A podcast about the craft of comics
53 min
Director Jason Andrew Cohn is in the process of making a documentary on manga legend Osamu Tezuka (and gathering funding — see Kickstarter here). This time he talks with Tim about Tezuka’s influences, the diversity of the types of manga he made, his gender-bending stories released in a time when such topics were taboo in most U.S. media, and more. Brought to you by: Full Manga Alchemists Our supporters on Patreon
1 hr 13 min
FLASHBACK! In the world of corporate comics, creators are challenged to put together a run on a given book that will stand out against everything that’s come before in that book, and leave a mark on the series that will last well beyond their run. Grant Morrison’s New X-Men run, from 2001 to 2004, met that challenge. Characters and situations set up by Morrison have endured in the years since, including Fantomex, the Stepford Cuckoos, and Scott Summers’ relationship with Emma Frost. Morrison had a good handle on all the characters, old and new, and introduced the new ones in a way that made us care about them, something that certain comics writers have failed to do. Of course, it’s not perfect. The X-men going public seemed to be the biggest event of the run — somehow overshadowing the slaughter of six million mutants on Genosha. The art was inconsistent — great when Frank Quitely was on it, but questionable some other times. This week Tim and Kumar examine Morrison’s run, particularly the initial “Cassandra Nova” arc. (Originally published August 25, 2014.) Brought to you by: TV Tangents podcast Face the Music ELO podcast Our supporters on Patreon
42 min
Achille & Kipi: The Disconnected is an Italian comic meant to raise issues about modern life and technology. In this episode, Tim and Jason take a stab at critiquing it, but the teaser we received doesn’t give us the clearest idea of where this story is heading. So Tim also talks with co-creator Renato Franchi to get the scoop. Renato also tells us a bit about the Italian comics industry and why so many current Marvel artists are Italian. Brought to you by: Checkered Past podcast Our supporters on Patreon
53 min
Director Jason Andrew Cohn is in the process of making a documentary on manga legend Osamu Tezuka (and gathering funding — see Kickstarter here). This time he talks with Tim about Tezuka’s influences, the diversity of the types of manga he made, his gender-bending stories released in a time when such topics were taboo in most U.S. media, and more. Brought to you by: Full Manga Alchemists Our supporters on Patreon
1 hr 13 min
FLASHBACK! In the world of corporate comics, creators are challenged to put together a run on a given book that will stand out against everything that’s come before in that book, and leave a mark on the series that will last well beyond their run. Grant Morrison’s New X-Men run, from 2001 to 2004, met that challenge. Characters and situations set up by Morrison have endured in the years since, including Fantomex, the Stepford Cuckoos, and Scott Summers’ relationship with Emma Frost. Morrison had a good handle on all the characters, old and new, and introduced the new ones in a way that made us care about them, something that certain comics writers have failed to do. Of course, it’s not perfect. The X-men going public seemed to be the biggest event of the run — somehow overshadowing the slaughter of six million mutants on Genosha. The art was inconsistent — great when Frank Quitely was on it, but questionable some other times. This week Tim and Kumar examine Morrison’s run, particularly the initial “Cassandra Nova” arc. (Originally published August 25, 2014.) Brought to you by: TV Tangents podcast Face the Music ELO podcast Our supporters on Patreon
42 min
Achille & Kipi: The Disconnected is an Italian comic meant to raise issues about modern life and technology. In this episode, Tim and Jason take a stab at critiquing it, but the teaser we received doesn’t give us the clearest idea of where this story is heading. So Tim also talks with co-creator Renato Franchi to get the scoop. Renato also tells us a bit about the Italian comics industry and why so many current Marvel artists are Italian. Brought to you by: Checkered Past podcast Our supporters on Patreon
1 hr 15 min
