The Comics Alternative

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Euro Comics: Reviews of The Adventures of Dieter Lumpen and Come Prima Aug 12, 2016

Show notes

On this, the second episode of the new Euro Comics series, Edward and Derek discuss two recent publications that involve journeys, but in vastly different ways. They begin with the latest translation from IDW's EuroComics imprint, The Adventures of Dieter Lumpen. Written by Jorge Zentner and with art by Rubén Pellejero (and translated by Carlos Guzman and Dean Mullaney), this volume collects all of the Dieter Lumpen stories the two originally published between 1985 and 1994. The eleven tales contained within are standalone adventures of the titular protagonist. And his travels take him all over the globe. In fact, the guys spend a good deal of time discussing the adventure genre and how The Adventures of Dieter Lumpen taps into the rich tradition of this kind of comic by Franco-Belgian creators. But what distinguishes these stories from those of Hergé's Tintin -- and even from the kind of American adventures found in the Indiana Jones movies -- is the inadvertent, reluctant, and even unheroic nature of Dieter Lumpen's encounters. The Two Guys first talk about the eight narratives that open the book, all short stories and tightly interconnected, and then turn to the three longer pieces that close out the volume. Edward particularly appreciates the more complicating or less-than-heroic tales of Lumpen found in "Games of Chance" and "The Bad Guy," and Derek is drawn to the fantastical and even surreal quality of "Caribbean" and especially the final story, "The Reaper's Price." Indeed, both believe that the latter is Zentner and Pellejero most ambitious collaboration.

After that, the guys turn to Come Prima, recently translated into English by the Delcourt (and offered through ComiXology). Written and drawn by Alfred (the pen name of Lionel Papagalli), the book won the Angoulême International Comics Festival Prize for Best Album in 2013. It's the story of two brothers, Fabio and Giovanni, as they journey from France to their childhood home in Italy. The older Fabio is estranged from his family and has a bad track record with relationships, and Giovanni arrives unexpectedly to help suture the emotional wounds his brother may have caused. The travel they undergo in their Fiat 500 is just an outward manifestation of the much deeper inner journeys both brothers make both separately and together. This is a powerful narrative showcased, first and foremost, by Alfred's art, although Edward finds the translation of this album, by Studio Charon, to be uneven in places. Nonetheless, this is an award-winning book that should be on the reading list of anyone interested in contemporary European comics.

Episode 200: Reviews of Hillbilly #1 and #2, Satan's Sodomy Baby #2, and Time Clock Aug 10, 2016

Show notes

On this episode of The Comics Alternative, Derek and Andy celebrate their 200th regular review episode! They begin by sharing some of the messages and well wishes they've received from listeners in the past couple of weeks.

After that, they get into a discussion of this week's review titles. They begin with Eric Powell's new series, Hillbilly (Albatross Funnybooks), the second issue of which was just released last week. The guys focus on Powell's use of folktale tropes and storytelling techniques, pointing out that this title reads more somberly than does The Goon and Billy the Kid's Old Timey Oddities (at least so far), although it does have its humorous moments. Albeit subtle.

Much more in-your-face is Satan's Sodomy Baby #2 -- branded as SSBII for "safer" consumption -- Powell's other Albatross Funnybooks publication. This is a follow up to the 2007 one-shot Satan's Sodomy Baby, and like the earlier issue this comic book will not be reprinted nor will it be released digitally. And, appropriately enough, it comes in a sealed bag and parental advisory warning, so as to avoid any immature hands. While this issue of Satan's Sodomy Baby isn't as scatological as the first, it's over-the-top in an entirely different way. Current politics is what drives this story, and Donald J. Trump is the butt (pun intended) of Powell's scathing satire, small hands and all.

The Two Guys wrap up this week's episode with a look at Leslie Stein's Time Clock: An Eye of the Majestic Creature Book (Fantagraphics). Very different from last year's Bright-Eyed at Midnight, this book is a follow up to Stein's other Eye of the Majestic Creature releases from 2011 and 2013. Andy and Derek discuss the the phantasmagorical stories that make up the text, wondering if the protagonist's life events -- e.g., her sand counting and the relationship with her anthropomorphic guitar friend, Marshmallow -- may have any allegorical connections to Stein's own life. But what drives the narrative is Stein's seemingly mundane observations, clothed in the fantastic, and especially her art style, a curious mixture of cartoon and creepy.

