Comics Alternative

Time Codes: 00:00:27 - Introduction 00:03:17 - Setting up Pedrosa and Vehlmann 00:08:08 - Equinoxes and other Pedrosa titles 00:51:14 - Clear Blue Tomorrows and other Vehlmann titles 01:26:01 - Wrap up 01:29:12 - Contact us It's the first Euro Comics episode of the new year, and Edward and Derek use the occasion to focus on the work of two contemporary French creators, using their latest books as springboards into their larger bodies of work. They begin with Cyril Pedrosa's Equinoxes (NBM Publishing), a novelistic examination of life purpose and the uses we make of art in creating meaning. The text comprises four alternating storylines that become more enmeshed as the narrative progresses, combining comics with prose passages in establishing its contemplative tone. But Edward and Derek also bring in discussions of Pedrosa's earlier works in translation, including Three Shadows (First Second), Hearts at Sea (Dupuis/Europe Comics) and Portugal (Dupuis/Europe Comics). Next, the Two Guys examine Clear

Time Codes: 00:00:27 - Introduction 00:02:46 - Comics Alternative news! 00:07:53 - Doom Patrol 00:42:28 - Shade the Changing Girl 00:59:45 - Cave Carson Has a Cybernetic Eye 01:17:47 - Mother Panic 01:34:30 - Wrap up 01:41:55 - Contact us This week the Two Guys with PhDs Talking about Comics discuss DC's Young Animal titles. They begin with Gerard Way and Nick Derington's Doom Patrol, the maiden voyage of the new imprint. There have been three issues released so far, and the guys really like what they've seen. Way definitely takes a cue from Grant Morrison's legendary run on the title, referencing many of Morrison's original additions to the Silver Age series -- most notably Danny the Street and Flex Mentallo -- yet at the same time making Doom Patrol uniquely his own. After that, Andy and Derek discuss the first four issues of Shade the Changing Girl. This is Cecil Castellucci and Marley Zarcone's revamping of the old Steve Ditko creation (and best popularized in the early 1990s by Peter Mi

Time Codes: 00:00:28 - Introduction 00:03:03 - Catching up after the holidays 00:04:07 - Listener mail! 00:08:18 - King of the Unknown 00:33:42 - Cosmic Dash 01:12:16 - Checking in with Jim McClain and Paul Schultz 01:27:36 - Freedman 01:52:51 - Wrap up 01:53:45 - Contact us It's a new year, and the webcomics guys are back to discuss three intriguing webcomic titles. They begin with Marcus Muller's King of the Unknown, an unusual take on the King of Rock and Roll. You thought he was dead? Well, he's actually alive and kicking (and eating), but now he's working in the shadows as a paranormal investigator. This is a weird and offbeat title that both Sean and Derek can't recommend enough, but it's an ongoing webcomic that hasn't been updated since 2013. There are indications that Muller will return to the story this year, but in the meantime, introduce yourself to the 30 pages that are already available. After that, Sean and Derek take a look at Cosmic Dash by David Davis. The premise is not di

Happy New Year from the Two Guys with PhDs Talking about Comics! On this, their first regular episode of 2017, Andy and Derek take their monthly gander at the current Previews catalog. Before they do that, though, they welcome and thank a couple of new Patreon supporters to the Comics Alternative family, including Alla Rull, who becomes the latest of the guys' official Podcast Patrons. Then they jump headlong into the January Previews, highlighting a variety of upcoming titles from both large and small publishers alike. Among the interesting fare found in this month's catalog are offerings from: Those participating in Free Comic Book Day and the announcement of their titles! Dark Horse Comics - American Gods: Shadows #1, Rebels: These Free and Independent States #1, The Once and Future Queen #1, Jerry and the Joker: Adventures and Comic Art, and Starslayer DC/Vertigo - Suicide Squad/Banana Splits Annual, The Doom Patrol Silver Age Omnibus, and Savage Things #1 IDW Publishing/Top Shelf - Lennon: The New

Time Codes: 00:00:25 - Introduction 00:02:13 - Setup of interview 00:03:20 - Interview with Craig Yoe 01:25:46 - Wrap up 01:28:58 - Contact us It's a new year, and what better way to bring it in than with another Craig Yoe interview! In what has become a Comics Alternative tradition, the Two Guys with PhDs use their very first episode of the year -- not just their first interview, but their very first podcast release -- to talk with Craig and find out what he's been up to. It's what has become known as the guys' Happy New Yoe show! The fun begins with Andy and Derek asking Craig about his 50th anniversary celebration. As he tells the guys, this year is the golden anniversary of Craig's first contribution to comics culture, a fanzine he published as a kid. And from there, he never looked back. A big part of this celebration is a string of new releases that began late last year. In fact, most of the interview is devoted to a discussion of one of those books, Super Weird Heroes: Outrageous but Real! 

