereotypes many readers may have regarding manga. But both were pleasantly surprised, especially Derek, who appreciated the episodic, TV-sitcom-like nature of this seinen manga. In fact, as the guys point out, you can gain about everything you need to now about the series' premise in the book's first chapter, "The Number You Have Dailed Is Incorrect." From there, the remaining 22 chapters of this first omnibus follow suit, occasionally introducing new characters and situations that build upon the foundation laid down in the first. Shea is less impressed by Fujishima's meandering storylines, but Derek enjoys the casual, even charming, manner in which we get to know Keiichi, Belldandy, and the rest of the Oh My Goddess! cast. The reader's comfort and enjoyment levels develop as the series unfolds, and, as Shea points out, taking in a chapter of Oh My Goddess! is like eating a favorite food or returning to a reliable friend. However, for some (such as Shea) this is a title that might be best experienced on a regular serialized basis, and not consumed all at once in omnibus form. Regardless, both of the guys are glad that they've discovered Fujishima's recently completed series -- the final chapter was published in April 2014 -- and they'll probably return for the next omnibus volume that comes out late this year.
This week the Two Guys with PhDs Talking about Comics look at three recent titles, each one an example of genre mash-up. They begin with a new book that isn't really so new. Philippe Druillet's The 6 Voyages of Lone Sloane (Titan Comics) is actually a reprint of a series of stories originally published in the Franco-Belgian comics magazine Pilote between 1970 and 1971, and then later made available to English speakers through both Dark Horse Comics and NBM. Each short narrative centers on the titular character, a space wanderer/adventurer who encounters a variety of pirates, robotic threats, despotic rulers, and space gods along his multi-dimensional journeys. Druillet's style is colorful, lush, and baroque, demonstrating much of the cultural psychedelia of the time, and the artwork is nicely showcased through the bandes dessinées format in which Titan Comics chose to publish this edition. Derek and Gene discuss in some detail Druillet's non-traditional panel layout and how he utilizes the mise-en-page to both generate meaning in unique ways and demonstrate a playfulness engaging reader expectations. This is the first in a series of Lone Sl0ane narratives that Titan will reproduce, the next two featuring his adventures originally published in 1972's Delirius. After these fantasy-inspired space quests, the guys turn their attention to something more earth-bound, although not necessarily of this world. Ales Kot and Matt Taylor's Wolf (Image Comics) is a curious blend of supernatural and noir conventions featuring werewolves, vampires, ghosts, demons, Cthulu, and possibly the Antichrist. The second issue was just released, so Gene and Derek are able to discuss this new series with quite a number of pages under their belts. Ironically, though, the guys aren't entirely sure what's going on in this title, despite the almost-60-pages first issue and the regularly sized second. Kot and Taylor have laid out their narrative groundwork, for the most part, but there just isn't much that happens in these first two issues. Despite the intriguing premise and the promise of socio-cultural pertinence, this may be a title that reads better in trade...or so Gene and Derek wonder. An inaugural issue with much more action can be found in Bradford Winters, Larry Cohen, and Daniel Irizarri's Americatown #1 (BOOM! Studios/Archaia). What drew the guys to this new series is its premise, a futuristic or alternative world where U.S. citizens become illegal immigrant workers in other countries, sending back their earnings to provide for their families while they evade the surveillance and deportation. Given recent political news -- thanks largely to that paragon of civil discourse, Donald Trump -- Americatown is a timely speculation on national boundaries and economic survival. Gene especially appreciates Irizarri's art, and it is for this reason, as well, that both he and Derek are likely to return regularly to this eight-issue limited series and not wait for it to be collected.
