Comics Alternative

Derek talks with Dave Calver about his new book Limbo Lounge. This is his first graphic novel, and it's a first for IDW Publishing, a joint effort between two of its imprints, Yoe Books and Top Shelf Productions. Over the course of their conversation, the two discuss the origins of this project, the author's effective use of coloring as a narrative tool, the surreal and tonally ambiguous nature of the work, how Dave's background as an illustrator informed his storytelling, and where his efforts, largely inspired by Limbo Lounge, are taking him now.  

  On this Kickstarter episode, Derek talks with J.T. Yost about his current crowdfunding campaign for Birdcage Bottom Books' 2018 publications. This year, Birdcage Bottom Books is hoping to introduce to a wider audience a variety of cartoonists currently flying under many readers' radar. By pre-ordering through this Kickstarter campaign, you'll both ensure these publications see the light of day and save money. As J.T. points out, this is also your chance to get custom artwork, original comics page art, exclusive mini-comics, and more. But the core of this campaign is great comics such as Eva Müller's In the Future We Are Dead Sara Lautman's Pictures of Bananas and Funny Bugs J.T. Yost's Thonger Dongers Jordan Jeffries's The Complete Matinee Junkie: Five Years at the Movies D. Bradford Gambles's A Lone Deer at the End of the World Larkin Ford's Goat Song Stephanie Mannheim's Nate the Nonconformist Has a Rival! If you want to discover what indie comics are all about, then definitely back t

Time Codes: 00:00:25 - Introduction 00:02:34 - Setup of interview 00:03:59 - Interview with Clifford V. Johnson 01:28:40 - Wrap up 01:29:23 - Contact us On this interview episode Derek has as his guest Clifford V. Johnson. He is a professor of physics at the University of Southern California, and his new book The Dialogues: Conversations about the Nature of the Universe was released last fall by the MIT Press. Clifford talks with Derek about the genesis of this project, his choice of the dialogue form in structuring his text, and the challenges -- as well as the appropriateness -- of representing complex scientific concepts through comics. The Dialogues is a fascinating work of ideas, one that could even be categorized as a graphic cycle, and a book that can be appreciated by scientists and laypeople alike. Science! Be sure to check out Prof. Johnson's blog, Asymptotia, for his ongoing thoughts on science in our contemporary culture.

Time Codes: 00:00:30 - Introduction 00:003:11 - We get significant listener responses! 00:07:41 - Red Winter 00:32:46 - Motherlands #1 00:50:03 - The Archies #4 01:14:34 - Wrap up 01:15:39 - Contact us This week Gene and Derek discuss, yet again, three diverse titles. They begin with Anneli Furmark's Red Winter (Drawn and Quarterly). It's the the first in a trilogy of graphic novels, although this is Furmark's first work translated into English. The narrative is set in the late 1970s and centers on two lovers struggling with complicating relationships, both marital and political. Each chapter focuses on a particular character involved in the drama, and Furmark's presentation is both contemplative and tonally provocative. The guys eagerly await further Furmark translations coming from Drawn and Quarterly. Next, the Two Guys check out the first issue of a new Vertigo Comics miniseries, Motherlands, written by Si Spurrier and with art by Rachel Stott. This is a sci-fi, futuristic story of a mid

Time Codes: 00:00:30 - Introduction 00:02:52 - Listener mail! 00:08:31 - Drawn and Quarterly's Kitaro series 01:00:00 - Mangasia: The Definitive Guide to Asian Comics 01:22:54 - Wrap up 01:24:24 - Contact us On the January manga episode, Shea and Derek discuss the first five volumes in Drawn and Quarterly's Kitaro series, created by Shigeru Mizuki. This includes The Birth of Kitaro, Kitaro Meets Nurarihyon, Kitaro and the Great Tanuki War, Kitaro's Strange Adventures, and the most recent Kitaro the Vampire Slayer. Both guys love this character, and they have a good time highlighting the usual, and at times wacky, characters that populate Mizuki's yokai narratives. Hair that shoots out projectiles? Walking eyeballs? Farts that destroy? Poisonous pee? Yep...this is the world of Kitaro. After that, Shea and Derek take a completely different turn with Paul Gravett's Mangasia: The Definitive Guide to Asian Comics (Thames and Hudson). This is a visually infused overview of manga from across Asia, not

This week Derek talks with Steve Conley about his Kickstarter campaign The Middle Age, based on his Eisner Award-nominated webcomic and offering both enamel pins and print versions of his comic. Sean and Derek discussed The Middle Age on their webcomics series last year. It's an old-school and fun kind of adventure comic, a fantasy featuring a slightly older knight, Sir Quimp, who lost his love, his sword, and his job. And he is on a quest to win them all back, and "aiding" Sir Quimp on his quest is a talking sword, Maledicta, which hates him. Steve's Kickstarter campaign is centered on a limited edition enamel pin set based on the characters in his webcomic, as well as print editions of The Middle Age. It's part of Kickstarter's Make/100 initiative. This campaign ends on January 31, so don't miss out! Back this Kickstarter now! Check the reward levels!

