Comics Alternative

This is a bittersweet episode of The Comics Alternative, because Andy and Derek are both highlighting and saying goodbye to a title that has been one of their favorites these past thirteen years, Bill Willingham's Fables (Vertigo). The series finale was just recently released -- issue #150, which also doubles at volume 22 of the trade paperbacks -- and the guys go into detail about the wrap-up of the main storyline, the final confrontation between Snow White and Rose Red that has been building over the past several narrative arcs. They also discuss the collection of "Last" stories that round out this volume, short pieces illustrated by a variety of artists that give us a final (?) glimpse at some of Fables most important characters. In fact, this episode of the podcast is very spoiler-heavy, in that Derek and Andy couldn't figure out how to do justice to the series without giving away a few important concluding plot elements. (So if you haven't yet read this last installment of Fables, then perhaps you should

On this episode of The Comics Alternative, Gene and Derek turn a critical spotlight on the upcoming releases from the small press, Hang Dai Editions. The guys begin with a brief conversation with Dean Haspiel and Gregory Benton, two of the founders of the Hang Dai Studio, a collective that they founded along with Josh Neufeld and the late Seth Kushner. In this interview, they describe the origins of their publishing line and share many of their experiences in getting it off the ground. Hang Dai Editions began as their studio imprint back in 2013, and up until recently the creators had limited their publications to smaller, personal projects available mainly through conventions and local events. But as announced earlier this year, Hang Dai became part of Marc Arsenault's Alternative Comics publishing co-op, and with wider distribution, the Hang Dai folks wanted to up their game with longer and more ambitious projects. The first three releases since becoming part of the co-op, all being releases on September 15

This August episode of the webcomics series begins with an introduction to Sean Kleefeld, the new cohost of the show. With Andy W. deciding to step down from his duties -- he'll be doing other exciting things with The Comics Alternative in the weeks to come! -- Derek has asked Sean to step in and join him for the guys'  monthly look at webcomics. So listeners of the series can now benefit from Sean's discerning critical eye and deep expertise in the medium. In fact, all of the titles that they are discussing this month stem from Sean's recommendations. They begin with Steve Hamaker's Plox, a currently ongoing series centered on the relationships among three online gamers. While the premise may appear at first glance to be hackneyed, a satiric look at gaming geeks and fanboys/girls, this narrative is anything but. In fact, Hamaker's focus is more on the dynamics of identity formation and interpersonal relations than it is on pop culture stereotypes. One of the themes woven throughout the series (so far) is the

Occasionally The Comics Alternative will feature a special episode devoted to a specific comics-related topic, and on this show, the Two Guys focus on issues surrounding libraries and comics. This subject matter is particularly appropriate, given the fact that Andy Wolverton is a public librarian working extensively with comics and graphic novels in Anne Arundel County, MD. So the guys decided to invite other librarian-educators on the podcast for a lively roundtable discussion on the topic. Joining them are Carol Tilley, an associate professor in the Graduate School of Library and Information Science at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and Robert Weiner, a humanities librarian at Texas Tech University. On this special episode they discuss a variety of issues surrounding comics and libraries, including labeling and categorization -- e.g., Is the term "graphic novel" more advantageous for cataloging? -- the challenge of hybridized texts, community outreach and comics, the interaction between the

The Two Guys are pleased to have as their guests on the show the creators behind the new series coming out from Image Comics, The Beauty, Jeremy Haun and Jason Hurley. The first issue will be released next Tuesday, August 12th, and in anticipation for this event, Andy and Derek wanted to have the two on the show to talk about their unique narrative. The story is premised on a sexually transmitted disease that, once contracted, makes people appear more physically attractive. They turn more svelte, their skin becomes clearer, their features appear more angular, they assume an alluring glow, and, overall, they take on a look that more closely represents our society’s notions of beauty. In fact, Jason and Jeremy share some of the sociological, psychological, and philosophical underpinnings of their narrative and tease how those themes might play out as the series unfolds. Yet, while there are some heavy issues undergirding their story, The Beauty is also a fun mystery. Detectives Foster and Vaughn, two officers a

