The Comics Alternative

Latest Episodes:

On Location - Anticipating the New Year at Collected Comics Jan 16, 2015

Show notes

It's a new month -- and a new year! -- so Derek is back at his local shop, Collected in Plano, for another on-location episode of the podcast. This time he's joined by Collected regulars Shea, Nick, Matt, and Craig, and the discussion topic is "Comics in the New Year." Everyone brings up the various titles, events, and pop cultural phenomenon they are looking forward to in 2015. For some, it is the wrap up of currently ongoing series and storylines, particularly Fables and Spider-Verse; the occasion of a crossover event, such as Marvel's new Secret Wars or DC's Convergence (although there doesn't seem to be a lot of love for DC at this gathering); the publication of eagerly awaited graphic novels and trade collections (e.g., Harlan Ellison's City on the Edge of Forever and Scott McCloud's The Sculptor); announcements of brand new series; comics that were held over from 2014, such as Pascin and the latest volume of Love and Rockets: New Stories; and the new movies and television shows surrounding comics culture. As always, it's a fun discussion with these guys. And once again, the Two Guys thank the great folks at Collected for letting them come by every month!

Episode 118 - Reviews of Fatherland, Bullet Gal, and 1976 Jan 14, 2015

Show notes

On this regular review episode of The Comics Alternative, the first of 2015, Andy and Derek discuss three very different titles. First, they look at the new graphic memoir from Nina Bunjevac, Fatherland: A Family History (Liveright). This is the story of the author’s life growing up with — or growing apart from — a father who becomes a staunch Serbian nationalist. Bunjevac provides a bit of history surrounding the Balkans, and does so through sophisticated storytelling, but one of the most outstanding aspects of Fatherland is her highly detailed, almost photographic art. The guys got a little taste of Bunjevac’s work, particularly on the subject of her father, in their earlier discussion of Best American Comics of 2014. That collection included an excerpt from her previous book, Heartless, that had a similar feel. In her latest work, Bunjevac provides a more complete, and more complex, story that addresses the various facets of her father and his relationship with the family. Next the Two Guys look at two independent creators with unique offerings. They begin with Andrez Bergen’s Bullet Gal (If? Commix), which has is now up to issue #8. This is a different kind of crime or noir story, a fumetti-infused narrative that mixes tried-and-true conventions of the genre with off-beat salutes to classic cinema. As Derek and Andy point out, beginning with issue #7 the story takes a leap down the narrative rabbit hole, turning a mirror onto itself and becoming very Grant Morrisonesque. There are twelve issues planned for this series, and all will be collected in a 348-page trade that will be released this spring, Bullet Gal: It’s Not You, It’s Me (Under Belly Comics…and a Kickstarter campaign). This is definitely something you have to check out! And the same goes with the next work the guys discuss, Daniel White’s self-published 1976. This is perhaps one of the most difficult comics the guys have ever discussed on the show, primarily because most of the narrative is visually driven. Describing it on an audio-only podcast doesn’t do the book justice, and you have to see the actual copy to get the complete experience. The first installment, “New Rose,” is a surreal, even psychodelic comic whose framing and action appear to owe a lot to Jack Kirby. Along with the second part — although not yet published, the artist was kind enough to provide a preliminary print-off — it’s a punk rock-infused “journey” of self-discovery (maybe?) that strategically utilizes a simple color scheme. In fact, the guys recommend that you listen to White’s musical allusions in this comic, The Damned and The Sex Pistols, as you experience the work.

Webcomics - Reviews of Vattu, Stand Still. Stay Silent, and The Right Number Jan 09, 2015

Show notes

The Two Guys are back for another installment in their new monthly show devoted to webcomics. For January, Derek and Andy W. have three engaging titles to discuss. First, they look at Evan Dahm’s Vattu, a fantasy adventure reminiscent of Bone, and with tones of sword-and-sorcery. This webcomic has been going on since July 2010, updated every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Currently it’s in its third book — the first, comprising 270 pages, has been collected in printed form and can be purchased through Dahm’s website — and the initial storyline has evolved into a much vaster narrative. The guys comment on Dahm’s knack for complex world-building, as well as the vibrant, eye-catching art. Vattu is the winner of the 2014 Ignatz Award for Best Online Comic, and there is a reason why Andy and Derek wanted to feature this as one of their current and ongoing webcomics for the month. Next, they turn their attention to another current title, Minna Sundberg’s Stand Still. Stay Silent, a post-apocalyptic adventure set in a ravaged Scandinavian setting. Its premise is that a virus suddenly wipes out much of the human, and mammal, population, leaving only a limited number of survivors. This event, referred to as “the great cataclysm,” has ended the world as we know it, and an unlikely group of survivors — including mages — sets out to make safe a world of violence, desolation, and fantastical beasts. Both Andy and Derek are enjoying this ongoing tale, but they note an abrupt (and perhaps unexpected?) shift in tone from a more realistic style into one that is more fantastical. What’s more, they feel mixed about Sundberg’s commentary that accompanies each story installment. Sometimes, these reflections or annotations turn out to be unintended spoilers, and readers can leave their own spoilery thoughts. But fans of SSSS (as it is commonly know) apparently love this kind of reader engagement, making Sundberg’s one of the most popular webcomics around. Finally, and for their older and already completed webcomic, they discuss one of the first high-visible advocates for webcomics, Scott McCloud. His two-part graphic novella, The Right Number, was written between 2003 and 2004, and it utilizes an experimental zooming format. There is a projected third installment, as McCloud points out on his website, but due to unexpected delays and competing projects, the conclusion has yet to be written. But although we’ve been waiting ten years for the story to wrap up, and although this isn’t technically a “completed” webcomic, Derek and Andy nonetheless wanted to give some love to one of the earliest experimenters of the webcomic format.

