The Comics Alternative

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Comics Alternative Interviews: Grace Ellis and Shae Beagle Apr 10, 2018

Show notes

Time Codes:

00:26 - Introduction
02:22 - Setup of interview
03:46 - Interview with Grace Ellisand Shae Beagle
43:14 - Wrap up
43:49 - Contact us

Mythical figures, anthropomorphic characters, and heavy dose of magic, all set in a contemporary urban landscape complete with coffeehouses, mobile devices, and garage bands. This is the world of Moonstruck, a series that began last year and coming out from Image Comics. The writer and artist of this series, Grace Ellis and Shae Beagle, were kind enough to come on The Comics Alternativeto talk about the completion of the first narrative arc and what we might expect with the second. These two creators have known each other for a long time, and, along with their editor and designer, Laurenn McCubbin, have experienced a curious incubation period for their project. Derek talks with Grace and Shae about the origins of Moonstruck, their unique mix of fantasy and contemporary cultural concerns, the process of collaboration, and their attempts to build a reading community, not only with their storytelling, but also through social media and a keen understanding of their target audience.

Euro Comics: Reviews of Brazen and Yellow Negroes and Other Imaginary Creatures Apr 09, 2018

Show notes

Time Codes:

00:00:28 - Introduction
00:02:47 - Pascal on the podcast, Round 2
00:04:19 - Brazen: Rebel Ladies Who Rocked the World
00:49:37 - Yellow Negroes and Other Imaginary Creatures
01:31:45 - Wrap up
01:32:39 - Contact us

This month Pascal and Derek look at two recent books that, while strikingly different in their storytelling approaches, are both insightful examinations of the socio-historical forces that shape individuals' lives. They begin with Pénélope Bagieu's Brazen: Rebel Ladies Who Rocked the World(First Second), a collection of 29 short biographies profiling women throughout history who have pushed back and defined themselves on their own terms. This book began as a series of webcomics that appeared on Le Monde's blog between January and October 2016. There was actually one original entry, a biographical look at Phulan Devi, that didn't make it into the American text, and the guys speculate as to why this might have been.

After that they discuss Yvan Alagbé's Yellow Negroes and Other Imaginary Creatures, just released from New York Review Comics. This is a much less conventional collection, at least in terms of its narrative and visual styles. The book includes seven short pieces that were originally created between 1995 and 2017. The title story is the longest, and most sophisticated, of the bunch, but Pascal and Derek also spend some time focusing on "The Suitcase" and "Postcard from Montreuil." What almost all of the stories in this book focus on, in one way or another, is France's colonialist past and its ramifications to this day.

Comics Alternative Kickstarter: Retrofit Comics 2018 Apr 07, 2018

Show notes

Lately on The Comics Alternative's Kickstarter series, Derek has been focusing more on small presses that are currently crowdfunding their seasonal releases. (See previous shows devoted to Kilgore Booksand Nix Comics.) And this weekend's show is similar, highlighting the latest Kickstarter campaign from Retrofit Comics. On this episode, Derek talks with Jared Smith about efforts for funding their diverse array of 2018 titles.

This current Kickstarter campaign revolves around the 12 books they plan on releasing this year. Backers of this project can look forward to:

All the Sad Songs- Summer Pierre
Fashion Forecasts- Yumi Sakugawa
I Love You- Sara Lautman
John, Dear- Laura Lannes
Our Wretched Town Hall- Eric Kostiuk Williams
The Prince- Liam Cobb
Survive 300 Million 1- Pat Aulisio
Survive 300 Million 2: Serpentine Captives- Pat Aulisio
The Troublemakers- Baron Yoshimoto
TRUMPTRUMP vol. 2: Modern Day Presidential- Warren Craghead III
Understanding- Becca Tobin
The Winner- Karl Stevens

In their conversation, Derek talks with Jared about some of the history of Retrofit Comics and its relationship with Big Planet Comics -- in both its publishing and brick-and-mortar manifestations -- their more recent efforts in manga, and, of course, the impressive roster of this year's creators. As listeners of The Comics Alternativeknow, Retrofit/Big Planet is one of the Two Guys' absolute favorite publishers...small press or otherwise. If you don't already know about this publisher, then shame on you! All the more reason to back this campaignand get the 2018 releases from Retrofit Comics!

