Comics Alternative

After a month's hiatus (due to unforeseen circumstances), the on-location episode is back! And for the March visit to Valhalla Games and Comics, the topic is completely open. On this recording Derek is joined my several of the shop regulars including Craig, Matt, and Tristan. Among the many topics they cover are the recent Justice League Vs. Suicide Squad miniseries; the latest (and one of the best) X-Men films, Logan; the news surrounding the production of Star Trek: Discovery; and lots of manga talk. In fact, from the amount of time everyone discussed Japanese comics, it looked like this might turn into the month's manga episode. Along the way the guys discuss Stephen Hillenburg (the creator of SpongeBob SquarePants) and his recently announced fight with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, legally permissible uses of the word "mutant," Derek's shame at being so behind on Marvel's Netflix and Fox series, and Tristan's utter dislike of children.

For the month of March, Edward and Derek look at two very different European titles. They begin with Dominique Goblet's Pretending Is Lying, released last month from New York Review Comics. This is a creator whom Edward has read in the original French, and so some of their conversation centers on matters of translation. But more significant is the guys' discussion of Goblet's handling of time and memory, as well as the book's expressive and experimental style. And, as Derek is keen to point out, there are key passages that allude to the work of Brian Wilson! Next, the Euro Comics Guys discuss the latest English-language release from Paco Roca, The Lighthouse (NBM Publishing). They've twice discussed Roca's comics before -- Wrinkles during their interview with Erica Mena, and his contribution to the Spanish Fever anthology on last year's September episode -- and this one is markedly different. Edward comments on the story's simplicity, even it's pat qualities, while Derek is charmed by the novella-like qualit

This week's episode is an exploration of surrealism and fantasy, and one guaranteed to both fascinate and disturb you. It begins with a discussion of Max Andersson's The Excavation (Fantagraphics). As the Two Guys with PhDs point out, this is a book that has been years in the making, and parts of it had originally appeared in other outlets, including Andersson's short-lived Death and Candy series. Derek enjoyed this book, as he does other works by Andersson, although Andy was less charitable in his assessment. He feels that the dream-like meandering of The Excavation ends up leading to nowhere, that there isn't much in the way of overt themes, and that it's too much like other indie comics discussed on the podcast. Next, they delve into the first issue of American Gods, a series from Dark Horse Comics that's adapted from Neil Gaiman's popular novel. Scripted by P. Craig Russell, and with art by Scott Hampton, this inaugural issue does a good job at establishing the premise and making the story assessable to

For March, Sean and Derek check out three very different webcomics. They begin with Roger Langridge's The Great McGonagall, a biographical treatment of William "Topaz" McGonagall, known historically as the worst poet in the world. This is a very new webcomic, having begun in January 2017, and in it Langridge takes an already cartoonish figure and plays it up for even more humor. As the guys point out, the artist's style is perfect for this kind of send up. Next, Sean and Derek turn their attention to Sufficiently Remarkable, Maki Naro's ongoing look at the struggles of a young artist trying to get by in New York City. Naro is one of the former contestants of Strip Search -- much like Abby Howard, whom the guys discussed back in October -- and, in fact, is how he first gained Sean's attention. As Derek reveals, this is a reality-based drama of interpersonal relationships, but one that struggles at times with the occasional pull into gag-strip formulas. Finally, and after a brief check in with Jim McClain abo

It's the first part of March, which means it must be time for the Two Guys with PhDs to look through the latest Previews catalog. Before they do that, though, they alert readers to this month's #trypod social media campaign and encourage listeners to share their love of The Comics Alternative by using that hashtag along with #try2guys. Next, they give a big THANK YOU to Kristin and Thomas at the Secret Stacks podcast for their recent shout-out. Then they get into the March Previews catalog, highlighting a variety of upcoming titles from both large and small publishers alike. Among the upcoming comics they discuss are offerings from: Dark Horse Comics - Ether, Volume 1: Death of the Last Golden Blaze, Glister, Joe Golem: Occult Detective - The Outer Dark #1, and H.P. Lovecraft's The Hound and Other Stories DC/Vertigo - Bug!: The Adventures of Forager #1, DC Horror: House of Secrets, Vol. 1, and The American Way: The 10th Anniversary Edition IDW Publishing/Top Shelf - Saucer State #1, Drawing and Life Les

