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Popeye might have gotten strong from eating spinach, but for the family of C.F. Seabrook, New Jersey's narcissistic patriarch of industrialized farming, spinach has been a curse. In his new book The Spinach King: The Rise and Fall of an American Dynasty, New Yorker staff writer John Seabrook charts the dramatic rise and fall of his family's Seabrook Farms. Part family memoir, part critique of industrialized agricultural capitalism, Seabrook tells the story of his grandfather C.F. Seabrook, the "Henry Ford of agriculture”, who built a frozen vegetable empire on 20,000 acres in New Jersey. Rather than a celebration of American innovation, however, The Spinach King is a parable about the dark side of capitalist ambition, explaining how the pursuit of industrial-scale farming led to worker exploitation, family destruction, and ultimately, the dynasty's collapse. Seabrook's motivation for writing about the rise and fall of his grandfather's empire? “Revenge,” he confesses, against a monster who cheated his own father and then psychologically humiliated his son. Five Key Takeaways 1. Industrial Agriculture's Labor Problem Remains Unsolved C.F. Seabrook discovered that while you can mechanize many aspects of farming, crucial tasks like harvesting and cultivation still require human hands. This 100-year-old challenge persists today—American agriculture still depends heavily on immigrant labor because Americans won't do the difficult, seasonal work.2. Capitalism Without Checks Corrupts Families The Seabrook story illustrates how pure capitalist pursuit can destroy the very thing it's meant to benefit. C.F. Seabrook's obsession with profit and control led him to psychologically abuse his sons, cheat his own father, and ultimately tear apart his family dynasty through paranoia and manipulation.3. Generational Conflict Doomed the Business The company's downfall wasn't primarily due to labor issues or market forces, but from irreconcilable differences between C.F. and his Princeton-educated son. The elder Seabrook's anti-union, authoritarian approach clashed with his son's more progressive values, creating internal warfare that destroyed the business.4. Personal Motivation Drives Powerful Storytelling John Seabrook openly admits he wrote the book for revenge against his grandfather, who had psychologically tormented his father. This personal stake transforms what could have been dry business history into a compelling family reckoning with broader implications for American capitalism.5. Agricultural Scale Has Natural Limits Unlike grain farming, vegetable agriculture may have inherent scaling limitations. Seabrook's grandfather tried to apply Henry Ford's mass production principles to farming, but vegetables—especially those requiring hand-picking—resist the kind of industrial scaling that works for manufacturing or grain production.John Seabrook has been a staff writer at The New Yorker for more than three decades. He is the author of The Song Machine, Flash of Genius, Nobrow and other books. The film “Flash of Genius” was based on one of his stories. He and his family live in Brooklyn.Keen On America is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit keenon.substack.com/subscribe
ART FUN w/ Riccelle and Chelsea - hosts of the Baroque B**ches Podcast!How much fun can you have on a podcast? I dunno but this was hella fun. Join this wildly ranging art, life, and raunch conversation to discover what you did not want to know but, really, c'mon, you actually really did want to know.Art Scholarship for the People!!!BB Website up in hereSRTN Website
This week the ACP are joined by Bob Fingerman (Minimum Wage) to talk about his career in making comics, from schools to published work, the teachings of classic creators, looking back at a 40 year career of cartooning and so much more! Its a fascinating insight into one of the great minds of indie comics, and as well as that there's also some comics festival travel tips and great comics to check out in the week ahead too! Great stuff to check out this week - Bob Fingerman, Thats Some Business You're In, Minimum Wage, Zoop, NoBrow, Thorgal, Artificial, The Horizon, Ghost Machine, Image Comics
Jeremy Sorese is an artist based in Brooklyn, New York. After graduating from the Savannah College of Art and Design in 2010, he was accepted to La Maison des Auteurs, a residency program in Angoulême, France, where he worked from 2012 through 2013. His first book Curveball, published with Nobrow in 2015, was nominated for a Lambda Literary Award. A sequel, The Short While, was published with Archaia in November 2021. He's been teaching art for 11 years with stints at the Maryland Institute College of Art, and most recently at The New School and SVA. His solo show of paintings entitled Pleasure Principle, opened Friday October 13th and continues through Thursday November 10th at AuxierKline Gallery in Manhattan.
This week the gang reunite to talk about comics, public domain, conventions, comics, publishing, legendary creators, comics and more comics! Theres irreverent chat and thought provoking chat about the medium we all love as well as tons of brilliant indie books to check out! Great stuff to check out this week - Steve Lafler, Baltimore Comic Con, NoBrow, Vern - Custodian of the Universe, Viz Comics, Graphic Gospel, Tribute Press, Now Thats What I Call Turning Tricks, Mike Aston, Merenda and the Golden Horns, Grim Wilkins, Masters Vol 1, Reckless Hero, Spread Love Comics, Atomic Books, Kill More, Local Man, Tim Seeley, Tony Fleecs, Punchline: The Vaudvillains, Ted Sikora, Parker Girls, Terry Moore
This week on DVG Dave is flying solo for another #Nobrow episode, along for the ride is the dynamic duo behind The Adelaide Comic and Toy Fair; Brett and Sarah Owen. In the episode Dave has tasked his guest with coming up with their favorite films from the first five years of their lives!Sarah is talking Christmas-horror, Brett has a weird amount of love for Muppets and Dave is enraged at the level of disrespect certain guests have for the film Step Brothers! Do Not Miss The Toy Fair!;https://www.adelaidecomicandtoyfair.com/Listen to us on itunes, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.or direct download the mp3 from the link below:https://www.buzzsprout.com/186739/13515530-first-five-special-with-brett-sarah-owen.mp3?download=trueStalk us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram or send us your sweet nothings at davesvideograveyard@gmail.comSupport DVG and become a patreon supporter:https://www.patreon.com/DavesvideograveyardSpecial thanks to Ben Sachse, Brett Owen, Alexis Clarkson and Those Guys Podcast! #brettowen #adelaidetoyandcomicfair #davesvideograveyard #filmpodcast
Welcome to Season 3, Episode 29. We had a great conversation with illustrator, graphic novelist, and surfing and skateboarding enthusiast, AJ Dungo. His first graphic novel, In Waves, is a beautiful work that focuses on love, loss, and surfing. It tells the story of surfing, Duke Kahanomoku, Tom Blake, and the passing of AJ's partner Kristen. In this conversation, we discuss AJ's artistic style, the writing of In Waves, grief, surfing and skateboarding culture, and so much more. To see more of AJ Dungo's work, be sure to go to his website, follow his instagram, and buy In Waves through the Nobrow or the Penguin links. For previous episodes and information, please visit our site at https://asianamericanhistory101.libsyn.com or social media links at http://castpie.com/AAHistory101. If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, email us at info@aahistory101.com.
