Episode 63 - Set The Tone

Comics Therapy. No Reviews. Just Analysis.

Two comics from October 22, 2014. Plus a Second Opinion, featuring questions answered by a different listener each week, with Jason Sacks.

On The Couch: artist Jim Rugg.

Show Notes:

It’s still October, kids, and we’re still reading scary books. Because when Andrea hits on a theme, she likes to really drive it into the ground, killing it slowly until its rotting, festering remains poison the water supply, causing pestilence and death for miles around. At least for the next two weeks, anyway. Today’s theme is about setting the tone. We’re looking at two first issues of new horror series, and how they establish the look and fear of what is to come.

Colder #1 19:50
A new volume begins. How does it pull new readers in while living up to the expectations of fans of the first series? With a cool glass of milk. Gross.

Goners #1 32:05
A brand new story. How does it introduce (and kill off) characters while raising the stakes with an appropriate creep factor? With the undead. And conspiracies.

The Couch - Jim Rugg 42:05

Back in episode 53, we talked about Jim’s comic Street Angel, published by SLG originally, re-released digitally by MonkeyBrain Comics, and beautifully packaged in a newish hardcover by AdHouse. He’s also the co-creator of the Ignataz-award winning Rambo 3.5 and Afrodisiac. He drew The Guild, written by Felicia Day and published by Dark Horse Comics, and pages for Joe Casey’s new Captain Victory series which we’ve also talked about, published by Dynamite.

Jim recommended Jane, The Fox and Me, written by Fanny Britt with art by Isabelle Arsenault.

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This Weeks Intro: Nate James - Set The Tone:


This Weeks Outro: Blind Melon - Tones of Home:

Episode 62 - Slow Burn

Comics Therapy. No Reviews. Just Analysis.

Two comics from October 15, 2014. Plus a Second Opinion, featuring questions answered by a different listener each week, with Sam Marx.

(Looking for the NYCC album? It'll be up later tonight.)

Show Notes:

It's October, and we're in the mood for some good horror comics. This week’s theme is the slow burn, as applied to those frightening situations that tease and entice us, revealing just enough to keep us interested. These two comics play to and distort our need to have all of the questions answered as soon as possible. And when they don’t, it often makes things even scarier.

Trees #6 32:45

The creepiest premise. More questions than answers. And the sensation that when things finally start happening, they'll probably not go well for anyone.

Veil #5 46:40

An end that feels more like a beginning.

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This Weeks Intro: David Bowie - Slow Burn:


This Weeks Outro: Selena Gomez - Slow Down:

Episode 61.1 - I Want To Be A Part Of It (&Not Podcast)

Comics Therapy. No Reviews. Just Analysis.

No show this week! Andrea decided that she just wanted to be on vacation and not podcast. Its all her fault. Next week will be our best show yet, we guarantee it. 

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This Weeks Intro: Frank Sinatra - New York, New York:


This Weeks Outro: Frank Sinatra - Come Fly With Me:

Episode 61 - Die For The Government

Comics Therapy. No Reviews. Just Analysis.

Two comics from October 1, 2014. Plus a Second Opinion, featuring questions answered by a different listener each week, with Carl Smith. Carl's Kickstarter for The Horror at Loon Lake is going on now!

On The Couch: artist Annie Wu.

Show Notes:

This week, we’re looking at anti-heroes, but cut from a very specific cloth. Say you are a former sidekick. You used to pal around with a pretty serious hero-type. Captain America, say. Or Batman. Strong moral integrity, clear cut sense of right and wrong. Willing to go to extremes to help the little guy. So what happens when you stop being a sidekick? When you get to decide the hero you want to be, instead of standing in the shadows of another. What traits would you emulate? How much of your former role model would you use to define yourself? We’re looking at two books this week whose characters are definitely not sidekicks, and haven’t been for awhile. These men have broken away from their former identities, though those experiences still inform the kind of hero they are today. The assassin. And the spy.

Bucky Barnes: The Winter Soldier #1 11:00

This is the assassin. You knew that. He's hanging out with Daisy Johnson. You may have known that. She is not his sidekick. Now you know that. And he's definitely not a traditional hero.

Grayson #3 22:15

This is the spy. Did you know that? He used to be Batman's sidekick. You probably knew that. He may still be. Does he know that? He's not a traditional hero, either.

The Couch - Annie Wu 32:47

Most of you will know Annie as the artist behind Kate Bishop’s adventures in Los Angeles in Matt Fraction and David Aja’s Hawkeye. She also co-created the new Batgirl in Batman Beyond with writer Scott Peterson. Annie is a storyboard artist for The Venture Brothers on Adult Swim, and straight up one of the funniest people on the internet.

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This Weeks Intro: Anti-Flag - Die For Your Government:


This Weeks Outro: DEVO - Secret Agent Man: