For Will Eisner Week 2016, Derek talks with Eisner's authorized biographer, Bob Andelman. The second edition of his book, Will Eisner: A Spirited Life, was released last summer by TwoMorrows Publishing, expanding significantly on the 2005 edition in a deluxe, full-color volume. In the conversation, Bob discusses the genesis of the project and how he came to meet Eisner. He also shares several of his most memorable moments working with the legend, as well as some of the challenges in writing the biography. This recent deluxe edition, in particular, allowed him to expand his initial work and offer a more complete picture of the man. Derek talks with Bob about how the addition of brand new interviews, as well as archival material and legal documentation not available at the time of his first edition, rounds out the biography and makes Will Eisner more fully human and less of an abstracted icon. They also discuss the various stages of Eisner's life and the different tones he struck in his comics, such as the autobiographical reflections found in To the Heart of the Storm, the sentimentality of Invisible People, the stark naturalism underlying Dropsie Avenue, the polemical turn of The Plot, and the innovative adventure that defined The Spirit newspaper inserts. All in all, you will find in this episode a spirited conversation -- sorry for the predictable pun -- with a writer and pop cultural critic that was a long time in coming.

On this interview episode, Gwen and Derek are pleased to have as their guest Sonny Liew, whose latest work, The Art of Charlie Chan Hock Chye, was just released from Pantheon Books. They talk with the author about his mock biography and how it engages with comic-book history, the tumultuous politics of Singapore, and his own creative influences. Sonny also discusses the genesis of the project and his strategic use of distinctive art styles reminiscent of Osama Tezuka, Walt Kelly, Harvey Kurtzman, Frank Miller, and Jack Kirby, among others. This mixture of styles and genre influences makes The Art of Charlie Chan Hock Chye a unique work that’s difficult to pin down. It’s different from anything else out there. Gwen and Derek also ask Sonny about his current work with Paul Levitz on Doctor Fate as well as the possibility of future Shadow Heroor Malinky Robot stories.

It’s time, once again, to take a look at the current month’s Previews catalog. This time around, Derek is joined by Paul Lai, the editor of The Comics Alternative‘s blog. Although he’s been working with the Two Guys since late last year, this is the first time that Paul has cohosted a podcast episode. And his first time out is a doozie! He and Derek take an extra-long, two-and-a-half-hour stroll through the March Previews solicits, highlighting upcoming releases from publishers such as

Along the way, the guys discuss recent comics news — such as DC’s questionable “rebirth” and Image’ new Previews catalog magazine, Image+ — and even go off on a couple of rants. Derek, in particular, rags on both Marvel corporate practices and mindless Donald Trump supporters, and with a couple of “amens” from Paul. And what the hell is Smosh…and why should the guys care? But it’s the kind of jovial, curmudgeonly goodness that has come to mark The Comics Alternative brand. Accept no substitutes!

On the February manga show, Shea and Derek look at a new title and an older title. They begin with a discussion of School Judgment 1, recently released by VIZ Media. Written by Nobuaki Enoki and with art by Takeshi Obata -- perhaps best known for his work on Death Note -- this is the first book in a series that has a unique premise. In fact, the guys comment several times on the wacky setup of School Judgment: a legal arbitration system established in Japan's elementary schools, where the students themselves try criminal cases serving as judge, prosecution, and defense. In this first installment, the protagonists Abaku Inugami (for the defense) and Pine Hanzuki (prosecution) battle over three strange cases, with the book ending by setting up a fourth. Shea and Derek discuss the weirdness and the social pertinence of the storylines, including arbitration concerning both drug use and pedophilic voyeurism. After that, they look at at Yoshihiro Tatsumi's A Drifting Life (Drawn & Quarterly). With an original English publication of 2009, this is Tatsumi's slightly veiled autobiography and a look at his growth as a manga artist. In fact, Derek points out that the book can best be read as a künstlerroman, a narrative about an artist's growth to personal and creative maturity. This is a hefty book of over 830 pages, a marked difference from the kind of short-form manga that Tatsumi is best known for. Indeed, both Shea and Derek contrast reading A Drifting Life to their experiences with his short-story collections, such as The Push Man and Other Stories, Abandon the Old in Tokyo, Good-Bye, and Fallen Worlds (also published in English by Drawn & Quarterly). While the shorter slice-of-life narratives are clear examples of gekiga, an alternative manga form advocated by Tatsumi himself, this autobiographical work is more conventional. And being a retrospective look back at his early life, Tatsumi brings into his story the real-life artists that inspired him and served as his companions and competitors, including Osamu Tezuka, Masahiko Matsumoto, Takao Saito, and Susumu Yamamori. As the guys conclude, this is an outstanding book and the perfect introduction to the world of Yoshihiro Tatsumi.

