The Comics Alternative

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Episode 294: Reviews of Coyote Doggirl, Baseline Blvd., and Cemetery Beach #1 Sep 26, 2018

Show notes

Time Codes:

00:00:29 - Introduction
00:02:30 - Hitting a milestone
00:04:20 - Coyote Doggirl
00:40:29 - Baseline Blvd.
01:12:18 - Cemetery Beach #1
01:26:03 - Wrap up
01:27:22 - Contact us

This week Sterg and Derek discuss three fascinating and genre-spanning titles. They begin with Lisa Hanawalt's Coyote Doggirl(Drawn and Quarterly). As the guys point out, this is a humor-infused story that engages with the western genre. Both Derek and Sterg mention that while they appreciate Hanawalt's off-beat sense of humor, they haven't been big fans of her past books, in that they weren't so much narrative comics as they were illustrated works of humor. But Coyote Doggirlis more of a "traditional" comic, with sequential panels and a discernible storyline. The premise is more or less simple, but that's part of the charm of this text. And the humor!

Next, the Two Guys with PhDs turn to Emi Gennis's Baseline Blvd., released earlier this year from Kilgore Books and Comics. This actually began as a webcomic back in 2015, but it was published in hardcopy as part of Kilgore's Kickstarter campaignfor their 2018 releases. Where many of Gennis's comics have been profiles or biographies, this latest book is more autobiographical in nature. As the guys point out, there is a silent elegance about this work, and Gennis packs a lot of story -- and emotion -- into her brief narrative.

The guys then wrap up the episode by looking at Warren Ellis and Jason Howard's Cemetery Beach#1(Image Comics). Sterg observes that this seems to be a typical Ellis narrative -- and "typical" in a good, demonstrative way -- and both of the guys comment on Howard's art. In fact, much of this first issue is carried by the illustrations. In all, it's a successful first issue. This seven-issue sci-fi series has a lot of promise, and both Derek and Sterg look forward to seeing where the creators take their premise.

Comics Alternative Interviews: Jason Lutes Sep 24, 2018

Show notes

Time Codes:

00:00:24 - Introduction
00:02:26 - Setup of interview
00:04:50 - Interview with Jason Lutes
01:20:31 - Wrap up
01:21:13 - Contact us

Jason Lutes began his Berlin series in the spring of 1996, with plans to publish his ambitious project over a 24-issue run. Over the years, he pared down the number of issues to 22, and the last of those was released in March of this year. Earlier this month, Drawn and Quarterly released a complete single-volume edition of Berlin, clocking in at over 550 pages, as well as a third volume of the series, City of Light, for those who had already gotten the previous two collections, City of Stones and City of Smoke, and didn’t want to get the completed series in just one volume.

Berlinis a massive narrative with an ensemble cast. It takes place in that volatile city during the last days of the Weimar Republic, 1928-1933, when Germany was struggling with its economy and war reparations, and a variety of political factions -- in particular, the Communist Party and the National Socialist Workers Party -- were vying for power. Lutes’s story primarily focuses on the lives of Kurt Severing, a world-weary journalist, and Marthe Müller, an uncertain art student moving to Berlin and longing to define herself in this newly adopted city. But there are a variety of other characters, as well, and Lutes even peppers his fictional cast with several historically based figures, including the jailed journalist Carl von Ossietzky, Joseph Goebbels, Josephine Baker, and, yes, Adolf Hitler himself. The result is an expansive narrative that not only captures the Weimar culture at the time, but also explores individual desires and unpredictable relationships in the midst of political and economic upheaval. In his interview with him, Derek talks with Jason about the origins of the series, the amount of research that went into the project, how the city of Berlin became a point of inspiration, the various challenges he faced maintaining such an ongoing series for over 20 years, and where Jason's artistic ambitions may take him next.

Comics Alternative Interviews: Youssef Daoudi Sep 21, 2018

Show notes

Time Codes:

00:00:24 - Introduction
00:02:22 - Setup of interview
00:04:01 - Interview with Youssef Daoudi
01:52:10 - Wrap up
01:52:47 - Contact us

Youssef Daoudi is a French creator whose previous albums include La Trilogie Noire, published by Casterman, and several works released by Glénat, including Mayday, Ring, and Tripoli. Unfortunately, these books aren’t yet available in English, but you can discover the art and storytelling of Daoudi through his brand new book from First Second, Monk!: Thelonious, Pannonica, and the Friendship behind a Musical Revolution. Indeed, as Youssef discusses with me in this interview you’re about to here, Monk!is his first work to be written originally in English, and later to be translated into French. This isn’t a graphic biography of the jazz legend, often called “The Mad Monk” or “The High Priest of Bop,” but a portrait of his relationship with Kathleen Annie Pannoica de Koenigswarter, a free-spirted and jazz-impassioned baroness who was a member of the Rothschild family. Daoudi meticulously lays out the contours of that relationship and how each sustained the other. In our conversation Derek talks with Youssef about the genesis of this project, his love of jazz, and what it was about mid-century bebop culture -- and in particular, the lives of Monk and Pannonica -- that so captured his imagination.