Time Codes: 00:00:24 - Introduction 00:03:01 - Setup of interview 00:04:46 - Interview with Karen Berger 01:15:04 - Wrap up 01:17:14 - Contact us Paul and Derek are excited to have Karen Berger on The Comics Alternative. The first release from her new Dark Horse Comics imprint, Berger Books, occurs next week, and the guys talk with Karen on the cusp of this event. The Two Guys ask their guest about the genesis of Berger Books as well as her efforts in launching new titles -- such as Hungry Ghosts, Incognegro: Rennaisance, Mata Hari, and The Seeds -- and securing impressive talent. But they also talk with Karen about her time working at DC Comics and establishing the industry-defining Vertigo brand. This is a fun and informative interview, and Karen Berger is one of the most engaging and pleasant guests the Two Guys have ever had on the podcast.

Time Codes: 00:32 - Introduction 003:07 - Gene's flu...part deux 05:15 - The Three Rooms in Valerie's Head 26:34 - Days of Hate #1 40:42 - Vinegar Teeth #1 57:46 - Wrap up 58:45 - Contact us On this week's review episode, Gene and Derek discuss recent titles that are quite varied in tone and narrative approach. They begin with  David Gaffney and Dan Berry's The Three Rooms in Valerie's Head (Top Shelf/IDW Publishing). This is a somewhat surreal, and dark, look at a young woman and her various relationships with men. The memories of these encounters are something she apparently cannot let go of, and this is represented deftly through the metaphor of rooms and psychological compartmentalization. The guys like the fact that the story ends ambiguously -- and with happy elves, no less! -- but they're not too sure what to make of the sudden shift in point of view about two thirds of the way through. The Two Guys follow this with a very timely new title. Days of Hate #1, written by Aleš Kot and wit

Time Codes: 00:00:27 - Introduction 00:03:14 - Contexts and caveats 00:11:32 - Our favorite comics of 2017 02:09:06 - Wrapping up our favorites, and honorable mentions 02:13:52 - Contact us Paul and Derek are back with The Comics Alternative's annual "Favorites" episode. This is where the Two Guys share what they consider to be the best comics of the past year. Usually this year-end show is released as the very last regular review episode of each year, but this time around the guys had to postpone the recording due to family issues. But we're not far from the end of 2017, and Paul and Derek wanted to get the show out in as timely a manner as possible. So here you have it, the Two Guys' 10 favorite titles of 2017: Paul's Top 10 of 2017 The Best We Could Do: An Illustrated Memoir - Thi Bui (Abrams) Mech Cadet Yu - Greg Pak and Tak Miyazawa (BOOM! Studios) Golden Kamuy - Satoru Noda (VIZ Media) Tenements, Towers and Trash: An Unconventional Illustrated History of New York City - Julia Wert

This week on the Kickstarter series, Derek talks with Mike Emeritz and Marshall Couture about their current campaign, Life in Space: A Comic Book Anthology. Over the course of their conversation, Mike and Marshall reveal the genesis of this project, how they gathered a variety of creators together, and the process of decided on a particular anthology theme. This project is coordinated by Mike Emeritz, Marshall Lee, and Chris McQuinlan, with Emeritz designing and editing the book. Kevin Cross provides the cover art, and contributors include: Jerry Gonzalez Carrie Schurman Holly Brown Mike Emeritz Casey Roberson Marshall Lee Chris McQuinlan Noah 'Ox' Baas Dalibor Zujovic J. Allen Ratz Yannemal Patrick Brown Adam Lore Gazbot Scott Serkland Karyn Lewis Bonfiglio Lenwood Brown III Sasha Fitzgerald Johannes Vick Don't miss out on this Kickstarter. Check it out to learn more about Life in Space! Sample Art    

For years The Comics Alternative has held a monthly on-location episode where one or two cohosts go into -- physically or virtually -- one of their local comics shops and talk with customers and employees about the comics that their reading, what they're excited about and looking forward to, and what grumblings they may have in terms of comics culture. The last such episode was published last August, right before Derek moved to Charlotte, NC...and as things would turn out, in the final days of Valhalla Games and Comics. But now that Derek has settled in his new environs, he heads over to Heroes Aren't Hard to Find, his new local shop in Charlotte (at 417 Pecan Avenue), to begin once again the monthly series. So January's show kicks things off, with Derek introducing customers and shop employees to the podcast and beginning what, we hope, will be a fun and informative monthly visit. Snowy weather hit Charlotte this week, so the ice and cold cut down on traffic in the shop over the past couple of days. But sev

Time Codes: 00:00:24 - Introduction 00:03:27 - Setup of interview 00:06:00 - Interview with Seth 01:51:43 - Wrap up 01:52:32 - Contact us The Man from Guelph On this interview episode, Derek is pleased to have as his guest one of his favorite creators, Seth. His latest volume of Palookaville was published last year by Drawn and Quarterly, and while every release of Seth's signature series is worth noting, this one is particularly significant. It wraps up his "Clyde Fans" storyline, one he began in 1997 in Palookaville #10. Derek asks Seth about the process of undertaking this ongoing narrative and the considerations of sustaining it for twenty years. They also discuss the autobiographical "Nothing Lasts," a series that Seth began in volume 21 of Palookaville. Much of the conversation concerns Seth's autobiographical storytelling, or his faux-autobiographical comics (in the case of It's a Good Life, If You Don't Weaken), and the ways in which the past informs his sense of place and identity. Indeed

Time Codes: 00:00:32 - Introduction 00:03:00 - Catching up with flu-ridden Gene 00:04:21 - Now #2 00:44:07 - The Strumpet #5 01:11:49 - Barbarella #1 & #2 01:26:56 - Wrap up 01:27:55 - Contact us This week Gene and Derek discuss three recent titles, two of which are anthologies and one a blast from the past. They begin with the second issue of Fantagraphics' Now, edited by Eric Reynolds. As the guys mention, this one is comprised of various comics that run the gamut of art and narrative styles. While some of the contributions are more "traditional" in their storytelling presentation -- such as the pieces by Susan Jonaitis and Graham Chaffee, Ariel López V., Dash Shaw, and Joseph Remnant -- others challenge our understanding of the medium. Short works by Fabio Zimbres, Conxita Herrero, and James Turek are just some of the stories in this issue that experiment with how comics mediate narrative. Next, the guys turn to another anthology, The Strumpet #5. Edited by Ellen Lindner and Glynnis Fawke

Time Codes: 00:27 - Introduction 02:43 - Setup of interview 04:32 - Interview with W. Maxwell Prince and Martín Morazzo 59:10 - Wrap up 59:50 - Contact us On this episode of the interview series, Derek talks with W. Maxwell Prince and Martín Morazzo about their new series from Image Comics, Ice Cream Man. The first issue comes out on January 17, and Derek asks his guests about the genesis of this project and what to expect in its debut. As Will and Martín reveal, each issue of Ice Cream Man is a stand-alone story, with every release serving as a viable jumping on point into their uncanny world. In fact, both creators liken the title to Rod Serling's The Twilight Zone, a series of stories that aren't connected one to the other, but linked through tone and narration. What binds the individual issues together will be the ice cream man himself, peddling his frozen treats in a small suburban community and witness to -- or instigator of? -- various macabre events that turns lives upside down. The serie

Time Codes: 00:00:28 - Introduction 00:02:26 - Better late than never 00:05:42 - The Best American Comics 2017 01:30:43 - Wrap up 01:32:15 - Contact us On this episode of the podcast Paul and Derek discuss The Best American Comics 2017, edited by Ben Katchor along with series editor Bill Kartalopoulos. The Two Guys usually discuss Houghton Mifflin Harcourt's annual contribution to comicsdom in the penultimate episode of every year, but this time around life got in the way -- and Paul, everyone's heart goes out to you -- so they had to postpone slightly the current show. But better late than never! As Paul and Derek reveal, this has to be the most experimental volume of The Best American Comics we've ever seen. Editor Ben Katchor does his best to challenge our understanding and definition of "comics" and to interrogate the very concept of "best." In fact, you could call these efforts provocative. This most recent anthology is attuned to the current political environment, and this is perhaps best

