The Comics Alternative

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**The Comics Alternative**

A weekly podcast focusing on the world of alternative, independent, and primarily non-superhero comics. (There’s nothing wrong with superhero comics. We just want to do something different.) New podcast episodes become available every Wednesday and include reviews of graphic novels and current ongoing series, discussions of upcoming comics, examinations of collected editions, in-depth analyses of a variety of comics texts, and spotlights on various creators and publishers. The Comics Alternative also produces “special feature” programs, such as shows specifically dedicated to creator interviews, webcomics, on-location events, and special non-weekly themes and topics.

Latest Episodes:

Episode 224: Reviews of Beowulf, Canopy, and Shadows on the Grave #1 and #2 Jan 25, 2017

Show notes

Time Codes:

00:00:29 - Introduction
00:02:44 - The end of January already?
00:04:25 - Beowulf
00:43:42 - Canopy
00:59:17 - Shadows on the Grave #1 and #2
01:22:23 - Wrap up
01:23:12 - Contact us

Hwæt!

For this week's episode, Andy and Derek put on their English professor hats, and with a vengeance, when taking on the latest comics version of Beowulf (Image Comics), adapted by Santiago García and David Rubín. While this is not, by far, the only comics adaptation of this classic Old English poem, the guys feel that it's one of the best they've seen. Indeed, Rubín's artwork is particularly suited to the violent action and Beowulf's heroic exploits. And the ending of this text, which takes a significant self-reflective turn, goes on to underscore the guys' appreciation of this adaptation.

Next, the Two Guys look at one of the latest releases from Retrofit Comics/Big Planet Comics, Karine Bernadou's Canopy. Neither Derek nor Andy were familiar with Bernadou's work before this book, but they find this a fascinating introduction to the French illustrator. Canopy is an almost completely wordless tale surrounding a young woman trying to make it on her own. But she does so in a surreal wilderness infused with male-centered threats.

For their final title of the week, the guys discuss an author who's not gotten enough attention on the podcast...at least from Derek's perspective. The first two issues of Richard Corben's Shadows on the Grave (Dark Horse Comics) are now out, and the guys take on this anthology-like miniseries. These brief stories have a Night Gallery feel, but with an amped up creepy factor. This is all due to the wonderfully disturbing art of Corben, who opts for a black, white, and gray tone rendering, a change from his other recent Dark Horse work.

Get your copies of the titles discussed in this episode:

Comics Alternative Interviews: Joe Ollmann Jan 23, 2017

Show notes

Time Codes:

00:00:24 - Introduction
00:02:38 - Setup of interview
00:04:00 - Interview with Joe Ollmann
01:21:27 - Wrap up
01:22:58 - Contact us

Of Human Bondage

On this interview episode, Andy and Derek talk with Doug Wright Award-winner Joe Ollmann, whose new book, The Abominable Mr. Seabrook, comes out this week from Drawn and Quarterly. Joe starts off by introducing William Seabrook and his writings, since this is a historical literary figure that most listeners have probably never heard of before. In fact, the guys spend a good bit of time discussing the ups and downs of Seabrook's career and speculating on why he's not more notable than he is. With a background in yellow journalism, Seabrook became a famed adventurer and travel writer who befriended a who's who of early twentieth-century literati, including Thomas Mann, Aldous Huxley, Gertrude Stein, Sinclair Lewis, Man Ray, Jean Cocteau, Salvador Dali, and Aleister Crowley. As Joe points out, he was famously known at the time, not only as a writer, but as a cultural progressive, a cannibal, a bondage enthusiast, and the man who popularized zombies. What fascinates Ollmann most about this colorful figure is Seabrook's upfront attitudes about himself, refusing to hide the more salacious sides of his personality. At the same time, this cavalier manner may have contributed to his notorious alcoholism, tragically revealed in his memoir, Asylum, and a condition that stifled his career and helped lead to his eventual death. The guys have a great time talking with Joe about his 10+ years in researching and writing this biography, the differences between writing this book and his previous ones (all fictions), and the dynamics of visually narrating the life of such a controversial and conflicted character.

