Graphic Novelism | The History of Comic Books
45 episodes - English - Latest episode: over 5 years ago - ★★★★★ - 9 ratingsAlex Koch. Mike Napier. James Lewis. Children of the nineties, lovers of sequential art, NERDS -- coming of age in a world they never made, these three students of the comic page found themselves united by a common hobby. On that day, A PODCAST WAS BORN -- tasked with discussing the topics no single fan could properly examine!
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Episodes
Off The Panel Classic - MOON KNIGHT: THE BOTTOM
March 20, 2019 16:17 - 20.1 MBIn this reprint of a classic OPP episode, Alex is joined by his old friend and three-time Thunder From Down Under, Matt Fuss, as they discuss Charlie Huston and David Finch's Moon Knight: The Bottom. Listen as they become hype men for one of Marvel's most misunderstood characters, discussing what sets him apart from other caped crusaders, the complex religious motivations that drive him, and the journey of madness and redemption Huston lays before him. Travel Off The Panel with us by click...
Off The Panel Classic - SPIDER-MAN: BLUE
December 12, 2018 17:39 - 13.3 MBIn this reprint of a classic OPP episode, Alex is joined by Merciful Merce' Mueller to discuss the second part in Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale's acclaimed Color Series, 2003's Spider-Man: Blue. Listen to Merce' chronicle her lengthy obsession with Gwen Stacy, Alex define what makes Spider-Man's formative years stand out from his peers', and the two do their absolute best to forget Sins Past ever happened. Travel Off The Panel with us by clicking here! Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.c...
BEHIND THE BULLPEN: Howard Shapiro
October 20, 2018 16:00 - 32.1 MBIn this fabulous Two-In-One team-up, our very own Maniacal Mike chats with writer Howard Shapiro about his and artist Erica Chan's new graphic novel, QUEEN OF KENOSHA! (Nina Overstreet, a singer-songwriter hustling amidst the music scene of 1963, finds her big break comes not from a record deal, but in a chance encounter with a clandestine agency of the U.S. Government, and the secret war against an underground Fourth Reich rising just beneath the surface.) In addition, we get into how he...
Off The Panel Classic - BATMAN: YEAR ONE
September 15, 2018 18:48 - 15.9 MBIn this reprint of the VERY FIRST RECORDING of OPP's original spotlight series, Aristocratic Alex Koch is joined by dork knight extraordinaire Morbid Matt Johnson to discuss the defining origin story of their favorite character, Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli's seminal(?) Batman: Year One. Journey back to 2013 as they go into Matt's abiding respect for Jim Gordon, and Alex's revelations about Batman's first costume, as the mystery of Graphic Novelism's hiatus deepens. Travel Off The P...
Off The Panel Classic- BLANKETS
August 12, 2018 19:53 - 14.7 MBIn this reprint of a classic OPP episode, Jamie is joined by founding Off-Panelist Merce' Mueller to discuss Craig Thompson's iconic memoir, Blankets. Looking back at their own religious childhoods, they share their connections to this powerful story of childhood, faith, and first love, and Merce' talks about the time Big Bird broke her arm. Travel Off The Panel with us by clicking here! Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GraphicNovelism Itunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/pod...
ONE AND DONE - "HEARTBEAT"
June 03, 2018 16:08 - 25.5 MBIn the latest One And Done, we welcome to the show comedian and podcaster Adam Avitable to talk about one of his favorite stand-alone stories, The Flash #163, "Heartbeat"! Join us as we cover how this issue dangles perilously between the two most ground-breaking runs on the character, how it embodied the end of an era for comics storytelling as we knew it, how it might just be the best introduction to The Flash you could ever offer a new reader, and how to defeat Batman using only a fire es...
ONE AND DONE - "DEVILS"
April 27, 2018 13:32 - 21.2 MBIn this new edition of our series on single issues, we look at one of Frank Miller's earliest issues of his legendary Daredevil run, "Devils". Join Mike and Jamie as they discuss the state of this book before and after Miller made his stamp on the character, how this should be counted as the true first issue of his run, and how he pulled off perhaps the greatest retcon in Marvel Comics history. Plus, they revisit childhood haunted house shenanigans! Stop the devils from overrunning New Yor...
