DC Comics – Page 6 – Deconstructing Comics

#558 “Transmetropolitan”

Spider Jerusalem

Transmetropolitan, by Warren Ellis and Darrick Robertson, was a 60-issue series that covered potential issues of the future as well as political issues for any era. Tim and Kumar have read the whole series, and now they’re here with an analysis. How does the series’ take on the future stack up, fifteen years later? How does it seem prescient, and how does it feel a bit off-base? What are the politics of the series? Why does it appropriate a couple of iconic images?

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS | More

#555 Steve Pugh takes on “The Flintstones”

The Flintstones

One breakout hit comic of the past year is DC’s The Flintstones, by Mark Russell and Steve Pugh. This week, Tim and John Roberson talk with Pugh about the challenges of adapting the 1960s characters to a slightly more serious art style and discuss writer Russell’s decidedly different take on this classic Hanna-Barbera property.

Patrons can hear a bonus review of Flintstones #12 on Patreon!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS | More

#539 “Captain Marvel and the Art of Nostalgia”

Captain Marvel

<br /> Brian W. Cremins, author of Captain Marvel and the Art of Nostalgia, discusses the Big Red Cheese as a symbol for the innocence of childhood and how creators Otto Binder and C.C. Beck expressly used the character we know as “Shazam” to explores these themes.

Cremins also discusses with Emmet O’Cuana the use of nostalgia, both in the original Fawcett comic books and in our remembering of the series, drawing on the theories of Svetlana Bohm and the writing of W.G. Sebald. In this wide-ranging discussion, Cremins addresses the Fawcett v National trial, Binder’s science fiction career, Alan Moore’s “Marvelman”, and the casting of The Rock in the upcoming “Shazam” movie.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS | More

#528 Lenny Schwartz: Comics and the Theatre, Act III

Co-Creator

While we’ve talked before with Austin Tichenor and John Roberson about adapting comics to the stage, we’ve never talked about (or even thought about!) adapting the lives of comics creators to that stage! But Lenny Schwartz has done it, and more than once, writing and directing “Co-Creator” (about Bill Finger and his claim to the Batman legacy) and “The Man Who Saw Snoopy” (about Charles Schulz, of course!). And he has another in the works on Spider-Man co-creator Steve Ditko.

This week Lenny tells Tim about writing these plays, just how much credit Bob Kane and Stan Lee may actually deserve, how Schulz used Peanuts as his diary, and much more.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS | More

#523 Who is Wonder Woman?

Of course she’s been around for decades, but when it comes to how the character’s been presented, there’s always been a tension between her feminist qualities and the pinup-y ones. Is she here to empower women or excite men? Can it be both?

This week Emmet and John are here to talk about the genesis of a DC marquee character and how she’s been presented by various creators, with an emphasis on Grant Morrison and Yanick Paquette’s Wonder Woman: Earth One, and a useful comparison of Wonder Woman comics and the movie Mad Max: Fury Road.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS | More

#521 Kaigai Manga Festa 2016, part two!

Kaigai Manga Festa 2016

Part two of our roundup of creators who tabled at this year’s Kaiga Manga Festa, including talks with Graeme Mc Nee, Matthew Forsythe, Karl Kerschl, and our own Mulele!

Creators show their work to editors at Comitia, the larger festival alongside Kaigai on October 23, 2016

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS | More

Continue reading #521 Kaigai Manga Festa 2016, part two!

#120 “Pyongyang”, “New Frontier”, and more

FLASHBACK! Tim and Brandon give their thoughts on Guy Delisle’s Pyongyang, DVD movie Justice League: The New Frontier, Spider-Man One More Day, and Writing for Comics with Peter David!

Originally published March 24, 2008

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS | More

#494 Batman vs. Superman

Batman vs. Superman

Kumar talks with both Emmet O’Cuana and John Roberson about Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice. How does Zack Snyder see these characters, and how is his vision at odds with the established ideas about these characters? How can we think about the events in this movie in a way that makes sense?

Music:

“Superman’s Song” – Crash Test Dummies

“I Whipped Batman’s Ass” – Wesley Willis

“(Wish I Could Fly Like) Superman” – The Kinks

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS | More

#479 Some of the greatest Superman stories (or not)

Death of Superman

There’s no doubt that Superman is one of the most significant characters in the history of American comics. He ended up setting the template for what would be the dominant genre in American comics after the Comics Code came into effect. Of course, the types of stories told in those comics, and their tone, has varied wildly over the years, which makes it difficult to try to determine which stories are the best of the lot, but naturally people make the attempt, including DC Comics itself.

This week Kumar and Tim look at the 1980s collection “The Greatest Superman Stories Ever Told”, as well as Alan Moore’s “Whatever Happened To the Man of Tomorrow”, which is currently being published in a collection with two other Moore Superman stories. Are these actually the greatest Superman stories?

Featuring Batman’s superior party prep skills, swimming the interplanetary water spout, and the symbolism of the ads in the original printing of “Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow”! *Choke*

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS | More

#476 Ten Years, Eleven Guests

Yes, somehow it’s been ten whole years since Tim, Brandon, and Mulele sat down together and recorded the first episode of Deconstructing Comics! Rather than get the gang back together again, this time we present eleven past DCP interviewees all answering the same question: “Name an important development you see happening in comics now, good or bad, and say why you think it’s important.” Tim gets answers to this question from Stephen Bissette, Shaenon Garrity, Dan Jurgens, Chris Bachalo, Natalie Nourigat, and many more! (see entire list below)

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS | More