Secret Stacks

Fret no more, Milhouse, the fireworks factory is here! Kristin and Thomas are a little light on news this episode, but their picks are fresh and their hearts are true (and full of spite). Kristin discovers a wealth of #GraphicMedicine. Thomas implores you to watch Mask of the Phantasm, unless you rebel against recommendations. Jay Asher Jessica Freeburg’s Piper Graphic Medicine’s graphic novel list School Library Journal’s Fall 2017 Sneak Peek Mask of the Phantasm coming to blu-ray in July   Kristin’s Picks The Sculptor 9781596435735 California Dreamin’ 9781626725461   Thomas’s Picks On The Camino, Jason 9781683960218 Outcast 9781632150530 (related: Elizabeth Breitweiser interview) Find a comics shop near you Secret Stacks logo and avatar by Severin Piehl, go read his webcomic Tove Theme song by Julie Jurgens, y’all

Secret Stacks Episode 31 for the end of May 2017! What a lovely day to talk about Conferences! Kristin went to the Medical Library Association conference in Seattle, Thomas laments about not being able to attend all the awesome comics related panels at the ALA conference this year and they both agree that socializing is the best part of any conference. Thomas also talks about his Wonder Woman movie experience (WONDER WOMAN MOVIE: PRETTY GOOD, Y’ALL, though it could have been intersectional) and of course, the picks!   Vote, if eligible, on the Eisners! Deadline midnight PDT, June 16 Desi Geek Girls Podcast Hoopla’s LGBTQIA Collection Richland Library’s Queer Comics ALA Annual schedule keyword search What Does Wonder Woman Actually Represent? Austin Mayor Adler’s response about Alamo Drafthouse’s women-only Wonder Woman screening Women-only screening receives legal complaint Wonder Woman 75th Anniversary article Reading pathways for Wonder Woman comics Marvel’s library problem Insane Marvel digital deal

Free Comic Book Day stories! Pupusas! Pride Month! Comics sometimes ARE for kids? Other times they’re for church. Kristin and Thomas do not trust monopolies nor robots. They also forecast possible avenues for the next phase of the Marvel cinematic universe, followed by fresh picks from other publishers. Pupusa recipe Consortium distributing Indie Comics, Diamond monopoly going down? Diamond upgrading its storage and shipping abilities, monopoly going up? Image Comics Pride Month Variants Kids comics sales still growing Shout-out to Amanda Foust of In The Library With A Comic Book and No Flying, No Tights fame! Kristin’s Picks Love In Vain: Robert Johnson 1911-1928 9780571328833 The Property (from 2013) 9781770461154   Thomas’s Picks Hellboy: Into The Silent Sea 9781506701431 Wonder Woman, Volume 2: Year One 9781401268800   Find a comics shop near you Secret Stacks logo and avatar by Severin Piehl, go read his webcomic Tove Theme song by Julie Jurgens, y’all

Kristin and Thomas discuss a variety of things this week! RFID tags, Mr. Glass from Unbreakable, the world of Stand Up Comedy and of course, the most recent Marvel PR disaster! Kristin and Thomas also talk about their picks! Enjoy! M. Night Shyamalan’s Unbreakable Sequel Secret Empire, Explained DC Comics get download codes! Valiant incentive bonuses for pre-ordering whole story arcs J.A. Micheline & Dave Gibbons on the nine-panel grid Aquaman’s spork Kristin’s Picks Turning Japanese 9781937541163 Life With Mr. Dangerous 9780345494412 Thomas’s Picks Empress 9781302902063 Roughneck 9781476773995   Find a comics shop near you Secret Stacks logo and avatar by Severin Piehl, go read his webcomic Tove Theme song by Julie Jurgens, y’all

