Comics Alternative

Time Codes: 00:00:24 - Introduction 00:02:26 - Setup of interview 00:04:50 - Interview with Jason Lutes 01:20:31 - Wrap up 01:21:13 - Contact us Jason Lutes began his Berlin series in the spring of 1996, with plans to publish his ambitious project over a 24-issue run. Over the years, he pared down the number of issues to 22, and the last of those was released in March of this year. Earlier this month, Drawn and Quarterly released a complete single-volume edition of Berlin, clocking in at over 550 pages, as well as a third volume of the series, City of Light, for those who had already gotten the previous two collections, City of Stones and City of Smoke, and didn’t want to get the completed series in just one volume. Berlinis a massive narrative with an ensemble cast. It takes place in that volatile city during the last days of the Weimar Republic, 1928-1933, when Germany was struggling with its economy and war reparations, and a variety of political factions -- in particular, the Communist Party

Time Codes: 00:00:24 - Introduction 00:02:22 - Setup of interview 00:04:01 - Interview with Youssef Daoudi 01:52:10 - Wrap up 01:52:47 - Contact us   Youssef Daoudi is a French creator whose previous albums include La Trilogie Noire, published by Casterman, and several works released by Glénat, including Mayday, Ring, and Tripoli. Unfortunately, these books aren’t yet available in English, but you can discover the art and storytelling of Daoudi through his brand new book from First Second, Monk!: Thelonious, Pannonica, and the Friendship behind a Musical Revolution. Indeed, as Youssef discusses with me in this interview you’re about to here, Monk!is his first work to be written originally in English, and later to be translated into French. This isn’t a graphic biography of the jazz legend, often called “The Mad Monk” or “The High Priest of Bop,” but a portrait of his relationship with Kathleen Annie Pannoica de Koenigswarter, a free-spirted and jazz-impassioned baroness who was a member of the R

Time Codes: 00:00:27 - Introduction 00:02:27 - Set up of episode 00:03:45 - Interview with Jennifer Hayden 00:18:17 - Interview with Fernando De Peña, Rodrigo Vargas, and Coni Yovaniniz 00:29:04 - Interview with Ellen Forney 00:52:01 - Interview with Miss Lasko-Gross 01:00:47 - Interview with Michael DeForge 01:22:26 - Interview with Evan Dahm 01:30:22 - Interview with Ben Costa and James Parks 01:38:13 - Interview with Ivy Atoms 01:44:33 - Interview with M.S. Harkness 01:52:30 - Interview with Maritsa Patrinos 02:02:36 - Interview with Maransa Harmon and Eric Taylor 02:13:21 - Wrap up 02:13:59 - Contact us More Good Smallness Last weekend Derek attended the Small Press Expo, which is held every September in North Bethesda, MD. At the event, he talked with a variety of artists who tabled there. This is the second of two on-location shows featuring these brief interviews, the first being released earlier this week. These short conversations range from around 6 minutes to 23 min

Time Codes: 00:00:32 - Introduction 00:02:43 - Introducing Stergios Botzakis 00:06:41 - A Contract with God: Curator's Collection 00:55:55 - Egg Cream #1 01:19:04 - Hey Kids! Comics! #1 and #2 01:38:48 - Wrap up 01:40:25 - Contact us This week The Comics Alternativegets a new cohost: Stergios Botzakis! And on his maiden voyage, Sterg becomes an integral part in discussions of three unique titles. He and Derek begin with A Contract with God: Curator's Collection(Dark Horse Books-Kitchen Sink Books). This classic of Will Eisner's is reproduced in two beautiful volumes, one with the original pencils and another with the inks. This slipcased edition is a first for the podcast, as the Two Guys have never discussed anything like an Artist's Edition or a Legacy Edition. As such, Sterg and Derek not only go through the specifics of Eisner's four stories, but they spend a lot of time talking about process, Eisner's original intentions, and the various insightful essays included in this two-volume set.

Time Codes: 00:00:27 - Introduction 00:02:29 - Set up of episode 00:04:13 - Interview with Mike Freiheit 00:12:16 - Interview with Madeline McGrane 00:15:51 - Interview with Kelly Phillips and Claire Folkman 00:22:37 - Interview with Karl Christian Krumpholz 00:28:28 - Interview with Max de Radiguès 00:44:12 - Interview with Ryan Holmberg 00:59:14 - Interview with Scott Roberts 01:07:02 - Interview with Nathan Gelgud 01:16:30 - Interview with M. Dean 01:34:08 - Interview with Emi Gennis 01:41:58 - Interview with Alex Nall 01:49:24 - Interview with Ash Thomasand Sara Guzman 01:56:07 - Interview with Ellen Lindner 02:06:53 - Wrap up 02:07:43 - Contact us This past weekend, Derek attended Small Press Expo in North Bethesda, MD. While there, he interviewed a variety of creators, some of whom he didn't even know, about their recent releases and their upcoming projects. In this, the first of two on-location shows recorded at SPX, Derek talks with 15 different creators, with each

Time Codes: 00:00:24 - Introduction 00:02:37 - Setup of interview 00:04:33 - Interview with Summer Pierre 01:19:14 - Wrap up 01:20:13 - Contact us The Two Guys were first introduced to the work of Summer Pierre during June of 2017. At the time, they were wanting to do a special episode of The Comics Alternative devoted to self-published creators, and John Porcellino recommended to Derek that they check out the work of Summer Pierre. At the time her minicomic Paper Pencil Life was at its fourth issue, and so they went to her website to get the full run of the title up to that point. They were impressed by her art and storytelling, and since then, Derek has made it a point of following Summer's work. She had told him last year in an email that she planned to have a new graphic memoir coming out from Retrofit in 2018, and at this week’s Small Press Expo that book will officially debut. All the Sad Songs is a moving account of the role of music in Summer’s life, from the creation of mix tapes to her

It's that time again, the occasion when Gwen and Derek meticulously go through the latest Previewscatalog and highlight a variety of upcoming comics they find of note. For the month of September, they discuss a variety of  publishers and titles such as: Image Comics - Bitter Root #1, Outer Darkness#1, The Terrible Elizabeth Dumn against the Devil in Suits, Midwest#1, 24 Panels, and Street Angel vs Ninjatech Dark Horse Comics - The Problem of Susan and Other Stories, Lightstep#1, and Wandering Island, Vol. 2 DC Comics/Vertigo -American Carnage#1, Animal Man 30th Anniversary Deluxe Edition Book One, Goldfish, New Edition, and Jinx, New Edition IDW Publishing - Atomic Robo: Greatest Hits, Atomic Robo and the Dawn of a New Era#1, Jingle Belle: The Homemades' Tale, Night Moves#1, and Black Crown Omnibus, Vol. 1 Dynamite Entertainment - James Bond 007#1 and Bettie Page#1 BOOM! Studios - Smooth Criminals#1, Firefly#1, and The Empty Man#1 Aftershock Comics - Witch Hammer Albatross Funnybooks - Grumble#1

Time Codes: 00:00:23 - Introduction 00:02:29 - Setup of interview 00:04:11 - Interview with Tim Bird 01:00:17 - Wrap up 01:00:53 - Contact us The Great North Wood, which was just released through Avery Hill Publishing, is Tim Bird’s longest work to date. It’s the story of -- or perhaps a better way of putting would be that it’s a history or a meditation on -- an area in South London known for its wooded past. This includes areas such as Norwood, Gipsy Hill, Honor Oak, and Sydenham Hill Woods. In fact, as Tim mentions in the interview, Sydenham Hill Woods is really the last vestige of the heavily forested area south of London, and it’s where Tim and his family currently reside. What makes The Great North Woodstand out is Tim Bird’s use of geographic space to tell his story. As he and Derek discuss over the course of their conversation, character is at a minimum in Tim’s work, and he uses location and space to carry his narrative. What’s more, the creator often underscores the mystery and magic tha

Time Codes: 00:00:24 - Introduction 00:02:24 - Setup of interview 00:04:41 - Interview with Keiler Roberts 01:04:06 - Wrap up 01:04:48 - Contact us In 2009 Keiler Roberts began putting out a series of self-published minicomics that she titled Powered Milk. These were brief stories and scenarios where she represented the experiences she had as a mother, wife, and friend. Many of the situations were observational in nature -- for example, some of her Powered Milkcomics were one-panel expressions of something off-beat and telling that her daughter, Xia, had said -- but occasionally she would illustrate longer narratives that concerned her life as a mother. She has gathered these earlier minicomics in collections such as Powered Milk: Collected Stories and Miseryland. Last year, however, Keiler began turning to book-length format and publishing her Powered Milkstories, what she continues to call her work, through Koyama Press. In fact, Sunburning was one of the texts discussed last year during the pu

It's time for another on-location episode recorded at Heroes Aren't Hard to Find in Charlotte, NC. In this first of two planned September visits, Michael and Derek talk with customers -- Zyg, Brian, and Alonzo -- and discuss some recent releases that strike their attention. Focusing on the mainstream, Michael highlights Fantastic Four#1. He discusses Marvel's former flagship title's return, and he goes on to speculate on the significance of Jack Kirby and Stan Lee's creation...not only with the Marvel Universe, but for all comics. Derek focuses on a few non-superhero titles, including Christopher Sebela and Shawn McManus's House Amok#1(IDW/Black Crown), Eric M. Esquivel and Ramon Villalobos's Border Town #1(DC/Vertigo), and the first two titles in DC's new Sandman initiative, The Sandman Universe#1and The Dreaming#1. With this episode, The Comics Alternative's on-location series joins the Queen City Podcast Network!

