Comics Alternative

Time Codes: 00:00:25 - Introduction 00:03:23 - Setup, and a big thanks to Jerome Saincantin! 00:05:01 - Valerian and Laureline 01:13:46 - Wrap up 01:15:10 - Contact us This month on The Comics Alternative's Euro Comics series, Edward and Derek devote the entire episode to Pierre Christin and Jean-Claude Mézières's Valerian and Laureline series. They do this within the context of Luc Besson's new film Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets. As the guys point out, the series' English publisher, Cinebook, has begun to release new hardbound two-volume editions of title, but Derek and Edward are reviewing from the paperback single-story editions that have been available previously. In all, they discuss volumes 1-4, 6, 9-13, and 15, published through Cinebook between October 2010 and December 2016. Among the many elements of Valerian and Laureline that they discuss are the evolution of Christin's style over the course of the series, the ways in which the stories both adhere to and deviate from comm

Time Codes: 00:00:25 - Introduction 00:02:24 - Setup of interview 00:03:34 - Interview with Ger Apeldoorn 01:06:35 - Wrap up 01:08:17 - Contact us Just in time for the San Diego Comic-Con -- where he and Craig Yoe will be meeting with fans and signing books -- Ger Apeldoorn is on the show to talk with Derek about his new book, Behaving Madly: Zany, Loco, Cockeyed, Rip-off, Satire Magazines (IDW/Yoe Books). It's a beautifully produced work that highlights the many knockoffs of Bill Gaines's Mad that appeared between 1954 to 1959, attempting to capitalize on the kind of success the Usual Gang of Idiots enjoyed once the title changed to magazine format. These Mad wannabes appeared with such titles as From Here to Insanity, Cockeyed, Bunk!, SNAFU, Lunatickle, Who Goofed?, Thimk, Shook Up, Frenzy, Frantic!, Loco, Zany, and Nuts! You might think -- or thimk -- that these rip-offs would all be cheesy and subpar, but as Ger makes clear, these short-lived satire magazines included work from such comics lege

Time Codes: 00:00:32 - Introduction 00:02:58 - Checking in 00:04:42 - Reich 00:48:27 - The American Way: Those Above and Those Below #1 01:10:26 - Time and Vine #1 01:31:08 - Wrap up 01:32:04 - Contact us This week the Two Guys with PhDs Talking about Comics look at three very different titles. They begin with Elijah Brubaker's Reich, a twelve-issue biography published by Sparkplug Comics and distributed through Alternative Comics. The series reveals the life of Wilhelm Reich, the Austrian-American psychoanalyst known for his influential work in character analysis, his advocacy of orgastic potency, and, more controversially, his theories surrounding orgonomy. After that they discuss The American Way: Those Above and Those Below #1 (Vertigo Comics). Written by John Ridley with art by George Jeanty, this is a sequel to their eight-issue Wildstorm series that came out in 2008. Then Andy and Derek wrap things up with Time and Vine #1 (IDW Publishing), Thom Zahler's followup to his 2015 miniseries L

Time Codes: 00:00:24 - Introduction 00:02:26 - Setup of interview 00:04:21 - Interview with Gabrielle Bell 01:00:03 - Wrap up 01:01:21 - Contact us On this interview episode Andy and Derek are pleased to have as their guest Gabrielle Bell. Her latest book, Everything Is Flammable, came out recently from Uncivilized Books. The guys talk with Gabrielle extensively about the idea for this book -- described as her first long-form graphic memoir -- and how it evolved from her work on short diary pieces. What binds most of the entries in Everything Is Flammable are her experiences with her mother after her northern California house was destroyed in a fire. The guys also ask her about her annual event, the July diary, a project in which she was in the middle of at the time of this recording. Gabrielle discusses both the pleasures and the struggles of completing her self-imposed month-long project and how this year's daily stories surround her time house- and pet-sitting for her friend and publisher, Tom K

Time Codes: 00:00:26 - Introduction 00:02:22 - Setup of the recording 00:04:30 - The Hernandez brothers panel at HeroesCon 01:08:05 - Wrap up 01:09:46 - Contact us At this year's HeroesCon, Andy and Derek moderated a couple of panels, one of which was entirely devoted to the Hernandez brothers, Gilbert and Jaime. In this on-location episode, you'll hear the Two Guys talking with the brothers about their new magazine-sized Love and Rockets series, the logistics of going from an annual to a quarterly, the experiences of continuity and 35+ years of character development, their efforts (especially Gilbert's) in producing standalone works outside of any serialized format, their historical places within the larger context of non-mainstream comics, and the brothers' thoughts on the current state of the medium.