This week Andy and Derek look through the August Previews catalog. As they do at the beginning of every month, they go through the most recent solicits for upcoming titles and share their "wish lists," highlighting comics that they plan to read, that are potentially significant, and that are notable enough to earn a few moments of the guys' attention. This is also the three-year anniversary of The Comics Alternative, and the Two Guys with PhDs Talking about Comics celebrate by putting on party hats and reading some of the appreciative listener mail they've been receiving. And then after sharing the love, they get into the nitty-gritty of this week's show: combing through the Previews catalog. As listeners will discover, this is yet another long Previews episode, with the guys covering a lot of territory in over two hours of discussion. (This is what happens when the offerings for in the catalog are plentiful and engaging.) But they think that the time is well spent, and in this episode you're sure to be intro

For July's manga episode, Shea and Derek discuss two distinctly different titles. They begin by looking at Naoki Urasawa's Monster series published through Viz Media. The fifth volume of the new Perfect Editions was just released last week, so the guys thought this would be a great opportunity to introduce listeners to this dramatic saga. Monster is the story of a brilliant young surgeon, Dr. Kenzō Tenma, who's accused of murder and then goes on the lam to find the real killer: a boy that he had perviously saved from a traumatic head wound. Tenma's search for the enigmatic and elusive figure, now growing into young adulthood, becomes the driving force of the narrative, with Urasawa introducing a variety of characters and unlikely scenarios along the way. The itinerant nature of this series reminded Derek of the old The Fugitive TV series starring David Janssen. And Shea, in fact, thought that the episodic feel of the title began to wear thin as the story progressed, with Urasawa introducing diverse characters

Action * Mystery * AdventureOn this week's episode, Andy and Derek take a look at two very different titles. They begin with a long, extensive look at Will Eisner's The Spirit: A Celebration of 75 Years (DC Comics). In fact, their discussion of the new Spirit collection takes up the vast majority of the show, lasting for almost and hour and forty-five minutes! So there's a lot of ground that the guys cover with this book, although in many ways they only just scratch the surface. Both Derek and Andy are huge fans of Will Eisner, and The Spirit in particular, so the conversation never flags. They highlight a variety of the stories that are collected in this volume, pointing out why they are important in The Spirit's history. But they also mention some of the notable Spirit strips that aren't included in the book, wondering why a few were excluded. They also speculate on why, and lament the fact that, there wasn't a new introduction (or even a new afterword) written for this anniversary volume. The Neil Gaiman p

On the July webcomics show, Andy W. and Derek do something different. Not only do they look at two current and ongoing series, along with one already completed title -- as is their usual format -- but they do so by focusing on just one specific webcomics outlet: Study Group Comics. The guys begin, appropriately enough, by looking at current work from Zack Soto, the publisher of Study Group. His comic, The Secret Voice, is a mashup of various genres, part adventure, part science fiction, part superhero, and (at least in the beginning) part Jules Verne-inspired fantasy. So far there are five completed chapters of The Secret Voice, and as the narrative unfolds, Soto is creating an ever-expanding and complex world centered around the enigmatic Dr. Galapagos. Next, the guys discuss François Vigneault's Titan, a futuristic sci-fi drama set in an hydrocarbon processing refinery on Saturn's satellite, Titan. Vigneault's story is perhaps the most socially charged of this month's bunch, touching upon class and ethnic c

This week on the podcast, the Two Guys with PhDs take a close look at a few #1 issues and one minicomic series. However, before they get into the nitty gritty of their reviews, they share some of the listener mail and attention they've been receiving -- including a very cool call-out from the Kyle and Drew at Comics for Fun and Profit -- and then go into some news out of SDCC. In particular, they discuss this year's Eisner Award winners, most of which the guys are familiar with and/or had expected (or hoped) to win. However, there were some surprises as well as some disappointments in this year's Eisners, but such is the game of awards systems such as this. After highlighting a little more news out of San Diego -- e.g., the announcement of new Vertigo titles, the return of Lady Killer, Fantagraphics to publish the next Kramers Ergot -- Andy and Derek plunge into the titles that they're discussing this week. First, they look at Brian K. Vaughan and Steve Skroce's We Stand on Guard #1 (Image Comics). This is on

