Critiquing Comics #086: Holy F*cked

holyfkedNick Marino and Arruda Massa are back with Holy F*cked, the follow-up to their highly irreverent comedy Holy F*ck, starring Jesus and Satan in a romantic relationship. Does this book hold a candle to the first? Tim and Mulele discuss.

Also, a progress report on Mulele’s ongoing Kickstarter project!

#484 Badguys and Atomic Sheep

Two interviews this week:

First, Luke Lancaster and Orlando Caicedo on their comic “The Badguys.” How did they got together (without actually getting together) and get their comic into Webtoons? And, are Webtoons actually comics?
Then, UK-based artist and writer Sally Jane Thompson, author of the graphic novel “Atomic Sheep”, explains why a creator with South African and Canadian roots sees the UK as a better place to be, how comics can be used in conjunction with an art exhibit, and more.

#483 Think Pink! Mark Arnold on DePatie-Freling, Li’l Jinx, and more

Pink PantherIf you’re listening to this podcast, you’ve probably at some point encountered (if not read) a history of DC or Marvel. But how about Harvey Comics? or Cracked Magazine? And if you’re into animation, perhaps you’d like a history of DePatie-Freling or Total Television Productions?

Comics and animation historian Mark Arnold has been compiling info on these companies and more. He also discusses Joe Edwards’ Li’l Jinx strip, that time when Blondie had a comic book, why Wonderful World of Disney seldom showed cartoons, and the storage challenges inherent in his chosen profession!

Critiquing Comics #085: Twisted Dark vol. 5

Twisted DarkTwo years after critiquing volume one of writer Neil Gibson’s Twisted Dark anthology series, Tim and Mulele take a look at volume 5. The takeaway? An improvement… but a piece of advice: be aware of the difference between “End” and “To Be Continued”.

Also, we discuss Mulele’s Kickstarter project!

#482 Peanuts: A Twentieth-Century Classic

Lucy pulls away the football

Charles Schulz’s Peanuts is one of the most beloved comic strips of the 20th century. But while some prefer the hilariously cruel and despairing tone of the first half of the series, it seems that the public perception of Peanuts is more in line with the cute, commercial tone it took on in its second 25 years.

This week Tim and Kumar come back to Peanuts, more than seven years after reviewing the Schulz bio, to delve more into the strip itself. What is the nature of the Peanuts kids? What motivates them? How does Peanuts (especially in its first half) fit an existentialist view of the world?

Also discussed: the recent movie — what was good or bad. Was showing the Little Red Haired Girl a good idea? Plus, a nod to a few of Schulz’s more interesting panel compositions, and, what Peanuts strip does Tim want on his wall?

#481 Digital comics!

Comixology & WebtoonThe digital comics universe continues to expand. This week, Tim looks at two different platforms.

If you’re into American comics at all, you no doubt know of Comixology. Since we last talked to company co-founder John Roberts, Comixology has joined the Amazon family, and their integration is starting to become visible on both companies’ sites. John talks about this, the penetration of digital in the market, how to get your comics into Comixology, and more.

South Korean Web giant Naver started Webtoon in that country back in 2004, and since then its reach has grown in Asia and around the world — the English version is called Line Webtoon. We meet Webtoon content manager David Lee and New Mexico-based creator Stephen McCranie (whose Space Boy is available through Webtoon) to discuss the site’s reach and business model, the differences between making a comic for print and making one that the reader scrolls through, and how to get your comics into Webtoon.

Critiquing Comics #084: Bayne: Legacy Apocalypse

Bayne: Legacy ApocalypseBayne: Legacy Apocalypse, from Silver Axe Comics, features an axe-wielding Morpheus-from-The-Matrix type in a post-apocalyptic California battling mutants or vampires or what-have-you. Jay Reed’s art is much more than serviceable; it’s quite nice. Chyna McCoy’s script, however… well, listen to find out what Tim and Mulele have to say about it.

#310 Takehiko Inoue’s “Slam Dunk” and “Vagabond”

Slam Dunk/VagabondFLASHBACK! Takehiko Inoue’s Slam Dunk is easily mistaken for a serious sports manga. Pick it up, though, and you’ll find instead a hilarious ensemble comedy that just happens to involve basketball. Still, the series is credited with basketball’s 90s popularity in Japan, and led Inoue to create several other basketball-related series. But is oeuvre isn’t all hoops; he’s also the creator behind Vagabond, a sometimes-violent but intriguing take on the life of 17th-century historical figure Miyamoto Musashi. Tim and Kumar dig into both series.

Originally published February 27, 2012

#480 (some of) the Best Comics from Kaigai

Best of Kaigai 2015You heard many of the artists who attended Tokyo’s International Comics Festival (Kaigai Manga Festa) back in November. But how are the comics themselves? This week Mulele and Tim read some of the comics they picked up at the festival and discuss some of the best!

Also, a quickie, spoiler-free review of The Force Awakens!

Critiquing Comics #083: The Shepherd: Apokatastasis

The Shepherd

A man’s son unexpectedly dies of a drug overdose. The father senses that his son’s spirit hasn’t passed over to “the other side” and needs help, and the father goes to great lengths to help him — and also to avenge his death. Does the father — and the comic — go a bit off the rails? Tim and Mulele discuss Andrea Lorenzo Molinari, Roberto Xavier Molinari, Ryan Showers, and Heather Breckel’s The Shepherd: Apokatastasis!