On this week's review episode, Andy and Derek delve into two new and exciting titles. They start with Ludovic Debeurme's Renée (Top Shelf Productions), the followup to his 2011 release, Lucille. In fact, the guys begin their discussion by describing the earlier book and setting the stage for what they see in the recent narrative. Renée picks up on the story of Debeurme's young protagonists, Lucille and Arthur, and weaves within a third character, Renée Bruissiez, another troubled figure struggling with both family and relationship issues. Indeed, her dilemma thematically resembles those of both Arthur and Lucille, and Debeurme juxtaposes these storylines so that Renée reads somewhat like a psychological conversation. But the Two Guys also note the differences between the two graphic novels. Whereas the art in Lucille is more simple and iconic, Debeurme's illustrative style in the new book is more detailed and highly textured. In addition, there's a more surreal or dreamlike feel to Renée, and at times the storytelling style and visual characterization reminds the guys of a cross between Charles Burns and Daniel Clowes. They wrap up their conversation by observing that, although there's no textual hint of one, Renée ends in such a way that would warrant yet another volume. Next, Derek and Andy jump into the more edgy and forbidden world of Peter Milligan and Leandro Fernandez. The first issue of their new series, The Discipline (Image Comics), will be released in early March, but the guys take an early look at what readers can expect. In the inaugural issue we are introduced to Melissa, an attractive yet sexually frustrated young wife whose husband seems to provide her with nothing other than financial security. While in a museum being mesmerized by a provocative Goya painting, she meets Orlando, whose seductive lure ultimately pulls her into strange world that might best be described as a mix of BDSM and fantasy. Things heat up and take unexpected turns, making it a much more risqué take on relationships than Milligan's other current title, New Romancer. The guys conclude that this first issue of The Discipline doesn't disappoint, and that it's a title definitely worth following on a monthly basis.

This week on The Comics Alternative Gene and Derek focus on the funny, the poignant, and the creepy. They begin with Evan Dorkin's The Eltingville Club (Dark Horse Books), a nice hardbound edition that collects all of the Eltingville Club stories published over the past twenty years. This is Dorkin's twisted, and at times acerbic, love letter to geek and collecting culture. Bill, Josh, Pete, and Jerry make up the Eltingville Comic Book, Science-Fiction, Fantasy, Horror, and Role-Playing Club, and their antics are as hilarious as they are painful to read. This is because Dorkin cuts to the bone of fandom, and readers will probably recognize these scenarios and contexts from their own lives. Indeed, in a short essay toward the end of the volume, Dorkin himself admits that many of the stories are based on his fan-obsessed experiences growing up, as well as on the darker side of the culture he's witnessed as a creator. Yet as uncomfortable as these stories can get at times, they are some of the funniest comics you'll read all year. What else would expect from the creator of Milk and Cheese, Dork, and Dick Wad of the Mega-Vice Squad? Next, the guys take a look at Cry Havoc #1, written by Simon Spurrier with art by Ryan Kelly (Image Comics). This is the start of what appears to be a unique take on the werewolf narrative. At least this is what Derek and Gene think might be the case. They're not entirely sure, because this first issue leaves a lot of questions unanswered, and not necessarily in a good serial-driven way. As the guys discuss, there are parts of this story that are a bit confusing but whose uncertainty will probably be addressed with the completion of the first narrative arc. The creators even saw fit to annotate this #1 issue, which raises additional questions about the story's ability to stand on its own. Still, Kelly's art is worth the price of admission, and the series' use of multiple colorists, each creating a different mood, makes this a title worth watching. Finally, the Two Guys wrap up with Shawn Aldridge and Scott Godlewski's The Dark and Bloody #1. This is the beginning of a new Vertigo Comics series, the first since the publisher launched its twelve next-wave titles back in the fall (and for an in-depth look at those series, check out episode 170). Derek, in particular, likes this inaugural issue, feeling that it does a good job of setting up the premise with just the right amount of story tease. By contrast, Gene isn't as enamored of the issue and feels that this isn't the kind of Vertigo comic he had once grown to love (and admittedly, Gene hasn't been keeping up with the publisher in quite a while). Much like Cry Havoc, this is also another monster tale with, as of now, an ambiguous and ill-defined terror. And, in an offbeat way, it's the perfect companion to Dorkin's Eltingville Club, a book with its own kind of monstrosities.