Derek is back at his local shop, Collected Comics and Games in Plano, TX, for the monthly Comics Alternative on-location recording. This time he talks with folks about summer reading and the recent San Diego Comic-Con. Two of the customers there, Krystle and Craig, just got back from San Diego and share their experiences and the fun they had. They do a great job of describing the excitement, and the chaos, to be had at SDCC, complete with cosplaying, fireworks, brushes with greatness, and near-jail-cell adventures. Another participant on this episode, Mike, wasn't able to get to the con, so both he and Derek had to experience the events vicariously. But everyone at the table was able to share their reading lists for the summer. Both Craig and Mike -- and even an absent guest, Matthew, who shared his list before the recording -- will be reading new Secret Wars, Spider-man, and Inhumans titles in the coming weeks, but there are also a number of long and novel-like narratives that are on the table, as well, incl

On this episode of The Comics Alternative, Gene is back in the cohosting chair after a long absence. (He was last on the show for the interview with Joshua Hale Fialkov and Kody Chamberlain, but he hasn't been on a review show since October of last year.) This week, the Two Guys look at three new, yet very different, comics. They begin with Josh Simmons's Black River (Fantagraphics), a beautiful yet disturbing post-apocalyptic narrative. It follows a group of women trying to survive after some sort of catastrophic event -- we're never sure what -- the deadly travails that await them, and how the experience changes the group. Although the subject matter is violent and unsettling, Simmons's artwork is visually compelling. Next, the guys check out the first issue of 8House: Arclight, Brandon Graham and Marian Churchland's new series from Image Comics. Issue #1 reveals a detailed and fantastical world, complete with its own physics, as well as its own alphabet. Graham provides just enough story to satisfy, while

The Two Guys with PhDs Talking about Comics are back with another fun conversation, this time with artist I. N. J. Culbard. They talk with him about his latest book, The King in Yellow (SelfMadeHero), a graphic adaptation of Robert W. Chambers’s macabre collection of stories originally published in 1895. To be more specific, Culbard actually takes the first four stories from Chambers’s original work, the ones that reference the notorious fictional play referenced in the title — “The Repairer of Reputations,” “The Mask,” “In the Court of the Dragon,” and “The Yellow Sign” — and adapts those. As Ian reveals, he attempts to stay true to the spirit of the original, while at the same time making creative changes that will more fully bring out the stories’ tone and present them in more of a thematic whole. In fact, Derek suggests that Ian has actually made The King in Yellow better by giving it more structural cohesion, using the four stories in such a way that the book becomes short-story cycle, or more appropriat

The Two Guys are back for yet another publisher spotlight, and this time they are looking at the 2015 releases from Retrofit Comics / Big Planet Comics. The episode begins with a brief interview with Box  Brown, the founder and editor of Retrofit Comics. He discusses the origins of Retrofit as a Kickstarter campaign, his education as a publisher, the ensuing partnership with Big Planet Comics, and the philosophy behind and publishing trajectory of their efforts. After that, the guys discuss the 2015 releases (so far) from Retrofit / Big Planet, beginning with Kate Leth's Ink for Beginners: A Comic Guide to Getting Tattooed. Andy points out that Leth's work is one of a growing number of informational or expository comics to be found out there, and that tattoo parlors around the country would do well to stock this small book. Next, the guys turn to Box Brown's An Entity Observes All Things, a collection of nine short stories, all with a sci-fi or futuristic themes of some sort. Some of their favorites include "

It's the first of the month, so that must mean it's time for another look through the Previews catalog. In this episode, Andy and Derek flip through the July solicits, highlighting the various titles they're looking forward to and feel that are worth mentioning. But before they plunge into their recommendations, they give a few shout-outs. First, they share with listeners the various emails and messages they've received this past week, all kind and complimentary, with some even being from new fans the guys met at HeroesCon the other week. After that they give a big, proud Comics Alternative salute to one of their own: Gene Kannenberg, Jr. Over the past several months Gene has been creating, as he describes it, "one abstract-ish comic a day," and now that work has been released in Comics Machine #1. Derek and Andy briefly discuss this first issue of Comics Machine, congratulate Gene, recommend that everyone check out his work, and then thank him for sending them each a copy! Then, it's onto the nitty gritty of

