Comics Alternative

For this special episode of The Comics Alternative, Andy Wolverton heads to the Baltimore Comic Con where he interviews a variety of creators. There, he has the pleasure of talking with Michel Fiffe, Jamal Igle, Christina Blanch, David Petersen, and Ben Hatke. They all take the time to discuss with Andy their various comics, the processes behind their works, and their upcoming projects. They also bring up the Harvey Awards, whose winners were announced at the Baltimore con.

Derek and Andy are pleased to have as their latest guest Farel Dalrymple, the author of the new book from First Second, The Wrenchies. The guys talk with Farel about his ideas behind the project, its narrative density, Ferel's highly detailed art, the prevalence of insects and ooze, his cool way of drawing villains, and the book's large cast of characters. (And, thank god, no one  mentions The Goonies anytime in the conversation.) Andy is particularly impressed by Sherwood (the protagonist) and his medallion, and Derek is more than a little creeped out by the abundance of tentacles in The Wrenchies and how they bore into people's eyes and latch onto their heads. He even notes this tendency in Farel's Omega the Unknown from several years ago. The Two Guys have Farel discuss his latest book in great detail, talk with him about ending up at First Second, ask him talk about some of his other projects, and then take conversational detours into movies and other pop culture stuff. It's a fun conversation, almost as

It's a new month, so that means it's time for Derek and Andy to take a look at the new Previews catalog. September's holds a lot of solicits that the guys want to discuss, comics that they're looking forward to in the coming months. Some of the upcoming titles they highlight include Resurrectionists #1 and Vault of Horror Vol. 4 from Dark Horse; The Kitchen #1 and Howard Chaykin's Twilight from DC/Vertigo; Shadow Show #1 and Ditko's Shorts from IDW; and ODYC #1, Tooth and Claw #1, and Intersect #1 from Image. There's also a whole slew of comics from the back half of the catalogue that the Two Guys discuss, including Derk Backderf's True Stories #1 (Alternative Comics), Hung Hung and Chioi's The Train (Conundrum), Lynda Barry's Syllabus (Drawn and Quarterly), Grady Hendrix and Ryan Dunlavey's Li'l Classix: Little Women (Evil Twin Comics), Dylan Horrock's Sam Zabel and the Magic Pen (Fantagraphics), Jamie Coe's Art Schooled (Nobrow Press), and Derek Van Gieson's Eel Mansions (Uncivilized Books)...among many oth

On this episode of The Comics Alternative Interviews, Andy and Derek have Tim Seeley back on the podcast to talk about his new series from Dark Horse, Sundowners. He discusses the genesis of the title, the series' premise, and possible directions that the story may go. The guys also ask him about his work on Grayson (DC Comics) and the criticism -- and later the praise -- he underwent in taking on this iconic figure under a new guise. The conversation moves along from his new titles, to the current trajectory of Revival (Image), to the Revival/Chew crossover, to the new manifestation of Hack/Slash (Image), to Batman Eternal (DC Comics), to his work on Chaos (Dynamite Entertainment), and even to an appreciation of Grant Morrison's work, Multiversity and all. And the Two Guys are amazed that Tim is currently working for so many publishers! All in all, it's a fun time, and Andy and Derek are pleased, once again, that Tim could make it to the show.

On this episode of The Comics Alternative Interviews, Derek is pleased to have as a guest Anya Ulinich, the author of the new graphic novel Lena Finkle’s Magic Barrel (Penguin Books). They begin by discussing Anya’s transition from writing more traditional prose fiction — her first novel, Petropolis, was released in 2007 — to comics narrative. Along the way Anya talks about her art background, the genesis behind the new book, and the challenges of writing within two different media formats. As she points out, the character of Lena Finkle is loosely based on Anya’s own life experiences, but this is strictly a work of fiction. Yet at the same time, this is a deeply personal story, brought out most notably through the art — at times cartoony, at times more realistic — the layout, and the hand lettering. Much of Lena Finkle’s Magic Barrel has the feel of a personal journal, as if we are reading illustrations and stories from Ulinich’s sketchbook. The result is an intimate reading experience where we’re able to ge

