Comics Alternative

This week Andy and Derek return with another special Publisher Spotlight episode, this one devoted to Vertigo. Although the Two Guys with PhDs demonstrate superhuman abilities when tackling a variety of titles, it’s obvious that they cannot cover all of Vertigo’s history and output. Instead, they have decided to focus on the most recent wave of comics coming out from the imprint. This includes the many titles that have been released since the summer and in the wake of Karen Berger’s departure. Derek and Andy discuss the significance of these latest releases, what they suggest about the possible direction of the imprint, and how these comics fit within the larger history of Vertigo. The recent series that the Two Guys discuss include The Wake, 100 Bullets: Brother Lono, FBP: Federal Bureau of Physics, the new Astro City series, Trillium, Tom Strong and the Planet of Peril, Sandman: Overture, Hinterkind, Coffin Hill, and the new anthology The Witching Hour. They also focus on the narrative trajectories of some

On this Comics Alternative interview show, Gene and Derek talk with Jeremy Whitley, the writer of the Eisner Award-nominated Princeless series and the outgoing Director of Marketing at Action Lab Comics. Jeremy talks with the Two Guys about the genesis of Princeless, his upcoming work on My Little Pony for IDW, the place of all-age comics, and the representation of women — especially in its impact on girls and younger women — in comics today. He also shares his experiences in marketing for Action Lab over the years, as well as his hopes for his new role as the publisher’s Education Outreach Director. All in all, Gene and Derek have a great time talking with Jeremy about his work as a creator and his efforts behind the scenes at Action Lab.

It’s the first of the month, so it’s time for the Two Guys with PhDs to look through the latest Previews catalog. Plus, Andy’s back on the podcast, so there’s a lot for him and Derek to catch up on. After Andy re-acclimates to the world of podcastdom, the guys plunge into the November solicits. They discuss upcoming titles such as Bad Blood #1, Serenity: Firefly Class 03-K64 – Leaves on the Wind #1, and Gasoline Alley, Vol. 1: The Complete Sundays 1920-1922 (Dark Horse); Showcase Presents: Men of War and The Unwritten, Vol. 2: Apocalypse #1 (DC/Vertigo); Basil Wolverton’s Weird Worlds: Artist’s Edition and Rio: The Complete Collection (IDW Publishing); Deadly Class #1 and Minimum Wage #1 (Image); the rerelease of the original Miracleman (Marvel); recent Archie comics; Revelations #1, Curse #1, and Hacktivist #1 (BOOM! Studios/Archaia); The Original Johnson Omnibus (Comicmix); The Twilight Zone #1 and Legenderry #1 (Dynamite Entertainment); Ant Colony (Drawn and Quarterly); Prison Pit, Book 5 and Nothing Eve (

For the first in this new feature, the Two Guys with PhDs are proud to have as a guest comics legend Kim Deitch. His new book, The Amazing, Enlightening and Absolutely True Adventures of Katherine Whaley, was just published by Fantagraphics, and Tof and Derek begin their conversation by asking him about the genesis of the project. Kim reveals the history of Katherine Whaley, its links to “The Sunshine Girl” (in Deitch’s Pictorama) and The Search for Smilin’ Ed (both by Fantagraphics), and his fascination with early twentieth-century film and popular music. Along the way, they discuss some of Kim’s characters that recur in Katherine Whaley, some that do not (most notably, Waldo), the evolution of Kim’s art style, his fascination with storytelling, his strategies for keeping the creative juices flowing, and the inside scoop on Kim’s next book project. All in all, it’s a wonderful way to begin the new Comics Alternative Interviews feature!

The Two Guys with PhDs Talking about Comics return with their 2013 Halloween Special! In this episode, Gene and Derek discuss a variety of this year’s Halloween special issues, very recent horror titles, and series annuals themed to the season. (We know, we know…Halloween Classics: Graphic Classics, Vol. 23 came out in 2012, but we weren’t able to discuss this book last year, so we wanted to be sure we did so this time around.) They cover a lot of ground, highlighting as many new Halloween titles as they can, recommending most with a severed thumbs up. The titles they discuss include: Halloween Classics: Graphic Classics, Vol. 23, by various artists (Eureka Productions); Afterlife with Archie, by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and Francesco Francavilla (Archie Comics); Adventure Time 2013 Spooktacular, by various artists (Kaboom!); Herobear and the Kid 2013 Annual, by Mike Kunkel (Kaboom!); Hellraiser 2013 Annual, by Clive Barker, Brandon Siefert, Ben Meares, Jesús Hervás, and Janusz Ordon (Boom! Studios); Grimm Fair