Episode 117 - The January Previews Catalog Jan 07, 2015

Show notes

It’s a new year, and it’s a new month on The Comics Alternative. So that means it’s time for another look at the Previews catalog! On this episode, Andy and Derek look through the January solicits, highlighting the various comics that will be appearing in another two-four months. Among the titles catching their interests are Pastaways #1, Neverboy#1, and Apocalyptigirl (Dark Horse Comics); the final chapters of Grant Morrison’s Multiversity, Strange Sports Stories #1, and new editions of Astro City trades (DC/Vertigo); Wormwood: Gentleman Corpse: The First Few Pints and Weird Love #6 (IDW Publishing); Chrononauts #1, Descender #1, Southern Cross #1, and Sexcastle (Image Comics); Men of Wrath (Marvel Comics); The Age of Selfishness and Just So Happens (Abrams ComicArt); Hit: 1957 #1 and The Con Job #1 (BOOM! Studios); Project Superpowers: Backcross #1 (Dynamite Entertainment); The Complete Eightball, Inner City Romance, Angry Youth Comix, and Dripping with Fear: The Steve Ditko Archives Vol. 5 (Fantagraphics); The Glorkian Warrior Eats Adventure Pie (First Second); The Other Side of the Wall (Lerner Publishing Group); Doctor Who: The Ninth Doctor #1 and The Light and Darkness War (Titan Comics); and Nemo: River of Ghosts (Top Shelf Productions). The guys also spend a bit of time discussing some of the upcoming releases for this year’s Free Comic Book Day, which are also announced in this month’s Previews. All in all, there are a lot of great releases to look forward to, all of which portend an exciting 2015.

Interviews - Still More Craig Yoe Jan 05, 2015

Show notes

It’s a brand spanking new year, and it’s sure to be another great twelve months for interviews on The Comics Alternative. In fact, Andy and Derek start things off with a bang! this month with another visit from the always-friendly, always-funky, and always-fun Craig Yoe. This is the third time he has been on the show, and this time around the guys not only talk with Craig about his latest releases, but they also discuss the past, present, and future of Yoe Books. It’s the 5th anniversary of the imprint, and starting off a year-long celebration marking the occasion, Craig reveals his new Yippie Yi Yoe Society. Derek and Andy were fortunate to get their complimentary membership package in the mail last month, complete with a snazzy welcome letter, an official membership card, a society sticker, a cool “I Belong to the Yippie Yi Yoe Society” button, and a DVD with videos and music…including the club’s song, “The Merry Yippie Yi Yoe Society Marching Song.” Is that cool, or what? Then the guys get into the nitty gritty of Creepy Craig’s latest efforts, the two new books Ditko’s Shorts and Howard Nostrand’s Nightmares (Yoe Books/IDW Publishing). They spend a lot of time talking about the new Ditko effort, talking with Craig about the genesis of the project, the research he and Fester Faceplate (AKA Mark Knox) conducted for the volume, and behind-the-scenes shenanigans that should excite any true Ditko fan. Next, they delve into the new Nostrand collection, the latest in Craig’s “Chilling Archives of Horror Comics” series, discussing an artist who is sorely overlooked yet so vital to the horror genre. As the great forelocked one points out in the book’s introduction, had Jack Davis and Wally Wood had a love child, it would have been Howard Nostrand. Derek and Andy try to get Craig to discuss any future and yet-to-be-announced Yoe Book projects — he never spill the beans — but he does talk a little about books that will be released early this year, including Tom Sutton’s Creepy Things, The Untold History of Black Comic Books, and Milt Gross’ New York. In fact, the guys want to have Craig back on the podcast to talk about the new Milt Gross book, so listeners probably won’t have to wait too long to get a another shot of Yoe.

