Category: self-publishing

Critiquing Comics #160: “Shika-Machi Journals” & “Garage Band”

Shika-machi Journals and Garage Band

In this episode, we discuss:

  • The Shika-Machi Journals, by Victor Edison. The start of his comics history of the Japanese town where he lives starts out with Japanese creation myth. What do we think of his retelling of these stories?
  • Garage Band, by Jason D and Celia Tian. The beautifully-drawn story of three …unlikeable teenagers.

Plus: Of course we have to publicize our comics, podcasts, and so on, and our crowdfunding for them. But when does all-out self-promotion become off-putting?

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#625 Crowdfunding comics!

Kickstarters

Comics are booming on Kickstarter.com, and this week Tim talks to three who have turned to it multiple times to get their comics out to fans:

  • 01:30 Ron Randall has just launched his latest campaign, to fund the next volume of his long-running series Trekker.
  • 22:23 Arledge Comics’ Natalie Cooper explains how the publisher crowdfunds nearly everything it publishes! Its current campaign is for an anthology of Shakespeare-themed comics.
  • 33:39 Kelly Tindall, creator of the web comic Strangebeard, explains the challenges of duplicating your first project’s success.

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Critiquing Comics #156: “Off Girl” and “Sneaky Goblins”

Off Girl and Sneaky Goblins

Julia finds that, when she reaches sexual climax, men die. Off Girl, by Tina Fine and Mark Reihill, chronicles her quest for a non-lethal lay, to understand what is causing this problem, and (we’re told) become a superhero. But some storytelling problems are keeping us from getting off on this comic…

Dank, the goblin, flunks out of assassin school, answers an ad for an assassin, and is hired to be… a thief (although one who kills a lot). Rene Pfitzner’s Sneaky Goblins is well-drawn and interesting, but can we sympathize with the main character?

Tim and Mulele discuss both. And, will Tim catch up on the MCU?

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Critiquing Comics #154: “Some Strange Disturbances” and Tim sees a Marvel movie!

Strange Disturbances & Capt Marvel

This time, we diverge from the normal format and discuss a variety of topics:

1:17 Writer Craig Hurd-McKenny sent us three of his LGBTQ+-friendly comics, and we discuss them all: The Magic If (art by Gervasio, Melisa Jones, and Tyler Smith-Owings), The Brontes: Infernal Angria (art by Rick Geary), and Some Strange Disturbances (art by Gervasio, Carlos Aon, and Tyler Smith-Owings).

32:16 In Deconstructing Comics last week, Tim talked to some comics retailers in Chicago about the state of the industry. Tim and Mulele react to the retailers’ comments.

55:17 Tim talks about the movies he saw during his visit to the U.S.: Captain Marvel, Dumbo, and Shazam!

1:26:53 We read mail from creators whose comics we’ve discussed in past episodes.

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#623 Remembering Ed; Asking retailers

Chicago Ed, Retailers

When someone you know, someone who had an impact on your life, leaves us too soon, it can be tough to process. Struggling to accept the 2017 death of comics creator and all-around renaissance man Ed Siemienkowicz (who appeared in DCP episodes 227 and 393) at age 43, Tim spent part of his recent visit to Chicago meeting some of Ed’s friends and family, to commiserate and share memories — and check the progress of Ed’s comic that his friends are finishing for him.

Also, Tim talks to Hamster Rage creator Brian Crowley about his ongoing Kickstarter and the state of the U.S. comics industry, and visits three Chicago comics retailers to see how healthy the comics market seems from their perspective, and how it could be better.

Challengers Comics

Graham Crackers Comics

G-mart Comics

Ed’s cousin Kristen, drawing group friend Garry Vettori, sister Renee, brother Bob, Tim, aunt Carol, online gaming friend Darrell Degreve

Tim, Kristen, Carol, Brian Crowley

Ed carved this Cesar Romero Joker into cardboard, and then spray-painted it green!

Ed with a bus he designed when he was employed by the Golf Channel.

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Critiquing Comics #153: “The Sequels” and “Metaphorical HER”

The Sequals and Metaphorical HER

That special, ’80s-movie moment in your life: What if you could bring it back? Writer Norm Harper and artists Val Halvorson and Bobby Timony explore this question in The Sequels #1: Curcuit Boarders.

Metaphorical HER, by writer James Maddox and artist David Stoll, is a comic employing eye-catching visual metaphors and exploring the world of poetry. Why is there hardly any poetry in it? Tim thinks Mulele’s got it figured out. Together they critique both books.

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Critiquing Comics #152: “Monogatari”

Monogatari

This time we look at the second anthology from Tokyo Collective, called Monogatari. The title is Japanese for “story” and is made up of words meaning “thing” and “talk about,” and the stories in this book do indeed talk about things —  things that are found in Tokyo. We discuss our favorites, and others that we found less compelling.

Also: Are America’s Big Two comics companies headed for a cliff? We look at recent articles by Matt McGloin on Marvel and DC‘s business woes, and consider what it might mean if the Big Two went under.

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Critiquing Comics #148: Tokyo comics shows 2018, pt 2

CAT and Kaigai pt 2

Tim and Mulele discuss more of the comics they picked up at the recent comics events in Tokyo, Comic Art Tokyo and Kaigai Manga Festa.

2:49 The Pig Sleep by Cory McCallum and Matthew Daley
16:26 Alethia chapter one by Kristina Stipetic
22:29 Square Comix #17 by Ian M

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Critiquing Comics #147: Tokyo comics shows 2018, pt 1

Comics from CAT and Kaigai 2018 pt 1

In this episode, Tim and Mulele discuss some comics they picked up at the recent comics events in Tokyo, Comic Art Tokyo and Kaigai Manga Festa.

2:05 Cicada by Shaun Tan
7:49 A Ticket to Nowhere by Nunumi
16:27 Detective Jones books by Felipe Kolb Bernardes
20:02 Mad Girl by Natalie Andrewson

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Critiquing Comics 146: “Alex” and “Undetermined”

Alex & Undetermined

Alex is a Webtoons comic about the life of Alexander the Great, by Dave Malley. How much were we able to learn about the comic’s subject?

Andrew Perry and Chris Holmes’ Undetermined centers on a middle-school boy, Robert, who is running into people – including himself — from other dimensions, and they’re getting injured by his actions. What’s going on, and what can Robert do to solve the problem?

Tim and Mulele critique.

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