episode 023: best of 2013

alec and joey return again to reflect on what comics they enjoyed in the year 2013. hear them sound like a couple of stoned teenagers as they discuss batman incorporated by grant morrison and chris burnham, pompeii by frank santoro, battling boy by paul pope, life zone by simon hanselmann, the end of the fucking world by charles forsman, backyard by sam alden, household by sam alden, training by josh simmons, fatale by ed brubaker and sean phillips, sex by joe casey and piotr kowalski, satellite sam by matt fraction and howard chaykin, the manhattan projects by jonathan hickman and nick pitarra, sky in stereo #2 by mardou, fury max by garth ennis and goran parlov, change by ales kot and morgan jeske, jupiter's legacy by mark millar and frank quitely, copra by michel fiffe, 3 new stories by dash shaw, new school by dash shaw, lose #5 by michael deforge, optic nerve #13 by adrian tomine, internet comics by mare odomo, young avengers by kieron gillen and jamie mckelvie, so long silver screen by blutch, and more.

music by a$ap ferg

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interview 001: michel fiffe

by Alec Berry

For those unaware, Michel Fiffe is a cartoonist currently self-producing a monthly action comic book titled 'Copra'. If you'd like more info on the book itself, check out this piece I wrote over at Comics Should Be Good. Anyway, I'm excited about the project, and I have interviewed Michel in the past, so I figured now was a good time to catch up.

Alec Berry: You’re a fan of the Ostrander/McDonnell 'Suicide Squad' run obviously, how did that and any other influences inform your approach to 'Copra'?

Michel Fiffe: Oh, yeah, I love those comics, the Ostrander/Kim Yale stuff. That title had it all and it still holds up remarkably well. The basic set up of the old Suicide Squad is what I’m re-purposing but I’m also trying to capture its spirit. I’ve always been into Frank Miller and Walt Simonson, so those are strong influences. It really jumps all over the place, but mostly I'm tapping into the mainstream guys I've always loved: Erik Larsen, Norm Breyfogle, Tony Salmons, Klaus Janson.

What about those guys are you tapping into? I picked up on a 'Savage Dragon' influence,with the book's tendency to riff and improve upon some established archetypes. But what about Breyfogle or Salmons?

I like the energy in their work, which may seem like the most obvious thing, but I’m surprised at how little I see it anywhere else. Their work is full of life, there’s a bold energy at work there,and I wanted to tap into. That approach works better in an adventure story and under these deadline parameters. As for archetypes, well, I’m playing off more obscure characters and mixing them up with original ones. It just lends to the unpredictable nature of who shows up, who I want to work over. It's loving irreverence on my part.

So is it safe to say this is your big, old love letter to the comics and creators you enjoy?

It’s a blunt scrawl, yes.

Doing 'Copra' monthly ... is that a test for yourself, sort of akin to your thoughts on cartoonists cutting their teeth with anthologies?

I suppose it can be seen as a test. The schedule's not the unknown quantity though, it's the material. The real test is if readers respond to this type of story, or my version of this type of story. Basically, I didn't want to die without the world having seen my version of Deadshot.

I ask because you've mentioned “breaking the Kirby barrier” and living in that deadline grind. You seem to have some sort of interest in that.

I do, I have a strong interest in producing a lot and producing it efficiently but still having it be as good as I could make it. Making comics is enough of an unforgiving time consumer as it is, so I figured out a way to not freeze up every step of the way.

How far ahead did you work out the book before announcing it and selling the first issue? Talk about the pre-production of a project like this and paint a timeline.

I'm basically an issue ahead. I have a month to produce it all, so it takes a week to complete every major step in production: writing, art, color, formatting. Then there's distribution and online stuff. It honestly didn't seem real to me until the first issue was complete. Looking back I should have waited to have a few issues in the can, but where's the fun in that?

Well, that seems like its part of your experience with this. It almost would seem off if you gave yourself a lot of lead time.

Right, like the heat’s not on if I take my sweet time.

I've read 'Copra' and have my own interpretations, but what do you want to tackle here that can’t be/isn’t tackled in commercial comics?

It doesn't matter because they're in another world, you know? They have other concerns, so my opinions on what they're doing are beyond moot. I do know that working at my level, I don't have a corporate or editorial edict to work within or against. That's a benefit.

So you’re just doing your own thing, unconcerned with any bigger pictures?

