Kristin and Thomas walk down memory lane as they discuss the exciting and harrowing origin story behind the show, C2E2 plans, Batman v Superman predictions, Batman & Superman relationship dynamics, and our three picks for the month! Be sure and listen after the ending for a pre-recording conversation between Kristin & Thomas regarding Aquaman.

Comics For Black History Month: Nonfiction, General Fiction + Webcomics, and Superhero comics with black leads

Listener Question: “Have Batman and Superman fought in the comics yet?”

1986 – Dark Knight Returns 9781563893421

2002 – Hush 9781401223175

2015 – Endgame 9781401261160

“Batman V Superman: Choosing Sides” thematic readalikes

FINAL REMINDER: We will be on the Comics Collection Quandaries In Libraries panel at C2E2 Friday, March 18, 11:00-12:00 in S405b

Kristin’s Three Picks

Two Brothers 9781616558563

Midnighter Vol. 1: Out 9781401259785 (Now a GLAAD Media Award nominee!)

Market Day 9781897299975

Thomas’s Three Picks

Dark Night: A True Batman Story 9781401241438 (out in June!)

Prez Vol. 1: Corndog-in-Chief 9781401259792

Divinity 9781939346766

Find a comics shop near you

Secret Stacks artwork by Severin Piehl, creator of Tove

Theme song by Julie Jurgens, who blogs at Hi, Miss Julie! and is on twitter as @himissjulie and @JulieJurgens

Secret Stacks, Episode 11! Kristin and Thomas talk about Gene Luen Yang becoming the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature for 2016, the Ike Perlmutter/ Donald Trump/ Marvel Comics controversy and G. Willow Wilson’s response, a super special Secret Stacks announcement for a thing happening in March, the garbage fire that was the 2016 Angoulême International Comics Festival, YALSA’s Great Graphic Novels for Teens list for 2016 and, of course, their three picks for the month! Come and get it!

Send a question to our Mailbag!
Follow the show on Twitter: @SecretStacks
Follow Kristin and Thomas on Twitter: @shinyinfo and @LiberryTom
Email the show at [email protected]

Audio link: http://traffic.libsyn.com/secretstacks/Secret_Stacks_11.mp3

Stuff We Discussed:

Circulating Ideas guest episode: Top 10 Graphic Novels of 2015

Gene Luen Yang appointed National Ambassador for Children’s Literature by the Library of Congress – great interview with Swapna Krishna at Panels

(I wonder if that Alexander Nazaryan, who wanted all teens to read classics and not then-Ambassador Walter Dean Myers, is even madder about a cartoonist in the position?)

G. Willow Wilson on Ike Perlmutter’s $1 million Trump donation

Secret Stacks at C2E2: “Comics Collection Quandaries in Libraries,” with fellow librarians Tracy Boehm and Huyen Diep, Friday 11:00am in S405b

Angouleme Grand Prix sexism

Angouleme Fake Awards Mishap

Navigating “Secret Wars”

YALSA’s Top Ten Great Graphic Novels For Teens

• A Silent Voice, Yoshitoki Oima
• Roller Girl, Victoria Jamieson
• Nimona, Noelle Stevenson
• Awkward, Svetlana Chmakova
• Lumberjanes, Noelle Stevenson, Brooke Allen, Shannon Watters
• Sacred Heart, Liz Suburbia
• Squirrel Girl, Ryan North, Erica Henderson
• Ms. Marvel, G. Willow Wilson, Adrian Alphona, Jacob Wyatt
• Trashed, Derf Backderf
• Drowned City, Don Brown

Kristin’s Picks

Trashed (9781419714542)

Poorly Drawn Lines (9780147515421)

Kaptara (9781632155573)

Thomas’s Picks

The Death-Defying Doctor Mirage (9781939346490)

A Silent Voice (9781632360564)

Manifest Destiny (9781607069829)

Secret Stacks artwork by Severin Piehl, creator of Tove

Theme song by Julie Jurgens, who blogs at Hi, Miss Julie! and is on twitter as @himissjulie and@JulieJurgens

SECRET STACKS, your comics in libraries podcast. Episode 10! The first episode of 2016! Kristin and Thomas talk about getting prepared for Free Comic Book Day at the library, diversity in comics and the redonkulous Op-Ed in the New York Times and of course, their top three picks of the month! If you have questions or would like Kristin or Tom to address something on the show, tweet at @secretstacks or email [email protected] !! ENJOY!

