Comics commentary from our podcast regulars.
Mulele bought a print comic from one of his favorite online artists, the mysterious creator of the Tanglefoot page on Tumblr. The comic, Dime a Dance, is a fun silent story with dynamic art. Too bad it doesn’t have more room to breathe.
Tim and Mulele also look at:
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
After Jeff Smith finished his fantastic all-ages series Bone, he went a completely different direction with his next series: a noir/sci-fi hybrid called RASL. It’s a great story on a human level, but it also gets into quantum physics, the lost journals of Nikola Tesla, and and some real-life pseudo-science conspiracy theories like the Tunguska Event and the Philadelphia Experiment.
Helping us dig more deeply into these elements of the story is a guest co-reviewer with solid footings in both comics and science: Ryan Haupt, an earth scientist in his own right and host of the podcast Science…Sort Of, but also a contributor to iFanboy and Marvel.com. Tim and Ryan also look at RASL as a comic, examining the many story points that Smith leaves vague, and the philosophical questions the story raises.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
by Kory Cerjak
Title: His and Her Circumstances (Kareshi Kanojo no Jijou)
Author: Masami Tsuda
Publisher: Tokyopop (former)
Kare Kano, after Fruits Basket, has to be the best-selling shojo manga of all time for Tokyopop. Kare Kano also holds the distinction of being one of the first manga Tokyopop ever released “unflopped.” This was a big decision for Tokyopop, since it meant they could save about $10 per page in producing the manga for a North American market. But enough about history, let’s get to the story. What makes Kare Kano’s story so endearing is how Miyazawa and Arima grow throughout the series. And with 21 volumes, there’s a lot of material to watch them in.
The story is simple, a love story of two high schoolers trying to grow up and grow closer together. Your usual complications come up throughout the story (I’ve read the entire series, but I’ll only be reviewing the first three volumes here), like the “new kids in town” Hideaki Asaba and Maho Izawa and typical Continue reading “Kare Kano” hilarious, touching
The residents of a Mexican town start killing each other. A planeful of people simultaneously get amnesia. Strange happenings abound in Matt Kindt’s MIND MGMT volume 1. Tim and Brandon review.
Then Tim is joined by our new manga reviewer Kory to discuss Kiyohiko Azuma’s hilarious Yotsuba&!, a slice-of-life (yet slightly wacky) manga filled with memorable characters and the intriguing relationships among them.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
FLASHBACK! Tim and Brandon struggle with League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: The Black Dossier, zip through Alex Robinson’s Lower Regions, revisit The Black Diamond, and go back in comics history for The Grendel Archives. (originally published May 5, 2008)
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
While this podcast has covered the odd League of Extraordinary Gentlemen book here and there, no one has dared think of trying to discuss all of them in one episode… until now! Kumar and Dana take on the task, with special attention paid to Black Dossier (and the record that was recorded for it), the Century trilogy, and the injustice that Kumar feels was done to Volume 2 in the 2006 episode we republished yesterday!
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
FLASHBACK! Leading into tomorrow’s look at ALL the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen books, we look back to this early episode, in which Tim, Mulele, and Brandon talk about the merits — or, in Brandon’s view, lack of merit — in League Volume 2. That is, once they’re done going down the Star Wars rabbit hole. Originally published May 1, 2006
Alan Moore interview on MTV.com
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Jim Woodring doing kids’ books!? That was apparently the thought behind Trosper, a 2001 release from Woodring that came with a Southwest Asia-influenced music CD by Bill Frisell. A baby elephant-like creature runs from things that go bump in the night. Maurice Sendak would be proud.
Going further back, Daniel Clowes’ early ’90s comedy/nightmare graphic novel Like a Velvet Glove Cast in Iron also has a musical soundtrack (sold separately), from Victor Banana. The book is a lesson in controlled chaos; the CD, a commentary on it. Tim and Kevin explore the audible and visual aspects of both these comics.
PLUS: Ritz Crackers! Jimmy Durante! The Brady Bunch! This one has it ALL! (including spoilers!)
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
by Kory Cerjak
Life as a salaryman in Japan is already difficult enough. 30-year-old Daikichi works well past 7 p.m. each night and has way too much expected of him by higher-ups. Add in that he has to raise a child, who happens to be his grandfather’s love child, 6-year-old Rin. Such is Yumi Unita’s first (and so far only) manga, Bunny Drop (Yen Press).
What makes Bunny Drop so endearing is how Unita slowly, almost methodically, characterizes both Daikichi and Rin. There are little moments woven throughout each chapter that give us more and more insight into Daikichi and Rin. Arguably the biggest moment comes near the end of chapter one. Daikichi is Continue reading “Bunny Drop” Bypassess Josei Manga Tropes
What do you do when your town monster just doesn’t bring the scary? Hire someone to get the big red guy out of his funk. Rob Harrell breaks out of the funny pages with his first graphic novel, Monster on the Hill; Tim & Mulele review.
Meanwhile, much scarier monsters lurk in the background of Justin Randall’s Changing Ways, Book 2. Tim & Brandon take a look and compare with Book 1. The monsters are scary, but is the book?
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
