On this special episode of The Comics Alternative, Andy and Derek devote the entire show to the 2014 Eisner Award Nominations. They take a close look at almost all of the categories, weighing in on their favorites nominees, commenting on the pros and cons of the picks, and speculating on the actual process of compiling the nominees list. What the Two Guys realize is that many of the comics that they reviewed in 2013, and many of the creators they interviewed over the past year, are noticeably pr...
Apr 21, 2014•1 hr 40 min
This week on The Comics Alternative, Andy and Derek review three recent titles, all from IDW (they didn’t plan this…it just turned out that the comics they really wanted to discuss were all published by IDW). First, they focus on the late Doug Wildey’s collection Rio: The Complete Saga. This is a very nice paperback edition that is composed mostly of high-quality scans from Wildey’s original art — a lot like IDW’s Artist Editions, but they’re just much less expensive. The Two Guys praise Wildey’...
Apr 17, 2014•1 hr 20 min
It’s the beginning of another month, which means it’s time once again for Derek and Andy to flip through the pages of the latest Previews catalog. The Two guys find a lot of notable titles in this month’s Previews – with notable offerings from Dark Horse, IDW, Image, Drawn and Quarterly, and Fantagraphics – and they share their findings with the usual discerning and humorous mixture that have come to define the “Comics Alternative brand.” Among the moments in this week’s episode you will find: D...
Apr 10, 2014•1 hr 40 min
This week on The Comics Alternative, Andy Wolverton and Derek review three more new titles. First, they look at another great book from SelfMadeHero, Frederik Peeters’s Aama, Vol. 1: The Smell of Warm Dust. This is the first of a multi-volume series from this innovative Swiss creator. The Guys discuss Peeters’s skills at world-building and his ability to get inside and flesh out his protagonist, Verloc Nim. Next they take a look at two new #1 issues: David Lapham’s Stray Bullets: Killers (Image ...
Apr 03, 2014•1 hr 48 min
This week on The Comics Alternative, Andy Wolverton joins Derek to discuss three new titles. First, they sift through Oscar Zarate’s new graphic novel, The Park (SelfMadeHero). The Two Guys focus on Zarate’s handling of character development, making The Park an engaging case study in family expectations and disappointments. They also comment on the lush art and how it sets the tone for the entire narrative. Next, they look at two #1 issues, beginning with the new series from Greg Rucka and Toni ...
Mar 26, 2014•1 hr 31 min
In this episode of The Comics Alternative, Gene and Derek look at a variety of recent comics. They begin by discussing the first volume of Sheltered (Image), focusing on the story’s concept and its pacing. Next, they look at two recent titles from Vertigo: Dead Boy Detectives and The Royals: Masters of War. Although both guys are excited that the two dead boys are with a new ongoing series — they first appeared in Neil Gaiman’s Sandman from the 1990s — they’re not sure that the current storyline...
Mar 20, 2014•55 min
In this episode of The Comics Alternative, Derek and Andy Wolverton discuss three new titles. They begin with the new book from R. J. Ryan and David Marquez, The Joyners in 3D (Archaia). They discuss the 3D aspect of the text and wonder if the special visual effects are really necessary. The story, though, is something worth reading, and the Two Guys recommend it on those grounds. You you don’t mind putting on cardboard glasses with red and blue plastic lenses, this book is definitely for you. N...
Feb 24, 2014•1 hr 6 min
In this episode of The Comics Alternative, Derek and Andy Wolverton discuss three new titles. They begin with the new book from R. J. Ryan and David Marquez, The Joyners in 3D (Archaia). They discuss the 3D aspect of the text and wonder if the special visual effects are really necessary. The story, though, is something worth reading, and the Two Guys recommend it on those grounds. You you don’t mind putting on cardboard glasses with red and blue plastic lenses, this book is definitely for you. N...
Feb 21, 2014•1 hr 12 min
This week on the podcast Derek is joined by Andy Wolverton, yet another doctor who talks about comics…and a regular reviewer on The Comics Alternative blog. They review two new titles: Dan Goldman’s Red Light Properties (IDW Publishing) and issue #1 of Antony Johnston and Justin Greenwood’s new Image series, The Fuse. First, the Two Guys jump into Goldman’s latest work, which originally appeared in digital format through MonkeyBrain Comics. They discuss one of the book’s greatest strengths, the ...
Feb 19, 2014•1 hr 9 min
This week Gene and Derek take a look at six new titles. They begin with a discussion of two new works from Image Comics, the first three issues of Alex + Ada (Jonathan Luna and Sarah Vaughn) and Deadly Class #1 (Rick Remender and Wes Craig). They go into depth on both titles, especially Craig’s art in Deadly Class and the narrative pacing in Alex + Ada, which ultimately leads to a discussion on panel sequencing and story decompression. Next, they look at issues #1-3 of Letter 44, written by Char...