Webcomics: Reviews of Sam and Fuzzy, Ulysses Seen, and Biome Aug 08, 2016

Show notes

This month on the webcomics series, Sean and Derek delve into three tonally different titles. They begin with Sam Logan's long-running Sam and Fuzzy. This is a series that has been around since 2001, starting off as a gag strip in Logan's college's student newspaper and then becoming a webcomic in 2002. The creator diligently keeps his Monday/Wednesday/Friday schedule of publication, and with almost fifteen years behind it, that's a substantive webcomic. In fact, the Two Guys discuss the intricacies of its storylines, the expansion of its cast, and the evolution of Logan's art. One would be hard pressed to find a webcomic with a more dynamic history, and the guys try their best to cover as many points as possible.

Next, Derek and Sean's discussion takes a decidedly literary turn with Ulysses Seen, a webcomic adaptation of James Joyce's masterpiece. Illustrated and adapted by Robert Berry, this is a project that attempts to capture the novel it the fullest sense. This is no mere graphic Cliff Notes version of Ulysses, but one that tries to represent Joyce's voice and style. Accompanying the webcomic proper are analytical blog postings by Mike Barsanti, contextualizing the story and explicating its many facets. This is certainly an ambitious endeavor -- it even has its own app in the iTunes store -- although the guys do note the webcomic's biggest weakness: its design. It's not easy to navigate the website and find your way around, and there are too many duplicate pages or links to nowhere. What's more, the webcomic doesn't seem to have been updated since 2011 or 2013 (it's not easy to determine each page's publication date), and the adaptation is only up to Episode Five: The Lotus Eaters. But if you're a fan of the classic and have patience, then Ulysses Seen can be worth the wait.

Finally, the guys wrap up with an already completed webcomic, Adam Szym's Biome. This is a short piece that can be found at Szym's website Good Show Sir, along with a number of his other comics. This webcomic stands out for intricacy of art and especially its design for reading. Sean points out that it employs some of Scott McCloud's ideas behind the "infinite canvas," and Derek feels that the reading experience is similar to what you will find with Study Group Comics. But however you approach it, this highly stylized work, with its fantastical tone and sci-fi leanings, is standout example of what webcomics are capable of.

Episode 199: The August Previews Catalog Aug 03, 2016

Show notes

This week on the podcast, Andy and Derek discuss the August Previews catalog. Even more importantly, the Two Guys celebrate the four-year anniversary of the podcast! That's right, The Comics Alternative is now four years old, having its first episode published on August 1, 2012. So this episode begins with a brief assessment of the many episodes they've done over the years. But the core of this week's show is a discussing of the solicitations in the latest Previews...and there are a lot of them worth mentioning. So many, in fact, that this is another extra long episode. Among the many upcoming title Derek and Andy highlight are from publishers such as

Dark Horse Comics - Bait, Spell on Wheels #1, and Muhammad Ali
DC/Vertigo - Cave Carson Has a Cybernetic Eye #1, The Lost Boys #1, and The Unwritten: Deluxe Edition, Book One
IDW Publishing/Top Shelf - Dirk Gently: The Salmon of Doubt #1, Tom Tomorrow: 25 Years of Tomorrow, The Electric Sublime #1, and Super Weird Heroes
Image Comics - Moonshine #1, Cannibal #1, Thought Bubble Anthology Collection
Abrams ComicArts - Si Lewen’s Parade: An Artist’s Odyssey
AfterShock - Shipwreck #1
Albatross Funnybooks - Spookhouse #1
Alternative Comics - Cowboys and Insects, Johnny Appleseed, and Reich #1
Arsenal Pulp Press- Such a Lovely Little War: Saigon 1961-63
Big Planet/Retrofit Comics - We All Wish for Deadly Force
Drawn & Quarterly - A Walk in Eden, Kitaro Meets Nurarihyon, and Rolling Blackouts: Dispatches from Turkey, Syria, and Iraq
Dynamite Entertainment - James Bond: Hammerhead #1, Betty Boop #1, and Will Eisner’s The Spirit Vol. 1: The Spirit Returns
Fanfare/Ponent Mon - A Distant Neighborhood: Complete
Fantagraphics Books - Looking for America's Dog, Enough Astronaut Blood to Last the Winter, Weathercraft, and More Heroes of the Comics
First Second - Demon, Vol. 1, Science Comics: Volcanoes, and Tetris: The Games People Play
Hill & Wang - Shirley Jackson’s The Lottery
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt - Best American Comics 2016
Humanoids - El Niño
Insight Comics - Baker Street Four, Vol. 1
Kodansha - Neo Parasite F
NBM - A Treasury of 20th-Century Murder: Black Dahlia
Nobrow Press - How to Survive the North
Odod/Uncivilized Books - Musnet, Vol. 2
Oni Press - Angel City #1 and Heartthrob, Vol. 1
Pantheon -Last Look
SelfMadeHero - Art Masters Series, Vol. 4: Dali and The Return of the Honey Buzzard
Titan Comics - Peepland #1 and Triggerman #1
VIZ Media - Tokyo Ghoul, Vol. 9 and Platinum End

