Deconstructing Comics

Ian M is a Japan-based Canadian creator whose work we've discussed on this podcast before. His work is often about Japan, but not necessarily about himself. In The Blossoming City part one, he begins the story (presumably true?) about a community garden in Sapporo, in a story that he tells in a variety of cartooning styles. Tim and Adam discuss. Eric Paul Johnson is a podcaster who is publishing an archive of his since-discontinued comic strip Loon News: The Comic Strip! on Patreon. Tim and Emmet find that, while the art and lettering certainly improved over the years, perhaps the most notable thing about the strip is what it reveals about its author. Brought to you by: Face the Music ELO podcast Our supporters on Patreon

FLASHBACK! We continue our look at Alan Moore's 1980s run on Swamp Thing— a run in which the title character met werewolves and vampires (as Moore and co. found a new way to use these old tropes), as well as new character John Constantine. Moore was aided by artists Stephen Bissette, John Totleben, and Alfredo Acala, among others. Koom and newcomer Darrell Epp discuss issues 38-50. (Originally published January 30, 2019.) Brought to you by: Who's Who podcast Our supporters on Patreon

FLASHBACK! Even amidst the anything-goes craziness of the early Image years, Sam Kieth's The Maxx was an outlier. While it included some superhero tropes, it wasn't really a superhero book, nor was it like much of anything else on the market, then or now. While it definitely has its weaknesses, Kumar and Dana confirm this week that it was absolutely mind-blowing…and emotionally affecting. Marking Sam Kieth's death on March 15, we re-present this episode. (Originally published May 28, 2012.) Brought to you by: The Quick and the Dad Our supporters on Patreon

Somehow it's taken us 20 years of podcasting to get to Jim Steranko's fabled run on Nick Fury: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. But is the early stuff really so fabled? There's lots of action and it's exciting, but don't dare think about it too much, because the seat-of-the-pants plotting is all over the map, and the anatomy drawing sometimes leaves something to be desired. Still, as you go issue by issue, you start to see new ideas coming to him as he starts to innovate with Marvel's Jack Kirby house style. Tim and Kumar discuss the "Fury" stories in Strange Tales 154-163. Brought to you by: Waxy Buildup podcast Our supporters on Patreon

FLASHBACK! Due perhaps to the passage of time, poorly handled reprinting by DC, or some other reason, Alan Moore's writing stint on Swamp Thing in the 1980s does not seem to get mentioned much today. Which is a shame, because it ranks with Moore's best work. And the art by Stephen Bissette and John Totleben (and able fill-in artists) is worth the price of admission by itself, not to mention Tatjana Wood's colors. Tim and Kumar had a blast reading the early issues of the run (#21-37) and are here to share the experience with you. (Originally published July 16, 2012.) Brought to you by: Full Manga Alchemists Our supporters on Patreon

We begin our look at Jack Kirby's Black Panther series from the 1970s, introducing a new Kirby character who's a bit too similar to one who first appeared in Captain America! Panther has somehow gotten mixed up in the search for the mate to King Solomon's Frog, an oddball time travel device. The mate is used to return people to their proper point in time. Tim and Emmet discuss the first two issues of the run and how Kirby's Panther dialog just doesn't seem quite right to the modern Marvel reader. Brought to you by: The Quick and the Dad Our supporters on Patreon

Sometimes, achieving your dream can be kind of a nightmare, even though it's also rewarding. Claudia, in Katriona Chapman's latest graphic novel The Pass, has started her own restaurant and enjoys creating in the kitchen, but everything else that goes with it wears her down. The book gives us a peek at the ups and downs of running a restaurant and the relationships that form behind the scenes. Tim and Emmet review. Tim and Emmet on Katriona's 2020 book Breakwater Kumar and Emmet discuss Dorohedoro Tim interviews Lucy Knisley Brought to you by: TV Tangents podcast Our supporters on Patreon

