The Comics Alternative

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Episode 267: The February Previews Catalog Feb 07, 2018

Show notes

Gwen and Derek are back with another Previews episode. And since February is Super Bowl time, in the super spirit of that super day they present a super long show. That's right, there were so many titles that the two wanted to highlight this month, that this episode inadvertently turned into (we think) the longest Previews show ever recorded on The Comics Alternative. History in the making, or an annoyingly long experience? You decide. Among the many comic books and graphic novels that Gwen and Derek highlight are: Dark Horse Comics - Xerxes: The Fall of the House of Darius and the Rise of Alexander #1, Black Hammer: Age of Doom #1, A Study in Emerald, Hellboy: The Complete Short Stories, Vol. 1, Resident Alien: An Alien in New York #1, Space Boy, and Michael Chabon's The Escapist: Pulse-Pounding Thrills DC/Vertigo - Action Comics #1000, Super Hero Girls: Out of the Bottle, Supergirl: Being Super, and Astro City #52 IDW Publishing - Sonic the Hedgehog #1-4, Eight Million Ways to Die, Black Crown Quarterly #3, Antar #1, Alack Sinner: The Age of Disenchantment, Jerome K. Jerome Bloche, Vol. 2: The Paper People, and Cloud Hotel Image Comics - Analog #1, Skyward #1, Crossroad Blues: A Nick Travers Graphic Novel, Pervert, and Clover Honey: Special Edition Aardvark-Vanaheim - Love and Aardvarks #1 Abrams ComicArts - The Bridge: How the Roeblings Connected Brooklyn to New York and The Best We Could Do Action Lab Entertainment - The Ghost, The Owl Aftershock Comics - Her Infernal Descent #1 Alternative Comics - Comics for Choice: Illustrated Abortion Stories, History and Politics Arsenal Pulp Press - Forward Big Planet/Retrofit Comics - Big Planet Comics Red Bloomsbury Publishing - What to Do When I'm Gone: A Mother's Wisdom to Her Daughter BOOM! Studios - Wild's End, Vol. 3: Journey's End, About Betty's Boob, The Complete The Killer, and Over the Garden Wall, Vol. 4 Cinebook - Bear's Tooth, Vol. 1: Max Devil's Due/1First Comics - Igloo Barbecue: Global Warming Party Drawn and Quarterly - Carnet de Voyage Fantagraphics Books - Blackbird Days, Kramers Ergot 10, and Now #3 First Second - Be Prepared, The City on the Other Side, One Day a Dot, Scarlett Hart: Monster Hunter, Vol. 1, and Science Comics: Sharks Humanoids - Kabul Disco, Vol. 1: How I Managed Not to Be Abducted in Afghanistan Lion Forge - Algeria Is Beautiful Like America and This Is a Taco! Little Brown - Castronauts, Vol. 4: Robot Rescue New York Review Comics - The New World: Comics from Mauretania Oni Press - A Quick and Easy Guide to They/Them Pronouns, Archer Coe, Vol. 2: The Way to Dusty Death, Bad Machinery, Vol. 5: The Case of the Fire Inside, and Courtney Crumrin, Vol. 3: The Twilight Kingdom Rebellion/2000Ad - Charley's War: The Definitive Collection, Vol. 1 SelfMadeHero - Apollo and Out in the Open Seven Stories Press - The Graphic Canon of Crime and Mystery, Vol. 2 Silver Sprocket - Daygloayhole #1 Titan Comics - The Beatles' Yellow Submarine Toon Books - Maya Makes a Mess, A Trip to the Bottom of the World, and Zig and Wikki in the Cow Vertical Comics - Moteki, Vol. 1: Love Strikes! and My Boy, Vol. 1 VIZ Media - Homestuck, Book 1: Act 1 and Act 2 and Dead Dead Demon's Dededede Destruction, Vol. 1 North Atlantic Books - Sense of Wonder: My Life in Comic Fandom - The Whole Story

Full show notes at the publisher

Comics Alternative Interviews: Back with Box Brown Feb 06, 2018

Show notes

Time Codes:

00:00:43 - Introduction
00:03:01 - Setup of interview
00:05:06 - Interview with Box Brown
01:05:35 - Wrap up
01:06:48 - Contact us

Box Brown returns to The Comics Alternative, this time discussing his new book Is This Guy for Real?: The Unbelievable Andy Kaufman, just out this week from First Second. Similar to his previous Andre the Giant, this is a graphic biography of a colorful celebrity with a complicated life story...and involving wrestling. Box talks with Derek about his ideas for beginning this project, his appreciation of stand-up comedy, the challenges he faced in constructing Kaufman's story, and how his emphases are notably different from those of Miloš Forman's 1999 biopic Man on the Moon. And since both Box and Derek are big Andy Kaufman fans, there's a lot of nerding out and reminiscing over the comedian's many TV appearances, many of which can be found on YouTube. So put on your wrestling tights, slip into that sequin high-collar Elvis jacket, and get ready to engage with this friendly, friendly world.

