The Comics Alternative

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Episode 96.1 - On Location at Collected Comics in Plano Aug 15, 2014

Show notes

It’s another month, so Derek is back at his local shop, Collected Comics and Games in Plano, TX. This time around, the topic is sci-fi comics, and joining Derek is new shop employee, Krystal, and several customers of Collected. They chose this month’s topic because of the new release of Guardians of the Galaxy as well as the upcoming new season of Doctor Who. A good bit of this episode is spent on the former — in fact, Derek was the only one at the table who hadn’t yet seen Guardians — and surprisingly little on the latter (not many Doctor Who fans were present). But everyone talks about their favorite current sci-fi titles as well as those that will be released in the next month or so. As usual, it’s a freewheeling conversation, punctuated by insights from the ever-unpredictable Shea Hennum and enlivened by the enthusiasm of Collected’s dedicated customers.

Episode 96 - Reviews of Seconds, DKW, and Bodies #1 Aug 13, 2014

Show notes

The Two Guys with PhDs are back for another round of reviews, and this week they enthusiastically plunge into three new titles. First, they look at Bryan Lee O’Malley’s new book, Seconds (Ballantine), his much-anticipated follow up to the Scott Pilgrim series. Andy and Derek comment on the expectations surrounding this new work, and they conclude that the book is worth the build up and the wait. This is a much more mature work than the Scott Pilgrim books, not only in terms of subject matter, but also with O’Malley’s displays of storytelling. The premise is clever — a unique twist on time-travel narratives — and there’s a self-conscious tone that adds to the humor. Despite the book’s “too neat” ending, at least to Derek’s mind, it’s a successful work that stands alongside (if not surpasses) O’Malley’s previous comics. Next, the guys get to Sergio Ponchione’s tribute to Steve Ditko, Jack Kirby, and Wally Wood, DKW (Fantagraphics). This one-shot is a good introduction to the personas of the legendary trio, although it comes up a little short in truly relating their styles and the impact they had on the industry. Derek and Andy wonder who the intended audience is for this comic, and they feel that this might be a useful title to make available next year for Free Comic Book Day. Finally, the Two Guys wrap things up with a discussion of Bodies #1 (Vertigo), the first in a new miniseries from Si Spencer. This is an intriguing murder mystery title that’s divided into four parts, each involving the same dead body but taking place in four different time periods. And each of the four sections is illustrated by a different artist: Dean Ormston, Phil Winslade, Meghan Hetrick, and Tula Lotay. This is just another great example of the great comics Vertigo is still producing, and the guys wish there were more coming out from their beloved DC imprint.

Interviews - Alec Longstreth Aug 11, 2014

Show notes

On this episode of The Comics Alternative Interviews, Derek and Andy W. talk with Alec Longstreth about his recent book, Basewood, as well as his self-published minicomic series, Phase 7. They ask him about the genesis of his first graphic novel, his experience with serialization, the successful Kickstarter campaign, and efforts to publicize and distribute his beautiful hardbound book. Alec also talks extensively about the music he and fellow musician Andy Hentz created as a soundtrack for the comic, Songs from the Basewood. (In fact, all of the music in this episode comes from that CD.) This began as a stretch goal for the Kickstarter campaign, and it is also made available in issue #20 of Phase 7. But Alec has now made all of the music available on bandcamp.com. And in a first on The Comics Alternative, the Two Guys even play full versions of some of Alec’s songs to give listeners a taste of how he artist has perfectly melded his two passions, comics art and music.

Episode 95.2 - The “Comics Goes to College” Panel at Wizard World San Antonio Aug 08, 2014

Show notes

In the second of two special Wizard World episodes, Derek participates on a discussion organized especially for the San Antonio con, “Getting Respect: Comics Goes to College.” The panel was moderated and organized by Danny Fingeroth — who oversees many of the panels at Wizard World cons across the country — and featured a variety of comics scholars. In addition to Derek and Danny, the participants included Sam Cannon from the University of Texas at Austin, Louie Dean Valencia-Garcia studying at Fordham university, and William S. Bush and Jackson Ayres, both from Texas A&M University-San Antonio. Each presenter discussed research they were working on or strategies for teaching comics they’ve used in the past, and then the floor was opened for questions from the audience.