This week the Two Guys with PhDs review Seth’s Palookaville #21 (Drawn and Quarterly) and The Fox #1, by Dean Haspiel and Mark Waid (Red Circle Comics). They begin by providing a primer on Palookaville and the 16-year run (so far) of the serialized Clyde Fans. They spend a good amount of time talking about the latest installment of Clyde Fans, part four, and then move on to the two overtly autobiographical sections of this issue of Palookaville: “Rubber Stamp Diary” and “Nothing Lasts, Part One.” Both Gene and Derek are fascinated with the very concept of the former, using specially designed rubber stamps to keep an illustrated diary. And they are bowled over by “Nothing Lasts,” a section from one of Seth’s sketchbooks and a better story than most people’s finished comics. Next they turn their critical eyes to Haspiel and Waid’s The Fox, a new superhero title for Archie Comic’s Red Circle imprint. (Yes, we know that The Comics Alternative doesn’t focus on superhero comics, but this first issue is a notable an

To celebrate this year’s Halloween ComicFest, the Two Guys with PhDs (talking about comics) paid another visit to Collected Comics in Plano, your one-stop-shop for everything thrilling and chilling! Gene and Derek were joined by Collected’s co-owner Brent Irwin, comics artist and friend of the show, Andy Hirsch, and Andy’s “Bob’s Burgers” companion, Natalie Khan. It was truly a ghoulish experience, made more so by the mayhem surrounding everyone during the podcast recording. Amongst crowds of customers, face-painted patrons, kids with loud toys, and Yu-Gi-Oh card players breaking tables, the Two Guys and their guests talked about the free Halloween ComicFest comics, recent horror-related titles, Andy’s work on Adventure Time and Regular Show comics, the experience of watching Saturday morning cartoons in the ’70s and ’80s, comics and library community outreach efforts, contentious definitions of the “graphic novel,” Dell and Gold Key TV show-based comics, Gene’s challenge to keep up with new weekly comics, an

This week Gene and Derek review two new books (both translations from the French) and the first issue of a new series. They begin with David Prudhomme’s Rebetiko (SelfMadeHero), a narrative centered around a day in the lives of five rebetes, musicians who were a part of the Greek folk music subculture in the 1920s and 1930s. The characters are outcasts, living on the fringe because of their love of rebetiko — often called “Greek blues” — and treated as immoral influences. Prudhomme uses the music and the lifestyle as a structuring device for his narrative. The Two Guys then turn to Pachyderme (SelfMadeHero), Frederik Peeter’s surreal, dreamlike story of a woman who is searching — searching for her husband, whom she believes to have been in an accident; searching for her young female piano student, who elicits in her some sort of hidden passion; and searching for her own sense of self as a fully realized woman. The result is a free-flowing, associative story that seems to turn back on itself and resists closur

It’s time once again for our monthly on-location show at Collected Comics in Plano, TX. This month the discussion theme is horror comics, a perfect topic for the Halloween season. On this show, Derek is joined once again by Shea Hennum as well as the shop’s assistant manager, Freddy Rick, the resident expert on all things horror. (Another store employee, Sabrina, even makes a brief vocal appearance on the podcast, sharing her uncanny love of vikings and cheese.) Among the many horror titles they discuss are The Walking Dead, Hellboy, Rachel Rising, EC’s New Trend line from the 1950s (including Tales From the Crypt, The Haunt of Fear and The Vault of Horror), Revival, Weird War Tales, Richard Corben’s Edgar Allan Poe adaptations, Swamp Thing, Hack/Slash, Locke and Key, almost anything by Steve Niles, and the pre-Code comics that Craig Yoe collects in his many volumes. So get your freaky fright on for this ghoulish installment of The Comics Alternative podcast!

This week on The Comics Alternative podcast, Derek and Gene review Paul Pope’s Battling Boy (First Second), Geof Darrow’s Shaolin Cowboy #1 (Dark Horse), and Brandon Montclare and Amy Reeder’s Rocket Girl #1 (Image). The Two Guys with PhDs begin with Battling Boy, placing it within the larger context of Paul Pope’s body of work — seeing similar themes, stylistic flair, characterization, and tone found in comics such as 100%, Heavy Liquid, and THB – and also reading it in light of other First Second publications. Both are fascinated by what Pope is doing in this all-age (?) superhero (?) sci-fi narrative, and they are eagerly anticipating the next installment of the story, The Rise of Aurora West. Gene brings keen insights not only to the metaficational aspects of Battling Boy, but also Pope’s use of lettering and font choices. The Two Guys are not in the same kind of agreement with Shaolin Cowboy. Derek feels that it’s one of the most visually intriguing, and funniest, comic books of the year, while Gene want