I’m guessing you’re asking about either the context or the subtext, or the bigger meaning behind the comic?

I’m not the person to do that, to break it down like that. I think the fact that this comic exists, that I’m just one guy trying to make a solid comic series with no frills, no fanfare, can be seen as a statement in itself. But as to what the meaning behind it is? I can’t say with clarity; I’m in the middle of saying it.

How do you approach direction and motion when constructing action?

You don't really care about this, do you, Alec? I dunno. Does it look cool? That's all I care about these days. Is it keeping my interest levels high?

Ah, I mean, I do care. This is an action comic and the way action is composed seems to be an important feature. I mean, is there anything past it just looking cool in terms of your thought process?

I don’t mean to be glib. I care, too, of course. I over think these things to death, and I’d hate to grind this to a halt by rattling on about the importance of a punch’s direction. I map out a fight, I stage the action and their consequences, and I strive to have it make sense, have it be clear. I want the violence to be not romanticized but made larger than life by the hand of vulnerable, ridiculous, dangerous characters. I aim for ballet and probably land on butchery. A page turn is important, a widescreen shot versus a staggered tier is important, shapes, powers, personalities, these are all useful. Half the first issue is one big fight scene, but I planned the hell out of it. Every single detail was considered.

What about color? I know it looks cool, but that’s a trademark move of yours at this point.Is there any further thought into why you color your comics in such a way? Just a style thing?

Color serves these stories well, too. Superheroes need color to work. That’s why black and white reprints don’t do it for me.

Sales wise, how has 'Copra' fared compared to say 'Zegas' or 'Deathzone!' ?

It’s doing better than I ever imagined. I just went back to print on the first two issues, which came from left field. The original print run was based on my 'Zegas'/'Deathzone!' sales, so this has been more than a pleasant surprise. Totally caught me off guard.

Do you feel there’s a ceiling, or limit you can sell, because you’re distributing the books yourself, or is that not a concern?

I've thought about it, and it feels wrong to say no to more business, y’know? I don’t want less readers! Realistically, I can only print as many as I can afford to. That’s the bottom line. And since I’m doing all the office work myself, there is a bit of a warning sign that I should ideally hire someone to do it if it gets any bigger. This is still small enough where I can stuff envelopes myself, manage money and deal with the printer and the retail stores, all while taking care of the customer service stuff. The positive side is that I don’t have Diamond taking a cut. Or a publisher. Or a collaborator. I oversee the majority of things.

The ultimate hope for this project?

To find it in the dollar bins at Koch's warehouse in Brooklyn? Maybe a collection down the line, or another 12 issues after the first year. Honestly, Alec, my ultimate hope right this second is to get #4 out the door in time to make the printer schedule.

'Copra' #3 is now on sale. Visit Fiffe's website for more information and back issues.

episode 021: collapse

alec and joey return from the brink of disaster to chat about change #1 by ales kot and morgan jeske, marvel now!, avengers #1 by jonathan hickman and jerome opena, captain america #1 by rick remender and john romita jr., cable and x-force #1 by dennis hopeless and salvador larrocca, amazing spider-man #698 by dan slott and richard elson, everything together: collected stories by sammy harkham, box brown and retrofit comics, copra #1 by michel fiffe, the 'man of steel' trailer, and much more.

music by failure

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diary of a guttersnipe 11/19/2012: when columns collide

by Shawn Starr

"Goin' up the scale and I will prevail

Sharper than the point on the tip of a nail..."

Mini-Reviews

Fantastic Four #1 (Marvel)
by Matt Fraction, Mark Bagley, Mark Farmer, Paul Mounts

Wasn't there a new 'Fantastic Four' like a year ago? Are we reaching a 'Fantastic Four' singularity? Will every 'Fantastic Four' issue soon be a #1? Will the artists keep deteriorating ? How much lower can we get than Bagley? Who? Will the next 'Fantastic Four' #1 be drawn by? a blind autistic elephant with a mangled trunk? THE MAYANS PREDICTED THIS! W E ' R E A L L G O I N G T O E V A P O R A T E I N TTTTT OOO S P A Cccccc E A N DDDDD T III M EEEEEEEE ! ! !

Anyways, this comic is terrible.

Thor: God of Thunder (Marvel)
by Jason Aaron, Esad Ribic, Dean White

Disappointment.

Copra #1 (Self-published)
by Michel Fiffe

Besides being a great toss up to the 'Suicide Squad' with psychedelic overtures not seen since Grant Morrison's 'Doom Patrol' and Peter Milligan's  'Shade, The Changing Man', 'Copra' also features production values that outshine everything else in comics, from the art comics with a print run of four to deluxe edition reprints from major publishers, you'll find nothing that matches the sheer quality as a reading object as 'Copra'. Pick up a $4 Marvel comic and then 'Copra' and try and figure out where the extra money went, the answer will inevitably be Ike Perlmutter's pocket.

Pope Hats #3 (Adhouse)
by Ethan Rilly

It's nice to read a book that you know in three years, when its out as a nice collected edition, will be the de-facto "book that everyone will recommend to their non-comic reading friends" and unlike 'Blankets', it will actually be good.

Cody (Self-published)
by Michael DeForge

'Cody' reads like a DeForge diss track only instead of going after one creator he sets his sights on every person in the medium and shouts out "I made this shit up panel to panel. GET AT ME???" and when you put 'Cody' down, and DeForge drops the artistic mic, you know no one can, because if this is DeForge fucking around then what happens when he's not?*

*The answer is 'Lose' #4 (BLAT! BLAT! MOTHERFUCKER!)

and because I couldn't even be bothered to do this half-assed column by myself, here's a guest review from Mr. Rick Vance ...

Multiple Warheads: Alphabet To Infinity #1 (Image)
by Brandon Graham

This comic feels like 'The Airtight Garage', and I know that isn't enough to talk about but it should be.  It is science fiction of the best kind, not about explanation but about natural cohesion of environment. This is a world that feels like it was both planned and created on the fly at the same time. All of what I have said is what I was expecting, however what I wasn't expecting was the second story that intertwined with the travelogue of the main characters. The bounty hunter swashbuckling story felt right out of Miyazaki's "Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind", it had weight but felt airy and kinetic, and full of incredible motion.

There was a single panel in 'King City' of Joe using his Cat almost like a sword which almost previewed what a Brandon Graham fight scene would be like but the full color realization of that promise was amazing. The fact that half of the book is a comedic travelogue and half of it is sword fight it almost shouldn't work, but the secret glue of all of Graham's comics is the puns, they are everywhere so the world feels interconnected even when it otherwise shouldn't. On top of everything else said this thing is 48 pages for 3.99 and transitioning from this to other weekly comics you immediately feel the difference of the page count and the ability he has to lay out his world and design every aspect of this comic to where he wants it.

When I finished reading the comic I had this image in my head

...and that is one of the highest compliments I can give any comic.
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"As soon as you're done making sex? "

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A continuing series of reviews/essays/thoughts on the anthology 'Thickness'

Thickness #2 (Self-published)
by Angie Wang, Michael DeForge, Brandon Graham, Mickey Zachilli, Lisa Hanawalt, True Chubbo, Jillian Tamaki
edited by Ryan Sands, Michael DeForge

Every entry in 'Thickness' #2 would in a lesser anthology be an issue defining story, but here it's difficult to think of anything being a stand out when you look at the contributors involved. That said, still Michael DeForge's 'College Girl By Night' does just that, because even in a master's class someone has to set the curve.

In 'College Girl By Night', DeForge takes the principles of EC Comics (or the lingering perception of what they were) and reinvents them for the modern day, stories of space epics or monster tales give way to DeForge's brilliant take on werewolves as a source of discussing gender identity. The transformation into a werewolf has always been explored as an aspect of the beast within man, but DeForge inverts this idea into the woman inside man which in turn allows a whole new dimension of the story to be explored. DeForge goes even further though, adding allusions to internet culture, social media, and commenting on the indecisiveness of college and planning for the future (does he want to date someone in his female form? Start a life with them? What will he/she look like in twenty years?)

'College Girls By Night' is just eight pages, but the ambition of the story puts it alongside any of the great "OGN's" in both emotional weight and thematic resonance, in less pages than many take to say a character's name.

Angie Wang's 'Untitled' is a beautiful entry, in any anthology, but what separates it from the rest of the book is it's use of action comic techniques to represent sexuality. It is impossible to look at Wang's use of the panel grid and not be reminded of a Kirby-esque action sequence, each action and movement becomes larger and more kinetic as the panel grid is stripped away (a sixteen panel grid gives way to a nine, which gives way to a four, etc.), at all times building towards a single page climax.