Jack Kirby left Marvel with one issue of his Kiber storyline left to go. We don’t know if he left notes on what was to happen, but in Black Panther #13, Jim Shooter and Ed Hannigan presented a competent but comparatively wordy conclusion to the story. Then, while Kirby’s ’70s Marvel work kept the rest of the publisher’s universe at Mr.-Fantastic-arm’s length, in the final two issues, Hannigan abruptly snaps us back to typical ’70s-’80s Marvel storytelling, with T’Challa’s Avengers membership front and center. Tim and Emmet discuss the last throes of this Black Panther title, with the next one still twenty years away. Brought to you by: Dimension X Our supporters on Patreon
1 hr 8 min
FLASHBACK! Michael Kupperman’s Tales Designed to Thrizzle and Lisa Hanawalt’s My Dirty Dumb Eyes are two books exhibiting bizarre humor and pointed takes on modern life. Tim, Kumar, and Tom Spurgeon discuss. (Originally published October 20, 2014.) Bojack Horseman trailer Brought to you by: Worst Collection Ever podcast Our supporters on Patreon
33 min
Have you ever wondered what it’s like to go to medical school, take apart cadavers, take exhaustive exams over anatomy, illnesses, and treatments, then become a resident and work 30-hour shifts? Would you still have the passion to become a doctor after all that? This week, Emmet and I discuss the forthcoming book The Human Remains by Dr. Nathan Gray, which explores those questions. Brought to you by: Doomspeak podcast Our supporters on Patreon
56 min
FLASHBACK! Kumar and Dana discuss Logan in what was, at the time, the first DCP movie review since Iron Man 2! Is Logan an action movie? The action scenes are limited, but when they occur, there are no limits. (Originally published June 19, 2017.) Brought to you by: Waxy Buildup podcast Our supporters on Patreon
54 min
Jack Kirby’s 1970s Black Panther series started out kind of strange, with King T’Challa wandering far from his kingdom for no apparent reason, but the latter part of the series has pleasantly surprised us. Even the goofy Panther relatives Kirby introduced have turned out to be delightful. Just when we really want more, we reach the end of his run as he prepares to leave Marvel for good. So this time Emmet and I are savoring the last two issues, numbers 11 and 12! Brought to you by: Who’s Who podcast Our supporters on Patreon
51 min
Derf Backderf’s latest book is The Dissidents, focusing on a group of political cartoonists in the late 1910s who did powerful political cartoons in a hair-raisingly horrible period in American history: World War I, anti-war protest made illegal, massacres of American blacks (encouraged by the president, no less), torture in American prisons and more. Tim and Kumar discuss. Brought to you by: Full Manga Alchemists Our supporters on Patreon
1 hr 3 min
If you think you’ve read a book like As I Dream of You before, you’re probably wrong. Yes, it’s about a romance between two teenagers, and yes, it turns tragic, but it’s the way the story is told that sets it apart, intentionally misleading you in several ways that give it heft and make rereads obligatory, just to absorb everything the book is doing. The story is by Jennifer Lee, writer and director of Frozen and other animated films; the artist is LeUyen Pham, who comes from the world of children’s book illustration but has honed her comics storytelling chops quite well. This week she talks with Tim about how those two disciplines differ, working with Jennifer Lee, inspiration from Craig Thompson and Marjane Satrapi, the meaning in this book’s coloring, and more. Brought to you by: TV Tangents podcast Our supporters on Patreon
27 min
Well, it was probably inevitable: we were sent a comic made with A.I. The human creator cops to using it for the art, but the story also as an A.I. feel. Is it any good? Is it ethical to present it as “art”? Tim and Adam discuss. Brought to you by: Checkered Past podcast Our supporters on Patreon
51 min
This time we’re rejoined by Adam Tierney, writer of Romeo and Juliet and Godzilla, as well as Italian artist Saspy. From opposite sides of the planet, they’ve collaborated on a new comedy/horror/YA graphic novel from IDW, 13 Demons Dead. Meanwhile, Koom has been at Fan Expo Canada. He’s done a brief interview with John Rhys-Davies (Gimli in The Lord of the Rings trilogy, and Sallah in the Indiana Jones series) and a longer talk with Captain Canuck co-creator Richard Comely. Is there a connection between Captain Canuck and Captain Canada? (Which Captain Canada?) He talks about how he’s increasingly used the character to make a political statement, and more. Brought to you by: Worst Collection Ever podcast Our supporters on Patreon
48 min
This week we finally return to Jack Kirby’s 1970s run on Black Panther, specifically issues 9 and 10. With Panther away during a crisis, his four relatives step up and become the Black Musketeers! Will they be comedically inept? Racially cringey? Or maybe they’ll turn out to be so great that everybody will forget about T’Challa! Also, Panther’s plight takes an amusing turn as he encounters a sci-fi film shoot in the African desert… hmmm… Brought to you by: Quarter Bin podcast Our supporters on Patreon
48 min
Consider the Incredible Hulk. He’s often referred to as the Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde of the Marvel Universe. But is he really Jekyll and Hyde on a deep level? Paul has been studying the early Hulk comics, looking at the various framings that were tried soon after the character’s debut. Does Banner turn to Hulk when the sun goes down? Can he become Hulk whenever he wants? Does Rick Jones have hypnotic control over the Hulk? These were all tried in the wacky six-issue run of Hulk’s book in 1962 and ‘63 before it was canceled. This week, a look at the struggle to arrive at the tropes of the Hulk! Brought to you by: Waxy Buildup podcast Our supporters on Patreon
53 min
This summer’s Supergirl movie, while not nearly as good as sliced bread, was compelling enough to make Tim curious as to how it compares with the comic it’s based on, Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow by Tom King and Bilquis Evely. Tim recruited Emmet to join in and consider questions such as: Why did this movie get made? How do we feel about the original comic? Is the movie a good adaptation? Did the story changes to the film hurt or help it? Here’s that discussion! Comic Tropes video on Bilquis Evely Brought to you by: Emmet’s comic The Shadow of Night Who’s Who podcast Our supporters on Patreon
56 min
Doomwar is a 2010 miniseries in which Dr. Doom sponsors a coup in Wakanda in order to get his hands on all the country’s processed vibranium. As we continue to celebrate 60 years of the Black Panther, Tim is joined by Professor Alan, whose Doomspeak podcast celebrates Dr. Doom, a character who will be cinematically very relevant in a few short months! With writing by Jonathan Maberry and art by Scot Eaton, Doomwar is a series that raises a number of questions, whether in the text itself or simply in the minds of reviewers: In what circumstances is a violent response justified? How violent? Should superhero comics, which run on their own progression of time, bring in real-life U.S. Presidents and significant events? While an issue cover with a spoiler may be justified for marketing that issue, should it really be included in the trade? Brought to you by: Doomspeak podcast Our supporters on Patreon
1 hr 10 min
Emil Wilson is the author of the new graphic novel The Nightingales, about a family in 1985 who take in an AIDS patient. The book shows us the panic and misinformation that prevailed about the disease then, and government apathy about a disease that was mainly killing gay men. Wilson is a former advertising man who went to comics school in his 50s. Tim talks with him about the book. Novelist William Bernhardt also joins Tim to talk about his exhaustively researched nonfiction book The Superman Wars, a history of Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster’s battle over ownership of Superman and recognition as his creators. All superhero fans know the outlines of this controversy, but this book fills in all the details. Brought to you by: Full Manga Alchemists Our supporters on Patreon
Superhero comics have been parodied for as long as they’ve existed. This time Tim and Kumar look at two books by comics insiders that satirized the predominant comics of their respective eras: Scott McCloud‘s Destroy! The Loudest Comic-Book in the Universe!! (1986) distills ’80s comics to their essence: superpowered guys punching each other; and Grant Morrison & a bevy of artists poke sharp satirical sticks at the comics of The Guys who Would Be Image in Doom Force Special #1 (1992), right down to the excessive speed lines, nonsense powers, and ankles that would never support an adult human’s weight. Brought to you by: TV Tangents podcast Our supporters on Patreon
1 hr 8 min