On Location: Talking with Creators at SPX 2018, Pt. 2 Sep 20, 2018

Show notes

Time Codes:

00:00:27 - Introduction
00:02:27 - Set up of episode
00:03:45 - Interview with Jennifer Hayden
00:18:17 - Interview with Fernando De Peña, Rodrigo Vargas, and Coni Yovaniniz
00:29:04 - Interview with Ellen Forney
00:52:01 - Interview with Miss Lasko-Gross
01:00:47 - Interview with Michael DeForge
01:22:26 - Interview with Evan Dahm
01:30:22 - Interview with Ben Costa and James Parks
01:38:13 - Interview with Ivy Atoms
01:44:33 - Interview with M.S. Harkness
01:52:30 - Interview with Maritsa Patrinos
02:02:36 - Interview with Maransa Harmon and Eric Taylor
02:13:21 - Wrap up
02:13:59 - Contact us

More Good Smallness

Last weekend Derek attended the Small Press Expo, which is held every September in North Bethesda, MD. At the event, he talked with a variety of artists who tabled there. This is the second of two on-location shows featuring these brief interviews, the first being released earlier this week. These short conversations range from around 6 minutes to 23 minutes in length, and while most were recorded on the floor of the convention, some were conducted outside on the hotel’s patio. The creators Derek talked with on this episode include Jennifer Hayden; Fernando De Peña, Rodrigo Vargas, and Coni Yovaniniz; Ellen Forney; Miss Lasko-Gross; Michael DeForge; Evan Dahm; Ben Costa and James Parks; Ivy Atoms; M.S. Harkness; Maritsa Patrinos; and Maransa Harmon and Eric Taylor.

Episode 293: Reviews of A Contract with God: Curator's Collection, Egg Cream #1, and Hey Kids! Comics! #1 and #2 Sep 19, 2018

Show notes

Time Codes:

00:00:32 - Introduction
00:02:43 - Introducing Stergios Botzakis
00:06:41 - A Contract with God: Curator's Collection
00:55:55 - Egg Cream #1
01:19:04 - Hey Kids! Comics! #1 and #2
01:38:48 - Wrap up
01:40:25 - Contact us

This week The Comics Alternativegets a new cohost: Stergios Botzakis! And on his maiden voyage, Sterg becomes an integral part in discussions of three unique titles. He and Derek begin with A Contract with God: Curator's Collection(Dark Horse Books-Kitchen Sink Books). This classic of Will Eisner's is reproduced in two beautiful volumes, one with the original pencils and another with the inks. This slipcased edition is a first for the podcast, as the Two Guys have never discussed anything like an Artist's Edition or a Legacy Edition. As such, Sterg and Derek not only go through the specifics of Eisner's four stories, but they spend a lot of time talking about process, Eisner's original intentions, and the various insightful essays included in this two-volume set.

After that the Two Guys with PhDs turn to Liz Suburbia's Egg Cream#1. The digital version of this was just made available to those who supported Czap Books' Kickstarter campaignlast year (and the print version will debut at MoCCA next spring). The core of this issue is the first installment of Suburbia's Sacred Heart, Vol. 2 - Livin' in the Future, a follow-up to her 2015 work, Sacred Heart. Sterg and Derek set a context by discussing the earlier book, then they explore the contours of the new work and how it expands upon the initial presentation of Suburbia's broader narrative.

The guys wrap up with the first two issues of Howard Chaykin's Hey Kids! Comics!(Image Comics). Both Sterg and Derek are fans of Chaykin's work, although it's been a long time since his comics were discussed on the show. This is a satiric look at the history of the American comic-book history, and the guys spend some time looking at Chaykin's analogs to DC and Marvel as well as to such figures as Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, and Matt Baker, among many others. They also focus on the ways in which Chaykin structures his story, skipping around in time and representing a broad temporal overview, and they speculate on what Chaykin may be up to in his most recent project.