Send a question to our Mailbag!
Follow the show on Twitter: @SecretStacks
Follow Kristin and Thomas on Twitter: @shinyinfo and @LiberryTom
Email the show at [email protected]

Audio link: http://traffic.libsyn.com/secretstacks/SecretStacks10.mp3

Stuff We Discussed

Free Comic Book Day – May 7, 2016

Library ebook circulation boosts sales

Amazon’s influence on Comixology becoming more apparent

That Oxymoron, The Asian Comic Superhero

Coming Out As Gay Superheroes

The Valkyries – Comics Discussion & Advisory For Female Retailers & Librarians

Women In Refrigerators

Kristin’s Picks

Patsy Walker, aka Hellcat #1

Moongirl & The Devil Dinosaur #1-2

Through The Woods (9781442465954)

Thomas’s Picks

The Sandman: Overture (9781401248963)

Martian Manhunter (9781401261511)

Hereville: How Mirka Caught A Fish (9781419708008)

Find a comics shop near you

Secret Stacks artwork by Severin Piehl, creator of Tove

Theme song by Julie Jurgens, who blogs at Hi, Miss Julie! and is on twitter as @himissjulie and@JulieJurgens

SECRET STACKS, your comics in libraries podcast. Episode 9! In this episode, Kristin and Thomas have writer Asher Powell on the show to talk about her comic in the Vertigo SFX anthology KRAK! Kristin discusses her experience at ComiqueCon, they discuss the LCS Valkyries opening up Valhalla to Librarians and they all share their three picks for the month! 50% more comics recommendation! Insight from comics creators! Good times for all! Enjoy!

Send a question to our Mailbag!
Follow the show on Twitter: @SecretStacks
Follow Kristin and Thomas on Twitter: @shinyinfo and @LiberryTom
Email the show at [email protected]

Audio link: http://traffic.libsyn.com/secretstacks/SecretStacks9.mp3

Stuff We Discussed

A Lesson Is Learned But The Damage Is Irreversible

Prez going for full 12 issues

Asher Powell on Twitter: @AsherPowell

Asher on Tumblr: A Thousand Bad Ideas

Lee’s Comics

Comique Con

Valkyries membership is now open to female-identifying librarians

Asher’s Three Picks

Hopeless Savages: Break (9781620102527)

Toil and Trouble #1

Art Ops #1+2

Kristin’s Three Picks

Beyond: A Queer Sci Fi and Fantasy Comic Anthology (9780990995685)

Archie vs Predator (9781616558055)

Damage Control Complete Collection (9780785197904)

Thomas’s Three Picks

Jessica Jones: Alias (9780785198550)

The Omega Men (9781401261535) (Related: William James at the Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy)

Vinland Saga (9781612624204)

Find a comics shop near you

Secret Stacks artwork by Severin Piehl, creator of Tove

Theme song by Julie Jurgens, who blogs at Hi, Miss Julie! and is on twitter as @himissjulie and@JulieJurgens

SECRET STACKS, your comics in libraries podcast. Episode 8! In this episode, Kristin and Thomas discuss Supergirl, Superman, Jeb Bush talking crazy about Batman, Jessica Jones, and Legion. They also delve into the mailbag to get some listener feedback and to discuss their ideal Fantastic Four lineups. As always, there the three picks of the month! So much good stuff and all packed into a petite 1 hour episode! Enjoy!