Our recommendations this month don’t come from Marvel, but that won’t stop us from armchair-quarterbacking their recent controversies! Really popular challenged graphic novels get the official Secret Stacks endorsement well after their debuts (you’re welcome for that long tail, publishers!). We keep talking about convention culture and Osamu Tezuka. We can’t separate our nostalgia for Power Rangers from our current enjoyment of the new movie and comics. The grim reaper is breathing down all our necks, but we don’t have to despair. April is a cruel month for ending, but we can still enjoy it while it lasts. Augusta Baker’s Dozen Liminal Comics: Love Stories For Outcasts, Rebels & Misfits Why Hiring Ex-Vertigo Editors Makes So Much Sense The Outrage Over Marvel’s Alleged Diversity Blaming, Explained Marvel “Generations” File your complaints + corrections here Ardian Syaf’s politics and religion on display in X-Men Gold #1 Some context and further reading from G. Willow Wilson American Library Associ

Welcome to Secret Stacks Episode 27 for the end of March 2017! Kristin and Thomas really stay #OnBrand this episode when they talk almost 100% about libraries and comics! First they discuss the world of conventions in libraries, they have tips and tricks to share for anyone interested in putting on a con in their library. They read a lovely letter from a listener asking about some starting out as a librarian recommendations and superhero librarian discussion. And of course, their picks! Enjoy! Marissa Lieberman episode of Circulating Ideas Events at Clinton-Macomb Public Library Saladin Ahmed writing Black Bolt Free Comic Book Day Scratch n Spin in The Daily Gamecock What does Elyssa Kroski have for breakfast?   Kristin’s Picks The Abominable Mr. Seabrook 9781770462670 Something New 9781626722491 Thomas’s Picks The Adventures of Superhero Girl 9781616550844 Pyongyang 9781897299210   Find a comics shop near you Secret Stacks logo and avatar by Severin Piehl, go read his webcomic Tove Theme song by Julie

Who’s looking forward to convention season? Who’s already in the middle of it? Hooray! Thomas revisits a previous stance regarding depictions of Jughead. Everyone’s cool enough to admit they enjoy Prairie Home Companion… right? Up with Shelly Bond’s Black Crown! Up with Tom Taylor’s nation-sized embargo! Whether Spring in your neighborhood means rain or shine, we hope you find time to curl up with some good books. Just don’t get… erased!   NashiCon – Osamu Tezuka panel A Prairie Home Companion with Chris Thile Shelly Bond Launches Black Crown Imprint With IDW Tom Taylor’s statement about refusing to travel to America   Kristin’s Picks Irmina 9783956400063 My Dirty Dumb Eyes 9781770461161 Thomas’s Picks Secret Path 9781501155949 Erased  9780316553315 (the anime is really good too!) (What’s with the disappearing children in this episode’s picks? Pure coincidence!) Find a comics shop near you Secret Stacks logo and avatar by Severin Piehl, go read his webcomic Tove Theme song by Julie Jurgens, y’all

Recorded on Monday, posted on Tuesday. Whoa! Quick turnaround. How are you liking the double shots? Kristin and Thomas swear to raise the bar on comics news, just as soon as they talk about Riverdale… and Lego Batman… and a Nightwing movie… any day now! We talk about showboaters versus laborers, ex-Vertigo editors Shelly Bond and Karen Berger moving on to promising new ventures, and a graphic novel removed from a school library! Oh, and the misplaced cult of personality behind Punisher. More than 30% of this episode consists of comics news, reviews, and anecdotes about Adult Swears. We’re all going to heck. Enjoy! Comics Beat: Only 30 Percent of the News On Comics News Sites Is Actually About Comics SC Comic Con and HeroesCon in the Carolinas – maybe say hi to Thomas at them! Chipper Zdoosky writing Spectacular Spider-Man The Comics Journal’s Jack Kirby Interview (Stan Lee ain’t all that) Punisher emblem and ‘Blue Lives Matter’ decals on cop cars… okay… Femme Magnifique Kickstarter Karen Berger To Launch

