Deconstructing Comics Podcast, published every Monday, features comics creator discussion and comics reviews.
In a special bonus episode, we check out a few remaining tidbits from Tim Across America’s final state, California!
First, Stephenny Godfrey recalls the events that inspired her comics “Panorama” and “Two Buses”, leading Dale Wilson to try to top that story with another, about a weird occurrence from his childhood!
Then, Jason McNamara gives Tim some pointers on the novel he’s started writing.
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Tim Across America, part ten! The finish line of Tim’s trip is Los Angeles, home of our friend Dale Wilson, of BuyIndieComics and DWAP Productions. Dale hooks us up with Robert Roach, comics creator and Hollywood storyboarder. He fills us in on ways that storyboarding is much different from comics, and also talks about the importance of getting the details in your story right — regardless of medium.
For the Southern California edition of Ask a Retailer, a talk with Howard Chen at Legacy Comics and Cards in Glendale. Unlike most of the other Tim Across America retailers, Legacy still has plenty of manga on the shelves. But to what extent are those books flying off the shelves?
Finally, Tim and Dale are joined by Stephenny Godfrey (“Panorama”, “Two Buses”) and Richard Hamilton (“Return of the Super Pimps”, “Miserable Dastards”) to discuss the L.A. comics community and revisit a topic from the Chicago episode: should you make a comic as a step toward getting your story on film?
Also, don’t miss Griffin the Dog in his podcast debut!
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Tim Across America, part nine! When it comes to Big Two comics these days, there’s a lot to complain about. Marvel characters changed to look like the actors who play them in movies; nearly the entire DC line subsumed into a grim-and-gritty muck. And yet… we still like some of these books! Superior Spider-man, anyone?
In a cafe in Berkeley, California, Tim discusses this and more with three past guests who all live in the East Bay area, but had never previously met: Deb Aoki, John Roberson, and Jason McNamara! Conversation also swung to whether Image can eclipse the Big Two, comparison of black and white comics vs. color, doing a Kickstarter project for your comic vs. doing print-on-demand, and more!
Jason’s Kickstarter page for The Rattler
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Tim Across America, part eight! Comics journalism (a.k.a. “graphic journalism”, and other names) has been gradually making a place for itself within the larger journalism world (and the comics world) for the past 20 years or so. Just as Tim was heading to San Francisco, a group of Bay Area journalists on Meetup.com was preparing to hold panel discussion featuring three comics journalists: Dan Archer, Susie Cagle, and Andy Warner. This week, we present that panel discussion in its entirety!
Also, in a special Ask a Retailer, Tim talks to Brian Hibbs of Comix Experience!
More photos after the jump…
Continue reading #398 Comics Journalism Panel
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Tim Across America, part 7! Gordon McAlpin has put in more than a decade on the popular Web comic Multiplex, about kids who work at a movie theater — a concept he had originally thought was stupid! What changed his mind? How has he successfully funded two Kickstarter projects to print books of his comic? He talks with Tim about this in a Minneapolis restaurant, as well as using Patreon for funding, his tools for making the strip, and the good and bad points of letting your characters age.
Plus, a clip from Tim’s appearance on the KFAI Minneapolis radio program True Brit!
DCP In Touch: Read Ian’s full comments about R. Crumb
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Tim Across America, part six! Having worked in mainstream American comics for three decades now, Dan Jurgens has seen a lot of change. The number of publishers, the type and amount of fan interaction (thanks to the Internet), the method of comics distribution, and the way the Big Two search for new talent have all changed greatly in that time. And, the Big Two now actually discourage the creation of new characters. Why? This week, Jurgens reflects on those changes — some good, some bad — in a talk with Tim.
He also discusses his work on Superman and Thor, how technology has helped film steal some of comics’ storytelling edge, and more.
Also, in the Minneapolis edition of Ask a Retailer, Tim talks to Paul Miller at Comic Book College!
AND, our new feature DCP In Touch, and a talk with Kumar and Mulele about their successful Kickstarter project!
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Tim Across America pt 5! In Minneapolis, Tim visits the studio of Zander Cannon, author of Heck (discussed in episode 381) and layout artist for Alan Moore’s Top Ten and Smax. He talks with Tim about developing Heck, working with Alan Moore, whether going to San Diego is all that essential for a newbie to the comics business, and — Hey, Kevin Cannon’s your brother, right?!?
Big Time Attic (Zander and Kevin’s studio)
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By Neil Tomblin
The reason why comic book character Peter Parker acts the way he acts is in his name. After studying Numerology, I found that there is Numerology involved in the titles and characters in many comic books. Numerology is a mathematical science that is related to a person’s abilities, destiny, and challenges. There are many different ways to calculate a person’s Numerology. However, in the case of comic book characters names, I will calculate how to find a person’s Numerology by words or names.
Numerology is calculated by converting letters into numbers. For example, the letter A is the first letter in the alphabet, so letter A is converted to the number 1. The letter B Continue reading Comic Book Names And Numerology
Tim Across America, pt 4! Kimihiro Watanuki, an orphaned high school student whose name represents his birthday, one day finds himself entering a mysterious house. Inside he finds a couple of manic kids and a flirtatious witch named Yuko who grants wishes — for a price.
Tim, meanwhile, finds himself entering Des Moines, Iowa, where he meets up with Kory to discuss CLAMP’s manga xxxHolic — and also talking to James Gray at Mayhem Comics, Cards, and Games.
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| Brian Crowley, Tim Seeley, and Onrie Kompan |
Tim Across America pt 3! Visiting Chicago, Tim links up with some local comics people, including a couple we’ve heard from before, for a wide-ranging discussion. Topics include: Public perception of comics and comics readers in the US; interactions between US comics and manga; reasons not to use comics as a stepping stone to getting your movie made; living with the creative impulse; the relative lack of diverse voices in American comics; and more.
The panel:
Also: Tim talks to Shanna Wallace at the Edgewater location of Chicago’s Graham Crackers Comics!
Photos below the jump…
Continue reading #393 Chicago Drink and Draw
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