Send a question to our Mailbag!
Follow the show on Twitter: @SecretStacks
Follow Kristin and Thomas on Twitter: @shinyinfo and @LiberryTom
Email the show at [email protected]

Stuff We Discussed

Cards Against Librarianship

Comique-Con

Storytime Underground’s Guerrilla Storytime

Jeb Bush’s favorite Marvel superheroes

Supergirl on CBS

Legion pilot ordered for FX

Jessica Jones trailer

Justin Guarini reflects on Daredevil

Kristin’s Fantastic Four

Squirrel Girl

She-Hulk

Ms. Marvel

America Chavez

Thomas’s Fantastic Four

Squirrel Girl

Silver Surfer

Rocket Raccoon

Capt. Marvel (Monica Rambeau)

Recommendations for big-name superheroes’ starting places: admittedly, answering this question could take up a couple dozen blog posts’ worth of information, but Thomas enjoys tilting at this windmill on his library’s blog. There are posts about Batman, Superman, Weird Batman, Batgirl, Supergirl, DC’s New 52, X-Men, Green Lantern, Daredevil, Flash, Deadpool, Fantastic Four, and Naruto manga readalikes.

Then there’s the official CCGC post about Collecting the New 52, DC’s own Graphic Novel Essentials and Chronology, and Comic Book Herald’s Marvel Reading Order Guide. There’s a lot to digest in these links, but we hope they lead to a lot to read on your shelves!

Kristin’s Picks

Spider-Woman:Spider-verse (9780785154587)

Displacement: A Travelogue (9781606998106)

(Readalike: Can’t We Talk About Something More Pleasant? (9781608198061))

Around The World (9780763669256)

Thomas’s Picks

Star Wars: Skywalker Strikes (9780785192138)

Moon Knight (9780785154082 / 978-0785154099 / 978-0785197348)

One-Punch Man (9781421585642)

Honorable Mention: Kristin and I loooved the new Jughead debut!

Find a comics shop near you

Secret Stacks artwork by Severin Piehl, creator of Tove

Theme song by Julie Jurgens, who blogs at Hi, Miss Julie! and is on twitter as @himissjulie and@JulieJurgens

SECRET STACKS, your comics in libraries podcast. Episode 7! In this episode, Kristin and Thomas discuss Batman Day, comics crafts, The Harveys, single issue sales vs. trade sales, famous people at comics conventions, the Black Panther announcement, Star Wars, Thomas makes some recommendations for some listeners and much more!! They also discuss their three favorite reads for October, including some extra special SPOOOOOKY reads from Thomas! Don’t forget to to check out Goodreads for all of our recommendations!

Send a question to our Mailbag!
Follow the show on Twitter: @SecretStacks
Follow Kristin and Thomas on Twitter: @shinyinfo and @LiberryTom
Email the show at [email protected]

Stuff We Discussed

Reading Envy with Jenny Colvin

Batman Day

Graphic novels earning more than floppies – Great, longer read about comic and graphic novel sales

Panels: comics collected in themed folders

Ron Weasley Made Me Sad

Carol Tilley

Harvey Awards 2015

Ignatz Awards 2015

Will Eisner Graphic Novel Grants For Libraries

Astro City #1/2 “The Nearness of You” (Free!)

Kristin’s Three Picks
Shoplifter 9780307911735

The Night Bookmobile 9780810996175

Exquisite Corpse 9781626720824

Thomas’s Three Picks
Tokyo Ghoul 9781421580364

Baba Yaga’s Assistant 9780763669614

Attack On Titan (too many books and spinoffs to list here, check the link!)

Find a comics shop near you

Secret Stacks artwork by Severin Piehl, creator of Tove

Theme song by Julie Jurgens, who blogs at Hi, Miss Julie! and is on twitter as @himissjulie and@JulieJurgens

SECRET STACKS, your comics in libraries podcast. Episode 6! In this episode, Kristin and Thomas discuss The Hugo Awards, Lumberjanes Issue 17, Image Comics & Hoopla, the Vixen animated show, Duke University & Fun Home, webcomics, the joys of Hawkeye and much more!! They also discuss their three favorite reads for September! Don’t forget to to check out Goodreads So many things! Enjoy!

Send a question to our Mailbag!
Follow the show on Twitter: @SecretStacks
Follow Kristin and Thomas on Twitter: @shinyinfo and @LiberryTom
Email the show at [email protected]

Stuff We Discussed

Reading Envy podcast w/Jenny Colvin

Ms. Marvel wins a Hugo award for Best Graphic Story against Saga Volume 3, Rat Queens Volume 1, Lumberjanes Volume 1, Sex Criminals Volume 1, The Zombie Nation Volume 2, and No Award

Dirk Gently TV series coming to BBC America with Max Landis as head writer – YOU’RE WELCOME

Lumberjanes #17 – Jo is transgender. Charlotte Finn of Comics Alliance did a great writeup about this

Hoopla adds Image Comics to their library catalog – first wave includes The Walking Dead, Saga, Morning Glories, Invincible, Chew

Vixen web series on CW’s website and app – six five-minute shorts released weekly on Tuesdays

@MizCaramelVixen – Creator of the #BlackComicsMonth hashtag, good to follow

Raising Dion – first issue available for free! Single black mother raising her superpowered son.

Fun Home controversy at Duke – student Brian Grasso’s argument

“Why babies in medieval paintings look like ugly old men” – the explanation on the show oversimplifies, but the actual facts in this link are more interesting!

Oliver Queen’s showdown with Ra’s al Ghul

Kristin’s Three Picks
Secret Wars Secret Love

Power Up

Jem and the Holograms (related: movie trailer)

Thomas’s Three Picks
Descender

Time Killers

Hawkeye (related: The Hawkeye Initiative, Kristin endorses The Rockford Files on Netflix (also on Hulu))

Find a comics shop near you

Secret Stacks artwork by Severin Piehl, creator of Tove

Theme song by Julie Jurgens, who blogs at Hi, Miss Julie! and is on twitter as @himissjulie and@JulieJurgens

SECRET STACKS, your comics in libraries podcast. Episode 5! In this episode, Kristin and Thomas discuss San Diego Comic Con, Deadpool, problems in graphic novel collection development, their Circulating Ideas episode and MOOOOOOOOORE! They also discuss their three favorite reads for August, plus an additional three recommendations from New Jersey Librarian and Manga reader extraordinaire, Marissa Lieberman! Many good things! Check it out!

Send a question to our Mailbag!
Follow the show on Twitter: @SecretStacks
Follow Kristin and Thomas on Twitter: @shinyinfo and @LiberryTom
Email the show at [email protected]

Stuff We Discussed

We guest-hosted Circulating Ideas and interviewed Marissa Lieberman about conventions and graphic novels! She has a website about anime and manga programming in libraries called Manga-tize Your Library.

Vertigo’s back, baby!

Deadpool vs Comic-Con (Pick a video, any video)

Deadpool quick picks:

• Deadpool “Marvel NOW!” series, Volume 1: Dead Presidents 9780785166801
• Deadpool’s Art of War 9780785190974
• Hawkeye vs Deadpool 9780785193104

Correction: Thomas understands that a sonic boom is not created by hitting two objects together. He would regret the error, but it remains to be seen if Wonder Woman will create actual sonic booms in the Batman v Superman movie.

Kristin’s Three Picks

• Archie #1 (Hot Archie article)
• Bombshells
• Roller Girl 9780803740167

Thomas’s Three Picks

• Harrow County 9781616557805
• The Woods 9781608864546
• CMYK 9781401253363

Marissa’s Three Picks

• Kids: Chi’s Sweet Home 9781942993162
• Teens: Sword Art Online: Aincrad 9780316371247 [Note: there are several Sword Art Online manga spinoffs and novels.]
• Mature Readers: Uzumaki 9781421561325

Changes to Batgirl text in the trade edition to remove transphobic elements

Find a comics shop near you

Secret Stacks artwork by Severin Piehl, creator of Tove

Theme song by Julie Jurgens, who blogs at Hi, Miss Julie! and is on twitter as @himissjulie and@JulieJurgens

SECRET STACKS, your comics in libraries podcast. Episode 4! In this episode, Kristin and Thomas discuss Hoopla, changing comics readership, convention culture, Summer Reading Program and MUCH MORE. Plus a SECRET STACKS EXCLUSIVE! Thomas brings back several amazing SECRET TREASURES from HeroesCon for all of us to enjoy! They also discuss their three favorite things this month and return to the deep deep well of quality content known as the Archie Kickstarter.