Time Codes: 00:00:24 - Introduction 00:02:42 - Setup of interview 00:04:01 - Interview with Denis Kitchen 01:09:50 - Wrap up 01:11:09 - Contact us Andy and Derek are happy to have Denis Kitchen back on The Comics Alternative. On his previous appearance surrounded Will Eisner Week 2015, but this time, he discusses the Will Eisner centennial as well as his work on the Essential Kurtzman volumes. Earlier this year Dark Horse Books, through the Kitchen Sink Books imprint, published Will Eisner: The Centennial Celebration: 1917-2017, a dual English-French album based on recent exhibitions at Le Musée de la Bande Dessinée in Angoulême and the Society of Illustrators in New York. Denis served as one of the curators of those exhibits, as well as one of the authors of the catalogue. He talks with the guys about his experiences helping to pull everything together for the exhibitions and working with John Lind (his Kitchen Sink Books colleague) on the centennial volume. Derek and Andy also ask him about his w

Time Codes: 00:01:26 - Introduction 00:03:38 - Thank you to Red Pegasus Comics! 00:08:36 - Outburst 00:32:32 - Steam Clean 00:44:57 - Resist! Vol. 2 01:24:37 - Wrap up 01:25:36 - Contact us "Smell my book. Feel bad." On this week's episode, the Two Guys with PhDs Talking about Comics look at there new releases...and even smell them. They begin with Pieter Coudyzer's Outburst (SelfMadeHero), a surreal meditation on creative expression and not fitting in. The narrative can even be called an example of magical realism (and the guys don't apply that term indiscriminately), where the natural world not only becomes a refuge from human interaction, but also literally infiltrates and consumes the marginalized. Next they discuss a recent release from one of their favorite publishers, Retrofit Comics/Big Planet Comics. Laura Ķeniņš's Steam Clean is a short yet poignant look at the challenges women and gender non-binary individuals face in their day-to-day lives. The story takes place at a women's sauna

Time Codes: 00:00:29 - Introduction 00:03:23 - Another jab at Eisner Award definitions 00:05:05 - Gods Can't Die 00:27:25 - Kamikaze 00:52:38 - The Secret Life of Gitmo's Women 01:15:59 - Wrap up 01:18:59 - Contact us   Sean and Derek are back with their monthly foray into the realm of webcomics. They begin with Z. Akhmatova's Gods Can't Die, a lavishly illustrated fantasy of adventure and self-discovery. This is a relatively young webcomic, beginning in April 2016, so readers can easily jump on board with its prologue and first chapter. It's the story of Ena, born of both human and god, as she searches for her deity father and encounters other gods and creatures along the way. Next, they discuss Kamikaze, a futuristic dystopic tale created by Alan Tupper, Carrie Tupper, and Havana Nguyen. Its teenage protagonist, Markesha Nin, is a lightning-fast courier making deliveries within competing corporate interests and trying to provide for her blind father. The guys can't help but think of CW's The

It's the first week of the month, so that must mean that it's time once again for Andy and Derek to check out the latest Previews catalog. As they go through the July solicitations, they highlight a variety of upcoming titles from publishers such as: Dark Horse Comics - Legacy: An Off-Color Novella for You to Color and Best Wishes DC/Vertigo - House of Secrets: The Bronze Age Omnibus and Sebastian O/The Mystery Play Deluxe Edition IDW Publishing/Top Shelf - Elenora Mandragora: Daughter of Merlin, Alex Toth's The Case of the Curious Classic Artist's Edition Portfolio, Star Hawks Vol. 2, The Man from the Great North, Archie: A Celebration of America's Favorite Teenagers, The Limbo Lounge, I Am a Number, and Super Tokyoland Image Comics - Angelic #1, Glitterbomb: The Fame Game #1, Rat Queens Special: Orc Dave #1, The Realm #1, and Son of Shaolin Aardvark-Vanaheim - Aardvark Comics #1 AC Comics - The Charlton Arrow #1 AdHouse - Pope Hats #5 Aftershock Comics - Dark Ark #1 and Fu Jitsu #1 Alterna Com

Time Codes: 00:00:28 - Introduction 00:02:47 - Catching up 00:05:57 - My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness 00:50:05 - Golden Kamuy, Vol. 1 01:22:31 - Wrap up 01:23:25 - Contact us   It's the end of the month, so that must mean that it's time for Shea and Derek to discuss their latest manga recommendations. They begin with Kabi Nagata's My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness (Seven Seas Entertainment), a deeply personal autobiographical work whose title is perhaps more provocative than it is revealing. In fact, the guys spend a good bit of time talking about the underlying impulses embedded in the text and how sexual preferences take a backseat to the deeper longings that Nagata reveals. This is a manga all about self-discovery, a diary-like account of the author's attempts to understand herself within the context of her culture and her yearning for what she calls “next level communication.” As Derek and Shea highlight, this is in some ways an example yuri manga, but at the same time such a desig