This week on The Comics Alternative, Gene Kannenberg, Jr. joins Derek to talk about the many great finds in the October Previews. They begin by looking at some of the offerings coming up soon for Halloween ComicFest 2013, then they get into the nitty gritty of this month’s catalog.  Among the many titles they highlight are 47 Ronin and Breath of Bones (Dark Horse), Dead Boy Detectives #1 and The Invisibles Deluxe Edition, Book One (DC/Vertigo), Richard Stark’s Parker: Slayground and The Illegitimates #1 (IDW), The Saviors #1 and The Complete Multiple Warheads, Vol. 1 (Image), Where Bold Stars Go to Die (Slave Labor Graphics), The Wonderful World of Lisa Simpson #1 (Bongo Comics), The Midas Flesh #1 (BOOM! Studios), Susceptible and Trove Jansson’s Moomin books (Drawn and Quarterly), The Blighted Eye and Sucker Bait and Other Stories (Fantagraphics), The Fifth Essence Part Two: Planet Difool (Humanoids), The Best of Wonder Wart-Hog (Knockabout Comics), Diesel Sweeties: Bacon Is a Vegetable, Coffee Is a Vitamin

Another Dallas Comic Con was held this past weekend, October 4-6, at the Irving Convention Center. Derek was there looking through comics, taking in the sights, and talking with a variety of creators and publishers. He recorded his conversations, and you’ll find the fruits of his labor in this new episode. This con was filled wtih celebrities, cosplayers, and comics sellers, but Derek headed straight for the people who are actually the heart and soul of the event: the writers, artists, and publishers of comics. While on the floor Derek was able to get brief interviews with Joe Eisma, Cary Nord, Robert Wilson IV, Josh Howard, Andy Hirsch, Richard Dominguez, Michael Golden, Steve Niles, and comics legend Neal Adams. He also took the time to engage with folks at several independent publishers such as Terror Comics (where you can find Life Is Brutal and Thought Nog), Overground Comics (home of Absent Captain and Graduate), Space Gun Studios (publishers of The Old Ones and Dash Bradley), Comic Book Divas (with Mis

This week on The Comics Alternative, Tof once again joins Derek to talk about comics, and this time they’re reviewing new books by David B. – Black Paths (SelfMadeHero) and Incidents in the Night, Book 1 (Uncivilized Books) — and issue #1 of God Is Dead by Jonathan Hickman, Mike Costa, and Di Amorim (Avatar). The Two Guys with PhDs begin by discussing David B.’s surreal and idiosyncratic style, and how that style manifests itself in his two most recent books. First they look at Black Paths and how David B. uses history,  the Italian poet Gabriele D’Annunzio and the ill-fated Free State of Fiume, as a scaffolding for his story. Tof and Derek also highlight the various narrative connections between that book and Incidents in the Night, pointing out the creator’s penchant for interlinking his narratives though iconic markers. They talk in-depth about David B.’s surrealistic style, his “flat” or two-dimensional art, and the dream-like world where most of his stories take place. Next, the Two Guys turn to the firs

This week on The Comics Alternative, the Two Guys with PhDs feature another “Creator Spotlight” episode, this one focused on the works of Dash Shaw. Tof Eklund joins Derek in discussing and defining a truly unique presence in comics, an artist whose work has been evolving over the past decade. They begin by looking at Shaw’s most recent works, the comic book 3 Stories and the brand new graphic novel, New School (both from Fantagraphics). Tof and Derek note the distinctive visual style of these books — with their heavy linework and their prominent reliance on color, patterns, and background images — and how they differ greatly from most of Shaw’s previous comics. Next they turn their attention to some of Shaw’s earlier works published by Fantagraphics, such as BodyWorld (Tof’s favorite Dash Shaw book), Bottomless Belly Button (Derek’s favorite), The Unclothed Man in the 35th Century AD (which includes previously published short comics, including the pieces included the quarterly anthology, Mome), as well as hi

It’s time again for the Two Guys with PhDs to head back to Lone Star Comics in Plano, TX, for their monthly on-location show. However, this month it is not Lone Star Comics they are visiting, but Collected Comics. That’s right, Collected bought out the Plano store, so although the Two Guys are at the same physical location, they are now doing their show from a different store. This time around, Derek is joined by one of the co-owners of Collected, Brent Erwin, along with Rick Cromack (the store’s manager), and Comics Alternative mainstay, Shea Hennum (Andy couldn’t be on this episode). This is the second of the two science fiction shows that they had planned: one to open the summer (the June on-location show) and another to wrap it up. On this episode, everyone begins by discussing some of their favorite sci-fi comics, along with some of the favorites that the listeners contributed. They also find time to talk about the various science fiction blockbuster films of the summer, various sci-fi televisions progra

