I've been trying to get David Walker (Bitter Root, Big Jim and the White Boy, Naomi, Badazz Mofo) on this podcast every season! Well, it finally happened. I never would have guessed that he'd pick Doug Moench and Paul Gulacy's Master of Kung Fu, but only cause I didn't know anything about those comics. Having read them now, it's not at all surprising. More James Bond than Enter the Dragon, these 70's Marvel hidden gems hold their own unique place in comics history, not unlike David himself. Here's a link to The Runs Comics Podcast on iTunes. And here's the link to the show on Spotify. Be sure to subscribe, rate and review! And here's a link if you'd like the stream the episode.
Comics superstar Matt Bors (The Nib, The Toxic Avenger) returns to the show to discuss a different run: Grant Morrison's New X-Men. There's lots to discuss here about how this compares to other runs of X-men, what it means to be a mutant, how the run holds up and, most importantly, how to pronounce "Quitely." Here's a link to The Runs Comics Podcast on iTunes. And here's the link to the show on Spotify. Be sure to subscribe, rate and review! And here's a link if you'd like the stream the episode.
Jason Levian, owner/curator of Floating World Comics, one of the greatest comic book stores in the history of the universe, returns to the podcast to continue our discussion of Jack Kirby's Fourth World, one of the most brilliant and bizarre comics epics in the history of the universe. Does it make more sense the more you read it? Does it matter? Here's a link to The Runs Comics Podcast on iTunes. And here's the link to the show on Spotify. Be sure to subscribe, rate and review! And here's a link if you'd like the stream the episode.
My Mom always read comics. For about as long as I can remember, Alison Bechdel's Dykes to Watch Out For collections were in our house. As I've been talking with folks about runs of comics, I thought it might be interesting to have my mom on the show to talk about Dykes to Watch Out For comics and how they've impacted both of our lives. Here's a link to The Runs Comics Podcast on iTunes. And here's the link to the show on Spotify. Be sure to subscribe, rate and review! And here's a link if you'd like the stream the episode.
R Crumb founded Zap comix in 1968 and it went on to inspire generations of cartoonists. Among them is the great Bob Fingerman (Minimum Wage, Printopia), who comes by to talk about the series and how it's impacted him and cartoonists that came before and after him. Here's a link to The Runs Comics Podcast on iTunes. And here's the link to the show on Spotify. Be sure to subscribe, rate and review! And here's a link if you'd like the stream the episode.
One of comics greatest historians, Douglas Wolk, comes by to discuss an Alan Moore deep-cut. This run is a buried treasure from 2000 AD, featuring a creative powerhouse pair in their early days. I for one was very interested to hear what Douglas Wolk had to say about it, and to read it for the first time myself. Here's a link to The Runs Comics Podcast on iTunes. And here's the link to the show on Spotify. Be sure to subscribe, rate and review! And here's a link if you'd like the stream the episode.
Break out your pee jar, because this is a long one. Superstar cartoonist Keith Knight (the K Chronicles, Woke) comes by to talk about the first 6 issues of Joe Matt's Peepshow. Lots of discussion about jerking off, being cheap, and for some reason, The Wire. Here's a link to The Runs Comics Podcast on iTunes. And here's the link to the show on Spotify. Be sure to subscribe, rate and review! And here's a link if you'd like the stream the episode.
Poet, educator, and the show runner of the Ironheart TV series, Chinaka Hodge, comes by to talk about Eve Ewing's initial run of Ironheart comics. How do comics relate to TV? How did the comics influence the show? When do you know you've made it? And was I cool in high school? All will be discussed this episode. Here's a link to The Runs Comics Podcast on iTunes. And here's the link to the show on Spotify. Be sure to subscribe, rate and review! And here's a link if you'd like the stream the episode.
Season 3 begins with the continuation on my discussion of John Byrne's Fantastic Four run with my ol' buddy Alex Robinson. Take a long trip with us the Negative Zone. Why? Well, it's not really clear, honestly... But anyway, we had a real good time discussing this classic FF run and I sure hope you enjoy listening to it! Here's a link to The Runs Comics Podcast on iTunes. And here's the link to the show on Spotify. Be sure to subscribe, rate and review! And here's a link if you'd like the stream the episode.
Hello, it's been a while! Season 3 is finally here! Here's a brief introductory how-do-you-do, heads up episode! I think this Season is going to be a really good one, and hopefully worth the wait! Let's take a few minutes to catch up and prepare ourselves for weekly episodes again! Can't wait to share these discussions with y'all! Here's a link to The Runs Comics Podcast on iTunes. And here's the link to the show on Spotify. Be sure to subscribe, rate and review! And here's a link if you'd like the stream the episode.
The Runs Podcast Season 2 Finale! We're closing out strong, with another deep dive into Peter Bagge's Indy comics canonical series, Hate, with Whit Taylor (Fizzle, Dead Air, The Nib), who is one of my very favorite people to dish comics with. We get into the nuts and bolts of this series, which really arrives at its fully-formed self in these issues. Great character development, compelling stories, and unique and expertly crafted cartooning is present in each issue. We also discuss some of the aspects of the series that are more difficult to talk about, as what was controversial in the 90's may be unacceptable for some audiences today. Does it hold up? Listen and find out! Thanks so much to everyone who listened to this season! Drop me a line if you want me to do another one. Here's a link to The Runs Comics Podcast on iTunes. And here's the link to the show on Spotify. Be sure to subscribe, rate and review! And here's a link if you'd like the stream the episode.