BEHIND THE BULLPEN: Magdalene Visaggio
March 13, 2018 22:43 - 25.4 MBIn our newest team-up episode, we talk with Eisner-nominated writer Magdalene Visaggio about her work on books such as Kim & Kim and Quantum Teens Are Go, what it's like to write for licensed properties, which comics she's been getting into, and her new Young Animal series with Sonny Liew and Chris Chuckry, Eternity Girl! Come for the interview, stay for the conspiracy theories about OMAC. Obey the One Man Army Core by downloading here! Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Graphi...
Off The Panel Classic - PREACHER
February 24, 2018 21:59 - 28.3 MBIn this reprint of a classic OPP episode, Jamie is joined by her former partner-in-south Matt Johnson to discuss one of their favorite books of all time, Garth Ennis & Steve Dillon's seminal Preacher. Long before anyone thought this story could be adapted to television, Matt and Jamie waxed philosophical about the landscape of American mythology, the power and danger of hero-worship, the role of masculinity in the modern world, and all of the various things that happen to Herr Starr's penis...
#27: "OF TWO WORLDS - Marvel/DC"
January 21, 2018 01:17 - 28.7 MBor "Brand Of Science, Brand Of Faith!" In this episode, we introduce a brand new sub-series to the show: OF TWO WORLDS, where we compare and contrast two opposing concepts from the comics medium. In our first entry, we look at the twin pillars of four-color publishing, Marvel and DC, and the symbiotic way they've challenged each other, cribbed from each other, and drove each other to be better. Why does DC lend itself so well to such a diverse pool of talent? How have Marvel's founders inf...
Off The Panel - Superman: Secret Identity
December 13, 2017 23:05 - 81.6 MBIn an all-new, all-different episode of Off The Panel (by gar, it's been a while), Alex and Jamie go deep into the greatest Superman story to ever not contain Superman. Thirteen years ago, veterans Kurt Busiek and Stuart Immonen took the comics world by storm when they introduced fans to an ordinary teenage boy named Clark Kent, who lived in a world identical to our own, right down to the comic book character he was named after. What happened when he discovered he was more like that other C...
#26: "Hey Kids,COMICS!" (Ft. Jamar Nicholas)
November 14, 2017 18:36 - 83.1 MBor "What's so funny about peace, love, and diversity?" In this special team-up episode of Graphic Novelism, the experts on nothing real welcome their very first guest, multiple award-winning writer and artist Jamar Nicholas! They talk about the importance of comic books in a child's life, the distressing decline of all-ages books in today's adult-slanted market, reclaiming that missing balance, and how Jamar is doing his own part at curbing this harmful trend with his creator-owned title, ...
#25: "The Lonesome Death Of Spider-Goblin" (Challenge Of The Supertoons Part VII)
October 13, 2017 21:11 - 149 MBor "The Carnage Queen declares... ORDER?!" In the epic finale' (for now) of our animated retrospective, we go from 2009 to the modern day, as America is awed by Charles "Future Legs" Xavier, riveted by the humanity of Yellowjacket, and learns to love... Agent Venom? Really? From that weird CGI show where Iron Man is a teenager, to the most hated Marvel property of our generation (until Iron Fist), the Unreal Experts once again find plenty worth a second look that you might have written off...
#24: "Recyclables Of The Dark Knight"
September 23, 2017 23:46 - 55.7 MBOr "The Strange Secrets Of This Bane!" In this second and final edition of Graphic Novelism's epic retrospective of BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES, Big Bad Alex, James The Squid, and Mike 'The Wheezer' Napier embark on a Demon's Quest of their own through the latter half of production in the classic show to answer lingering questions that have plagued them and the fandom at large for years. And the answers they find? They're the stuff that dreams are made of. Illuminating revelations are give...
#23: "The Strange Secrets Of Batman: The Animated Series"
September 05, 2017 06:15 - 53.8 MBOr, "I've Got Batman In My Podcast!" In this special edition of Graphic Novelism, Big Bad Alex, James The Squid, and Mike 'The Wheezer' Napier bare their silicon souls in an effort to transport themselves to a more innovative time in comic book animation. A time where the universe momentarily aligned, the Gods of Superheroism finally looked down upon the medium of cartoons, and uttered a single command - "Let there be vengeance." From it's surprising, often overlooked origins as a footnote...
GRAPHIC NOVELISM REMEMBERS... ADAM WEST (1928-2017)
July 22, 2017 00:51 - 15.2 MBOn a tragic day that is long to be remembered, the world of superheroes and the world at large lost a true caped crusader - Adam West, the first actor to truly inhabit the role of Batman for entire generations of fans. Join Graphic Novelism's Alex, James, and Mike as they reminiscence about West's life and career as everything from superhero to mayor, their earliest memories of the 1966 classic that shot West to stardom, and what West's role as the cowled crimefighter did to transform the m...
Off The Panel Classic - Ultimate Spider-Man
July 08, 2017 00:45 - 40.8 MBIn this reprint of a classic OPP episode, Aristo' Alex and Jam' James turn back the clock to the year 2000, when MTV's irrelevance was still relevant, America could not care less about the electoral process, and Spider-Man was being rebooted for what was certainly going to be the only time. What began as a last-ditch effort from a dying company to reach a new audience would soon become a cultural touchstone for an entire generation of comics fans, and for over 100 issues Brian Michael Bendi...
#22: "And Then There Were X-23's!" (Challenge Of The Supertoons Part VI)
May 21, 2017 14:44 - 50.6 MBor "Walk On The Spidercide!" In the penultimate part of our animated retrospective, the dawn of a new millennium brings a new beginning for Marvel's most-animated mutants, and a mixed bag for everyone else, as we enter THE WB YEARS. From 2001-2009, hear all about the second Spider-Man show to avoid Spider-Man at all costs, the most un-fantastic Reed Richards possible, SURPRISE Gammazons, and quite possibly the best superhero cartoon ever made (and it's not the one you're thinking of) . How...
#21: "Midnight In The Garden Of Venom And Carnage" (Challenge Of The Supertoons Part V)
April 06, 2017 15:14 - 133 MBor "Welcome to the Fashion Warriors, Betty... hope you survive the experience!" In part five of our animated retrospective, the Children of The Nineties revisit Marvel's biggest decade ever... until this current one, at least. From 1992-1999, follow the trail of broken dreams and legal fees that led to the shows that captured your five-year-old imagination, as we follow the redemption of Tony Stark, the battle for the soul of the Fantastic Four, and the unending shame of Ant Man. Why did S...
Off The Panel Classic - Wolverine: Origin
March 20, 2017 20:40 - 29 MBIn this reprint of a classic OPP episode, The Men Who Would Be Unreal unite for the very first time to share their love for one of the most underrated stories to come out of modern Marvel: Paul Jenkins', Andy Kubert's, and Richard Isanove's "Origin". From his humble beginnings playing hoop and stick, to his disturbing transformation into the animal he was destined to become, your hosts explore the tragic first years of Wolverine, and laugh at the very concept of Marvel ever redoing old eve...
#20: "Uncle Ben, Who Is In Hell..." (Challenge Of The Supertoons Part IV)
February 18, 2017 19:54 - 80.9 MBor "DANGER! At Mysterio's Disco Palace" In part four of our retrospective of animated adaptations, we revisit Marvel's own personal quarter-life crisis. From the day Spider-Man made friends to how the X-Men found their pryde, we track the bizarre arc of Marvel Productions from 1981-1989, and once again make everything better with Human Torch. Who is "Sidewinder", and what does he stand to gain? Why does Aunt May have a vial of acid and murder on her mind? And which of your favorite heroes ...
#19: "To Me, Allies For Peace!" (Challenge Of The Supertoons, Part III)
January 17, 2017 15:46 - 108 MBor "Spider-Woman In: Twerk Off The Dark!" In part three of our retrospective of animated adaptations, we look at the dawn of the Marvel Age Of Cartoons, from 1966 to 1979, as we ask ourselves just how loosely you can use the term "animation" before it loses all meaning. Who are the Allies For Peace, and why do they seem so familiar? What intervention from an animation legend led to Spider-Man tripping the light fantastic? Which second-string character unexpectedly has the greatest animate...
#18: "When Shaq Met Static" (Challenge of The Supertoons Part II)
November 28, 2016 01:56 - 133 MBor "Slade Wilson's Carnival of Despair!" In part two of our retrospective of animated adaptations, we look at the modern age of DC shows, from the dawn of the Timmverse to the second coming of Beast Boy. Why doesn't Static Shock get the respect it so dearly deserves? Where does Superman: The Animated Series land within the ranks of superhero television? When will fans learn to stop judging new shows by a single piece of promo art? And what is the tragic fate of the poor, disgraced Ocean Ma...
#17: "TUBERMAN" (Challenge Of The Supertoons Part I)
October 19, 2016 20:58 - 65.2 MBor "The Strange Proposal of The Trevor-Darkseid Team!" In part one of our new, six-part series on the history of animated adaptations, we get things rolling with DC's contributions to the field from 1941-1992. From the glory of the Fleischer shorts to the utter bafflement of the Superfriends, your hosts sift through one of American animation's greatest dry spells to solve the era's greatest mysteries: Why won't Superman stop moaning? What dark secret is Gleek hiding from the Wonder Twins? ...
#16: "Forgotten, But Not Gone"
September 20, 2016 15:38 - 84.6 MBor "TERROR Of The Redundant-Flash!" The medium of comics is filled with countless characters who have stood the test of time... that doesn't mean all of them should have. On this month's episode, the Unreal Experts count down the useless, the dated, the repetitive, the heroes, villains, and supporting cast who do not deserve to be hated, but simply to be forgotten-- except Steve Trevor. Which hunter should have stayed in the jungle? What is the terrifying secret of The Composite Alfred? An...
#15 "Waiting For Twilight" (Dreams, Hoaxes, And Imaginary Tales Part IV)
August 16, 2016 18:35 - 83.5 MBor "A Gorilla In Lady Gotham's Court!" In the finale of our series on the greatest comic book stories never told, we recount what may be the most influential comic event of the past thirty years... and not a single word of it was ever printed. Join The House of Mistakes as they detail what was once the most closely-guarded secret in the industry: Alan Moore's pitch for "Twilight Of The Superheroes", a company-wide crossover event that would have plunged the most unlikely hero of all into a...
#14 "Podcast Of The Soul" (Dreams, Hoaxes, And Imaginary Tales Part III)
July 17, 2016 22:44 - 59.2 MBor "The Iron Lantern's Emerald Escape!" In part three of our four-part series on the greatest comic book stories never told, we uncover two epics that would have left DC Comics unrecognizable in their wake. Join The Unreal Experts as they trek through the heart of darkness to battle a mysterious adversary with plans to expose their favorite heroes' deepest frailties, are rescued by a cosmic soldier of fortune with a care-free attitude and unsettlingly familiar color scheme, and ponder alon...
#13: "Metropolis Restored" (Dreams, Hoaxes, And Imaginary Tales Part II)
June 23, 2016 18:01 - 83.8 MBor "IF THIS BE MY MISTRESS..." In part two of our four-part series on the greatest comic book stories never told, we meet a caped crusader fighting for his life in The Great War, a wall-crawler in too deep with the wrong kind of lady, and a born-again 'bub with his heart in the right place (and the rest of him in ninja). Who IS The Huntsman, and how would he have been a game-changer for Image? How does The Dark Knight Returns tie into a coup d'etat that would have changed the comic book in...
#12: "The Old Gods And The New" (Dreams, Hoaxes, And Imaginary Tales Part I)
May 22, 2016 16:43 - 88.4 MBor "The Secret Dark Side of Captain Victory!" In the first of our four-part series on the greatest comic book stories never told, we travel from the Silver Age to the Twitter Age, from Batman '89 to Superman 2000, from Grant Morrison's brightest days to Frank Miller's blackest nights. Just how many different All-Star books were in the works before the line died? What were Jack Kirby's original plans for his legendary run on Thor? What the HELL were they going to do to Wonder Woman in 2005?...
