Deconstructing Comics
373 episodes - English - Latest episode: 3 days ago - ★★★★★ - 28 ratingsA podcast about the craft of comics
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Episodes
Critiquing Comics #218: “A Lungful of Brine”
June 30, 2022 12:00 - 25 minutes - 23.1 MBThis time, Jason introduces us to his former student Dan Tappan‘s first Kickstarter project, a nautical horror anthology with the appropriately horrifying title A Lungful of Brine. Tim joins him for a review.
#741 Anneli Furmark
June 29, 2022 12:00 - 52 minutes - 48.1 MBAnneli Furmark is a Swedish illustrator and comics creator whose latest book is Walk Me to the Corner, in which two married middle-aged women become attracted to each other. Anneli talks with Koom (at the Toronto Comic Arts Festival) about why this book isn’t an LGBT book, about her painting technique and layout choices, and … Continue reading #741 Anneli Furmark
#740 Gary Spencer Millidge (“Strangehaven”) interview
June 22, 2022 12:00 - 1 hour - 58.5 MBStrangehaven is a series started by Gary Spencer Millidge in 1995. As he does everything himself (including publishing, for the first 18 issues), it has come out on an irregular schedule, but the content has been compelling. Kumar talks with him about how far he might be from completing the series, his process, his life-Strangehaven … Continue reading #740 Gary Spencer Millidge (“Strangehaven”) interview
Critiquing Comics #217: “Scion of Night” #1
June 18, 2022 12:28 - 22 minutes - 21.1 MBA man in Portland, Oregon, finds himself turning into some kind of neck-biting monster (a blue vampire who doesn’t mind sunlight?), but he can’t remember anything about who he is. What’s causing this? Past drug use? Psychiatric issues? Tim and Jason discuss Tatu Heikkinen‘s Scion of Night #1: “The City of Roses.”
#739 Kirby’s Fourth World: “The Hunger Dogs”
June 15, 2022 12:00 - 1 hour - 58.7 MBJack Kirby’s final Fourth World story is the 1984 graphic novel The Hunger Dogs, which continues some of the themes we saw in Even Gods Must Die, such as the encroachment of technology. Tim and Emmet complete their reading of the Fourth World and ponder how aware George Lucas may have been of the New … Continue reading #739 Kirby’s Fourth World: “The Hunger Dogs”
#738 “The Re-Up”
June 08, 2022 12:00 - 32 minutes - 29.9 MBOne of our favorite indie creators has long been Amsterdam-based Chad Bilyeu, who’s back with the start of a new series, The Re-Up. Chad tends to deal in nonfiction and memoir, and this time is no different: he reminisces here about the time he took over a marijuana retail business in Washington, DC. Of course, … Continue reading #738 “The Re-Up”
Critiquing Comics #216: “Bran Bionic: The Sable Peril”
June 04, 2022 12:00 - 21 minutes - 19.5 MBLongtime web cartoonist Don Ahé has asked us to look at his new story Bran Bionic: The Sable Peril, about a boy with some bionic body parts who’s stranded on an island. Tim and Adam looked around on the rest of his site and found both gag-a-day and serialized work in his Road Apples Almanac … Continue reading Critiquing Comics #216: “Bran Bionic: The Sable Peril”
#737 Kirby’s Fourth World: “Even Gods Must Die”
June 01, 2022 12:00 - 49 minutes - 57.2 MBIn 1984, ten years after the last of Jack Kirby‘s Fourth World books was canceled, Kirby was brought back to do a brand new New Gods story in the final issue of a series that had been reprinting the original series. The story, Even Gods Must Die, is typical Kirby Fourth World: alternately horrifying and … Continue reading #737 Kirby’s Fourth World: “Even Gods Must Die”
Critiquing Comics #215: “Usher of the Dead” #1
May 28, 2022 12:00 - 22 minutes - 26.1 MBBlood Moon Comics has sent us another of their titles: Usher of the Dead #1 by Keith Rommel and Samir Simao. Will Tim and Jason find as many problems with it as they did with Blood Moon’s previous entry? Or will they be pleasantly surprised? Listen and find out!