For this week's Kickstarter episode, Derek talks with Ari S. Mulch about her project Loan from the Girl Zone. This a collection of the various minicomics that Ari has published over the past couple of years while studying in the comics program of the Minneapolis College of Art and Design. She talks with Derek about the various short works collected in this volume, the project's genesis, and the various reward levels for backing her campaign. But Ari also discusses the long-form comic that she currently has underway, Lucritia's Midlife Crisis. The stories you'll find in Lone from the Girl Zone will include: "Angie Has a Bad Day" "Selfish" "Cicadidae" (Unreleased!) "Coming Back to You" "2 Girls and a Caricature" "I Found God in the Mosh Pit" (originally a limited edition hand printed book) "Fat Bitch Nudes" Check it out, and be sure to learn more about Lone in the Girl Zone! Sample Art

Time Codes: 00:00:33 - Introduction 00:03:04 - Baby, it's cold outside 00:05:38 - Generation Gone, Vol. 1 00:37:45 - Assassinistas #1 00:55:04 - Love and Rockets IV #4 01:20:02 - Wrap up 01:21:16 - Contact us This week Gwen and Derek take a look at three recent and exciting titles. They begin with the first trade collection of Aleš Kot and André Lima Araújo's Generation Gone (Image Comics). This initial volume establishes the premise of the intriguing series. The story focuses on three hackers who attempt to get into government systems, are discovered, and "infected" with genetic codes that give them supernatural powers. Gwen points out that, in some ways, this narrative is reminiscent of Katsuhiro Otomo’s Akira, although as Derek mentions, Kot and Araújo's world isn't anything post-apocalyptic. This first volume introduces what promises to be an engaging series and whets readers' appetites for what may follow. Next, the Two People with PhDs Talking about Comics turn to the first of two Hern

Time Codes: 00:00:27 - Introduction 00:03:05 - A new year in webcomics! 00:06:36 - The Shaderunners 00:38:16 - Binary Star 01:01:30 - Nautilus 01:24:50 - Wrap up 01:26:12 - Contact us For their first webcomics episode of 2018, Sean and Derek discuss three fascinating and diverse titles. They begin with The Shaderunners, written by Lin with art by Capp (AKA Anna Assan). This Prohibition era-tinged webcomic concerns a group of rag-tag bohemians who attempt to bring color into their sepia-toned world. While this looks like a narrative set in early twentieth-century America, the storyworld that Capp and Lin create is actually a fantastical one. Next, the guys turn to a science fiction title, Jamie Primack's Binary Star. The protagonist of this story, Zaki, is a bounty hunter out to capture a big payoff, and in the process, ends up growing close to and working with her target. And there's quite a bit of humor. As Derek suggests, Binary Star is reminiscent of Midnight Run, yet set in a sci-fi world

Happy New Year from The Comics Alternative! To help bring in 2018, Gwen and Derek are back to meticulously go through the January Previews catalog, providing recommendations and insights on a variety of upcoming titles. This month's catalog is jam-packed with great solicits, so many, in fact, that this becomes an extra-long episode. They begin by looking at the various offerings announced for this year's Free Comic Book Day, and then they move on to the catalog proper. Among the many comic books and graphic novels that Gwen and Derek highlight are: Dark Horse Comics - American Gods: My Ainsel #1, Joe Golem: Occult Detective, Vol. 2 - The Outer Dark, Milk and Cheese: Dairy Products Gone Bad, Beasts of Burden: Animal Rites, The Battles of Bridget Lee, Vol. 2 - The Miracle Child, and Rocket Robinson and the Pharaoh's Fortune DC/Vertigo - Eternity Girl #1, Shade the Changing Woman #1, Global Frequency: Deluxe Edition, and The American Way: Those Above and Those Below IDW Publishing - Four Sisters, Vol. 1: E

Time Codes: 00:00:29 - Introduction 00:02:35 - Some context, and thanks! 00:05:19 - Battle Angel Alita: Deluxe Edition, Vol. 1 00:50:09 - Children of the Whales, Vol. 1 01:26:06 - Wrap up 01:27:21 - Contact us On this episode of The Comics Alternative's manga series, Shea and Derek discuss two recent publications that, in one way or another, explore a post-apocalyptic world. They begin with a classic, the first volume of Yukito Kishiro's Battle Angel Alita. Kodansha Comics has recently started to release this legendary cyberpunk series in nice deluxe hardbound editions -- the second deluxe volume is due for release in late February -- and the guys are excited that the title is back in print. Neither Shea nor Derek was familiar with Battle Angel Alita before, outside of hearing about the upcoming James Cameron/Robert Rodriguez film adaptation due out in 2018, but now both are hooked. In their overview, the guys highlight the kinetic quality of the illustrations, the ways in which Kishiro context