The Comics Alternative

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Episode 100 - Reviews of The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen III: Century and Hip Hop Family Tree 2 Sep 10, 2014

Show notes

This week the Two Guys with PhDs are rappin’ to the beat with two new books that will funk you up. That’s right, DJ D and Kunka Kool spend this episode getting down with Alan Moore and Kevin O’Neill’s The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen III: Century (Top Shelf/Knockabout) and Ed Piskor’s Hip Hop Family Tree 2 (Fantagraphics). First, they look at the latest hardbound collection from Moore and O’Neill, bringing together all three of their previously published Century installments: 1910, 1969, and 2009. The guys spend a good deal of time discussing the kind of readers that come to The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, what their expectations might be, and how some may not be ideal for Moore’s kind of writing. Can those unfamiliar with the previous League stories truly comprehend what’s going on in Century? Can readers unfamiliar with — or uninterested in — literary and pop-cultural marginalia come away from the book with an understanding of what Moore is attempting to do? These are some of the questions Andy and Derek discuss, and they recommend that it wouldn’t be a bad idea for readers to come to Century with annotations readily at hand. (Two great online sources for these are Jess Nevin’s annotations website as well as postings by the Mindless Ones.) Next, the guys discuss Ed Piskor’s latest volume of Hip Hop Family Tree. This second book covers the scene from 1981-1983, and it picks up right where last year’s first volume left off. Among other highlights, the guys talk about Piskor’s take on Sylvia Robinson and Sugar Hill Records, the evolution of Run-DMC, the resistance of many rappers to put their efforts on vinyl, the significance of Charlie Ahearn’s film Wild Style, and the role Fab Five Freddy played in bringing together uptown and downtown cultures. They specifically focus on Piskor’s art and the way he tells his story. Hip Hop Family Tree is a series of anecdotes and ongoing storylines, first published on Boing Boing, that may appear fragmented at first, but a careful reading reveals an interconnectedness that makes for an engaging history. And the way that Piskor represents key players in early hip hop culture (e.g., Afrika Bambbataa, Melle Mel, Russell Simmons, Mr. Magic, Lonzo Williams, and Rick Rubin) is both revealing and humorous. Whether or not you’re a fan of hip hop — Andy is, Derek really isn’t — Hip Hop Family Tree is a series you definitely have to check out.

Episode 99.1 - Talking with Creators at the Baltimore Comic Con Sep 08, 2014

Show notes

For this special episode of The Comics Alternative, Andy Wolverton heads to the Baltimore Comic Con where he interviews a variety of creators. There, he has the pleasure of talking with Michel Fiffe, Jamal Igle, Christina Blanch, David Petersen, and Ben Hatke. They all take the time to discuss with Andy their various comics, the processes behind their works, and their upcoming projects. They also bring up the Harvey Awards, whose winners were announced at the Baltimore con.

Interviews - Farel Dalrymple Sep 05, 2014

Show notes

Derek and Andy are pleased to have as their latest guest Farel Dalrymple, the author of the new book from First Second, The Wrenchies. The guys talk with Farel about his ideas behind the project, its narrative density, Ferel's highly detailed art, the prevalence of insects and ooze, his cool way of drawing villains, and the book's large cast of characters. (And, thank god, no one mentions The Goonies anytime in the conversation.) Andy is particularly impressed by Sherwood (the protagonist) and his medallion, and Derek is more than a little creeped out by the abundance of tentacles in The Wrenchies and how they bore into people's eyes and latch onto their heads. He even notes this tendency in Farel's Omega the Unknown from several years ago. The Two Guys have Farel discuss his latest book in great detail, talk with him about ending up at First Second, ask him talk about some of his other projects, and then take conversational detours into movies and other pop culture stuff. It's a fun conversation, almost as cool as the wonderful hide-outs that Farel creates for his young characters in The Wrenchies. You definitely have to check out this book!

Episode 99 - The September Previews Catalog Sep 03, 2014

Show notes

It's a new month, so that means it's time for Derek and Andy to take a look at the new Previews catalog. September's holds a lot of solicits that the guys want to discuss, comics that they're looking forward to in the coming months. Some of the upcoming titles they highlight include Resurrectionists #1 and Vault of Horror Vol. 4 from Dark Horse; The Kitchen #1 and Howard Chaykin's Twilight from DC/Vertigo; Shadow Show #1 and Ditko's Shorts from IDW; and ODYC #1, Tooth and Claw #1, and Intersect #1 from Image. There's also a whole slew of comics from the back half of the catalogue that the Two Guys discuss, including Derk Backderf's True Stories #1 (Alternative Comics), Hung Hung and Chioi's The Train (Conundrum), Lynda Barry's Syllabus (Drawn and Quarterly), Grady Hendrix and Ryan Dunlavey's Li'l Classix: Little Women (Evil Twin Comics), Dylan Horrock's Sam Zabel and the Magic Pen (Fantagraphics), Jamie Coe's Art Schooled (Nobrow Press), and Derek Van Gieson's Eel Mansions (Uncivilized Books)...among many others. All in all, it's another jam-packed Previews, and it's all the guys can do to squeeze everything into this one show.

