We asked for mail from a listener in Sweden, and Gunnar listened! Tim and Kumar discuss his observations and questions.
Then, a look at the popular Web comic The Adventures of Dr. McNinja by Christopher Hastings. Comedy, bizarreness, and lots and lots of fighting. Does the fighting work as comedy?
Finally, a (spoiler-filled!) look back at Kyle Baker’s 1999 graphic novel You Are Here. Well, but wait a second — is this, strictly speaking, a comic?
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Brian Michael Bendis has been the dominant writer at Marvel for a number of years now. While his books — including Ultimate Spider-man, New Avengers, Avengers, and event books like Seige — sell well, they have also generated a fair amount of controversy and just plain complaints. Some people like his work, others don’t. For Tim, there have been high points, but much of it is just kind of there. Is it just me, he wonders? Is Bendis actually a good writer and just doesn’t always appeal to me? Or are there identifiable inadequacies in his work? Tim calls on a Bendis fan — Savannah College of Art & Design student and graphic novelist Josh Smith — and a Bendis critic — Comics Waiting Room columnist Vincent Moore — to discuss the phenomenon that is Bendis.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
The 1994 release of Marvels took comics by storm. The four-issue miniseries established the places of both hyperrealistic painter Alex Ross and continuity maven Kurt Busiek in the industry. There’s still plenty here to make it a standout story 16 years later, but has some of the shine come off? And, is making a logical narrative out of a mainstream comic companies’ disparate series really doable? Tim and Kumar discuss.
Also, Patrik W resurfaces to talk with Tim about the upcoming American Comics Exhibition in Tokyo. Tim, Patrik, and 13 other artists will be displaying their work!
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
From 1985 to 1995, Bill Watterson’s Calvin and Hobbes challenged newspaper readers with imaginative stories, beautiful art, philosophical discussions, and ROTFL gags. Watterson famously eschewed commercialism, not only in the strip, but in real life, approving no C&H tie-in products other than books of strips and a calendar or two. Tim and Kumar discuss this game-changing strip and how relevant it remains today.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
EC Comics are primarily remembered as gruesome horror stories, but the company published in other genres as well. One EC staple was war comics, which enjoyed great popularity during the Korean War. One such title was Frontline Combat, the comic that dared to admit that “Marines retreat!” The now-huge names behind the series — Harvey Kurtzman, John Severin, Jack Davis, Wally Wood, and more — primarily intended it as an anti-war book, but is it? Is it possible to simultaneously portray war as horrible, and painstakingly present the tanks and guns in all their glory? Tim and Kumar discuss.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
 Oglaf appears on the Web uncredited, with no merch store, and with plenty of well-written, well-drawn raunchy comedy. Very, very raunchy. Tim, Mulele, and Kumar dig on this comic (platonically). |
 The trailer for the upcoming “Thor” movie, though, does not impress. What were we expecting? Is Marvel starting to make their movies as inaccessible to the layman as their comics? What could have made this movie look more appealing to us? |
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Though the highly influential manga series, and resulting TV show, are known for non-stop action and fighting, Dragon Ball started out as a comedy strip reminiscent of Akira Toriyama’s early work, Dr. Slump! Viz’s English versions have gone through various levels of censorship over time to adjust to the low level of sexuality that most Americans expect of kids’ books. Except, most of the characters themselves don’t understand sexuality, and that’s the charm of it; it’s best enjoyed (probably by kids as well) in its pristine form…if you can find it! Tim, Kumar, and Mulele review.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Visual censorship comparisons after the jump (NSFW but probably safe for Japanese kids):
FLASHBACK! With the Scott Pilgrim movie coming soon, we re-present Tim and Brandon’s review of two Canadian coming-of-age comics: “Scott Pilgrim’s Precious Little Life” by Bryan Lee O’Malley, and “Paul Has a Summer Job” by Michel Rabagliati (originally presented June 2, 2008)!
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Approached by one of its co-authors, Tim, Mulele, and Kumar take him up on his suggestion to review “Kill Shakespeare” from IDW. However, we didn’t promise to like it.
Harvey Pekar, author of “American Splendor,” died recently at age 70. A remembrance of some of his work.
San Diego Comic-Con is over for another year. What are some things that we WISH would have been announced there?
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