Joe is also writing about his experiences with The Abominable Mr. Seabrook on The Paris Review!

And read Derek's previous interview with Joe Ollmann for The Comics Alternative blog.

Check out The Abominable Mr. Seabrook as well as other works by Joe Ollmann:

On Location: The January Visit to Valhalla Games and Comics Jan 20, 2017

Show notes

Touch the Weird Love

It's the beginning of a new year, and on this episode of the on-location series, Derek is back at Valhalla Games and Comics to talk with customers and employees about the comics they're looking forward to in the coming months. He's joined by a couple of the regulars, Craig and Nick, as well as employees Stephanie and Freddy. Among the titles folks are anticipating in 2017 are The Unstoppable Wasp, Highlander: The American Dream, Justice League of America, Planet of the Apes/Green Lantern,Hatchet, more Head Lopper, Black History in Its Own Words, Psychodrama Illustrated, and the new Rat Queens. But the guys at the shop don't stop there. They also discuss other comics-related media, films and television series, that are planned for this year.

Check out some of the titles discussed in this episode:

Episode 223: Reviews of Trump: The Complete Collection, The Few #1, and Gumballs #1 Jan 18, 2017

Show notes

Time Codes:

00:00:31 - Introduction
00:02:48 - We stand with John Lewis!
00:08:44 - Trump: The Complete Collection
00:58:22 - The Few #1
01:11:46 - Gumballs #1
01:25:12 - Wrap up
01:25:58 - Contact us

This week the Two Guys with PhDs start off by getting political. While some listeners might not like it when Andy and Derek become polemical on the podcast, the guys just had to speak out about the brouhaha surrounding Congressman John Lewis's recent comments on Trump's illegitimacy. The Two Guys stand with Representative Lewis, a man of courage, honor, and action. And it's heartening that copies of March are selling out all over the place!

But enough of the bad Trump. The guys find more serious another entity of that name, this one orchestrated by the legendary Harvey Kurtzman. Trump: The Complete Collection is the second volume in Dark Horse's Essential Kurtzman series. This beautiful hardbound edition collects the only two issues of Trump ever published, as well as the many never-before reproduced illustrations from what would have been the third issue of the magazine, had Hugh Hefner not pulled the plug. Both Andy and Derek appreciate the collection -- especially Denis Kitchen's outstanding essay and annotations! -- and while some of the humor appears dated (or even falls flat at times), this text stands out as an indispensable historical contribution.

After that Derek and Andy check out two recent #1 issues, Sean Lewis and Hayden Sherman's The Few (Image Comics) and Erin Nations's Gumballs (Top Shelf/IDW Publishing). The former is a leisurely paced and extra-long issue centered around a future where the United States is now a fractured territory due to water scarcities (at least the guys think this is the series' premise). Sherman's art stands out here. And Gumballs is a single-creator anthology that's a mix of autobiographical sketches, character portraits, and poignant cultural observations. The guys look forward to seeing what transpires in both of these series.

Euro Comics: Reviews of Equinoxes and Clear Blue Tomorrows Jan 16, 2017

Show notes

Time Codes:

00:00:27 - Introduction
00:03:17 - Setting up Pedrosa and Vehlmann
00:08:08 - Equinoxes and other Pedrosa titles
00:51:14 - Clear Blue Tomorrows and other Vehlmann titles
01:26:01 - Wrap up
01:29:12 - Contact us

It's the first Euro Comics episode of the new year, and Edward and Derek use the occasion to focus on the work of two contemporary French creators, using their latest books as springboards into their larger bodies of work. They begin with Cyril Pedrosa's Equinoxes (NBM Publishing), a novelistic examination of life purpose and the uses we make of art in creating meaning. The text comprises four alternating storylines that become more enmeshed as the narrative progresses, combining comics with prose passages in establishing its contemplative tone. But Edward and Derek also bring in discussions of Pedrosa's earlier works in translation, including Three Shadows (First Second), Hearts at Sea (Dupuis/Europe Comics) and Portugal (Dupuis/Europe Comics).

