Time Codes: 00:00:25 - Introduction 00:02:12 - Setup of interview 00:03:56 - Interview with Craig Yoe 02:01:22 - Wrap up 02:02:17 - Contact us Welcome to 2018! And as The Comics Alternative has done for the past several years, they start off the new year with an interview of perennial favorite of the podcast, Craig Yoe. These are called the annual Happy New Yoe shows. And this year, Derek talks with Craig about Yoe Books past, present, and future. They start off by discussing many of the books t...
Jan 01, 2018•2 hr 5 min
Time Codes: 00:31 - Introduction 03:51 - Greetings and apologies 05:36 - Good Night, Planet 13:15 - The Dam Keeper 24:59 - Misfit City 39:30 - A look back at 2017 in young reader comics 56:56 - Wrap up 57:25 - Contact us It's the end of the year, and for their December episode of the Young Readers series, Gwen and Paul discuss three exciting titles as well look back at the past year's releases. They begin by discussing Liniers's Good Night, Planet , part of Françoise Mouly's TOON Books series. A...
Dec 28, 2017•1 hr 1 min
Time Codes: 00:00:27 - Introduction 00:03:10 - Happy Holidays! 00:04:32 - Cookies 00:20:04 - All Along the Wall 00:33:53 - Holiday Wars 01:01:51 - Wrap up 01:02:59 - Contact us It's the holiday season, and for December Sean and Derek discuss three holiday-related webcomics. The start off by looking at two shorter works, Kate Beaton's Cookies (available on her Hark! A Vagrant website) and Emily Carroll's creepy All Along the Wall . After that they look at the much more substantial Holiday Wars , ...
Dec 22, 2017•1 hr 7 min
Time Codes: 00:00:28 - Introduction 00:02:35 - In-between holidays 00:09:01 - Servant X Service 00:55:47 - Sweet Blue Flowers, Vol. 1 01:32:21 - Wrap up 01:33:22 - Contact us For November Shea and Derek discuss two very different kind of manga, but both that involve romance in one form or another. They begin with Karino Takatsu's Servant X Service . The complete series was released in two volumes by Yen Press in 2016, and the guys spend much of the episode discussing this strip-like series. The ...
Dec 01, 2017•1 hr 37 min
Time Codes: 00:01:26 - Introduction 00:03:48 - Post-Thanksgiving digestion 00:05:07 - Bad Mask 00:30:41 - Evolution #1 00:46:48 - Doctor Radar #1 01:03:06 - Wrap up 01:04:36 - Contact us On this week's episode Gwen and Derek discuss three recent releases that, while all being quite different, nonetheless share a common theme of mystery. They start off with Jon Chad's Bad Mask (BOOM! Box), a multimedia project that explores perspective and interpretation. With its various components in multiple p...
Nov 29, 2017•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 259
Time Codes: 00:00:24 - Introduction 00:02:24 - Setup of interview 00:04:23 - Interview with Tim Lane 02:13:48 - Wrap up 02:15:18 - Contact us On this interview episode Derek talks with Tim Lane about his series Happy Hour in America, Vol. 2 , the first issue of which is just being released from Fantagraphics Books. This isn't the first time that Tim has been interviewed on The Comics Alternative . In January 2015, Derek published on the blog a text-based conversation with him that he had conduct...
Nov 28, 2017•2 hr 20 min
For this week's Kickstarter spotlight, Derek focuses on Swan Song: The Musical Anthology , a campaign underway from Cloudscape Comics . Discussing this project with him are Jeffrey Ellis and Oliver McTavish-Wisden, the assistant director/founder and the executive director, respectively, of the small Vancouver publisher and collective. Swan Song is an anthology including contributions from a wide variety of (mostly) British Columbia-based creators, all of which engage with music in one way or ano...
Nov 25, 2017•19 min
Thanksgiving is tomorrow, and the folks at The Comics Alternative all gather around the virtual table to share what they are thankful for in terms of comics and comics culture. Pulling up a seat this year are Gwen, Paul, Sean, Gene, Edward, and Derek. Among the many things that they're thankful for are First Second's Science Comics and Secret Coders series, local comics shops ( Comix Revolution in Evanston, IL, and Heroes Aren't Hard to Find in Charlotte, NC) and local conventions (such as CAKE ...