Derek and Andy are really excited this week, because on the latest episode of The Comics Alternative they get to talk about three new and incredible titles. (They're also excited because they have their first Podcast Patrons...but more on that later.) First, they look at Ray Fawkes's new graphic novel The People Inside (Oni Press). This is an innovative work that utilizes the comics medium in ways you rarely see. Fawkes gives us twelve, arguably thirteen or even more, stories of couples whose relationships flower, fade, endure, explode, and end in both touching and tragic ways. It's the way he tells the story (or stories) that makes this book unique, using paneling techniques to alternately separate and bring together individuals over the courses of their lives. The People Inside is one of the most striking books the Two Guys have discussed this year, and it makes them regretful for having missed out on Fawkes's previous book, One Soul (Oni Press). Next they look at another striking title, the first issue of

On this episode of The Comics Alternative Interviews, Derek and Andy talk with Chris Duffy about his new edited collection, Above the Dreamless Dead: World War I in Poetry and Comics (First Second). This is a unique project, gathering a variety of poems surrounding the First World War — both canonical as well as more obscure — and translating them into comics form. The guys talk with Chris about the genesis of this project and his efforts to bring together an eclectic group of artists, including Eddie Campbell, George Pratt, Hunt Emerson, Simon Gane, Sarah Glidden, Stephen Bissette, Peter Kuper, Isabel Greenberg, Carol Tyler, and Kevin Huizenga. Andy, in particular, is excited about this exchange, because it brings together two of his scholarly interests: World War I literature and comics. The guys also ask Chris about his more general work in comics, his experiences in working with a variety of different artists, the resonance between poetry and comics, and his philosophies in adapting texts from other media

On this episode of The Comics Alternative, Andy and Derek discuss three new titles. They begin by revisiting Jeff Lemire’s Trillium, the first few issues of which they reviewed on their Vertigo Publisher Spotlight show back in November. Now, the miniseries is collected in a single volume, and the guys compare the individual issues to the new trade edition. One of the first differences they note is the page arrangements of the trade. Whereas in many issues of the original miniseries Lemire visually set the storylines of Nika and William to read in opposite directions — where you had to turn the comic book upside down to read one of the narratives – in the trade he more or less places everything on the same reading plane. While Derek is okay with some of this editorial tampering, Andy feels that the difference undermines much of the emotional pacing of the story. But both agree that this new edition lessens Lemire’s emphasis on the materiality of the book, or the comic as object that has to be handled and manip

On this episode of The Comics Alternative Interviews, the Two Guys with PhDs talk with Derek McCulloch and Anthony Peruzzo, the team behind the new graphic novel from Image, Displaced Persons. This is McCulloch's second time on the podcast, and Andy and Derek waste no time in pointing out thematic links between the new book and many of McCulloch's other works, particularly Gone to Amerikay and Stagger Lee. The guys talk with the creators about the genesis of Displaced Persons, its unexpectedly long gestation period, and many of the challenges they faced in presenting such an involved and complex story. Without giving away any spoilers -- and that was difficult to do, given the fact that key discussion points in the narrative were also potential reveals -- the Two Guys talk with McCulloch about his strategies for mapping out the graphic novel, comprising three distinct but inextricably linked stories, and Peruzzo's use of art to differentiate narrative threads and capture the tone of particular time periods. I

It’s another month, so Derek is back at his local shop, Collected Comics and Games in Plano, TX. This time around, the topic is sci-fi comics, and joining Derek is new shop employee, Krystal, and several customers of Collected. They chose this month’s topic because of the new release of Guardians of the Galaxy as well as the upcoming new season of Doctor Who. A good bit of this episode is spent on the former — in fact, Derek was the only one at the table who hadn’t yet seen Guardians — and surprisingly little on the latter (not many Doctor Who fans were present). But everyone talks about their favorite current sci-fi titles as well as those that will be released in the next month or so. As usual, it’s a freewheeling conversation, punctuated by insights from the ever-unpredictable Shea Hennum and enlivened by the enthusiasm of Collected’s dedicated customers.