Image-O-Rama: Gunslinger Spawn and The Complete Cyberforce Volume One, Ghost Rider, Boris the Potato Child by Anne Simon from Fantagraphics, Stages of Rot and A Frog in the Fall (and Later On) by Linnea Sterte from Peow Studio, more Curse of the Chosen by Alexis Deacon from Nobrow and Flying Eye Books, plus a whole mess more!
Helen Li is an Australian illustrator and tattoo artist living in Poland. She has worked for clients like Nike, Google, Adobe, Dropbox and Snapchat, and has illustrated the book “The Art of Drag” for Nobrow. Her work is full of joy and personality. On the 4th episode of P2D, Helen talks about her journey from Sydney to New York and Warsaw. And how her path led her from finance to graphic design to ultimately her dream gigs — full-time illustration and tattooing. She gives listeners a deep-dive into how she developed her signature style, the importance of humor in her work, and how drawing buff babies was the pinnacle of her career. Vicky and Dave have a candid conversation with Helen about dealing with social anxiety and accepting failure as part of the process. But also about embracing who you are and not letting self-doubt get in the way. Because your ideas are valid. Helen loves her job and wants to keep working until something fails. Retirement isn't really something she is looking forward to. So she even started training her left hand to draw — just in case. Hear all about it on one of the objectively funniest episodes of season 1! _________ FOLLOW HELEN: Instagram: @helen.of.koi Website: helenofkoi.com _________ If you liked this episode, please subscribe and leave a review. And follow Paid 2 Draw on Instagram and TikTok! _________ Hosted by Viktoria Cichoń and David Leutert. Music: Amanda Deff
True North Country Comics chats with Edo Brenes about his new graphic novel 'Memories From Limón' from Nobrow at the 2022 Toronto Comic Arts Festival The post TCAF 2022: Edo Brenes talks about his new graphic novel ‘Memories From Limón’ appeared first on True North Country Comics.
True North Country Comics chats with Edo Brenes about his new graphic novel 'Memories From Limón' from Nobrow at the 2022 Toronto Comic Arts Festival
True North Country Comics chats with Edo Brenes about his new graphic novel 'Memories From Limón' from Nobrow at the 2022 Toronto Comic Arts Festival
Mega #1 from Stonebot and Red 5, Balbuzar from Ablaze, So Death Will End: The Story of Forrest Bess - Outsider Artist & Gender Visionary 1911-1977 from Microcosm, Maximum Volume from Kitchen Sink and Heavy Metal, Gamayun Tales II and Stig & Tilde: The Loser Squad from Nobrow, Marjorie Finnegan, Temporal Criminal from AWA, Masters of the Universe: The Newspaper Strips from Dark Horse, Superman & Robin Special #1, Detective Comics, Human Target #4, plus a whole mess more!
Our Top Ten list of Comic Book Novelties plus Fantasy Sports from Nobrow, Spy Island from Dark Horse, Decorum from Image, plus a whole mess more!
In the third in this series Mike Watson talks to Max Ryynänen asking if the Frankfurt School are too Bourgeois. Max is a tenured Professor at Aalto University in Helsinki and theorist of Aesthetics, where he focuses on excluded and outsider practices. He published On the Philosophy of Central European Art (2020), in which he proposes Nobrow art production as a response to the dichotomy between High and Low brow and the way in which the former co-opts the latter. You can preorder Mike Watson's The Memeing of Mark Fisher: How the Frankfurt School Foresaw Capitalist Realism -- https://www.waterstones.com/book/memeing-of-mark-fisher-the/mike-watson//9781789049336 Follow us: insta: @The Acid Left twitter: @acid_left patreon.com/acidleft
This episode of 'The New Abnormal' features Brooklyn-based John Seabrook, a staff writer at The New Yorker since the 90's as well as being the author of a range of superb books including 'The Song Machine: Inside the Hit Factory' / 'Nobrow: The Culture of Marketing—The Marketing of Culture' / 'Deeper: My Two-Year Odyssey in Cyberspace / 'Flash of Genius, and Other True Stories of Invention' . In the interview we discuss his views on all of the above, along with a range of his other recent articles for the New Yorker. Therefore, his viewpoints take us on a fascinating path as we discuss issues inc artificial intelligence & smart composition, counter-surveillance strategies & fashion innovation, a robopop perspective on the record label of the future, social hierarchies in a commercialised culture, and social fragmentation in the post-digital / post-Covid age. Plus, of course, his take on 'Hope / Community / Resilience' which link all of #TheNewAbnormal podcasts...