More compact episodes! We’re going to be doing two episodes a month now so let us know if you like it. We’re leaner and meaner, well not meaner, we’re pretty nice actually.   Love Is Love on Hoopla (downloads through Hoopla’s partner libraries, as well as sales, will generate proceeds for Equality Florida) Cybils 2016 Winners (it was March: Book Three) Roger Ebert’s Great Movies List The Comics Alternative Podcast (aka the primary suspects in the event of our untimely deaths)   Kristin’s Picks Beautiful Darkness 9781770461291 Incognegro 9781401210977 Thomas’s Picks X-Men: Legacy, Vol. 1: Prodigal 9780785162490 (a great readalike for the Legion tv show) Detective Comics Vol.1: Rise of the Batmen 9781401267995 (a great readalike for The Lego Batman Movie)   Find a comics shop near you Secret Stacks logo and avatar by Severin Piehl, go read his webcomic Tove

Time for some hot takes from two cool cats. Thomas tore himself away from Final Fantasy XV for five minutes to get this out before episode 24 gets recorded! We’re excited about comics anthologies, plus Captain America continues planting agents in the U.S. government. YALSA’s got a graphic novel recommendation list you can count on when the New York Times lets you down. If you need more than one list per year, Kristin and Thomas are still serving up quality comics for you to read, hear, and pass along! To punch Nazis or not to punch Nazis, that is the no-brainer Shelly Bond’s Femme Magnifique is in the works New York Times removes graphic novel category from bestseller lists Melanie Gillman’s Other Side anthology free for schools, libraries, and cash-strapped teens San Jose City Councilman Lan Diep sworn in holding his Captain America shield YALSA’s Great Graphic Novels For Teens 2017 Kristin’s Picks One Hundred Nights of Hero 9780316259170Sick 9780996273916   Thomas’s Picks Barakamon 9780316336086 Sh

It’s our end of 2016 episode! We hope all your various holidays were delightful. Thomas tells us all about his trip to Japan and of course, he visited some libraries while he was there! So many interesting cultural differences! We reveal our NEW FORMAT for 2017, we’re going biweekly! So many new things happen in the world of comics, we want to keep the hot takes piping fresh. Let us know what you think! We also talk about some upsetting things a comics creator was arrested for recently and the effects of separating the art from the artist. And of course, we give you THE PICKS! Enjoy! Don’t let Gundam happen to you Overdrive expands GN selection DC Rebirth titles available via Hoopla Will Eisner Graphic Novel Grants For Libraries Kristin’s Picks Love Is Love 9781631409394 (related: now in its third printing!) Slam! 9781684150045 Backstagers 9781608869930   Thomas’s Picks Case Closed 9781591163275 Orange 9781626923027 Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin 9781935654872   Find a comics shop near you Secret S

What are we thankful for? Great comics! And you guys! This is the November episode of Secret Stacks! Thomas talks about his upcoming ALA Midwinter panel with Greg Rucka, Tom King and Ben Percy (UPDATE: Thomas can’t make it to Midwinter like he thought, but the great Marcela Peres will moderate that panel!). Kristin and Tom discuss the new America Chavez book coming out, March Book Three, new Dykes to Watch Out For, the trials and tribulations of John Stossel and Kristin’s science teacher who said the moon landing was faked! We also talk A LOT about CW shows, because they’re great.In this episode, talks about Secret Stacks wanting to take YOU to the moon, regardless of what Kristin’s Science Teacher has to say about it! Record yourself talking up your favorite comic of 2016 and email it to us at secretstackspodcast@gmail.com for a chance to win a copy of Tom Gauld’s MOONCOP. We’ll play our favorites on the January episode, when we give our top picks from 2017! We’ll randomly draw from our favorite entries and