This week on The Comics Alternative podcast, Derek is joined by Lan Dong, and the two of them discuss Gene Luen Yang’s new two-volume set, Boxers and Saints (First Second), as well as Adrian Tomine’s Optic Nerve #13 (Drawn and Quarterly). The Two (Guys?) with PhDs begin by briefly discussing the book that Yang is most known for, American Born Chinese, and then they segue into the new works and how Boxers and Saints differ in terms of theme, scope, and narrative approach.  They point out the historical nature of the books and the ways in which Yang fictionalizes the Boxer Uprising. Along the way they discuss the work’s two-text structure, the differences between the books’ themes and perspectives, the gendered and religious differences between the two volumes, and Yang’s aesthetic approach to both. Then Lan and Derek move on to the latest issue of Adrian Tomine’s foundational series, Optic Nerve. They do so by way of issue #12, which came out two years ago, drawing parallels between that issue and the latest o

It’s that time again to flip through the pages of the Previews catalog, and this week Derek is joined by Bob Bretall of ComicSpectrum to discuss the offerings in the September Previews (Andy couldn’t make it for this episode). Among the many titles they highlight are Clown Fatale, S.H.O.O.T. First, EC Archives: The Vault of Horrors Vol. 3 (Dark Horse), The Planetary Omnibus, Creature Commandos, The Sandman: Overture Special Edition, DMZ Deluxe Edition Book One, FBP: Federal Beureau of Physics (DC/Vertigo), The Maxx: Maxximized, Doctor Who: Prisoners of Time, Triple Helix (IDW), Black Science, Umbral, Alex + Ada, Strangeways, Five Ghosts (Image), Princeless Encore Edition, Pirate Eye: Iron Bars, Wretched Tales (Action Lab), Lunita (Amigo Comics), The Joyners in 3D (Arachaia), Afterlife with Archie (Archie Comics), Soulfire (Aspen Comics), Absolution: Rubicon (Avatar Press), Shahrazad (Big Dog Ink), Beautiful Darkness (Drawn and Quarterly), Maria M. Book One, Pretty in Ink: North American Women Cartoonists 1896

This week on The Comics Alternative the Two Guys with PhDs discuss Rocketeer comics. In fact, it’s an all-Rocketeer episode, from the Dave Stevens material to the most recent manifestation with The Spirit. So come put on your jodhpurs, strap on your jet pack, and get ready to take off as Andy and Derek try their best to cover the full range of Rocketeer titles – a formidable task, indeed – beginning at the beginning with Dave Steven’s groundbreaking Rocketeer stories, the mulit-creator collections Rocketeer Adventures vol. 1 and Rocketeer Adventures vol. 2, Mark Waid and Chris Samnee’s The Rocketeer: Cargo of Doom, Roger Langridge and J. Bone’s The Rocketeer: Hollywood Horror, and Mark Waid and Paul Smith’s most recent Rocketeer story, The Rocketeer and The Spirit: Pulp Friction (all published by IDW). This episode it chocked full of that nougaty goodness we have come to know as Cliff Secord and his posse. Plus, lots of Betty talk. What’s not to like?

The Two Guys with PhDs are back at Lone Star Comics in Plano, and this month they are talking about all-age comics.  Joining them is Lone Star employee Shea Hennum and special guest Andy Hirsch, artist of such comics as Garfield, Peanuts, Regular Show, The Royal Historian of Oz, and an upcoming issue of Adventure Time.  The conversation is engaging, and the camaraderie is more dynamic than humanly possible. Come listen to the fun as everyone discusses the philosophy of all-age comics, the definitions of “all-age” and “young reader” comics, the joys of Adventure Time, the centrality of Archie and Richie Rich, and the reality of having to bleep Andy K’s language on an episode devoted to all-age comics.  Plus, Andy K says “I’m playing with it right now” during the show.  We’re dearly sorry about this, listeners. Parents: email your complaints to Andy K directly.

This week on The Comics Alternative Andy and Derek celebrate their one-year anniversary!  The podcast began one year ago this month — August 1, 2012, was the inaugural episode — and the Two Guys with PhDs mark the event by doing what they do best: bringing you insightful commentary on upcoming titles and comics news. Most of this episode is devoted to the August Previews catalog, but Andy and Derek also discuss the significance of the podcast’s mission, their plans for future shows, the August Comics Alternative giveaway, and the various correspondences they have recently received. Regarding the latter, they respond to an email from Jackie Estrada, an administrator for the Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, concerning last week’s roundtable discussion on SDCC and the Eisners. The Two Guys address the administrator’s concerns, apologize for certain oversights, and place last week’s comments within a larger context (including their previous conversations on the 2013 Eisner Award nominees). There is a lot packed