In This Issue...

SEASON TWO IS HERE! Join host Zack Soto—cartoonist, editor and bin crawler—for In This Issue… a podcast about formative comics reading experiences, with a focus on the single issue format. Every episode finds Zack and a special guest doing a close reading of a comic book (not a graphic novel!) and havin’ a lively chat about it. THE ISSUE: The Sandman #8 by Neil Gaiman. Mike Dringenberg, Malcom Jones III, Robbie Busch, and Todd Klein.  THE GUEST: Bess Pallares, Senior Editrix at oni press. We used to work together and now we don't! We talk about editorial vision, Karen Berger, early Vertigo, storytelling via color, and digital "restoration" of work that (spoiler alert) maybe misses the mark a bit.  FYI SECTION: Season Two has a Patreon…sorta—I mean, I have a patreon. One of the benefits of subscribing at the $3 level is you’ll get episodes of In This Issue… a week early! 📣There's a chunk of this episode about Bess' path to glory (editorially) that's only available to subscribers. 🎷Next episode is Sammy Harkham on Peepshow #4—so if you want to hear it a whole week before the main feed—head over to the Patreon! NEW BOOK ALERT!!  Power Button Vol 1: The First Invasion is OUT NOW! I'm very very proud of this book I made with my buddy Jason Fischer-Kouhi, and it's out in the world now. I hope you like it!!  PS: Check out this interview about Power Button on the Lerner Blog, and this AMAZING video review of PBV1 by cartoonist and animator Tim Sievert!

SEASON TWO IS HERE! Join host Zack Soto—cartoonist, editor and bin crawler—for In This Issue… a podcast about formative comics reading experiences, with a focus on the single issue format. Every episode finds Zack and a special guest doing a close reading of a comic book (not a graphic novel!) and havin’ a lively chat about it.   THE ISSUE: The Flaming Carrot #25 by Bob Burden, Roxanne Starr, Joe Pruett & Dave Newton (1991) THE GUEST: Derek M. Ballard and Zack reminisce about the olden days of the (gasp!) 90's (AGAIN?) both personal and absurd, with this crossover between the absurdly popular TMNT & Bob Burden's absurdist icon The Flaming Carrot! ALSO: Season Two has a Patreon…sorta—I mean, I have a patreon. One of the benefits of subscribing at the $3 level is you’ll get episodes of In This Issue… a week early! Episode Three is on Sandman #8 with Bess Palleres, and it's a great chat—so if you want to hear it this week, head over to the Patreon! Plus I’m posting lots of art and #wip shots of the next Power Button volume, AND starting this week (oh word?!) : new updates of THE SECRET VOICE! 

"TEASER!!? WHUT THA HAIL" I can hear you cry. Yes, that's right—I'm trying something new. I mean, I quit my job "to be an artist" and all that, but the world being what it is, I gotta try and monetize this stuff somehow! SUBSCRIBERS get episodes one week early, over at patreon.com/zacksoto. Anyway, here's a teaser of the chat to tide you over, but if you don't want to wait till next week for the full episode you can head over to my patreon. Thanks! 

SEASON TWO IS HERE! Join host Zack Soto—cartoonist, editor and bin crawler—for In This Issue… a podcast about formative comics reading experiences, with a focus on the single issue format. Every episode finds Zack and a special guest doing a close reading of a comic book (not a graphic novel!) and havin’ a lively chat about it.   THE ISSUE:  DRAGON CHIANG by Tim Truman & Tim Bradstreet, Eclipse Comics (1991) THE GUEST: François Vigneault stops by to launch the new season, this time with a comic that Zack has picked! We talk about The Tims Truman & Bradstreet, collaborating here, as well as their subtle but surprisingly outsized impact on popular culture, attempts to break into new markets abroad, and musical taste. We have a lot of fun with this hard-rockin "commie truck driving comic".  Bonus: François made a spotify playlist of all the (many, many) musical references Tim Truman peppered throughout the issue and accompanying editorial text.   ALSO: Season Two has a Patreon...sorta—I mean, I have a patreon. One of the benefits of subscribing at the $3 level is you'll get episodes of In This Issue... a week early! Plus I'm posting lots of art and #wip shots of the next Power Button volume, AND starting next week: new updates of THE SECRET VOICE! PS: if you're at Short Run Seattle this weekend stop by table K64 and grab a copy of Power Button Volume 1, which I'll be debuting at the show. 

"TEASER!!? WHUT THA HAIL" I can hear you cry. Yes, that's right—I'm trying something new. I mean, I quit my job "to be an artist" and all that, but the world being what it is, I gotta try and monetize this stuff somehow! SUBSCRIBERS get episodes one week early, over at patreon.com/zacksoto. Anyway, here's 6 minutes of the chat to tide you over, but if you don't want to wait till next week for the full episode you can head over to my patreon. Thanks! 

Join host Zack Soto—cartoonist, editor and bin crawler—for In This Issue... a podcast about formative comics reading experiences, with a focus on the single issue format. Every episode finds Zack and a special guest doing a close reading of a comic book (not a graphic novel!) and havin' a lively chat about it. THE ISSUE: Teenagers From Mars #1 By Rick Spears and Rob G  Published 2001 by Rick Spears and Rob G THE GUEST: Dave Baker  It's a New Year, and a new In This Issue...! Dave Baker (Halloween Boy, Everyone Is Tulip) joins us to talk about the turn of the 21st century and one of his biggest influences from that time: Teenagers From Mars #1, by Rick Spears and Rob G.  Tune in next time for another close read with In This Issue...

