Lately on The Comics Alternative 's Kickstarter series, Derek has been focusing more on small presses that are currently crowdfunding their seasonal releases. (See previous shows devoted to Kilgore Books and Nix Comics .) And this weekend's show is similar, highlighting the latest Kickstarter campaign from Retrofit Comics . On this episode, Derek talks with Jared Smith about efforts for funding their diverse array of 2018 titles. This current Kickstarter campaign revolves around the 12 books the...
Apr 07, 2018•24 min
Time Codes: 00:00:26 - Introduction 00:02:34 - Welcoming Kristin LaLonde! 00:06:25 - Setup of interview 00:08:47 - Interview with Suzy Hopkins and Hallie Bateman 01:06:36 - Wrap up 01:09:18 - Contact us On this episode of The Comics Alternative 's interview series, Derek welcomes Kristin LaLonde. She is one of the cohost of The Secret Stacks podcast, and she has a particular interest in graphic medicine and comics that deal with health and end-of-life issues. Together, the two of them talk with ...
Apr 06, 2018•1 hr 13 min
Time Codes: 00:00:26 - Introduction 00:02:26 - Setup of interview 00:04:12 - Interview with Gerry Duggan and David O'Sullivan 01:03:09 - Wrap up 01:03:37 - Contact us Set in the not-too-distant year of 2024, Analog (Image Comics) is a not-too-far-fetched look at what can come of information technology when it has fallen into the wrong hands. Its protagonist, Jack McGinnis, is a leger man, an armed courier working freelance for individuals and businesses who need to transfer information in the ol...
Apr 05, 2018•1 hr 7 min
Gene and Derek are back for another look at the current month's Previews catalog. This one may not be as long an episode as last month's Preview show -- which clocked in at just under three hours -- but it's nonetheless hefty. (Well...actually, it is almost as long as the March show.) They begin this week by discussing the new changes appearing in Previews beginning in April. They point out the additions of BOOM! Studios and Dynamite Entertainment in the premiere publishers section, prominently ...
Apr 04, 2018•2 hr 54 min•Ep. 275
Time Codes: 00:00:25 - Introduction 00:02:21 - Setup of interview 00:03:28 - Interview with Brenden Fletcher and Karl Kerschl 01:11:31 - Wrap up 01:12:00 - Contact us On April 4 you’ll find in your comic shops the first issue of Isola , Brenden Fletcher and Karl Kerschl’s brand new series from Image Comics that combines nuanced storytelling with Kerschl’s magnificent artwork. In this inaugural issue, we find a captain of the Royal Guard fleeing her capital city with the realm’s queen, on their w...
Apr 03, 2018•1 hr 15 min
Time Codes: 00:26 - Introduction 03:15 - Setup of interview 04:11 - Interview with Marcus Sedgwick and Thomas Taylor 51:00 - Wrap up 52:16 - Contact us On this interview episode, Gwen and Derek talk with the creative team behind Scarlett Hart: Monster Hunter , a new book out from First Second. Both Marcus Sedgwick and Thomas Taylor share their experiences conceiving the premise, their process of collaboration, and their hopes to further explore this fantastical world. Scarlett Hart is the story ...
Apr 02, 2018•55 min
This weekend Derek talks with Ken Eppstein about his latest Kickstarter campaign, backing for Nix Comics' 2018 comic book and record releases . Listeners of the podcast might recognize this publisher, as they've discussed Nix releases in the past . Nix Comics' productions are inspired by the kind of mythos surrounding pre-MTV garage rock. The comics are informed by Ken's years of love for punk rock bands, record stores, and b-movies. For this kickstarter he is offering two subscription levels: B...
Mar 31, 2018•20 min
Time Codes: 00:26 - Introduction 02:57 - Setup of interview 05:11 - Interview with Magdalene Visaggio 29:37 - Interview with Sonny Liew 58:43 - Wrap up 59:20 - Contact us A couple of weeks ago the first issue of Eternity Girl , the latest title in DC’s Young Animal line, was released. Written by Magdalene Visaggio and with art by Sonny Liew, this is a title that combines parts of Element Girl with a dash of Kid Eternity, and mixes things up in an offbeat way that fits perfectly in the Young Anim...
Mar 30, 2018•1 hr 2 min
Time Codes: 00:00:26 - Introduction 00:02:29 - More listener mail! 00:06:57 - Iceland 00:30:51 - Fukushima Devil Fish 01:04:49 - Wrap up 01:06:13 - Contact us On the March manga episode, Shea and Derek discuss a couple of experimental works. They begin with Yuichi Yokoyama's Iceland , released last fall from Retrofit Comics/Big Planet Comics. The plot of this book is minimal -- two characters are searching for a third, they find him, and then they drive off in a taxi -- and it's something like y...
Mar 29, 2018•1 hr 10 min
Time Codes: 00:00:30 - Introduction 00:03:12 - Welcoming new Patreon supporters, and more listener mail! 00:14:29 - Why Art? 00:42:19 - Infidel #1 00:58:55 - Vampironica #1 01:13:58 - Wrap up 01:15:53 - Contact us This week Gene and Derek discuss three different titles that may or may not be connected (you'll have to ask Gene). They begin with Eleanor Davis's Why Art? (Fantagraphics Books). Going into this reading, the guys thought that the book might be more on the expository or critical side. ...
Mar 28, 2018•1 hr 19 min•Ep. 274
Time Codes: 00:00:25 - Introduction 00:02:50 - Setup of interview 00:04:21 - Interview with John Porcellino 01:21:07 - Wrap up 01:23:19 - Contact us Gene and Derek are excited to have John Porcellino back on the podcast. His new book From Lone Mountain has just been released by Drawn and Quarterly, and John talks in depth about the time in his life covered in this collection, as well as the process of pulling all of these experiences together. The book collects King-Cat Comics & Stories #62-...
Mar 26, 2018•1 hr 27 min
On this week's Kickstarter show, Derek talks with Nick Prolix about his campaign for Slang Pictorial #3 . This will be a 24-page black-and-white comic, following up on on the already published first two hardcopy issues. Nick is using his first-ever Kickstarter in order to cover the comic's printing and shipping. Plus, he has a really cool promotional video! Slang Pictorial is Nick's one-person anthology comic, and it includes his serialized retro comedy-drama The Sheep And The Wolves . This stor...
Mar 24, 2018•19 min
For the March on-location recording at Heroes Aren't Hard to Find in Charlotte, NC, the topic of discussion is comics adapted into movies and television series (especially superhero properties), and if we're about to reach the point of oversaturation. Joining Derek in the conversation are shop customers Zyg, Jack, Jesse, Erica, and Christian. All of them are fans of superhero film and TV, and each brings a unique perspective to the discussion. And, as expected, everyone varies in their opinions ...
Mar 23, 2018•1 hr 32 min
Time Codes: 00:00:32 - Introduction 00:03:42 - More listener mail! 00:11:43 - Bizarre Romance 00:54:10 - The Ballad of Sang #1 01:07:47 - Gideon Falls #1 01:29:11 - Wrap up 01:30:19 - Contact us On this week's review episode, Gene and Derek discuss three recent, and very different, titles. They begin with Bizarre Romance (Abrams ComicArt), an unusual "graphic novel" written by Audrey Niffenegger and with art from Eddie Campbell. The various stories that compose this collection are both comics an...
Mar 21, 2018•1 hr 35 min•Ep. 273
Time Codes: 00:00:26 - Introduction 00:03:05 - Pascal joins the podcast! 00:16:560 - Listener mail 00:20:40 - The Initiates: A Comic Artist and a Wine Artisan Exchange Jobs 01:05:24 - Satania 01:48:51 - Wrap up 01:50:59 - Contact us For the March episode of the Euro Comics series, Pascal Hamon joins Derek to discuss two recent books from NBM Graphic Novels. They begin with Étienne Davodeau's The Initiates: A Comic Artist and a Wine Artisan Exchange Jobs , an autobiographical account of the artis...