Time Codes: 00:00:27 - Introduction 00:03:03 - Fare-thee-well to Paul! 00:05:51 - The Cardboard Kingdom 00:28:41 - All Summer Long 00:44:11 -Be Prepared 01:06:46 - Wrap up 01:08:09 - Contact us On this episode of the Comics Alternative’s Young Readers show, Gwen and Derek discuss summer 2018 new releases, all geared to middle-grade readers. The first text, edited and illustrated by Chad Sell, is The Cardboard Kingdom, released by Random House Graphic. Readers learn about the lives and dreams of a group of neighborhood kids in short stories written by Jay Fuller, David DeMeo, Katie Schenkel, Kris Moore, Molly Muldoon, Vid Alliger, Manuel Betancourt, Michael Cole, Cloud Jacobs, and Barbara Perez Marquez. The second text they discuss is Hope Larson’s All Summer Long from Farrar Straus Giroux. And finally, Gwen and Derek review Vera Brosgol’s long-awaited memoir, Be Prepared, released by First Second Books. They start by reviewing a comic that demonstrates the experimentation that is currently t

Time Codes: 00:00:25 - Introduction 00:02:17 - Catching up with Gwen 00:03:32 - Spotlight on Peow Studioreleases 01:09:53 - Wrap up 01:11:33 - Contact us This week Gwen and Derek focus their critical spotlight on recent releases from Peow Studio, a Swedish publisher of minicomics and longer narratives. As they point out, much of what is coming out from Peow is very creator-centered, personal, and even experimental in nature. This is a publisher that, while not well-known my many readers, deserves much more attention for the intriguing material that they release. While Gwen and Derek aren't able to delve too deeply into each of the texts that they discuss, they do give a broad overview of the press, the kind of comics they publish, and some of the defining characteristics they see in their catalog. They primarily focus on the publications Peow has released over the past year and a half, including: Internal Affairs- Patrick Crotty Ripple– Wai Wai Pang Rule Break– Anna Syvertsson Dust Pam– T

Time Codes: 00:00:26 - Introduction 00:02:25 - Setup of interview 00:03:54 - Interview with Christopher Sebela, Ro Stein, and Ted Brandt 01:06:23 - Wrap up 01:06:59 - Contact us In Crowded (Image Comics), the protagonist Charlie Ellison finds herself the victim of a crowdfunded assassination. That’s right, a crowdfunded assassination. Charlie lives a quiet, normal life, going about her daily routine as anyone would. But she soon finds herself under fire, hunted by all of Los Angeles with her potential killers fueled by crowdfunding platform Reapr. As a result, Charlie hires Vita, one the lowest-rated bodyguards employed by the Dfend, an app allowing you to hire protection. The two then go on a quest to discover who is behind Charlie’s crowdfunded contract, and do so without Charlie falling victim or Vita screwing up. The first issue of Crowdedwas released in August, and last month Derek talked with the creators, Christopher Sebela, Ro Stein, and Ted Brandt, immediately before the release date. T

Time Codes: 00:00:25 - Introduction 00:03:24 - Congratulations to Christina Merkler! 00:04:48 - Kochab 00:28:10 - Alchemilla 00:58:38 - Zap! 01:23:20 - Wrap up 01:24:28 - Contact us On the August episode 0f the webcomics -- granted, a little late -- Sean and Derek check out three titles where the art is incredible. They begin with Kochab, a YA fantasy about two young women, one a fire spirit, and their explorations of surroundings and self. After that they check out a most curious webcomic, Sara Valta's Alchemilla. This narrative focuses on the struggles and encounters of Valo, a problematic adventurer, and Fabulous, the magical counselor of a crisis center for fanatical creatures. Sean and Derek wrap up with Zap!, a science fiction adventure, partly inspired by Star Wars, but instilled with a good bit of humor.

Time Codes: 00:00:27 - Introduction 00:02:56 - Comments on translated plentitude 00:06:21 - Luisa, Now and Then 00:42:44 - Green Almonds: Letters from Palestine 01:02:45 - Wrap up 01:03:41 - Contact us For their August show, Pascal and Derek look at two works whose creators may be largely unknown here in the states. They begin with Carole Maurel's Luisa, Now and Then, one of the first books published as part of Humanoids' new Life Drawn imprint. As the guys point out, this is a time-travel narrative where an individual confronts herself from another time. While this is a popular trope, Maurel gives it a different spin. Instead of time-traveling backwards, as found in most such narratives (e.g., Peggy Sue Got Married), in Luisa, Now and Thenthe movement is forward in time. This story is filled with intriguing scenarios, given the premise, and also a lot of humor. One could argue that it's one of the best introductions to the Life Drawn imprint. Next, Derek and Pascal check out Green Almonds: Le