Inio Asano's Goodnight Punpun gives us what appear to be a family of ghostly birds living in a much more realistic-looking world. People within that world don't see them that way, though. It's a world where authority figures act like ADHD kids, where every parent seems to be abusive or alcoholic (or both), and all seem to be fighting relentless depression. It's well done, but is it worth reading? Tim and Kumar discuss the story, the weirdness, the varying concepts of God, Asano's arguments with fans and with himself, and more. The Shima Kosaku bus Brought to you by: Face the Music ELO podcast Our supporters on Patreon

After "hunting" the Fantastic Four, the Black Panther reveals that he did it for practice, as he anticipated a battle against his father's killer: Ulysses Klaw. Sure enough, Klaw shows up right on schedule, and the FF help Panther take him down. Tim and Emmet discuss Fantastic Four #53 by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby! Brought to you by: Checkered Past podcast Our supporters on Patreon

At some point, the idea that some comics should be for adults took over to the extent that it became hard to find good comics for kids. Cartoonist Harold Buchholz was involved in starting an organization called Kids Love Comics that encourages making comics for kids and does events to hook the kids up with good comics aimed at them. Harold joins Tim this week to talk about that, as well as his involvement in Archie Comics and Mystery Science Theater 3000, and why he mostly sells comics at general events rather than comic cons! Harold's Instagram (including Sweetest Beasts comics Robot Monster Comics Brought to you by: Worst Collection Ever podcast To the Batpoles! podcast Our supporters on Patreon

Sixty years ago, Stan Lee and Jack Kirby presided over the debut of the Black Panther in Fantastic Four #52. The story presents the expectations of the average American for stories about Africa (Jungles! Natives! Africa is a country, right?) and defies those expectations by showing a rich, technologically advanced African nation. This time, Tim and Emmet discuss the Panther's debut. Brought to you by: Full Manga Alchemists Our supporters on Patreon

Jimmy Gownley is the award-winning creator of Amelia Rules, Tanner Rocks, The Dumbest Idea Ever, and more, as well as a co-host of the Unpacking Peanuts podcast. This time, he talks with Tim about why the earliest stuff sells the best (never mind how much his art has improved since then), ergonomics, putting comics on Substack for free, and, of course, Peanuts! Brought to you by: Doomspeak podcast Our supporters on Patreon

FLASHBACK! One of the most acclaimed Marvel runs of the 1980s was by Walt Simonson on The Mighty Thor. He began writing and drawing it with #337, continued through to #367 (with a quick break in the middle), then gave up art duties but continued writing through #382. This run set aside Dr. Don Blake, focused on mythical threats rather than earthly ones, and injected some humor into what had sometimes been a fairly dry, dour book. Tim and Kumar look back to assess this important run. (Originally published June 26, 2019.) Brought to you by: Who's Who podcast Our supporters on Patreon

A love triangle. One member feels jilted and goes off the deep end. A gun is involved. Tim and Adam talk about the thriller Lovers Quarrel by Rob Capili, Ikos Karimlan, and Joy Mateo. Lovers Quarrel Kickstarter Buy the book on Amazon.com Meanwhile, Digital Bardos has returned! Hippie "digital god" Darren is selling the people on a technology that puts their minds in endless bliss while their bodies are used for slave labor. It's all the rage, but Darren's own son isn't digging the scene. Tim and Jason discuss the new installment of King Klaus's series. Download Digital Bardos #1 for free! Digital Bardos #2 Kickstarter launching soon Support victims of the Aussie bushfires Brought to you by: The Quarter-Bin podcast Our supporters on Patreon

Ed Subitzky did a lot of cartooning for National Lampoon back in the '70s and '80s. Much of his work revolves around comics done under certain conditions or showing a certain situation ("Fortune-Telling Comics" "Dull Comics" "Poor Reception Comics"). Neither Kumar nor Tim were familiar with his work until picking up the collection Poor Helpless Comics! The cartoons (and more) of Ed Subitzky, but now that they've read it, this episode features their thoughts. Brought to you by: The Quick and the Dad Our supporters on Patreon

