It’s a lighter look at storytelling as I’m joined by Dave Roman for a friendly debate over which is better–the Harry Potter series, or The Chronicles of Narnia? Throughout the discussion we cover the merits of each property’s storytelling, the difference between writing fantasy and mythology, and the problems with dating your material.

We’re joined at the end by Gale Williams (though I apologize for insisting on calling her by the name “Grace”), who shares her own thoughts on what makes the Harry Potter series so great.

Links mentioned in this episode:

* Gale’s Patbird & Galesaur comic

* Mary GrandPre

* Popcorn movies

* LeakyCon, a Harry Potter convention

* Harry and the Potters

* The Harry Potter Alliance

* We Are Wizards

* Otakon

* Indiebound, the #1 place to get Dave’s Astronaut Academy

* But leave a review for Astronaut Academy on Amazon!

Here’s the video from this episode’s live stream (audio player at the bottom of this post):

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBNvhldeRAA

Tune in next Wednesday live at 12:30 pm Eastern Time on Comicsaregreat.tv!

Audio hosting provided by Ka-Blam Digital Printing. This episode was recorded live at the Ann Arbor District Library.

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It’s a talk about the past and future of comics with Karl Altstaetter! Karl and I start out by talking about comics in the 90s, his work on the Samurai anthology then about his work on the MTV Geek webcomics project and his own contribution, Me2! We then talk a bit about the future of comics and what we see that’s being done right and wrong as we move more and more of our content to mobile devices.

We’re joined at the end by Sharon Iverson of the Ann Arbor District Library, who shares a few book recommendations with us as well as some of the exciting comics events happening at AADL.

Links mentioned in this episode:

* Karl’s interview on MTV.com

* Karl’s Emerald City Blues

* Whamix

* Comixology

* The Adventures of Teddy Ruxpin

* The AADL Summer Game

Book Recommendations:

* Saturn Apartments, Vol. 1

* Brain Camp

* Biomega, Vol. 1

Here’s the video from this episode’s live stream (audio player at the bottom of this post):

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=ytYx-6VEJ9c

Tune in next Wednesday live at 12:30 pm Eastern Time on Comicsaregreat.tv!

Audio hosting provided by Ka-Blam Digital Printing. This episode was recorded live at the Ann Arbor District Library.

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I’m happy to have Paul Storrie return, along with Krishna Sadasivam, for some laughs and bickering! This time we talk about JK Rowling’s Pottermore project and what it means for independent publishing. We then spiral out to discuss how the relationship between author and audience has been changing in the Internet age, and whether that’s a good thing. We’re joined at the end by Eli Neiburger, who offers some more thoughts on how a comics creator has an opportunity to re-think the industry in terms of selling “experiences” over “bits”.

Links mentioned this episode:

* PC Weenies

* Uncubed

* My Boyfriend Is a Monster: Made for Each Other

* Jerzy has Kermit the Frog arms

* Rob Granito

* Dumpster Diving

* The 1000 True Fans concept as proven by They Might Be Giants

* The Paul F.Tompkins 300

* Ruffle Hall

Book recommendations mentioned in this episode:

* Peter Bagge’s Other Lives

Here’s the video from this episode’s live stream (audio player at the bottom of this post):

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4S-sFQfgc0

Tune in next Wednesday live at 12:30 pm Eastern Time on Comicsaregreat.tv!

Audio hosting provided by Ka-Blam Digital Printing. This episode was recorded live at the Ann Arbor District Library.

Follow Jerzy, Paul, Krishna, and Eli on Twitter!

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Facebook, Twitter, and now Google+ are the easy solution to finding success as a cartoonist, right? Just post about your stuff and the audience will come (with money)! We all know it’s not that simple, and I’m grateful to have two super-smart cartoonists on the show to navigate through the confusing labyrinth of choices and practices facing an independent comics creator.

Ryan Estrada creates many comics, the latest of which, Aki Alliance, is available as a free download for your mobile or tablet device!

Janni Ho is a children’s book illustrator and comics creator who recently designed the branding for the Ann Arbor District Library Summer Game!

Together we talk about how marketing/networking is “just talking to dudes”, and what the difference is between a Sales Ninja and a Sales Samurai. Special appearance by Eli Neiburger of the Ann Arbor District Library!

Social media links mentioned in this episode:

* The #kidlitart Twitter discussion group

* Tim Street

* Krishna Sadasivam

* Dani Jones

Here’s the video from this episode’s live stream (audio player at the bottom of this post):

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=iqh1xbemXVE

Tune in next Wednesday live at 12:30 pm Eastern Time on Comicsaregreat.tv!