Time Codes: 00:00:27 - Introduction 00:03:34 - Captain Harlock: The Classic Collection, Vol 1 00:42:39 - Slum Wolf 01:14:09 - Wrap up 01:15:17 - Contact us This month Shea and Derek discuss two great works that bring back some older, or classic, manga. They begin with Leiji Matsumoto's Captain Harlock: The Classic Collection, Vol 1 (Seven Seas Entertainment), a series that originally ran between 1977 and 1979. Captain Harlockis a classic science fiction work, and with a space pirate protagonist who can be seen as a romantic hero. The Two Guys discuss the figure of Harlock as a curious mixture, while at the same time trying to ferret out the his philosophy. In many ways, they see this manga anchored in its time, both aesthetically and politically. But this work definitely isn't limited to it's time and can be appreciated today. Next they turn to Slum Wolf, another translated collection from Tadao Tsuge (New York Review Comics). An earlier collection of Tsuge's work, Trash Market, was released in

Time Codes: 00:00:26 - Introduction 00:02:36 - Setting a James Bond context 00:04:59 - A discussion of the James Bond comics published by Dynamite Entertainment 00:59:59 - Wrap up 01:01:43 - Contact us This week's episode of The Comics Alternative is special. Gwen and Derek devote their entire show to the the James Bond comics that have been coming out from Dynamite Entertainment for the past few years. They begin the show by sharing some of their own experiences with the James Bond franchise and how much it was a part of their childhoods. Then they get into the core of the show, discussing the eight James Bond trades, along with the recent six-issue The Body, that have been released since 2016. While they are unable to talk in detail about all of the works -- after all, there's a lotto cover -- they nonetheless provide a broad overview of the various elements, themes, and styles that define Dynamite's James Bond, plunging into deeper readings whenever possible. The various works they cover, along

Time Codes: 00:00:24 - Introduction 00:02:34 - Setup of interview 00:04:37 - Interview with Sean Lewis and Caitlin Yarsky 01:03:03 - Wrap up 01:03:44 - Contact us In November of last year readers saw the first issue of what was a brand-new series from Image Comics, Coyotes. It was the latest creation from writer Sean Lewis, who had authored other Image series including The Few and Saints, as well as writing recent titles for Aftershock such as Betrothed and Clankillers. For Coyotes, Sean chose as his illustrator a relative newcomer to comics, Caitlin Yarsky. While this is the first ongoing series where she provides all of the interior art, Caitlin’s work is a standout component and, in many ways, primarily defines the tone and sheer impact of Coyotes. As revealed in the first narrative arc, collected as a trade earlier this spring, Coyotesis about a young girl, name Red, who lives in a southwest border region fighting against a legion of wolves who prey upon women. She’s aided in her fight by the

It's that time again! It's the beginning of the month, and the latest issue of the Previews catalog is out. And as they always do, the Two Guys meticulously go through the latest solicits, highlighting a variety of upcoming titles in Previewsthat they're interested in or they think is worth considering. Among the many publishers and titles that they focus on in the August catalog include: Image Comics - Blackbird#1, Dead Rabbit#1, Exorsisters#1, Juke Joint#1, Wytches: Bad Egg Halloween Special, Norroway Book 1: The Black Bull of Norroway, Men of Wrath, and Royalboiler: Brandon Graham's Drawn Out Collection Dark Horse Comics - Umbrella Academy: Hotel Oblivion#1, Black Hammer: Age of Doom#8, and EC Archives: Vault of Horror Vol. 5 DC Comics/Vertigo - Cursed Comics Cavalcade#1, The Books of Magic#1, Lucifer#1, Hex Wives#1, and Vertigo: A Celebration of 25 Years IDW Publishing - Star Wars Adventures: Tales from Vader's Castle#1-#5, The Highest House, Mattéo Book One: 1914-1915, The Great Treasury of Chris

Time Codes: 00:00:25 - Introduction 00:02:11 - Introduction of new Critical Takes series, and setup of interview 00:05:00 - Interview with Keith Dallas and John Wells 01:12:11 - Wrap up 01:12:47 - Contact us With this episode the Two Guys are starting a brand-new series on The Comics Alternative, one they’re calling "Critical Takes." This will be an occasion series devoted to critical and scholarly works about comics. In the past, whenever they've talked with a comics scholar or historian on the show, they’ve included those in their Interview series, one where they primarily focus on comics writers and artists. But they wanted to spin off their focus on critical works with its own series. After all, and as the show's tagline states, they’re “Two Guys with PhDs Talking about Comics,” so it’s only appropriate that the guys devote a series of episodes to the more theoretical, historical, and scholarly side of comics studies. Some of these shows, such as the current one, will be interviews with author