On this episode of the interview show, Derek talks with Jeremy Baum about his latest book, Dörfler (Fantagraphics), a dream-like narrative that combines elements of fantasy, science fiction, psychedelia, pin-up art, and video-game tropes. Structured around multiple (primarily) female characters who appear to inhabit different dimensional realms, Baum's story is both futuristic as well as surreal. His highly detailed art, composed primarily of grays and blue tones, reveals a dystopic landscape that juxtaposes urban modernity with pastoral themes, resulting in a discursive narrative where both time and space are fluid. Jeremy talks with Derek about the psychological nature of his art and how the philosophies of such writers and artists as Carl Jung, Fyodor Dostoyevsky, and Robert Crumb inform his aesthetics. This is born out most notably in the visual leitmotifs that not only crop up throughout Dörfler, but also largely define Jeremy other works. In fact, the two go on to discuss much of Jeremy's previous comics, including Heathen (a collection of his earlier graphic art and shorter sequential pieces) and his first long-form narrative, Postland. Derek also asks about Jeremy's role as an editor and self-publisher, overseeing his own releases as well as the ambitious anthology, Memory, an internationally flavored collection with over 50 contributors. If you're not already familiar with the unique art of Jeremy Baum, then this interview should serve as an informative introduction.
The Two Guys are back with another special episode of The Comics Alternative, and, just in time for the new school year, this time they hold a roundtable discussion on teaching comics. Joining them in the discussion are Randy Duncan and Matthew J. Smith. They, along with Paul Levitz, are the coauthors of The Power of Comics: History, Form, and Culture (Bloomsbury Academic), the first real textbook devoted to comics that was just recently released in its second edition. In fact, Derek begins the conversation by asking Matt and Randy about their experiences pulling together the project, some of the challenges they faced creating a comics-centered textbook, and what kind of feedback they have received from instructors using it. But the conversation soon transitions into a larger discussion of comics in the classrooms, e.g., strategies for teaching, the hard choices when creating syllabi, negotiating student expectations, reading lists and text availability, assignment choices that reflect the medium, and course focus on specific comics topics. All four of the discussants have taught comics many times over the year, and each brings to the conversation their unique experiences and recommendations. Whether you are an educator with years of teaching graphic novels under your belt, an instructor contemplating teaching comics for the first time, a student who's always wanted to read this kind of material in the classroom, a pedagogical theorist curious about the potential of the medium, or just a reader who's interested in serious comics talk, this is an episode has something for you.
This is a bittersweet episode of The Comics Alternative, because Andy and Derek are both highlighting and saying goodbye to a title that has been one of their favorites these past thirteen years, Bill Willingham's Fables (Vertigo). The series finale was just recently released -- issue #150, which also doubles at volume 22 of the trade paperbacks -- and the guys go into detail about the wrap-up of the main storyline, the final confrontation between Snow White and Rose Red that has been building over the past several narrative arcs. They also discuss the collection of "Last" stories that round out this volume, short pieces illustrated by a variety of artists that give us a final (?) glimpse at some of Fables most important characters. In fact, this episode of the podcast is very spoiler-heavy, in that Derek and Andy couldn't figure out how to do justice to the series without giving away a few important concluding plot elements. (So if you haven't yet read this last installment of Fables, then perhaps you should do so before listening to this week's show. Go ahead. The guys don't mind. They'll still be here waiting for you.) But this episode is also a retrospective on the entire run of Fables, its many twists and turns, as well as the many spin-offs it engendered. As such, the Two Guys also touch upon Jack of Fables, the Cinderella miniseries, The Literals, Fairest, the current series Fables: The Wolf among Us, and the standalone volumes 1001 Nights of Snowfall and Fables: Werewolves of the Heartland. (Unfortunately, they don't get around to discussing the prose novel, Peter and Max. There's only just so much time in a podcast episode.) It's obvious that both Andy and Derek appreciate Fables and see it as one of the most important titles of the past decade, but being the discerning scholars that they are, the guys don't shy away from critiquing the long-running series and pointing out some of the narrative elements they found "thin" or potentially problematic. But to paraphrase a common adage, we criticize those we love the most, and the guys make it clear what kind of respect, admiration, and outright affection they have for Fables. This episode is fond, heartfelt farewell to the team of Willingham (writer), Mark Buckingham (penciller), Steve Leialoha (inker), Todd Klein (letterer), James Jean and João Ruas (cover artists), Shelly Bond (editor), and an unparalleled community of collaborators.
