Deconstructing Comics Podcast, published every Monday, features comics creator discussion and comics reviews.
Chad Bilyeu’s Chad in Amsterdam series has been a favorite of ours on our Critiquing Comics spinoff show. In this episode, Chad talks to Tim about what it’s like living in Amsterdam, how he puts together his comic, and what’s coming up next from him!
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
This time our comic is Miskatonic High, by Mike Shea and Ryan Mendoza. The comic features high school students who have creepy adventures. If you’re into H.P. Lovecraft, you’ve probably recognized that this comic is referencing his work. Does the comic do enough to bring the non-Lovecraft-fan onboard?
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
A couple of past guests return to the show with new material! Mike Baron, best known as writer of the Nexus series, talks about his comedy graphic novel (with artist Todd Mulrooney) Florida Man, and Jason McNamara has reunited with artist Greg Hinkle for a slightly creepy comedy series, Nocturnal Commissions. Both writers share with Tim their thoughts about crowdfunding (which was the publishing mechanism for both comics), story writing, and the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on fiction writing.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
This time we look at some of the latest work by one of our favorites, David Dye: The forthcoming Bush Fire, and two stories written by Roger Stitson, Tales of the Blue Sage and Cut Down.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Many of us have dreamed of getting paid to make comics. Except in rare cases, working in American comics means being a freelancer. While a creative career can be rewarding, there are plenty of downsides, too.
First, there are the day-to-day problems. Tim talks to Howard Simpson, a freelancer in Los Angeles, about time management, letting friends and family know you’re not ALWAYS free, dealing with lack of health insurance, and more.
Then, Asher Elbein talks about his recent article in The Daily Beast about how the recent allegations of top freelancers abusing their power to seduce young women, or certain publisher staff members outright abusing freelancers and others, are of a piece with the well-documented problems of freelancers like Alan Moore or Siegel and Schuster, who were vastly undercompensated for making wildly successful comics like Watchmen and Superman!
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Grant Morrison‘s DC Comics debut in 1988 was a run on Animal Man. Originally meant to be a four-issue mini, the series became an ongoing, prompting Morrison to turn it into a discussion of spirituality and the nature of reality — which, if you’re a comics character, means that you live your life enclosed in panels while watched by thousands of people.
Tim is joined by Matthew Brake, series editor of the Theology and Pop Culture book series, to examine the philosophy of this classic late-’80s run.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
This week we take a look back at the career of Denny O’Neil, the longtime comics writer and editor who passed away June 11. Emmet discusses O’Neil’s legacy with Professor Jonathan W. Gray, author of such books as Civil Rights in the White Literary Imagination, and the founding editor of the Journal of Comics and Culture.
O’Neil was a force in the move to turn DC’s iconic but silly characters in a more serious direction — having substance, not only violence. What shaped his worldview? How much of his personal story was in evidence on the page? Was his editing a crucial component of Frank Miller’s best work? And more.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
A couple of years back, we critiqued Caravaggio: A Light Before the Darkness, written by Ken Mora. This time, Ken is here on the show, talking to Tim about his latest (with artist Gianluca Testaverde), Caged Birds. Then, Tim and Mulele critique the first two issues.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Starting in 1999, Dave Cooper (accompanied at first by Patrick McEown) had a collection of work published by Fantagraphics as a magazine called Weasel. The magazine featured Cooper’s story “Ripple”, later published in one volume. “Ripple” is a disturbing story, masterfully told; we hope Cooper is not lying that it’s “not autobiographical,” but for fiction it’s remarkably detailed and heartfelt. In this episode, Tim and Mulele explore the first five issues of Weasel.
WARNING — ADULT CONTENT
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Matt Baker, one of the earliest African-American comics artists, worked in the 1940s and ’50s mainly on what’s known as “good girl” art. Good girl art went away with the comics code, and unfortunately Baker passed away young in 1959 and never got a chance to shine in the Marvel age. English prof Chris Gavaler joins Tim to talk about Baker’s crazy page layouts, what we do and don’t know about him, the what-ifs of Baker in the ’60s, and more.
Chris’ blog post about Baker’s layouts
Matt Baker and the Art of Glamour on Amazon
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