#736 “Batman and the Outsiders” vol. 1
May 25, 2022 12:00 - 1 hour - 93.9 MBOne of DC’s most fondly remembered ’80s series is Mike W. Barr and Jim Aparo‘s Batman and the Outsiders. Tim, always a Marvel true believer, is just now reading it for the first time, but he’s recruited a lifelong fan of the Distinguished Competition, writer and podcaster John Trumbull, to join him in a look … Continue reading #736 “Batman and the Outsiders” vol. 1
#735 Kirby’s Fourth World: “Mister Miracle” #13-18
May 18, 2022 12:00 - 58 minutes - 54.2 MBJack Kirby‘s Mister Miracle continued on for a year or so after his other Fourth World books had been canceled. This may be why much of issues 13-18 seem disconnected from the typical Fourth World narrative of Apokolips, New Genesis, and the like, and arguably Kirby doesn’t have as strong a message in these issues, … Continue reading #735 Kirby’s Fourth World: “Mister Miracle” #13-18
#734 Ron Randall, “Trekker,” and Decompressed Storytelling
May 11, 2022 12:00 - 50 minutes - 46.5 MBWhat’s creator Ron Randall been up to since we talked with him last? He’s continuing his comic Trekker, now 35 years since its inception, and is up to his seventh Kickstarter for the series. He’s back to talk about that, plus he and Tim talk about the rise of decompressed storytelling in American comics over … Continue reading #734 Ron Randall, “Trekker,” and Decompressed Storytelling
#733 Kirby’s Fourth World: “Mister Miracle” #7-12
May 04, 2022 12:00 - 45 minutes - 41.8 MBTim and Emmet continue their read through Jack Kirby’s Fourth World comics with Mister Miracle issues 7 through 12. Is there as much meaning in these books as there was in the first six, or is it becoming a formula? What is it about Kirby’s work here that’s reminding Tim of R. Crumb? What’s a … Continue reading #733 Kirby’s Fourth World: “Mister Miracle” #7-12
Critiquing Comics #214: “The 9 Circles” #1
April 30, 2022 12:00 - 25 minutes - 23.7 MBA drifter in the Old West gives confession to an alcoholic priest. Demons attack and the drifter, who has special powers, dispels them. That’s the opening to The 9 Circles: Marshal Law Issue One from Jaimie Engle, Kool as Heck, and Kristal Sayers. But is this really the best opening for the story? Tim and … Continue reading Critiquing Comics #214: “The 9 Circles” #1
#732 “The Immortal Hulk”
April 27, 2022 12:00 - 1 hour - 111 MBThe Immortal Hulk won a fair amount of praise, including for Al Ewing‘s writing (although also censure for the hate speech hidden in Joe Bennett‘s art). Is the praise earned? Or is the book interesting exactly because of the things that don’t work in it? Our own Emmet, and guest Dr. Matt Finch, are leaning … Continue reading #732 “The Immortal Hulk”
#731 “Judge Dredd”
April 20, 2022 12:00 - 1 hour - 73.1 MBJudge Dredd, created by writer John Wagner and artist Carlos Ezquerra, first appeared in 1977 and is as mainstream in the UK as Marvel and DC are considered to be in the US. Until recently, Kumar had read very little of it, but after reading a sizable chunk of the series, including such classic storylines … Continue reading #731 “Judge Dredd”
#730 Kirby’s Fourth World: “Forever People” and “New Gods” end
April 13, 2022 12:00 - 58 minutes - 53.7 MBJack Kirby‘s big plans for his four Fourth World books were cut short when DC abruptly cancelled all but one of them. The Forever People and New Gods both ended with their 11th issues, dated April 1972. Along the way, the Forever People had an unplanned meetup with Deadman, and the New Gods got all … Continue reading #730 Kirby’s Fourth World: “Forever People” and “New Gods” end
#729 Nancy Collins’ “Swamp Thing”
March 30, 2022 12:00 - 1 hour - 57.9 MBWhile Kumar read Swamp Thing by Alan Moore and other ’70s and ’80s versions of the character well after they were published, his first “real time” reading of swampy was the early ’90s run written by novelist Nancy Collins. With Scot Eaton, Tom Mandrake, Kim DeMulder, and Tatjana Wood on art, Collins took the plant-man … Continue reading #729 Nancy Collins’ “Swamp Thing”
#728 Kirby’s Fourth World: “Mister Miracle” #1-#6
March 23, 2022 12:00 - 52 minutes - 48.3 MBOur journey through Jack Kirby’s “Fourth World” books now takes us to the first six issues of Mister Miracle, a change of pace from the other three books, giving us a more straightforward narrative. How will Tim and Emmet react to it? Kirby’s Jewishness on display in “Fourth World” (Forward.com) Jack & Roz Kirby Brought … Continue reading #728 Kirby’s Fourth World: “Mister Miracle” #1-#6
#727 Kirby’s Fourth World: “New Gods” #1-#6
March 16, 2022 12:00 - 59 minutes - 54.5 MBWhile the Forever People are (mistakenly, in our view) seen by many as “cheesy,” Jack Kirby’s New Gods has been a relatively well-regarded member of the Fourth World stable — if only for its focus on Darkseid and similarities to Star Wars. This time, Tim and Emmet dig into the first six issues, laden with … Continue reading #727 Kirby’s Fourth World: “New Gods” #1-#6
#727 “New Gods” #1-#6
March 16, 2022 12:00 - 59 minutes - 5 MBWhile the Forever People are (mistakenly, in our view) seen by many as “cheesy,” Jack Kirby’s New Gods has been a relatively well-regarded member of the Fourth World stable — if only for its focus on Darkseid and similarities to Star Wars. This time, Tim and Emmet dig into the first six issues, laden with … Continue reading #727 “New Gods” #1-#6
#726 Kirby’s Fourth World: “The Forever People” #1-#6
March 09, 2022 13:00 - 56 minutes - 51.7 MBAfter reading Jack Kirby‘s wacky Jimmy Olsen run, Tim and Emmet weren’t sure what to expect from the first six issues of his Forever People series. What we found was, yes, ideas and concepts by the bushel, but also some insightful social commentary that has us wondering: Why isn’t this book more highly regarded? We … Continue reading #726 Kirby’s Fourth World: “The Forever People” #1-#6
#726 Kirby’s Fourth World: “The Forever People” #2-#8
March 09, 2022 13:00 - 56 minutes - 51.7 MBAfter reading Jack Kirby‘s wacky Jimmy Olsen run, Tim and Emmet weren’t sure what to expect from the first six issues of his Forever People series. What we found was, yes, ideas and concepts by the bushel, but also some insightful social commentary that has us wondering: Why isn’t this book more highly regarded? We … Continue reading #726 Kirby’s Fourth World: “The Forever People” #2-#8
#725 Jim Rugg on “Street Angel” “Hulk: Grand Design” and more!
March 02, 2022 13:00 - 1 hour - 57.4 MBJim Rugg is known for his indy hit Street Angel, for being half of the duo hosting the super-prolific Cartoonist Kayfabe videos series, and for illustrating other works such as Cecil Castellucci’s The Plain Janes. Now he’s about to be known for the Hulk retrospective Hulk: Grand Design. This time, Kumar talks with him about … Continue reading #725 Jim Rugg on “Street Angel” “Hulk: Grand Design” and more!
#724 “Young Shadow”
February 23, 2022 13:00 - 49 minutes - 45.1 MBSuperheroes are the stuff of kids’ fantasies. Who among us hasn’t fantasized about having powers, putting on a costume and fighting crime? Ben Sears’ graphic novel Young Shadow is a presentation of this fantasy: a costumed kid with no superpowers but excellent fighting skills and a neighborhood network that helps him patrol the streets – … Continue reading #724 “Young Shadow”
#723 “EC Comics: Race, Shock, and Social Protest”
February 16, 2022 13:00 - 54 minutes - 50.2 MBEC Comics are most commonly associated with the horror stories that shocked parents and U.S. Senators in 1954. But EC Comics also had something to say about prejudice against racial or ethnic groups. How do these stories read today? How well did EC creators like Al Feldstein and Harvey Kurtzman get across their anti-racist message? … Continue reading #723 “EC Comics: Race, Shock, and Social Protest”
#722 Kirby’s Fourth World: “Jimmy Olsen” pt 2
February 09, 2022 13:00 - 55 minutes - 51 MBThe second half of Jack Kirby‘s run on Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen continues to throw out idea after mind-blowing idea. These comics are crazy, and somewhat exhausting. But how do they stand up as stories? Tim and Emmet continue their walk through the Fourth World with visits to Transylvane, Scotland, and a volcano! Brought to … Continue reading #722 Kirby’s Fourth World: “Jimmy Olsen” pt 2
Critiquing Comics #213: “Bric-A-Brac”
February 02, 2022 13:00 - 23 minutes - 27.1 MBThis time, a Christmas-themed comic. Isn’t it a little late for that? A seasonal comic may be a rather odd choice, especially one that has more military maneuvers in it than good cheer. But it’s appropriate for kids, and looks great! It also raises the question “What makes a good cliffhanger?” Tim and Adam take … Continue reading Critiquing Comics #213: “Bric-A-Brac”
#721 Kirby’s Fourth World: “Jimmy Olsen” pt 1
January 26, 2022 13:00 - 53 minutes - 49 MBBy the end of the 1960s, Jack Kirby had had enough of Marvel. He felt that the company had not treated him well enough for him to justify introducing the new characters and concepts he’d been toying with. When he got the chance to try out the concepts at DC Comics instead, he jumped at … Continue reading #721 Kirby’s Fourth World: “Jimmy Olsen” pt 1
Critiquing Comics #212: “Second Place”
January 19, 2022 13:00 - 37 minutes - 34.5 MBWeight training is very big in space. At least, on the planet Cankee, where Earth-style weightlifting has caught on like wildfire. That’s the setup for Second Place, by Ben Goldsmith, Ed Smith, and Jay P. Fosgitt. Ryan Cecil Smith joins Tim to discuss in which categories it gets the trophy, and in which ones it … Continue reading Critiquing Comics #212: “Second Place”
Critiquing Comics #211: “Thready”
January 15, 2022 13:00 - 18 minutes - 17.5 MBThready is a comic about a week in the life of a character who is bipolar. That’s him in the picture, although we suspect that appearance is symbolic of how he feels. This time, Tim and Jason discuss the first issue of a promising comic.