Next, the Two Guys examine Clear Blue Tomorrows, written by Fabien Vehlmann with art by Ralph Meyer and Bruno Gazzotti (Cinebook). This book is basically a series of science-fiction or fantastic stories brought together by a broader narrative frame: a time traveler from a dystopian future tasked with ghost writing stories for the would-be tyrant in hopes of changing the man's occupational trajectory. It's a curious spin on the "killing Hitler" sci-fi trope, though narratively reminiscent of One Thousand and One Nights. The guys also discuss several of Vehlmann's other works, including Last Days of an Immortal (Archaia), Beautiful Darkness (Drawn and Quarterly), and the all-age series Alone (Cinebook). There's a lot packed into this episode...and so many reading ideas!

Episode 222: A Discussion of DC’s Young Animal Line Jan 11, 2017

Show notes

Time Codes:

00:00:27 - Introduction
00:02:46 - Comics Alternative news!
00:07:53 - Doom Patrol
00:42:28 - Shade the Changing Girl
00:59:45 - Cave Carson Has a Cybernetic Eye
01:17:47 - Mother Panic
01:34:30 - Wrap up
01:41:55 - Contact us

This week the Two Guys with PhDs Talking about Comics discuss DC's Young Animal titles. They begin with Gerard Way and Nick Derington's Doom Patrol, the maiden voyage of the new imprint. There have been three issues released so far, and the guys really like what they've seen. Way definitely takes a cue from Grant Morrison's legendary run on the title, referencing many of Morrison's original additions to the Silver Age series -- most notably Danny the Street and Flex Mentallo -- yet at the same time making Doom Patrol uniquely his own.

After that, Andy and Derek discuss the first four issues of Shade the Changing Girl. This is Cecil Castellucci and Marley Zarcone's revamping of the old Steve Ditko creation (and best popularized in the early 1990s by Peter Milligan and Chris Bachelor), Shade the Changing Man. Their emphasis on the lives of young high school women promises to be a curious spin on the property.

Next, the guys turn to what Andy calls his favorite of the Young Animal line, Jonathan Rivera, Gerard Way, and Michael Avon Oeming's Cave Carson Has a Cybernetic Eye. As they point out, Cave Carson is a character from the early 1960s appearing in both Brave and the Bold and Showcase, but unlike his contemporary Rip Hunter, he never received a title of his own. Way, Rivera, and Oeming are now giving him that opportunity.

The Two Guys conclude their episode with a very different kind of Young Animal title, Jody Houser and Tommy Lee Edwards's Mother Panic. This is the only one of the four series not to be based on Silver Age properties, and it's the only one to be deeply enmeshed into the DC Universe. For that reason, Derek is less enamored with Mother Panic -- at least in terms of the first two issues so far -- feeling that it takes itself too seriously and wonders why this wasn't a regular DC title. Andy has no problem with this Gotham-drenched series.

Webcomics: Reviews of King of the Unknown, Cosmic Dash, and Freedman Jan 09, 2017

Show notes

Time Codes:

00:00:28 - Introduction
00:03:03 - Catching up after the holidays
00:04:07 - Listener mail!
00:08:18 - King of the Unknown
00:33:42 - Cosmic Dash
01:12:16 - Checking in with Jim McClain and Paul Schultz
01:27:36 - Freedman
01:52:51 - Wrap up
01:53:45 - Contact us

It's a new year, and the webcomics guys are back to discuss three intriguing webcomic titles. They begin with Marcus Muller's King of the Unknown, an unusual take on the King of Rock and Roll. You thought he was dead? Well, he's actually alive and kicking (and eating), but now he's working in the shadows as a paranormal investigator. This is a weird and offbeat title that both Sean and Derek can't recommend enough, but it's an ongoing webcomic that hasn't been updated since 2013. There are indications that Muller will return to the story this year, but in the meantime, introduce yourself to the 30 pages that are already available.