Episode 95.1 - Talking with Creators at Wizard World San Antonio Aug 07, 2014

Show notes

Last weekend Derek headed to the Wizard World San Antonio Comic Con, and there he spoke with several creators about their work, their various contributions to the comics community, and their experiences at this first-time-ever event in San Antonio. Talking with Derek at the con was Neal Adams — who delivers science lessons with thoughts on his hollow earth model — Michael Golden, J. R. Knoll, Danny Fingeroth, and Jai Nitz. Golden and Nitz discussed their teaching efforts, and Fingeroth shared his experiences on editing for Marvel, writing critically about comics, and organizing panels for the various Wizard World events. This is the first of a two-part special series of shows from the San Antonio con. Tomorrow the Two Guys will post a recording of a panel that Derek was on, “Getting Respect: Comics Goes to College.” Stay tuned!

Episode 95 - The August Previews Catalog and the 2014 Eisner Award Winners Aug 06, 2014

Show notes

With this week’s episode, Andy and Derek celebrate their 2nd anniversary as a podcast! What a time to celebrate…and celebrate, they do, in the form of a hefty, action-packed episode of The Comics Alternative. They begin with a rundown of the 2014 Eisner Award winners, announced recently at the San Diego Comic-Con. Neither of the guys are surprised at the winners — including Saga, Hawkeye, The Wake, Richard Stark’s Parker: Slayground, and creators such as Brian K. Vaughn, Jeffery Brown, and both Hernandes brothers — although each has his quibble. Next, and since this is the first week of August, the Two Guys spend the remainder of the show discussing the August Previews catalog. This is a generous issue, filled with too many great upcoming comics, more than humans should be allowed to read. Derek and Andy spend a lot of time focusing on new releases from Dark Horse, Image, Fantagraphics, Drawn and Quarterly, and Oni Press, but they mention the titles from other publishers as well. PLUS, this episode is punctuated by a variety of birthday-related music. So light those candles, put on that party hat, and listen to the Two Guys with PhDs as they celebrate their two-year anniversary!

Episode 94 - Reviews of Murder Me Dead, Black Market #1, and Low #1 Jul 30, 2014

Show notes

This week on The Comics Alternative, Derek and Andy W. discuss three new titles. First they look at the reissue of David Lapham’s Murder Me Dead (Image). Originally a nine-issue miniseries that was later collected as a trade in 2002, the book is now back in print with a new reissue. The guys discussed Stray Bullets‘ return back in April, and now they’re just as excited to see this release. This is Lapham’s tip of the bristol board to the classic noir films of the 1940s and 1950s. Next, they turn their attention to two new number one issues: Frank J. Barbiere and Victor Santos’s Black Market (BOOM! Studios) and Rick Remender and Greg Tocchini’s Low (Image). The first is a twist on superheroes, looking at them from the street-level and with a more jaundiced eye. In this new miniseries, Barbiere is asking us who the real heroes actually are. Low, Rememder’s third ongoing title with Image, is a new sci-fi adventure that begins with this premise: what would happen if our sun were going supernova, and we had to live undersea to escape radiation, all the while searching the universe for another inhabitable planet? With Tocchini’s stunning art, we get a fascinating answer.