A number of interesting graphic novels have been brought to our attention recently — works with laugh-out-loud moments and deeper meanings as well. We review three of them in this episode: Heaven by Katie Skelly is a Fantagraphics book about a haunted strip club. Jason joins Tim to discuss it. Was That Normal? by Alex Potts (Avery Hill) gives us a neurodivergent main character and a vague threat from a crumbling tower. Adam and Tim review it. John of the Night (Avery Hill) is a wild scifi epic by Darryl Cunningham. As Emmet and Tim will discuss, Cunningham normally publishes fact-based comics journalism, such as bios of Ayn Rand and Vladimir Putin, but this time he turns in a really enjoyable work of fiction. Brought to you by: Checkered Past podcast Our supporters on Patreon
1 hr 19 min
FLASHBACK! In 1970, four students died when national guardsman inexplicably opened fire during an anti-war protest at Kent State University. The craziness of 2020 has hindered planned observances of the craziness of 1970, but we do get this: Derf Backderf‘s Kent State: Four Dead in Ohio, a moving account of May 1-4, 1970, through the eyes of those who lost their lives. In this episode, Tim and Kumar review the book, to be released September 8, and then Tim chats with Derf himself, answering our questions about the tragedy and the book. (Originally published September 2, 2020.) Brought to you by: Worst Collection Ever podcast Our supporters on Patreon
41 min
While the characterization of Spidey in Amazing Spider-Man 2 is still spot-on, not much else in the movie is. Tim and Mulele discuss the myriad problems, and occasional strong points, of this 2014 film. (Originally published on Patreon July 4, 2020.) Brought to you by: Doomspeak podcast Our supporters on Patreon
39 min
After Sam Raimi bailed on doing any more Spidey movies, Sony decided to reboot. So, ten years after Spider-man 1, viewers got a new version of Spider-man’s origin story – a long, drawn out one with no catharsis (or did we blink and miss it?). One could call this movie unnecessary, as Mulele does, but Tim finally got the Spidey characterization he’s been waiting for! Tim and Mulele review. (Originally published on Patreon June 6, 2020.) Brought to you by: Waxy Buildup podcast Our supporters on Patreon
57 min
The adventure in the Samurai City comes to a close, and Panther attempts to get back to Wakanda. As a vibranium-related crisis unfolds in his homeland, various roadblocks appear in Panther’s path to ratchet up the tension. Can he get home in time? Can his geeky relatives help stave off disaster? Who knew this about vibranium? Tim and Emmet react to surprise twists in Wakanda’s past. Brought to you by: Who’s Who podcast Our supporters on Patreon
1 hr 7 min
Persepolis author Marjane Satrapi passed away on June 4. This week, Tim and Kumar recall their initial reactions to that book and talk a bit about her life and legacy. Then, we revisit segments of past episodes in which Tim and Brandon discussed Satrapi’s work: Persepolis review from episode 91, published September 3, 2007. `Persepolis 2 and the film version of Persepolis reviewed in episode 185, published June 22, 2009. Brought to you by: Full Manga Alchemists Our supporters on Patreon
1 hr 10 min
(Concluding our review of past episodes featuring the work of R. Crumb.) FLASHBACK! Tim and Kumar meet in person for the first time! This calls for a podcast, but… what to review? We discuss the movie Crumb, which features not only the expected discussion of R. Crumb’s work (including an objective look at the question of whether some of the … discomforting subjects of his work should really have been published as “art”), but also a fascinating portrait of the dysfunctional family he grew up in. Then, Tim and Brandon clash over Sean Murphy’s Punk Rock Jesus, in which a former Irish Republican Army member acts as a bodyguard in a reality show claiming to be creating the clone of Jesus Christ. Is it objective and well-written, or a promo brochure for atheism? (Originally published November 2, 2015)
1 hr 41 min
FLASHBACK! Perhaps one of the most puzzling comics releases in years was The Book of Genesis, Illustrated by R. Crumb. While it’s a virtuoso art performance, the exact purpose of the book was puzzling to Crumb fans (“It’s not a parody?!”) and religious readers (“This comic is not for kids?!”) alike. Both groups have been taken aback by how straight Crumb plays it — neither parodying nor bowdlerizing the work. That’s not to say that nothing in it is Crumb’s own interpretation. Tim and John discuss the issues raised — both by Crumb and by his audience. (Originally published August 18, 2014.) Brought to you by: Face the Music ELO podcast Our supporters on Patreon
59 min
