FLASHBACK! Brandon has nothing but praise for Mark Millar’s Superman: Red Son; Tim’s feelings about the Dark Horse graphic novel The Truth are somewhat less adulatory…(Originally published October 9, 2006)
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Category: Podcast
Deconstructing Comics Podcast, published every Monday, features comics creator discussion and comics reviews.
#258 The Tokyo Censorship Law
The Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly recently passed a law that further limits minors’ access to “Any manga, animation, or pictures (but not including real life pictures or footage) that features either sexual or pseudo sexual acts that would be illegal in real life, or sexual or pseudo sexual acts between close relatives whose marriage would be illegal, where such depictions and / or presentations unjustifiably glorify or exaggerate the activity.” Perhaps understandable, but without clear guidelines for determining what is OK and what is not, there are fears of a slippery slope. Could this become defacto, outright censorship? Tim, Kumar, and Mulele discuss the new law, and how this situation compares to the events in the U.S. that led up to the creation of the comics code.
Dan Kanemitsu’s Paper Trail — many good blog postings on the topic
Publishers boycott anime convention
“My publisher has banned school uniforms” — (visuals on this site are NOT SAFE FOR WORK)
Child sex in manga: Art or Obscenity? — The Japan Times
JL Roberson touts Deconstructing Comics
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#001 “Superman Returns” “Revelations” “Hellboy”
FLASHBACK: THE PULSE-POUNDING ORIGIN! We revisit the very first time, more than five years ago, that Tim, Mulele, and Brandon recorded their comics discussion and put it up on the Net. The episode was originally published Dec. 5, 2005. Topics include the trailer for Superman Returns, Revelations by Paul Jenkins & Humberto Ramos, and Mike Mignola passing off art duties on Hellboy. Oh, and, of course, Star Wars.
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#257 “The Birth Caul” and “Snakes and Ladders”
Besides being one of the most highly regarded writers in the comics biz, Alan Moore has also, on several occasions, given artsy poetic readings. Two such readings that he gave in the late ’90s were turned into comics by Eddie Campbell. The text alone is dense enough with meaning, but Campbell’s images add yet another layer. Listen to Moore’s voice recordings of the works as you read and you have a full-on audio-comics experience. Tim and Kumar fawn and praise.
These two comics, plus a Moore interview, were later collected as A Disease of Language.
Another review, by page45.com.
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#256 Talking about “Star Wars”…again!
FIVE YEARS of “Deconstructing Comics”! We celebrate with a retro lineup (Tim, Mulele, and Brandon, plus Kumar) discussing the topic that we always used to accidentally end up talking about anyway: Star Wars! Specifically, Dark Horse’s Star Wars Tales #20, an issue in which various indie creators took a crack at the Star Wars characters. Especially Jar Jar.
Also, our reactions to the trailer for the Green Lantern movie. Have all these superhero movies run their course?
A fun (if rather ribald and un-p.c.) conversation!
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#255 All Star Superman
Superman is one of the most iconic characters in American comics. Even people who don’t read comics (and perhaps haven’t seen the movies either) have some familiarity with him. While Tim is not a DC reader, Kumar is somewhat of a fan, especially of Silver Age Superman stories. Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely’s All Star Superman mines those Silver Age stories for wackiness, but then infuses them with thoughtfulness and heart. Kumar, finally back from vacation, joins Tim to review.
Grant Morrison interview on Newsarama
Review of All Star Superman #10 on iFanboy
The Secret of All Star Superman by Douglas Wolk
All Star Superman on Wikipedia
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#254 Listener Comics: Our Presentation on Presentation!
At Deconstructing Comics, we will review no comic before its time. Unfortunately, Zeb’s comic is not quite there. Tim and Mulele decide to critique, not the comic itself, but the presentation.
Shawn’s comic is also not finished (see samples here), but the first 88 pages are reviewed.
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#253 “Confederacy” and Collaboration
The Martian Confederacy returns! As volume 2 moves toward its release, artist Paige Braddock and writer Jason McNamara return to the podcast to discuss Mars in the year 3535, as well as the good and bad points of their collaboration.
- Jason McNamara interview, episode 119
- Paige Braddock interview, episode 123
- Paige with Hilary Price in episode 152 (Women in Comedy Strips)
- Tim and Kumar review The Martian Confederacy vol. 1, episode 166
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#252 Echoes of “Paradise”: Terry’ Moore’s “Echo”
Part relationship story, part science fiction, Terry Moore’s Echo crosses traditional boundaries. The series includes some fascinating characters, and a frustrating main character whose life isn’t moving forward. Are the characters too reminiscent of those in Moore’s popular Strangers in Paradise? Will there be an Echo movie, with the relationship parts cut out? Tim and newcomer Alberto review.
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#251 Greg Hinkle and “Parasomnia”
A horror anthology? Some may advise against it, but artist Greg Hinkle and several of our San Francisco friends in Writer’s Old Fashioned decided to boldly go there anyway! The result is Parasomnia, now available without a prescription. Greg talks to Tim about preparing the comic for the Alternative Press Expo, and then Mulele and Tim critique the work.
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