Nov 22, 2017•1 hr 21 min•Ep. 258
Time Codes: 00:25 - Introduction 02:39 - Setup of interview 03:45 - Interview with Mitch Maglio 58:47 - Wrap up 59:50 - Contact us On this interview episode, Derek talks with Mitch Maglio about his new book, Fiction House: From Pulps to Panels, from Jungles to Space , just out from IDW/Yoe Books. Mitch is an aficionado on Fiction House (as well as on the jungle girl genre), so he's the perfect writer/collector to discuss this historic publisher. He talks with Derek about the origins of Fiction H...
Nov 21, 2017•1 hr 3 min
Time Codes: 00:00:26 - Introduction 00:02:44 - Setup of interview 00:04:48 - Interview with Ryan O'Sullivan and Plaid Klaus 00:59:30 - Wrap up 01:02:24 - Contact us Sean joins Derek to interview a creative team that the two have discussed previously, Ryan O'Sullivan and Plaid Klaus. Last year the guys reviewed Ryan and Klaus's webcomic Turncoat (now available in softcover), but this time they talk with the creators about a new print publication, their Image Comics limited series Void Trip . The ...
Nov 20, 2017•1 hr 6 min
On this week's Kickstarter episode, Derek talks with Bruno Oliveira about his project What Now, Bruno ? This is an autobiographical work exploring what can happen to a comics artist once he's established himself in the industry. Bruno has broken into the field, illustrating for such publishers as IDW ( Drones ), Arcana ( Space, MN ), and, most recently, Marvel Comics ( Amazing Spider-Man Annual , Gwenpool Holiday Special , and Mosaic , among other titles). But now that he's on his way, how does ...
Nov 18, 2017•19 min
Time Codes: 00:00:27 - Introduction 00:02:28 - Catching up, and listener mail! 00:11:34 - Duran Duran, Imelda Marcos, and Me 00:31:09 - Dreams in Thin Air 00:53:24 - Morton: A Cross-Country Rail Journey 01:07:05 - Getting Out of Hope 01:22:29 - Mister Morgen 01:34:31 - The Collected Neil the Horse 01:59:56 - Wrap up 02:02:25 - Contact us This week on The Comics Alternative Andy and Derek return to one of their favorite publishers, Conundrum Press, for their next publisher spotlight. They had pre...
Nov 15, 2017•2 hr 7 min•Ep. 257
Time Codes: 00:00:24 - Introduction 00:02:28 - Setup of interview 00:03:47 - Interview with Mark Voger 01:05:43 - Wrap up 01:07:15 - Contact us On this interview episode, Derek talks with Mark Voger about his latest work, Groovy: When Flower Power Bloomed in Pop Culture . The book comes out this week from TwoMorrows Publishing, and during their conversation Mark discusses the roots of groovy culture that reach back to early twentieth-century modernism and jazz, and are even apparent in discoveri...
Nov 14, 2017•1 hr 11 min
Time Codes: 00:00:29 - Introduction 00:03:36 - Edward's big life changes! 00:08:09 - Billie Holiday 00:26:53 - Josephine Baker 00:59:14 - The Green Hand and Other Stories 01:20:36 - Wrap up 01:22:17 - Contact us After having to readjust for a few major life changes -- including a new baby for first-time parents! -- Edward and Derek are back with the monthly Euro Comics series. For November they discuss two graphic biographies devoted to early twentieth-century artists as well as a collection of ...
Nov 13, 2017•1 hr 28 min
This week Derek talks with Ronald Wimberly, Josh O'Neill, and Maëlle Doliveux about their Kickstarter project LAAB Magazine #0: Dark Matter . Published by Beehive Books , this will be a tabloid-sized newspaper annual filled with comics, interviews, artwork, cultural criticism, and writings on identity as played out in popular culture. This inaugural #0 issue will include An interview with musician and actor Saul Williams A conversation with graphic artist Trenton Doyle Hancock James Romberger on...
