The TradeWaiters

The TradeWaiters return like the rising sun to bring you "All-Star Superman" by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely. This limited series turned trade paperback takes us deeper into DC lore than we’ve ever gone before, and we bring you back tales of the unimaginable, opining on pacing, and the magic of character body language. If you ever wanted to know the secret formula for a really good Superman story, or to uncover what superheroes and Pokemon have in common, look no further.

Music by Sleuth

Our next episode will be on "Barefoot Gen" volumes 1 and 2 by Keiji Nakazawa.

"Sparks" artist Nina Matsumoto joins our panelists to talk about "The Batman Adventures: Mad Love" by Paul Dini and Bruce Timm. This was the first appearance of Harley Quinn in a comic and the origin story of one of DC’s most iconic characters today. We talk about the behind the scenes story of Harley Quinn’s creation, the mainstream comics debut of two of superherodom’s most influential creators, and what goes into making a really good Batman story.

Music by Sleuth

On our next episode will be on "All-Star Superman" by Greg Morrison and Frank Quitely

Are you ready for a tale of tragedy and unrequited love (probably)? Come, sit down, and gather round as we read "Descending Stories" by Haruko Kumota. This series is “manga on hard-mode,” and is our first introduction to the Japanese art of rakugo, or “falling stories.” Join us as we struggle to grasp the key ideas of an art form none of us have any prior connection to, untangle some (possible) triangles, and discuss the life and death of art forms generally.

Music by Sleuth

On our next episode we will be joined by Nina Matsumoto to read "Mad Love" by Paul Dini and Bruce Timm.

This week we read "Space Boy" by Stephen McCranie. Discussion (and spoilers) for the episode will cover either volumes 1 and 2 of the tankobon-sized graphic novels, or up to episode 32 of the Webtoon. We’ll spend half of the episode talking about the Webtoon format, and then get into this soft scifi story about a girl from space (also there is a boy). We’ll talk about netgear, high school, and also learn that the antithesis of “manic pixie dream-girl” is in fact “moody emo dream-boy.”

Music by Sleuth.

Our next episode will cover volumes 1&2 of "Descending Stories" by Haruko Kumota.

This week we read "The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Cartoonist" by Adrian Tomine, diving deep into the most negative parts of one cartoonist’s psyche. We talk about the important place of “sad old man” comics in comics history, mumblecore, lonely book signings, and how cilantro salad is cringe (but only metaphorically). Also how important format is to the storytelling in this book.

Music by Sleuth

Our next episode will cover volumes 1&2 of "Space Boy" by Stephen McCranie.

Jam, Jeff, and JD return to Alberta for the rest of Kate Beaton's "Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands." We still have lots to talk about as Kate survives her own journey of being metaphorically trapped in a tailings pond. We'll talk about resource extraction, Canadian history, late capitalism, misogyny, and (be warned) sexual assault.

Music by Sleuth.

Our next episode will cover "The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Cartoonist" by Adrian Tomine.

Today’s episode takes Jam, Jeff, and JD to northern Alberta with Kate Beaton’s "Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands." Kate is better known for her comics making jokes about history, but "Ducks" IS history. This first-hand account of the time Kate spent working in, and surviving, the oil industry will likely be a primary source for readers for years to come. This is not an easy story, so be ready for it to go to some dark places. Although we’ve saved the conversation about sexual assault for the follow-up episode.

Music by Sleuth.

This week Jam, Jeff, and JD read and talk about "Mare Internum" by Der-Shing Helmer. This is a character-driven sci-fi webcomic turned graphic novel that goes to some dark places in the belly of Mars. We’ll talk about dying climates, extraterrestrials, and our panelists’ complete lack of pioneer spirit. Be aware that this book travels deep into depression and a bunch of other content warnings. #abillionyeardepressiveepisode #justMarsthings

Music by Sleuth.

Our next episode will cover "Ducks" by Kate Beaton.

This year our panelists returned to their first convention in a very long time, VanCAF 2022, and walked away with some books worth sharing. We discuss "Prince of Cats" by Ronald Wimberly, "Mmm Syrup" and "Prayer of the Ninth House" by Tajliya Jamal, "Swim Team" by Johnnie Christmas, "Science Ghost" by Christian Haruki Lett, "You Can’t Get There from Here" by Shannon Kao, "Where Have You Been?" by Ivana Filipovich, "Nothing Can Possibly Go Wrong" by Prudence Shen and Faith Erin Hicks, "The Year 50 Project" by Jason Turner, and "Our Little Secret" by Emily Carrington. We also get into the past and future of comics conventions and comics infrastructure, cosplay, -bounding, and Comics Prom. There’s a lot to talk about!

Music by Sleuth.

Our next episode will be on "Mare Internum" by Dershing Helmer

This week Jam, Jeff, and JD read "Yotsuba&!" by Kiyohiko Azuma, for a breath of fresh air and a story with the lowest stakes imaginable. We get into reliving childhood, the importance of a good translator, top tier comedic pacing, and ask who this comic is actually supposed to be for (Is it us? Is it made for us three?) We’re not going to ignore some of the gross ecchi, but we’ll also have a hard time not just laughing all the way through the episode.

Music by Sleuth.

Our next episode will be on VanCAF 2022.