Join host Zack Soto—cartoonist, editor and bin crawler—for In This Issue… a podcast about formative comics reading experiences, with a focus on the single issue format. Every episode finds Zack and a special guest doing a close reading of a comic book (not a graphic novel!) and havin’ a lively chat about it. THE ISSUE: Justice League Of America #254 By Gerry Conway, Luke McDonnell, Bill Wray, Gene D’Angelo & Albert DeGuzman Published 1986 by DC Comics THE GUEST: Tucker Stone It’s been a burly couple of months IRL but here at In This Issue… Tucker Stone (of Comic Books Are Burning In Hell, TCJ, & Toon Books fame) and I are celebrating the end of the hard times by talking about one of the HARDEST Batman moments of all time: Justice League Of America #254.  Tune in next time for another close read with In This Issue…  

THE ISSUE: Dirty Plotte #9 (aka Purty Plotte #9 aka New York Diary chapter 1) By Julie Doucet Published 1995 Drawn & Quarterly Jenn Woodall (Space Trash, Magical Beatdown) joins In This Issue... to discuss the ninth issue of Julie Doucet's seminal alt-comic comic series Dirty Plotte.  Lots of talk about art school, bad romances, skeezy dudes, illustration rates, zine aesthetics, collage, graffiti and more! Tune in next time for another close read with In This Issue...

THE ISSUE: Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind #1 By Hayao Miyazaki, Tom Orzechowski, Dana Lewis & Toren Smith Published 1989 by Viz Comics THE GUEST: Adam DeSouza Adam (Ish, A Gleaming) joins In This Issue... to discuss the first issue of animation legend Hayao Miyazaki's main contribution to comics, Nausicaa Of The Valley Of The Wind—specifically the 1988 first issue, which was released in what we might call "Prestige Format" (please excuse me while I tie an onion to my belt). Lots and lots of hot takes about Miyazaki in general and Nausicaa in particular in this extra-long episode, as we're both huge fans of this work and find it impossible not to wax rhapsodic over it. We do hope you'll excuse our enthusiasm! Tune in next time for another close read with In This Issue...

THE ISSUE: Hard Boiled #2 By Frank Miller, Geof Darrow, Claude Legris & John Workman  Published 1990 by Dark Horse Comics THE GUEST: Ian Densford Ian Densford (Trench Dogs, Soggy Landing) joins In This Issue... to discuss the second issue of the satirical maximalist epic Hard Boiled, which as a series arguably paved the way for a ton of vibes-and-ultraviolence-driven comics made since. Tune in next time for another close read with In This Issue...!

THE ISSUE: Marvel Comics Presents #100 By Howard Mackie, Sam Kieth, Glynis Oliver & Janice Chiang Published 1992 by Marvel Comics THE GUEST: Ian MacEwan Ian MacEwan (Roofstompers, MCMLXXV) joins In This Issue… to discuss the 100th issue of Marvel Comics Presents, which is essentially an early Sam Kieth showcase, as he draws the whole issue of what’s normally an anthology title. Tune in next time for another close read with In This Issue…!

THE ISSUE: ACME Novelty Library #8 Written, illustrated, & lettered by Chris Ware Published 1997, Fantagraphics Books, Inc. THE GUEST: Austin English Domino Comics impresario Austin English joins In This Issue… to discuss our first experiences with the Chris Ware comic ACME Novelty Library #8. (We also briefly discuss the legacy of the Vertigo Comics release Dhampire: Stillborn (1997) by Nancy A. Collins & Paul Lee) _

THE ISSUE: SCUD: The Disposable Assassin #17 Written by Dan Harmon illustrated & lettered by Rob Schrab Published 1997, Fireman Press, Ltd. THE GUEST: Zac Gorman Zac Gorman (Magical Game Time, Costume Quest) joins In This Issue… to discuss the Rob Schrab/Dan Harmon comic SCUD: The Disposable Assassin #17. Tune in next time for another close read with In This Issue…!

THE ISSUE: Heavy Metal Magazine V17 #4 By Paolo Eleuteri Serpieri and Various   Published 1992 by Metal Mammoth, Inc. THE GUEST: David King (website/insta/twitter) David King (Crime World, Loud House) joins In This Issue... to discuss the November 1992 issue of Heavy Metal Magazine in this double sized episode. We're focused on the central piece of the issue (Serpieri's Morbus Gravis: Creatura) but we talk a LOT about the other stories and the general publishing landscape of the time, as filtered through the masthead and included advertising. Tune in next time for another close read with In This Issue...!

THE ISSUE: Black Hole #1 Written, illustrated, & lettered by Charles Burns Published 1995, Kitchen Sink Press THE GUEST: François Vigneault We kick things off on In This Issue... talking about our first experiences with Charles Burns' work, including a discussion of the short story where Burns first explored some of the ideas he'd later come back to in Black Hole—"Teen Plague," first published in Raw Vol.2 #1 (1989). From there, we dive into the plot/art/themes/symbolism/production design of Black Hole #1. A good time!