Send a question to our Mailbag!
Follow the show on Twitter: @SecretStacks
Follow Kristin and Thomas on Twitter: @shinyinfo and @LiberryTom
Email the show at [email protected]

Stuff We Discussed

HeroesCon

Comics Alliance: more kids + girls reading comics than last year for 2nd year in a row, based on retailer surveys from Publishers Weekly

List of comics creators available for visits/Skype

A-FORCE will be a new series post-Secret Wars!

“When I’m sometimes asked when will there be enough? And I say ‘When there are nine.’ People are shocked. But there’d been nine men, and nobody’s ever raised a question about that.”

-Ruth Bader Ginsberg (originally about Supreme Court, but also relevant to A-Force gripers)

DC and Vertigo on Hoopla

gwynnie bee, a Netflix-style service for plus-size (10-32) dresses
Kickstarter links from Mailbag responses:

Brawl in the Family

Fantagraphics

Sam & Fuzzy

Strong Female Protagonist

Digital Manga Publishing

Archie

Six Lessons From Archie

Tezuka Kickstarters And All That Jazz

Kristin’s Three Picks

1) Unbeatable Squirrel Girl (ISBN13: 9780785197027)

2) Fresh Romance

3) Black Canary

Thomas’s Three Picks

1) SuperMutant Magic Academy (ISBN13: 9781770461987)

2) Opus (ISBN13: 9781616556068)

(Every Frame A Painting: Satoshi Kon – Editing Space & Time)

3) Sunny (ISBN13: 9781421573403)

Find a comics shop near you

Secret Stacks artwork by Severin Piehl, creator of Tove

Theme song by Julie Jurgens, who blogs at Hi, Miss Julie! and is on twitter as @himissjulie and@JulieJurgens

SECRET STACKS, your comics in libraries podcast. Episode 3! In this episode, Kristin and Thomas discuss comic book sales vs. comic book movie sales, comic book store experiences, the Archie Kickstarter, A-Force, and much more! They also answer some readers advisory questions and discuss their three favorite things this month!

Send a question to our Mailbag!
Follow the show on Twitter: @SecretStacks
Follow Kristin and Thomas on Twitter: @shinyinfo and @LiberryTom
Email the show at [email protected]

Stuff We Discussed

April Comic Book Sales Figures

Michael Uslan, from his Reddit AMA:

I think there’s a missing link. How can millions of people go to an Ant Man movie, yet the comic book not sell over 25,000 copies (that would equate to selling 500 copies per state in the US). By the way, this is not a real example, I’m just using Hank Pym as a hypothetical. How can San Diego and New York Comic Cons get 150,000 fanatical fans, yet a typical super-hero comic can’t sell over 50,000 copies in a month? A link needs to be found to unite the movie, TV, animation and videogame fans with the comic books themselves. I would LOVE to hear all your ideas as to how best to accomplish this goal!

Bruce Campbell on comics conventions that aren’t so focused on comics

DC Comics free 8-page previews of all their new and returning series

Archie Kickstarter Canceled

Hoopla’s Digital Comics

Thomas’s Richland Library blog posts about kid-friendly series and adult franchises on Hoopla Comics

Raina noticed me, ahhhhh!

Marguerite Bennett, from the all-female Women in Comics panel at Denver Comic-Con:

I frequently get asked what the “endgame” of women in comics is – “What do women in comics want?” As if we all want the same thing, as if we are all the same person. “What do women in comics want?” My takeaway from the panel was that every woman wants to choose her own path. Every woman wants to make her own way.

Readers advisory for Jennifer (Checklist includes a series with the following elements: Western, Fantasy, Romance, Kick-butt Ladies) – Pretty Deadly, The Sixth Gun, Serenity, Preacher

Original comic that coined “The Bechdel Test”

Ask us anything on Twitter @SecretStacks or via email at [email protected]

Kristin’s Three Picks

1) Lady Killer

2) Batgirl of Burnside

3) Gotham Academy

Thomas’s Three Picks

1) Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency

2) Groo: Friends & Foes

3) A-Force

Find a comics shop near you

Secret Stacks artwork by Severin Piehl, creator of Tove

Theme song by Julie Jurgens, who blogs at Hi, Miss Julie! and is on twitter as @himissjulie and @JulieJurgens