Comics Alternative

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