Audio hosting provided by Ka-Blam Digital Printing. This episode was recorded live at the Ann Arbor District Library.

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It’s a high-energy discussion about writing comics this week with guests Dr. Alice Hunt and Paul Storrie. Together we talk about whether or not gender still matters in the comics industry, what we mean when we say “breaking in” to comics, and how there’s no one path to success in the creative arts.

Special appearance at the end by Dave Roman of Astronaut Academy: Zero Gravity!

Links mentioned in this episode:

* My Boyfriend Is a Monster 2: Made for Each Other

* Goodbye Chains

* Venus in Points

* My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

* Detroit Fanfare

* Mid-Ohio Con

And here are this week’s comics picks by the guests:

* Roy Rogers Archives Volume 1

* Mal and Chad: The Biggest, Bestest Time Ever!

* Scratch9, Vol. 1: Pet Project

Here’s the video from this episode’s live stream (audio player at the bottom of this post):

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=3z9ZrVGCbmA

Tune in next Wednesday live at 12:30 pm Eastern Time on Comicsaregreat.tv!

Audio hosting provided by Ka-Blam Digital Printing. This episode was recorded live at the Ann Arbor District Library.

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It’s a discussion on teaching comics this week on Comics Are Great, with special guests Rob Stenzinger and Tom Hart! What’s the big deal with comics education? Why not just pursue a traditional art degree? Does a formal education in comics make a difference in a career? We tackle these topics, as well as some thoughts on digital workflows vs more traditional workflows, before talking about Tom’s new project, the Sequential Artists Workshop, a new school for cartoonists in Florida. You can help make the school a reality by pledging to the SAW Indie Gogo fundraising drive!

Links mentioned in this episode:

* Stephanie Mannheim

* Hutch Owen

* Moe Szyslak

* Art Geek Zoo

* Dennis the Menace

* Jessica Fink

* Tijuana Bibles

* The Minneapolis Indie Expo

And here are this week’s comics picks by the guests:

* PC Weenies

* The Winchcombe

* Smithsonian Collection of Newspaper Comics

* Astronaut Academy: Zero Gravity

Here’s the video from this episode’s live stream (audio player at the bottom of this post):

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=LL87IAd9KsI

Tune in next Wednesday live at 12:30 pm Eastern Time on Comicsaregreat.tv!

Audio hosting provided by Ka-Blam Digital Printing. This episode was recorded live at the Ann Arbor District Library.

Follow Jerzy, Rob, and Tom on Twitter!

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It’s the first episode of the new Comics Are Great! recorded at the Ann Arbor District Library! The show is now recorded live on Wednesdays at 12:30 pm Eastern Time and broadcasted live on Ustream! Join us for our live discussions where you can participate and ask questions of the guests via a live chat client.

When pushing into the choppy waters of live video streaming one might worry about being dashed against the rocks. That’s why I was relieved to have these world-class cartoonists manning the oars with me:

* David Malki !, creator of the Eisner-nominated comic strip Wondermark, and co-editor of the best-selling book Machine of Death

* Dave Roman, creator of  Astronaut Academy and various other titles found at the Comics Bakery

* Raina Telgemeier, creator of the Eisner-nominated Smile and the Baby-Sitters Club graphic novels

Together we talk about some marketing strategies Malki ! and Raina have employed over the past few years, some ideas for coming out of one’s shell in order to sell the work at shows, and why observation and self-assessment are crucial when building a business in the creative arts.

Links mentioned this episode:

* Malki !’s and Kris Straub’s Tweet Me Harder podcast

* Tweet Me Harder: Hey World Here Are Some Suggestions

* Vote for your favorite for the Eisner Awards!

* Lazer Blazer Stickers

* Avatar: The Last Puppetbender

* Dave Roman & Raina Telgemeier’s upcoming appearance at AADL on June 17

* Dave & Raina will be at ALA 2011 in Artist Alley

* Malki ! will be at Heroes Con June 3-5

Book Recommendations:

* Bookhunter, by Jason Shiga

* I Think You’re Sauceome

* Yokaiden

Below is the video for this episode (audio player at the bottom).

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=EbWuHMgq43Y

Tune in next Wednesday live at 12:30 pm Eastern Time on Comicsaregreat.tv!

Audio hosting provided by Ka-Blam Digital Printing. This episode was recorded live at the Ann Arbor District Library.

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Disclaimer on this one: Due to the topic of this discussion, some salty language made it into this episode. It is, as they say, NSFW, and those who are sensitive to coarse language should use discretion before listening.

