Chris Arrant gives a full report on editing at Newsarama & the industry, plus we analyze 'Upgrade Soul'
Special guest Chris Arrant joins us to talk about what editing at Newsarama is like and his take on the state of the comics industry. Then we analyze Ezra Claytan Daniels' graphic novel Upgrade Soul.
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Show Notes
NEWS
- Diamond announces “comeback” plans for May 20
- DC eliminating preview days for LCS
- DC's GENERATION Event Absent from JULY Schedule
- DC releases July schedule
- Batman: Three Jokers set for August
- Dark Nights gets 2 tie-in issues, additional 7th issue, and a September break
- Supergirl #42 is going digital-only
- Rose City Comic Con Cancelled
- James McAvoy, a dozen other stars join Sandman audio drama
- Jeff Lemire bringing Sweet Tooth back to DC, RDJ bringing it to Netflix
- Marvel starts revealing August/September schedule
- Maestro is getting an origin story
- X of Swords is coming...in September
- Mark Waid + Neal Adams collaborating on FF
AIPT BOOKCLUB: Upgrade Soul by Ezra Claytan Daniels
- The Story So Far: Molly and Hank Nonnar, a lovingly close elderly couple, undergo a cloning/physical perfection process called Upgrade Cell under the care of a legally shaky and potentially unethical group of scientists eventually coming face-to-face with a different, seemingly perfected version of themselves. Philosophically, dramatically and narratively dense Upgrade Soul touches on what it means to be human, beauty, family, intelligence, science, transhumanism, and ultimately love in a deft equally horrifying and beautiful story that eschews the common “what if you could be your best self” question of Superman comics and instead asks “what if you met your best self”
- What Works: Body language and set dressing, hidden intentions, lettering, balance of horror and beauty
- What Doesn’t: Frequent flashbacks confuse narrative structure, don’t see much of Molly/Hank’s younger life
- Favorite Artistic Moment: Molly visiting Manuela, 4 grid comparing the two
- Favorite Narrative Moment: Henry at grave,
- Where We Think This is Going: Optioned for a movie, Daniels now working on BTM FDRS
Segment: Interview: Chris Arrant - Newsarama Editor
1. Walk us through a day in the life of a Newsarama editor.
2. Can you think of a time in comics that have been as tumultuous today and with news changings so quickly? How do you keep all the different things straight?
3. The 5,000 dollar question...where do you see comics for the second half of 2020? How about 2021?
4. What do you think the comics industry can learn from overcoming this hurdle? How would you like to see publishers, distributors, and retailers react and change?
5. What did you want to be when you were little?
6. If you could interview one comic creator living or dead for as long as you wanted, who would it be?
7. If you could choose one comic to come out regularly during quarantine times, which would it be?
8. What comics are you reading right now?
9. You’re super active on Twitter and I’m curious, is that part of being editor at Newsarama, or is that a private endeavor?
OFF TOPIC TOP SHELF: Chris Arrant - Gardening, magazine reading