While it seems a bit odd to see Captain America fighting Magneto, they do have something in common: Jack Kirby had a hand in creating both! The battle takes place in Captain America Annual #4, from 1977; the story is titled "The Great Mutant Massacre" -- but no, not that one. It's an X-men - adjacent story with some very Kirbyesque bizarre concepts. Tim and Emmet discuss, and also look back at the experience of reading all this 1970s Jack Kirby-penned Cap. Brought to you by: Waxy Buildup podcast Our supporters on Patreon

FLASHBACK! Autobiographical comics are par for the course, but in 1972, Justin Green broke ground for the genre when he published Binky Brown Meets the Holy Virgin Mary. Some of that broken ground hasn't been trod since; how many autobiographical comics about a battle with mental illness have you seen done as wacky parody comics? Lightning-quick pace, phalluses everywhere, and a helpful instructional arrow pointed at a bunch of bananas? It's unlike any autobio comic before or since, and your take on the subject matter may greatly depend on your upbringing. Tim and Kumar examine. (Originally published September 24, 2013.) Brought to you by: Our supporters on Patreon

Daredevil: Born Again, by Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli, is one of those comics stories that continues to attract attention decades after it was published. Chris Ryall, co-founder and current publisher at Image imprint Syzygy Publishing, is the author of a new book on that story. He talks with Koom in this episode about the arc's religious symbolism, Ben Urich as the story's magic ingredient, and more. Mazzucchelli art for Marvel Fanfare #40 (Oct 1988) cover, as seen on Koom's wall Coppola loan application Chris: Daredevil: Born Again; An Exploration Chris on Substack Koom: Killing Shakespeare Koom interviewed on TV about the book Brought to you by: Full Manga Alchemists Our supporters on Patreon

Jason Shiga is creator of the four-volume series Demon as well as many interactive comics. This week, Koom interviews Jason about his page layout strategy, his connections to Adrian Tomine, the pros and cons of comics where the reader gets a choice of paths through the story, his intriguing new project, and more. Jason: Shigabooks.com Demon vol. 1 Koom: Killing Shakespeare Koom interviewed on TV about the book Brought to you by: Face the Music ELO podcast Our supporters on Patreon

Our first episode was released on December 5, 2005. After 20 years of changes in focus, format, and personnel, as well as Tim self-teaching audio editing, this time we look back at some of what's changed. Also: In our first episode, Tim, Brandon, and Mulele discussed the teaser trailer for Superman Returns; this time, Tim, Kumar, and Emmet review the film! Episodes mentioned: Episode 1: "Superman Returns" "Revelations" "Hellboy" (republished in 2010) Episode 116: "Death by Chocolate: Redux" (Kumar's first appearance) Episode 134: "The R. Crumb Handbook" Episode 425: Aquaman: Why he's not lame (Emmet's first appearance) Episode 494: "Batman vs. Superman" Brought to you by: Checkered Past podcast Our supporters on Patreon

Longtime comics creator Carol Tyler went through a horrific stretch in her life where she lost numerous loved ones, from her parents, to a neighbor, to her dog, in just a six-year stretch. Many other things of varying levels of horribleness happened within that time, too. Her response is not so much to tell us what she's learned from the experience as to simply try to learn something from it by making a graphic novel about it, which she called The Ephemerata. This week, Tim is joined by Juan Mah y Busch to review. Brought to you by: Worst Collection Ever podcast Our supporters on Patreon

The November 16, 2025, Sally Forth strip, with Jim's color guides at the top. Note the appearance of Gregory and Janine from Abbot Elementary in the first panel! Jim Keefe is a longtime comics creator who has worked on the Flash Gordon (art and story) and Sally Forth (art) newspaper strips as well as being King Features' staff colorist. He has also done lettering and retouching for English editions of various manga, and more. This week he talks with Tim about all of this, as well as his time as a student at the Kubert School, dealing with technological change, and more. Brought to you by: Who's Who podcast Our supporters on Patreon