Time Codes: 00:00:29 - Introduction 00:02:37 - The holidays for Shea and Derek 00:04:30 - Listener mail! 00:11:24 - Tomie: Complete Deluxe Edition 00:55:39 - Blame! Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 01:19:12 - Wrap up 01:20:08 - Contact us It's the final manga episode of the year, and to close out 2016 Shea and Derek discuss a couple of fascinating new editions of older manga. But first they talk about their holiday activities with one another and then go on to share the listener mail they received about their November manga episode. After that, it's manga time! They begin with Junji Ito's Tomie: Complete Deluxe Edition (VIZ Media). This volume brings together all of the previous Tomie stories, initially released in three separate books. As listeners of the podcast may know, Shea and Derek are big fans of Junji Ito, but this is the first time either of the guys have read this series. They point out both the similarities and the differences between this text (especially the early stories) and later Ito works suc

Time Codes: 00:01:27 - Introduction 00:04:39 - Happy holidays! 00:07:00 - Bouncer 00:56:07 - Western 01:14:57 - Lucky Luke: The Ballad of the Daltons and Other Stories 01:35:55 - Wrap up 01:36:41 - Contact us This month's Euro Comics episode is later than usual, due to scheduling conflicts and accessibility issues. But Edward and Derek are back just in time to wish their listeners a happy holiday season and to present their first theme-based show of the monthly series. For December the Two Guys (almost) with PhDs discuss three works in the Western genre. They begin with Alejandro Jodorowsky and Francois Boucq's Bouncer (Humanoids). This new edition collects the first seven volumes of the Jodorowsky's series, comprising three intricate and involved storylines. The guys focus a lot on Jodorowsky's spaghetti western style of storytelling and the unconventional twists therein, including physical grotesques and dominatrix executioners. They also spend time discussing some of the cultural and racial

Time Codes: 00:01:30 - Introduction 00:03:21 - News and updates 00:12:05 - Best American Comics 2016 01:07:29 - Wrap up 01:08:37 - Contact us Every year the Two Guys with PhDs use the final two episodes of the year as a respective, a look back at some of the best comics out there. Next week they'll release their own favorites of the past twelve months, but for this, their penultimate show of the year, Andy and Derek discuss what others consider outstanding. The 2016 volume Best American Comics, edited by cartoonist Roz Chast (and with series editor Bill Kartalopoulos), includes thirty contributions from a variety of creators and displaying a wide range of styles and storytelling strategies. These comics were originally published between September 1, 2015 and August 31, 2015, and in many cases they include titles that the guys have discussed on past episodes. (For insights into the selection process for this volume, check out the previously published interview with Bill Kartalopoulos.) As the guys p

Time Codes: 00:01:20 - Introduction 00:03:07 - Setup of interview 00:04:13 - Interview with Bill Kartalopoulos 01:17:31 - Wrap up 01:18:53 - Contact us Andy and Derek are pleased to have back on their podcast Bill Kartalopoulos, the general editor of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt's Best American Comics series. He was on the show two years ago to discuss the 2014 volume of Best American Comics, that one guest-edited by Scott McCloud and Bill's first after assuming editorship. This time around the Two Guys talk with him about the latest volume guest edited by Roz Chast. They specifically ask Bill about his experiences in working with Chast, a cartoonist who brings a very different sensibility to anthology. Most of the conversation is devoted to the process of pulling together each year's volume, and Bill goes into great detail in explaining both his and his guest editors' roles. But they also discuss the specific contributions to the 2016 edition, the decision-making behind those selections, and the many

For the December on-location episode at Valhalla Games and Comics, Derek talks with customers and shop employees about their favorite comics from the past twelve months. This is a look back at the various series, events, collections, and original graphic novels that made the biggest impressions in 2016. Joining in on the conversation are some of the usuals -- Stephanie, Matt, and Craig -- but Josh, a new fan of the shop and of the podcast, shows up to share his thoughts, as well. As might be expected, most of the titles discussed are from the Big Two universes, but there are a number of other titles that also resonated. One of the big takeaways from this conversation is the possible fatigue that is setting in when it comes to superhero events, especially as it relates to Marvel Comics. However, for some readers, a bright counterbalance can be found in IDW's "Revolution"crossover event. Did 2016 really, really suck? Yes, especially when it comes to politics and the possibility of social progress. But regardin