Picks for Wednesday, February 3, 2021 Mike- King-Cat Comics #80 Greg- Gamayun Tales v2 OGN Need suggestions for your LCS trip this week? Let Mike & Greg point out the books hitting shelves on Wednesday they're most excited about in this four hundred fifty-sixth installment of their ongoing "Pull List" series! These episodes are the perfect way for anyone to kick off their comics: from the most curious newcomer to the most dedicated Wednesday Warrior! Robots From Tomorrow is a twice-weekly comics podcast recorded deep beneath the Earth’s surface. You can subscribe to it via iTunes or through the RSS feed at RobotsFromTomorrow.com. You can also follow Mike and Greg on Twitter. Stay safe and enjoy your funny books.
Yassir Lester joins us to talk about how he recently tricked many people into wearing fedoras and shaving off their eyebrows to fight racism.
Pete chats to The Whore Chronicles creators Tony Esmond and Sarah Harris on this episode discussing the creation of the book and how it all came about. The book has been reviewed previously on the podcast and is well worth a read.Ian and Nikki review Billionaires by Darryl Cunningham and Stig and Tilde by Max De Radigues as well as giving their thoughts on the latest Hellboy movie. Mike introduces us to the wonderful world of Isola by Brendon Fletcher, Karl Kerschl and Michele Assarasakorn. Tom reviews The King by the amazing and original one and only John Tucker.Finally we have a huge exclusive, announcing the first guest of the Lakes International Comic Art Festival 2020. Keep an eye out for more guests on the festival website and DowntheTubes.Thank you for listening.http://www.comicartpodcast.ukTwitter: @comicartfestpodFacebook: Comic Art PodcastInstagram: ComicArtPodcastAlso on YouTubeFind all about the festival at http://www.comicartfestival.comLogo designed by Pete Taylor at http://www.thismanthispete.comContributions by Mike Williams (@CthulhuPunk) Pete Taylor (@thismanthispete) and Tom Stewart (@uramyx).Title Music used with permission: Don’t Fool Yourself by Pop Noir
Pete chats to The Whore Chronicles creators Tony Esmond and Sarah Harris on this episode discussing the creation of the book and how it all came about. The book has been reviewed previously on the podcast and is well worth a read.Ian and Nikki review Billionaires by Darryl Cunningham and Stig and Tilde by Max De Radigues as well as giving their thoughts on the latest Hellboy movie. Mike introduces us to the wonderful world of Isola by Brendon Fletcher, Karl Kerschl and Michele Assarasakorn. Tom reviews The King by the amazing and original one and only John Tucker.Finally we have a huge exclusive, announcing the first guest of the Lakes International Comic Art Festival 2020. Keep an eye out for more guests on the festival website and DowntheTubes.Thank you for listening.http://www.comicartpodcast.ukTwitter: @comicartfestpodFacebook: Comic Art PodcastInstagram: ComicArtPodcastAlso on YouTubeFind all about the festival at http://www.comicartfestival.comLogo designed by Pete Taylor at http://www.thismanthispete.comContributions by Mike Williams (@CthulhuPunk) Pete Taylor (@thismanthispete) and Tom Stewart (@uramyx).Title Music used with permission: Don’t Fool Yourself by Pop Noir
Tony Fleecs raids the EOC clubhouse once again, leading the charge through Stig and Tilde Volume 1 Vanishers Island and Volume 2 Leader of the Pack from Nobrow, Jack Kirby's Dingbat Love from TwoMorrows, Doctor Strange: Surgeon Supreme #1, con season OA tips and tricks, Fantagraphics-O-Rama: In a Glass Grotesquely, The Bloody Cardinal, and Violenzia by Richard Sala, Eric Haven's Compulsive Comics and Vague Tales, and Free Sh!t from Charles Burns, Hawkeye: Freefall #1, Blank Canvas: My So-Called Artist's Journey by Akiko Higashimura from Seven Seas, Michael DeForge's Ant Colony from Drawn & Quarterly, Grendel: Devil's Odyssey and Matt Wagner, plus a whole mess more!
Deadendia: The Broken Halo by Hamish Steele from Nobrow, separating the artist from their art, Image-O-Rama: The Marked #1, Nomen Omen #1, and Killadelphia #1, The Immersion Program by Leo Quievreux from Floating World, Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen, plus a whole mess more!
Hey, guys! In this episode, I am chatting with Sarah Beth Morgan, a freelance art director, motion designer & illustrator based in Portland, Oregon. She is most known for her work with studios such as Gentleman Scholar and Oddfellows. Enjoy!! Hey, guys! In this episode, I am chatting with Jarom Vogel, who is an illustrator and programmer. He is well known for his colorful illustrations and has worked with clients such as Apple, Disney, Procreate, Spotify, Pepsi, Adobe, Nobrow, HarperCollins, Skillshare, and others. Enjoy!! Show notes: https://artsideoflife.com/sarah-beth-morgan Special offer for Art Side of Life listeners
Hey, guys! In this episode, I am chatting with Jarom Vogel, who is an illustrator and programmer. He is well known for his colorful illustrations and has worked with clients such as Apple, Disney, Procreate, Spotify, Pepsi, Adobe, Nobrow, HarperCollins, Skillshare, and others. Enjoy!! Show notes: https://artsideoflife.com Special offer for Art Side of Life listeners
It's back! It's a podcast! It's about independent comics. This time around I'm talking books by Tia Roxae, AJ Dungo, Kriota Willberg, Shintaro Kago, and William Cardini. Plus, 2 whole seconds of Hamilton talk?! Neat. If I were to describe this episode in 6 words they would be history, grieving, ejection, witches, transformation, and abstract. Notes: www.fortheloveofindie Twitter: @ftlindie Email: ftlindie@gmail.com
Powers of X #1, Exilium from Alterna Comics, Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer: The Night I Died from Titan, Jon Sable: Freelance Ashes of Eden from ComicMix, In Waves by AJ Dungo from Nobrow, The Spirit Volume 1: Angel Smerti, The History of the Marvel Universe, Marvels: Epilogue, Invisible Woman #1, Coda Volume 2 from BOOM!, Miles Morales: Spider-Man #4, The Boys on Amazon Prime, Frank Cho's Ballpoint Beauties from Flesk, Matthew Allison's Sweet Sepulcher II, plus a whole mess more!
