Comics Alternative

We’re deep into July, so that means it’s time for the monthly visit to Collected Comics and Games in Plano, TX. And this is the second month in a row that the shop’s manager, Jennifer, has coupled The Comics Alternative‘s on-location show with their monthly Collected Talks (an opportunity for customers and staff to get together and share the kind of comics they are reading). The event is a success, with there being more participants than last month. Joining Derek on the podcast this time around are Jennifer and some of her shop employees, Sabrina and (occasionally) Freddy. Also a part of the conversation is stalwart podcast respondent Shea Hennum, and loyal shop customers Laura, Craig, Nick, and David. The conversation is broad and meandering, taking a number of unexpected turns. Everyone begins by discussing each other’s summer reading habits, and along the way a variety of other topics come to the fore, including violence in comics, this summer’s upcoming movie releases, Image comics, sexual explicitness an

On this special episode of The Comics Alternative, the Two Guys with PhDs bring you a recording of the “Teaching Difficult Texts” panel that was held at HeroesCon a couple of weeks ago. One of the Two Guys, Andy, was a participant on this panel. Joining him in the discussion were Mike Kobre from Queens University and Dana Hayward from HarperCollins. Shawn Daughhetee served as the panel moderator. It’s an engaging panel, focusing on teaching comics and methodological approaches to using controversial texts in the classroom. The panelists touch upon such topics as racial stereotypes, the visualization of violence, and sexual explicitness. This panel recording originally appeared on The Dollar Bin podcast. A very special thanks to Adam Daughhetee and the rest of the Dollar Bin crew for making this recording at the con, and for allowing The Comics Alternative share it with its listeners.

On this episode of The Comics Alternative Interviews Andy and Derek are pleased to have on the show Liz Plourde and Randy Michaels, the creative team behind the new self-published series, How I Made the World. Liz and Randy are winners of a 2012 Xeric Award — the last year, in fact, that the Xeric Foundation gave out grants for self-publishing comic books – and they share their experiences applying for the grant, complete with last-minute postage anxieties, and how the award helped to propel their project both financially and for marketing purposes. The Two Guys ask them about the genesis of the series, the protagonist’s links to Liz’s own life experiences, Randy’s artistic inspirations, how the two of them actually met, their marketing strategies for the title, the reasons behind their choosing to self publish, and what the two of them might have in store for future issues of the series. (They already have a lot of material for issue #2 of How I Made the World!) At one point, Derek goes off the deep end with

It’s that time of the month for the Two Guys with PhDs…that is, it’s time for the July Previews catalog! On this episode, Andy and Derek take their monthly gander at some of the great comics being solicited in Previews and due out in the next couple of months. All of the major publishers, and many, many of the smaller ones, are represented here, and the guys comment on how this is a particularly fat month when it comes to new and upcoming comics. They begin the show by looking at some of the titles being offered for this year’s Halloween ComicFest, and then they get into the nitty-gritty of the catalog. Some of the titles that they highlight include Brian Wood and Ryan Kelly’s The New York Four and Satoshi Kon’s Opus (Dark Horse), Peter Milligan and Leandro Fernandez’s The Names #1 and Scott Snyder and Sean Murphy’s The Wake hardcover (Vertigo/DC Comics), Will Eisner’s Spirit, Vol. 2: Artist’s Edition and Craig Yoe’s The Worst of Eerie Publications (IDW Publishing), Jay Faerber and Scott Godlewski’s Copperhea

Andy and Derek are proud to have Gene Luen Yang on the podcast. With the upcoming release of his new book from First Second, The Shadow Hero (illustrated by Sonny Lieu), the Two Guys thought this would be the perfect opportunity to talk with one of their contemporary creator heroes. In this engaging conversation, Gene talks with the guys about the genesis of his Green Turtle, and how the original – an obscure ethnically ambiguous crime fighter from the pages of 1940s’ Blazing Comics — inspired him to delve into the superhero genre. Demonstrating a keen sense of pacing, along with a healthy dose of humor, Yang shows himself adept in action-packed comics, something that the guys comment on throughout the interview. But as Derek and Andy both observe, The Shadow Hero nonetheless bears that unique Gene Yang stamp in wrestling with ethnoracial issues in the U.S., and doing so through the meshing of Chinese folklore and American pop culture. In this way, the book can be read as a thematic companion of such earlier

It’s the week of July 4th, and so on this episode of The Comics Alternative the Two Guys with PhDs pay homage to the stars and stripes…in comics! Yes, that’s right dear patriotic listener: this week Andy and Derek are focusing only on American-themed comics, new as well as not-so-new. They begin by looking at new recent books where the American project stands front and center. First, they discuss Manifest Destiny, Vol. 1: Flora and Fauna, by Chris Dingess, Matthew Roberts, and Owen Gieni (Image Comics). Both of the guys are bowled over by this first collection and see the series as a great example of American gothic. Next, they turn their attention to the new work by Ilan Stavans and Lalo Alcaraz, A Most Imperfect Union: A Contrarian History of the United States (Basic Books). While the guys applaud the creators’ intentions of creating an alternative or oppositional history, they’re not convinced that the book lives up to its title. In short, they’re hard pressed to find much that is contrary in this contrari

On this episode of The Comics Alternative Interview, Derek and Andy W. talk with Ben Hadke, creator of the Zita the Spacegirl series. Of course they discuss Ben's signature works -- Zita the Spacegirl, Legends of Zita the Spacegirl, and The Return of Zita the Spacegirl (the latter of which was just published by First Second) -- but they also delve into some of his other work, including his upcoming picture book, Julia's House for Lost Creatures (also from First Second). Along the way they discuss the wellspring of Ben's sketchbooking, the origins of Zita, the close links between Ben's art and his family, the appeal of all-age comics, the artist's schedule and philosophy as a speaker, and the many wild and fantastical creatures that populate his books. (Ben, Andy, and Derek also give a shout out to Gina Gagliano at First Second for her unparalleled work as a publicist and for being an all around good person!) The guys have a great time talking with Ben, and in doing so they're able to tap into the excitement a

On this special episode of The Comics Alternative, Andy shares his experiences last week at the 2014 Heroes Convention in Charlotte, NC. Derek couldn’t make it this year, so Andy fills him in on what he missed and shares his thoughts on the many people he met and the many adventures he had at the event. Most notable are his interviews with various writers and illustrators in Artists Alley, and presented on this podcast. You’ll hear Andy’s conversations with Brian Clevinger, Andy Hirsch, Kyle Starks, Frank Barbiere, Gabriel Dunston, and Max Dowdle. It’s that special one-on-one interaction, a smooth, nougaty combination of intellectual curiosity and personal camaraderie, that you’ve come to expect from the Two Guys with PhDs in their never-ending quest for thoughtful comics talk.

On this week’s show, Derek and Gene review three new titles. They begin with an unusual story from Conor Stechschulte, The Amateurs (Fantagraphics Books). The guys aren’t entirely sure about the narrative cohesion or the connecting events in this story — and they’re okay with that — but they’re mesmerized by the absurdist, and at times violent, paths this comic takes. This novella-length work is a strange combination of slapstick comedy, slasher horror, and existential angst. Think of Laurel and Hardy meets Waiting for Godot…but with slaughtered livestock. Next the Two Guys move on to the first issue of Ted McKeever’s new miniseries, The Superannuated Man (Image Comics).  They start off by comparing this comic to some of McKeever’s earlier works, such as Eddy Current, Plastics Forks, and Metropol, but see in its detail a more meticulously crafted art that pushes more visual boundaries. In this way, the work is quite similar to last year’s Miniature Jesus, another title with a perspective-skewing feel. What’s

It’s time for another on-location show at Derek’s comic shop, Collected Comics and Games in Plano, TX. For the June visit, he is joined by a variety of shop employees and customers for a comics discussion free-for-all. This month the store manager, Jennifer Wait, arranged the shop’s monthly “Collected Talks” meeting — where customers come in and talk about the kind of comics they are reading and would like to recommend to others — to take place along with The Comics Alternative‘s monthly visit. Taking part in the discussion is Jennifer, the store’s assistant manager, Freddy Ruiz, and two of Collected’s loyal customers, Craig and John. Also joining in on the talk is former Collected employee and friend of the show, Shea Hennum. Shea used to be a regular on the podcast’s on-location episodes, but since leaving Collected in January, he hasn’t been able to be a part of things. He makes up for the absence, and with a vengeance, with a barrage of insights, manifestos, and bizarre commentary. Despite the detours int

On this episode of The Comics Alternative, Andy and Derek review three new and unique titles. They begin by looking at Miracleman, Book 1: A Dream of Flying, the first trade in Marvel’s current reprinting of the early series by Alan Moore…AKA, “The Original Writer.” While Andy had read its first run in the U.S. through the Eclipse line, this was Derek’s first time actually reading Miracleman. (It’s one of those titles that he knew about and always intended to read, but never got around to…especially being out of print.) The guys primarily focus on the main storyline, written by Moore with art by Alan Davis and Garry Leach, but they also discuss the supplemental material, including interviews, sketches, and installments of Mick Anglo’s Golden Age Marvelman strips. Throughout their discussion they keep coming back to a central question: Does Miracleman still hold up today? The Two Guys think so, but with some hesitations. While they definitely find the comic valuable and fascinating as a historical document, mu

The Two Guys are back with another roundtable discussion, this one with John Mayo of The Comic Book Page podcast. For this special episode, the topic concerns readership: the various strategies publishers use to get and retain comics readers. Andy, Derek, and John speculate on the kind of marketing maneuvers that that seem to work, which ones are reader-friendly, which strategies undermine or at least don’t bode well for the industry, and which are just downright annoying.  The guys discuss everything from $1 first issues, variant covers, series renumbering, switching creative teams, crossover events, free digital issues, over-hyping storylines, and high-end special collectors’ editions. They even bring up the recent acquisition of ComiXology by Amazon.com and how changes to digital retailing might help, or perhaps even hinder, sales. All in all it’s an engaging conversation, running over an hour and forty-five minutes. Unlike many contemporary comics, you certainly get your money’s worth in this special epis

The Two Guys with PhDs (talking about comics) are back with another Publisher Spotlight episode. This time they are focusing on Dynamite Entertainment, specifically the new Gold Key comics that they have been reviving: Turok: Dinosaur Hunter, by Greg Pak and Mirko Colak; Magnus: Robot Fighter, by Fred Van Lente and Cory Smith; Solar: Man of the Atom, by Frank J. Barbiere and Joe Bennett; and Doctor Spektor: Master of the Occult, by Mark Waid and Neil Edwards. They discuss the new series in the order in which they’ve been introduced, and the guys even comment on Dynamite’s strategy of staggering releases and not just publishing everything at once, much like Valiant did with their new revived titles a couple of years ago. Andy is more familiar with the original Gold Key comics, at least most of them, than Derek, so when they can they point out the similarities and differences between the recent comics and their earlier manifestations from Gold Key, Valiant, Acclaim, and Dark Horse.  The guys definitely have the

On this special episode of The Comics Alternative, Andy and Derek are joined by the guys at the podcast Comics for Fun and Profit for a lively discussion on trade waiting. They discuss the pros and cons of buying single comic-book issues, the reasons why you may want to wait for a trade instead of getting the monthlies, which current titles work well serialized and which are much better presented in one longer story, and how their personal buying and reading habits affect their preferences for trade editions. This is the first time these two podcasts have experienced a “crossover event,” and given the fun everyone had, it won’t be their last.

It’s the beginning of the month, and that means it’s time again for Derek and Andy to take a gander at the latest Previews catalog. In June, the guys notice a whole slew of upcoming releases to anticipate, including new series and books from Dark Horse (the new Dark Horse Presents series, Edgar Allan Poe’s Spirits of the Dead, and Pop), DC/Vertigo (Multiversity and Punk Rock Jesus: Deluxe Edition), IDW (Cerebus: High Society, Digital Audio/Visual Experience), Image (The Fade Out, Imperial, and Displaced Persons), Abstract Studios (SIP Kids), BOOM!/Archaia (The Collector), Dynamite (Terminal Hero and Captain Victory and the Galactic Rangers), Drawn and Quarterly (Earthling), Fantagraphics (Love and Rockets: New Stoires #7 and Wandering Son, Vol. 7), First Second (How the World Was: A California Childhood), and Liveright (Kill My Mother). Also in this episode, Andy avoids Dynamite’s Steampunk Battlestar Galactica: 1880 like the plague, Derek is called out on his strict “no li’l comics” policy, and the Two Guys