Gwen and Andy both are astounded that the end of the year is almost upon them, and with that in mind, they’ve picked their favorite books of 2016 for young readers. The Two People with PhDs each picked five books in the children’s category and five books in the intermediate/young adult (YA) category, but something odd happened: their lists were almost identical! In the children’s category, Gwen and Andy both chose the following four books, many of which they have already discussed on previous episodes. Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales: Alamo All-Stars, by Nathan Hale (Harry N. Abrams) Hippopotamister, by John Patrick Green (First Second) The Creepy Case Files of Margo Maloo, by Drew Weing (First Second) Bera the One-Headed Troll, by Eric Orchard (First Second) Andy diverged by picking Bert’s Way Home, by John Martz (Koyama Press), the story of an orphan named Bert who’s no regular orphan, but an orphan of time and space, stranded on Earth after a cosmic accident. Gwen’s final pick in this category

Time Codes: 00:01:22 - Introduction 00:03:41 - Support us on Patreon! 00:05:54 - Love and Rockets #1 00:40:27 - Garden of the Flesh 00:59:56 - The One Hundred Nights of Hero 01:20:10 - Wrap up 01:21:28 - Contact us This week the Two Guys with PhDs Talking about Comics check out three recent titles, including the latest contributions from the Hernandez brothers. They begin with Love and Rockets #1 (Fantagraphics), the launch of the brothers' new (fourth) series that will appear quarterly and in magazine-sized format. This kind of presentation harkens back to the original run of Love and Rockets beginning in the early 1980s. Andy and Derek are quick to point out that, while the format may have changed, the storytelling picks up where the Love and Rockets: New Stories annual left off. Jaime continues his previous storylines surrounding Princess Animus, Vivian's half-sister Tonta, and, perhaps most notable, Maggie and Hopey's punk reunion. With Gilbert, it's the always evolving and convoluted Frit

Time Codes: 00:01:27 - Introduction 00:04:11 - Listener mail! 00:12:12 - Theatrics 00:40:55 - The Monster Under the Bed 00:58:11 - Checking in with Jim McClain and Paul Schultz 01:16:17 - Demonology 101 01:41:47 - Wrap up 01:43:19 - Contact us For their last webcomics episode of 2016, Sean and Derek discuss three titles that were completely new to both of them. They begin with Theatrics, Neil Gibson's period drama set in 1920s New York. With art by Leonardo Gonzales and Jan Wijngaaard on colors, Theatrics is the story of popular Broadway actor who must find another line of work after he's physically disfigured due to a brutal mugging. Next, they turn to Brandon Shane's The Monster Under the Bed, a Romeo and Juliet-inspired romance between human and monster. As the guys point out, the art style has an all-age or "innocent" feel to it, but Shane's penchant for occasional nudity and cheesecake illustration may not be to all readers' liking. And then Derek and Sean wrap up with Faith Erin Hicks's 

Time Codes: 00:00:25 - Introduction 00:02:40 - Setup of interview 00:03:56 - Interview with Charles Soule and Ryan Browne 01:07:49 - Wrap up 01:09:44 - Contact us On this episode the Two Guys get a kick out of talking with Charles Soule and Ryan Browne. The first issue of their new series Curse Words will be released on January 18, but the guys wanted to have them on The Comics Alternative this early December so that they can encourage listeners to preorder that issue before the December 19 cutoff date. In this interview, Andy and Derek talk with the creators about their offbeat Image series and what went into creation of such an unusual narrative world. Both Ryan and Charles have been on the podcast separately before -- Ryan talking about God Hates Astronauts and Charles for his Letter 44 series -- but getting the two of them together for one interview is like combining unstable chemicals. And the conversation reveals this kind of wild volatility as the creators discuss the genesis of Curse Words,

The Two Guys with PhDs are back for their final Previews show of 2016. In this episode, Andy and Derek do what they usually do, going through the current catalog from not quite beginning to end, highlighting the offerings from the premiere publishers as well as from small presses. Among the solicitations they note are offerings from: Dark Horse Comics - The Visitor: How and Why He Stayed #1, The EC Archives: The Haunt of Fear, Vol. 4, and Soupy Leaves Home DC/Vertigo - The Wild Storm #1 and Jack of Fables: The Deluxe Edition, Vol. 1 IDW Publishing/Top Shelf - Cosmic Scoundrels #1, Animal Noir #1, Chester 5000: Isabelle & George, and Fiction House: From Pulps to Panels Image Comics - The Old Guard #1, Black History in Its Own Words, Sun Bakery #1, The Belfry, and Revival #47 Alternative Comics - Fancy Froglin: Uncensored and Foggy Notions Big Planet/Retrofit Comics - Lovers in the Garden BOOM! Studios - Death Be Damned #1 and The Realist: Plug and Play Campfire - The Beatles: All Our Yesterdays

