Deconstructing Comics

(http://deconstructingcomics.com/podcast/references/wrapped-midlife.jpg)An experiment with magic brings a mummy to life! And... wow, is he a hunk! Dan Jolley and our friend Natalie Nourigat bring us Wrapped Up in You! John is 40, in his second marriage, and still dealing with the fallout from the first, especially where his daughters are concerned. With a baby and two cats, he's dealing with a lot of, er, poop -- both literally and figuratively. Will he keep it together, or is that cute singer going to tempt him to mess up his life more? It's Joe Ollmann's Mid-Life! Tim and Brandon discuss both books this week.

(http://deconstructingcomics.com/kumar/2012/10/mkr.jpg)In the early '90s, girls' comics in Japan took a superheroesque turn with the appearance of Sailor Moon. It was shortly followed by CLAMP'S Magic Knight Rayearth, featuring three 14-year-old girls in a world that reminded them of RPGs. A few years later, Tokyo Pop and other US publishers took the risk of releasing girls' comics stateside, with unexpected success. Yes, American girls WILL read comics! Manga critic Shaenon Garrity (http://www.shaenon.com/) joins Tim to talk about the '90s evolution of shojo manga and its debut in the States, and the place of Magic Knight Rayearth part 1 in that mix.

(http://deconstructingcomics.com/kumar/2012/10/peonytrivet.jpg)Tim and Mulele check out the smooth, sexy Peony Trivet (http://peonytrivet.blogspot.jp/) #1, by Ed Greene and Jeff Sims.

(http://deconstructingcomics.com/podcast/references/louisriel.jpg) If you're not Canadian, this week's topic may be a bit of a head-scratcher. Louis, uh, who now? To Canadians, though, including our own Kumar and Dana, Riel is a famous historical figure of the 19th century who led a rebellion against the Canadian government. His story is the subject of Chester Brown's recent graphic novel which, while complete with end notes, also takes Shakespearean liberties with the historical record. And what's up with the weird placement of characters on the page? An accident? No... nothing in this book is an accident.

(http://deconstructingcomics.com/podcast/references/goliath-silady.jpg)Remember David and Goliath? (Hint: Bible, 1 Samuel, ch 17!) The original story decidedly takes David's side, but what's Goliath's story? Tom Gauld has recently released a graphic novel called Goliath, told from this alleged villain's point of view. Tim and Mulele review. (Spoiler alert: Watch out for that rock!) When we last touched base with Matt Silady, he was teaching at California College of the Arts, in the San Francisco Bay area. Well, he's recently been involved in developing CCA's new Master of Fine Arts in Comics, and has been appointed Chair (http://www.cca.edu/academics/graduate/comics/chair) of the program. Tim talks to Matt about developing the program, being locked in a jail cell (http://www.cca.edu/news/2012/07/09/prisoner-love-why-matt-silady-went-jail-his-art) for your art, and much more.

(http://deconstructingcomics.com/kumar/2012/09/culdesac1.jpg)As Richard Thompson's strip Cul de Sac ends, Tom Spurgeon joins Tim to bid it a fond farewell. We discuss some favorite moments, compare it with other classic strips such as Peanuts, examine what Thompson (and any other relatively new creator of newspaper strips) has been up against as technology and economics team up against print media, and -- Hey! Watch out for the UH-OH BABY!!

(http://deconstructingcomics.com/kumar/2012/09/minimalcomics.jpg)It's very simply drawn; sometimes the topics are also simple, perhaps too simple. But other times, the simplicity of the art reveals more complex, nuanced takes on the world around us. We take a look at Minimal Comics and other work by Graeme McNee (http://www.graememcnee.com/).

(http://deconstructingcomics.com/kumar/2012/09/strangethings.jpg)It's kinda like The Twilight Zone, set in the '80s! Tim and Mulele critique Strange Things (http://strangethingsmoss.com/index.html) by Bryan Christopher Moss.

(http://deconstructingcomics.com/podcast/references/elbiswinged.jpg)As regular listeners well know by now, our own Mulele's graphic novel "Elbis" came out earlier this year (buy it here, or read online here). We've discussed the book's genesis on several occasions, but not a detailed look of the book's content. So this episode, Tim and Paul roll up their sleeves and give it a good ol' fashioned (unbiased?!) critique!

(http://deconstructingcomics.com/kumar/2012/09/stymiegrocery.jpg) Tim and Mulele read mail from creators of comics recently critiqued on the show, as well as a couple of listener comments on Deconstructing Comics #328.

(http://deconstructingcomics.com/kumar/2012/09/powwowbrianmitchell.jpg)Back in April, Tim talked to Brian Mitchell (http://deconstructingcomics.com/?p=2217) about his matchbook-sized comics. Recently, he sent us some samples, so Tim and Mulele have read through them and are here with their thoughts. Brian's site, where you can order his comics (http://www.silbermedia.com/comics/)

(http://deconstructingcomics.com/kumar/2012/08/doonesbury.jpg)When Doonesbury started nearly 42 years ago, Garry Trudeau was a hot young property, the undergrad student cartoonist who spoke the language of "today's youth". Now age 64, Trudeau can hardly make that claim, but instead he can take credit for a monumental strip chronicling the lives of his many cast members and their lives growing old in the social and political environments of the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Tim and Kumar assess the strip's legacy, discuss Brian Walker's Doonesbury and the Art of G. B. Trudeau, and review the past year's worth of strips. * R. Fiore's comment on Tim O'Neil's Comics Journal diatribe (http://www.tcj.com/bangbangbang/#comment-56807) * Rolling Stone: "Doonesbury Turns 40" (http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/doonesbury-turns-40-20101027?stop_mobi=yes) * NPR: "Trudeau Reflects on Four Decades of 'Doonesbury'" (http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=130815184) * New York Review of Books: "Oustripping the News" (http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/2010/nov/25/outstripping-news/?page=1)

(http://deconstructingcomics.com/kumar/2012/08/flexmentallo.jpg)Is Flex Mentallo just a superhero story or is it something far more? Does it speak only to comic book fans or can it say something for everyone? Is it about childhood, adulthood, drugs, loss, hope, despair, the comic book marketplace, pain, healing, or all of these at the same time? And do you have to be on acid to understand Grant Morrison, or does it just help? Writer Troy Belford and indie cartoonist John Linton Roberson go on and on about all of this, and it's a bit beyond the usual. Have a listen to this special mega-length episode...IF YOU DARE. John blogs about Flex (http://scans-daily.dreamwidth.org/3905282.html)

(http://deconstructingcomics.com/kumar/2012/08/shadowlaw.jpg)First up this week, an interview with Brandon Easton, creator of Shadowlaw and also writer of an episode of the new Thundercats series. Shadowlaw took well over a decade to come to fruition due to the nearly endless difficulties Easton had with finding a reliable artist. He shares his advice for finding a collaborator for your own project. Our own Mulele had some problems as the hired artist for a couple of comics projects when he tried his luck in Los Angeles six years ago. The experience was a harrowing one -- more so than we realized at the time. Mulele tells all, and also talks about his next career steps -- including a trip to a convention! * Brandon Easton interviewed at CBR... (http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=33898) * ...and on Fanboy Radio (http://www.fanboyradio.com/fanboy-radio-610-brandon-easton/)

(http://deconstructingcomics.com/kumar/2012/08/stymie.jpg)Our listener submission this time: Stymie, by James Hohenstein.