Episode 116 - Our Favorite Comics of 2014 Dec 31, 2014

Show notes

It’s the end of the year, and you know what that means? No, it’s doesn’t involve a fat guy with toys, any spinning wooden things, or even annoying events involving Anderson Cooper and Kathy Gifford. It’s time for Andy and Derek’s end-of-the-year top ten favorites episode! The Two Guys with PhDs (who talk about comics) like to end every year by highlighting their favorite titles of the past twelve months. These could be ongoing series, limited runs or miniseries, one-shots, trades, original graphic novels, webcomics, or archival collections. So for this week’s episode, Derek and Andy each choose their favorite ten comics from 2014 and then share that list with one another. They don’t necessarily rank them in any order — although both guys do hint at their top picks — and neither knows of the other’s ten favorites before they record the podcast. As such, the Guys not only have a great time discussing the year’s best comics, but also in discovering what each other feels is truly his favorite. There are a few overlaps between Andy and Derek’s choices, but even more significantly, there are some big surprises in each one’s list!

Episode 115 - A Review of The Best American Comics 2014 Dec 24, 2014

Show notes

On this episode of the podcast, the Two Guys with PhDs Talking about Comics review The Best American Comics 2014, the latest installment in Houghton Mifflin Harcourt’s ambitious anthology series. This follows a previous review show published earlier in the week where the guys spoke with Bill Kartalopoulos, the new editor of the series. But whereas during the interview Derek and Andy learned about the process and backstory to the Best American Comics series, in this episode they plunge into the specifics of this year’s volume and give their own takes on the comics included. They begin with a larger discussion on the concept of “best American comics,” the kind of audiences the annual collections appeal to, and the efforts of the editors in pulling together a select or representative anthology. Here, the guys return to issues they had previously highlighted in their review of The Best American Comics 2013: the predilections and experiences of guest editors, the challenges of being inclusive, as well as the viability of a “best of” anthology. This time around Andy and Derek bandy about definitions of “mainstream” and speculate on the book’s intended audience. Although both feel that this is an intelligent and eclectic collection of comics (first appearing between September 1, 2012, and August 30, 2013), Derek feels that the book might appeal more to academics and the New Yorker crowd than it does to general comic shop-visiting readers. (Returning, once again, to a topic that the guys have discussed many times previously, the unintended bifurcation of comics readership.) Furthermore, he wonders what a volume guest edited by someone enmeshed in mainstream comics – and not just superhero comics – might look like…if that is indeed a direction that Houghton Mifflin Harcourt would sanction. Andy reminds Derek how inclusive this year’s volume is, and that depending on your definition of “mainstream,” McCloud’s includes several comics you could certainly define as “popular.” But despite these dialectics, both guys agree that this is one of the strongest collections in the series’ run and that the way that McCloud has organized his presentation is compelling. In this year’s volume you have selections from the grand figures of contemporary comics (e.g., R. Crumb, the Hernandez brothers, Charles Burns, Ben Katchor, and Adrian Tomine), all-age and young-adult comics, excerpts from memoir and autobiographical comics, historical works, experimenters of narrative form, abstract and avant-garde comics, and almost as a centerpiece, a selection from what McCloud christens “the book of the year,” Chris Ware’s Building Stories. Webcomics are given their fair share of attention in this volume, and the guys understand McCloud’s decision to highlight and list URLs instead of attempting to reproduce comics from another platform (although they’re not as excited by the one webcomic that does find its way into the collection, an excerpt from Allie Brosh’s “Depression Part Two”). All in all, the guys have a great time discussing the many selections in The Best American Comics 2014, and in doing so, they get all revved up for their own “best of” exercise which they will present in next week’s podcast episode.

Interviews - Bill Kartalopoulos Dec 22, 2014

Show notes

On this episode of The Comics Alternative Interviews, and in anticipation of their review show later this week, Andy and Derek are pleased to talk with the new editor of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt's Best American Comics series, Bill Kartalopoulos. They congratulate him on the publication of the first volume under his stewardship, guest edited by Scott McCloud, and then ask him a variety of behind-the-scenes questions. For example, Bill discusses the laborious process that goes into screening and choosing which comics to pass onto the guest editor, the challenges he and McCloud faced in compiling their selections, the unexpected finds and discoveries he makes when interacting with the comics community, the logistics of incorporating comics that appear in unconventional -- including non-print -- formats, and his attempts at balancing a "best of" volume that represents the contemporary comics scene. The guys also ask him about the process behind choosing each year's guest editor, how this volume is different from those under his immediate predecessors (Jessica Abel and Matt Madden), and if he thinks this year's selections adequately do justice to the comics-publishing mainstream. The conversation is engaging, and Bill gives Derek and Andy much to think about, and a variety of talking points, as they prepare for their own discussion of The Best American Comics 2014 later in the week. And who knows...perhaps talking with the BAC series editor will be a yearly event for the Two Guys.

