July 2019 – Deconstructing Comics

Critiquing Comics #161: “Dog vs. Ultra-Dog” and “Chad in Amsterdam #3”

Dog vs Ultra-Dog + Chad in Amsterdam #3

In this episode, we discuss:

Dog vs. Ultra-Dog, by Troy Wilson and Clayton Hanmer. Where does it come down on the children’s book – children’s comic continuum?
Chad in Amsterdam #3 by Chad Bilyeu. The latest issue from one of our favorites.

Plus, some creepy movie CGI in “cute” films.

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#629 Mike Barr: My career with Batman

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 #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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