Podcast – Page 33 – Deconstructing Comics

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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#628 Two viewpoints on “The Killing Joke”

The Killing Joke

Alan Moore and Brian Bolland’s Batman: The Killing Joke is a favorite of many, but also a tough read more many others. And perhaps there’s some overlap.

In this episode we meet two who both spoke on this book at recent Batman in Popular Culture conference in Bowling Green, Ohio:

William Weaver on the book’s portrayal of people reacting to trauma, something that Batman and the Joker have in common with virtually every hero and villain; and
Tricia Ennis on how a book reviled by many as a prime example of the “women in refrigerators” trope — where a woman is harmed solely to get at a man in her life, not because of who she is — led to the much-loved heroine Oracle. How can something you hate be the cause of something you love?

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#468 Harvey Kurtzman’s MAD

MAD FLASHBACK! In light of the recent announcement that MAD will be ceasing publication, we re-present this episode from October 5, 2015:

While early 1950s anti-comics hysteria eventually resulted in the cancellation of nearly all their books, EC Comics still had one thing going for them: MAD! Written by Harvey Kurtzman and drawn by some of the best comics artists of the age, this parody comic set the template for much that came after it. But can the humor still be appreciated today? What are we to think of some of the attitudes on display toward, say, women or certain ethnic groups? Tim and Kumar discuss.

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Critiquing Comics #159: “A Book for Sad Pets” and “Spencer and Locke 2”

A Book for Sad Pets - Spencer and Locke 2

In this episode, Tim and Mulele discuss:

A Book for Sad Pets, by Kristin Tipping. Is it a comic? Is it for kids, or would it go over their heads? Is it cute, or dark?
Spencer and Locke 2, by David Pepose and Jorge Santiago, Jr. The noir version of Calvin and Hobbes is back, but does this version take the joke too far?

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#627 Walt Simonson’s “Thor”

Thor and Beta Ray Bill

One of the most acclaimed Marvel runs of the 1980s was by Walt Simonson on The Mighty Thor. He began writing and drawing it with #337, continued through to #367 (with a quick break in the middle), then gave up art duties but continued writing through #382. This run set aside Dr. Don Blake, focused on mythical threats rather than earthly ones, and injected some humor into what had sometimes been a fairly dry, dour book. Tim and Kumar look back to assess this important run.

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Critiquing Comics #158: “Bronze Age Boogie” and “Longdog”

Bronze Age Boogie + Longdog

In this episode, Tim and Mulele discuss:

Bronze Age Boogie, by Stuart Moore and Alberto Ponticelli. An ambitious comic that tries to cram in too many ideas. The Bronze Age! ’70s pop culture! Time-traveling apes! Prose interludes! Meanwhile, the book’s backup feature is the bomb! Has Ahoy Comics gotten things backwards?
Longdog, by Josh Hechinger and Jorge Munoz. The authors of one of our very early critiques are back together with a story of Sasquatch hunting. It looks good, but is the tone a bit inconsistent?

Also, Mulele tells a story of recent tragic headlines here in Japan and how they intersect with comics and his life.

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#626 Wolverine ’82: a second look

Wolverine

The 1982 Wolverine mini-series, by Chris Claremont and Frank Miller, was seminal in a number of ways: One of the first Marvel minis, a major fleshing-out of Wolverine’s character, a milepost on the road to the expunging of omniscient narration from American comics.

Six years back, Kumar and Dana had a lot of reservations about the story; in this issue, Koom, Rob, and Sam have a different take.

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Critiquing Comics #157: “Moderate Mania” and “The Starfall Saga”

Moderate Mania - Starfall Saga
This time, Tim and Mulele critique:

Moderate Mania, issue 1 of a comic about bipolar disorder by Charles Brandon Hayes and Randy Walker; and
The Starfall Saga issues 1 and 2, a post-apocalyptic slugfest by Akis Papakonstantinou and Chris Evagelidakis

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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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