Interviews - Tim Seeley Sep 02, 2014

Show notes

On this episode of The Comics Alternative Interviews, Andy and Derek have Tim Seeley back on the podcast to talk about his new series from Dark Horse, Sundowners. He discusses the genesis of the title, the series' premise, and possible directions that the story may go. The guys also ask him about his work on Grayson (DC Comics) and the criticism -- and later the praise -- he underwent in taking on this iconic figure under a new guise. The conversation moves along from his new titles, to the current trajectory of Revival (Image), to the Revival/Chew crossover, to the new manifestation of Hack/Slash (Image), to Batman Eternal (DC Comics), to his work on Chaos (Dynamite Entertainment), and even to an appreciation of Grant Morrison's work, Multiversity and all. And the Two Guys are amazed that Tim is currently working for so many publishers! All in all, it's a fun time, and Andy and Derek are pleased, once again, that Tim could make it to the show.

Interviews - Anya Ulinich Aug 29, 2014

Show notes

On this episode of The Comics Alternative Interviews, Derek is pleased to have as a guest Anya Ulinich, the author of the new graphic novel Lena Finkle’s Magic Barrel (Penguin Books). They begin by discussing Anya’s transition from writing more traditional prose fiction — her first novel, Petropolis, was released in 2007 — to comics narrative. Along the way Anya talks about her art background, the genesis behind the new book, and the challenges of writing within two different media formats. As she points out, the character of Lena Finkle is loosely based on Anya’s own life experiences, but this is strictly a work of fiction. Yet at the same time, this is a deeply personal story, brought out most notably through the art — at times cartoony, at times more realistic — the layout, and the hand lettering. Much of Lena Finkle’s Magic Barrel has the feel of a personal journal, as if we are reading illustrations and stories from Ulinich’s sketchbook. The result is an intimate reading experience where we’re able to get inside of the protagonist and understand her complexities and contradictions as best we can.

Episode 98 - Reviews of The People Inside, The Fade Out #1, and Faction Aug 27, 2014

Show notes

Derek and Andy are really excited this week, because on the latest episode of The Comics Alternative they get to talk about three new and incredible titles. (They're also excited because they have their first Podcast Patrons...but more on that later.) First, they look at Ray Fawkes's new graphic novel The People Inside (Oni Press). This is an innovative work that utilizes the comics medium in ways you rarely see. Fawkes gives us twelve, arguably thirteen or even more, stories of couples whose relationships flower, fade, endure, explode, and end in both touching and tragic ways. It's the way he tells the story (or stories) that makes this book unique, using paneling techniques to alternately separate and bring together individuals over the courses of their lives. The People Inside is one of the most striking books the Two Guys have discussed this year, and it makes them regretful for having missed out on Fawkes's previous book, One Soul (Oni Press). Next they look at another striking title, the first issue of Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips's The Fade Out (Image). Their series Fatale may have just recently ended, but Brubaker and Phillips are back in top form with the kind of straightforward, classic noir storytelling that marked their Criminal series several years ago. This tale is set in late-1940s Hollywood, and it takes as its subject matter the gritty and unseemly side of the industry that the studios try to keep hidden, or at least tap down. Unlike Fatale, this one has no supernatural elements, just the key components of a classic noir drama. And in this first issue, at least, the creators avoid the cliches and predictability that could mare such a down-the-line genre title. Finally, Andy and Derek look at a comics anthology out of New Zealand that they just got turned on to. Faction, edited by Damon Keen and Aime Maxwell, and published by 3 Bad Monkeys, is an annual showcasing the work of various New Zealand artists, including one of the guys' favorite digital comics artists, Tim Gibson (of Moth City fame). Derek and Andy look at the first three annuals, from 2012 to this year, and discuss the work of Gibson, Keen, Li Chen, Jonathan King, Karl Willis, Ned Wenlock, and Cory Mathis, among others. This is a collection that will, unfortunately, not get much attention here in the US, and the Two Guys hope to convince others to seek out this great title and increase its profile. You can get the 2012 and 2013 annuals through ComiXology, or visit the Faction website for content and ordering information. ALSO...the Two Guys announce the first Podcast Patrons for their new Patreon campaign! Check out what they're doing, see the rewards they're offering, and become a Patreon Patron yourself!

