Comics commentary from our podcast regulars.
The Comics Code, while not much more than a memory today, had a huge effect on the direction of American comics for half a decade. David Hajdu’s book The Ten-Cent Plague looks at the events that led up to the code, following the development of comics — and the protests against them — through the first half of the twentieth century. Why were comics scapegoated for social ills? Tim and Paul discuss the book.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Why read a biography of a fictional comics artist? What if it’s also a history of Singapore — done in a style that apes more than a dozen seminal 20th century comics creators? Tim and Kumar take a look at the awe-inspiring (yet sometimes puzzling) Sonny Liew graphic novel The Art of Charlie Chan Hock Chye.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
This week we cross over with Shortbox Showcase, of the Relatively Geeky podcast network! Professor Alan and daughter Emily join Tim to fill us in on their comics-reading and podcast-making background, and then to discuss Power Man and Iron Fist v.1 by David Walker, Sanford Greene, and Flaviano — with digressions into differences between Marvel and DC, how society surely must work in the Marvel Universe, and more!
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Brian W. Cremins, author of Captain Marvel and the Art of Nostalgia, discusses the Big Red Cheese as a symbol for the innocence of childhood and how creators Otto Binder and C.C. Beck expressly used the character we know as “Shazam” to explores these themes.
Cremins also discusses with Emmet O’Cuana the use of nostalgia, both in the original Fawcett comic books and in our remembering of the series, drawing on the theories of Svetlana Bohm and the writing of W.G. Sebald. In this wide-ranging discussion, Cremins addresses the Fawcett v National trial, Binder’s science fiction career, Alan Moore’s “Marvelman”, and the casting of The Rock in the upcoming “Shazam” movie.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Dan Clowes’ 2016 graphic novel Patience has elements of science fiction, mystery, and psychedelia. It’s an interesting mix, but… was the sci-fi part really necessary? Kumar and Dana give it their usual thorough review.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Since we often don’t see the people who make the comics we read, we may not realize just how many African-American comics creators there are. Craig Rippon is gathering their thoughts and opinions in a documentary film called Black Ink. This week, Tim gets the scoop from Craig on who has been interviewed so far and the plan going forward, the pros and cons of publishing a “multicultural” line of comics, the state of black heroes at Marvel, his motivation to keep going on the film, and more.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
A Dark Horse press release touts volume two of Angel Catbird. Seems like a lame superhero comic, but … wait, it’s written by acclaimed novelist Margaret Atwood? Maybe it won’t be lame…? Do novelists make good comics writers? Tim and Mulele discuss.
Also: Yiffing in Hell continues to haunt us… and some listeners weigh in!
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
When webcomics creators aren’t creating webcomics, what are they reading? This week we check in with a couple of creators whose work we’ve looked at previously — Victor Edison and Maya Kern — and get their recommendations: Chris Carlier’s “Little in Japan” and G.G. Digi’s “Cucumber Quest“!
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
An old camera found in a shop in Kathmandu starts up a sometimes exasperating, but ultimately engrossing, story of climbing Mt. Everest, with one of the most satisfying endings you’ll ever see. Kumar (who translated the story into English for Fanfare/Ponent Mon’s edition) and Tim discuss Baku Yumemakura and Jiro Taniguchi’s The Summit of the Gods.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
For years, There have been comic book stories of superheroes that represent the power of the Sun. From Superman to Wolverine, there have been secret messages of the Sun that was put in our new mythology called comic books.
In school we were taught that Hercules is real literature and comic books were not real literature. However, comic books were created with the same format as all the world mythologies that used to be religion for the ancient people listening to the myths. Hercules was taken from the name Heracles from Greek Mythology. The Romans learned Astrology from the Greeks. One of the Astrological symbols is the symbol of the Lion of the sign of Leo. Leo is ruled by the Sun. In Roman Mythology, Hercules fought a lion as the first of his twelve Labors. There are twelves signs in the Zodiac. In Astrology, the Lion represents the Sun. This story represent Hercules’ master over the Sun. Before Hercules could master the other labors, he had to master the lion who represent the Sun. In Science class, we were taught that all of the planets revolve around the Sun. With this, the Sun is the most important of the Universe.
Superman has super strength just like Hercules. Superman had a father who was not from the Earth just like Hercules and Jesus. Superman gets his strength from the Sun. Sometimes the Sun is Red when it sets. Sometimes the Sun is yellow. The letter S on Superman’s chest is the color red with a yellow background. The Symbolism is evident of you do enough research for Sun Gazing on YouTube.com.
Wolverine has super senses just like Superman. Wolverine heals, so he is almost almost bulletproof just like Superman. In The Bible, Jesus is described as the light of the world. In religious art, Jesus is depicted as having a halo around his head that looks like the Sun. Jesus also healed the sick. The healing symbolism is similar to Wolverine and Superman. Jesus was Jewish. The people who created Superman were Jewish. In the original comic book Wolverine wears a yellow suit. The Sun is yellow. Also, Wolverine never gets old, like the Sun. Wolverine has been around for a long time, like the Sun. His emotion are neutral. The Sun is a neutral energy. The Sun is the middle point of the Universe. The school system, comic books, and ancient mythology told us separate pieces of the story of the Sun.
When you look at comic books, see if you can find Sun Symbolism in the stories.
Sources
Mondo Kirby – Jack Kirby interview, 14 August 1992
Nurebelent on YouTube.com
Master of Earth on YouTube.com
Royal Bloodline on YouTube.com
The Metaphysics of Christ Consciousness
The Metaphysics of Christ consciousness pt 2: who was Yashua
The Metaphysics of Christ Consciousness pt 3
