#301 Gerry Alanguilan

ElmerWhat would happen if chickens suddenly gained human intelligence? Gerry Alanguilan‘s take on this idea bears little resemblance to, oh say, Foghorn Leghorn. “Funny animal” comics it ain’t! Kumar talks to Gerry about his graphic novel Elmer, along with his earlier work Wasted, and the Philippine comics scene.

Critiquing Comics 012: “Mythica”

MysticaA brand new Web comic fresh out of the gate, Mythica starts out in Belgium in 1914, then jumps to a flashback. Tim and Mulele suggest flashing back to the development process of this comic, because the creators’ prep for this project leaves something to be desired…

REVIEW: The Man Who Loved Breasts

by Robert Goodin

Top Shelf Productions, 2008

This week I was going to review either this or Lady Death Origins Annual #1. I chose this one, but both books are about breasts. I was a bit surprised that one of the two was even published, but it’s not the one you think.

Continue reading REVIEW: The Man Who Loved Breasts

#300 Love & Rockets: Jaime Hernandez

L&R JaimeThe series Love & Rockets, featuring individual works by the Hernandez brothers, started in 1981 as a self-published magazine, but was quickly picked up by Fantagraphics. Over the last 30 years, the brothers’ work has continued to develop & astound. This week Tim and Kumar take a look at the Love & Rockets work of Jaime Hernandez, with special guest (and former Fantagraphics employee) Tom Spurgeon!

Critiquing Comics 011: “Z-Blade XX”

Z-Blade XXA couple months ago on Deconstructing Comics, Tim talked to Reed Greenfield, creator of Z-Blade XX. This week, Tim and Mulele read and critique the first issue…uh, sorry, Reed, better hold on to your hat!

#299 Detroit Metal City vs. Metalocalypse Dethklok

Krauser and NathanThe @#$%ing Death Metal showdown that had to happen! It’s Kiminori Wakasugi’s Detroit Metal City versus Metalocalypse Dethklok created by Brendan Small, in our most explicit episode ever! How is is possible for TWO Death Metal comedy franchises to suddenly appear at the same time?! Thanks to the flimsy pretext of a Dethklok licenced comic finally being published, Kumar and newcomer-to-the-show Dana discuss Metal, the @#$% joke filled DMC manga, Metal, the @#$% joke-free DMC live-action movie, and Metal; compared with the Dethklok TV show and comic (including Dethklok vs The Goon, written and drawn by Eric Powell), and Metal. Plus: how censoring yourself is totally @#$%ing UN-Metal!! @#$% on!!

Critiquing Comics 010: “Periphery”

PeripheryPeriphery is an anthology comic published by Omaha Perez Press, the first issue of which came out in 2004. Which doesn’t stop Tim & Mulele from digging it up and critiquing all the stories in it!

Periphery at San Diego Comicon 2004

REVIEW: “The Horned God”

from Savage Sword of Conan #162

story by Charles Dixon, art by Jorge Zaffino

Marvel Comics, July 1989.

I’m not really even going to review this comic. I’m just going to talk about comics in general.

Every once in a while I hear people talking about the writing and art in comics as completely separate entities. I always snicker to myself and think that you simply can’t do that because in comics the art IS the story and the story IS the art. In comics you read the art. You can’t rate the story a “7” and the art a “3.” They are the same thing. You have to rate the COMIC a “7” or a “3” or whatever. Continue reading REVIEW: “The Horned God”

MAKING COMICS: TOOLS (PART I)

Welcome back! Did you all do your homework? Did you check out Scott McCloud’s book, Making Comics? Hmm? I’m going to have to call your mothers and check in on you—make sure you’re consuming a healthy comics diet. We’ll get to that in a minute.

NEWS

It’s been a long week, and there continue to be exciting things happening in the comic world, including the passing of Steve Jobs—a visionary who has made sharing comics on our digital devices possible. Little Island Comics (the first kids’ comic book store in North America) is now officially open, and getting great reviews. The second installment of Emily Carroll’s 5-part mini comic Margot’s Room is live on her blog, and will continue until the last week of October. Craig Thompson’s Habibi has spread like wildfire, igniting reviews, conversations, and presentations at APE, the Cartoon Art Museum, and bookstores across the U.S. DC’s reboot has caused quite a stir, losing some faithful readers and gaining some new ones. Comic anthologies such as Aftershock: Artists Respond to Disaster in Japan, and Cartoonists Against Bullying (still looking for more comics submissions, btw), are providing aid to victims of disasters and bullying. It’s an exciting time for comics—both for reading and making them.

Continue reading MAKING COMICS: TOOLS (PART I)