Mar 19, 2018•1 hr 54 min
This week's Kickstarter episode is brought to you by the great folks at Kilgore Books and Comics . If that publisher sounds familiar, that's because the Two Guys have discussed a variety of Kilgore publications in the past...including a publisher spotlight episode back in 2016! Its current Kickstarter campaign is all about their 2018 releases. Dan Stafford, Kilgore's head honcho, talks with Derek about the various titles scheduled for this year, and there are a lot. Backers can look forward to: ...
Mar 17, 2018•31 min
Time Codes: 00:00:24 - Introduction 00:02:45 - Setup of interview 00:06:17 - Interview with Ho Che Anderson 01:12:00 - Wrap up 01:14:51 - Contact us On this interview episode, Gene and Derek talk with Ho Che Anderson about his new book Godhead , coming out next week from Fantagraphics Books. This is a work of speculative fiction involving corporate culture and its attempts to communicate with God. It's an ambitious narrative that zeroes in on the juncture of religion, technology, and capitalist ...
Mar 16, 2018•1 hr 18 min
Time Codes: 00:00:32 - Introduction 00:03:09 - Get on our email list! 00:05:45 - Listener research 00:08:22 - Babylon Berlin 00:47:05 - The True Death of Billy the Kid 01:12:53 - The Highest House #1 01:28:59 - Wrap up 01:30:08 - Contact us This week Gene and Derek discuss three recent titles, all of which concern mysteries. They begin with Babylon Berlin (Titan Comics), Arne Jysch's comics adaptation of Volker Kutscher's noir prose novel . It takes place in 1929 Berlin and set in the Weimar Rep...
Mar 14, 2018•1 hr 34 min•Ep. 272
This weekend Derek talks with Joseph Freistuhler about his current Kickstarter project, The Not So Gold Age #2 . This parody of the superhero genre is actually a webcomic , the first physical issue of which Joseph and his co-creator Phil Buck successfully Kickstarted back in 2016. How they're back to bring the second issue into paper existence. The Not So Golden Age is the story of several washed up, dysfunctional superheroes. They were once the premier heroes of their generation, but having bee...
Mar 09, 2018•17 min
Time Codes: 00:00:27 - Introduction 00:02:56 - We get mail! 00:08:08 - Everblue 00:34:53 - Handrava 01:07:31 - Warning Label 01:33:36 - Wrap up 01:35:17 - Contact us For the month of March, Sean and Derek discuss three webcomics that are very different in terms of art style and storytelling technique. However, what all three have in common is a focus on relationships. They start off with Michael Sexton's Everblue , a fantastical tale about two young adventurers who want to explore their world wh...
Mar 09, 2018•1 hr 38 min
It's the first of the month, and that must mean that it's time once again to look at the latest Previews catalog. For the month of March, Gene and Derek step up to the plate to take a swing at the many solicitations, highlighting what they consider the most notable upcoming titles. In fact, there's so much to choose from, that this month's Previews episode is an extra-long show...running for almost three hours! Are the Two Guys up to the challenge? Do they heroically take on an unwieldy amount o...
Mar 07, 2018•2 hr 58 min•Ep. 271
Time Codes: 00:26 - Introduction 02:22 - Setup of interview 03:26 - Interview with Ivy Noelle Weir and Steenz 49:58 - Wrap up 50:30 - Contact us Derek talks with Ivy Noelle Weir and Christina "Steenz" Steward about their new book coming out this week from Oni Press, Archival Quality . It’s the story of a young woman who gets a job as a museum archivist, but who soon discovers that her new place of employment is haunted. As she investigates the mystery behind the spectral activity, she also confr...
