Comics Alternative

On this regular review episode of The Comics Alternative, the first of 2015, Andy and Derek discuss three very different titles. First, they look at the new graphic memoir from Nina Bunjevac, Fatherland: A Family History (Liveright). This is the story of the author’s life growing up with — or growing apart from — a father who becomes a staunch Serbian nationalist. Bunjevac provides a bit of history surrounding the Balkans, and does so through sophisticated storytelling, but one of the most outstanding aspects of Fatherland is her highly detailed, almost photographic art.  The guys got a little taste of Bunjevac’s work, particularly on the subject of her father, in their earlier discussion of Best American Comics of 2014. That collection included an excerpt from her previous book, Heartless, that had a similar feel. In her latest work, Bunjevac provides a more complete, and more complex, story that addresses the various facets of her father and his relationship with the family. Next the Two Guys look at two in

The Two Guys are back for another installment in their new monthly show devoted to webcomics. For January, Derek and Andy W. have three engaging titles to discuss. First, they look at Evan Dahm’s Vattu, a fantasy adventure reminiscent of Bone, and with tones of sword-and-sorcery. This webcomic has been going on since July 2010, updated every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Currently it’s in its third book — the first, comprising 270 pages, has been collected in printed form and can be purchased through Dahm’s website — and the initial storyline has evolved into a much vaster narrative. The guys comment on Dahm’s knack for complex world-building, as well as the vibrant, eye-catching art. Vattu is the winner of the 2014 Ignatz Award for Best Online Comic, and there is a reason why Andy and Derek wanted to feature this as one of their current and ongoing webcomics for the month. Next, they turn their attention to another current title, Minna Sundberg’s Stand Still. Stay Silent, a post-apocalyptic adventure set in

It’s a new year, and it’s a new month on The Comics Alternative. So that means it’s time for another look at the Previews catalog! On this episode, Andy and Derek look through the January solicits, highlighting the various comics that will be appearing in another two-four months. Among the titles catching their interests are Pastaways #1, Neverboy#1, and Apocalyptigirl (Dark Horse Comics); the final chapters of Grant Morrison’s Multiversity, Strange Sports Stories #1, and new editions of Astro City trades (DC/Vertigo); Wormwood: Gentleman Corpse: The First Few Pints and Weird Love #6 (IDW Publishing); Chrononauts #1, Descender #1, Southern Cross #1, and Sexcastle (Image Comics); Men of Wrath (Marvel Comics); The Age of Selfishness and Just So Happens (Abrams ComicArt); Hit: 1957 #1 and The Con Job #1 (BOOM! Studios); Project Superpowers: Backcross #1 (Dynamite Entertainment); The Complete Eightball, Inner City Romance, Angry Youth Comix, and Dripping with Fear: The Steve Ditko Archives Vol. 5 (Fantagraphics);

It’s a brand spanking new year, and it’s sure to be another great twelve months for interviews on The Comics Alternative. In fact, Andy and Derek start things off with a bang! this month with another visit from the always-friendly, always-funky, and always-fun Craig Yoe. This is the third time he has been on the show, and this time around the guys not only talk with Craig about his latest releases, but they also discuss the past, present, and future of Yoe Books. It’s the 5th anniversary of the imprint, and starting off a year-long celebration marking the occasion, Craig reveals his new Yippie Yi Yoe Society. Derek and Andy were fortunate to get their complimentary membership package in the mail last month, complete with a snazzy welcome letter, an official membership card, a society sticker, a cool “I Belong to the Yippie Yi Yoe Society” button, and a DVD with videos and music…including the club’s song, “The Merry Yippie Yi Yoe Society Marching Song.” Is that cool, or what? Then the guys get into the nitty g

It’s the end of the year, and you know what that means? No, it’s doesn’t involve a fat guy with toys, any spinning wooden things, or even annoying events involving Anderson Cooper and Kathy Gifford. It’s time for Andy and Derek’s end-of-the-year top ten favorites episode! The Two Guys with PhDs (who talk about comics) like to end every year by highlighting their favorite titles of the past twelve months. These could be ongoing series, limited runs or miniseries, one-shots, trades, original graphic novels, webcomics, or archival collections. So for this week’s episode, Derek and Andy each choose their favorite ten comics from 2014 and then share that list with one another. They don’t necessarily rank them in any order — although both guys do hint at their top picks — and neither knows of the other’s ten favorites before they record the podcast. As such, the Guys not only have a great time discussing the year’s best comics, but also in discovering what each other feels is truly his favorite. There are a few ove