The Two Guys with PhDs are back for another round of reviews, and this week they enthusiastically plunge into three new titles. First, they look at Bryan Lee O’Malley’s new book, Seconds (Ballantine), his much-anticipated follow up to the Scott Pilgrim series. Andy and Derek comment on the expectations surrounding this new work, and they conclude that the book is worth the build up and the wait. This is a much more mature work than the Scott Pilgrim books, not only in terms of subject matter, but also with O’Malley’s displays of storytelling. The premise is clever — a unique twist on time-travel narratives — and there’s a self-conscious tone that adds to the humor. Despite the book’s “too neat” ending, at least to Derek’s mind, it’s a successful work that stands alongside (if not surpasses) O’Malley’s previous comics. Next, the guys get to Sergio Ponchione’s tribute to Steve Ditko, Jack Kirby, and Wally Wood, DKW (Fantagraphics). This one-shot is a good introduction to the personas of the legendary trio, alth

On this episode of The Comics Alternative Interviews, Derek and Andy W. talk with Alec Longstreth about his recent book, Basewood, as well as his self-published minicomic series, Phase 7. They ask him about the genesis of his first graphic novel, his experience with serialization, the successful Kickstarter campaign, and efforts to publicize and distribute his beautiful hardbound book. Alec also talks extensively about the music he and fellow musician Andy Hentz created as a soundtrack for the comic, Songs from the Basewood. (In fact, all of the music in this episode comes from that CD.) This began as a stretch goal for the Kickstarter campaign, and it is also made available in issue #20 of Phase 7. But Alec has now made all of the music available on bandcamp.com. And in a first on The Comics Alternative, the Two Guys even play full versions of some of Alec’s songs to give listeners a taste of  how he artist has perfectly melded his two passions, comics art and music.

In the second of two special Wizard World episodes, Derek participates on a discussion organized especially for the San Antonio con, “Getting Respect: Comics Goes to College.” The panel was moderated and organized by Danny Fingeroth — who oversees many of the panels at Wizard World cons across the country — and featured a variety of comics scholars. In addition to Derek and Danny, the participants included Sam Cannon from the University of Texas at Austin, Louie Dean Valencia-Garcia studying at Fordham university, and William S. Bush and Jackson Ayres, both from Texas A&M University-San Antonio. Each presenter discussed research they were working on or strategies for teaching comics they’ve used in the past, and then the floor was opened for questions from the audience.

Last weekend Derek headed to the Wizard World San Antonio Comic Con, and there he spoke with several creators about their work, their various contributions to the comics community, and their experiences at this first-time-ever event in San Antonio. Talking with Derek at the con was Neal Adams — who delivers science lessons with thoughts on his hollow earth model — Michael Golden, J. R. Knoll, Danny Fingeroth, and Jai Nitz. Golden and Nitz discussed their teaching efforts, and Fingeroth shared his experiences on editing for Marvel, writing critically about comics, and organizing panels for the various Wizard World events. This is the first of a two-part special series of shows from the San Antonio con. Tomorrow the Two Guys will post a recording of a panel that Derek was on, “Getting Respect: Comics Goes to College.” Stay tuned!

With this week’s episode, Andy and Derek celebrate their 2nd anniversary as a podcast! What a time to celebrate…and celebrate, they do, in the form of a hefty, action-packed episode of The Comics Alternative. They begin with a rundown of the 2014 Eisner Award winners, announced recently at the San Diego Comic-Con. Neither of the guys are surprised at the winners — including Saga, Hawkeye, The Wake, Richard Stark’s Parker: Slayground, and creators such as Brian K. Vaughn, Jeffery Brown, and both Hernandes brothers — although each has his quibble. Next, and since this is the first week of August, the Two Guys spend the remainder of the show discussing the August Previews catalog. This is a generous issue, filled with too many great upcoming comics, more than humans should be allowed to read. Derek and Andy spend a lot of time focusing on new releases from Dark Horse, Image, Fantagraphics, Drawn and Quarterly, and Oni Press, but they mention the titles from other publishers as well. PLUS, this episode is punctua