Interviews - Chris Duffy Aug 25, 2014

Show notes

On this episode of The Comics Alternative Interviews, Derek and Andy talk with Chris Duffy about his new edited collection, Above the Dreamless Dead: World War I in Poetry and Comics (First Second). This is a unique project, gathering a variety of poems surrounding the First World War — both canonical as well as more obscure — and translating them into comics form. The guys talk with Chris about the genesis of this project and his efforts to bring together an eclectic group of artists, including Eddie Campbell, George Pratt, Hunt Emerson, Simon Gane, Sarah Glidden, Stephen Bissette, Peter Kuper, Isabel Greenberg, Carol Tyler, and Kevin Huizenga. Andy, in particular, is excited about this exchange, because it brings together two of his scholarly interests: World War I literature and comics. The guys also ask Chris about his more general work in comics, his experiences in working with a variety of different artists, the resonance between poetry and comics, and his philosophies in adapting texts from other media. While the subject matter in Above the Dreamless Dead may be sobering, the conversation in this episode is lively and engaging, a great mix of history, literary analysis, and comics-related insights.

Episode 97 - Reviews of Trillium, Captain Victory and the Galactic Rangers #1, and Terminal Hero #1 Aug 20, 2014

Show notes

On this episode of The Comics Alternative, Andy and Derek discuss three new titles. They begin by revisiting Jeff Lemire’s Trillium, the first few issues of which they reviewed on their Vertigo Publisher Spotlight show back in November. Now, the miniseries is collected in a single volume, and the guys compare the individual issues to the new trade edition. One of the first differences they note is the page arrangements of the trade. Whereas in many issues of the original miniseries Lemire visually set the storylines of Nika and William to read in opposite directions — where you had to turn the comic book upside down to read one of the narratives – in the trade he more or less places everything on the same reading plane. While Derek is okay with some of this editorial tampering, Andy feels that the difference undermines much of the emotional pacing of the story. But both agree that this new edition lessens Lemire’s emphasis on the materiality of the book, or the comic as object that has to be handled and manipulated. And while the Two Guys feel that this isn’t one of Lemire’s strongest narratives, it’s nonetheless a solid, well-written one. Next, Derek and Andy discuss two new #1 issues from Dynamite Entertainment. Joe Casey and Nathan Fox’s Captain Victory and the Galactic Rangers is a visually wild ride through the land of Jack Kirbydom, and this first issue plunges you directly into the story without much warning or much context. It’s sink or swim with this first installment, but Casey arranges the gaps and the reveals in such a way that while you may not know what’s going on, you’re intrigued enough to want to read on into the next issue. Much of the pleasure of reading this comic comes from Fox’s art, perfectly suited to retelling a Kirby property, punctuated by short contributions from Jim Rugg and Ulises Farinas. Equally compelling — if not more so — is Peter Milligan and Piotr Kowalski’s Terminal Hero. In this brand new story, Milligan presents us with a protagonist who has inoperable brain cancer, and the mysterious and unorthodox treatment he undergoes allows him to tap into powers he never knew he had…and cannot completely control. In this first issue there are double-dealing friends, heads in flames, women whose clothing disintegrates, and potentially nefarious government agents. What more could you ask for in a comic book?

Interviews - Derek McCulloch and Anthony Peruzzo Aug 18, 2014

Show notes

On this episode of The Comics Alternative Interviews, the Two Guys with PhDs talk with Derek McCulloch and Anthony Peruzzo, the team behind the new graphic novel from Image, Displaced Persons. This is McCulloch's second time on the podcast, and Andy and Derek waste no time in pointing out thematic links between the new book and many of McCulloch's other works, particularly Gone to Amerikay and Stagger Lee. The guys talk with the creators about the genesis of Displaced Persons, its unexpectedly long gestation period, and many of the challenges they faced in presenting such an involved and complex story. Without giving away any spoilers -- and that was difficult to do, given the fact that key discussion points in the narrative were also potential reveals -- the Two Guys talk with McCulloch about his strategies for mapping out the graphic novel, comprising three distinct but inextricably linked stories, and Peruzzo's use of art to differentiate narrative threads and capture the tone of particular time periods. It's an enlightening conversation where more time is spent discussing the process of creation rather than on the specifics of the story itself. This is without question one of the most ambitious comics of 2014 so far, one that Andy and Derek will surely revisit during their year-end episode.

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