#720 “The Other 1980s”
January 12, 2022 13:00 - 59 minutes - 55 MBThere were several landmark comics titles in the 1980s (do we really need to name them?), but unfortunately they tend to overshadow much of the other interesting work of the decade. Brannon Costello and Brian Cremins have edited a collection of essays on some of these overlooked works, called The Other 1980s. This time, Kumar … Continue reading #720 “The Other 1980s”
#719 “Demon Slayer”
January 05, 2022 13:00 - 45 minutes - 42.2 MBThe latest manga sensation is Koyoharu Gotouge’s Demon Slayer. Both the manga and the anime have broken records (including in theaters in Japan, during a pandemic) around the world, including in the U.S., where the film set all-time opening weekend record for a foreign language film. But Kumar’s son Ashwin, who reads manga like crazy, … Continue reading #719 “Demon Slayer”
“Avengers: Age of Ultron” (2015)
December 29, 2021 13:00 - 50 minutes - 46.4 MB“Tim Catches Up with the MCU” moves on to the second Avengers movie, Age of Ultron, and Tim reveals something that’s been bothering him all along about one of the actors in these movies… Brought to you by: Wayne Manor Memoirs podcast Our supporters on Patreon
#718 “No One Else”
December 22, 2021 13:00 - 40 minutes - 37.5 MBAfter years of putting her life on hold to care for her father, her father passes on. How does she react? What about her son, who feels his grandpa’s death may be his fault? R. Kikuo Johnson’s No One Else is a subtly told story of grief with beautiful art and some humor as well. … Continue reading #718 “No One Else”
#717 “Chad in Amsterdam” #6
December 15, 2021 13:00 - 23 minutes - 21.6 MBChad Bilyeu, an American living in Amsterdam, has been a favorite of ours over on Critiquing Comics for the past several years. With the sixth issue of his Chad in Amsterdam series, we’ve promoted talk of his comics to the flagship, Deconstructing Comics. You’ve arrived, Chad! Seriously, this issue gives us more interesting storytelling that … Continue reading #717 “Chad in Amsterdam” #6
Critiquing Comics #210: “Epic Tavern’s Tales from the Fantastical Crimes Unit”
December 11, 2021 13:00 - 46 minutes - 42.8 MBEpic Tavern’s Tales from the Fantastical Crimes Unit gives us a noir-type detective on the case of a kidnapped centaur woman. What’s that? You’ve never heard of Epic Tavern? You didn’t know it’s a video game? Then this comic may leave you scratching your head. And that’s just one of a number of reasons that … Continue reading Critiquing Comics #210: “Epic Tavern’s Tales from the Fantastical Crimes Unit”
#716 1950s “World’s Finest” might be world’s goofiest
December 08, 2021 13:00 - 55 minutes - 51 MBIf you’re not into the drama of the past few decades of DC Comics, come with us back to the 1950s, when the exploits of Batman and Superman in World’s Finest Comics made the ’60s Batman TV show look like The Dark Knight Returns! Superman and the Dynamic Duo’s lives in those days were a … Continue reading #716 1950s “World’s Finest” might be world’s goofiest
#715 Comics adaptations: “Dune” (1984) and “Bram Stoker’s Dracula” (1992)
December 01, 2021 13:00 - 1 hour - 79.2 MBSometimes comics adaptations of movies can have as much, or more, significance than the films themselves. Marvel‘s 1984 adaptation of David Lynch‘s Dune film, for example, marked Bill Sienkiewicz‘s upgrade from the realistic art he did on Moon Knight, to the mind-blowing, weird work he became known for on New Mutants. It’s also arguable that … Continue reading #715 Comics adaptations: “Dune” (1984) and “Bram Stoker’s Dracula” (1992)
#714 Debbie Jenkinson
November 24, 2021 01:00 - 54 minutes - 50.5 MBGhosting is about a bus driver in a budding relationship with a woman who suddenly disappears from his life. Has he simply been ghosted? Or is there more to it? Emmet was captivated by the book (winner of the 2020 Best Irish Comic award), and this time he chats with its author (and fellow Ireland … Continue reading #714 Debbie Jenkinson