Special Announcement from The Two Guys with PhDs! Jul 30, 2016

Show notes

Andy and Derek take a few moments to make a special announcement. August 1st will be their four-year anniversary, and the Two Guys with PhDs would like for listeners help celebrate by responding with their well wishes! That's right, get in touch with them via voice message, phone, email, and various forms of social media to tell them happy birthday!

Manga: Reviews of Red Red Rock and The Osamu Tezuka Story Jul 29, 2016

Show notes

On the July manga episode, Shea and Derek discuss two recent publications that highlight, in different ways, the history of the Japanese medium. They begin with Seiichi Hayashi's Red Red Rock and Other Stories 1967-1970 (Breakdown Press). All but two stories that compose this collection were originally published in Garo, examples of the avant-garde coming from that publication in its heyday. Although not nearly as abstract and non-linear, Hayashi's manga reminds the guys of Sasaki Maki’s Ding Dong Circus, which they discussed in December's manga episode (and also a Breakdown Press publication). As both Derek and Shea point out, the stories collected in Red Red Rock represent some of the earliest of Hayashi's efforts, and they're noticeably more experimental, or at least less linear, than his other work available in English, such as Red Colored Elegy and the stories in Gold Pollen and Other Stories. Adding to this collection is an astute contextualizing essay by Ryan Holmberg, also the book's translator.

After their trip down Garo-inspired memory lane, the Two Guys turn to a work that delineates a much earlier chapter in manga history. The Osamu Tezuka Story: A Life in Manga and Anime is a graphic biography of a man often called "the god of manga" and published by Stone Bridge Press. Created by Toshio Ban (who served as Tezuka's "sub-chief" assistant) and Tezuka Productions, and translated by Frederik L. Schodt, the book appears to be a collaborative, or even corporate, effort to tease out the dynamism and the many facets of its subject's life. In fact, both Shea and Derek feel that there are too many details embedded in the narrative and that the book's 869 pages of story (not counting the substantive Appendixes) could have been paired down significantly. What's more, the tone of the the biography is blatantly reverential and becomes almost too much at times. Readers are presented with example after example of the seemingly superhuman nature of Tezuka, and with little insight into the contradictions and complications that would define any artist's life. Still, The Osamu Tezuka Story is a recommended read and a useful, albeit lengthy, introduction to this manga legend.

Episode 198: Reviews of The Black Dahlia, Kill or Be Killed #1, and Sombra #1 Jul 27, 2016

Show notes

This week the Two Guys with PhDs turn their attention to three recent noir titles. But before they jump into their reviews, they talk about comics news and recent awards.

First, they congratulate Sonny Liew on receiving this year's Singapore Literature Prize for English fiction for his best-selling work The Art Of Charlie Chan Hock Chye. This comes on the heels of him getting the Book of the Year accolade at the Singapore Book Awards, held in May.

Next, Andy and Derek say a few words about the results of this year's Eisner Awards, announced at SDCC last Friday. The guys note that there are really no surprises in the winners, and that with perhaps one or two exceptions, those coming out on top in their categories make perfect sense. They are particularly pleased that so many of the titles and creators that they've discussed on the podcast received this recognition, and they are especially excited that so many friends of the show -- such as Craig Yoe and Tom Heintjes -- received the coveted Eisner.

