The Humans, Vol. 1

Episode 36

Join Dennis and Johnny as they bring the Summer Special episodes of Graphic Novel Explorers Club to an end with The Humans, Vol. 1, by writer Keenan Marshall Keller and artist Tom Neely. Our special guest host is Anthony Siino. He is a freelance journalist and host of Voice: River City Podcast.

The Humans is a biker exploitation book about an Outlaw biker gang living in Bakersfield during the late 60s and early 70s. Oh! All of the characters are primates (and not human primates).

In this episode the gang discusses the influences of the comic book, which one could say is a crossover of Full Throttle and Planet of the Apes; the art work by Tom Neely that perfectly captures the vibe of the era the book takes place in; the vibrancy of the world designed by both the writer and artist; the trauma of the character Johnny’s PTSD from serving in Vietnam; the storytelling techniques used to great effect in this book that would not work in most other stories; the gender politics of showing female nudity but rarely showing male nudity; why an exploitation book like The Humans does not feel exploitative; the reasons you do not buy a butterfly knife from Tijuana; if Frances would like this book or not; and the storytelling and the art of The Humans.

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