What Wang does though, to distinguish her story from the overcrowded field of action comics, is instead of using this technique to tell the story of two men clobbering each others brains out, she tells a small and intimate story of two women making love. It is awkward and fumbled at first, restricted by the claustrophobic sixteen panel grid, but as each character becomes more familiar with each other the pages open up and their actions become more free and natural.

In tandem with these sequences, Wang uses her dialogue to further connect with these classic fight scenes, as the action escalates each character's dialogue devolve from articulate sentences into short single word bursts and finally into abstract symbolism.

Brandon Graham's 'Dirty Deeds' may be the height of Graham's punnery, but if there was a time and place for it, 'Thickness' is it. Porn has always been the cornerstone of pun titles (with the exception of the recent crop of (Insert Superhero): A Porn Parody which are really a wasted opportunity).

In 'Dirty Deeds', Graham goes all out with his puns turning every aspect of the page into an elaborate joke, from background gags, like a robots decals reading "Sex Million Dollar Mech" to making the page layout itself sexual innuendo. Graham's previously published works of pornography ('Perverts of the Unknown', 'Multiple Warheads', and 'Pillow Fight') were always constrained because of their explicit need to be pornography first and foremost, but 'Thickness' (while being a collection of pornography) does not have the same editorial goal in mind allowing Graham to condense every pun that you would see in 'Perverts of the Unknown' into a single page of 'Diry Deeds'.

"I lost my wedding band in the pond!"

"I guess that means you're not married anymore..."

"I guess so..."

This is how Mickey Z opens her story of a temptation, a murky narrative that seems to just flow from page to page, always going somewhere, but never being forced or contorted to reach that end. 'Slime Worm' is simply that, it slimes and it worms its way to an end, illustrated in a watery, almost intangible style pushing the boundaries of what actually constitutes a grid.

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A rap oriented remake of "Rebel Without a Cause" with heavy emphasis on the fact that rap star Vanilla Ice has assumed the James Dean role.

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A odd moment of shared contempt broke out when i told Alec Berry, Joey (HARD TO SPELL ITALIAN LAST NAME), and Chad Nevett over Skype that i had no clue who or what a Steve Rude was. It's weird what people hold sacred.

'The Drifting Classroom' seems to have no qualms with violently disemboweling or setting aflame small children at every opportunity. No rain? Lets crucify this kid. Might have the Plague? Burn him alive. Being a plain old dick? Nothing a rock to the face wont solve.

I was very pleased when the guy behind me in line for beer informed everyone in shouting distance that he was fine with waiting since he had just done a bunch of pills.

Even though i have no childhood connection to Carl Bark's 'Donald Duck' comics, picking up the second volume of Fantagraphics' reprints just causes this immediate resonance. Maybe his artwork is just so built into the public iconography that everyone is exposed to it during childhood without knowing it.

Fun Fact: The total population of West Virgina is less than the city of Boston.

I guess Marvel is reducing the number of "Premiere" Hardcovers they produce, which is good news. The only thing Marvel's "Premiere" collections are the premiere of is shitty over priced money grabs.

As others have pointed out, the finals chapter of 'Marvel Comics: The Untold Story' just kind of peters out. Howe skims the major events (which is essentially the Marvel Studios films) and calls it a day. I assume the problem is anyone who could provide him with inter-office gossip is still gainfully employed by Marvel and would wish to keep their job (which makes sense), but results in a weak ending to a great book.

Letting all those mediocre nu-52 books have a couple issues to find there footing before dropping the entire line has left me giving every one of those Marvel NOW! launch titles absolutely no leeway.

The Emma Frost in 'All-New X-Men' is a clone right? Because I'm 99% certain that she was still in jail last time i saw her.
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"I'm gonna go across the street and, uh, schling a schlong."

episode 011: back in the day

in this episode joey and alec bitch about things for 20 minutes or so and then move on to discuss topics such as hellboy, criminal: the last of the innocent #1-2 by ed brubaker and sean phillips, captain america & bucky #620 by ed brubaker with marc andreyko and chris samnee, captain america #1 by ed brubaker and steve mcniven, daredevil #1 by mark waid with paolo rivera and marcos martin, rachel rising #1 by terry moore, and twisted savage dragon funnies edited by michel fiffe with stories from benjamin marra, ulises farinas, and joe keatinge among others.

music by local h

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