Star Wars: Age of Rebellion - Grand Moff Tarkin and Marc Laming, Justice League: Trinity War, Cosmic Ghost Rider Destroys the Marvel Universe #2, Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Comic, Faithless #1 from Dark Horse and Berger Books, Hicotea: A Nightlights Story by Lorena Alvarez from Nobrow, Sue Storm, The Green Lantern, Gold Digger and Fred Perry, Orphan Age from Aftershock, A Letter from Joe and Kelly Williams, PTSD by Guillaume Singelin from :01 First Second, Umbrella Academy, Batman: Europa, Invisible Kingdom #1 from Dark Horse, plus a whole mess more!
Marketing is making sure that the people who would be excited for a particular book know about it, and about how great it is. How does a publisher makes sure that happens? Generally they employ someone whose job is to figure it out. Today we talk to Tucker Stone all about marketing. Until recently, Tucker ran the marketing, publicity, and sales at Nobrow, and now he works for the books and comics distributor Consortium. In today's episode, we discuss his experiences with how to get books out into the world for readers -- and what things are useful for authors to do. For more about Tucker Stone and Consortium Books, you check out his website (https://www.factualopinion.com) or Consortium's (https://www.cbsd.com)
This ep we share our favourite comics crossovers, investigate Gary Coleman’s influence on 90s comics, talk crying in cafes, ask how DC’s Legends of Tomorrow is actually a show on television, and chat about horror storytelling with Tatiana Davidson, creator of Coney’s Best Cuts and Black Fish. SHOW NOTES: 00.00 Intro & News 23.33 Reviews: - Masanori Ushiki - DC’s Legends of Tomorrow - Dalston Monsters - Everything We Miss - Archie #700 - Marvel Action: Spider-Man #1 1:02.14 Feature Topic: Tatiana Davidson interview 1:23.30 BA’s PA
On the podcast this week, we meet Joana Filipe, an exhibition and interior designer, who also works as a creative producer for ELCAF, London’s biggest annual festival for comics and illustration. Not simply a designer for traditional art spaces, Joana’s clients have included Thames and Hudson, Greenpeace and Converse – as well as the London-based Now Gallery, Fashion Space Gallery and selected universities. We hear how she went from studying sculpture in her hometown to moving to London and assisting at the V&A, before establishing her own practice. Joana begins by describing the role and responsibilities of an exhibition designer, before telling us what her work looks like day to day, running her own business from a shared studio in east London. She also describes her work with ELCAF – a three-day annual event to celebrate with comic artists and illustrators, which she has helped organise, produce and develop since 2013. Originally founded by independent publisher Nobrow in 2012, it now hosts over 170 participating artists each year. With exhibitor stands, talks, screenings and workshops to consider, Joana will manage overall spatial design to optimise visitor experience. Having grown up in Lisbon and studied sculpture there, Joana describes her route into exhibition design – from a hands-on education in physical materials, to co-founding a company specialised in art fabrication. After three years of running the business with her brother, she decided to make a change, moving to London to study at Central Saint Martins, and then taking up work at the V&A. ... This episode of Creative Lives was brought to you by Lecture in Progress. It was presented by Indi Davies and the editor was Ivor Manly. Lecture in Progress is made possible with the support of a number of brand patrons – they include ustwo, GF Smith and The Paul Smith Foundation.
Time Codes: 00:00:33 - Introduction 00:03:10 - 2018 Eisner Award winners 00:10:38 - Nobrow 10: Studio Dreams 00:29:19 - Love and Rockets, Vol. 4 #5 00:54:56 - Last Mountain#4 and #5 01:14:34 - Wrap up 01:15:42 - Contact us This week Paul and Derek discuss three unique titles that help define our understanding of what comics can be. They begin with a visual anthology that is, arguably, not a comic at all. Nobrow 10:Studio Dreams(Nobrow Press) is a series of 70 gorgeous illustrations by a variety of artists -- all of whom have contributed to Nobrow publications in the past -- that reveal their ideal studio space. The styles in this volume vary widely, but each illustration is a luxurious work that invites visual lingering. After that the Two Guys turn to one of their favorites, the Hernandez brothers. The latest issue of Love and Rockets (Fantagraphics) is notable in that it wraps up Jaime's ongoing storyline, "Is This How You See Me?" This narrative began back in the New Storiesvolumes, and in it Maggie and Hopey attend a Hoppers reunion that begins well, but then takes a darker turn for the two. Jaime also contributes a couple of shorter comics that revisit Maggie and Hopey in their younger days, another narrative thread we've seen in recent issues of Love and Rockets. Gilbert's contribution, "Rosy," is a long story about one of Fritz's daughters who confronts her mother's colored career and decides what it means to her. Paul and Derek wrap up the episode by looking at the two latest issues of Dakota Mcfadzean's minicomic Last Mountain. Issue #4 is a surreal look at the disturbing power of product iconography, where a little girl is terrorized by a cereal box mascot. Issue #5, "To Know You're Alive," can be read as a response to the previous issue in that it also concerns childhood and media, but from the perspective of a stay-at-home father. Unfortunately, both of these minicomic issues are sold out, but as the guys mention, listeners should definitely keep their eyes on Mcfadzean as he releases new material.
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.
