The TradeWaiters

It’s real-talk, 1906-style. For today’s episode, Jam, Jon, Jeff, Jess, and Kaye read "A Bintel Brief: Love and Longing in Old New York" by Liana Finck. This unusual memoir takes the advice column from a hundred-year-old Yiddish newspaper and translates it into comics. It’s a unique window into a bygone age, as well as a personal journey through the author’s heritage. It sparked a lot of conversation amongst our group.

Music by Sleuth.

Our next episode will be on "Batwoman: Elegy" by Greg Rucka and J.H. Williams III.

Archie has continuity now?? For today’s episode, local Archie expert Kathleen Jacques joins us as we read "Archie" Volumes 1 and 2, the reboot written by Mark Waid and drawn by Fiona Staples, Annie Wu, and Veronica Fish. We discover who has never read an Archie comic before, how the reboot reads to long-time fans, what the deal is with the #lipstickincident, and how this version of Archie compares to a certain TV series.

Music by Sleuth.

Our next episode will be on "A Bintel Brief" by Liana Finck.

"Why Art?" by Eleanor Davis is a meditation on what art means for the artist and for society. This surreal story isn’t one that can be easily pinned down, but it is complex and insightful, and Jess, Jam, Jeff, and kgros will spend some time unpacking it with you. Read it, listen in, and decide if you want it on YOUR fantasy football curriculum vitae.

Music by Sleuth.

Our next episode will be on "Archie" volumes 1 & 2 by Mark Waid, Fiona Staples, and Veronica Fish.

Comics are the closest thing to the experience of remembering. "The Complete Persepolis" is Marjane Satrapi’s memoir of growing up in Iran, living through the Iranian Revolution and the Iran-Iraq War, moving to Europe alone at fourteen, and returning home to a country she barely recognized. It’s one of the best comics ever made, and now you can listen to the TradeWaiters gush about it for an hour.

Music by Sleuth.

Our next episode will be on "Why Art?" by Eleanor Davis.

Today’s episode is about unreliable narrators. Also it’s about "I Kill Giants" by Joe Kelly and JM Ken Niimura. Barbara is a troubled middle schooler who may or may not kill giants, and Jess, Jon, Jeff, and Jam have a lot to talk about as we dive into this story. Unless we don’t. We might decide to talk about pastel goths vs. soft bois instead. There may be a movie adaptation of this book, which you may have heard of, but we haven’t seen it so we can’t say.

Music by Sleuth.

Our next episode will be on "The Complete Persepolis" by Marjane Satrapi.

It’s like Goofus without Gallant. For this episode we read "Fante Bukowski" by Noah Van Sciver, a short, indie graphic novel about a failed writer who is basically the worst. Check out the book and then listen in to find out what Jess, Jon, and Jeff thought about it. We’ve got plenty of good writers’ tips to share, like don’t die, and manage your moose anger.

Music by Sleuth.

Our next episode will be on "I Kill Giants" by Joe Kelly and JM Ken Niimura.

Anyone can be a comics reader. That’s an oft-repeated theme on the TradeWaiters. And it became the guiding mantra of our first-ever LIVE episode, recorded at this year’s VanCAF. On “How to Hook Your Friends on Comics,” Jon, Jeff, Jam, and Jess will share four books that YOU can use to get more people reading comics, and offer some advice on what hooking someone on comics really means.

Our picks this week were:

the "Elephant and Piggie" and "Pigeon" books by Mo Willems

"Bone" by Jeff Smith

"Yotsuba&" by Kiyohiko Azuma

and "Acme Novelty Library" #18 by Chris Ware

Music by Sleuth.

Our next episode will cover "Fante Bukowski" by Noah Van Sciver

Get down with the magical commune. This episode Jon, Jess, Jeff, Jam, and Kaye read "The Witch Boy" by Molly Knox Ostertag, and it was a universal favourite. "The Witch Boy" is a middle grade graphic novel about magic, gender roles, and defeating dragons. Our panelists also reveal their cat-sonas and talk about the Scholastic book order forms.

Music by Sleuth.

Our next episode will be our fiftieth anniversary edition, recorded live at VanCAF 2018!

Listen in as Jon, Jess, Jeff, Jam, and Kaye read "The Prince and the Dressmaker" by Jen Wang. This book is a stunning piece of cartooning and an instant classic. It’s a fairytale-esque historical drama about a genderfluid prince and his fashion designer slash muse slash confidante.

TradeWaiters episodes have been sparse in the last few months, which Jon would like to apologize for, so to make up for it for the next while episodes will be released every other week until we’re caught up.

Music by Sleuth.

Our next episode will be on "The Witch Boy" by Molly Knox Ostertag.

In today’s episode Jam, Jeff, Jon, and Kaye read the first two volumes of "Battle Angel Alita" by Yukito Kishiro. Join us in the bleak, dystopian future of this nineties manga where robot bodies are cheap but freedom is not. Spoiler alert: one of the Tradewaiters didn’t like this book, and another doesn’t like movies.

Music by Sleuth.

Our next episode will be on "The Prince and the Dressmaker" by Jen Wang.