After all of the awards talk, the guys get into the nitty gritty of this week's episode. They start off with an adaptation of James Ellroy's The Black Dahlia (BOOM! Studios/Archaia), the first in the novelist's L.A. Quartet. Adapted by Matz and David Fincher, and with art by Miles Hyman, the story springs from the real-life murder of Elizabeth Short in 1947. As with the original book, this graphic novel reveals the dark underside of Los Angeles and the post-war days of its entertainment industry. And it contains all of the icons and tropes that define noir narrative.

From there the guys turn to the latest collaboration from the superb crime-writing team of Ed Brubaker, Sean Phillips, and Elizabeth Breitweiser, Kill or Be Killed #1 (Image Comics). This first issue has all of the trappings of the kind of stories we've come to expect from Brubaker and Phillips (e.g., The Fade Out, Criminal, Sleeper), but there's a particular twist to the plot that recalls the supernatural tinges of Fatale. In fact, Derek and Andy aren't sure if what happens in the story is because of other-worldly forces or just the result of psychological imbalance.

Finally, the guys wrap up with yet another crime comic, Justin Jordan and Raul Trevino's Sombra #1 (BOOM! Studios). This story revolves around a young DEA agent, Danielle, and the mystery surrounding the disappearance of her father, also an agent. This first issue takes the narrative into some dark places, and the guys focus on this comic as a retelling of Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness. In fact, the missing DEA agent is name Conrad Marlowe. How appropriate!

Young Readers: Reviews of Compass South, Secret Coders: Paths and Portals, and Level Up Jul 26, 2016

Show notes

This month, Andy and Gwen discuss a three graphic novels for young readers that are written by pairs of comics creators. Compass South (Farrar, Straus and Giroux) brings together Hope Larson (Chiggers; A Wrinkle in Time) with Rebecca Mock, a New York-based freelance illustrator, while the other two titles are written by Gene Luen Yang in collaboration with Mike Holmes on Secret Coders 2: Paths and Portals (First Second) and with Thien Pham on Level Up (Square Fish).

To begin the show, Gwen introduces readers to the premise of Larson and Mock’s exciting middle-grade graphic novel Compass South. Set in 1860, this fast-paced, colorful text follows the adventures of a pair of twelve-year-old redheaded twins, Alexander and Cleopatra Dodge. Orphaned as infants upon the death of their mother, the twins are transported to New York City to be raised by the kindly Mr. Dodge, a working class immigrant from Ireland who had once been in love with the twins’ mother. The children have received as an inheritance a pocket watch and a knife, and it turns out that these objects hold secret information that a corrupt pirate and his gang hope to uncover. When the twins’ father mysteriously disappears, Alex suggests that they travel to San Francisco and pose as the long lost children of a wealthy industrialist. In order to participate in the ruse, Cleopatra cuts her hair, dons boys’ clothes, and escapes with Alex to New Orleans. There, things become very complicated when they run into another set of redheaded twins, Silas and Edwin, who also plan to sail to San Francisco and present themselves to the industrialist. Chaos descends as the two pairs of twins are split up, and everyone from a street gang leader in New York and a violent, blood-thirsty pirate chase the children across the globe. Andy praises the novel for its character development and technical brilliance, and Gwen notes that the use of cross dressing allows Larson and Mock the ability to comment upon gendered expectations, both in the nineteenth century and today. Compass South ends on a cliffhanger that will be addressed in the second volume of the series, Knife’s Edge, coming out in 2017.

Next, Andy introduced Gene Luen Yang and Mike Holmes’s second volume in their Secret Coders series, a set of STEM-oriented graphic novel for middle grade readers. Set in the austere Stately Academy, Secret Coders 2: Paths and Portals takes up immediately where the initial volume ends, with friends Hopper, Eni, and Josh using the principles of coding to solve mysteries. Andy notes that readers will want to be sure to have read the first book before moving on to this second, but he explains that the effort will be rewarding. Secret Coders 2 is action-packed, filled with humor, and encourages young readers to learn more about coding. Gwen agrees, pointing out that even though a lot of instruction goes on in the text, Yang and Holmes present coding lessons as part of a well-integrated plot that follows the experiences of three highly developed protagonists. Gwen also encourages listeners to check out the Secret Coders blog for more information on coding for kids.