Batman/The Shadow #2 by Scott Snyder, Steve Orlando, Riley Rossmo, and Ivan Plascencia from DC/Dynamite!, Jim Steranko, Aliens: Dead Orbit by James Stokoe from Dark Horse, Daniel Warren Johnson, Image-O-Rama: Plastic #2 by Doug Wheeler, Daniel Hillyard, and Laura Martin, Cannibal #5 by J. Young, Brian Buccellato, and Matias Bergara, God Country #4 and 5 by Donny Cates, Geoff Shaw, and Jason Wordie, Erik Larsen and Savage Dragon, and more, Grass Kings by Matt Kindt and Tyler Jenkins from BOOM!, Haunt of Horror: Lovecraft by Richard Corben, character costume upgrades, listener questions, Walking Dead, our favorite Spider-Man stories, Destroyer #1 by Victor LaValle, Dietrich Smith, and Joana Lafuente from BOOM!, Sugar & Spike: Metahuman Investigations by Keith Giffen and Bilquis Evely, Nightlights by Lorena Alvarez from Nobrow
Time Codes: 00:01:23 - Introduction 00:05:11 - Welcome new Patreon supporters! 00:08:34 - Boundless 00:44:55 - User 01:16:41 - Wrap up 01:17:43 - Contact us This week on the review show Paul joins Derek in discussing two new recent releases. They begin with Jillian Tamaki's Boundless, published by Drawn and Quarterly. This is a collection of nine short stories, most of which have been previously published in Frontier, Nobrow, and Hazlitt.net. The guys begin by discussing how Tamaki structures the contents, along with including new pieces, in order to give the collection visual and thematic coherency. Unlike her longer narratives Skim and This One Summer, both with her cousin Mariko, Tamaki tends to use the shorter storytelling forms to create pieces that are slightly askew and bend the reality that we know. Next, Paul and Derek turn to Devin Grayson, John Bolton, and Sean Phillips's User (Image Comics). This was originally published as a three-issue prestige-format miniseries through Vertigo Comics in 2001, but until now has never been collected in a single volume. User is the tale of a young woman finding refuge in a MUD, escaping the chaos that surrounds her real-life work and family. What makes the narrative notable is its handling of online interaction and gender identification, quite provocative at the time of its original publication. And while the guys appreciate what Grayson and company are doing, they note the slightly dated nature of this comic. As they point out, understanding the temporal context puts everything into perspective.
On this month's episode of the Comics Alternative's Young Readers series, Gwen and Paul discuss two new releases: Lorena Alvarez's Nightlights from Nobrow Press, geared toward younger readers, and Thi Bui's graphic novel The Best We Could Do, from Abrams ComicArts, an all-ages comic that will be of interest to our teen and adult listeners. They also had a chance to interview Thi Bui and include that segment at the end of the review portion of the show. Lorena Alvarez's Nightlights, a beautiful hardback, picture book-sized comic, focuses on the early years in the life of a young girl, Sandy, who clearly has artistic ambitions and an abundance of creativity. However, Sandy also experiences doubts regarding the source of her imagination and fears about what might happen if inspiration were suddenly to desert her. Gwen and Paul love how Alvarez respects the creative process of a young artist, and they appreciate how Alvarez brings her own experiences growing up in Bogotá, Columbia, into the themes and artwork for Nightlights. For more about Alvarez's biography and work, head over to her website. Those listeners who have enjoyed Vera Brosgol's YA graphic novel Anya's Ghost or Neil Gaiman's novel and graphic novel Coraline, that features the “ghost children,” Nightlights will be a treat. In all three stories, the presence of the supernatural encourages the protagonists to think critically about their various gifts and emotional burdens. Next, Paul and Gwen discuss Thi Bui's The Best We Could Do, a graphic memoir published by Abrams Comicarts. Bui, whose family came to the US as refugees in the wake of the Vietnam War, tells her own and her family's stories, in a narrative weaving history and reflection. Given that the book addresses issues of war and loss, Paul and Gwen emphasize that this text is probably geared more towards the upper range of the YA category. Paul praises the text for its evocative depiction of parent/children relationships, and Gwen agrees, noting that she also appreciated Bui's focus on the refugee experience. After their discussion, Paul and Gwen play an interview that they conducted with Thi Bui about her inspiration, her process, and her work with young people at the International School in Oakland, California. Listeners can learn even more about Bui at her website. Ms. Bui also mentions an event at Oakland International High School featuring her students' comics work. She clarified afterwards that the event will be held April 14th, and listeners are welcomed to attend!
New York cartoonist, Wren McDonald joined me to talk about his comics and art. His latest work is a book from NoBrow called SP4RX. It’s a really fun futuristic graphic novel in a similar vein to Hackerz. His work is … Continue reading →
In the aftermath of episode two hundred and eighteen emerges the hero known as...episode two hundred and nineteen! Yes, Graeme McMillan and Jeff Lester are back to talk about Jaws some more, to complain about Marvel some more, to give away more movie spoilers, to salute the new Nobrow catalog, to worry about the future of the direct market, and to wonder about the current state of Image Comics. Show notes are available at waitwhatpodcast.com, we welcome your comments and questions at WaitWhatPodcast@gmail.com, and we invite you to look out for us on Twitter, Tumblr, and Patreon!
IDW Hasbroverse-O-Rama: Revolution Prelude by John Barber, Fico Ossio, and Sebastian Cheng, ROM #5 and 6 by Christos Gage, Chris Ryall, Paolo Villanelli, and Alessandra Alexakis, G.I. Joe #1 by Aubrey Stitterson, Giannis Milonogiannis, and Ariel Olivetti, and M.A.S.K. #1 by Brandon Easton, Tony Vargas, and Jordi Escuin, Barbarella by Jean-Claude Forest and Kelly Sue DeConnick from Humanoids, Batman #13 by Tom King, Mikel Janin, and June Chung, The Ultimates: Omniversal Volume 2: Civil War by Al Ewing, Christian Ward, and Kenneth Rocafort, IDW Star Trek-O-Rama: Romulans: Schism and Romulans: Hollow Crown by John Byrne and Boldly Go #3 by Mike Johnston and Tony Shasteen, Star Trek: Beyond, The Losers, Snowpiercer: The Explorers, :The Escape, and :Terminus by Jacques Lob, Jean-Marc Rochette, Benjamin Legrand, and Olivier Bocquet from Titan Comics, Dark Knight III: The Master Race #7 by Frank Miller, Brian Azzarello, Andy Kubert, Klaus Janson, Brad Anderson, and Alex Sinclair, Adventures of a Japanese Businessman by Jose Domingo from Nobrow, Power Man and Iron Fist Sweet Christmas Annual #1 by David F. Walker, Scott Hepburn, and Matt Milla, The Punisher #7 by Becky Cloonan, Steve Dillon, Matt Horak, and Frank Martin, Sheriff of Babylon by Tom King and Mitch Gerads from Vertigo, Archive Meets Ramones by Alex Segura, Matthew Rosenberg, and Gisele Lagace from Archie, Deadly Class by Rick Remender and Wes Craig from Image, plus a whole mess more!