Sample Covers

Comics Alternative Interviews: Suzy Hopkins and Hallie Bateman Apr 06, 2018

Show notes

Time Codes:

00:00:26 - Introduction
00:02:34 - Welcoming Kristin LaLonde!
00:06:25 - Setup of interview
00:08:47 - Interview with Suzy Hopkins and Hallie Bateman
01:06:36 - Wrap up
01:09:18 - Contact us

On this episode of The Comics Alternative's interview series, Derek welcomes Kristin LaLonde. She is one of the cohost of The Secret Stackspodcast, and she has a particular interest in graphic medicine and comics that deal with health and end-of-life issues. Together, the two of them talk with Suzy Hopkins and Hallie Bateman, the writer and illustrator of What to Do When I'm Gone: A Mother's Wisdom to Her Daughter(Bloomsbury Publishing). This is a book that the mother-daughter team worked on together, addressing the eventual death of Suzy and what advice she might want to give to Hallie before passing on. They talk with Kristin and Derek about the origins of this idea, the long incubation period, its evolution as a text from a personal project to something for a much broader audience, and how both mother and daughter collaborated on a subject matter that, while somber and ominous, was nonetheless was a necessary life-affirming exercise.

Comics Alternative Interviews: Gerry Duggan and David O'Sullivan Apr 05, 2018

Show notes

Time Codes:

00:00:26 - Introduction
00:02:26 - Setup of interview
00:04:12 - Interview with Gerry Duggan and David O'Sullivan
01:03:09 - Wrap up
01:03:37 - Contact us

Set in the not-too-distant year of 2024, Analog (Image Comics) is a not-too-far-fetched look at what can come of information technology when it has fallen into the wrong hands. Its protagonist, Jack McGinnis, is a leger man, an armed courier working freelance for individuals and businesses who need to transfer information in the old-fashioned analogmanner. This is a world where the cloud has come crashing down, and the "security" of the internet has been exposed as nothing more than fiction. Combining elements of sci-fi and noir narrative, Gerry Duggan and David O’Sullivan have created a world that, curiously enough, smacks of the many of the events we see unfolding on the nightly news. Although they may not have fully anticipated the inroads of Mueller’s Russian investigation, the ongoing revelations of Facebook and Cambridge Analytica, or the various security breaches we learn about on almost a daily basis, Gerry and David, along with the help of colorist Jordie Bellaire, have established a premise that just may be the logical conclusion to what we’re witnessing now. In this interview, Derek talks with his guests about the genesis of this new series, their process of collaboration, the injection of both noir and humor elements, and the various narrative questions established in this first issue.

Episode 275: The April Previews Catalog Apr 04, 2018

Show notes

Gene and Derek are back for another look at the current month's Previews catalog. This one may not be as long an episode as last month's Previewshow -- which clocked in at just under three hours -- but it's nonetheless hefty. (Well...actually, it is almost as long as the March show.) They begin this week by discussing the new changes appearing in Previewsbeginning in April. They point out the additions of BOOM! Studios and Dynamite Entertainment in the premiere publishers section, prominently displayed in the front of the catalog; the reorganizations of solicits in a new manga section; the shake-up of what had been the book section; the flip arrangement with the toy and merchandise sections; and next month's departure of DC Comics' solicitations into their own supplemental catalog. After that, and several cynical comments (primarily from Derek), they get into the nitty gritty of the April Previewscatalog, highlighting a variety of titles from such publishers as:

Dark Horse Comics - Sword Daughter#1, Likely Stories, Gantz Omnibus Vol. 1, Hercules: Adventures of the Man-God, and EC Archives: War Against Crime Vol. 1
DC Comics/Vertigo - Plastic Man#1 and American Vampire Omnibus Vol. 1
IDW Publishing/Top Shelf - The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: The Tempest#1, Look Back and Laugh, Comic Book History of Comics: Comics for All, The Unknown Anti-War Comics, and Burmese Moon
Image Comics - The Magic Order #1, The Weatherman#1, Proxima Centuri#1, Shanghai Red#1, and The Red Hook Vol. 1
Dynamite Entertainment - Nancy Drew#1
BOOM! Studios - By Night#1, Planet of the Apes Visionaries: Rod Serling, and Sanpaku
Arcade Publishing - Broken Glory: The Final Years of Robert F. Kennedy
Archie Comics - Cosmo: The Complete Merry Martian
Bongo Comics/United Plankton Pictures - Spongebob Comics Annual Giant Swimtacular#6
Conundrum Press - The Curse of Charley Buttersand Feast of Fields
Drawn and Quarterly - A Bubble, Shit Is Real, and The Strange
Fantagraphics Books - Poochytown, Dumb, Death Stand and Other Stories, Fab 4 Mania, and Dull Margaret
First Second - Science Comics: Rockets
Humanoids - Luisa: Now and Thenand Moon Face Deluxe
Knopf Books for Young Readers - Rickety Stitch and Gelatinous Goo, Vol. 2: The Middle-Route Run
Lion Forge - Mae Vol. 1, Mae Vol. 2#1, and Green Almonds: Letters from Palestine
NBM - A Tale of a Thousand and One Nights: Hasib and the Queen of Serpents
Nobrow - Nobrow Vol. 10: Studio Dreams
Oni Press - Shadow Roads#1
Rebellion/2000Ad - Jinty Vol. 1: The Land of No Tears and The Future Zoo
Secret Acres - Entropy
SelfMadeHero - Apollo
Silver Sprocket - Catboy
Titan Comics - Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer #1 and Tyler Cross: Black Rock
Twomorrows Publishing - Comic Book Implosion
Z2 Comics - The Sweetness
Kodansha Comics - Tokyo Tarareba Girls Vol. 1and Wotakoi: Love Is Hard for Otaku
Seven Seas Entertainment - Cutie Honey: The Classic Collection

Comics Alternative Interviews: Brenden Fletcher and Karl Kerschl Apr 03, 2018

Show notes

Time Codes:

00:00:25 - Introduction
00:02:21 - Setup of interview
00:03:28 - Interview with Brenden Fletcher and Karl Kerschl
01:11:31 - Wrap up
01:12:00 - Contact us

On April 4 you’ll find in your comic shops the first issue of Isola, Brenden Fletcher and Karl Kerschl’s brand new series from Image Comics that combines nuanced storytelling with Kerschl’s magnificent artwork. In this inaugural issue, we find a captain of the Royal Guard fleeing her capital city with the realm’s queen, on their way to a mythical land called Isola. But appearances can be deceiving, and the initial journey unfolds under the cloud of an evil spell that leaves us with more questions than answers. On this episode, Derek talks with Karl and Brenden about what transpires in this first issue, how long they’ve been nurturing this concept, their process of collaboration, and what we might expect in future issues…at least, as much as they could tell without spoiling anything. The two also share some of their experiences working on their other series, such as Motor Crush, Gotham Academy, Batgirl, and The Abominable Charles Christopher.

Comics Alternative Interviews: Marcus Sedgwick and Thomas Taylor Apr 02, 2018

Show notes

Time Codes:

00:26 - Introduction
03:15 - Setup of interview
04:11 - Interview with Marcus Sedgwick and Thomas Taylor
51:00 - Wrap up
52:16 - Contact us

On this interview episode, Gwen and Derek talk with the creative team behind Scarlett Hart: Monster Hunter, a new book out from First Second. Both Marcus Sedgwick and Thomas Taylor share their experiences conceiving the premise, their process of collaboration, and their hopes to further explore this fantastical world. Scarlett Hartis the story of the titular protagonist who carries on in her deceased parents' footsteps, keeping her city free of monsters. With the help of her steadfast assistant Napoleon, she hunts down big nasties while trying to stay one step ahead of her nemesis, fellow monster hunter Count Stankovic. Over the course of their conversation, Marcus and Thomas discuss their love of weird monsters and young adventure narratives, combining these passions to create what they refer to as a "gothic Tintin."