On this episode of the podcast, the Two Guys with PhDs Talking about Comics review The Best American Comics 2014, the latest installment in Houghton Mifflin Harcourt’s ambitious anthology series. This follows a previous review show published earlier in the week where the guys spoke with Bill Kartalopoulos, the new editor of the series. But whereas during the interview Derek and Andy learned about the process and backstory to the Best American Comics series, in this episode they plunge into the specifics of this year’s volume and give their own takes on the comics included. They begin with a larger discussion on the concept of “best American comics,” the kind of audiences the annual collections appeal to, and the efforts of the editors in pulling together a select or representative anthology. Here, the guys return to issues they had previously highlighted in their review of The Best American Comics 2013: the predilections and experiences of guest editors, the challenges of being inclusive, as well as the viabi

On this episode of The Comics Alternative Interviews, and in anticipation of their review show later this week, Andy and Derek are pleased to talk with the new editor of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt's Best American Comics series, Bill Kartalopoulos. They congratulate him on the publication of the first volume under his stewardship, guest edited by Scott McCloud, and then ask him a variety of behind-the-scenes questions. For example, Bill discusses the laborious process that goes into screening and choosing which comics to pass onto the guest editor, the challenges he and McCloud faced in compiling their selections, the unexpected finds and discoveries he makes when interacting with the comics community, the logistics of incorporating comics that appear in unconventional -- including non-print -- formats, and his attempts at balancing a "best of" volume that represents the contemporary comics scene. The guys also ask him about the process behind choosing each year's guest editor, how this volume is different from

It's almost the end of the year, and Derek is back for one last 2014 visit to his local comic shop, Collected, in Plano, TX. As he usually does every month, he talks with the shop's employees and customers about the kind of comics that they're reading, what is catching their interests, and what comics news most excites them, but this month the focus is on their favorite titles of 2014. Derek asks everyone sitting around the podcast table -- Shea, Krystle, Shaun, Craig, Nick, and Matthew -- about what they consider to be the most outstanding comics of the past twelve months. And the candidates vary widely, ranging from single-issue comic books to original graphic novels, from superhero to manga, from pop-culture adaptations to literary graphic fiction, and from webcomics to those coming from Kickstarter campaigns. Some of the titles that folks highlight during the show include Tooth and Claw, Seconds, The Wrenchies, Nijigahara Holograph, Multiversity: Pax Americana, Rat Queens, Edge of Spider-Verse, Bleeding H

On this episode of The Comics Alternative, Derek and Andy review three new and exciting titles. First, they look at Richard McGuire's Here (Pantheon) a project that actually goes back to 1989. A different, black-and-white 6-page version of the comic appeared in the first issue of Raw Vol. 2,  Art Spiegelman and Françoise Mouly's groundbreaking comics anthology that ran from 1980 until 1991. The new book doesn't include or build directly off of that original comic, but it does use the design and concept as a springboard into the larger, more ambitious project. Everything that takes place in this story -- and the guys use the word of "story" loosely, here -- is anchored in one physical space, the corner of a room. What McGuire does is to give us a history of that particular space, revealing events that took place in that area over a span of centuries. The "movement" within the narrative is strictly temporal, reaching back into the prehistoric past (the earliest year being 3,000, 500, 000 BCE) and pushing into a

On this episode of The Comics Alternative Interviews, Derek talks with Dakota McFadzean about the release of the latest issue of Irene -- co-edited with Andy Warner and DW -- as well as his own comics output. They begin by focusing on the eclectic comics and art anthology, now in its fifth issue, the genesis of the publication, and how co-editing Irene has helped define his career after having graduated from The Center for Cartoon Studies. Derek asks Dakota about the challenges of overseeing a graphic compilation and how his own work has seen similar inclusion in such anthologies as The Hic Hoc Illustrated Journal of Humor, Lies Grown-Ups Told Me, and the prestigious Best American Comics 2012. But the heart of the conversation is devoted to Dakota's own prolific output, especially his daily online strip, The Dailies, and last year's impressive collection, Other Stories and the Horse You Rode in On (Conundrum Press). Derek asks Dakota about the fantastical and even surreal quality of his stories, his penchant

This week the Two Guys with PhDs (talking about comics) are back for another review episode, and this one is jam-packed with nougaty comics goodness. They begin with Scott Snyder and Sean Murphy’s  deluxe edition of The Wake (DC/Vertigo). They had discussed the first couple installments of the ten-issue series on last year’s publisher spotlight on recent Vertigo titles, but now they are able to plunge into the the complete story…and they do so with relish. Both Andy and Derek love the way the narrative unfolds — it’s the kind of work they have come to expect from both Snyder and Murphy — although they do have their quibbles, e.g., unexpected/unlikely surprises in character development and occasional ambiguous transitions. But overall, the guys feel this is an outstanding story, an example of what Vertigo does best. Next, they turn to Derf Backderf’s True Stories, Vol. 1 (Alternative Comics), the first of four — or is it five? — collections of the “True Stories” pieces culled from Backderf’s comic strip, The C

On this episode of The Comics Alternative Interviews, the guys are happy to have on the show Max Douglas, AKA Salgood Sam, to talk about his latest book, Dream Life: A Late Coming of Age (Spilt Ink), as well as other works from his career.  They begin by asking about the origin of his pseudonym, learning that it has everything to do with the uneven expectations of the comics community. Here, Salgood Sam shares some of his experiences in the industry, his work for the Big Two, and his decision to work primarily as an independent creator and outside of the mainstream. This includes the founding of Spilt Ink, a small press dedicated to publishing comics, websites, and other forms of media. But the meat of the conversation centers on Dream Life, a project that has been several years in the making and continues to occupy the artist. This is the first book in what is projected to be a two-volume series, a diverse and cinematic narrative of intertwining stories exploring identity and relationships in an uncertain wo

It's the beginning of the month, so the Two Guys with PhDs are back for look through the latest Previews catalog. This December, there's a lot to choose from and discuss. After a brief digression into Thanksgiving activities and the 1968 Otto Preminger film, Skidoo (thanks Andy), the guys jump into this month's solicits. They highlight an insane number of upcoming titles, including Rat God #1, Girlfiend, Mister X: Razed #1, and The Complete Pistolwhip (Dark Horse Comics); Suiciders #1 and The Filth Deluxe Edition (DC/Vertigo); Locke and Key: Master Edition Vol. 1, The Untold History of Black Comic Books, and Star Slammers (IDW Publishing); Nameless #1, Sparks Nevada #1,  Postal #1, and Trees, Vol. 1 (Image Comics); Black Hood #1 (Dark Circle/Archie Comics); The Cluster #1 and Curb Stomp #1 (BOOM! Studios); Intelligent Sentient? (Drawn and Quarterly); 566 Frames (Fanfare/Borderline); Love and Rockets: New Stories No. 7, Sweatshop, Saint Cole, and Displacement (Fantagraphics); Sculptor and Princess Decomposia a

The Two Guys with PhDs are excited to begin a new monthly feature for The Comics Alternative, a show devoted specifically to webcomics. For this inaugural episode, and as they plan on doing for every episode of this new feature, Derek and Andy W. take a look at two current ongoing titles and one older and completed title. The ones they discuss today are Jason Shiga’s Demon; Christina Blanch, Chris Carr, and Chee’s The Damnation of Charlie Wormwood; and Emily Carroll’s Margot’s Room. First, however, the guys begin by defining “webcomics” and distinguishing them from other types of comics or works produced through other means. In doing so, they not only establish their mission statement for this new feature, but they also delineate the parameters of their discussions. They begin by differentiating between webcomics and digital comics, arguing that while the former is based on and consumed through a digital delivery system, not all digital comics are specific to the Web. Along with this they point out the differ

The Two Guys with PhDs are back with their annual Thanksgiving show. But this time there are three guys involved. Derek and Andy K. are joined by Andy W. — the first time all three of them have been on the same show! — and together they all share the many things they are thankful for in comics and comics culture. The topics range broadly from the International Comic Arts Forum, to the wealth of classic comics archive editions, to new translations of European comics, to critical series from non-academic publishers, to the appearance of Grant Morrison’s Multiversity (finally!!), to the Previews catalog, to the growth of graphic novels collections in libraries, to Larry Gonick’s Cartoon History of the Universe, to smaller comics publishers that get relatively little attention, to the March series and other historically minded books. In particular, though, the guys are thankful to the listeners of the podcast who chime in with opinions, join the discussion on the forum, and help support The Comics Alternative thr

