Critiquing Comics #168: David Dye interview

In our December 25 episode, we reviewed two more comics from David Dye. While we’ve generally been very positive about his work, there was one bit that Mulele called “Racist AF” and Tim was also uncomfortable with (see below). David’s email in response to the episode made clear to us that the intent wasn’t racist… but then, what was it?

To find out, we invited David on our show, and he joins us from his home in Australia to discuss where his portrayal of space-terrorists went sideways, and to talk about his comics career so far.

#647 Tom Spurgeon Remembered

Tom Spurgeon remembered

Tom Spurgeon, a comics advocate, historian, and journalist, passed away on November 13, 2019. Tom was a frequent guest on this podcast, and had a huge impact on comics in general. In this episode, Tim and Kumar discuss his effect on the comics industry and his appearances on DCP. Then, Tim talks to three people who knew him well:

New York memorial for Tom on January 24

Comics Journal obit for Tom

Sequential Tart‘s interview with Tom and Dan from 2001

Tom’s appearances on our show:

#644 Bob Budiansky

Bob Budiansky

 

 

Bob Budiansky was a writer, artist, and editor for Marvel in the 1980s and ’90s, after starting out majoring in civil engineering. How did that change of direction come about, and how did his civil engineering background help him write Transformers comics? In this episode, he talks to Koom about that plus the origins of Circuit Breaker, his feelings looking back on his years at Marvel, and more.

#643 Ann Nocenti

Ann Nocenti

Ann Nocenti is a journalist and filmmaker who also has had quite a career in comics. She wrote Daredevil for several years and created the character of Typhoid Mary. In this interview with Koom, she talks about why writing ol’ horn head was difficult for her at first, and why she created Typhoid Mary, as well as her two new comics “Ruby Falls” and “The Seeds.”

#642 Klaus Janson and “Sacred Creatures”

Klaus Jansen and "Sacred Creatures"

Klaus Janson has a long and storied career, working for both Marvel and DC as a writer, penciller, and inker, including some famous collaborations with Frank Miller and John Romita Jr. His latest series, Sacred Creatures, is a creator-owned collaboration with artist Pablo Raimondi. In this extended-length episode, he tells Koom about the ideas explored in the new series, and shares musings on the artistic process.

#640 Kristin Tipping

Evil Witch Allie

This week, Critiquing Comics favorite Kristin Tipping talks about the background to Evil Witch Allie and A Book for Sad Pets. Why did her art style change on Evil Witch Allie, and why did volume two seem more confident than volume one? Why is the tone of A Book for Sad Pets so desperate? Plus, her experience in going to school to make comics, and more.

#639 Fionnuala Doran talks “Roger Casement” and more

Roger Casement

Roger Casement is known in the UK and Ireland as a British diplomat who joined the Irish Nationalists and, in 1916, was convicted of treason and executed. But the rest of the world is less familiar with his name. Enter Fionnuala Doran, who has released a graphic novel about him called The Trial of Roger Casement. In this episode, she talks with Emmet about the book, its protagonist, and the issues surrounding him, as well as some chat about Preacher and the new status quo in the X-men books.

#636 Dan Mishkin on “Warren Report,” “Amazon Academy,” and Ernie Colon

Warren Commission Report

In part two of Tim’s interview with longtime comics writer Dan Mishkin, Dan talks about writing Warren Commission Report: A Graphic Investigation into the Kennedy Assassination with artists Ernie Colon and Jerzy Drozd; explores the reasons for Marvel’s breakout success in the 1960s, and compares working for DC vs working for Marvel; explains the concept of his web comic with Jerzy Drozd, Amazon Academy; and remembers working with the late Ernie Colon.

#635 Dan Mishkin talks “Amethyst”

Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld

Dan Mishkin has worked on many different superhero properties, especially for DC — big names such as Batman and Wonder Woman, as well as characters that he helped to create, such as Blue Devil and Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld. Tim has been reading the original 1983 Amethyst series, and in part one of his talk with Dan, we get some of the background on the series: the development of the idea, the intended audience, death in the series, why the second series came to be, Amy Winston’s unpublished Jewish backstory, and, if Dan could do Amethyst again, would he do anything differently?

#632 Johnny O’Bryant’s Noir Caesar

Pro basketballer Johnny O’Bryant has long been a fan of manga. But he wanted to see manga-type stories showing people of other races, with characters he could more closely identify with. So he created comics publisher Noir Caesar and hired creators to make his vision happen. Tim and Mulele talk with Johnny about balancing his two careers, his story ideas, and what’s coming next. Then, we read some of the comics and find out what the fuss is about.

See the Primus 7 video trailer