Nov 11, 2017•20 min
Time Codes: 00:00:30 - Introduction 00:03:00 - Our new Kickstarter series and Slack channel ! 00:08:48 - Kid Lobotomy #1 and #2 00:31:09 - Carnival of Contagion 00:48:15 - Monograph 01:20:23 - Wrap up 01:23:15 - Contact us This week Paul and Derek review three new titles that are all quite different in content and audience. They begin with the first two issues of Peter Milligan and Tess Fowler's Kid Lobotomy , the first series in IDW's new Black Crown imprint. The guys start their discussion by ...
Nov 08, 2017•1 hr 26 min•Ep. 256
Time Codes: 00:00:24 - Introduction 00:02:33 - Setup of interview 00:03:45 - Interview with Joseph Remnant 01:18:05 - Wrap up 01:19:38 - Contact us Derek is pleased to have Joseph Remnant on the podcast. His new book, Cartoon Clouds , was released last month from Fantagraphics. This is a graphic novel in the truest sense, a work of fiction that explores the nuances of relationships, defining yourself, and growing apart from those with whom you were once close. As Joseph reveals, this is a narrat...
Nov 07, 2017•1 hr 23 min
Time Codes: 00:00:28 - Introduction 00:03:11 - Announcements! 00:09:33 - Blindsprings 00:42:07 - Albert the Alien 01:05:02 - A Fire Story 01:24:02 - Wrap up 01:25:27 - Contact us On the November webcomics episode, Sean and Derek look at three very different titles. They begin with Kadi Fedoruk's Blindsprings , a fantasy filled with magic and spirits, but one whose philosophical foundations are deeper than you may at first think. As the guys point out, the meticulous art is one of the highlights ...
Nov 06, 2017•1 hr 29 min
For the second episode of The Comics Alternative 's new Kickstarter series, Derek talks with Andy Stanleigh and Steven Bergson about their project, SCI: The Jewish Comics Anthology, Vol. 2 . This book will be released by Alternate History Comics (of which Andy is the publisher), and it will follow Steven's first volume of The Jewish Comics Anthology , also published by AH Comics. What will distinguish this second collection is that each of the retellings from Jewish history, legend, and myth wil...
Nov 04, 2017•19 min
Time Codes: 00:26 - Introduction 02:39 - Setup of interview 03:51 - Interview with Deb Olin Unferth and Elizabeth Haidle 51:36 - Wrap up 52:27 - Contact us On this interview episode, Derek talks with Deb Olin Unferth and Elizabeth Haidle on the publication of their new book, I, Parrot (Black Balloon-Catapult). This is a graphic novel in the truest sense, a work of fiction, about a middle-aged woman who's prone to bad luck. She stumbles upon a bird-sitting job, caring for an aviary of exotic, rar...
Nov 03, 2017•55 min
Time Codes: 00:24 - Introduction 03:04 - Setup of interview 05:16 - Interview with Katie Green 56:39 - Wrap up 58:06 - Contact us On this interview episode, Paul and Derek talk with Katie Green about her recent graphic memoir Lighter Than My Shadow , released last month from Lion Forge's Roar imprint. The Two Guys reviewed the book a couple of weeks ago , but they were so moved by Green's story that they wanted to have her on the podcast to talk about her work. This insightful conversation adds ...
Nov 02, 2017•1 hr 1 min
On this month's Previews episode, Gwen and Derek join forces to highlight the various November solicits that strike their fancy. In fact, this is Gwen's first time doing a Previews show, but she comes across as an old hand and suggests some wonderful upcoming titles that are sure to resonate with listeners. But first, the Two Academics Talking about Comics send out a BIG thank you to two dedicated -- and two very talented -- listeners, Holly English and Marc Casilli . Both have recently shared c...
Nov 01, 2017•1 hr 37 min•Ep. 255
Time Codes: 00:00:25 - Introduction 00:02:39 - Setup of interview 00:04:29 - Interview with Julia Wertz 01:10:16 - Wrap up 01:12:40 - Contact us On this interview episode, Paul and Derek are pleased to have Julia Wertz on the podcast. Her new book, Tenements, Towers and Trash: An Unconventional Illustrated History of New York City , came out earlier this month from Black Dog and Leventhal Publishers. As the subtitle suggests, this is a different kind of history, a guide to the Big Apple's presen...