Trick or treat! Our Halloween episode is out just in time for Thanksgiving week! (Tom Turkey’s first time in the editing chair.) Kristin talks about comics as gifts. Thomas plugs Halloween ComicFest. Wonder Woman gets celebrated by the UN. Chelsea Cain got harassed for a dumb reason. Both of us respond to the mailbag. All of this, plus our always-solid three picks each – this is a packed episode, so spare us your eggs and go attack some miser’s house. RIP Jack Chick + Steve Dillon Halloween ComicFest When is Batman’s Birthday? Wonder Woman as Honorary UN Ambassador for the Empowerment of Women and Girls Chelsea Cain, writer of Mockingbird, leaves Twitter, potentially comics in general Mailbag “What comics would you recommend to help teach cultural literacy?” El Deafo, Cece Bell American Born Chinese, Gene Luen Yang March, John Lewis, Nate Powell, Andrew Aydin Marbles: Mania, Depression, Michelangelo, and Me, Ellen Forney “You Say Latino” by Terry Blas Joey Alison Sayers zine “Just So You Know” about

What should you do when someone gives you a criticism? What should you NOT do? Kristin and Thomas talk about the recent fiasco involving VOYA and how many writers, artists and creators don’t handle criticism well. Kristin talks about Check, Please and how cute it is. Thomas discusses the importance of telling your favorite creators how much you like their work! And of course, their favorite picks for the month! Come get some!   Lionel Shriver’s speech about cultural appropriation Lionel Shriver’s follow-up interview Moana costume VOYA madness (it just… keeps… going) AICL’s take on Raina Telgemeier’s Ghosts TSU’s take on Ghosts Valiant’s cat cosplay variant covers Mariko Tamaki writing a Jennifer Walters Hulk story Mariko’s also writing a Supergirl miniseries (with Joelle Jones on art)! Check, Please! on Kickstarter LGBTQ Anthology, Love Is Love, from DC + IDW RIP C. Martin Croker Gene Luen Yang receives MacArthur Grant (DC and Marvel (Ta-Nehisi Coates) each officially have an anointed genius writi

HASHTAG: TEENS! Kristin and Thomas talk about parks and public lands for a while, because NATURE. Thomas created a Stranger Things readalikes display and they discuss what a Library Themed role playing game would look like. They also spend a long time discussing and taking umbrage with the recent article, “Teenage Wasteland: Please, No More Teenage Heroes” which posits that teen superheroes are bad! Hashtag: Unpleasant. And of course, Kristin and Thomas discuss their picks for the month! Enjoy!   Parks across America Five great comics for fans of Stranger Things Teenage Wasteland: Please, No More Teenage Superheroes Teenage Daydream: Welcome Aboard, Teenage Superheroes Kristin’s Picks Oh Joy Sex Toy 9780982343784 Steven Universe Vol. 1 9781608867066 Tiny Titans 9781401220785 Thomas’s Picks Wrath of the Eternal Warrior Vol. 1 Risen 9781682151235 Weirdworld, Vol. 1: Where Lost Things Go 9781302900434 Blue Beetle Vol. 1: Shellshocked 9781401209650 (this series needs reprints ASAP) Find a comics shop near

It’s comics awards season again! Kristin and Thomas talk about the Eisner Awards and how so many of their picks are on that list! They also discuss The Harveys and Valiant’s weird sweep of every single category. Kristin watches the Justice League trailer! They talk about Godzilla and King Kong for WAY longer than is appropriate! Plus their monthly picks! Come on down and get these hot comics takes! And stay tunes after the credits for the greatest pun ever told. For anyone with opinions about The Killing Joke comic or movie: Thomas recommends The Brave & The Bold #33 Eisner Awards Harvey Awards – Related: Valiant Comics on Hoopla Halloween Comic Fest Secret Stacks guest episode of Circulating Ideas (If we seem loopy during this Secret Stacks episode, it’s because we recorded the CircIdeas episode first. Download for our fresher takes!) RIP Jack Davis RIP Richard Thompson (Consider the context of the “get hyped over trailers then give the movie 6/10” conversation – Thomas, who enjoyed Suicide Squad’s