The roundtable returns for a discussion inspired by some blog posts made recently by John Sanford of the Chippy and Loopus comic. Does using swear words in your comic limit your audience? When is it or isn’t it appropriate to use that kind of language in your story? How does language fit in with the overall storytelling choices facing you when creating a comic? How might you think about managing a career when making “G-rated” comics as well as “Mature” comics?

Lucky for me I’m joined by a smart and funny group of people to help me navigate this dicey topic:

Dave Roman is the author of Astronaut Academy: Zero Gravity, due for release this summer from First Second. Check out his Astronaut Academy trailer on YouTube!

Ryan Estrada is the author of tons of comics found on his RyanEstrada.com website. It’s there you can find out more about his upcoming One Month Animated Feature project.

Brandon Dayton is the author of the acclaimed Green Monk graphic novel. You can see pages from his next volume on his website and read his fascinating thoughts on storytelling and game design on Feature Creeps.

Kasey Van Hise is the author of the fantastic webcomic Winters In Lavelle. She also posts pictures of fat unicorns on her Tumblog.

Dave and Kasey will be at the MoCCA Festival this Saturday, April 9. You can meet Brandon at the Stumptown Comics Fest on April 16 & 17. All three will be at Kids Read Comics this June 17-19!

Lots of links to things mentioned in this episode:

* John Sanford’s blog post about swears in comics

* Kasey Van Hise’s Tumblog

* Dave Roman’s Tumblr

* Ryan Estrada’s Tumblr

* Jerzy’s Tumblr

* (waiting on Brandon to get a Tumblr account)

* Happy Tree Friends

* South Park

* Invincible

* Fish Bones

* Homestuck

* Dead Like Me

*

Whatever its intent, the recent news about Diamond Distribution’s attempt at digital distribution has stirred up a lot of talk about the future of Local Comics Stores (LCS). Digital delivery of comics through services like The Illustrated Section or Comixology has certainly disrupted the business of selling and distributing physical comic books, but does this mean that comics stores are no longer relevant? Is there more to what ails LCS? Can they adapt their business model to become more relevant than ever before?

I’m grateful to be joined by two people who lend a boat-load of insight on the subject:

Eli Neiburger is the Associate Director of IT and Production at the Ann Arbor District Library and author of Gamers… In the Library?!

Barry Gregory is the owner of the Ka-Blam Digital Printing service as well as the IndyPlanet and ComicsMonkey fulfillment and distribution services.

Together we explore how LCS can reach new audiences and find their unique value proposition by partnering with local cartoonists and begin thinking of themselves as much as a content creator as they are a content seller. We use some successful strategies used by libraries as models for consideration.

Some links mentioned in this episode:

* Eli’s “Libraries are Screwed” talk he led at the Library Journal/School Library Journal Online Summit

* Green Brain Comics

* Vault of Midnight

* Wondermark

* Achewood

* Raina Telgemeier

* The Dok Library

* My talk at Ignite Chelsea, The 21st Century Cartoonist

* A blog post I made on the topic of LCS pursuing local talent to create content

We talk a lot about interactive comics events during our discussion, which reminds me to point you at the Kids Read Comics Extravaganza on March 12 in Ann Arbor, MI!

Follow Jerzy, Barry, and Eli on Twitter!

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It’s the return to the roundtable discussion as we try to weigh the pros and cons between canonical storytelling and story franchises that undergo multiple reboots and iterations! What are the perils of working in a strict continuity? Does rebooting your story run risk of alienating readers? When does pleasing your readers cross the line into “fan service”?

These are tough questions, and I’m glad I had help on this one from:

Brandon Dayton, whose terrific comic Green Monk made the YALSA 2011 Great Graphic Novels for Teens list!

Kasey Van Hise, most known for the webcomic Winters in Lavelle and soon-to-be released Fat Unicorn (check out her design for Susan Banana, the derpy tiger)!

And new guest to the roundtable, Jake Parker, whose comic Missile Mouse continues to thrill kids and adults alike!

Links mentioned this episode:

* Twin Spica

* B.P.R.D.

* The Red Shirt Guy at Blizzcon 2010 (video)

* Wormworld Saga

* Missile Mouse

* Green Monk

* Winters in Lavelle (if you purchase the print edition, you’ll get access to audio commentary tracks by Kasey and me!)

* The Illustrated Section, featuring a ton of great comics for the iPad

* Kids Read Comics is now accepting applications to table at our 2011 event!

* Jerzy’s new mini-comic Boulder and Fleet: Adventurers for Hire

Follow Jerzy, Kasey, Brandon, and Jake on Twitter!

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