Episode 23 - Introspective Year In Review

Comics Therapy. No Reviews. Just Analysis.

We’re taking a look back at 2013 our own way, introspectively. Plus your Nerd Confessions (major comics moments from the past year).
On The Couch this week: Eisner-award winning writer and artist team Paul Tobin and Colleen Coover.

Show Notes:
This week, we present our Introspective Year in Review, a special segment where we're only considering what the year's comics mean to us. You know, feelings. It's not about rankings, or lists of best of anything. It's about the moments throughout the year that really impacted us individually as readers. Aaron and Andrea each picked a couple themes and the specific comics in 2013 that made them think about...stuff. It was an intensely personal exercise, but we promise not to get too heavy. Plus, everyone's been drinking. It's gonna be fine.

Andrea - Mortality 15:25
The Massive
The Walking Dead
Animal Man
Numbercruncher
The Dream Merchant
The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys

Aaron - Lineage 25:37
Sheltered
Lazarus

Andrea - Gender Roles in Comics 33:10
Red Sonja
FBP
Rachel Rising
Mind the Gap
Captain Marvel

Aaron - Complexity of Universe 44:15
Avengers
New Avengers
Infinity
COPRA
Invincible Universe

The Couch - Paul Tobin and Colleen Coover 56:15

Colleen and Paul are the creators of the Eisner-award winning Bandette, published digitally by MonkeyBrain Comics and in hardcover by Dark Horse. Colleen is an illustrator and a member of Periscope Studio, and before Bandette she was probably best known for her erotic comic Small Favors published by Eros Comix. Paul, also a member of Periscope, has written comics for Dark Horse, including Colder and Plants vs. Zombies, Dynamite, DC and Marvel. His most recent novel, the highly acclaimed Prepare to Die is now available in trade paperback. Colleen and Paul also collaborated on the graphic novel Gingerbread Girl, and have worked on stories together for Marvel Comics as well. Their upcoming Adventure Time arc "Flip Side", published by BOOM! Studios, begins in early 2014.

Paul and Colleen recommend the following comics and graphic novels:

High Crimes
Rat Queens
Corto Maltese

Dupuy and Berberian
Miss Don't Touch Me

This week's intro is Bad Company - Shooting Star:



This week's outro is Elliot Smith - Shooting Star:




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Episode 22 - Escape Into The Dark

Comics Therapy. No Reviews. Just Analysis.

Three comics from December 18, 2013. Plus your Nerd Confessions about endings (character deaths and series finales) and Aaron's Inner Child. Probably.
On The Couch this week: writer Simon Oliver.

Show Notes:
Theme of the show is the final countdown, escaping into the dark, fading to black, leaving on a jet plane, going out in a blaze of glory. You get the idea. It's the end. We're saying goodbye to three comics - two minis and an epic series - that are concluding this week. No crying, just drinking. Well, for Aaron anyway. #slurredcast

Hit #4 18:56
Pulp? Noir? Pulp Noir? 
In which Andrea admits she's not entirely clear on the differences.

Buzzkill #4 29:50
Two truths: Recovering addicts never stop being in recovery. And sometimes heroes lie. 
In which Aaron admits he's not entirely clear on subtlety.

Locke & Key: Alpha #2  38:50
With an impassioned plea, your faithful co-hosts urge you to skip this segment until you've read the complete series. 
In which Andrea and Aaron admit they really love this book.

The Couch - Simon Oliver 47:00
Simon is currently writing Vertigo’s ongoing FBP: Federal Bureau of Physics with artist Robbi Rodriguez. He is the writer of The Exterminators, also published by Vertigo from 2006 to 2008. And he really doesn't like the movie Love Actually.

This week's intro is Europe - The Final Countdown:



This week's outro is Metric - Artificial Nocturne:





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Episode 21 - Hand in Unloveable Hand

Comics Therapy. No Reviews. Just Analysis.

Three comics from December 11, 2013. Plus your Nerd Confessions (featuring your #dealbreaker comics) and Aaron's Inner Child Andrea's Grief Counseling Revenge*. Watch out, Aaron. Schadenfreude is awesome.
On The Couch this week: artist Steve Lieber.

* Rover Red Charlie #1 10:58

Sorry, Aaron. (Not sorry, Aaron.)

Show Notes:
Theme of the show is toxic relationships. We've all had them, the kind of relationship where a little piece of you dies inside every day it continues. Some of us may even be in one currently. It’s not always romantic, mind you. You could have a toxic friend or co-worker or podcast co-host. The problem usually is that it's a lot easier to get over the poison after you've gotten it out of your system, but the path to recovery itself is never fun.

Superman/Wonder Woman #3 18:30
"Hey baby, you're super hot..." Yeah, I got nothing. This one is just as bananas as it sounds.

Coffin Hill #3 27:50
"Hey baby, you sure do put the toxic in intoxicating. Let's go whip up some black magic together." Seriously. And then they have sex.

Alex & Ada #2 36:20
"Hey baby. You're so incredible it's inhuman." Get it? Because she's an android. <face palm>

The Couch - Steve Lieber 45:35
Steve Lieber is an artist and a founding member of Periscope Studio, the largest studio of freelance comic book illustrators and storybook artists in North America. He is currently drawing Superior Foes of Spider-Man for Marvel Comics, and was nominated for an Eisner for his limited series Whiteout, written by Greg Rucka, the sequel to which won an Eisner for Best Limited Series in 2000. Periscope Studio has launched a Kickstarter campaign to support the upcoming art book publications entitled Maiden Voyage.

This week's intro is The Mountain Goats - No Children:



This week's outro is Britney Spears - Toxic:



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Episode 20 - Do It Like A Dude

Comics Therapy. No Reviews. Just Analysis.

Three comics from December 4, 2013. Plus your very own Nerd Confessions featuring your favorite female comics characters. And as always Aaron's (Irreverent) Inner Child.
On The Couch this week: writer Alex de Campi.

Show Notes:
Theme of the show is money, power, women. Or is it money, power, women? We're a little unclear as to which comes first in the order of acquisition, but everyone agrees that all three are desirable, right? And potentially deadly.

Six Gun Gorilla #6 14:00
Power.

Quantum and Woody #6 24:30
Money.

Velvet #2 35:00
Women.

The Couch - Alex de Campi 44:50
Alex de Campi is a writer and director, known best for her Eisner-nominated series Smoke and the 2011 followup Ashes. She is currently writing Grindhouse for Dark Horse and her comic Valentine is now published digitally on every Wednesday on Thrillbent.com.

Alex mentioned A TON of movies, comics and books during our conversation. We've tried to capture as many of them below for your reference.

Cleopatra Jones

John Cassavetes - The Criterion Collection

Takashi Miika

Alex Irvine's The Narrows

Le Samourai

Princeless, published by Action Comics

Tangled

Mark Kermode

Twilight Saga

Beautiful Creatures

Faster, Pussycat

Pinky Violence

Female Convict 701: Scorpion

Lady Snowblood

Adventure of Iron Pussy

Dario Argento

Police Noir (Italian)

Galixina

Barbarella

Brian De Palma

Alfred Hitchcock

Carrie

Quentin Tarantino

Michel Fiffe's COPRA

Colleen Doran's A Distant Soil

Alex also picked the music for the theme power, money, women. She talks about her choices in the interview. They're pretty fantastic.

This week's intro is Jessie J - Do It Like A Dude:

This week's outro is Polly Perkins - Coochy Coo:




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