On Location: Talking with Creators at SPX 2018, Pt. 1 Sep 18, 2018

Show notes

Time Codes:

00:00:27 - Introduction
00:02:29 - Set up of episode
00:04:13 - Interview with Mike Freiheit
00:12:16 - Interview with Madeline McGrane
00:15:51 - Interview with Kelly Phillips and Claire Folkman
00:22:37 - Interview with Karl Christian Krumpholz
00:28:28 - Interview with Max de Radiguès
00:44:12 - Interview with Ryan Holmberg
00:59:14 - Interview with Scott Roberts
01:07:02 - Interview with Nathan Gelgud
01:16:30 - Interview with M. Dean
01:34:08 - Interview with Emi Gennis
01:41:58 - Interview with Alex Nall
01:49:24 - Interview with Ash Thomasand Sara Guzman
01:56:07 - Interview with Ellen Lindner
02:06:53 - Wrap up
02:07:43 - Contact us

This past weekend, Derek attended Small Press Expo in North Bethesda, MD. While there, he interviewed a variety of creators, some of whom he didn't even know, about their recent releases and their upcoming projects. In this, the first of two on-location shows recorded at SPX, Derek talks with 15 different creators, with each brief interview lasting anywhere from 4 to about 17 minutes. Among the writers/artists/editors Derek talks with are Mike Freiheit, Madeline McGrane, Kelly Phillips and Claire Folkman, Karl Christian Krumpholz, Max de Radiguès, Ryan Holmberg, Scott Roberts, Nathan Gelgud, M. Dean, Emi Gennis, Alex Nall, Ash Thomas and Sara Guzman, and Ellen Lindner.

Comics Alternative Interviews: Summer Pierre Sep 13, 2018

Show notes

Time Codes:

00:00:24 - Introduction
00:02:37 - Setup of interview
00:04:33 - Interview with Summer Pierre
01:19:14 - Wrap up
01:20:13 - Contact us

The Two Guys were first introduced to the work of Summer Pierre during June of 2017. At the time, they were wanting to do a special episode of The Comics Alternative devoted to self-published creators, and John Porcellino recommended to Derek that they check out the work of Summer Pierre. At the time her minicomic Paper Pencil Life was at its fourth issue, and so they went to her website to get the full run of the title up to that point. They were impressed by her art and storytelling, and since then, Derek has made it a point of following Summer's work. She had told him last year in an email that she planned to have a new graphic memoir coming out from Retrofit in 2018, and at this week’s Small Press Expo that book will officially debut. All the Sad Songs is a moving account of the role of music in Summer’s life, from the creation of mix tapes to her performances as a musician, and how that music is linked to key moments with her various relationships and her growth as an artist. In many ways this book is a work of remembrance, but it’s not soaked in the kind of nostalgia that would come across as sentimental. On the contrary, Summer takes a hard look at herself during those times in her life, bearing herself in ways that, at times, may be a bit uncomfortable. But her story is authentic and speaks from the heart. In this interview, Derek talks with Summer about the genesis of this project, her experiences writing in long-form narrative, the role that music has played in her life, and the potential pitfalls in writing about her past in such an open and honest way. This is an interview that's been a long time in coming, but it was definitely worth the wait.

Episode 292: The September Previews Catalog Sep 12, 2018

Show notes

It's that time again, the occasion when Gwen and Derek meticulously go through the latest Previewscatalog and highlight a variety of upcoming comics they find of note. For the month of September, they discuss a variety of publishers and titles such as:

Image Comics - Bitter Root #1, Outer Darkness#1, The Terrible Elizabeth Dumn against the Devil in Suits, Midwest#1, 24 Panels, and Street Angel vs Ninjatech
Dark Horse Comics - The Problem of Susan and Other Stories, Lightstep#1, and Wandering Island, Vol. 2
DC Comics/Vertigo -American Carnage#1, Animal Man 30th Anniversary Deluxe Edition Book One, Goldfish, New Edition, and Jinx, New Edition
IDW Publishing - Atomic Robo: Greatest Hits, Atomic Robo and the Dawn of a New Era#1, Jingle Belle: The Homemades' Tale, Night Moves#1, and Black Crown Omnibus, Vol. 1
Dynamite Entertainment - James Bond 007#1 and Bettie Page#1
BOOM! Studios - Smooth Criminals#1, Firefly#1, and The Empty Man#1
Aftershock Comics - Witch Hammer
Albatross Funnybooks - Grumble#1
Archie Comics - Archie#700
Avery Hill Publishing - Follow Me Inand Retrograde Orbit
A Wave Blue World Inc. - Kismet, Man of Fate
Birdcage Bottom Books - The Complete Matinee Junkie
Conundrum Press - The Vagabond Valise
Editions Tanabis - Hieronymus and Bosch
Fantagraphics Books - I Am Young, Parallel Lives, James Warren, Empire of Monsters: The Man behind Creepy, Vampirella, and Famous Monsters, Doctor of Horror and Other Stories, Meat Warp, and Warrior Women: Spain Vol. 2
First Second - Tiger vs Nightmare, Vol. 1and Deogratias: A Tale of Rwanda(Reissue Edition)
Gallery 13 - Stephen King's The Dark Towerseries
Griffin Biooks - The Art of Graphic Memoir
Humanoids - Hedy Lamarr: An Incredible Lifeand Vietnamese Memories Book 2: Little Saigon
It's Alive! - Dunkirk
Lion Forge - Quincredible, Vol 1and Watersnakes
Mariner Books - Part of It: Comics and Confessions
Mosaic Press -A History of Women Cartoonists
NBM - The Beatles in Comics
Penguin Books - Che: A Revolutionary Life
Rebellion/2000 AD - Hope
Retrofit Comics - Our Wretched Town Hall
SelfMadeHero - Lip Hook: A Tale of Rural Unease
Souring Penguin Press - Meanwhile#9
Sunday Press Books - Thimble Theatre and the Pre-Popeye Cartoons of E.C. Segar
Zuiker Press - Click: A Story of Cyberbullyingand Mend: A Story of Divorce
VIZ Media - Ran and the Gray World, Vol. 1
Dempa Books - Pez
Kodansha Comics - Battle Angel Alita Complete Box Setand Die Wergelder, Vol. 2
Seven Seas Entertainment - Captain Harlock: The Classic Collection, Vol. 3