Time Codes: 00:00:29 - Introduction 00:02:36 - Listener messages! 00:08:24 - HeroesCon, podcast fans, and self-published comics 00:14:58 - Greek Diary 00:37:36 - Paper Pencil Life 00:59:42 - KatZine 01:16:04 - Wrap up 01:17:17 - Contact us This week on The Comics Alternative, Andy and Derek do something they've never done before on the podcast: discuss only self-published titles. They got the idea for this special episode from one of the creators they look at, Glynnis Fawkes, when she was kind enough to send them copies of her latest book. So after hearing from her, Derek and Andy thought, "Why not devote an entire episode to creators like Glynnis?" Appropriately enough, they begin with Fawkes's book, Greek Diary, which won the 2017 MoCCAfest Award of Excellence. This is an account of the author's experiences in Greece during June and early July 2016. Fawkes devoted the first part of her diary to her work as an archeological illustrator, but the majority of the text covers the time that her f

Time Codes: 00:25 - Introduction 02:31 - Setup of interview 03:11 - Interview with Hope Larson and Rebecca Mock 54:00 - Wrap up 57:40- Contact us On this interview episode, Gwen and Derek are pleased to have as their guest the creators behind the Four Points books, Hope Larson and Rebecca Mock. The second (and perhaps final) work in the series, Knife's Edge, comes out this week from Farrar, Straus and Giroux, and your two highly credentialed cohosts talk with the creators about the new book and follow up to last year's Compass South. Over the course of their conversation Rebecca and Hope discuss the genesis of the project, their process for collaboration, the research that went into the two books, and the evolution of the various characters that populate their narrative. They even tease a little bit about their yet-unannounced new collaboration that's completely separate from the Four Points series.

Time Codes: 00:00:27 - Introduction 00:02:57 - Context of the 2017 Eisner Awards 00:06:14 - Best Publication for Early Readers (up to age 8) 00:57:02 - Best Publication for Kids (ages 9-12) 01:49:53 - Best Publication for Teens (ages 13-17) 02:52:17 - Wrap up 02:53:05 - Contact us This month, Gwen and Paul discuss the three Eisner Award categories that focus on comics for young readers. And this is a jam-packed, extra-long episode! As they work through each set of nominees, Paul and Gwen discuss the value of prizing in general and the challenges faced by the judges when they must cull such a small number of texts from a pool that is increasingly deep. Inevitably, they mention many other texts that felt were strong contenders for recognition, making this episode a great resource for any parent, child, teen, or teacher who is eager to learn about this year’s great comics. Eisner Awards Nominations 2017 Best Publication for Early Readers (up to age 8) Ape and Armadillo Take Over the

Last weekend was HeroesCon, and as they have for the past few years, Andy and Derek are on the scene in Artists Alley reporting the event from the floor. On this episode, you'll hear the Two Guys sharing their varied experiences at the con. Among other topics they discuss the vendors they visited and the comics they were able to find, their attempts to interview creators at their tables, the two high-powered panels they moderated, the various artists they had signing their comics, the tone of this year's crowd, the uncertainty of their table location, and their Saturday night dinner with Gilbert Hernandez's family. And both Derek and Andy are most thankful for the various fans who stopped by their table to say "Hello" and tell them that they're avid listeners.  Much thanks to Daniel Yezbick for providing the pictures of the Two Guys in action!

Time Codes: 00:00:27 - Introduction 00:02:37 - Setup of episode 00:03:27 - Fabian Rangel, Jr. 00:10:23 - Charles Forsman 00:18:34 - Darren Neely 00:34:04 - Chris Sheridan 00:48:42 - Shawn Pryor 00:54:46 - Alison Sampson 01:04:04 - Wrap up 01:05:11 - Contact us In the second of two on-location interview episodes recorded at this year's HeroesCon in Charlotte, NC, Derek talks with Fabian Rangel, Jr. (author of Tarantula), Charles Forsman (Slasher), Chris Sheridan (Motorcycle Samurai), Shawn Pryor (Cash and Carrie), and Alison Sampson (Winnebago Graveyard), and Andy and Derek speak with Darren Neely (Chase Van Bolt). Fun stuff! Stay tuned over the next week for more HeroesCon episodes!