This month on their manga episode, Shea and Derek discuss two very different works. They begin with Hirohito Araki's JoJo Bizarre Adventure, which is now being reissued in new editions from VIZ Media. The title has been published in smaller paperback form for quite a while, but this year VIZ began collecting Araki's world-famous -- and still ongoing -- series in larger hardcover editions, beginning with the first two volumes in the series' first narrative arc, Phantom Blood. (The third volume will be released this August.) Shea points out that one the distinguishing features of these new collections is Araki's more contemporary artwork that can be found on the cover of the volumes. This is markedly different, he mentions, from Araki's original style from the mid- to late 1980s, when the series first came out in Japan. In fact, the guys discuss how JoJo's Bizarre Adventure is very much influenced by -- or at least participated in -- the kind of over-the-top, extreme action narrative that defined that decade. A

On Friday of last week, the first day of HeroesCon, both Andy and Derek participated on a discussion panel, "Teaching Comics through a Historical Context." This was organized by Shawn and Adam Daughhetee of the Dollar Bin podcast -- who have been putting together these kind of panels at the con for several years -- and the focus of the discussion was on understanding comics within their temporal/cultural contexts and using them in the classroom as a way to teach history. Participating on the panel along with the Two Guys were Will Allred from the University of Arkansas, Tom Heintjes of Hogan's Alley, and Brian Puaca who teaches history at Christopher Newport University. Shawn Daughhetee moderated the proceedings. There was a sizable audience at the event, and the conversation was so congenial and productive that the moderator let the discussion extend beyond the panel's allotted time. This panel recording originally appeared on the Dollar Bin podcast. A big THANK YOU goes to Adam and Shawn Daughhetee and the

In the second of two on-location interview episodes recorded at last weekend's HeroesCon -- the first episode went up yesterday -- Derek talks with a variety of artists tabling in Artists Alley. He begins with a conversation with Nate Simpson, discussing the recent release of Nonplayer #2, the long gap between the first and second issues, and Nate's plans for carrying the title forward. Next, Derek talks with Ed Piskor about the upcoming release of Hip Hop Family Tree, Book 3, Fantagraphics' landmark decision to release his title as a monthly series, and Ed's gold watch. After that, he discusses the webcomic Vattu with Evan Dahm, along with the artist's plans for eventually releasing the entire saga in hardcopy. Then Derek heads to the shared table of Gabriel Dunston and Aaron Walther -- which is almost next to The Comics Alternative's table! He talks with Gabe about Kickstarter and his work on the second Purgatory Pub book, and then he learns about Aaron's series, Zero's Heroes and Science Hero. Then, in one

While Derek and Andy W. were at HeroesCon last weekend, they were able to meet a variety of artists and writers tabling in Artists Alley. Many of these creators took time from their busy schedules -- talking with fans, signing books, and working on commissions -- to talk with the guys for a few minutes, discussing their works and sharing their experiences at the con. This episode of the podcast includes brief conversations with ten different artists and that, taken together, demonstrate the creative diversity to be found at this year's HeroesCon. First, Derek talks with Sophie Goldstein and Jenn Jordan about their webcomic-turned-book, Darwin Carmichael is Going to Hell, as well as Sophie's Ignatz Award-winning House of Women and the recently published The Oven. After that, Andy has a conversation with Michel Fiffe about his ongoing Copra series and his recent work on various Marvel titles. This is followed by another f**k-filled conversation with Tom Neely and Keenan Marshall Keller (who were just on the pod

This week, Derek and Andy W. -- fresh from their trip to HeroesCon -- return with a discussion of three new, fascinating, and...well, whacked out comics. But they're all whacked out in their own, unique ways. They begin with the release of Gilbert Hernandez's Grip: The Strange World of Men (Dark Horse Books). This is not really a new work from Hernandez, as Grip was originally published in color as a five-issue limited series from Vertigo in 2002. (The new book contains only black and white art.) But the recent Dark Horse release marks the first time that the entire story has been collected. What's more, Hernandez provides four new pages that function as the setup of this strange narrative. And what a weird and twisted story it is, but it's one that distinctively bares the mark of Gilbert Hernandez. The guys attempt to follow the various narrative threads, but making sense of this story is beside the point. What matters is Hernandez's imagination and the fun to be had slipping into his narrative world. Derek