For the February webcomics show, Sean and Derek explore three very different titles. They begin with Christopher Mills and Joe Staton's Femme Noir, a unique twist on the crime noir genre. This is series of tales surrounding a mysterious, unnamed crime-fighting PI who dons an iconic trench coat and fedora, but whose long golden locks and fishnet hose give her away as something wholly other. The guys describe this comic as a blend of Batman, The Shadow, and The Spirit, but with a female protagonist who is anything but a victim. One of the unique contexts of this webcomic, as Derek points out, is that the stories currently being serialized online have originally appeared in print. What Mills and Staton are apparently doing is using their previously published material to re-introduce their comic to a new audience -- and through an entirely different narrative delivery system -- and the guys hope that this will eventually spawn brand new Femme Noir stories. Next, they turn their attention to Farel Dalrymple's It Will All Hurt. This is yet another intriguing title from Study Group, a publisher (online and print) visited often on The Comics Alternative. (Indeed, last year's July webcomics episode was devoted solely to Study Group titles.) Both Sean and Derek are blown away by Dalrymple's art, which should be no surprise to anyone familiar with the creator's work, but at times they are a little confused by the storyline. However, they speculate that perhaps Dalrymple's surreal, dreamlike narrative is supposed to confound, and that one of the best ways of engaging with It Will All Hurt is to just read it through without pause and let the pieces sink in as the story unfolds. After that, the Two Guys wrap us with a webcomics classic, Warren Ellis and Paul Duffield's FreakAngels. This is an important title for the medium, and Sean and Derek spend a good deal of time discussing its impact and what it meant (and still means) for webcomics. This is an opportunity for Sean to revisit the webcomic, in that he was there reading it from the very beginning back in 2008. Of course, the guys also plunge into the story itself, a fantastic post-apocalyptic narrative that bears the Warren Ellis stamp. And they specifically address Duffield's art, a truly outstanding facet of this webcomic. The guys also mention Avatar Press' links to the project and how they were taking a chance during the title's original run. All in all, this month's webcomics episode is both fun and substantive, so crank up your browsers and hold on tight!