FLASHBACK! Weirdo was a magazine started by R. Crumb, which featured Crumb’s work alongside that of a number of other underground-type comics creators. Crumb’s work from Weirdo’s 28 issues was collected in 2013 as R. Crumb: The Weirdo Years, 1981-’93, released in the U.S. by Last Gasp. It features an astonishing variety of comics work, from Crumb rants and confessionals to a 1906 psychiatric report on sexual deviancy, fumetti, parodies, and more. This is a book that Deconstructing Comics can’t help but review, so this week Kumar and Tim do their podcasting duty! (Originally published December 16, 2013.) R. Crumb’s Snapshots: Source Material of the Legendary Comic Artist (TIME.com) Brought to you by: To the Batpoles! podcast Our supporters on Patreon
22 min
Westron is about a private investigator who investigates crimes with supernatural elements. When a girl is murdered, he feels driven to solve the crime by the memory of a childhood friend who was killed. Tim and Jason look into the case of this comic by Shawn McBee, Maciej Jankowski, Nicolas Nieto, and Matia De Vincenzo! Westron on Kickstarter
1 hr 19 min
At last we complete our look at Alan Moore‘s Swamp Thing run, looking at Swampy’s battle with Gotham City, his seeming death, and his travels through space. Along the way, Tim and Kumar have totally different takes on a certain issue, and Tim finds a fact about it that scandalizes Kumar. Join us as we traverse The Saga of the Swamp Thing issues 51-64! What are those folks on Rann saying? Brought to you by: Checkered Past podcast Our supporters on Patreon
53 min
Typical of the Jack Kirby comics we’ve read from the 1970s, the 1977 Black Panther series is a wild ride. Issues 5 and 6 feature a city of samurai (apparently nowhere near Japan), a yeti (nowhere near the Himalayas), and a nuclear missile (which is far too close to Wakanda). Wait, did we say “Wakanda”?! At last the series is inching back to the familiar territory, literally and figuratively, of a Black Panther story! But first, Panther has to survive Abner Little‘s snafu in the Samurai City. Tim and Emmet are along for the ride. Brought to you by: Worst Collection Ever podcast Bat Bits podcast Our supporters on Patreon
56 min
Adam Tierney, writer of the recent hit one-shot Romeo and Juliet and Godzilla, is a video game writer who dabbles in comics as a hobby — and it’s looking like a very successful hobby! This week he talks to Tim about choosing who Godzilla would cross paths with in his Godzilla’s Monsterpiece Theatre issue, his love of horror and forthcoming horror comic for kids, how he got into video games, and more. Brought to you by: TV Tangents podcast Our supporters on Patreon
54 min
Jim Steranko’s Nick Fury stories from the late 1960s are lauded for the artwork, especially in the stories after Fury got out of Strange Tales and into his own book. The stories are wacky and kind of haphazard. The layouts are sometimes very innovative, but the storytelling is not always clear. Are these stories worth reading today? Tim and Kumar complete their review of Steranko’s Nick Fury. Also, we hear from some listeners, and Tim explains the history and mystery of our podcast feed! Brought to you by: Waxy Buildup podcast Our supporters on Patreon
50 min
FLASHBACK! Why read a biography of a fictional comics artist? What if it’s also a history of Singapore — done in a style that apes more than a dozen seminal 20th century comics creators? Tim and Kumar take a look at the awe-inspiring (yet sometimes puzzling) Sonny Liew graphic novel The Art of Charlie Chan Hock Chye. (Originally published May 8, 2017.) Brought to you by: Full Manga Alchemists Our supporters on Patreon
46 min
Black Panther continues his wild ride, courtesy of Jack Kirby — but filling a role that could have been played by virtually any character. With Abner Little and Princess Zanda, we see him fight various treasure protectors, drive an incredibly stylish ancient vehicle, take on a samurai who’s been transplanted to Africa, and more. Tim and Emmet try to keep up with the craziness. Brought to you by: Doomspeak podcast Our supporters on Patreon
52 min
Ian M is a Japan-based Canadian creator whose work we’ve discussed on this podcast before. His work is often about Japan, but not necessarily about himself. In The Blossoming City part one, he begins the story (presumably true?) about a community garden in Sapporo, in a story that he tells in a variety of cartooning styles. Tim and Adam discuss. Eric Paul Johnson is a podcaster who is publishing an archive of his since-discontinued comic strip Loon News: The Comic Strip! on Patreon. Tim and Emmet find that, while the art and lettering certainly improved over the years, perhaps the most notable thing about the strip is what it reveals about its author. Brought to you by: Face the Music ELO podcast Our supporters on Patreon
1 hr 15 min
FLASHBACK! We continue our look at Alan Moore’s 1980s run on Swamp Thing— a run in which the title character met werewolves and vampires (as Moore and co. found a new way to use these old tropes), as well as new character John Constantine. Moore was aided by artists Stephen Bissette, John Totleben, and Alfredo Acala, among others. Koom and newcomer Darrell Epp discuss issues 38-50. (Originally published January 30, 2019.) Brought to you by: Who’s Who podcast Our supporters on Patreon
1 hr 7 min
FLASHBACK! Even amidst the anything-goes craziness of the early Image years, Sam Kieth’s The Maxx was an outlier. While it included some superhero tropes, it wasn’t really a superhero book, nor was it like much of anything else on the market, then or now. While it definitely has its weaknesses, Kumar and Dana confirm this week that it was absolutely mind-blowing…and emotionally affecting. Marking Sam Kieth’s death on March 15, we re-present this episode. (Originally published May 28, 2012.) Brought to you by: The Quick and the Dad Our supporters on Patreon
49 min
Somehow it’s taken us 20 years of podcasting to get to Jim Steranko’s fabled run on Nick Fury: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. But is the early stuff really so fabled? There’s lots of action and it’s exciting, but don’t dare think about it too much, because the seat-of-the-pants plotting is all over the map, and the anatomy drawing sometimes leaves something to be desired. Still, as you go issue by issue, you start to see new ideas coming to him as he starts to innovate with Marvel’s Jack Kirby house style. Tim and Kumar discuss the “Fury” stories in Strange Tales 154-163. Brought to you by: Waxy Buildup podcast Our supporters on Patreon
1 hr 9 min
FLASHBACK! Due perhaps to the passage of time, poorly handled reprinting by DC, or some other reason, Alan Moore’s writing stint on Swamp Thing in the 1980s does not seem to get mentioned much today. Which is a shame, because it ranks with Moore’s best work. And the art by Stephen Bissette and John Totleben (and able fill-in artists) is worth the price of admission by itself, not to mention Tatjana Wood’s colors. Tim and Kumar had a blast reading the early issues of the run (#21-37) and are here to share the experience with you. (Originally published July 16, 2012.) Brought to you by: Full Manga Alchemists Our supporters on Patreon
54 min
We begin our look at Jack Kirby‘s Black Panther series from the 1970s, introducing a new Kirby character who’s a bit too similar to one who first appeared in Captain America! Panther has somehow gotten mixed up in the search for the mate to King Solomon’s Frog, an oddball time travel device. The mate is used to return people to their proper point in time. Tim and Emmet discuss the first two issues of the run and how Kirby’s Panther dialog just doesn’t seem quite right to the modern Marvel reader. Brought to you by: The Quick and the Dad Our supporters on Patreon
41 min
Sometimes, achieving your dream can be kind of a nightmare, even though it’s also rewarding. Claudia, in Katriona Chapman‘s latest graphic novel The Pass, has started her own restaurant and enjoys creating in the kitchen, but everything else that goes with it wears her down. The book gives us a peek at the ups and downs of running a restaurant and the relationships that form behind the scenes. Tim and Emmet review. Tim and Emmet on Katriona’s 2020 book Breakwater Kumar and Emmet discuss Dorohedoro Tim interviews Lucy Knisley Brought to you by: TV Tangents podcast Our supporters on Patreon
54 min
Inio Asano’s Goodnight Punpun gives us what appear to be a family of ghostly birds living in a much more realistic-looking world. People within that world don’t see them that way, though. It’s a world where authority figures act like ADHD kids, where every parent seems to be abusive or alcoholic (or both), and all seem to be fighting relentless depression. It’s well done, but is it worth reading? Tim and Kumar discuss the story, the weirdness, the varying concepts of God, Asano’s arguments with fans and with himself, and more. The Shima Kosaku bus Brought to you by: Face the Music ELO podcast Our supporters on Patreon
40 min