On Location - Our December Visit to Collected Comics in Plano Dec 19, 2014

Show notes

It's almost the end of the year, and Derek is back for one last 2014 visit to his local comic shop, Collected, in Plano, TX. As he usually does every month, he talks with the shop's employees and customers about the kind of comics that they're reading, what is catching their interests, and what comics news most excites them, but this month the focus is on their favorite titles of 2014. Derek asks everyone sitting around the podcast table -- Shea, Krystle, Shaun, Craig, Nick, and Matthew -- about what they consider to be the most outstanding comics of the past twelve months. And the candidates vary widely, ranging from single-issue comic books to original graphic novels, from superhero to manga, from pop-culture adaptations to literary graphic fiction, and from webcomics to those coming from Kickstarter campaigns. Some of the titles that folks highlight during the show include Tooth and Claw, Seconds, The Wrenchies, Nijigahara Holograph, Multiversity: Pax Americana, Rat Queens, Edge of Spider-Verse, Bleeding Heart, Little Nemo: Return to Slumberland, The Shadow Hero, Eye of Newt, Michael Moorcock's Elric, Vol. 1: The Ruby Throne, Through the Woods, and Squidder. They also discuss some of their biggest comics disappointments of the year, speculate on the titles they're looking forward to in 2015, and even learn that Krystle prefers drugs, candy, and weiners in her comics. As usual, you don't know what to expect from the guys at Collected, but you are guaranteed fun talk about a variety of great books. And much thanks to Freddy Ruiz, the store's manager, for pulling everyone together!

Episode 114 - Reviews of Here, Wolf Moon #1, and Bitch Planet #1 Dec 17, 2014

Show notes

On this episode of The Comics Alternative, Derek and Andy review three new and exciting titles. First, they look at Richard McGuire's Here (Pantheon) a project that actually goes back to 1989. A different, black-and-white 6-page version of the comic appeared in the first issue of Raw Vol. 2, Art Spiegelman and Françoise Mouly's groundbreaking comics anthology that ran from 1980 until 1991. The new book doesn't include or build directly off of that original comic, but it does use the design and concept as a springboard into the larger, more ambitious project. Everything that takes place in this story -- and the guys use the word of "story" loosely, here -- is anchored in one physical space, the corner of a room. What McGuire does is to give us a history of that particular space, revealing events that took place in that area over a span of centuries. The "movement" within the narrative is strictly temporal, reaching back into the prehistoric past (the earliest year being 3,000, 500, 000 BCE) and pushing into a speculative future (the year 22,175). McGuire accomplishes this through an arrangement of two-page spreads, inlaid or nested panels, and precise placements of images that, taken together, provide visual and even thematic coherence. Indeed, it seems as if events across time resonate and interact. This is the kind of book that is difficult to appreciate fully outside of the actual reading process, and it's one that requires diligent and repeated efforts, each of which will be richly rewarded. After their involved discussion of Here -- and the Two Guys spend the better part of this episode on McGuire's work -- Andy and Derek look at two new #1 issues. The first is Wolf Moon, written by Cullen Bunn and with art by Jeremy Haun (Vertigo). This is the first of a 6-issue miniseries based on the werewolf myth. However, Bunn gives his supernatural retelling a unique spin, creating a lycanthrope narrative where physical transformation isn't the only effects of a full moon. Haun's art is appropriately dark, ill-defined in places, and violent. There's a lot of blood in this first issue, and Wolf Moon promises to be a title that isn't for the squeamish. After that, the guys turn to the new comic from Kelly Sue DeConnick and Valentine de Landro, Bitch Planet (Image). Both Derek and Andy like this first issue and plan on continuing to read the series, but they nonetheless disagree as to the impact or accomplishments of this inaugural installment. Andy feels that this is a successful #1 that does everything it's supposed to do. In fact, this may be one of his favorite single issues of the year. However, Derek feels that this is a story that will read better in trade, in that the first issue seemed incomplete and required more story space for effective immersion. There needs to be more there there. What's more, he felt that Danielle Henderson's mini-essay at the end of the issue was unnecessary and potentially undermined the impact of the story itself. While Andy felt that this was a useful supplement that helped to set a critical or thematic framework -- and it does -- Derek sees the essay as an expository exercise that tells (not shows) the reader what the series is all about. Instead, he feels that DeConnick and de Landro's story should speak for itself, especially in this first issue. (Although Henderson's essay would make a nice supplement to a future collected edition.) Still, both guys agree that this is an intriguing title that both will continue reading...if not monthly, then in trade.

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected