Graphic Novelism | The History of Comic Books

In this reprint of a classic OPP episode, Alex is joined by his old friend and three-time Thunder From Down Under, Matt Fuss, as they discuss Charlie Huston and David Finch's Moon Knight: The Bottom. Listen as they become hype men for one of Marvel's most misunderstood characters, discussing what sets him apart from other caped crusaders, the complex religious motivations that drive him, and the journey of madness and redemption Huston lays before him.

Stitcher: http://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=68076&refid=stpr 
Twitter: https://twitter.com/GraphicNovelism

Music used: Morning Cruise by Jens Kiilstofte https://machinimasound.com/music/morning-cruise/

The Fist Of Khonshu by Adam Warrock http://www.adamwarrock.com

Licensed under Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)

Listen to the original episode here!

Buy Moon Knight: The Bottom on Amazon

Or on Comixology

In this reprint of a classic OPP episode, Alex is joined by Merciful Merce' Mueller to discuss the second part in Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale's acclaimed Color Series, 2003's Spider-Man: Blue. Listen to Merce' chronicle her lengthy obsession with Gwen Stacy, Alex define what makes Spider-Man's formative years stand out from his peers', and the two do their absolute best to forget Sins Past ever happened.

Stitcher: http://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=68076&refid=stpr 
Twitter: https://twitter.com/GraphicNovelism

Music used: Morning Cruise by Jens Kiilstofte https://machinimasound.com/music/morning-cruise/

Licensed under Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)

Listen to the original episode here!

Buy Spider-Man: Blue on Amazon

Or on Comixology

In this fabulous Two-In-One team-up, our very own Maniacal Mike chats with writer Howard Shapiro about his and artist Erica Chan's new graphic novel, QUEEN OF KENOSHA!

(Nina Overstreet, a singer-songwriter hustling amidst the music scene of 1963, finds her big break comes not from a record deal, but in a chance encounter with a clandestine agency of the U.S. Government, and the secret war against an underground Fourth Reich rising just beneath the surface.)

In addition, we get into how he came to write comics after falling in love with the medium later in life, his previous work in the Young Adult arena, the financial realities of self-publishing and starting a small press unit in ANIMAL MEDIA GROUP, his love for music and how that informed both Queen of Kenosha's story and one of it's most unique features, the deep-rooted and, unfortunately, topical political themes of QoK, discovering artist Erica Chan, and much more!

Strum that thinline guitar, punch some Nazis, and most importantly, listen to the interview, by clicking here!

QUEEN OF KENOSHA on Amazon!: https://www.amazon.com/Queen-Kenosha-Thin-Thinline-Trilogy/dp/0997431520

Animal Media Group: https://animalmediagroup.com/

In this reprint of the VERY FIRST RECORDING of OPP's original spotlight series, Aristocratic Alex Koch is joined by dork knight extraordinaire Morbid Matt Johnson to discuss the defining origin story of their favorite character, Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli's seminal(?) Batman: Year One. Journey back to 2013 as they go into Matt's abiding respect for Jim Gordon, and Alex's revelations about Batman's first costume, as the mystery of Graphic Novelism's hiatus deepens.

Stitcher: http://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=68076&refid=stpr 
Twitter: https://twitter.com/GraphicNovelism

Music used: Morning Cruise by Jens Kiilstofte https://machinimasound.com/music/morning-cruise/

Licensed under Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)

Listen to the original episode here!

Buy Batman: Year One on Amazon

Or on Comixology

In this reprint of a classic OPP episode, Jamie is joined by founding Off-Panelist Merce' Mueller to discuss Craig Thompson's iconic memoir, Blankets. Looking back at their own religious childhoods, they share their connections to this powerful story of childhood, faith, and first love, and Merce' talks about the time Big Bird broke her arm.

Stitcher: http://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=68076&refid=stpr 
Twitter: https://twitter.com/GraphicNovelism

Music used: Morning Cruise by Jens Kiilstofte https://machinimasound.com/music/morning-cruise/

Licensed under Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)

Craig Thompson on "Blankets"

Listen to the original episode here!