Time Codes: 00:00:30 - Introduction 00:02:43 - Apologies 00:04:14 - Revolutionary Girl Utena Complete Deluxe Box Set 00:51:13 - Ghost in the Shell Deluxe Edition 01:21:23 - Wrap up 01:24:26 - Contact us On this episode of the manga series -- a few days later than expected -- Shea and Derek discuss two new deluxe editions of older titles. They begin with Revolutionary Girl Utena Complete Deluxe Box Set, soon to be released by VIZ Media. This is a different kind of shōjo, one that the guys don't often encounter, and an aspect that makes this title stand out is its conceptual genesis. Revolutionary Girl Utena was conceived by the creative team known as Be-Papas but written and drawn by Chiho Saito (also a  member of Be_Papas). Shea and Derek discuss the "collaborative feel" of its genesis and the unusual mix of characters, costumes, and scenarios that define the series. Next, the guys turn to a new deluxe edition of Masamune Shirow's classic Ghost in the Shell, just released by Kodansha Comics. T

Capturing the Spirit of The Spirit Every year for Will Eisner Week, always the first seven days in March, the Two Guys with PhDs like to do something special and Eisner-related for the podcast. This year is no different, and for the current episode Andy and Derek have decided to discuss the many uses of The Spirit since Will Eisner's passing on January 3, 2005. And there are a lot more manifestations of The Spirit than you might think. The guys compare and contrast the various uses of this seminal crimefighter, highlighting those examples that attempt to capture the original tone of The Spirit, that deviate from the original in curious ways, and that cross over into other narrative worlds. The many titles and creators they discuss include: the one-shot Batman/The Spirit, by Joef Loeb and Darwyn Cooke in 2007 (DC Comics) the 32-issue run of The Spirit between 2007 and 2009, by Darwyn Cooke, Sergio Aragones, Mark Evanier, and many others (DC Comics) Brian Azzarello and Rags Morales's 6-issue miniseries Fir

Time Codes: 00:00:27 - Introduction 00:02:28 - The Blubber report 00:10:51 - Scooter Girl 00:44:42 - My Favorite Thing Is Monsters, Vol. 1 01:30:15 - Wrap up 01:31:35 - Contact us Mods and Monsters On this week's episode the Two Guys with PhDs Talking about Comics do deep dives into two recent, and very different, publications. They begin with Chynna Clugston Flores's Scooter Girl, just released from Image Comics. This is a brand new color edition of a six-issue black-and-white series originally published by Oni Press is 2003-2004, and then collected as a trade in 2004. Derek describes this it as an adult Archie, and throughout their discussion the guys make reference to the series that Chynna Clugston Flores is perhaps best known for, Blue Monday. As is evident in the recent publication, her writing is heavily infused with music and pop references -- specifically, mod culture and the mod revival during the 1970s and early 1980s -- and her art has a manga flair. As Andy and Derek point out, muc

Time Codes: 00:00:30 - Introduction 00:03:17 - Checking in 00:08:31 - Charyn and Boucq's Little Tulip, Billy Budd, KGB, and The Magician's Wife 00:57:42 - Charyn and Loustal's The Boys of Sheriff Street 01:15:40 - Wrap up 01:17:02 - Contact us A Deep Charyn Dive This month on the Euro Comics series Edward and Derek look at four BD, all written by Jerome Charyn and all released by Dover Publications. First they discuss three collaborations with François Boucq: Little Tulip, Billy Budd, KGB, and The Magician's Wife. These were originally published in French between 1987 and 2014, but they've been available in English translations over the past seventeen months (the most recent, Little Tulip, coming out this past December). They also explore The Boys of Sheriff Street, Charyn's project with Jacques de Loustal that was translated and published by Dover in July 2016. Over the course of their conversation Derek and Edward investigate Charyn's methods of storytelling, finding similarities and thematic

Time Codes: 00:30 - Introduction 02:43 - Patreon and podcast patrons! 07:03 - Untitled Ape's Epic Adventure 27:40 - Blood Blister #1 44:03 - The Belfry 56:22 - Wrap up 57:09 - Contact us Bark-Free   This week the Two Guys with PhDs discuss three very different titles. They begin with Steven Tillotson's Untitled Ape's Epic Adventure (Avery Hill Publishing), a different kind of quest narrative that blends the anthropomorphic and the surreal. After that, they look at Phil Hester and Tony Harris's Blood Blister #1, the latest serial offering from AfterShock Comics. And finally, Andy and Derek wrap up with The Belfry (Image Comics), a one-shot horror title from Gabriel Hardman. Check out the titles and creators discussed in this episode:  