For this episode of The Comics Alternative Interviews, Derek and Andy are pleased have on the show Mike Howlett, the editor of the newly released The Worst of Eerie Publications from IDW/Yoe Books. In fact, Mike is the expert on Eerie Publications — an “Eerie guru,” as he calls himself — and the author of not only the recent collection but also The Weird World of Eerie Publications (a history of the publisher) and the meticulously researched The Weird Indexes of Eerie Publications. They talk with Mike about his extensive research on the various titles released through Eerie Publications during the 1960s and 1970s — e.g., Weird, Horror Tales, Tales from the Tomb, Tales of Voodoo, and Terror Tales — and publisher Myron Fass’s philosophy of recycling old pre-code horror comics. What makes these comics the worst of Eerie are not only their gore and over-the-top premises, but the questionable storytelling and as well as the equally questionable process of reworking/redrawing 1950s comics for a post-1966 audience…a

Derek is back at his local comic shop, Collected in Plano, TX, and this month he's talking with customers and employees about comics that are obscure, don't get much appreciation, or have gone unnoticed by most readers. He asks his guests about what they think flies under most people's radar, and the answers he gets are varied and fascinating. Some respond with comics coming out from premium publishers, some with works by creators that you would think had a publicity stranglehold, and others with indie or alternative titles from young artists or unlikely outlets. In fact, the guests bring up the obscurity of several publishers and how it seems that most of their output goes unnoticed by general comics readers. Along with this, Derek and company speculate on why certain titles (or certain publishers) go unnoticed, the discrepancies in PR and marketing, the challenges of cross-media publishers, and the context of audience and what certain reading communities might consider "mainstream" or "obscure." As always,

On this week's episode, Derek and Andy W. are back with a Publisher Spotlight, and this time the focus is on Nobrow Press and their fall 2014 releases. This relatively small, UK-based publisher may be off of many readers' radar, but they put out a lot of great books, as this week's show will attest. First, the guys discuss Jesse Moynihan's Forming II, the follow up 2011's strange, whacked-out creation narrative Forming. They are fascinated with the myth that Moynihan has created, and they especially love the artist's sense of humor. Next, Derek and Andy move on to Moonhead and the Music Machine, a new graphic novel by Andrew Rae. They highlight Rae's clean, vivid art style, and they speculate on whether or not this book was intended for a younger -- or at least all-age -- readership. Next on the guys' plate is Roman Muradov's (In a Sense) Lost and Found. This is a striking, Kafkaesque narrative with an uneven, dream-like quality. The intended murkiness of the tale may complement the dark palette that Muradov

This week on the podcast, Andy W. joins Derek to discuss four recent titles…and boy, are you in for a treat. First, they look at Renée French’s new book, Baby Bjornstrand (Koyama Press). The guys discuss its Samuel Beckett-like setting, the unusual characters that make up the cast, the fragmented temporal arrangements, and French’s stripped down narrative style. Yet while some readers have described the book as bleak and downbeat, both Derek and Andy see a more hopeful — and perhaps even life-affirming — ending in the story. Next, they move from French’s barren landscape outside of time to an all-too-real story set in Hell’s Kitchen during the 1970s. Ollie Masters and Ming Doyle’s The Kitchen #1 (Vertigo) is a solid piece of storytelling that effectively launches this 8-issue miniseries. The guys are particularly taken by the final pages of this first issue, where Masters complicates his premise while at the same time laying on exposition without being overbearing. Andy and Derek then turn their attention to

On this Veteran’s Day, the Two Guys salute one of the most talented, and certainly the most satirical, men to serve in the U.S. military: Jules Feiffer. They talk with him about his latest book, and his first graphic novel, Kill My Mother (Liveright), and about his decision to write within the noir/crime genre. Derek and Andy are particularly curious about the artist’s interest in classic film noir, his handling of fast and smart dialogue, and his use of a cinematic technique to tell his story. They spend a good deal of time asking Feiffer about the evolution of the narrative and the ways his characters unfolded during the creative process. Kill My Mother is set in the 1930s and early 1940s, and Feiffer reveals to the guys — and much to their surprise — that this is just the first in a planned trilogy of stories. The next book, Cousin Joseph, will be a prequel to the recent graphic novel, and then the third will take place during the McCarthy era and deal with the blacklist. Along the way they discuss Tantrum