Mar 06, 2018•53 min
Time Codes: 00:00:26 - Introduction 00:02:37 - Setup of interview 00:04:05 - Interview with Denis Kitchen 01:10:35 - Wrap up 01:11:35 - Contact us We're in the middle of Will Eisner Week 2018 , and over the past several years The Comics Alternative has offered special episodes to celebrate the annual event. This year is no exception. On this episode, Derek is pleased to have back on the podcast Denis Kitchen, this time discussing his relationship with the comics legend, his history with him as a...
Mar 05, 2018•1 hr 15 min
On this weekend's Kickstarter episode, Derek talks with Barron Bell and Koi Turnbull about their campaign The North Star: The Emancipation of Frederick Douglass . It's a graphic adaptation of the memoir, Life and Times of Frederick Douglass , and it's the first of three planned volumes on Douglass's life. The North Star is a dramatic retelling of three pivotal moments in Frederick Douglass's story, bringing to life the legendary figure's efforts as an abolitionist, a businessman, a politician, a...
Mar 03, 2018•18 min
Time Codes: 00:00:26 - Introduction 00:02:47 - Thanks to Holly English ! 00:05:07 - The 2017 releases from kuš! 01:36:29 - Wrap up 01:38:00 - Contact us This week Gene and Derek focus a critical spotlight on the Latvian publisher kuš! This is a press that the vast majority of listeners are probably unaware of -- indeed, neither of the Two Guys knew about kuš! until about three years ago -- and that's a shame. They produce incredible comics from artists that span the globe. And as Gene points out...
Feb 28, 2018•1 hr 42 min•Ep. 270
Time Codes: 00:00:29 - Introduction 00:02:43 - Listener mail! 00:07:10 - Red Colored Elegy 00:42:32 - The Promised Neverland, Vol. 1 01:14:32 - Wrap up 01:15:27 - Contact us Shea and Derek are back with their February manga episode. This month they look at two titles that, in many ways, are diametrically opposite in terms of style and audience. They begin with Seiichi Hayashi's Red Colored Elegy , the softcover edition of which has just been released from Drawn and Quarterly. This is the story o...
Feb 27, 2018•1 hr 22 min
Time Codes: 00:00:25 - Introduction 00:02:22 - Setup of interview 00:03:43 - Interview with Gary Groth 01:07:09 - Wrap up 01:07:42 - Contact us On this interview episode Derek talks with Fantagraphics publisher Gary Groth about his new book Sparring with Gil Kane: Debating the History and Aesthetics of Comics . It's a collection of thirteen interviews, conversations, and panel transcripts focusing on Kane and his aesthetics. The pieces that Groth collects highlight the legendary artist's thought...
Feb 26, 2018•1 hr 11 min
This week talks with Nadia Shammas about her Kickstarter project Corpus: A Comic Anthology of Bodily Ailments . It's a collection of comics by various creators all focused on health issues, including physical ailments, mental illness, struggles with disease, and healthcare experiences. The anthology is in full color and will include over 200 pages of content by a wide variety of artists including Christopher Sebela ( Heartthrob ) / Haley Boros ( They Have Issues ) Ryan Cady (Magdalena) / Phillip...
Feb 24, 2018•19 min
Derek is back at Heroes Aren't Hard to Find for the February on-location episode. As he usually does, he set up his mics on a Wednesday evening while customers were coming into the shop to pick up the weekly releases. And during this time a couple of Wednesday Warriors sat down with Derek to talk about what they were reading, what they were looking forward to in the coming months, and what about comics culture they currently find exciting. Both Zyg and Fadi shared the week's titles that they had...
Feb 23, 2018•1 hr 5 min
Time Codes: 00:00:26 - Introduction 00:02:41 - Catching up 00:04:47 - Alone 00:44:03 - Park Bench 01:12:16 - Wrap up 01:13:10 - Contact us For the February Euro Comics episode, Edward and Derek discuss two works from Christophe Chabouté, Alone and Park Bench , both published by Gallery 13, an imprint of Simon and Schuster. The first is a largely quiet meditation on solicitude, exile, and imagination. Because of physical deformities, the protagonist lives isolated in a lighthouse, with only a cou...
Feb 22, 2018•1 hr 16 min