Time Codes: 00:00:24 - Introduction 00:02:25 - Setup of interview 00:03:50 - Interview with Luke Healy 01:03:07 - Wrap up 01:03:37 - Contact us On this interview episode, Derek talks with Luke Healy. His new book How to Survive in the North comes out in the U.S. this week from Nobrow Press. This isn't the first time that Luke's been on The Comics Alternative. Derek spoke with him briefly while at SPX back in September as part of the on-location series of shows. But now, Luke's back for a more sustained and focused conversation. Over the course of the interview, the two discuss the genesis of How to Survive in the North, the intersections of history and fiction, a cartoonist's responsibilities concerning research and reportage, and the distinctive qualities of both mini- and long-form narration. Derek also asks Luke about his writings for small comics anthologies, including his own efforts with Dog City.
On this interview show, Andy W. and Derek have the pleasure of talking with Jeremy Sorese. His book, Curveball, was published by Nobrow Press in late 2015, but it's up this year for a Lambda Literary Award in the "LGBT Graphic Novels" category. Those award winners will be announced in June, and the guys talk with Jeremy about the attention that Curveball has been receiving. This is his first long-form comic, and Jeremy describes it as a queer sci-fi romance. The story takes place in an indeterminate future, but the generic elements take a backseat to character relationships. At the same time, Jeremy talks with the guys about how science fiction is an appropriate platform to explore facets of identity. Derek and Andy also ask their guest about the series for which he's more popularly known, Stephen Universe, and the other work he's done for BOOM! Studios. They also discuss his interests in short narratives, the unbelievable mileage he's gotten out of his early comic, "Love Me Forever! Oh! Oh! Oh!", and what projects he's working on currently.
Hold on to your butts! It's another substantive, jam-packed episode where the Two Guys look through the latest Previews catalog. And for May, Andy W. and Derek see a lot of good stuff, enough to make this a longer-than-average episode. (Yes, the guys are going into 2+ hours territory again, but only slightly.) Among the many solicits Andy and Derek highlight are of titles from publishers such as Dark Horse Comics - Black Hammer #1 (again!), Angel Catbird, and The Battles of Bridget Lee DC/Vertigo - The Hellblazer: Rebirth #1, American Vampire Anthology #2, and Fables: The Deluxe Edition, Book 13 IDW Publishing/Top Shelf - ROM #1, Snake Tales!, Love Addict: Confessions of a Serial Dater, and Dirty Duck Image Comics - Snotgirl #1, Throwaways #1, and The Hunt #1 Action Lab - The House of Montresor AfterShock - Captain Kid #1 and Lifespanners #1 Alternative Comics - Flashed: Sudden Stories in Comics and Prose, Terra Flats #1, and True Stories #2 Archie Comics - Betty and Veronica #1 and Chilling Adventures of Sabrina Big Planet/Retrofit Comics - The Experts BOOM! Studios - Sombra #1 and Adventure Time Comics #1 Canton Street Press - Blood Is the Harvest #16 (Replica Edition) Chapterhouse Comics - Johnny Canuck: Compendium 1941-1946 Dover Publications - The Boys of Sheriff Street Fantagraphics Books - Neat Stuff, Garden of Flesh, and Hip Hop Family Tree Book 4: 1984-1985 First Second - Last Man, Vol. 5: The Order Humanoids - I Am Legion and Milo Manara's Gullivera Deluxe Jet City Comics - Cirque American: Girl over Paris #1 Kodansha Comics - Appleseed Alpha, Vol. 1 Nobrow Press - Einstein Odod Books/Uncivilized Books - The Whistling Factory Titan Comics - Torchwood #1 and The Best of B.C. Vanguard Productions - The Sensuous Frazetta VIZ Media - Monster: The Perfect Edition, Vol. 9 Stone Bridge Press - The Osamu Tezuka Story: A Life in Manga and Anime In addition, Derek and Andy discuss other matters, including a correction from last week's publisher spotlight -- Melissa Mendes's Lou is actually an Alternative Comics publication, not from Hic + Hoc -- and an email of appreciation they received from Jon Allen whose book, Ohio Is for Sale, was discussed in that same episode. They also talk a little bit about this coming weekend's Free Comic Book Day, wonder over the new Image+ insert magazine (and Andy is pissed that he didn't get one with his copy of Previews), poke fun at Millarworld, and point out the truly freaky and absolutely unnecessary Big Head Walking Dead figures they saw in the catalog.
Jimmy went to MoCCA over the weekend and got some great interviews. In this Nobrow special, you'll hear his chats with Sam Bosma (Fantasy Sports) and Jeremy Sorese (Curveball). Jimmy is a big basketball fan like Sam which is a good thing since his book Fantasy Sports deals with the sport! And hear them both correctly pick the NCAA men's basketball champion! In his talk with Jeremy, they have a great deal to say about relationships, friendships and more. They even get a little Steven Universe love in there as well since Jeremy wrote the comics. Both were really great interviews so do give a listen! Leave your iTunes comments! 5 stars and nothing but love! Also, get a hold of us! Thanks for listening!