Critiquing Comics #209: “Producing the End of the World”
November 17, 2021 13:00 - 22 minutes - 21.1 MBAnthologies have traditionally been something of a bear to critique, especially if they’re not very good. Producing the End of the World has solved that problem — both by sending us a media preview with only four of the collection’s stories in it, and by, well, being very good. Tim and Adam discuss a book … Continue reading Critiquing Comics #209: “Producing the End of the World”
#713 “Second Coming” Comes Back
November 10, 2021 13:00 - 37 minutes - 34.2 MBMark Russell & Richard Pace’s Second Coming stirred up controversy before it even came out, because it was a comic book pairing Jesus Christ with a superhero. But once it did hit the stands, the reviews were mainly positive, including on this podcast. Now the second six-issue “season” of the comic has wrapped up, and … Continue reading #713 “Second Coming” Comes Back
Critiquing Comics #208: “Amazing Tales” #4
November 03, 2021 12:00 - 31 minutes - 28.6 MBDavid Dye has been one of our favorites here on Critiquing Comics; Tim and Mulele even interviewed him once. He’s back now with Amazing Tales #4, in which he takes a turn toward horror. Jason joins Tim to brave the creepy goings-on. Brought to you by: To the Batpoles! podcast Our supporters on Patreon
#712 San Diego Comic-Con Begins
October 27, 2021 12:00 - 1 hour - 59.1 MBSan Diego Comicon has always been about more than comics! That’s the contention of producer and journalist Mathew Klickstein, who joins Tim this week to tell us all about his audio documentary podcast “Comic-Con Begins!” Mathew talked with dozens of people who were there at the birth of the con and celebrities who have appeared … Continue reading #712 San Diego Comic-Con Begins
“Guardians of the Galaxy” (2014)
October 20, 2021 12:00 - 57 minutes - 53.6 MB“Tim Catches Up with the MCU” continues with our look at “Guardians of the Galaxy.” How does it rank in Tim and Mulele’s MCU viewing so far? Also, are we each using different criteria to evaluate these films? And, oh yeah, these films have music – how do we feel about it? (Originally published on … Continue reading “Guardians of the Galaxy” (2014)
#609 “Saga” (a non-gushing review)
October 17, 2021 06:40 - 1 hour - 61.5 MBFLASHBACK! Saga, by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples, has been a bestselling book for Image Comics for years, and fawned over by critics and readers alike. While Emmet finds a fair number of things to like about it, hardly anything about it is to Kumar’s taste. For this episode, both of them have read … Continue reading #609 “Saga” (a non-gushing review)
#711 Tom Scioli’s “Kirby”
October 13, 2021 12:00 - 1 hour - 70.7 MBTom Scioli’s Jack Kirby: The Epic Life of the King of Comics is a bio in comics form and written in the first person, from Kirby’s perspective. Why did Scioli handle it that way, and does it work? Why does Kirby look like a Tezuka character surrounded by normal humans? Was the tension between Lee … Continue reading #711 Tom Scioli’s “Kirby”
Critiquing Comics #207: “Texas Tracts”
October 06, 2021 12:00 - 41 minutes - 37.9 MBTexas Tracts, by Rachelle Meyer, is a series of three short comics, modeled in format after the Christian evangelical “Chick Tracts” by Jack Chick. Rachelle’s well-drawn comics, in contrast, reflect doubts about things she was taught in Catholic school as a kid in Texas. Tim and Mulele discussed part one, Holy Diver, back in January; … Continue reading Critiquing Comics #207: “Texas Tracts”
“Captain America: The Winter Soldier” (2014)
September 29, 2021 12:00 - 51 minutes - 47.4 MBIn this episode of “Tim Catches Up with the MCU”, Tim and Mulele discuss the political thriller “The Winter Soldier”. Brought to you by: The Quarter-Bin podcast Our supporters on Patreon