 Jessica Cruz on the skywalk at ALA OrlandoThomas shares the Ignite session he did at ALA Annual Conference 2016! Kristin and Thomas discuss various Florida theme parks and the weird licensing issues they have with comics characters.Thomas talks about all the cool people and panels he saw at ALA, not to mention all the amazing graphic novels and ARCS he picked up from vendors! Plus all the picks! And special information about what Steve can be good for. Enjoy! Whatta haul! Many of these titles will find happy homes with a variety of readers. Secret Stacks Ignite Powerpoint Best/Worst Graphic Novels For Adults panel Valkyries/Valhalla panel   Kristin’s Picks Goldie Vance 9781608868988 Zodiac Starforce 9781616559137 The Complete Wimmen’s Comix 9781606998984   Thomas’s Picks Your Lie In April 9784063713015 Monstress 9781632157096 Delilah Dirk and the King’s Shilling 9781626721555   Find a comics shop near you Secret Stacks logo and avatar by Severin Piehl, go read his webcomic Tove Theme song by Ju

Thomas got his wisdom teeth removed! Kristin is starting a new job! People are mad at comics! But probably for good reasons. They talk about Hydra!Cap, the arguments, the counter-arguments and the counter-counter-arguments. They discuss Rebirth, the most recent event in DC Comics but they avoid giving away any spoilers (because they’re good people). They also talk about Comixology Unlimited, what it is, what you get and what people are saying about it! And of course, Kristin and Thomas have a special message for Hoopla! Come on in and listen to their hot takes! Captain America #1’s Hydra Reveal DC Rebirth (Related: Thomas’s Panels article about spoilers) Comixology Unlimited Dewey Decibel podcast stealing our hard-earned Hoopla money [citation not needed, we have the high ground] R.I.P. comic book artist and writer Darwyn Cooke Gallery of Darwyn Cooke’s month of variant covers for DC “The Secret Stacks: Your Comics In Libraries Podcast” Ignite session at ALA Orlando “Best/Worst Comics & Manga For Adu

Secret Stacks, Episode 14! SUPER FRESH. Kristin and Thomas talk about the 2016 Eisner nominees, the politics of awards and the sadness and controversy behind Shelly Bond being let go as an editor of Vertigo. Thomas reports back from SC Comic Con with clips from Jeremy Whitley, the creator of Princeless and members of the band SOUND OF THUNDER. Kristin met a cow named Ricky at a Maple Syrup Festival. AND SO MUCH MORE. Plus all of their monthly picks! Come get some!   Pirating Shakespeare Free Comic Book Day Eisner nominees Shelly Bond Removed From Vertigo SC Comic Con Comics Beat: “Comics toxic heritage strikes again as DC editor named as sexual harasser” Abhay Khosla’s take on harassment in comics Comics written by Jeremy Whitley “Tower of Souls” from A Sound of Thunder’s album Tales From The Deadside, inspired by the Shadowman comics Prince available for streaming via Hoopla Behold! Meghan Hetrick‘s list of Stoopid Questions & Comments, from her SC Comic Con booth:   Kristin’s Picks The Infinit

(Huyen Diep, Thomas Maluck, Tracy Boehm, and Kristin Lalonde) Kristin and Thomas talk about all of their adventures at this years Chicago Comics and Entertainment Expo (C2E2) where they were panelists. They talk extensively (almost too extensively?) about pizza, hot dogs and doughnuts that they have enjoyed. Also they give you Con Tips and Thomas has audio clips from some fine folks he spoke too. They also go over DC’s ReBirth announcement! And of course, their three picks for the month! Fill your life with sugar, dough, and love: Chicago’s Do-Rite Donuts. DC Rebirth: New creative teams Faith Is Breaking The Rules For Fat Girls Ongoing series for Faith confirmed! Vote for our ALA Ignite Session Thanks to David F. Walker and Atom! Freeman for talking to us!   Kristin’s Three Picks Faith 9781682151211 Junior Scientist Power Hour 9780692480595 Happy Stories About Well-Adjusted People 9781894994866   Thomas’s Three Picks Clean Room 9781401262754 Godzilla in Hell 9781631405341 Swamp Thing: Season’s End 97