EC Comics are most commonly associated with the horror stories that shocked parents and U.S. Senators in 1954. But EC Comics also had something to say about prejudice against racial or ethnic groups. How do these stories read today? How well did EC creators like Al Feldstein and Harvey Kurtzman get across their anti-racist message?
That’s a focus of EC Comics: Race, Shock, and Social Protest, a book by Qiana Whitted, a professor of English and African American studies at the University of South Carolina. The book won the 2020 Eisner Award for Best Academic/Scholarly Work. Kumar and Emmet discuss the book in this episode.
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This time, a Christmas-themed comic. Isn’t it a little late for that? A seasonal comic may be a rather odd choice, especially one that has more military maneuvers in it than good cheer. But it’s appropriate for kids, and looks great! It also raises the question “What makes a good cliffhanger?” Tim and Adam take off in a one-horse open sleigh to critique “
There were several landmark comics titles in the 1980s (do we really need to name them?), but unfortunately they tend to overshadow much of the other interesting work of the decade. Brannon Costello and Brian Cremins have edited a collection of essays on some of these overlooked works, called The Other 1980s. This time, Kumar and Emmet discuss some of the book’s essays, including chapters on Neil the Horse, Doug Moench, Trina Robbins, Elfquest, and more.
After years of putting her life on hold to care for her father, her father passes on. How does she react? What about her son, who feels his grandpa’s death may be his fault? R. Kikuo Johnson’s No One Else is a subtly told story of grief with beautiful art and some humor as well. Tim is joined by