It's Wednesday, which means that the Doctoral Duo return to share their recommendations of recent releases! And this week, Gwen and Derek focus on three exciting, yet quite diverse, new titles. They begin with Nick Dranso's Beverly (Drawn & Quarterly), a series of six stories set in a Midwest suburban landscape, where individuals grapple with friendships, alienation, and the uncertainties of growing up. Gwen notes the dark poignancy of these narratives, character studies that often make the reader uncomfortable and made all the more effective through Dranso's clean lines and simple illustrative style. What struck Derek was the book's construction. This isn't a "traditional" collection of separate stories -- something like you would find, for example, in Eleanor Davis's How to Be Happy or Adrian Tomine's Killing and Dying -- but a text more akin to a short-story cycle, a collection of discrete stories, each of which could stand on its own, but all interconnected in such a way that a fuller meaning is generated by their textual proximity. Derek's term for this hybrid form within comics is "graphic cycle," and a classic example of this would be Will Eisner's A Contract with God. All of the narratives in Beverly connect in some way, and over time, through a few key characters. This debut graphic novel from Dranso is this week's highlight for both Gwen and Derek. Next, they check out the first issue Emma Rios and Hwei Lim's Mirror #1 (Image Comics). This story is part of the 8House universe, and the two begin with a brief discussion of that context. Both enjoyed this first issue -- especially Lim's elaborate design and watercolor art, which is truly stunning -- but found the setup a little confusing, at times. As Derek points out, this first issue lacks the amount of exposition necessary to fully grasp what is going on, although it's assumed that many of these narrative questions will be answered in the issues to follow. While both cohosts appreciate Mirror, they feel that those prone to trade waiting might want to wait until the complete arc is collected. Finally, Gwen and Derek wrap up with a look at Ryan Ferrier and Daniel Bayliss's Kennel Block Blues #1 (BOOM! Studios), the first of a four-issue limited series. This is a wild anthropomorphic tale about a kennel as prison, and about a protagonist unable to deal with reality on the inside. Oliver is not sure why he is sent to the Jackson State Kennel, and in times of uncertainty he retreats into a happy place, a technicolor fantasy world of dancing figures and catchy tunes reminiscent of the old Merrie Melodies or Fleischer brothers cartoons. As with Mirror, the art stands out in Kennel Block Blues, with Bayliss adeptly handling the transition between the dark kennel and Oliver's song-happy fantasy world. But Ferrier's writing in this first issue is equally impressive, providing just enough setup to satisfy, yet leaving the reader with eager expectations for the next installment.

On this interview episode, Derek talks with Tom Manning, whose most recent work, Runoff, was released late last year from One Peace Books. They discuss the genesis of the project -- how it began as a self-published serial and then eventually evolved into a massive 450-page tome -- and its ambitious scope. Tom describes it as a mashup of genres and styles where he wanted to exploit the full range of the comics medium. Runoff is a horror sci-fi mystery set in small Washington state town resembling the one that Tom grew up in, and it's equal parts dark, humorous, and head-scratchingly confounding. Manning employs an ensemble cast of eccentrics, reminiscent of Berke Breathed's Bloom County, but who reside within a Lovecraftian landscape. Indeed, the cthulhu of this narrative is an enigmatic floating obelisk or headstone-looking entity with moe type eyes. And if that's not disturbing enough, you have a vigilante group of monsters by way of the Universal lot, but whose zombie member is a polite soul who goes by the name of Mr. Pickles. Ghosts become a central part of the narrative, and these spirits exercise their right to vote. And then there's the inter-dimensional bleeding -- Edwin A. Abbott, anyone? -- that turns into an inter-dimensional feeding. If this sounds like a weird, whacked-out comic, that's because it is, a style that Tom describes as "gothic American surrealism." As Tom explains to Derek, he wanted to see where his story would go, what narrative tributaries carried him to the most interesting effects, and the result is quirky book that that could easily find its way into a Syfy series.

This month, Andy and Gwen discuss two recently released comics: Comics Squad #2: Lunch! (Random House), an anthology for younger readers, edited by Jennifer L. Holm, Matthew Holm, and Jarrett J. Krosoczka, and Dare to Disappoint: Growing Up in Turkey (Farrar, Strauss and Giroux) a graphic memoir written by Özge Samanci, and designated as a comic for readers aged fourteen and up.