Time Codes: 00:00:27 - Introduction 00:03:03 - Setup of episode 00:03:50 - The Specialists 00:32:17 - Hominids 01:01:33 - Checking in with Jim McClain and Paul Schultz 01:16:16 - The Last Saturday 01:38:20 - Wrap up 01:39:52 - Contact us February Fun For the month of February, Sean and Derek look at three very different webcomics. They begin with Al Fukalek and Shawn Gustafson's The Specialists, an alternate history superhero narrative set in the mid-1940s, with an undefeated Germany flexing its might with its own team of superpowered individuals, Die Übermenschen. The United States fights back with The Specialists, a diverse collection of heroes that is, at times, more propaganda than powered. Next, the guys look at what is arguably the highlight of this month's episode, Jordan Kotzebue's Hominids. This fantasy adventure is set in world populated by varied creatures, the central of which are a race of jungle dwellers. This is a tale with complex moral undertones, but whose message isn't ov

Hobos! It's that time of the month, and on this week's regular episode of the podcast, Andy and Derek take a look at the February Previews catalog. Before they do that, though, they update everyone on current comics news and podcast updates, as well as share listener mail. Then they get into the current Previews catalog, highlighting a variety of upcoming titles from both large and small publishers alike. Among the upcoming comics they discuss are offerings from: Dark Horse Comics - The Shaolin Cowboy: Who'll Stop the Reign? #1, The EC Archives: Crime SuspenStories Vol. 3, The Adventures of Superhero Girl: Expanded Edition, The Life and Times of Martha Washington in the Twenty-First Century, and Too Much Coffee Man Omnibus Plus DC/Vertigo - The Books of Magic Book One and Free Country: A Tale of the Children's Crusade IDW Publishing/Top Shelf - Home Time: Book One, Nate Powell's Omnibox, Real Science Adventures #1, The Rocketeer: High-Flying Adventures, Lost Planet, and Red Range: A Wild Western Adven

Time Codes: 00:00:24 - Introduction 00:02:26 - Setup of interview 00:04:01 - Interview with Karl Stevens 01:26:32 - Wrap up 01:28:02 - Contact us Diluted Horse Piss On this interview episode, Derek talks with Karl Steven about Penny, his current weekly/semiweekly strip appearing in The Village Voice. The two discuss this ongoing comic and its genesis, but they also talk about a variety of Karl's other works. Of particular focus are the series of strips he created for the Boston Phoenix between June 2005 and November 2012. The earliest ones are collected in Whatever (Alternative Comics), and the later comics in two follow-up compilations, The Lodger (KSA Publishing) and Failure (Alternative Comics). In this way, Derek is able to talk with Karl about his distinctive realistic style and  how he has evolved from a heavily reliance on crosshatching to a more simple, even softer approach. Along with this, Karl shares is aesthetic philosophy of naturalistic detail and  how it differs strongly from that

Time Codes: 00:00:27 - Introduction 00:02:44 - We live in a political world 00:12:13 - Love Is Love 00:51:55 - Resist! 01:29:14 - Wrap up 01:30:20 - Contact us Mending Wall This week Andy and Derek get political, and they do so by discussing two recent socially conscious anthologies. They begin with Love Is Love, a collection of short strips and illustrations. This anthology, originated and with an afterword by Marc Andreyko, was released in December by IDW Publishing, and the proceeds from sales go to supporting the survivors of and families of those killed at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida, on June 12, 2016. As the guys point out, this collection is diverse in contribution and tone, with most comics calling for peace, some taking a more aggressive edge, and many adopting a quiet stance of commemoration. Both DC Comics and the Equality Florida organization had a large hand in bringing this book about, and you can still contribute to the latter's victim's funds via their GoFundMe page.

  Time Codes: 00:00:28 - Introduction 00:02:36 - Catching up for the new year 00:04:19 - Sunny 01:09:40 - Other works by Matsumoto 01:20:29 - Wrap up 01:22:06 - Contact us The Young Ones This month on the manga show, Shea and Derek discuss the recently completed, Sunny, as well as other works by Taiyo Matsumoto. Late last year VIZ Media published the six and final volume of Sunny, a series that began in December 2010 in the original Japanese (published in Monthly Ikki), and has been coming out in English translation since the first volume in May 2013. This is a title that the guys have been wanting to discuss for some time, but they decided to hold out until the everything was wrapped up so that they could look at the series in its entirety. This is a realistic, evenly paced drama about a group of orphans and outsiders residing at Star Kids Home, a foster home that serves as a refuse for children without family or whose parents do not have the means, or even the interest, in caring for them. Al