Jack Kirby wraps up his run on Captain America and the Falcon with issue 214, the rather underwhelming conclusion of the Night Flyer story. But wait! Kirby also did a couple of annuals, so we dig into annual #3 from 1976. Yeaahhhh, that's the stuff! If you haven't been getting enough PULSE-POUNDING ACTION in your comics, this is the issue for you! Brought to you by: Full Manga Alchemists Our supporters on Patreon

FLASHBACK! If you're into American comics at all, you undoubtedly know how Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko and others changed the industry with their work in the 1960s, and set the template for kinds of stories Marvel still publishes today. That's just part of the story that Sean Howe researched for his 2012 book Marvel Comics: The Untold Story. Through interviews, research of media reports, and of course tons of comics reading, Howe uncovered the backgrounds of many comics stories and rumors that longtime readers may have wondered about. There's plenty of intra-creator acrimony to be found in its pages, yet Howe found that the book helped some of those involved to move on from decades-old wounds. This week Tim talks to Sean Howe about the research, the reaction, and what this book has to say to aspiring creators. (Originally published July 7, 2014.) Brought to you by: The Quick and the Dad Our supporters on Patreon

Roy Beckwith and the Cursed Continent is a western series by Nick Patch, Jarret Katz, and Fabi Marques. It looks great but it runs at a breakneck pace and seems to be introducing a few too many elements. Tim and Jason discuss. A French Expat in the U.K., by Agathe Montagnon, was sold through the LDC Online Comics Fair last summer. It's a quick and evenhanded look at some of the differences between the British and French cultures, as experienced by the author herself. American expats in Japan Tim and Adam take a look. Brought to you by: Checkered Past podcast Our supporters on Patreon

Last summer's Superman movie was a welcome improvement over many recent films featuring the character, and over much of the recent superhero film entries in general. Kumar and Emmet this week discuss how it comments on Zach Snyder's take, on internet culture, anti-immigrant sentiment, and more. They also address such topics as how the film distinguishes between Superman and Clark Kent, Superman's surprising vulnerability, and the Hall of Justice mural. Brought to you by: Our supporters on Patreon

What if your first Star Wars movie were Return of the Jedi? You'd have questions! That's how Tim felt once he got started reading Robotech II: The Sentinels volume 1, a comics continuation of the animated Robotech show that hit the U.S. in 1985. Robotech was a combination of three different anime -- why?? And why is it that, after all these years, the Robotech story doesn't really progress? Tim discusses with longtime Robotech fan Erik Amaya of Comicon.com. Brought to you by: Worst Collection Ever podcast Our supporters on Patreon

One of the most highly-regarded English-language strips of all time is George Herriman's Krazy Kat, featuring the odd love/hate triangle of Krazy, Ignatz, and Officer Pupp. Why was Krazy so gender-ambiguous? How did Herriman's (somewhat mysterious) racial background influence the strip? Tim and Kumar discuss this and much more. (Originally published September 2, 2013.) Brought to you by: Who's Who podcast Our supporters on Patreon

In 2023, King Features Syndicate decided to bring Flash Gordon, originally created by Alex Raymond and first published in 1934, back from rerun purgatory with new strips, written and drawn by Dan Schkade. Dan was also the artist on Dynamite Entertainment's Will Eisner's the Spirit Returns in 2016, and is also known for his original work Lavender Jack, which ran on Webtoon. This week, Tim talks with him about Flash Gordon and some of the trickier aspects of doing a newspaper strip, including refreshing readers' memories and getting new readers on board while also moving the story forward a step every day. And, in 2025, how do you handle a great villain (Ming the Merciless) who's also a terrible racial stereotype? Brought to you by: Full Manga Alchemists Our supporters on Patreon

From 1942 to 1966, many of the Donald Duck comic books published by Dell Comics were written and drawn by Carl Barks. Like most comic book creators at the time, his name was unknown; the Duck comics were all credited to Walt Disney. Fans only knew that his work was by the GOOD duck artist. Barks created Scrooge McDuck and many of the other duck characters that are taken for granted as part of Disney canon today. What made Barks the standout Duck artist? Were they meant to be satirical, or simply enjoyable stories? Tim, Kumar, and Tom Spurgeon discuss Barks' work, particularly the Fantagraphics volume Lost in the Andes. (Originally published June 3, 2013.) Comics Journal review of Lost in the Andes Brought to you by: Our supporters on Patreon