Buy "Blankets" on Amazon

In the latest One And Done, we welcome to the show comedian and podcaster Adam Avitable to talk about one of his favorite stand-alone stories, The Flash #163, "Heartbeat"! Join us as we cover how this issue dangles perilously between the two most ground-breaking runs on the character, how it embodied the end of an era for comics storytelling as we knew it, how it might just be the best introduction to The Flash you could ever offer a new reader, and how to defeat Batman using only a fire escape, an alarm clock, and some dirty rags.

Stitcher: http://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=68076&refid=stpr 
Twitter: https://twitter.com/GraphicNovelism

Music used: Neuro Rhythm by Jens Kiilstofte https://machinimasound.com/music/neurorhythm/

The Flash Theme by Blake Neely ℗ 2015 INgrooves (on behalf of WaterTower Music); ole (Publishing), Kobalt Music Publishing, and 7 Music Rights Societies Jurrasic Park Style by MasterTracks 

Licensed under Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)

Read "Heartbeat" on Comixology here!

Follow Adam on twitter!

And check out his podcast, "Dating Kinda Sucks"!

In this new edition of our series on single issues, we look at one of Frank Miller's earliest issues of his legendary Daredevil run, "Devils". Join Mike and Jamie as they discuss the state of this book before and after Miller made his stamp on the character, how this should be counted as the true first issue of his run, and how he pulled off perhaps the greatest retcon in Marvel Comics history. Plus, they revisit childhood haunted house shenanigans!

Stitcher: http://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=68076&refid=stpr 
Twitter: https://twitter.com/GraphicNovelism

Music used: Neuro Rhythm by Jens Kiilstofte https://machinimasound.com/music/neurorhythm/

Daredevil Season 2 End Credits by John Paesano ℗ 2016 MARVEL and ABC Studio

Licensed under Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)

Read "Devils" on Comixology here!

In our newest team-up episode, we talk with Eisner-nominated writer Magdalene Visaggio about her work on books such as Kim & Kim and Quantum Teens Are Go, what it's like to write for licensed properties, which comics she's been getting into, and her new Young Animal series with Sonny Liew and Chris Chuckry, Eternity Girl! Come for the interview, stay for the conspiracy theories about OMAC.

Stitcher: http://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=68076&refid=stpr 
Twitter: https://twitter.com/GraphicNovelism

Music used: Neuro Rhythm by Jens Kiilstofte https://machinimasound.com/music/neurorhythm/

Licensed under Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)

Follow Mags on twitter here.

And check out her work on Comixology.

In this reprint of a classic OPP episode, Jamie is joined by her former partner-in-south Matt Johnson to discuss one of their favorite books of all time, Garth Ennis & Steve Dillon's seminal Preacher. Long before anyone thought this story could be adapted to television, Matt and Jamie waxed philosophical about the landscape of American mythology, the power and danger of hero-worship, the role of masculinity in the modern world, and all of the various things that happen to Herr Starr's penis.

Stitcher: http://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=68076&refid=stpr 
Twitter: https://twitter.com/GraphicNovelism

Music used: Morning Cruise by Jens Kiilstofte https://machinimasound.com/music/morning-cruise/

Licensed under Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)

Remembering Steve Dillon (1962-2016)

Garth Ennis on Steve Dillon

Garth Ennis on Preacher

Listen to the original episode here!

Start "Preacher" on Comixology

Or on Amazon

or "Brand Of Science, Brand Of Faith!"

In this episode, we introduce a brand new sub-series to the show: OF TWO WORLDS, where we compare and contrast two opposing concepts from the comics medium. In our first entry, we look at the twin pillars of four-color publishing, Marvel and DC, and the symbiotic way they've challenged each other, cribbed from each other, and drove each other to be better. Why does DC lend itself so well to such a diverse pool of talent? How have Marvel's founders influenced their storytelling to this day? And what is the terrible secret of Planet X... in space?!

Stitcher: http://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=68076&refid=stpr 
Twitter: https://twitter.com/GraphicNovelism

Music used: Neuro Rhythm by Jens Kiilstofte https://machinimasound.com/music/neurorhythm/

Licensed under Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)

This month's intro music is "DC vs Marvel Piano Battle Mashup/Medley" by Samuel Fu