Time Codes: 00:00:27 - Introduction 00:02:15 - Setup of episode 00:03:50 - Ben Sears 00:10:01 - Abby Howard 00:19:12 - Jody Leheup and Sebastian Girner 00:30:29 - Andy Hirsch 00:36:24 - Matthew David Smith and Jeremy Massie 00:44:53 - Tyler Chin-Tanner 00:51:44 - Sam Costello 01:02:11 - Thom Zahler 01:11:49 - Wrap up 01:12:46 - Contact us In the first of two on-location interview episodes recorded at this year's HeroesCon in Charlotte, NC, Derek talks with a variety of artists, writers, and editors. Some of these are creators with whom Derek was already familiar, some have even talked on the podcast before, and some are are new discoveries. In this show you'll hear brief discussions with Ben Sears (author of Volcano Trash), Abby Howard (The Last Halloween), Jody Leheup and Sebastian Girner (Shirtless Bear Fighter), Andy Hirsch (Science Comics: Dogs), Matthew David Smith and Jeremy Massie (Amazing Age), Tyler Chin-Tanner (Broken Frontier), Sam Costello (Split Lip Comics), and Thom Zahl

Time Codes: 00:00:27 - Introduction 00:02:55 - Webcomics news: The Library of Congress' Web Comics Web Archive 00:11:24 - Trying to make sense of the Eisner Awards' "Best Web Comic" and "Best Digital Comic" categories 00:30:37 - The Middle Age 00:44:30 - On Beauty 00:56:54 - Helm 01:08:27 - On a Sunbeam 01:32:41 - Wrap up 01:34:14 - Contact us For the June webcomics episode, Sean and Derek take a close look at the webcomics nominees for the 2017 Eisner Awards. Before they do that, though, they have to determine exactly which titles are actually webcomics and which are not. If this sounds strange, that's because this year the people behind the Eisner Awards have separated "Best Digital Comics" and "Best Webcomic" into two completely different categories -- which is a good thing -- but in doing so they have ill-defined the criteria to where there are digital comics mixed in the "Best Webcomic" category and webcomics in the "Best Digital Comic" category. In other words, there doesn't seem to be

Time Codes: 00:00:26 - Introduction 00:02:36 - Catching up 00:05:04 - Moby Dick 00:48:50 - The Interview 01:18:18 - Wrap up 01:18:58 - Contact us This month on the Euro Comics series, Edward and Derek discuss two black-and-white narratives, one an adaptation of a classic text and another an offbeat tale of aliens and relationships. They begin with Christophe Chabouté's rendering of Herman Melville's Moby Dick (note the lack of hyphen in the title), released earlier this year from Dark Horse Books. After mentioning many of the earlier comics adaptations of the great American novel -- and there are a lot -- they plunge into Chabouté's handling, highlighting some of the differences from the earlier versions. Both cohosts come from two very different perspectives in their analyses, since Derek is very familiar with the original novel and Edward has not yet read it. As such, their approaches are varied and multifaceted. Next, they turn to the latest translation of Manuele Fior, The Interview (Fantagr

Time Codes: 00:00:30 - Introduction 00:02:34 - Our table at HeroesCon! 00:04:42 - Nothing Lasts Forever 00:30:37 - What Is a Glacier? 00:43:50 - Revenger and the Fog 01:04:30 - Wrap up 01:05:37 - Contact us This week the Two Guys with PhDs review three recent releases, two of which are autobiographical in nature. They begin with Sina Grace's Nothing Lasts Forever (Image Comics). This follows a couple of other autobiographical works from Grace including Not My Bag (2012) and Self-Obsessed (2015), but this latest work has a looser feel to it. Written in diary form when the author was suffering from a rare esophageal condition, the book reveals Grace's struggles with his health, his romantic/sexual relationships, and his art. Indeed, as both Andy and Derek point out, it's his emphasis on the latter, along with the pencil art, that makes this such an intimate text. Next, the guys turn to What Is a Glacier?, a short autobiographical piece from Sophie Yanow (Retrofit/Big Planet Comics). In this wor

The Two Guys with PhDs, AKA "Ben" and "Jason," are back with another Previews episode. And for the month of June, there's a lot that Andy and Derek want to highlight. Among the many upcoming titles they discuss are: Dark Horse Comics - Hellboy in Hell: Library Edition, Mr. Higgins Comes Home, Michael Chabon's The Escapists, and Rashomon: A Commissioner Heigo Kobayashi Case DC/Vertigo - Future Quest Showcase #1 and the various Jack Kirby centennial #1 issues IDW Publishing/Top Shelf - Michael Recycle's Environmental Adventures, Roots, and Bottled Image Comics - Redlands #1, Annual, Elsewhere #1, Savage Town, and Spy Seal #1 Aardvark-Vanaheim - Batvark #1 AdHouse - Screwed Up AH Comics - Moonshot: The Indigenous Comics Collection, Vol. 2 Amazing Ink/Slave Labor Graphics - Josephine Big Planet/Retrofit Comics - Iceland BOOM! Studios - Mech Cadet Yu #1 Candlewick Press - Poe: Stories and Poems Darby Pop Publishing - Things You Shouldn't Remember Dynamite Entertainment - Sheena #0, The Shadow