Oct 31, 2017•1 hr 16 min
Time Codes: 00:00:26 - Introduction 00:03:10 - Setting up this year's manga horror show 00:06:52 - Domu: A Child's Dream 00:31:12 - Panorama of Hell 00:56:25 - Mail 01:12:42 - Dissolving Classroom 01:32:47 - H.P. Lovecraft's The Hound and Other Stories 01:52:51 - Neo Parasyte M 02:03:12 - Wrap up 02:04:39 - Contact us Shea and Derek are back with their second manga episode of the month! On this show, they discuss several horror manga that will get you in the mood for Halloween tomorrow. As they ...
Oct 30, 2017•2 hr 8 min
The Comics Alternative is launching a brand new weekly series devoted to independent, small-press, and creator-owned Kickstarter campaigns that are comics-related. Every Saturday morning you'll hear a brief conversation with a creator, or creative team, with a Kickstarter campaign underway, where Derek talks with them about their project, the story behind their ideas, the various levels of support, and why listeners should back their efforts. Since the vast majority of creators on Kickstarter ar...
Oct 28, 2017•18 min
Time Codes: 00:25 - Introduction 02:55 - Setup of interview 04:20 - Interview with Andy Hirsch 57:15 - Wrap up 59:51 - Contact us Andy Hirsch is back on the podcast, and this time he talks with Gwen and Derek about his new book, Science Comics: Dogs: From Predator to Protector . This is the next volume in First Second's important Science Comics series, one that uses comics to educate both younger readers and adults. In fact, Gwen and Derek spend a lot of time asking Andy his illustrative strateg...
Oct 27, 2017•1 hr 3 min
Time Codes: 00:00:24 - Introduction 00:02:56 - Setup of interview 00:04:17 - Interview with R. Sikoryak 01:12:42 - Wrap up 01:13:32 - Contact us On this interview episode, Derek talks with R. Sikoryak about his latest work, The Unquotable Trump , just released this week by Drawn and Quarterly. The conversation begins with Bob's apologies for having to write the book and his distaste for the subject matter. But as he makes clear in the interview, these cartoons are his way of dealing with what he...
Oct 26, 2017•1 hr 16 min
Time Codes: 00:00:26 - Introduction 00:03:05 - Setup of this year's Halloween episode 00:10:40 - Halloween Tales, Vol. 1 00:25:49 - Adventure Time Spoooktacular 2017 00:35:12 - Sherlock Frankenstein and the Legion of Evil & Mr. Higgins Comes Home 00:45:26 - Jughead: The Hunger & Archie Halloween Spectacular 01:02:47 - DC House of Horror 01:13:52 - Spooky and the Strange Tales: Monster Inn & Behind You: One-Shot Horror Stories 01:29:47 - High Moon: Bullet Holes and Bite Marks 01:36:57...
Oct 25, 2017•1 hr 42 min•Ep. 254
Time Codes: 00:00:24 - Introduction 00:02:38 - Setup of interview 00:04:40 - Interview with Roz Chast 01:12:04 - Wrap up 01:13:54 - Contact us Paul and Derek are pleased to have on The Comics Alternative the great cartoonist, Roz Chast. Her new book, Going into Town: A Love Letter to New York , was recently released by Bloomsbury Publishing. The Two Guys have been longtime fans of Chast's offbeat and hilarious New Yorker strips for years, and they spend a good bit of time talking with their gues...
Oct 23, 2017•1 hr 17 min
Time Codes: 00:00:25 - Introduction 00:03:07 - Setup of interview 00:04:43 - Interview with Rich Tommaso 01:01:40 - Wrap up 01:03:42 - Contact us Derek is pleased to have Rich Tommaso back on The Comics Alternative . He appeared on the show last year to discuss his new series at the time, She Wolf , but this time he talks about Spy Seal , his intriguing new anthropomorphic espionage series from Image Comics. They begin by chronicling the genesis of the story, a comic that Rich began as a thirtee...
Oct 20, 2017•1 hr 7 min