Time Codes: 00:00:25 - Introduction 00:02:19 - Setup of interview 00:03:17 - Interview with Miriam Libicki 01:01:17 - Wrap up 01:03:11 - Contact us Exposure Andy and Derek have the pleasure of talking with Miriam Libicki whose latest book, Toward a Hot Jew, was released late last year from Fantagraphics. This is a collection of various graphic essays that Miriam has written over the years, a style of writing she describes as a comics form of gonzo journalism. The guys talk with her about these various pieces and their mix of reportage, autobiography, and expository analysis. They also discuss Miriam's autobiographical series Jobnik!, which concerns her experiences serving in the Israeli army. Most of the talk revolves around Miriam's writing, but at times the conversation becomes more academic and speculative, in many ways reflecting the tone found throughout Toward a Hot Jew. Get Miriam's books and others discussed in this interview:    

Time Codes: 00:00:29 - Introduction 00:02:44 - The end of January already? 00:04:25 - Beowulf 00:43:42 - Canopy 00:59:17 - Shadows on the Grave #1 and #2 01:22:23 - Wrap up 01:23:12 - Contact us Hwæt! For this week's episode, Andy and Derek put on their English professor hats, and with a vengeance, when taking on the latest comics version of Beowulf (Image Comics), adapted by Santiago García and David Rubín. While this is not, by far, the only comics adaptation of this classic Old English poem, the guys feel that it's one of the best they've seen. Indeed, Rubín's artwork is particularly suited to the violent action and Beowulf's heroic exploits. And the ending of this text, which takes a significant self-reflective turn, goes on to underscore the guys' appreciation of this adaptation. Next, the Two Guys look at one of the latest releases from Retrofit Comics/Big Planet Comics, Karine Bernadou's Canopy. Neither Derek nor Andy were familiar with Bernadou's work before this book, but they find

Time Codes: 00:00:24 - Introduction 00:02:38 - Setup of interview 00:04:00 - Interview with Joe Ollmann 01:21:27 - Wrap up 01:22:58 - Contact us Of Human Bondage On this interview episode, Andy and Derek talk with Doug Wright Award-winner Joe Ollmann, whose new book, The Abominable Mr. Seabrook, comes out this week from Drawn and Quarterly. Joe starts off by introducing William Seabrook and his writings, since this is a historical literary figure that most listeners have probably never heard of before. In fact, the guys spend a good bit of time discussing the ups and downs of Seabrook's career and speculating on why he's not more notable than he is. With a background in yellow journalism, Seabrook became a famed adventurer and travel writer who befriended a who's who of early twentieth-century literati, including Thomas Mann, Aldous Huxley, Gertrude Stein, Sinclair Lewis, Man Ray, Jean Cocteau, Salvador Dali, and Aleister Crowley. As Joe points out, he was famously known at the time, not only as

Touch the Weird Love It's the beginning of a new year, and on this episode of the on-location series, Derek is back at Valhalla Games and Comics to talk with customers and employees about the comics they're looking forward to in the coming months. He's joined by a couple of the regulars, Craig and Nick, as well as employees Stephanie and Freddy. Among the titles folks are anticipating in 2017 are The Unstoppable Wasp, Highlander: The American Dream, Justice League of America, Planet of the Apes/Green Lantern, Hatchet, more Head Lopper, Black History in Its Own Words, Psychodrama Illustrated, and the new Rat Queens. But the guys at the shop don't stop there. They also discuss other comics-related media, films and television series, that are planned for this year. Check out some of the titles discussed in this episode:    

Time Codes: 00:00:31 - Introduction 00:02:48 - We stand with John Lewis! 00:08:44 - Trump: The Complete Collection 00:58:22 - The Few #1 01:11:46 - Gumballs #1 01:25:12 - Wrap up 01:25:58 - Contact us This week the Two Guys with PhDs start off by getting political. While some listeners might not like it when Andy and Derek become polemical on the podcast, the guys just had to speak out about the brouhaha surrounding Congressman John Lewis's recent comments on Trump's illegitimacy. The Two Guys stand with Representative Lewis, a man of courage, honor, and action. And it's heartening that copies of March are selling out all over the place! But enough of the bad Trump. The guys find more serious another entity of that name, this one orchestrated by the legendary Harvey Kurtzman. Trump: The Complete Collection is the second volume in Dark Horse's Essential Kurtzman series. This beautiful hardbound edition collects the only two issues of Trump ever published, as well as the many never-before reprodu