Nth Man: The Ultimate Ninja is a series that I never gave a chance as a kid, and it would have stayed that way if Zack Soto (The Secret Voice, Power Button. Study Group) hadn't chosen it for this episode. This series is an early 90's deep cut, featuring World War 3, a Stevan Seagal-esque American Ninja, and some rather overt parallels to Akira. Was I pleasantly surprised, or is this another episode where I complain about the run the entire time? Either way, Soto declares this to be Larry Hama's masterpiece, and this episode could be the start of an online campaign to finally have this series collected in a nicely bound book. You heard it here first! Here's a link to The Runs Comics Podcast on iTunes. And here's the link to the show on Spotify. Be sure to subscribe, rate and review! And here's a link if you'd like the stream the episode.
This episode isn't sponsored by Hot Topic, but it might as well be. Brilliant cartoonist Julia Gfrörer (Laid Waste, Black is the Color) comes by to talk about a formative run for her, Jhonon Vasquez's tremendously popular goth comic, Squee. If you don't like the episodes where I talk about how crappy I think the run is, you should probably skip this one. Otherwise, put on your Jnco pants, crank up some Rasputina, and indulge in this gleefully sullen episode. Here's a link to The Runs Comics Podcast on iTunes. And here's the link to the show on Spotify. Be sure to subscribe, rate and review! And here's a link if you'd like the stream the episode.
It was not my intention for this podcast to be so focused on 70's Kirby, but I can't say I mind it, either. Jason Levian, owner of Floating World Comics, sits down with me to talk about the first few issues of each of the four series that form the Fourth World, an ahead-of-it-time epic by one of comics all-time great storytellers. It exists at the epicenter of genius and madness, and you'll love hearing Jason's take on it. Here's a link to The Runs Comics Podcast on iTunes. And here's the link to the show on Spotify. Be sure to subscribe, rate and review! And here's a link if you'd like the stream the episode.
I met Ben Dewey (Autumnlands, Beasts of Burden, Namor, Vampirella, The Tragedy Series, etc. etc.) about 20 years ago when we worked together on a Roller Derby comic. He's been one of those guys in comics that I'm always happy to chat with when I get a chance ever since. He picked Dan Slott and Mike Allred's Silver Surfer run to discuss. Mike Allred is one of the greats and Dan Slott... well, he's fine, too. Find out why Ben picked this run, and hear him compare drawing comics to being a musician in more ways than one. Here's a link to The Runs Comics Podcast on iTunes. And here's the link to the show on Spotify. Be sure to subscribe, rate and review! And here's a link if you'd like the stream the episode.
Mark Ginocchio, co-host of the Amazing Spider-Talk Podcast, comes by this week to talk about... Spider-Man. But not just any Spider-Man! This is one of the most divisive runs in Spider-Man History, as evidenced by Mark declaring that it's the run that made him a Spider-Man lifer and me dumping all over it. In a very unintuitive-for-the-internet approach, things never get heated, we just each present our opposing point of views of praise and scorn for this love-it-or-hate it run. I will, however, apologize in advance to all of Mark's regular listeners for being such a negative Nancy. Here's a link to The Runs Comics Podcast on iTunes. And here's the link to the show on Spotify. Be sure to subscribe, rate and review! And here's a link if you'd like the stream the episode.
This week's guest is comics educator Ronell Whitaker, who chose Icon as the run to discuss. Icon was the flagship title of the Milestone line, which may have been the only new comics universe worth following of all the many that launched in the early 90's. Ronell is the first guest that I'd never spoken with before recording but I found him to be very interesting and easy to talk to. I'm really glad he proposed that we read this series because it's definitely a hidden gem of the 90's and there are lots of interesting elements within it to get into. Just as a tip of the iceberg, it may be the only superhero comic in which one of the main heroes is shown buying a home pregnancy test. Here's a link to The Runs Comics Podcast on iTunes. And here's the link to the show on Spotify. Be sure to subscribe, rate and review! And here's a link if you'd like the stream the episode.
This week's guest recently won the DuPont Columbia University Award for audio and visual journalism for his podcast, Mother Country Radicals, and now he's here to talk with me about The Mutant Massacre. Zayd Dohrn is an accomplishment playwright, film and tv writer, and a low key comic book nerd. This episode marks the first time that a crossover event is discussed instead of a single title. Find out why The Mutant Massacre had such an impact on Zayd in his youth and hear my spiel about why crossover events ruined mainstream comics. All this, plus an issue of Ann Nocenti's Daredevil! Here's a link to The Runs Comics Podcast on iTunes. And here's the link to the show on Spotify. Be sure to subscribe, rate and review! And here's a link if you'd like the stream the episode.
Up-and-coming comics superstar Xena Lopez comes on the show this week to talk about a series I'd never heard of, Pink by Kyoko Okazaki. We talk about manga, memoir, sex work and working at the library. Here's a link to The Runs Comics Podcast on iTunes. And here's the link to the show on Spotify. Be sure to subscribe, rate and review! And here's a link if you'd like the stream the episode.
One of the greatest living cartoonists, Peter Bagge (Hate, Yeah!, Weirdo) comes on the show this week to talk about an early run by another one of the greatest living cartoonists, Dan Clowes. This is one of those episodes where I couldn't really believe that I got to have this conversation. Listen in to learn how one all-time-great cartoonist's work inspired another all-time-great cartoonist. Plus, some stuff about what it's like to teach college students these days. And a really exciting update about Hate comics!!! Here's a link to The Runs Comics Podcast on iTunes. And here's the link to the show on Spotify. Be sure to subscribe, rate and review! And here's a link if you'd like the stream the episode.