Episode 93 - Reviews of The Maxx Maxximized, Vol. 1, Supreme: Blue Rose #1, and New Doctor Who Titles from Titan Comics Jul 23, 2014

Show notes

On this week’s The Comics Alternative, Derek and Andy W. review four new titles, all of which revisit older characters and licenses. To begin, they discuss the first collected volume of Sam Kieth and William Messner-Loebs’s remastered The Maxx Maxximized (IDW Publishing). Neither of the guys read the series when it originally came out in the early 1990s, so both are looking at this title through unexperienced eyes. This is one of Kieth’s most ambitious works in terms of both story and art, highly deserving of the wonderful recoloring treatment by Ronda Pattison. Both Andy and Derek love this first hardbound volume, and their sole “criticism” is that only the first four issues of the Maxximized series are collected, making the book thinner than expected. Next, the Two Guys with PhDs move on to another 1990s Image property, one originally created by Rob Liefeld and then mastered by Alan Moore. Warren Ellis and Tula Lotay’s Supreme: Blue Rose #1 (Image) is a substantive first issue, tapping into the Moore’s take on the hero, yet making the story seem new. You don’t have to be familiar with the 1990s Supreme in order to appreciate Ellis’s storytelling, or Lotay’s art (one of the highlights of this issue). Finally, Derek and Andy turn to two brand new titles from Titan Comics: Doctor Who: The Tenth Doctor #1 and Doctor Who: The Eleventh Doctor #1. Titan, a relatively new publisher on the comic-book scene, recently acquired the Doctor Who license from IDW, where it had been for the past several years. So both of the guys, especially Derek — Andy isn’t much of a Doctor Who watcher — are curious to see how they handle the title. And neither is disappointed. Titan launches the series with two new ongoing series, each based on the last two manifestations of the Doctor. While Derek found both first issues great entry points, Andy wasn’t as sure about the Tenth Doctor title (maybe partly due to the fact that he wasn’t familiar with the David Tennant character). Regardless, both enjoyed discussing Who stuff and speculating on the upcoming Twelfth Doctor…who will also be getting his own Titan title in a couple of months. There’s lots of books, and lots of talk, packed into this episode.

Interviews - Ryan Browne Jul 21, 2014

Show notes

It’s another episode of The Comics Alternative Interviews, and this time Andy and Derek talk with Ryan Browne, the comedic mastermind behind God Hates Astronauts. On the show, Ryan discusses his new ongoing series from Image Comics, how it springs from the first volume of God Hates Astronauts, and the challenges and changes he’s encountered going from a self-published webcomic to an monthly series. The guys have a fun time talking about the weird characters and the almost indescribable plot that make up God Hates Astronauts…and how the weird indescribability is what makes the title such a success. They also ask Ryan about his experiences on Kickstarter, his other webcomic (as yet incomplete), Blast Furnace, and his work with Jonathan Hickman on Manhattan Projects. There’s a lot of laughing in this episode, but there’s also a lot of insight and serious discussion on the art of comedy in comics. If you haven’t already, and after listening to this show, go preorder your copy of God Hates Astronauts #1!

Episode 92 - Reviews of Can’t We Talk about Something More Pleasant? and Interesting Drug Jul 16, 2014

Show notes

On this episode of The Comics Alternative, Derek is joined by Gene to review two new books. First, they look at Can’t We Talk about Something More Pleasant?: A Memoir by New Yorker cartoonist Roz Chast (Bloomsbury). This is Chast’s account of her parents’ failing health, the process of dying, and the author’s complicated relationship with both her mother and father (especially her mother). It is a moving, and at times heartrending, story about George and Elizabeth Chast, their physical decline, their growing dementia, and their eventual passing. The guys discuss Chast’s style, heavily influenced by her New Yorker work, and how it’s essential to her storytelling. Whether or not you have had similar experiences, dying parents or loved ones suffering from long bouts of illness, this book is one that will greatly affect you. From there Gene and Derek move on to the first graphic novel from Shaun Manning and Anna Wieszczyk, Interesting Drug (Archaia/BOOM! Studios). Both feel that the concept is intriguing — the development of a drug that allows you to travel back along your own timeline — but they’re unsure about the story’s ultimate execution. For Gene, the art, while highly engaging, is at times unclear when it comes to narrative particulars (who is who in a certain panel, what’s going on with the action, etc.). For Derek, there’s not enough exposition on several key plot points, and as a result, some of the character motivations are confusing. Still, Interesting Drug is worth reading for the premise and the art.

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