Critiquing Comics #072: Lifehacks

LifehacksLifehacks, by Ovi Demetrian Jr and Jen Hickman, is “a modern noir detective story about a hacker turned private investigator.” While the story idea and the art seem solid, Tim and Mulele have to put in some on-mic detective work to understand just where it is our main character works…

Critiquing Comics #070: Terra Kaiju

Terra KaijuCritiquing Comics returns! Tim and Mulele dust off their neglected pile of submissions and look at Terra Kaiju, by Joe Badon and P.B. DeBerry — a comic with Japanese (and Chinese?) ideas, run through a Western filter.

Critiquing Comics #069: Weird Crime Theater

wct_for_ccpYou’ve heard Weird Crime Theater, the comic by our own Mulele and Kumar, mentioned a million times on Deconstructing Comics, dating back to the early shows nearly a decade ago (when the comic was known as “Rack ’em Smack ’em”!). But that’s all been discussions of collaboration and business; what’s actually IN the comic?

In this episode, Tim and Dana (together on Skype for the first time!) attempt objectivity and do their best to give their friends’ comic an honest critique!

Buy Weird Crime Theater!

Critiquing Comics #067: Headshrinker’s Press Presents

Headshrinker's Press PresentsTim and Mulele look at Headshrinker’s Press Presents #1, an anthology book with stories of various genres, stories to amaze and confound. Especially confound.

Critiquing Comics #066: Ghoul Squad

Ghoul SquadA vampire recruits a Frankenstein-type monster, a witch, and a man-bat to turn around the public perception of “monsters” by protecting humans from supernatural evil. It’s a sound enough concept, with plenty of story opportunities on offer. Unfortunately, in Ghoul Squad #1, writer Brandon Rhiness missed most of them. Tim and Mulele discuss.

#418 Boston Comicon and the future of cons

Depressed PunxComics conventions are changing. Some creators complain that it’s harder to sell books at cons than it once was. Distractions — cosplay, Hollywood — creep in and attract larger crowds, but don’t increase comics sales at the events. Having attended Boston Comicon in August, Paul shares the experience with Tim, and discussion ensues on problems that cons face going forward.

Paul did buy a couple of indy books in Boston, and we discuss them:

Critiquing Comics #065: “Square” #11

Square #11Ian McMurray‘s Square #11 is a tour de force of autobiographical cartooning, eschewing chronology, switching up styles, and closely observing himself and the things and people around him. He digs deep within himself and still makes it a fun read. Tim and Mulele discuss.

Buy this comic for $1.00 here

Critiquing Comics #064 “R.U.N.”

RUNA parkour manga from Greece is the topic. A parkour manga featuring a French high school student in suburban Tokyo, and a mysterious punk-ninja-parkour gang. What could go wrong? In fact, Tim and Mulele find, surprisingly little!

R.U.N. by Kariofillis Chris Chatzopoulos, Rafail Voutsidis, Lagouvardos Manos, and Nikitas Efimidis

Critiquing Comics #063.5 Angie Bongiolatti

Angie BongiolattiCritiquing Comics returns at last, with a look at Mike Dawson’s Angie Bongiolatti,
a story of twentysomethings in New York just after 9/11. The book has been published by Secret Acres, and Tim and Mulele can see why: the art and scripting are well done. And yet…something about this book is not quite there.