For this interview show, Andy and Derek go down the rabbit hole in another conversation with the ever-talented, ever-entertaining Craig Yoe. They primarily discuss Craig’s latest projects, Alice in Comicland and the new Weird Love series (both from IDW Publishing), but they also bring up his other books (such as Comics about Cartoonists, Haunted Horror, The Best of Sexology, and Little Penis: Oh, the Places You’ll Grow!). They spend a lot of time talking about the various comics in the new Alice book, highlighting the more straight-laced adaptations, such as Chad Grothkoph’s “Alice Through the Looking-Glass,” classic parodies like Harvey Kurtzman and Jack Davis’s “Alice in Wonderland!”, as well as the truly bizarre and borderline-disturbing translations, e.g., Warren Kremer’s “Little Max Meets Alice in Wonderland” and Serge S. Sabarsky and George O. Muhlfield’s “Alice on Monkey Island.” After that things get a bit weird…with Weird Love! Craig discusses his new bimonthly series, compiled with his wife, Clizia

It’s Wednesday, which means it’s time for your weekly visit from the doctors! This week on the show the Two Guys with PhDs review two new titles. First, they look at the latest in Titan Books’ Simon and Kirby Library series, Simon and Kirby: Horror! This beautiful volume collects all of the Black Magic and The Strange World of Your Dreams (Prize Comics) stories that Joe Simon and Jack Kirby had a hand in, in one form or another, published between 1950 and 1954. Many of these comics have been collected before — for example, DC’s brief reissuing of Black Magic between 1973-1975 and Craig Yoe’s The Strange World of Your Dreams collection that came out last year — but this is the first time all of the Simon and Kirby contributions have been brought all together and in chronological order. As Andy and Derek point out, there’s some wonderful stuff in this collection, macabre stories in the vein of Rod Serling’s Twilight Zone and the creepiest of Hitchcock. Next, the Two Guys turn their attention to issue #1 of Tree

On this episode of The Comics Alternative, Andy and Derek discuss three new titles, and boy, do they have great time! They begin with Box Brown’s new graphic biography from First Second, Andre the Giant: Life and Legend. While neither of the Two Guys are big professional wrestling fans, they did grow up in an era where Andre the Giant was a significant cultural figure, covered in news programs, starring in films and television series, and appearing on The Tonight Show and Late Night with David Letterman. Next they look at another historically based comic, also published by First Second: Shackleton: Antarctic Odyssey, by Nick Bertozzi. This work focuses on the expedition that Ernest Shackleton took to the South Pole between 1914 and 1916, intending to traverse the Antarctic on foot. As the guys point out, this is another of Bertozzi’s comics about historical explorers, a previous title being 2011′s Lewis and Clark (also from First Second). Finally, Derek and Andy wrap up with a fun discussion — beginning with

For this special episode of The Comics Alternative, Derek is back at the Dallas Comic Con talking with a variety of artists, writers, publishers, and even animation voice actors. Among his guests are Yanick Paquette (artist on the new Swamp Thing), Jimmy Palmiotti (creative force, behind Harley Quinn and Painkiller Jane), Joe Eisma (artist on Morning Glories), Andy Hirsch (illustrator of Garfield, Adventure Time, and Regular Show), Robert Wilson IV (artist on Knuckleheads), Tim Harris (publisher/creator of Renegade Comics), Don Rosencrants (production manager of Literati Press), Jeremy Shada (the voice of Finn on the Adventure Time cartoon), and Man of Action Studios creators Steven T. Seagle (creator behind Imperial, House of Secrets, American Virgin), Joe Kelly (writer of I Kill Giants, Bang! Tango!, and Douglas Fredericks and the House of They), and Duncan Rouleau (artist behind The Nightmarist and The Great Unknown). There was a lot of activity and a lot of fun talk. And now you can experience the con vic

On this episode of The Comics Alternatives Interviews, Andy W. and Derek talk with Nathan Hale, a writer/illustrator and the genius behind the Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales series from Amulet Books. They begin with Nathan’s brand new volume about World War I, Treaties, Trenches, Mud, and Blood, and the meticulous work that went into it. As the Two Guys point out, this is perhaps Nathan’s most ambitious book to date, not only in terms of the intricate and detailed art, but also because of its vast sweep of political and military history. They ask the author about his unique narrative frame – the historical figure, Nathan Hale (no relation to the author), about to be hanged as a spy, yet with a complete knowledge of American history due to strange flying history book –  and the way he applies it to all of the books in the NHHT series, including One Dead Spy, Big Bad Ironclad!, and Donner Dinner Party. The guys have a great time talking with Nathan about his work, asking him about his writing habits, his backgro