After that, Sean and Derek take a look at Cosmic Dash by David Davis. The premise is not dissimilar to that of another webcomics the guys discussed, Sean Wang's Runners, but this one is more lighthearted and includes a larger ensemble cast. In fact, the guys spend a lot of time talking about the ensemble nature of the webcomic and how Davis does an outstanding job of providing supplementary material in the way of detailed character descriptions, maps, timelines, design guides, and lore pages.

Then, after the guys check in with Jim McClain and Paul Schultz -- their new webcomic Poe and the Mysteriads launches this month! -- they wrap up the episode with a discussion of an already completed webcomic, Peter Quach's Freedman. This is a short story, only 23 pages, but it's an outstanding example of a tightly written and impactful narrative. As the title suggests, the tale concerns ex-slaves in the aftermath of the Civil War, with one in particular who has difficulty freeing himself from the past. The guys also discuss some of Quach's other short pieces on his website, including the hilarious I Am a Racist (and So Can You). It's a story that certainly resonates as we approach the dark days of the Trump administration.

Episode 221: The January Previews Catalog Jan 04, 2017

Show notes

Happy New Year from the Two Guys with PhDs Talking about Comics! On this, their first regular episode of 2017, Andy and Derek take their monthly gander at the current Previews catalog. Before they do that, though, they welcome and thank a couple of new Patreon supporters to the Comics Alternative family, including Alla Rull, who becomes the latest of the guys' official Podcast Patrons. Then they jump headlong into the January Previews, highlighting a variety of upcoming titles from both large and small publishers alike. Among the interesting fare found in this month's catalog are offerings from:

Those participating in Free Comic Book Day and the announcement of their titles!
Dark Horse Comics - American Gods: Shadows #1, Rebels: These Free and Independent States #1, The Once and Future Queen #1, Jerry and the Joker: Adventures and Comic Art, and Starslayer
DC/Vertigo - Suicide Squad/Banana Splits Annual, The Doom Patrol Silver Age Omnibus, and Savage Things #1
IDW Publishing/Top Shelf - Lennon: The New York Years, Her Bark and Her Bite, LOAC Essentials, Vol. 10: Dan Dunn, Secret Operative, and Star Hawks, Vol. 1
Image Comics - Afar, Royal City #1, Extremity #1, Rat Queens #1, Underwinter #1, and The Complete Phonogram
Abrams ComicArts - The Best We Could Do: An Illustrated Memoir
Amulet Books - One Trick Pony
Archie Comics - The Archies One-Shot
Avatar Press - Providence #12
Big Planet/Retrofit Comics - I Thought You Hated Me
BOOM! Studios - Grass Kings #1, Strange Fruit, and The March of the Crabs, Vol. 2
Candlewick Press - Yvain: The Knight of the Lion
Dynamite Entertainment - James Bond: Black Box #1 and Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys: The Big Lie #1
Drawn and Quarterly - Sticks Angelica, Folk Hero and Terms and Conditions
Fantagraphics Books - All Time Comics: Crime Destroyer #1, John Stanley: Giving Life to Little Lulu, Eartha, Fante Bukowski Two, Crickets #6, and Ganges #6
First Second - California Dreamin': Cass Elliot before The Mamas and the Papas
House of Anansi Press - In-Between Days: A Memoir about Living with Cancer
Kodansha Comics - Ichi-F: A Worker's Graphic Memoir of the Fukushima Nuclear Plant
SelfMadeHero - Fun: Spies, Puzzle Solvers, and a Century of Crosswords
Titan Comics - Anno Dracula #1
W.W. Norton - Will Eisner's Contract with God and Other Tenement Stories
Quirk Books - The Legion of Regrettable Supervillains: Oddball Criminals from Comic Book History

Comics Alternative Interviews: Happy New Yoe! Jan 02, 2017

Show notes

Time Codes:

00:00:25 - Introduction
00:02:13 - Setup of interview
00:03:20 - Interview with Craig Yoe
01:25:46 - Wrap up
01:28:58 - Contact us

It's a new year, and what better way to bring it in than with another Craig Yoe interview! In what has become a Comics Alternative tradition, the Two Guys with PhDs use their very first episode of the year -- not just their first interview, but their very first podcast release -- to talk with Craig and find out what he's been up to. It's what has become known as the guys' Happy New Yoe show!

