The Runs Podcast

By @ohyesverynice

The runs is a discussion podcast about runs of comic books, hosted by Ryan Alexander-Tanner and featuring a different fascinating guest each episode.... more

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FAQs about The Runs Podcast:

How many episodes does The Runs Podcast have?

The podcast currently has 26 episodes available.

The Runs Podcast episodes:

March 25, 2024 Peter Bagge's Hate Part 2 with Whit Taylor

The Runs Podcast Season 2 Finale! We're closing out strong, with another deep dive into Peter Bagge's Indy comics canonical series, Hate, with Whit Taylor (Fizzle, Dead Air, The Nib), who is one of my very favorite people to dish comics with. We get into the nuts and bolts of this series, which really arrives at its fully-formed self in these issues. Great character development, compelling stories, and unique and expertly crafted cartooning is present in each issue. We also discuss some of the aspects of the series that are more difficult to talk about, as what was controversial in the 90's may be unacceptable for some audiences today. Does it hold up? Listen and find out!
Thanks so much to everyone who listened to this season! Drop me a line if you want me to do another one.
Here's a link to The Runs Comics Podcast on iTunes. And here's the link to the show on Spotify. Be sure to subscribe, rate and review!
And here's a link if you'd like the stream the episode.

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1h 25min
March 18, 2024 Hama and Wagner's Nth Man with Zack Soto

Nth Man: The Ultimate Ninja is a series that I never gave a chance as a kid, and it would have stayed that way if Zack Soto (The Secret Voice, Power Button. Study Group) hadn't chosen it for this episode. This series is an early 90's deep cut, featuring World War 3, a Stevan Seagal-esque American Ninja, and some rather overt parallels to Akira. Was I pleasantly surprised, or is this another episode where I complain about the run the entire time? Either way, Soto declares this to be Larry Hama's masterpiece, and this episode could be the start of an online campaign to finally have this series collected in a nicely bound book. You heard it here first!
Here's a link to The Runs Comics Podcast on iTunes. And here's the link to the show on Spotify. Be sure to subscribe, rate and review!
And here's a link if you'd like the stream the episode.

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1h 31min
March 11, 2024 Jhonen Vasquez's Squee with Julia Gfrörer

This episode isn't sponsored by Hot Topic, but it might as well be. Brilliant cartoonist Julia Gfrörer (Laid Waste, Black is the Color) comes by to talk about a formative run for her, Jhonon Vasquez's tremendously popular goth comic, Squee. If you don't like the episodes where I talk about how crappy I think the run is, you should probably skip this one. Otherwise, put on your Jnco pants, crank up some Rasputina, and indulge in this gleefully sullen episode.
Here's a link to The Runs Comics Podcast on iTunes. And here's the link to the show on Spotify. Be sure to subscribe, rate and review!
And here's a link if you'd like the stream the episode.

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0min
March 04, 2024 Jack Kirby's Fourth World with Jason Levian

It was not my intention for this podcast to be so focused on 70's Kirby, but I can't say I mind it, either. Jason Levian, owner of Floating World Comics, sits down with me to talk about the first few issues of each of the four series that form the Fourth World, an ahead-of-it-time epic by one of comics all-time great storytellers. It exists at the epicenter of genius and madness, and you'll love hearing Jason's take on it.
Here's a link to The Runs Comics Podcast on iTunes. And here's the link to the show on Spotify. Be sure to subscribe, rate and review!
And here's a link if you'd like the stream the episode.

...more
1h 44min
February 26, 2024 Slott and Allred's Silver Surfer with Ben Dewey

I met Ben Dewey (Autumnlands, Beasts of Burden, Namor, Vampirella, The Tragedy Series, etc. etc.) about 20 years ago when we worked together on a Roller Derby comic. He's been one of those guys in comics that I'm always happy to chat with when I get a chance ever since. He picked Dan Slott and Mike Allred's Silver Surfer run to discuss. Mike Allred is one of the greats and Dan Slott... well, he's fine, too. Find out why Ben picked this run, and hear him compare drawing comics to being a musician in more ways than one.