Captain America and the Falcon #212 concludes the Arnim Zola/Red Skull storyline in somewhat perfunctory fashion, and gives a living castle with big teeth much less P.R. than it deserved! In #213 we meet the strange and underutilized assassin the Night Flyer! (Underwhelming name? Must've been named by Jack Kirby!) Tim and Emmet discuss both issues in this episode. Brought to you by: The Quick and the Dad Our supporters on Patreon

Joe Mallard, a favorite of Tim and Jason's from a year ago, is back! Creator Asante Amani has sent us issues 4-6 of this crime series. Did it go over with us as well as the first two issues did? Ky Lawrence has created a trippy graphic novel about survivor's guilt. In Dream Machine, our protagonist dreams he can sacrifice himself to bring his cancer victim twin back to life. Tim and Adam critique. Brought to you by: Our supporters on Patreon

We've been building up to it for months with our reviews of previous Fantastic Four movies. Now it's here, the FF's debut in the MCU, Fantastic Four: First Steps. How well did it scratch that FF itch? Kumar and Jordan once again join Tim to review the film, and discuss how it stacks up against the others (including the unreleased 1994 version). One idea about what "Subzero Intel" might mean Brought to you by: Full Manga Alchemists Our supporters on Patreon

This week, Koom interviews Wahab Algarmi, author of Almost Sunset, a graphic novel about a Muslim American boy's search for balance between his family traditions and the demands of life in Middle School. Koom and Wahab discuss their international family backgrounds as well as the merits or demerits of 1990s Image comics! Almost Sunset on Amazon Brought to you by: The Quick and the Dad Our supporters on Patreon

Ben Wickey has created a graphic novel, More Weight: A Salem Story, that gives us a very deep dive into the Salem witch trials: why they happened, who was to blame, and how the city has dealt with their legacy. This week Koom gets the scoop on what inspired Ben, why his art style seems to vary depending on what point in the past he's writing about, and more. More Weight: A Salem Story on Amazon.com Brought to you by: Checkered Past podcast Our supporters on Patreon

The film is bloated, it's busy, it showcases numerous failures at human communication, and doesn't hit some points it needs to. And yet, Spider-Man 3 screenwriter Alvin Sargent managed to weave together the many plotlines thrust on him to make a script with a message - although not necessarily the one director Sam Raimi had in mind. Tim and Mulele examine Raimi's final Spider-Man film. (Originally published on Patreon May 23, 2020.) Brought to you by: Our supporters on Patreon

To this day, Spider-man 2 is considered one of the best superhero movies. How does it stand up to Tim's first viewing, after watching all the MCU movies that came after? What does Mulele notice about the look of the film that's a little annoying? How is Spider-fan Tim feeling about the portrayal of Peter Parker in these movies? These points and more! (Originally published on Patreon April 25, 2020.) Brought to you by: Our supporters on Patreon

Tim and Mulele begin reviewing the Sony (pre-MCU) Spider-man movies with a look at 2002's Spider-man, directed by Sam Raimi and starring Tobey Maguire. After watching all the MCU movies, how does this film feel different? How was it affected by 9/11? And more. (Originally published on Patreon April 11, 2020) Brought to you by: Our supporters on Patreon

This week, a look at two great new comics submitted by their creators: God Summoner, by Dio Zogaris and Manos Laouvardos, is a story in the fantasy genre. Tim and Jason thought "Meh" until they actually read it! This is a well-written story with beautiful black and white art. The Keluarga Cable Ship Company, by Mereida Fajardo, gives us a father and son with communication problems, and a ship that lays down undersea cable through which, well, communication flows. Or doesn't flow. But what makes the book stand out is its very unusual format that shows great thought and planning on the author's part. Tim and Adam critique. LD Comics Fair Brought to you by: The Quarter-Bin podcast Our supporters on Patreon