Welcome to January! As the guys do at the beginning of every month, they use this time to discuss the solicits in the latest Previews catalog. And there's a lot packed into the January issue, starting with a rundown of the 50 titles that will be featured this coming Free Comic Book Day. Gene and Derek are particularly looking forward to the FCBD comics coming out from Fantagraphics, Archie Comics, First Second Books, Image Comics, Drawn & Quarterly, Top Shelf, VIZ Media, and Nobrow. After that brief detour, they get into the catalog proper, highlight upcoming releases from publishers such as Dark Horse Comics - Death Follows, The Massive: Library Edition, Vol. 1, Bird Boy, Vol. 1: The Sword of Mali Mani, and Trump: The Complete Collection DC/Vertigo - Kingdom Come: 20th Anniversary Deluxe Edition and Suiciders: Kings of HelL.A. #1, IDW Publishing - Star Trek: The Classic UK Comics, Vol. 1, Johnny Boo, Book 7, and Paracuellos Image Comics - Circuit Breaker #1, The Discipline #1, and The Rattler Abrams ComicArts - The Imitation Game: Alan Turing Decoded and Woody Guthrie and the Dust Bowl Ballads Alternative Comics - Compulsive Comics, Bartkira, Ohio Is for Sale, and Power Button #0 American Gothic Press - Lost in Space #1 Amulet Books - Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales, Vol. 6: Alamo All-Stars Bliss on Tap - Future Proof #10 BOOM! Studios - Turncoat #1 and The Baker Street Peculiars #1 Canton Street Press - Eerie Comics #1: Replica Edition Devil's Due/First Comics - Delete #1 Digital Manga - Captain Ken, Vol. 3 Dynamite Entertainment - Vampirella (Vol. 3) #1 Drawn and Quarterly - The Birth of Kitaro and Carpet Sweeper Tales Fantagraphics Books - Patience and Outer Limits: The Steve Ditko Archives, Vol. 6 First Second - Delilah Dirk and the King's Shilling and The Glorkian Warrior, Vol. 3: The Mustache of Destiny NBM - Thoreau: A Sublime Life One Peace Books - Belushi: On a Mission from God Overground Comics - Oh, Hell #1 Pantheon Books - The Art of Charlie Chan Hock Chye (Regular Edition) SelfMadeHero - H.P. Lovecraft's The Shadow over Innsmouth Simon & Schuster - The Ukrainian and Russian Notebooks: Life and Death under Soviet Rule Titan Comics - Loan Sloane: Delirius 2 Viz Media - Goodnight Punpun, Vol. 1 and One-Punch Man, Vol. 5 Youneek Studios - E.X.O.: The Legend of Wale Williams, Vol. 1 Time Out - Time Out Shortlist: Gotham and Metropolis Guidebook All in all, Gene and Derek have a fun time thumbing through the January Previews catalog, making their checklists for comics they want to read, titles they'd like to discuss on the podcast, and creators they want to interview in the coming year.
Long talks on Marvel/Netflix's Jessica Jones, The Walking Dead, and The Dark Knight III: The Master Race Book One by Frank Miller, Brian Azzarello, Andy Kubert, Klaus Janson, Brad Anderson, Alex Sinclair, and Clem Robins, with ample attention paid to Into the Badlands, Black Knight #1 by Frank Tieri, Julian Totino Tedesco, and Luca Pizzari, Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur #1 by Brandon Montclare and Natacha Bustos, All-New Hawkeye #1 by Jeff Lemire and Ramon Perez, Dr. Fate by J. M. DeMatteis and Shawn McManus, Star Trek/Green Lantern: The Spectrum Wars, Superman: Lois and Clark #2 by Dan Jurgens and Lee Weeks, Nate Stockman, Island #4 by Farel Dalrymple, Brandon Graham, Gawl Bertrand, Addison Duke, Emma Rios, Roque Romero, and Robin McConnell from Image, Nobrow's 750 Years in Paris by Vincent Mahe, the Civil War trailer, Image-O-Rama: Kyle Strahm and Spread, Casanova: Acedia, and Ringside, plus a whole mess more!
Jen Lee, the cartoonist behind the amazing Thunderpaw webcomic joined me to chat about her new comic from NoBrow, Vacancy. It’s fantastic read, exemplifying Jen’s talent for complex characters navigating situations.