The fun begins with Andy and Derek asking Craig about his 50th anniversary celebration. As he tells the guys, this year is the golden anniversary of Craig's first contribution to comics culture, a fanzine he published as a kid. And from there, he never looked back. A big part of this celebration is a string of new releases that began late last year. In fact, most of the interview is devoted to a discussion of one of those books, Super Weird Heroes: Outrageous but Real! This is the first of a two-volume -- and maybe a third? -- collection of really strange heroes from comics' Golden Age, written and drawn by some of the medium's most obscure as well as some of its best-known creators. The guys ask Craig about the compilation of this enterprise and its place within the Yoe Books pantheon. They also do deep dives into some of the weirdest of the weird, including the superhero of the cloth The Deacon and his sidekick Mickey; the disembodied hand, The Hand; the crossdressing Madam Fatal; phallic-prone heroes such as Black Cobra, Nature Boy, and The Dart; Kangaroo Man and his Nazi-bashing marsupial pal Bingo; the inexplicable Jeep and Peep; and the nearly naked Phantasmo. Actually, there is a lot of bared flesh to go round in this book.

But the Two Guys also ask Craig about some of his other recent books, including The Return of the Zombies, Jay Disbrow's Monster Invasion, Behaving Madly, Reefer Madness, and the next volume in his Weird Love series. It's an understatement to say that there's a lot to look forward to from Yoe Books in the coming year. Craig Yoe is still the most interviewed guest in Comics Alternative history, and you can rest assured that he'll be back a couple of more times to talk about even more releases in the coming year.

And a special Happy New Year goes out to Clizia Gussoni, Craig's partner and the engine that keeps Yoe Books running. Thank you for all of your help, Clizia!

Manga: Reviews of Tomie: Complete Deluxe Edition and Blame! Vol. 1 & Vol. 2 Dec 30, 2016

Show notes

Time Codes:

00:00:29 - Introduction
00:02:37 - The holidays for Shea and Derek
00:04:30 - Listener mail!
00:11:24 - Tomie: Complete Deluxe Edition
00:55:39 - Blame! Vol. 1 and Vol. 2
01:19:12 - Wrap up
01:20:08 - Contact us

It's the final manga episode of the year, and to close out 2016 Shea and Derek discuss a couple of fascinating new editions of older manga. But first they talk about their holiday activities with one another and then go on to share the listener mail they received about their November manga episode. After that, it's manga time! They begin with Junji Ito's Tomie: Complete Deluxe Edition (VIZ Media). This volume brings together all of the previous Tomie stories, initially released in three separate books. As listeners of the podcast may know, Shea and Derek are big fans of Junji Ito, but this is the first time either of the guys have read this series. They point out both the similarities and the differences between this text (especially the early stories) and later Ito works such as Uzumaki and Gyo. Shea is particularly taken by Ito's early, looser illustration style, while Derek focuses on the, at times, goofy scenarios surrounding Tomie. They're weirder than even the most unusual premises you'll find in Junji Ito.

After that, the guys turn to Tsutomu Nihei's Blame! This series has also been previously published, but now Vertical Comics is releasing it in new master editions. The second volume was just published this month, and volume 3 is due out in March. So Shea and Derek limit their discussion to the story contained within these first two book. This is an action-heavy manga, and while this kind of graphic storytelling isn't one of Derek's favorites, it's something that Shea absolutely loves. But both guys appreciate the incremental world building and especially Nihei's astounding ability in representing The City, the vast post-apocalyptic landscape in which the story takes place. The bottom line is that both guys love the storyworld and plan to continue reading this series.

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