FLASHBACK! Jim Shooter, who was Marvel Editor-in-Chief from 1978 to 1987, passed away on June 30. He wrote a number of comics published by Marvel (including the original Secret Wars series) and by a number of other companies. Two years ago, Koom interviewed Shooter to find out what he thought about Marvel in its current incarnation, get his recollections of Frank Miller and Ann Nocenti's respective starts in the comics industry, hear his theory that the nursery rhyme "Little Miss Muffet" can be a tool to teach good writing, and more. We re-present the interview this week in observance of his passing. (Originally published August 23, 2023.) Brought to you by: Our supporters on Patreon

In the 1960s, both Marvel and DC tried publishing humor books, often in a style reminiscent of MAD Magazine. One of these was DC's Angel and the Ape, about a beautiful young woman and a comics-artist gorilla who run a detective agency. While it only survived for 7 issues (with two title changes!) in 1968-69, somehow it got a Phil Foglio reboot in 1991, and showed up again as a Vertigo book in 2001, co-written by Howard Chaykin and David Tischman. While it's hard to explain the existence of these revivals, comparing the three versions gives us an appreciation of the changes in the US comics industry over 35 years. Tim and Kumar discuss. Brought to you by: Worst Collection Ever podcast Our supporters on Patreon

[ POW! ZAP! Comics may not be for kids anymore, but they still have sound effects! Our own Patrick Ijima-Washburn noticed that Japanese editions of American comics left the sound effects untranslated, and decided to put together a book on how common English sound effects should be translated. Life being what it is, it took well over a decade, but the book is finally out digitally, in both Japanese and English! This time Patrick joins Tim to talk about the genesis of the book, some sound effects trivia (what comic strip first used "ZZZZ" for snoring? Who originated adding "ker-" to the beginning of a sound effect?), and take a quiz from Tim: if quoted a sound effect from an actual Marvel comic, can he guess what action it's supposed to represent? Brought to you by: Who's Who podcast Our supporters on Patreon

While the last three issues of Captain America and the Falcon we looked at were rather underwhelming, issues 209 to 211 give us all the kooky science fiction and Kirby Crackle we could want! The appearance of Arnim Zola, in his first face-off with Cap, has revitalized the story. But Falcon seems shunted off to the side, and what the heck happened to Anna Maria's personality?? Tim and Emmet discuss these three issues. Brought to you by: Full Manga Alchemists Our supporters on Patreon

We conclude our look at 2015's Fant4stic, directed by Josh Trank. Trank's behavior on the set (and on Twitter) have been nothing but bad for his career, and studio meddling was nothing but bad for a film that wasn't a good take on the FF, but might have at least been a better film if Trank had been left alone. As it was, we're left with yet another FF movie that's short on explanations of Dr. Doom's objectives. Videos drawn on for this episode: Does the "Trank Cut" of Fantastic Four (2015) Exist? (Frame by Frame) Fant4stic Four (2015) — One X-cruciating Scene | Anatomy Of A Failure (Filmento) FANTASTIC FOUR (2015) BREAKDOWN! WTF Really Happened With This Movie? (New Rockstars) Inside Josh Trank's Director's Cut of Fantastic Four (Bullets & Blockbusters) Brought to you by: The Quick and the Dad Our supporters on Patreon

Should a director re-interpret a property when nobody wanted it re-interpreted? 2015's Fant4stic, directed by Josh Trank, turns getting superpowers into an exercise in body horror. Much of its inspiration comes from Bendis and Millar's very straightfaced Ultimate Fantastic Four comics, Trank threw in a liberal helping of The Fly and Scanners. Tim, Kumar, and Jordan (in another crossover with the Comic Book Movie Oblivion podcast) look at the first appearance of the Negative Zone in Fantastic Four #51 by Lee and Kirby, and at Ultimate Fantastic Four v. 1, before beginning a look at the film itself. Brought to you by: Checkered Past podcast Our supporters on Patreon