Comics Alternative Interviews: Tim Bird Sep 11, 2018

Show notes

Time Codes:

00:00:23 - Introduction
00:02:29 - Setup of interview
00:04:11 - Interview with Tim Bird
01:00:17 - Wrap up
01:00:53 - Contact us

The Great North Wood, which was just released through Avery Hill Publishing, is Tim Bird’s longest work to date. It’s the story of -- or perhaps a better way of putting would be that it’s a history or a meditation on -- an area in South London known for its wooded past. This includes areas such as Norwood, Gipsy Hill, Honor Oak, and Sydenham Hill Woods. In fact, as Tim mentions in the interview, Sydenham Hill Woods is really the last vestige of the heavily forested area south of London, and it’s where Tim and his family currently reside. What makes The Great North Woodstand out is Tim Bird’s use of geographic space to tell his story. As he and Derek discuss over the course of their conversation, character is at a minimum in Tim’s work, and he uses location and space to carry his narrative. What’s more, the creator often underscores the mystery and magic that has traditionally been a part of Britain’s wooded areas. Much of Derek's talk with Tim centers on the new book, but they also discuss his previous comics, such as the various works in his Grey Areaseries, also published by Avery Hill. These are also largely based on location and geographic space, and Tim goes into detail about his evolution as an artist, working through his Grey Areacomics to get to a place where he can more fully explore his surroundings in his latest book.

Comics Alternative Interviews: Keiler Roberts Sep 10, 2018

Show notes

Time Codes:

00:00:24 - Introduction
00:02:24 - Setup of interview
00:04:41 - Interview with Keiler Roberts
01:04:06 - Wrap up
01:04:48 - Contact us

In 2009 Keiler Roberts began putting out a series of self-published minicomics that she titled Powered Milk. These were brief stories and scenarios where she represented the experiences she had as a mother, wife, and friend. Many of the situations were observational in nature -- for example, some of her Powered Milkcomics were one-panel expressions of something off-beat and telling that her daughter, Xia, had said -- but occasionally she would illustrate longer narratives that concerned her life as a mother. She has gathered these earlier minicomics in collections such as Powered Milk: Collected Stories and Miseryland. Last year, however, Keiler began turning to book-length format and publishing her Powered Milkstories, what she continues to call her work, through Koyama Press. In fact, Sunburning was one of the texts discussed last year during the publisher spotlight on Koyama Press’ spring 2017 releases. And this week we’ll see the release of Keiler’s next book, Chlorine Gardens. It’s a work that’s certainly in the Powered Milkspirit, but this book is notable in that Keiler engages more in long-form storytelling than she does in her previous comics. What’s more, and as Derek discusses with her, Keiler brings a structure to the various stories and observations that is more apparent than in the past. In this interview, Derek talks with Keiler about the evolution of her comics-writing, the role of journaling or diary illustration in her work, the process she undergoes in creating her stories, and the power -- as well as the limitations -- of exposing herself and her loved ones as subject matters for her narratives. Keiler has been on the podcast before, albeit briefly, during the 2016 Small Press Expo, an event at which she won an Ignatz Award for Best Outstanding Series, but this is a special occasion in that Keiler gets to discuss her work in a longer, more sustained manner.

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