On this episode of The Comics Alternative, Gene and Derek turn a critical spotlight on the upcoming releases from the small press, Hang Dai Editions. The guys begin with a brief conversation with Dean Haspiel and Gregory Benton, two of the founders of the Hang Dai Studio, a collective that they founded along with Josh Neufeld and the late Seth Kushner. In this interview, they describe the origins of their publishing line and share many of their experiences in getting it off the ground. Hang Dai Editions began as their studio imprint back in 2013, and up until recently the creators had limited their publications to smaller, personal projects available mainly through conventions and local events. But as announced earlier this year, Hang Dai became part of Marc Arsenault's Alternative Comics publishing co-op, and with wider distribution, the Hang Dai folks wanted to up their game with longer and more ambitious projects. The first three releases since becoming part of the co-op, all being releases on September 15, are what Derek and Gene discuss for the remainder of the show. They begin with Haspiel's Beef with Tomato, a collection of autobiographic shorts that reads as a sequel or follow-up to his 2001 comic, Opposable Thumbs. As with the earlier work, the stories in this new Hang Dai book are woven together by particular themes or gain cohesion through a shared tone. In the case of Beef with Tomato, that commonality is largely the risks and the unexpected occurrences of close urban living. The book also includes a variety of short prose pieces and previously published comics that, while similar in subject matter and tone to the first (and newer) twelve stories, stand apart in style yet provide a nice coda to the collection as a whole. Next, the Two Guys turn their attention to Gregory Benton's Smoke. Much like last year's B+F, this is a large-format wordless comic featuring Xolo, a large skull-faced dog based on Xolotl, the Aztec god associated with fire, sickness, and death. The story follows two brothers as they work on an industrial tobacco farm, and the hazardous conditions they work under spawn a surreal journey into another dimension, something dreamlike while at the same time darkly foreboding. Benton's vibrant, beautiful art is front and center in this work, and Gene and Derek point out his strategic handling of art styles when straddling the book's different narrative worlds. Finally, the guys look at Seth Kushner's Schmuck, a collection of twenty-two autobiographic stories, all written by Kushner but each illustrated by a different artist. Derek and Gene recognize many of those whose art is featured in the book -- e.g., Haspiel and Benton, but also Noah Van Sciver, Nick Bertozzi, and Josh Neufeld -- but there are several illustrators who are new to the guys. All of this gives Schmuck a feeling of both fragmentation and cohesiveness. Each artist provides a unique visual lens through which to interpret the book's protagonist, Adam Kessler, the fictional persona of Kushner. Yet at the same time, all of the stories unfold along one trajectory: Adam's attempts to find a meaningful relationship with a woman. Seth Kushner passed away earlier this year, but Schmuck was a life labor, ambitious in scope, that becomes fully realized next month. It, along with Smoke and Beef with Tomato, marks a new beginning for Hang Dai Editions, and one that Gene and Derek are excited to discuss.