After “hunting” the Fantastic Four, the Black Panther reveals that he did it for practice, as he anticipated a battle against his father’s killer: Ulysses Klaw. Sure enough, Klaw shows up right on schedule, and the FF help Panther take him down. Tim and Emmet discuss Fantastic Four #53 by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby! Brought to you by: Checkered Past podcast Our supporters on Patreon
1 hr 37 min
At some point, the idea that some comics should be for adults took over to the extent that it became hard to find good comics for kids. Cartoonist Harold Buchholz was involved in starting an organization called Kids Love Comics that encourages making comics for kids and does events to hook the kids up with good comics aimed at them. Harold joins Tim this week to talk about that, as well as his involvement in Archie Comics and Mystery Science Theater 3000, and why he mostly sells comics at general events rather than comic cons! Harold’s Instagram (including Sweetest Beasts comics Robot Monster Comics Brought to you by: Worst Collection Ever podcast To the Batpoles! podcast Our supporters on Patreon
48 min
Sixty years ago, Stan Lee and Jack Kirby presided over the debut of the Black Panther in Fantastic Four #52. The story presents the expectations of the average American for stories about Africa (Jungles! Natives! Africa is a country, right?) and defies those expectations by showing a rich, technologically advanced African nation. This time, Tim and Emmet discuss the Panther’s debut. Brought to you by: Full Manga Alchemists Our supporters on Patreon
48 min
Jimmy Gownley is the award-winning creator of Amelia Rules, Tanner Rocks, The Dumbest Idea Ever, and more, as well as a co-host of the Unpacking Peanuts podcast. This time, he talks with Tim about why the earliest stuff sells the best (never mind how much his art has improved since then), ergonomics, putting comics on Substack for free, and, of course, Peanuts! Brought to you by: Doomspeak podcast Our supporters on Patreon
58 min
FLASHBACK! One of the most acclaimed Marvel runs of the 1980s was by Walt Simonson on The Mighty Thor. He began writing and drawing it with #337, continued through to #367 (with a quick break in the middle), then gave up art duties but continued writing through #382. This run set aside Dr. Don Blake, focused on mythical threats rather than earthly ones, and injected some humor into what had sometimes been a fairly dry, dour book. Tim and Kumar look back to assess this important run. (Originally published June 26, 2019.) Brought to you by: Who’s Who podcast Our supporters on Patreon
41 min
A love triangle. One member feels jilted and goes off the deep end. A gun is involved. Tim and Adam talk about the thriller Lovers Quarrel by Rob Capili, Ikos Karimlan, and Joy Mateo. Lovers Quarrel Kickstarter Buy the book on Amazon.com Meanwhile, Digital Bardos has returned! Hippie “digital god” Darren is selling the people on a technology that puts their minds in endless bliss while their bodies are used for slave labor. It’s all the rage, but Darren’s own son isn’t digging the scene. Tim and Jason discuss the new installment of King Klaus’s series. Download Digital Bardos #1 for free! Digital Bardos #2 Kickstarter launching soon Support victims of the Aussie bushfires Brought to you by: The Quarter-Bin podcast Our supporters on Patreon
50 min
Ed Subitzky did a lot of cartooning for National Lampoon back in the ‘70s and ‘80s. Much of his work revolves around comics done under certain conditions or showing a certain situation (“Fortune-Telling Comics” “Dull Comics” “Poor Reception Comics”). Neither Kumar nor Tim were familiar with his work until picking up the collection Poor Helpless Comics! The cartoons (and more) of Ed Subitzky, but now that they’ve read it, this episode features their thoughts. Brought to you by: The Quick and the Dad Our supporters on Patreon
1 hr 21 min
While it seems a bit odd to see Captain America fighting Magneto, they do have something in common: Jack Kirby had a hand in creating both! The battle takes place in Captain America Annual #4, from 1977; the story is titled “The Great Mutant Massacre” — but no, not that one. It’s an X-men – adjacent story with some very Kirbyesque bizarre concepts. Tim and Emmet discuss, and also look back at the experience of reading all this 1970s Jack Kirby-penned Cap. Brought to you by: Waxy Buildup podcast Our supporters on Patreon
–
0 ratings from members
Rate this podcast
Log in to rate and review the shows you listen to.
No reviews yet — be the first member to rate "Deconstructing Comics".
This podcast, its content and its artwork are not owned by, affiliated with, or endorsed by Castquire.
Keep listening
Up next