In Memoriam: Darwyn Cooke
May 18, 2016 17:04 - 32.7 MBHelp comic creators in need by donating to The Hero Initiative at http://www.heroinitiative.org/ Download Here Interviews sampled: What's wrong with Comics from John Scrudder How DC and Marvel must change from Comic Book Syndicate Music used: Justice League The New Frontier - Soundtrack From the DC Universe Animated Original Movie by Kevin Manthei copyright Warner Bros. 2008
#11: "Videoman, why?! The Dark Side of Superhero Games"
April 17, 2016 17:17 - 79.5 MBor "I Have No Face But I Must Quip!" In part two of the Videoman Saga, the 8-Bit Experts tackle the less-glamorous side of video game adaptations. How do adaptations with the best of intentions so often end so badly? How close did we come to battling Heath Ledger's Joker on the Xbox? Who decided to put stealth levels in a Hulk game? Why is Aquaman's hair so breathtaking? Where did those bats come from? WHO STOLE SUPERMAN'S FACE?! To find out, well, you'll just have to listen! Find us on ...
#10: "Batman Hearts Superman"
March 27, 2016 14:08 - 75.3 MBor "Cry fraternity! Cry... BESTIES!" In all the years to come, in your most private moments, we want you to remember this episode in your ears. We want you to remember the one podcast... that warmed your heart. Under the shadow of the biggest movie in DC history, the Unreal Experts take a look at the relationship between the world's finest, and how often the duo are misinterpreted as rivals. What are the real differences between these two characters, and how have they driven them apart and...
Off The Panel CLASSIC - Daredevil: The Man Without Fear
March 16, 2016 20:54 - 46.8 MBIn this reprint of a classic episode from the fondly remembered Off-Panel Podcast, the men who would one day form Graphic Novelism meet to discuss the origin story that defined one of Marvel’s most underrated superheroes. Listen as three podcasters without fear discuss Frank Miller’s last great superhero story, how cinematic fiction can be achieved in the pages of a comic, and most importantly, the lengths a blind man will go to in order to eventually beat up Stilt-Man. This is Frank Miller...
#9: "Videoman, No! The Bright Side of Superhero Games"
February 18, 2016 23:50 - 67.3 MBor "Respawn, harlequin, said the 8-Bit Man!" Prepare yourself for a next-generation multimedia event™! In this episode, the unreal experts rock out to SNES symphonies as they look at the most high-rated entries in a low-rated genre: the comic book game. How has the arc of the superhero game mirrored the arc of the entire industry? Why did anyone ever think you'd want to play Cyclops? And which is more magical: mall arcades, or pizza arcades? To find out, well, you'll just have to listen! ...
#8 "We MUST, Robin: The Fashionably Lame Costumes of Comics"
January 18, 2016 00:13 - 83.4 MBor "The Boob Window At The Gates Of Always!" From fishnets to head-fins, bandoleers to face-socks, gloves that stretch to the armpits to collars that climb to the heavens, superhero costumes have seen their share of highs and lows. Join Aristocratic Alex, Jammin' James, and Maniacal Mike as they plumb the depths of four color fashion in a discussion of their favorite looks, why certain costumes have stuck around for so long, the subjectivity of a good design, and what the hell is even goin...
#7: "Spawn of Image, Part Two: Kirkman's Dream"
December 16, 2015 03:10 - 56.7 MBor "BLOODFIST II: NO MORE MR. NICE GUY" In part two of our look at the storied, sordid history of Image comics, we visit the cocaine-fueled fall and zombie-plagued return of the once-and-future king of creator-owned publishers. Why would Rob Liefeld lend his car to Badrock? What was the straw that broke Frank Miller's back and/or sanity? And how did a nerdy kid from Kentucky turn an industry punchline into one of the most critically-acclaimed entertainment companies in the world? All and ...
#6: "Spawn of Image, Part One: McFarlane Just Wants To Draw"
November 15, 2015 20:28 - 55.9 MBor "BLOODFIST: Omega Genesis!" In part one of our look at the rise, fall, and rebirth of perhaps the most controversial and influential publisher in comic book history, the Unreal Experts chart the rise of the Super-Artists: Todd "Hulk Hogan" McFarlane, Jim "Captain America" Lee, and Rob "David Hasslehoff" Liefeld. How did Jim Shooter unintentionally pave the way for Image Comics? Which account of the company's creation actually holds water? And why does it all come back to Cable?! To find...