This week on The Comics Alternative, Derek and Andy W. discuss three new titles. First they look at the reissue of David Lapham’s Murder Me Dead (Image). Originally a nine-issue miniseries that was later collected as a trade in 2002, the book is now back in print with a new reissue. The guys discussed Stray Bullets‘ return back in April, and now they’re just as excited to see this release. This is Lapham’s tip of the bristol board to the classic noir films of the 1940s and 1950s. Next, they turn their attention to two new number one issues: Frank J. Barbiere and Victor Santos’s Black Market (BOOM! Studios) and Rick Remender and Greg Tocchini’s Low (Image). The first is a twist on superheroes, looking at them from the street-level and with a more jaundiced eye. In this  new miniseries, Barbiere is asking us who the real heroes actually are. Low, Rememder’s third ongoing title with Image, is a new sci-fi adventure that begins with this premise: what would happen if our sun were going supernova, and we had to li

On this week’s The Comics Alternative, Derek and Andy W. review four new titles, all of which revisit older characters and licenses. To begin, they discuss the first collected volume of Sam Kieth and William Messner-Loebs’s remastered The Maxx Maxximized (IDW Publishing). Neither of the guys read the series when it originally came out in the early 1990s, so both are looking at this title through unexperienced eyes. This is one of Kieth’s most ambitious works in terms of both story and art, highly deserving of the wonderful recoloring treatment by Ronda Pattison. Both Andy and Derek love this first hardbound volume, and their sole “criticism” is that only the first four issues of the Maxximized series are collected, making the book thinner than expected. Next, the Two Guys with PhDs move on to another 1990s Image property, one originally created by Rob Liefeld and then mastered by Alan Moore. Warren Ellis and Tula Lotay’s Supreme: Blue Rose #1 (Image) is a substantive first issue, tapping into the Moore’s take

It’s another episode of The Comics Alternative Interviews, and this time Andy and Derek talk with Ryan Browne, the comedic mastermind behind God Hates Astronauts. On the show, Ryan discusses his new ongoing series from Image Comics, how it springs from the first volume of God Hates Astronauts, and the challenges and changes he’s encountered going from a self-published webcomic to an monthly series. The guys have a fun time talking about the weird characters and the almost indescribable plot that make up God Hates Astronauts…and how the weird indescribability is what makes the title such a success. They also ask Ryan about his experiences on Kickstarter, his other webcomic (as yet incomplete), Blast Furnace, and his work with Jonathan Hickman on Manhattan Projects. There’s a lot of laughing in this episode, but there’s also a lot of insight and serious discussion on the art of comedy in comics. If you haven’t already, and after listening to this show, go preorder your copy of God Hates Astronauts #1!

On this episode of The Comics Alternative, Derek is joined by Gene to review two new books. First, they look at Can’t We Talk about Something More Pleasant?: A Memoir by New Yorker cartoonist Roz Chast (Bloomsbury). This is Chast’s account of her parents’ failing health, the process of dying, and the author’s complicated relationship with both her mother and father (especially her mother). It is a moving, and at times heartrending, story about George and Elizabeth Chast, their physical decline, their growing dementia, and their eventual passing. The guys discuss Chast’s style, heavily influenced by her New Yorker work, and how it’s essential to her storytelling. Whether or not you have had similar experiences, dying parents or loved ones suffering from long bouts of illness, this book is one that will greatly affect you. From there Gene and Derek move on to the first graphic novel from Shaun Manning and Anna Wieszczyk, Interesting Drug (Archaia/BOOM! Studios). Both feel that the concept is intriguing — the de

On this episode of The Comics Alternative Interviews Andy and Derek are excited to have Derek Van Gieson as their guest…or “DVG” to distinguish him from Derek R. The Two Guys are big fans of DVG’s minicomic series, Eel Mansions, with its wild premises, its absurd scenes, its plentifully pop-culture references, and its intertwining soap opera-like storylines. DVG describes it as “The Young and the Restless meet The X-Files,” and his series embraces both the drama and the freakishness of those television series. DVG shares the history behind Eel Mansions; his experiences writing for Fantagraphics’ now-defunct Mome; his new magazine project, Gonna to Make You My Bisquits; and his relationship with Tom Kaczynski both as publisher and fellow artist. He also talks with the Two Guys with PhDs about his work as a musician and songwriter. In fact, all of the music you hear in this episode of The Comics Alternative Interviews is performed by DVG himself!