Category: Making comics

#629 Mike Barr: My career with Batman

Mike Barr

Mike Barr is perhaps best known for writing the late-’80s hit comic series Batman and the Outsiders. He also created Camelot 3000 and Katana, and wrote many other books for Marvel, DC, and other publishers.

On April 13, Mike Barr was a keynote speaker at the Bowling Green State University (Ohio) Batman in Popular Culture conference. Tim was there, and recorded the whole thing, including the Q&A session. So enjoy the insightful, sometimes hilarious, presentation in this episode.

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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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#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 #155: “Raptor Cop” and “Equilux”

Raptor Cop and Equilux

A policeman splashed with chemicals turns into a reptilian human: that’s the idea for J. Pedicini’s Raptor Cop. While it has accomplished art, we find some problems that make it hard to follow the story.

Equilux, by Karterpiller, aims to present a real-time story of people living in a futuristic apartment building. The series is just on the edge of being considered a comic rather than illustrated prose. That’s fine, but Tim and Mulele have some suggestions for aspects that may need to be rethought.

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#623 Remembering Ed; Asking retailers

Chicago Ed, Retailers

When someone you know, someone who had an impact on your life, leaves us too soon, it can be tough to process. Struggling to accept the 2017 death of comics creator and all-around renaissance man Ed Siemienkowicz (who appeared in DCP episodes 227 and 393) at age 43, Tim spent part of his recent visit to Chicago meeting some of Ed’s friends and family, to commiserate and share memories — and check the progress of Ed’s comic that his friends are finishing for him.

Also, Tim talks to Hamster Rage creator Brian Crowley about his ongoing Kickstarter and the state of the U.S. comics industry, and visits three Chicago comics retailers to see how healthy the comics market seems from their perspective, and how it could be better.

Challengers Comics

Graham Crackers Comics

G-mart Comics

Ed’s cousin Kristen, drawing group friend Garry Vettori, sister Renee, brother Bob, Tim, aunt Carol, online gaming friend Darrell Degreve

Tim, Kristen, Carol, Brian Crowley

Ed carved this Cesar Romero Joker into cardboard, and then spray-painted it green!

Ed with a bus he designed when he was employed by the Golf Channel.

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Critiquing Comics #153: “The Sequels” and “Metaphorical HER”

The Sequals and Metaphorical HER

That special, ’80s-movie moment in your life: What if you could bring it back? Writer Norm Harper and artists Val Halvorson and Bobby Timony explore this question in The Sequels #1: Curcuit Boarders.

Metaphorical HER, by writer James Maddox and artist David Stoll, is a comic employing eye-catching visual metaphors and exploring the world of poetry. Why is there hardly any poetry in it? Tim thinks Mulele’s got it figured out. Together they critique both books.

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#621 Denny O’Neil and Sam Agro

Denny O'Neil (r) and Sam Agro
Denny O’Neil (r) and Sam Agro

Our own Koom recently attended the Toronto Comicon, leading to this episode’s two interviews! First, Denny O’Neil talks about his experiences and collaborations in the comics industry, why he imagines Gotham City to be in New Jersey, and more. Then cartoonist and animator Sam Agro talks animation, superhero movies, the evolution of comics conventions, and more.

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Critiquing Comics #152: “Monogatari”

Monogatari

This time we look at the second anthology from Tokyo Collective, called Monogatari. The title is Japanese for “story” and is made up of words meaning “thing” and “talk about,” and the stories in this book do indeed talk about things —  things that are found in Tokyo. We discuss our favorites, and others that we found less compelling.

Also: Are America’s Big Two comics companies headed for a cliff? We look at recent articles by Matt McGloin on Marvel and DC‘s business woes, and consider what it might mean if the Big Two went under.

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Critiquing Comics #151: “Days of Dark Fire” and “Rage in the Shadows”

"Days of Dark Fire" and "Rage in the Shadows"

Days of Dark Fire (by Giovanni Smith and Mike Gaughran) is a somewhat lighthearted sword-and sorcery tale, about a screwup prince who’s trying to save his kingdom. Rage in the Shadows (by Ralph Henriquez and Emilio Utrera) is about a homeland security agent who’s been given a super-soldier type serum that’s killing her. Tim and Mulele discuss both comics, and give advice about how to make them better!

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#619 Cowboys and Ninjas in Comics

Cowboys and Ninjas

How one culture perceives aspects of another culture is always interesting to observe. Our old friend Patrick Iijima-Washburn has been looking at how American comics portray ninja warriors and, conversely, how Japanese comics portray cowboys. Tim gets his observations on the matter.

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