Here's a link to The Runs Comics Podcast on iTunes. And here's the link to the show on Spotify. Be sure to subscribe, rate and review!
And here's a link if you'd like the stream the episode.

...more
1h 35min
February 19, 2024 Strakzynski and Romita Jr.'s Amazing Spider-Man with Mark Ginocchio

Mark Ginocchio, co-host of the Amazing Spider-Talk Podcast, comes by this week to talk about... Spider-Man. But not just any Spider-Man! This is one of the most divisive runs in Spider-Man History, as evidenced by Mark declaring that it's the run that made him a Spider-Man lifer and me dumping all over it. In a very unintuitive-for-the-internet approach, things never get heated, we just each present our opposing point of views of praise and scorn for this love-it-or-hate it run. I will, however, apologize in advance to all of Mark's regular listeners for being such a negative Nancy.
Here's a link to The Runs Comics Podcast on iTunes. And here's the link to the show on Spotify. Be sure to subscribe, rate and review!
And here's a link if you'd like the stream the episode.
...more
1h 36min
February 12, 2024 McDuffie and Bright's Icon with Ronell Whitaker

This week's guest is comics educator Ronell Whitaker, who chose Icon as the run to discuss. Icon was the flagship title of the Milestone line, which may have been the only new comics universe worth following of all the many that launched in the early 90's. Ronell is the first guest that I'd never spoken with before recording but I found him to be very interesting and easy to talk to. I'm really glad he proposed that we read this series because it's definitely a hidden gem of the 90's and there are lots of interesting elements within it to get into. Just as a tip of the iceberg, it may be the only superhero comic in which one of the main heroes is shown buying a home pregnancy test.
Here's a link to The Runs Comics Podcast on iTunes. And here's the link to the show on Spotify. Be sure to subscribe, rate and review!
And here's a link if you'd like the stream the episode.
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1h 32min
February 05, 2024 The Mutant Massacre with Zayd Dohrn

This week's guest recently won the DuPont Columbia University Award for audio and visual journalism for his podcast, Mother Country Radicals, and now he's here to talk with me about The Mutant Massacre. Zayd Dohrn is an accomplishment playwright, film and tv writer, and a low key comic book nerd. This episode marks the first time that a crossover event is discussed instead of a single title. Find out why The Mutant Massacre had such an impact on Zayd in his youth and hear my spiel about why crossover events ruined mainstream comics. All this, plus an issue of Ann Nocenti's Daredevil!
Here's a link to The Runs Comics Podcast on iTunes. And here's the link to the show on Spotify. Be sure to subscribe, rate and review!
And here's a link if you'd like the stream the episode.

...more
1h 35min
January 29, 2024 Kyoko Okazaki's Pink with Xena Lopez

Up-and-coming comics superstar Xena Lopez comes on the show this week to talk about a series I'd never heard of, Pink by Kyoko Okazaki. We talk about manga, memoir, sex work and working at the library.

Here's a link to The Runs Comics Podcast on iTunes. And here's the link to the show on Spotify. Be sure to subscribe, rate and review!
And here's a link if you'd like the stream the episode.
...more
1h 6min
January 22, 2024 Dan Clowes' Eightball with Peter Bagge

One of the greatest living cartoonists, Peter Bagge (Hate, Yeah!, Weirdo) comes on the show this week to talk about an early run by another one of the greatest living cartoonists, Dan Clowes. This is one of those episodes where I couldn't really believe that I got to have this conversation. Listen in to learn how one all-time-great cartoonist's work inspired another all-time-great cartoonist. Plus, some stuff about what it's like to teach college students these days. And a really exciting update about Hate comics!!!
Here's a link to The Runs Comics Podcast on iTunes. And here's the link to the show on Spotify. Be sure to subscribe, rate and review!
And here's a link if you'd like the stream the episode.

...more
0min

FAQs about The Runs Podcast:

How many episodes does The Runs Podcast have?

The podcast currently has 26 episodes available.