On this episode of The Comics Alternative podcast, Derek and Andy W. discuss four new titles. They begin with Ryan K. Lindsay, Eric Zawadzki, and Sebastian Piriz's Headspace (IDW Publishing). This was originally an eight-issue digital series published by MonkeyBrain between March 2014 and April 2015. A law enforcement officer, Shane, finds himself in a surreal land with no memory of how he got there nor any idea how to leave. He eventually discovers that he is inside the mind of a violent criminal whose brain is being manipulated by the authorities. As the guys point out, this is a psychological thriller as much as it is an astute exercise in world-building. Next, they take an extensive look at Nate Powell's You Don't Say (Top Shelf), a collection of seventeen short stories published between 2003 and 2013. For readers who appreciate Powell's previous works -- such as Swallow Me Whole, Any Empire, The Silence of Our Friends, and the first two volumes of March -- this is a wonderful opportunity to see the development as well as the full range of the creator. The earlier stories, several of which were part of his first Top Shelf book Release Me, demonstrate Powell's autobiographical attempts to capture an artist in transition. But the emerging impact of the writer becomes more apparent in the later works where you can more clearly see some of the characteristics that mark Powell's style, such as the theme of race relations (often set in the South) and the psychological quality of his storytelling. In fact, Derek points out that in many of Powell's work, there is a "dreamy" quality where transitions between scenes and even panels are represented in a fluid, and at times ambiguous, manner, reflecting the way in which memory and fantasy allows us to interpret the world. Both Andy and Derek highlight their favorites in this collection, including "Cakewalk" (written by Rachel Bormann), "Bets Are Off," and the gothic "The Villa at the End of the Road." These collected stories originally appeared in earlier Powell works, in various anthologies, as part of a CD release, and as self-published installments. Together they demonstrate the sheer force of Powell's artistry. Finally, the Two Guys look at two recent releases from Nobrow, Andy Poyiadgi's Lost Property and Jen Lee's Vacancy. These are both part of the publisher's unique 17x23 series, a graphic short-story project established to help young creators present their work in a concise and economic format. Lost Property is a brief tale about missing pieces, the various things we have lost throughout our lives -- both literal and figurative -- and how their rediscovery can help us define who we are. Lee's comic is an anthropomorphic narrative about the costs of freedom. Simon, a young dog, is neglected by his owners, yearns to venture beyond his backyard fence, and then ventures into the woods with a deer and a raccoon, with mixed results. Both of these short works are beautifully produced -- Andy specifically points out Nobrow's distinguishing coloring -- and highly affordable. For a little more than the cost of an ordinary American comic book, you can get a 17x23 publication that is more of a book than a periodical. The guys featured a Publisher Spotlight on Nobrow last year, and there's certainly a reason that they keep coming back to their publications.
Derek is back at his local comic shop, Collected in Plano, TX, and this month he's talking with customers and employees about comics that are obscure, don't get much appreciation, or have gone unnoticed by most readers. He asks his guests about what they think flies under most people's radar, and the answers he gets are varied and fascinating. Some respond with comics coming out from premium publishers, some with works by creators that you would think had a publicity stranglehold, and others with indie or alternative titles from young artists or unlikely outlets. In fact, the guests bring up the obscurity of several publishers and how it seems that most of their output goes unnoticed by general comics readers. Along with this, Derek and company speculate on why certain titles (or certain publishers) go unnoticed, the discrepancies in PR and marketing, the challenges of cross-media publishers, and the context of audience and what certain reading communities might consider "mainstream" or "obscure." As always, it's a lively discussion at Collected...which is an excellent place to discover new and little-known comics!
On this week's episode, Derek and Andy W. are back with a Publisher Spotlight, and this time the focus is on Nobrow Press and their fall 2014 releases. This relatively small, UK-based publisher may be off of many readers' radar, but they put out a lot of great books, as this week's show will attest. First, the guys discuss Jesse Moynihan's Forming II, the follow up 2011's strange, whacked-out creation narrative Forming. They are fascinated with the myth that Moynihan has created, and they especially love the artist's sense of humor. Next, Derek and Andy move on to Moonhead and the Music Machine, a new graphic novel by Andrew Rae. They highlight Rae's clean, vivid art style, and they speculate on whether or not this book was intended for a younger -- or at least all-age -- readership. Next on the guys' plate is Roman Muradov's (In a Sense) Lost and Found. This is a striking, Kafkaesque narrative with an uneven, dream-like quality. The intended murkiness of the tale may complement the dark palette that Muradov uses, as the guys find many of his images difficult to decipher. Bianca Bagnarelli's Fish is the next book they discuss, a short story -- perhaps more of an emotional vignette -- that is part of the 17x23 series, Nobrow's graphic short story project designed to introduce young artists to a wider readership. Andy and Derek then move on to Corinne Maier and Anne Simon's graphic biography, Marx, which looks at the (surprisingly bourgeois) life behind the famous philosopher/economist, and then they look at Behold! The Dinosaurs!, Dustin Harbin's beautiful concertina that challenges the guys' definition of "comics." Finally, your tireless hosts look at Jamie Coe's Art Schooled -- one of the most sophisticated narrative styles of the week, and definitely Derek's favorite -- and then another graphic biography, Robert Moses: The Master Builder of New York City. There are eight books discussed in all, and this show has to be extra long this week to get in everything. Come and enjoy the creamy filling that is The Comics Alternative!
Roman Muradov joined me to talk about his new book from Nobrow, (In A Sense) Lost & Found. I find Roman’s work to be very exciting to read. He is doing some really interesting complex work contained in an extremely … Continue reading →
Jesse Moynihan was our first guest on a day of interviewing folks in the back of a restaurant in Burbank California. Jesse’s book Forming, the second volume of which just came out from NoBrow books. His work explores a lot … Continue reading →
In this episode we are joined by Pat Dorian, who talks about his work, his varied artistic background, and the Grand Comics Festival. We also review Box Brown's Andre the Giant: Life and Legend and Number 1, Mike Dawson's Angie Bongiolatti, Talya Modin's Blumpakind: Drinking Buddies, Nobrow #9: It's Oh So Quiet, Jesse Jacobs's Safari Honeymoon, Josh Bayer's Suspect Device #4, and Abel Lanzac and Christophe Blain's Weapons of Mass Diplomacy.
French cartoonist Blexbolex joined me to talk about his art and comics. His work published in English from NoBrow press and Enchanted Lion Press has been getting a lot critical acclaim for amazing use of colour in creating some fantastic … Continue reading →
Jesse Moynihan is a storyboard artist/writer on the amazing Cartoon Network show Adventure Time. He's also an amazing comic artist and has been making his own comics for years. On last week's Beginnings episode, we talked about how his past has opened him up to new ways of seeing the world, and on this week's Field Guide, we talk to Jesse about his latest collection of comics Forming vol.1, now out on Nobrow Press!
Theta Naught comes down to the KRCL studios for a live performance in support of the upcoming release of their new album Omnium-Gatherum dropping this weekend. November 12th they'll be playing NoBrow and the 13th at Bar Deluxe. This is an awesome performance featuring harp, cello, violin, and even some saw playing.