Jan 29, 2014•2 hr 5 min
It’s a new year and a new visit to Collected Comics in Plano, TX! This month Derek swings by the shop to talk with Collected’s co-owner, Brent Erwin, and his store employees Shea Hennum and Freddy Ruiz. It’s a general comics talk, with the topics varying wildly. And things get weird at times. They begin by discussing the recent renovations of the shop’s interior, and that eventually leads to a conversation on future plans and Free Comic Book Day. After that, all bets are off. Freddy talks about ...
Jan 24, 2014•1 hr 36 min
In this week’s review episode of The Comics Alternative, Derek and Gene discuss two recent releases. They begin with Doctor Who: Prisoners of Time, the Complete Series (IDW Publishing), written by Scott and David Tipton and illustrated by a host of artists. First, they place the book within context, discussing last year’s 12-issue Prisoners of Times miniseries and the 50th anniversary of the BBC’s Doctor Who television show. Then they look at the book as a whole — after a brief comment or two ab...
Jan 22, 2014•1 hr 26 min
On this episode of The Comics Alternative Interviews, the Two Guys with PhDs talk with Isabel Greenberg, the author of The Encyclopedia of Early Earth (Little, Brown and Company). Most of the conversation centers around Isabel’s debut book — the genesis of The Encyclopedia, its dominant theme of storytelling, its structure as a series of embedded narratives, the artist’s preference for black-and-white illustration, the many myths that inform Greenberg’s storyworld, its intended audiences, the hu...
Jan 21, 2014•58 min
This week on The Comics Alternative, Andy and Derek review three recent works. They begin with Darwyn Cooke’s Richard Stark’s Parker: Slayground, from IDW Publishing. This is the fourth of Cooke’s comics adaptation of the Parker crime/heist novels from acclaimed writer Donald Westlake (AKA, Richard Stark). The Two Guys compare Slayground to the three other works Cooke has previously released: The Hunter (2009), The Outfit (2010), and The Score (2012). They note that while they like this graphic ...
Jan 15, 2014•1 hr 26 min
On this episode of The Comics Alternative Interviews, Andy and Derek speak with writer Fred Van Lente. They begin by asking him about his work on the recent Dark Horse title, Brain Boy — a revamp of the short-lived 1960s character — and how he translated the title for a contemporary audience. Van Lente also shares a bit of insight into his upcoming reboot of Magnus: Robot Fighter, part of Dynamite Entertainment’s new Gold Key line, as well as his plans for the new Action Presidents series. The T...
Jan 13, 2014•1 hr 4 min
The Two Guys with PhDs Talking about Comics are back for their first Previews episode of the new year. It being January, the guys begin by highlighting some of the titles that will a part of Free Comic Book Day in May. There are some great ones coming out from BOOM! Studios, Fantagraphics, Dark Horse Comics, and Drawn and Quarterly. Then they get to the nitty gritty of the episode, discussing upcoming titles such as Veil #1, Beasts of Burden: Hunters and Gatherers, and Murder Mysteries (Dark Hor...
Jan 08, 2014•1 hr 31 min
On The Comics Alternative‘s first interview of 2014, Gene and Derek are joined by Brian Joines, the writer of the recent comic book series I.M.A.G.I.N.E. Agents (BOOM! Studios) and Krampus (Image Comics). They talk with Brian about how great 2013 was for him, the genesis of his new titles, his apparent fascination with the darker side of childhood, why devil-like holiday figures make good copy, his collaborations with Bachan and Dean Kotz, the hazards of self-publishing, and the sickeningly swee...
Jan 06, 2014•1 hr 6 min
Happy New Year, and welcome to another episode of The Comics Alternative! To start off 2014, Andy and Derek discuss six relatively recent digital comics: Tim Gibson’s Moth City, Chris Sheridan’s Motorcycle Samurai (Top Shelf), Joshua Hale Fialkov and Joe Infurnari’s The Bunker, Fred Van Lente and Ryan Dunlavey’s Action Presidents, Brian Winkeler and Robert Wilson IV’s Knuckleheads (Monkeybrain Comics), and Jeremy Holt and Chris Peterson’s Pulp. They begin by focusing on the two titles that utili...
Jan 01, 2014•1 hr 37 min
The Two Guys with PhDs (who talk about comics) like to end the year by highlighting their favorite titles of the past twelve months. These could be ongoing series, limited runs or miniseries, one-shots, trades, original graphic novels, webcomics, or archival collections. So for this week’s episode, Derek and Andy each choose their favorite ten comics from 2013 and then share that list with one another. They don’t necessarily rank them in any order — although Andy does reveal the #1 title on his ...
Dec 25, 2013•2 hr 8 min
For this month’s on-location show, Derek heads back to Collected Comics in Plano, TX, to talk with Shea Hennum and other shop employees about the past year in comics. The conversation begins with a look at some of the highlights from 2013, the best titles to come out of the year, movies and television programs based on comics, and some of the most memorable publishing events — or just events, in general — in comics. Shea and Derek also discuss some of the trends they saw developing over the past...