This August episode of the webcomics series begins with an introduction to Sean Kleefeld, the new cohost of the show. With Andy W. deciding to step down from his duties -- he'll be doing other exciting things with The Comics Alternative in the weeks to come! -- Derek has asked Sean to step in and join him for the guys' monthly look at webcomics. So listeners of the series can now benefit from Sean's discerning critical eye and deep expertise in the medium. In fact, all of the titles that they are discussing this month stem from Sean's recommendations. They begin with Steve Hamaker's Plox, a currently ongoing series centered on the relationships among three online gamers. While the premise may appear at first glance to be hackneyed, a satiric look at gaming geeks and fanboys/girls, this narrative is anything but. In fact, Hamaker's focus is more on the dynamics of identity formation and interpersonal relations than it is on pop culture stereotypes. One of the themes woven throughout the series (so far) is the discrepancy between our public persona and the ways we define ourselves from within, and how that tension reveals a search for authenticity. Next Sean and Derek look at Bird Boy, a fantasy/adventure series from Anne Szabla. This is the coming-of-age story of Bali, a young and diminutive would-be hunter whose inadvertent heroism -- and the accidental discovery of a legendary sword -- plunges him headlong into his tribe's creation myth. The guys comment not only on Szabla's beautifully detailed art, but also on her keen sense of pacing, how she sequences her panels to give depth to the action. Beginning in October 2010, this webcomic that is currently into its second volume. Finally, the guys look at an already completed work, Brendan Albetsky's The Mouth. This is a short work that can be found on Hell to Breakfast, the home to the Albetsky's online art as well as his podcast, The Hell to Breakfast Show. On the surface The Mouth is the story of three siblings who venture into the forest for an unlikely, and gothic-inspired, revelation. However, densely packed within this brief webcomic is a meditative, philosophical exploration -- Sean calls it zen-like -- exploring the very process and purpose of life. All three of this month's webcomics are worth checking out, and the guys' detailed discussion of them is just the right springboard for what promises to be a new and fruitful cohosting relationship.
Occasionally The Comics Alternative will feature a special episode devoted to a specific comics-related topic, and on this show, the Two Guys focus on issues surrounding libraries and comics. This subject matter is particularly appropriate, given the fact that Andy Wolverton is a public librarian working extensively with comics and graphic novels in Anne Arundel County, MD. So the guys decided to invite other librarian-educators on the podcast for a lively roundtable discussion on the topic. Joining them are Carol Tilley, an associate professor in the Graduate School of Library and Information Science at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and Robert Weiner, a humanities librarian at Texas Tech University. On this special episode they discuss a variety of issues surrounding comics and libraries, including labeling and categorization -- e.g., Is the term "graphic novel" more advantageous for cataloging? -- the challenge of hybridized texts, community outreach and comics, the interaction between the classrooms and libraries, explicit content and censorship, the issue of canon formation, librarians as comics curators, mainstream versus "alternative" comics acquisitions, and the role of librarians as comics educators. And this is just the tip of the discussion iceberg. As the discussants demonstrate, this is indeed a rich topic, and there are so many other facets that they didn't have the time to touch upon. But what they do cover is truly thought-provoking, presenting ideas and posing questions that could easily lead to another such roundtable.
The Two Guys are pleased to have as their guests on the show the creators behind the new series coming out from Image Comics, The Beauty, Jeremy Haun and Jason Hurley. The first issue will be released next Tuesday, August 12th, and in anticipation for this event, Andy and Derek wanted to have the two on the show to talk about their unique narrative. The story is premised on a sexually transmitted disease that, once contracted, makes people appear more physically attractive. They turn more svelte, their skin becomes clearer, their features appear more angular, they assume an alluring glow, and, overall, they take on a look that more closely represents our society's notions of beauty. In fact, Jason and Jeremy share some of the sociological, psychological, and philosophical underpinnings of their narrative and tease how those themes might play out as the series unfolds. Yet, while there are some heavy issues undergirding their story, The Beauty is also a fun mystery. Detectives Foster and Vaughn, two officers assigned to “anti-beauty” terrorist activity, must learn if there is any connection between a mysterious disease-related death and any politically motivated agendas. In addition to discussing the series' storyline, the guys also ask Jeremy and Jason about The Beauty‘s curious publicity campaigns. Indeed, Andy begins the interview by asking the creators about the condom and STD pamphlet Jeremy was giving out at HeroesCon back in June. There is also the #BeautyFree meme drive they're helping to generate…and that The Comics Alternative is gladly participating in. All in all, the Two Guys have a wonderful time talking with Jeremy and Jason, learning many of the behind-the-scenes angles of this beautifully drawn and beautifully written new series. Be sure to check out The Beauty #1 on its release next Wednesday!