Photo by Greg Preston Time Codes: 00:00:25 - Introduction 00:02:29 - Setup of interview 00:03:53 - Interview with Drew Friedman 01:10:22 - Wrap up 01:11:32 - Contact us Derek and Andy are excited to have as their guest the great Drew Friedman. His new book More Heroes of the Comics comes out this week from Fantagraphics, and the guys use this opportunity to finally have him on the podcast. Both have been big fans of Drew's work since they discovered it back in the heydays of Spy magazine, and after listening to how much fun the artist was on an early episode of Gilbert Gottfried's Amazing Colossal Podcast, Andy and Derek knew they had to get Drew on their show. And now with the release of the new book, they have the opportunity! The guys talk with Drew about this second installment in the Heroes of the Comics series and how it's both a continuation of, yet quite different from, the previous volume. Drew shares the decision-making process of inclusion, the art of portraiture, and the actual genes

Time Codes: 00:00:26 - Introduction 00:02:16 - Setup of interview 00:04:11 - Interview with W. Maxwell Prince and John Amor 00:59:17 - Wrap up 01:00:47 - Contact us On this interview episode, Gwen and Derek have the pleasure of talking with W. Maxwell Prince and John Amor. Their latest book, One Week in the Library, comes out next week from Image Comics. Most of the discussion topics surround this new work -- how the two creators met, their process of collaboration, the ideas behind the book's structure and intertextual allusions -- but Gwen and Derek also talk with their guests about their previous collaboration, Judas: The Last Days, as well as their separate efforts, including Will's current IDW series, The Electric Sublime. And, of course, a lot of talk about books and a lot of talk about libraries. What's more, you don't have to be a bibliophile to enjoy the conversation!

Time Codes: 00:00:27 - Introduction 00:02:28 - Setting up Kilgore Books and Comics 00:05:28 - Conversation with Dan Stafford 00:22:04 - Cosmic Be-ing #2 00:28:45 - The Fifth Window 00:35:24 - A Horse, a Crow, and a Hippo Walk into a Bar 00:45:53 - Powermac 00:55:16 - Paid for It 01:01:56 - The Plunge: A True Story 01:12:21 - What Happened 01:18:23 - Scorched Earth 01:25:44 - Blammo #9 01:54:57 - Wrap up 01:56:02 - Contact us On this episode, their final publisher spotlight of the year, Andy and Derek discuss the 2016 releases from Kilgore Books and Comics. They discuss nine titles, in all: four from the publisher's spring catalog, four from the fall releases, and an in-between book that conceptually lives up to its interstitial positioning. The guys begin their spotlight with a brief interview Derek conducted with Dan Stafford at this year's Small Press Expo. He introduces Kilgore to listeners, reveals its history and mission, and sets the contexts for the various 2016 releases. Afte

Time Codes: 00:00:28 - Introduction 00:02:25 - Catching up after Thanksgiving 00:05:18 - A Distant Neighborhood: Complete Edition 00:54:48 - Attack on Titan Anthology 01:46:53 - Wrap up 01:47:44 - Contact us For the month of November, Shea and Derek get together to discuss to two recent manga publications, although the first text they cover is not entirely new. Jiro Taniguchi's A Distant Neighborhood: Complete Edition brings together the two-volume English editions originally published by Fanfare/Ponent Mon in 2009. (The original Japanese was published in Big Comic magazine between 1998 and 1999.) It's the story of Hiroshi Nakahara, a 48-year-old salaryman with an uninspired life, and who finds himself mysteriously transformed -- or transported? -- into his 14-year-old self. This is the same period of his life when his father abandoned his family. The guys discuss A Distant Neighborhood as a quasi-time travel narrative, but definitely not science fiction. In fact, Derek reads this text through th

For this year's Thanksgiving show, there are seven seats at the table, making this the most populated episode in the podcast's history. Andy K. and Derek are joined by their fellow cohosts Gwen, Andy W., Gene, Sean, and Edward to discuss what they are thankful for in the world of comics. (Shea and Paul couldn't join in on the fun, unfortunately, but they were there in spirit.) Among the various things they're thankful for are the final volume in The Complete Peanuts series, the increased number of translations of French-language comics, Barry Deutsch and his Hereville books, small local comics conferences, the new Doctor Strange Omnibus, indispensable publishers such as Fantagraphics and First Second, The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl (again), parents who are embracing comics in libraries, Drawn and Quarterly's manga output, other Canadian publishers and comics creators, socially aware artists, like Sophie Goldstein and Jennifer Jordan, and our Patreon supporters who have helped make 2016 a successfu