For their final review, Andy and Gwen discusses Gene Luen Yang’s collaboration with illustrator Thien Pham on Level Up, a coming-of-age graphic novel that was first published in 2011. The reissued volume is printed on a heavy, glossy paper stock that serves as an excellent medium for Pham’s masterful watercolor illustrations. The story follows Dennis Ouyang, the child of Chinese immigrants, who struggles to reconcile his love of video games with his desire to fulfill his parents’ wishes that he become a gastroenterologist. Given that the comic takes Dennis from grade school through to medical school, Level Up will be of interest to a wide audience, from middle school readers up to adults. After Gwen provides young listeners with an enthralling description of gastroenterology, the two PhDs consider how Level Up incorporates Yang’s interest in faith and magical realism, as well as his interest in describing the immigrant experience.

Young Readers: A Special Look at the 2016 Eisner Awards Jul 25, 2016

Show notes

On this special episode of the Young Readers edition of The Comics Alternative, Gwen and Andy take a look at the 2016 Eisner Award nominees and winners in each of the three young readers categories. The Two People with PhDs discuss not only the books and their creators, but also the categories themselves, the changes they’ve seen in those categories over the years, and changes they’d like to see in the future. Gwen and Andy know you’ll find some great books here and hope you’ll share your thoughts with them once you’ve read them. (You can find a complete list of all the Eisner Award winners here as well as the complete list of nominees here.)

In the lists below, the winner of the category is in bold face type.

Best Publication for Early Readers (up to age 8)

• Anna Banana and the Chocolate Explosion, by Dominque Roques and Alexis Dormal (First Second)

• Little Robot, by Ben Hatke (First Second)

• The Only Child, by Guojing (Schwartz & Wade)

• SheHeWe, by Lee Nordling and Meritxell Bosch (Lerner Graphic Universe)

• Written and Drawn by Henrietta, by Liniers (Ricardo Siri Linders, an Argentine creator) (TOON Books)

Best Publication for Kids (ages 9-12)

• Baba Yaga’s Assistant, by Marika McCoola and Emily Carroll (Candlewick)

• Child Soldier: When Boys and Girls Are Used in War, by Jessica Dee Humphreys, Michel Chikwanine, and Claudia Devila (Kids Can Press)

• Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales: The Underground Abductor, by Nathan Hale (Abrams Amulet)

• Over the Garden Wall, by Pat McHale, Amalia Levari, and Jim Campbell (BOOM! Studios/KaBOOM!)

• Roller Girl, by Victoria Jamieson (Dial Books)

• Sunny Side Up, by Jennifer Holm and Matthew Holm (Scholastic Graphix)

Best Publication for Teens (ages 13-17)

• Awkward, by Svetlana Chmakova (Yen Press)

• Drowned City: Hurricane Katrina and New Orleans, by Don Brown (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)

• March: Book Two, by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell (Top Shelf/IDW)

• Moose, by Max de Radiguès (Conundrum)

• Oyster War, by Ben Towle (Oni)

• SuperMutant Magic Academy, by Jillian Tamaki (Drawn & Quarterly)

Comics Alternative Interviews: John Porcellino Jul 22, 2016

Show notes

On this interview episode, Andy and Derek are pleased to have as their guest John Porcellino. Issue #76 of his long-running (twenty-six year!) minicomic, King-Cat Comics and Stories, has just been released, and the Two Guys talk with John about how different this issue is from his previous one. That issue, a heartfelt memorial to his cat, Maisie Kukoc, was more of a long-form story that may have expanded his audience. Andy asks John what readers who came to his work through issue #75 might think of the latest release, a more traditional issue of King-Cat Comics and Stories, and that question sets the stage for the rest of the conversation. Among the many topics John discusses in this interview are his processes of note-taking, the stylistic turning points of his career, his views on autobiographical comics, his experiences as a self-publisher and comics distributor, his philosophy of personal revelation, and the roles that music continues to play in his comics. In fact, one of the more interesting takeaways from the interview is John's understand of his zines as being analogous to record albums. He constructs them in the same ways musicians might pull together a two-sided LP. Along the way, Derek and Andy also talk with John about his book-length stories and collections, specifically Perfect Example and The Hospital Suite. This is an engaging conversation, one that is really a long time in coming for The Comics Alternative. If there is indeed a King of the Minicomics, then John Porcellino should be the one wearing that crown.

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