Comics Alternative Kickstarter: Nix Comics' 2018 Comic Book and Record Releases Mar 31, 2018

Show notes

This weekend Derek talks with Ken Eppsteinabout his latest Kickstarter campaign, backing for Nix Comics' 2018 comic book and record releases. Listeners of the podcast might recognize this publisher, as they've discussed Nix releases in the past.

Nix Comics' productions are inspired by the kind of mythos surrounding pre-MTV garage rock. The comics are informed by Ken's years of love for punk rock bands, record stores, and b-movies. For this kickstarter he is offering two subscription levels: Basicand De-Luxe.

Basic subscribers will receive 7 printed comic books and zines:

Nix Comics Quarterly
Nix Western Comics
Jenny Mae & Jerry Wick
Buck Slaughter's Book of Rock n Roll Facts
The Collected Pander Bear
Tales from the Crate
Return of Belligerent Kitties

De-Luxe subscribers will receive 7 printed comic books and zines, the accompanying records, and a 120-page art and poetry collection:

Nix Comics Quarterly
Nix Western Comics
Jenny Mae & Jerry Wick (comic and record set)
Buck Slaughter's Book of Rock n Roll Facts
The Collected Pander Bear (comic and record set)
Tales from the Crate
Return of Belligerent Kitties
Beauty Found in Darkness

US Subscribers will receive their books/records in May, July, and September. International subscribers will receive their complete subscription in September.

But if you're not into the subscription thing, then you take advantage of the various reward levels where you can get individual issues. So be sure to check out Ken's 2018 Kickstarter campaignand indulge in the rockin' goodness of Nix Comics!

Sample Covers

Comics Alternative Interviews: Magdalene Visaggio and Sonny Liew Mar 30, 2018

Show notes

Time Codes:

00:26 - Introduction
02:57 - Setup of interview
05:11 - Interview with Magdalene Visaggio
29:37 - Interview with Sonny Liew
58:43 - Wrap up
59:20 - Contact us

A couple of weeks ago the first issue of Eternity Girl, the latest title in DC’s Young Animal line, was released. Written by Magdalene Visaggio and with art by Sonny Liew, this is a title that combines parts of Element Girl with a dash of Kid Eternity, and mixes things up in an offbeat way that fits perfectly in the Young Animal world. On this interview episode, Derek talks with both Mags and Sonny about this new series, and both kindly agreed to be on the podcast.

Listeners of The Comics Alternative will know that both creators have been on the show before. Derek spoke with Mags briefly at HeroesCon a couple of years ago, and then he along with Gwen interviewed Sonny around the publication of his landmark book, The Art of Charlie Chan Hock Chye, a work that went on to win three Eisner Awards last year: Best Writer/Artist, Best U.S. Edition of International Material - Asia, and Best Publication Design.

Since Sonny lives halfway around the world, in Singapore, there was a challenge in trying to find a common occasion when everyone could be online and all talk together. So they decided to break up the interview where Derek would talk with both creators separately, asking both similar questions, while at the same time focusing on each one’s unique contribution to the series. This show begins with Mags Visaggio, with Derek asking her about the genesis of Eternity Girl as well as the differences between creating for Black Mask Comics and now working at DC. After that, you’ll hear a conversation with Sonny Liew. He talks about his visual approach to this unstable, composite character and how his art style is particularly suited to the title. Derek also asks Sonny what it’s like to be a multiple Eisner Award-winning artist and how his professional life has changed since last year’s accolades.

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