Episode 19 - Super Special Edition Thanksgiving Extravaganza

Comics Therapy. No Reviews. Just Analysis.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone. We took Thursday off. Hope you did, too.

Two comics from November 27, 2013. Plus Nerd Confessions (Starring all of you! Giving thanks! So much love!) and another special edition of Grief Counseling. You're welcome.
On The Couch this week: writers Adam P. Knave and D.J. Kirkbride.

Show Notes:
Theme of the show is the only thing it could be. It's time to get thankful about comics, kids. Andrea and Aaron each picked a book from this week to talk about what they love about the medium and its impact on their lives. Andrea is thankful for Hawkeye and Aaron is thankful for The Maxx. He is also thankful for Grief Counseling, and admit it - so are you.

Hawkeye #14 20:05
Andrea chose Hawkguy to give thanks for not only because of her deep love of all things Clint Barton, but also because this series has evolved into something more, something that looks at how we remake ourselves into what we've always been capable of being...hopefully while still staying in continuity.

The Maxx Maximized #1 31:17
Aaron picked The Maxx because as an awkward teenager it was one of his favorites, actually changing his perception of all comics. How does he feel about the remastered series as an awkward adult?

Grief Counseling - The Walking Dead Vol. 10: What We Become #55-60 39:17
Give thanks: Andrea read another volume of The Walking Dead. Just don't get used to it. And Andrea? Don't get complacent.

The Couch - Adam P. Knave and D.J. Kirkbride 51:40
Adam P. Knave and D.J. Kirkbride are Eisner-award winning editors (for Image Comics' PopGun) and the writers behind Amelia Cole, published digitally by Monkeybrain Comics and in trade by IDW, and the new mini-series Never Ending, published by Dark Horse Comics.

Adam is also the co-writer of Artful Daggers, and a considerable music fiend. He chose the intro and outro for this week's theme, being thankful.


This week's intro Is Flogging Molly - If I Ever Leave This World Alive:



This week's outro Yoko Kanno - Gotta Knock a Little Harder:



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Episode 18 - Keep Your Enemies Close

Comics Therapy. No Reviews, Just Analysis.

Three comics from November 20, 2013. Plus your Nerd Confessions (sharing some of your favorite villains) and Aaron's Inner Child.

On The Couch this week: illustrator and letterer extraordinaire Clayton Cowles.

Show Notes:

Theme of the show is keep your enemies close. Whether they’re fighting you tooth and nail out in the open, plotting against you in another dimension or really just all in your head, it’s important to stop and take stock of exactly what you’re up against.

Animal Man #25 19:00
From the sick facade of Hollywood to the far depths of The Red, Buddy Baker's world is under attack from all sides.

Avengers AI #6 29:10
Hank Pym: A Boy And His Bots. Or, what may possibly be the most heartfelt look at the self-loathing compulsion of mental illness in the Marvel universe.

Zero #3 37:05
Edward Zero is a highly trained agent, a spy and killer of the utmost efficiency. His sentimentality may prove to be his downfall, or it may lead him to the bottom of the increasingly complex conspiracy he's stepped into.

The Couch - Clayton Cowles 46:35

Everyone listening has read a comic that Clayton Cowles has worked on; in fact, you probably have several in your stack this week alone, including two of the three above. Clayton is currently lettering Pretty Deadly, Zero and Three for Image Comics and Fantastic Four, Young Avengers, Uncanny Avengers and the upcoming Black Widow and Loki solo books for Marvel, among others. He's also a huge music geek, and shared some of his favorites with us:

Blur (self titled)

Cocteau Twins: Blue Bell Knoll

Frankie Rose

Battlestar Galactica soundtrack

The Adventures of Pete & Pete soundtrack

Massive Attack: Mezzanine

Clayton also chose the intro and outro music for this week's show. He was given the theme, keep your enemies close, and the titles we'd be discussing. He picked the following two songs:

This week's intro is Pale Saints: You Tear the World In Two:



This week's outro is The Like: Narcissus In A Red Dress:

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Episode 17 - The Kids Are Alright

Comics Therapy. No Reviews, Just Analysis.

Three comics from November 13, 2013. Plus your Nerd Confessions (starring your adorable kids) and Aaron's Inner Child.
On The Couch this week: artist and writer Howard Chaykin.

Show Notes:
Theme of the show is adolescents in turmoil. Young protagonists in traditionally adult situations can make for some interesting conflict. And so can familiar characters made accessible for younger readers.

Li'l Gotham #8 11:55
In the "stages of all-ages", these approachable stories and pretty pictures are the Aesop's Fables of the DC Universe.

Rocket Girl #2 20:05
Man, teenagers can be so hot-headed and impulsive, especially with a rocket strapped to their backs.

Bandette Vol 1: Presto! 25:30
This Eisner-award winning tale of a teenage bandit is the darling of the industry, but why? Bandette has us all wrapped around her little finger, and we love everything about it.

The Couch - Howard Chaykin 34:50
A living legend, Howard has been a celebrated artist and writer in comics for the past forty years. He is currently drawing Satellite Sam with writer Matt Fraction and writing and drawing Buck Rogers for Hermes Press. He’s drawn and written countless books for both Marvel and DC, but was also one of the first to publish commercially successful creator-owned work like his American Flagg! Howard is known for his controversial and boundary-pushing series Black Kiss published by Vortex Comics in 1988 and the follow up sequel put out by Image Comics last year. 

This week's intro is:



This week's outro is:


Listen To The Show:




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Episode 16 - Do You Ever Think What Life Would Be After You Die?

Comics Therapy. No Reviews. Just Analysis.

Three comics from November 6, 2013. Plus your Nerd Confessions and Aaron's Inner Child.
On The Couch this week: artist and writer Becky Cloonan.

Show Notes:
Theme of the show is what happens when we die. Make no bones about it, mortality sucks. No matter where, or when, you are.

Ghosted #5 14:45
Mansion, check. Possession, check. Occult artifacts, check. Gateway to hell, check. Yeah, this is a pretty traditional haunting, starring a con man with a slightly different plan about how to spend the rest of his second chance at life.

Ten Grand #5 22:09
It's love story, okay? But he wasn't a very nice man and she's dead, and these things never really work out anyway, do they?

Trillium #4 29:28
The end of everything. Well, not everything. Just humanity. But we're selfish like that.

The Couch - Becky Cloonan 37:50
Becky is known for her self-published work, like The Mire, for which she took home an Eisner this year for Best Single Issue or One-Shot, as well as Wolves and Demeter, all of which are available via Comixology. She’s also worked on well-known titles for Vertigo, Dark Horse, Image and Marvel, and was the first woman to draw DC’s main Batman title last year. She’s currently drawing The True Lives of The Fabulous Killjoys, which we talked about back in Episode 4.

Becky recommends the following from her pull list:

Emily Carroll (web)
Hellboy
BPRD
Young Avengers
X-Men
Batman
Richard Corben (Poe)
Nathan Fox (Dogs of War)

And here's a link to Becky's short story, The Months That Followed.

This weeks intro is:



This week's outro is:



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