Dec 20, 2013•1 hr 41 min
This week the Two Guys with PhDs Talking about Comics take their annual look at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt’s The Best American Comics collection (including material published between September 1, 2011 and August 31, 2012), this year edited by Jeff Smith. They begin by noting that this volume is significant for several reasons, not the least of which is the fact that this is the last to be overseen by series editors Jessica Abel and Matt Madden. Andy and Derek marvel at the work the two have been ...
Dec 18, 2013•1 hr 21 min
This week the Two Guys with PhDs Talking about Comics review three new titles, and boy, are they geared up! They begin by looking at the Hernandez brothers’ latest issue of Love and Rockets: New Stories (Fantagraphics). Focusing first on Jaime’s contributions, they comment on how his narratives have evolved after the “Love Bunglers” storyline from issues number 3 and 4 of New Stories. They’re particularly interested in Jaime’s deeper exploration of the family of Vivian Solis, AKA Frogmouth, espe...
Dec 11, 2013•1 hr 31 min
On this interview episode, Andy, Gene, and Derek talk with Zak Sally, the creator behind Like a Dog, Recidivist, and Sammy the Mouse…a narrative that Derek calls “the Waiting for Godot of comics.” His second installment in the planned four-book Sammy the Mouse series just recently came out from Uncivilized Books, and the guys discuss with Zak the genesis of that project and his strategies for plotting the story. Zak also talks about his beginnings with zines in the 1990s; music and his time with...
Dec 10, 2013•1 hr 18 min
It’s time again for the Two Guys with PhDs to go through the monthly Previews catalog. This time around there are a number of noteworthy solicits to mention, including Fatima: The Blood Spinners, The White Suits #1, and Someplace Strange (from Dark Horse); The Royals #1 and Daytripper: Deluxe Edition (DC/Vertigo); Red Panda: The Mask of the Red Panda (IDW Publishing); The Fuse #1, The Revenger #1, and The Mercenary Sea #1 (Image Comics); Sanctuary (Slave Labor Graphics); A Connecticut Yankee in ...
Dec 04, 2013•1 hr 45 min
On this special “point one” show, we present a recording of the Comics and Social Media Panel held at the Wizard World Austin Comic Con on November 22nd. Derek Royal and Shea Hennum were two of the discussants on that panel, along with John Mayo of The Comic Book Page podcast and Russell Latham of The Longbox of Doom podcast. The title of the panel was “Comics and Social Media: The How-To, the How-Much and the Why,” and during the session the four presenters took questions from the audience and ...
Nov 29, 2013•58 min
This being the week of Thanksgiving, Andy and Derek thought that they would use this week’s show to share what they are thankful for regarding comics. And one of the first things that they are thankful for is the company of Gene Kannenberg, Jr., who joins the guys to give his own comics-inspired thanks. Together, the Three Guys with PhDs Talking about Comics reveal their thankfulness for a variety of things, including some of the comics events they have attended this year, the creators they have...
Nov 27, 2013•1 hr 4 min
On this episode of The Comics Alternative Interviews Derek and Gene talk with Vivek Tiwary about his recently published The Fifth Beatle: The Brian Epstein Story (Dark Horse Books). In their conversation, Vivek discusses the genesis of his book, his personal and professional interests in Brian Epstein, the challenges of being a first-time graphic novel writer, and his dogged efforts to accurately represent the life The Beatles’ manager. Gene and Derek also ask Vivek about working with artists An...
Nov 26, 2013•1 hr 21 min
The Comics Alternative is back for its monthly on-location show at Collected Comics in Plano. Joining Derek on this episode is Collected employee and good friend of the show, Shea Hennum. This month there is no particular theme or specific topic of discussion, so the guys engage in general comics talk. Shea and Derek discuss the things that they’re reading, the titles that have been released over the past couple of weeks, and what to look forward to in the months to come. Shea is particularly ex...
Nov 22, 2013•1 hr 14 min
The Two Guys with PhDs (Talking about Comics) are back with another roundtable discussion, and this time the topic is licensed comics. Joining them again are their podcasting pals, John Mayo from The Comic Book Page and Chris Marshall from Collected Comics Library. Springing from Chris’s suggestion that they talk about licensed properties — and fostered by Andy’s uncanny fascination with ROM and The Micronauts — the four comics dudes cover a wide swath of pop culture history regarding the trans-...
Nov 20, 2013•1 hr 51 min
On this episode of The Comics Alternative Interviews, Gene and Derek talk with editor, archivist, comics historian, and pop cultural Renaissance Man, Craig Yoe. The interview gets off to a wild start with a discussion of Secret Identity: The Fetish Art of Superman’s Co-Creator Joe Shuster, a book that Craig says helped to put him on the publishing map. From there they highlight several of Yoe’s more recent releases, including his Haunted Horror series, Jack Cole’s Deadly Horror, Strange World of...
Nov 18, 2013•1 hr 45 min