#5: "Born To Hate"
October 30, 2015 01:41 - 95.4 MBor "I hate you! And you hate me even more!" In this month's limited edition of GN, the crew looks at the dichotomy of heroes and their archenemies, from the truly great rivalries, to the ones that exist for reasons one cannot begin to fathom. Can creating villains purely to be a hero's opposite ever work? And why does Mike insist on attacking Alex on his birthday each year? To find out the answers, well, you'll just have to listen! All and this more, in the link! Find us on Facebook: htt...
ONE AND DONE - "The Anatomy Lesson"
October 16, 2015 01:56 - 33.6 MBGrab 'er before she leaves the newsstands, True Subscribers, it's another debut from your friends at the House of Mistakes! Introducing "One and Done", a new mini-show that examines the greatest single issues the medium has ever produced! And for our first installment, what better than perhaps the most famous self-contained story of this, our modern age? It's the Alan Moore and Steve Bissette masterpiece "The Anatomy Lesson", the issue that turned Swamp Thing-- and the comic book industry--...
OFF THE PANEL - Batman: HUSH
September 26, 2015 20:20 - 38.6 MBIn the first returning installment of the series that examines all literature involving capes, cowls, and tights, Aristocratic Alex Koch and Maniacal Mike Napier journey upon a flashback to the year 2002 as they revisit the classic comic book arc that took the genre by storm and re-launched the careers of two of the industry's top talents. It's a game of chess that involves conspiracy, murder, romance, betrayal, and the most epic confrontation between The Dark Knight and The Man of Steel ev...
#4: "It's Still Unreal To Me!"
September 16, 2015 00:05 - 32.4 MBor "On wings of kevlar, did childe Icarus soar!" Have you ever wondered how many fibers are in Mike's t-shirt? Or if Alex organizes his comic collection alphabetically or numerically? Do you lie awake at night, pondering the backstory of James's vocal fry? Well, you won't find out any of that in this episode, but you will discover how the unreal experts feel about the concept of "realism" in the superhero genre. Is it possible to keep your feet on the ground, with characters born to soar a...
#3: "The Identity Of Secrets"
August 16, 2015 02:09 - 36.5 MBor "MILD MANNERS OF THE MASKED!" Hidden away from the prying eyes of the world, underneath Podcast City's most exclusive nightclub, the unreal experts don their disguises and speak in cryptic tones, as they debate their most sensitive topic yet: secrets! Does the trope of duel identities still have a purpose to serve in today's comics, or is it just a golden age hold-over that's long outlived its usefulness? To what depths will Green Arrow sink to avoid a paternity test? And just who, exac...
#2: "BIFF! BAM! POW! Superheroes on YOUR TV!"
July 15, 2015 18:34 - 37.8 MBor "WHERE WATCHES THE CHANNEL-SURFERS?!" Lock yourself inside your Time Vault and toss that billy club into the trash, because the unreal experts are taking a look at the long, sordid history of comic books on TV. Do the early days of Saturday morning superheroes still have something to show us about these characters? What does the future hold now that shows like The Flash and Daredevil have elevated the genre beyond what anyone could have hoped for? Did somebody EVER get around to saving ...
#1: "The People v. Superman"
June 11, 2015 16:55 - 34.5 MBor "DAWN OF MISUNDERSTANDING!" Get ready, True Subscribers, for the dynamic first episode of Graphic Novelism, the podcast where comic culture is vivisected by experts on nothing real! Join Aristocratic Alex Koch, Jammin' James Lewis, and Maniacal Mike Napier, as they tackle one of the most heated issues in comics today: Is Superman still relevant? Does he still work as both an icon and as a character? Or is he just a relic of an age that has long passed us by? To find out the answers, wel...
#0: "The Official Handbook To Graphic Novelism"
May 10, 2015 23:32 - 34.7 MBor "AND THE WIND CRIES... 'PODCAST'!" Before their blockbuster debut in #1, witness the secret origins of our intrepid trinity, as they discuss their long relationship with comic book culture, the creators who inspire them, the stories that move them, and Machine Man. Seriously, Machine Man gets a lot of play in this episode. All this and MORE, in the link!