First up, the two PhDs share reminiscences about their own hijinx at the lunch table when they were in elementary school, and as Andy points out, the short comics collected in Comics Squad #2: Lunch! cover a veritable smorgasbord of subjects, from the anxiety that new kids feel about walking into the school cafeteria for the first time to a non-fiction comic about the way that a particular food item enabled US soldiers to win an important battle during World War II. The eight stories collected in the anthology are relatively short, making them ideal for reluctant readers or for readers who are new to comics. In fact, Andy and Gwen both enjoy Jason Shiga’s “The Case of the Missing Science Project” because of its interactive nature: panels in the story are connected by a series of orange arrows, and depending upon the choices that readers make, the story plays out differently. Gwen notes that the instructions could help young readers learn about panel placement, and Andy is amazed at the technical skill necessary for Shiga to present a variety of stories in such a small space. Along those same lines, Andy draws listeners’ attention to a couple of features at the end of the book: a template for drawing one’s own comic and a lesson on how to draw the Holms’ popular character, Babymouse. Both Gwen and Andy enjoy the humor and variety of Comics Squad #2: Lunch! and they inform readers about the previous volume in the series: Comics Squad #1: Recess!, as well as the popular Toon Treasury of Classic Children’s Comics (Abrams), edited by Art Spiegelman and Françoise Mouly, another anthology that young readers might want to check out.

Next, Gwen and Andy turn to Dare to Disappoint: Growing Up in Turkey, a graphic memoir by Özge Samanci, an artist and assistant professor at Northwestern University, who describes her upbringing in Izmir, Turkey, on the Aegean Sea during the 1980s and 1990s, during a time of political and social upheaval. Samanci attempts to please her parents, her teachers, and her friends by following the approved social script of getting excellent marks on her exams, enrolling in a university major such as engineering, and settling down to raise a family. However, as with most free spirits, Samanci learns that if she wishes to be happy, she must step out of her comfort zone and pursue her dreams. Published by Farrar, Strauss and Giroux, Samanci’s comic has been designated for readers aged 14 and above. However, Gwen explains that while Dare to Disappoint contains some allusions to violence and sexuality, for the most part, the memoir focuses on the cultural, familial, and intellectual influences that combine to form Samanci’s path to becoming an artist.

Both Gwen and Andy praise the artistry of the text, noting that although Samanci studied the comics form for years, and has been publishing comics online since 2006, she resists the traditional waffle pattern that characterizes many contemporary graphic novels. She uses a number of techniques, especially collage and the judicious use of color and sightlines, to create a highly readable and visually gorgeous comic.

Gwen observes that one of the central characters in Dare to Disappoint is Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of the Turkish republic in the 1920s, whose emphasis on secular democracy, combined with paternalism, made him a national hero whose portrait was prominently displayed in every public building and in every home during Samanci’s youth. Just as young Marjane Satrapi engages in conversations with God in Persepolis, Ôzge confides her worries and desires to a portrait of Atatürk, and to give the reader a sense for how influential his presence is to the school children of her generation, Samanci recounts the excitement she feels when her sister gives her a large ruler that includes cut-outs of a number of shapes, enabling her to draw, as she says, “a perfect circle, triangle, square, and…Ataturk!” (40). Not surprisingly, the profile of Atatürk is the first one in a series of rows of cutouts, and as young Özge writes, “If you are going to draw Atatuürk, you have to draw him right. Otherwise, you are in deep trouble (40).

In a recent interview on the PBS program Chicago Tonight, Samanci pointed out that the cutout of Atatürk served an important purpose for the entire graphic memoir. She says, “I’m dealing with this cookie cutter educational system that traps people into a box which leads to occupations that they don’t care about. So it’s a beautiful metaphor for the [theme of] the book.”

Both Gwen and Andy note that Dare to Disappoint treated many of the universal conflicts that young people face as they come of age, while also providing a window on a fascinating time in Turkish history. They recommend Samanci’s text to teens and to adults as an engaging and aesthetically-sophisticated comic. However, they both also agreed that the first half of the memoir, which focuses on Özge’s early childhood, could make an interesting read for parents to share with younger readers.