38 mins. Yes, it’s a short one, but it’s jam packed with writer/ artist teams that for various reasons have fallen out with one another and no longer work together. On the flip side, we also yak about great collaborative partnerships that work splendidly and just show is the Michael Bay of comics.
You can email us at kris (at)extrasequential(dot)com and befriend us on the NEW ES Facebook page.
2: 15 THEME – CREATIVE DIFFERENCES
The increase in public disputes these days, such as recent examples including Rob Liefeld and Robert Kirkman falling out over The Infinite, and writer John Rozum’s problems with the making of Static Shock.
Good creative unions and frequent collaborators:
Mark Millar and his usual team of artists
Mike Mignola and Duncan Fegredo
Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely
Creative splits:
Alan Moore and Steve Bissette on 1963, and Dave Gibbons after Watchmen
46 mins. Legendary creators Joe Simon and Jack Kirby effectively created the romance comics genre which was surprisingly dominant during the 1940s and 50s. We look at Fantagraphics’ entertaining new collection of some of their work. Also, the awesomeness of The Golden Girls. Yes, you heard me.
We focus on Young Romance, Fantagraphics’ excellent collection of 21 romance comics from Simon and Kirby from the 1940s and 50s. We discuss this unique era in the history of comics, the roles of men and women at the time, the very entertaining and surprising nature of the mature storytelling, the pre and post Comics Code stories, and the extras of this book, including notes on the time consuming restoration and the labour of love behind this project. Highly recommended for comics history enthusiasts and those who appreciate dramatic stories.
46 mins. The boy reporter from the mind of Belgian writer/artist Herge finally comes to the big screen, with Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson as his guides. We discuss what we liked and didn’t like and the questionable addition of the third dimension. Also, improper pronunciations and tough butlers.
You get two perspectives in one review, with Mladen’s Tintin knowledge and my lack thereof. We also mention it’s troubled past, Indiana Jones, violence, lack of merchandising and the difference between action and adventure. Oh, and Super Ted.
59 mins. We chat about the comics events and trends that have shaped the last 12 months and grabbed the most headlines, including dead superheroes, digital shopping and more. Also, The Punisher as an angel. Ah, memories.
60 mins. What a crazy good year it’s been for comics. We talk about what has impressed us the most from breakout talent, to new series to movie adaptation. Also, Star Trek: TNG’s Riker, and which superhero series resembles Breaking Bad.
53 mins. We all have one – a pile of shame. In other words, comics that have been sitting, and gathering dust, on our bookshelves for far too long. We discuss our own examples, and the reasons why they’ve remained unopened. Also, Brigitte Nielsen’s body of work.
58 mins. Don’t suffer from space sickness or hard radiation, but listen to our discussion about manly heroes, jetpacks, rayguns and the lost art of adventuring. From comic strips to comic books we look at some of the genre’s best tough guys and their unique tales. Also, Timothy Dalton and a tree.
50 mins. The opposite of origin tales is this week’s focus as we examine various superhero future stories, both classic and new. What happens to our favourite characters decades into the future when they’re older, greyer and grumpier? Also, Colin Firth in a fountain.
53 mins. We analyse the purpose of the love-interest character, how they play off of the heroic lead, and what makes the archetypal Lois Lane memorable while others are forgotten. Also, Jean Claude van Damme. Just because.
The female love interest/damsel in distress has a specific role to fill in the stories of comics, and most notably superheroes. We examine the following.
The pulp novels including Doc Savage, and The Shadow
Hollywood’s genre mashing of sorts
Female versions of male superheroes
Peter Parker’s loves, including Gwen Stacy, and his dissolved marriage with Mary Jane Watson
Bruce Wayne’s escorts
The complicated relationships in Crying Freeman, and Preacher
55 mins. War. What is it good for? We dive into the battlefield and how it’s been represented in comics of yesteryear and today.Plus, the wearing of shorts, head shapes and hammy thighs.
62 mins. In short, Chuck Dixon is an underrated writer who writes a lot, and writes very well.We dissect the prolific output of this mercenary comic book writer, and delve into the controversial issues and personal politics which led to his blacklisting at both Marvel & DC. Also, Whoopi Goldberg’s love life and Billy Connolly as Dr. Who.
Dixon is a master world builder and wrote a multitude of mainly Batman related titles in the ’90s and early 2000s. He expanded the lives of Tim Drake and Dick Grayson, co-created Bane and made an all-female series a huge success in Birds of Prey.
69 mins. We thought we’d turn back the clock to the some old debuts from DC Comics and compare them to the current blast of new series premieres, and discuss the trouble of new superhero concepts and the business of such. Also, Beauty and the Geek, Family Matters and Bruce Willis.
70 mins. Prepare for our mammoth manga episode filled with more astounding examples of Eastern comics that you can shake a katana at! Mladen teaches Kris all about manga and how it relates to, and differs from, superhero comics, plus lots, lots more. Also, naked pirates and 40 year old teenagers.
Vagabond, Lone Wolf and Cub & Path of the Assassin, Motofumi Kobayashi’s war comics, Joan of Arc by Yoshikazu Yasuhiko
Everyday topics:
Real, Prince of Tennis, Firefighter, Initial D, Oishinbo, Yakitate, Iron Wok Jan
Literary and Oddball comics:
New Engineering (Yuichi Yokoyama), The Drifting Life, The Push Man, Bury the Old in Tokyo (Yoshihiro Tatsumi), Human Clock (Tokunan Seiichiro), Tekkonkinkreet, Paranoia Star (Maruo Suehiro), Red Colored Elegy, Me and the Devil Blues
(bonus: Ooku, Sexy Voice and Robo, GoGo Monster, Gon, The Drifting Classroom)
This week Mladen and I had the honour of joining the hilarious C-List podcast to yak about a cavalcade of comics characters most people haven’t heard of. The C-List is hosted by Luke (who joined Mladen on the recent ES Star Wars episode) and Mike and, as the name suggests, puts the spotlight on background characters from well known movies.
It was a blast as the four of us made fun of some truly whacky superheroes and villains. Be warned that there’s more language than our usual ES shows though.
comicbookjesus 