Comics Alternative Interviews: Dave Calver Feb 05, 2018

Show notes

Derek talks with Dave Calver about his new book Limbo Lounge. This is his first graphic novel, and it's a first for IDW Publishing, a joint effort between two of its imprints, Yoe Books and Top Shelf Productions. Over the course of their conversation, the two discuss the origins of this project, the author's effective use of coloring as a narrative tool, the surreal and tonally ambiguous nature of the work, how Dave's background as an illustrator informed his storytelling, and where his efforts, largely inspired by Limbo Lounge, are taking him now.

Comics Alternative Kickstarter: Birdcage Bottom Books 2018 Publications Feb 03, 2018

Show notes

On this Kickstarter episode, Derek talks with J.T. Yost about his current crowdfunding campaign for Birdcage Bottom Books' 2018 publications.

This year, Birdcage Bottom Books is hoping to introduce to a wider audience a variety of cartoonists currently flying under many readers' radar. By pre-ordering through this Kickstarter campaign, you'll both ensure these publications see the light of day and save money. As J.T. points out, this is also your chance to get custom artwork, original comics page art, exclusive mini-comics, and more. But the core of this campaign is great comics such as

Eva Müller's In the Future We Are Dead
Sara Lautman's Pictures of Bananas and Funny Bugs
J.T. Yost's Thonger Dongers
Jordan Jeffries's The Complete Matinee Junkie: Five Years at the Movies
D. Bradford Gambles's A Lone Deer at the End of the World
Larkin Ford's Goat Song
Stephanie Mannheim's Nate the Nonconformist Has a Rival!

If you want to discover what indie comics are all about, then definitely back this Kickstarter!

Comics Alternative Interviews: Clifford V. Johnson Feb 02, 2018

Show notes

Time Codes:

00:00:25 - Introduction
00:02:34 - Setup of interview
00:03:59 - Interview with Clifford V. Johnson
01:28:40 - Wrap up
01:29:23 - Contact us

On this interview episode Derek has as his guest Clifford V. Johnson. He is a professor of physics at the University of Southern California, and his new book The Dialogues: Conversations about the Nature of the Universe was released last fall by the MIT Press. Clifford talks with Derek about the genesis of this project, his choice of the dialogue form in structuring his text, and the challenges -- as well as the appropriateness -- of representing complex scientific concepts through comics. The Dialogues is a fascinating work of ideas, one that could even be categorized as a graphic cycle, and a book that can be appreciated by scientists and laypeople alike. Science!

Be sure to check out Prof. Johnson's blog, Asymptotia, for his ongoing thoughts on science in our contemporary culture.

Episode 266: Reviews of Red Winter, Motherlands #1, and The Archies # 4 Jan 31, 2018

Show notes

Time Codes:

00:00:30 - Introduction
00:003:11 - We get significant listener responses!
00:07:41 - Red Winter
00:32:46 - Motherlands #1
00:50:03 - The Archies #4
01:14:34 - Wrap up
01:15:39 - Contact us

This week Gene and Derek discuss, yet again, three diverse titles. They begin with Anneli Furmark's Red Winter (Drawn and Quarterly). It's the the first in a trilogy of graphic novels, although this is Furmark's first work translated into English. The narrative is set in the late 1970s and centers on two lovers struggling with complicating relationships, both marital and political. Each chapter focuses on a particular character involved in the drama, and Furmark's presentation is both contemplative and tonally provocative. The guys eagerly await further Furmark translations coming from Drawn and Quarterly.

Next, the Two Guys check out the first issue of a new Vertigo Comics miniseries, Motherlands, written by Si Spurrier and with art by Rachel Stott. This is a sci-fi, futuristic story of a middle-age multi-dimensional bounty hunter, Tabitha Tubach, trying to earn a living, while at the same time struggling with her past and a mother who marked it (and not for the better). And as if familial matters couldn't get more any more trying, the end of this inaugural issue brings additional complications with the emergence of Tabitha's sibling, Bubbsa.

Gene and Derek wrap up this week's show with Alex Segura, Matthew Rosenberg, and Joe Eisma's The Archies #4. It's unusual that the guys review an issue of a series beyond the first one or two issues, but this is a special case. The focus of The Archies #4 is a musical group near and dear to both Derek and Gene, The Monkees. That's right, Davy, Mickey, Peter, and Mike meet The Archies...which is not as unusual as you might think. After all, both groups have been perceived as "fictions," both have been categorized as bubblegum pop, both inadvertently find themselves in weird dilemmas, and both have a history with Don Kirshner. Hey hey...

