Critiquing Comics #110: “The Non-Seen” chapter two

The Non-Seen Ch 2

A couple years back we critiqued the first chapter of a Web comic called The Non-Seen, by John Allie. It’s a slightly creepy story about a mysterious book, and the protagonists are kids. Now chapter two is completed, and we’ve been invited to take a look at it. Is the promise of chapter one paying off? Has he changed anything that we found lacking the first time?

Critiquing Comics #109: “Turtle Girl” and “Wanderer”

Turtle Girl and Wanderer

Completing our look at Irrational Comics’ “PITCH” page, this time Tim and Mulele discuss Michael Norwitz’s “absurdist feminist heroine” Turtle Girl and Andre Mateus’ post-apocalyptic vampire story Wanderer!

Critiquing Comics #108: “Good or Dead” and “Solus”

Good or Dead/Solus

Last time we looked at the first of five comics concepts on Irrational Comics’ “PITCH” page. This time, we get some answers about exactly how these 12-page teasers came to be, and critique two more of them: “Good or Dead” (about a zombie apocalypse in Singapore) by Louis Png, and “Solus” (about a monster on a rampage in a spacecraft) by Dan Amariles.

Critiquing Comics #107: “Climb”

Climb

Irrational Comics sent us five comics that are in a competition to see which one can generate the most interest among readers and get published. This time, Tim and Mulele look at the first of the comics on Irrational’s “Pitch” page: Climb, a comic about a girl whose goal is to be the first to reach the top of an unusually-shaped mountain. Do we know enough about her and her quest to be intrigued?

#537 Joey Alison Sayers

Joey Alison Sayers

This week, Tim talks with with cartoonist Joey Alison Sayers. She’s done work for MAD magazine, the San Francisco Bay Guardian, the Nib, GoComics and more, plus a couple of books about her coming out as transgender. Why did she disappear for a few years? Why did she come back to comics? Plus the best advice she knows for new creators, and more.

Critiquing Comics #106: “Demon Archives” revisited

Demon Archives

Three years ago we discussed Demon Archives, by Daniel Sharp and Sebastian Piriz. Recently, Daniel invited Tim and Mulele to take another look, as many more pages have come out since then. We did, and found that the comic has gone in some unexpected directions. Perhaps too many directions?

Also, we read a bit of listener mail, and mark the passing of Bunnies in Space creator and past critiquee Nick Dupree — someone we wish we’d met.

#535 Don’t sleep on “Power Nap”

Power Nap

The comedy/sci-fi web comic Power Nap takes place in a future where people take drugs to stay awake, and falling asleep isn’t socially acceptable. So what happens if you’re allergic to the drug? This week, Tim talks to writer Maritza Campos and artist Bachan about the comic, as well as the state of comics in their native Mexico, how the comics industry is likely to change, and more.

#534 Oscar’s “Kai”, self-publicity, and book design

Kai

Many of us are good at making our work (comics, podcasts, what have you), but not good at putting it out there, letting people know it exists. Mulele has been advising his friend Oscar, creator of the comic Kai (discussed in Critiquing Comics #100), on using social media and on choosing the best presentation style for a given book. This week, Tim talks with Oscar about his opening foray into comics, and Mulele talks about designing books and finding printers that can produce what he envisions.

Critiquing Comics #104: “Ned & Annie” + more

Ned & Annie

The unidentified creator of the strip Ned & Annie promises to “bring back funny comics.” Does the comic succeed on those terms? What makes a comic funny (or not)?

Also, responding to a comment on CCP #102 comic “Yiffing in Hell“, Mulele on “Mindgator“, Tim on “To the Batpoles!” and a followup on last Monday’s DCP on how the podcast might evolve.

#531 “Little in Japan” & “Cucumber Quest”

littleinjapan-cucumberquest

When webcomics creators aren’t creating webcomics, what are they reading? This week we check in with a couple of creators whose work we’ve looked at previously — Victor Edison and Maya Kern — and get their recommendations: Chris Carlier’s “Little in Japan” and G.G. Digi’s “Cucumber Quest“!