Manga: Reviews of Five Kitaro Volumes and Mangasia: The Definitive Guide to Asian Comics Jan 31, 2018

Show notes

Time Codes:

00:00:30 - Introduction
00:02:52 - Listener mail!
00:08:31 - Drawn and Quarterly's Kitaro series
01:00:00 - Mangasia: The Definitive Guide to Asian Comics
01:22:54 - Wrap up
01:24:24 - Contact us

On the January manga episode, Shea and Derek discuss the first five volumes in Drawn and Quarterly's Kitaro series, created by Shigeru Mizuki. This includes The Birth of Kitaro, Kitaro Meets Nurarihyon, Kitaro and the Great Tanuki War, Kitaro's Strange Adventures, and the most recent Kitaro the Vampire Slayer. Both guys love this character, and they have a good time highlighting the usual, and at times wacky, characters that populate Mizuki's yokai narratives. Hair that shoots out projectiles? Walking eyeballs? Farts that destroy? Poisonous pee? Yep...this is the world of Kitaro.

After that, Shea and Derek take a completely different turn with Paul Gravett's Mangasia: The Definitive Guide to Asian Comics (Thames and Hudson). This is a visually infused overview of manga from across Asia, not just that in Japan. Gravett's encyclopedic knowledge of Asian comics is unparalleled. And although Shea would have wanted a more critical text, the book's graphic-centric approach serves as a indispensable introduction to the medium.

Comics Alternative Kickstarter: The Middle Age Jan 27, 2018

Show notes

This week Derek talks with Steve Conley about his Kickstarter campaign The Middle Age, based on his Eisner Award-nominated webcomic and offering both enamel pins and print versions of his comic.

Sean and Derek discussed The Middle Age on their webcomics series last year. It's an old-school and fun kind of adventure comic, a fantasy featuring a slightly older knight, Sir Quimp, who lost his love, his sword, and his job. And he is on a quest to win them all back, and "aiding" Sir Quimp on his quest is a talking sword, Maledicta, which hates him. Steve's Kickstarter campaign is centered on a limited edition enamel pin set based on the characters in his webcomic, as well as print editions of The Middle Age. It's part of Kickstarter's Make/100 initiative.

This campaign ends on January 31, so don't miss out! Back this Kickstarter now!

Check the reward levels!

Comics Alternative Interviews: Karen Berger Jan 25, 2018

Show notes

Time Codes:

00:00:24 - Introduction
00:03:01 - Setup of interview
00:04:46 - Interview with Karen Berger
01:15:04 - Wrap up
01:17:14 - Contact us

Paul and Derek are excited to have Karen Berger on The Comics Alternative. The first release from her new Dark Horse Comics imprint, Berger Books, occurs next week, and the guys talk with Karen on the cusp of this event. The Two Guys ask their guest about the genesis of Berger Books as well as her efforts in launching new titles -- such as Hungry Ghosts, Incognegro: Rennaisance, Mata Hari, and The Seeds -- and securing impressive talent. But they also talk with Karen about her time working at DC Comics and establishing the industry-defining Vertigo brand. This is a fun and informative interview, and Karen Berger is one of the most engaging and pleasant guests the Two Guys have ever had on the podcast.

Episode 265: Reviews of The Three Rooms in Valerie's Head, Days of Hate #1, and Vinegar Teeth # 1 Jan 24, 2018

Show notes

Time Codes:

00:32 - Introduction
003:07 - Gene's flu...part deux
05:15 - The Three Rooms in Valerie's Head
26:34 - Days of Hate #1
40:42 - Vinegar Teeth #1
57:46 - Wrap up
58:45 - Contact us

On this week's review episode, Gene and Derek discuss recent titles that are quite varied in tone and narrative approach. They begin with David Gaffney and Dan Berry's The Three Rooms in Valerie's Head (Top Shelf/IDW Publishing). This is a somewhat surreal, and dark, look at a young woman and her various relationships with men. The memories of these encounters are something she apparently cannot let go of, and this is represented deftly through the metaphor of rooms and psychological compartmentalization. The guys like the fact that the story ends ambiguously -- and with happy elves, no less! -- but they're not too sure what to make of the sudden shift in point of view about two thirds of the way through.

The Two Guys follow this with a very timely new title. Days of Hate #1, written by Aleš Kot and with art by Danijel Žeželj (Image Comics), is set in the year 2022, a time after some sort of civil war takes place in the US -- we're not sure yet of the details surrounding this conflict -- and it apparently has resulted, or perhaps even caused by, the rise of extremist or alt-right groups in America. In this inaugural installment, we're introduced to several characters on various ends of the political spectrum, some of which have intermingled and contentious pasts. There are many questions set up and left unanswered in this first issue, but that doesn't detract from the intrigue and motivation to continue on with the series.

And what better way to follow up a story on the alt-right than a discussion of monstrous Lovecraftian mayhem? This is exactly what you'll find in Damon Gentry and Troy Nixey's Vinegar Teeth #1 (Dark Horse Comics).It's a strange and wacky tale revolving around a schmucky, but effective, cop named Artie Buckle. An undercover assignment he's on is almost ruined when a Cthulhu-like creature pierces his world's dimension, with the unlikely result that the city's mayor makes this creature a police officer and assigns him as Artie's partner. What transpires is the beginning of a weird buddy cop story with interdimensional, and narratively warped, potential.

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