0:01-14:30: Welcome back to part two of our sorta-annual “asked and answered” episode! Jeff is no longer in in Portland, Oregon, so we are once again “back on the cans,” as Graeme puts it. Others (not nearly so generous) might say we are “back on our bullshit”, as not even two minutes go by before we are discussing this CBS news story about Marvel in which C.B. Cebulski and Sana Amanat are interviewed and…hoo boy. We would say the story speaks for itself…but, really, what would be the point of us if it did?
14:30-37:45: And now, on with the questions! Cinema Strikes Back asks: If you could install new leadership for Marvel and/or DC, who would you pick? With an cold eye towards improving sales and market relations while also trying to improve less tangible metrics like quality and diversity. Also, read the original Battle Angel Alita series yet?
37:45-40:16: Carlos Aguilar wants to know: What are either of your thoughts/critiques on DEVILMAN (manga or anime)? Thanks!
40:16-57:14: Jesse Morgan wonders: How did DC manage to keep the quality up on Rebirth? What did they do different, and can they keep it up?
57:14-1:07:38: Here’s Lee, who would like to find out: As someone moving across coasts soon, how would you decide which (if any) physical comics to keep, especially given how cheap digital comics are nowadays?
1:07:38-1:17:08: K. Jeffrey Petersen is curious: What do you think of the numerous similarities between Stan Lee and Donald Trump? Would the world be better if Trump had gone into publishing and Lee into politics?
1:17:08-1:24:34: Raphael Duffy asks: Kind of a selfish question and I know you’ve answered it before but it’s quick: for people who have never read UK comics before what’s a good/fast to get into 2000AD since Graeme is raving about it?
1:24:34-1:35:44: Simon Russell queries: Are most (all?) of superhero comics poorer fo the loss of thought bubbles? HINT: It means done-in-one stories are harder to do (less compact), character development is massively truncated, and everything is so bloomin’ SERIOUS all the time.
1:35:44-1:42:35: Dan White says: Could you please fantasy cast the following 2000ad movies: Strontium Dog, Zenith, Nemesis, Rogue Trooper and Bad Company?
1:42:35-1:43:57: Steve Morris asks: Rabbits?
1:43:57-1:46:48: Lee Carey wonders: Graeme, which Jack Kirby character do you think Jeff most resembles, and visa versa?
1:46:48-1:53:11: Tom Shapira would like to know: if you had to staff 2000AD with American creators – who would work on what strips?
1:53:11-2:00:47: For half our semester grade, Jonathan Sapsed quizzes: Why did the ‘British Invasion’ happen in the 80s? Which country/culture is best positioned to ‘invade’ US comics now?
2:00:47-2:01:40: Just when Dan Billings was settling down for the night, he realized he also wanted to ask: What price do you think a single floppy will cost in 2025?
2:01:40-2:11:54: Max Blanchard demands to know: Waffle window?
2:04:33-2:11:54: Darth Selfie brings the noise! What Marvel character do you hope they never adapt for the MCU? If you weren’t doing a podcast about comics, what would you be podcasting about? If you weren’t into comics, what fun/weird/stupid hobby would fill the vacuum in the lives of an alternate universe Jeff and Graeme?
2:11:54-2:15:25: Tom Shapira returns with a bonus question for @Lazybastid – what mangaka would you take to work on 2000AD?
2:15:25-2:20:35: And to close us out, Scott asks: Are either of you reading Kill or be Killed by Brubaker and Phillips? What do you think of it?
2:20:35-end: No more questions so…. (eventually, after talking about Solo, You Are Deadpool, Deadpool 2 ): closing comments! Look for us on Stitcher! Itunes! Twitter together and separately: Graeme and Jeff! Matt! Tumblr, and on Patreon where a wonderful group of people make this all possible, including the kind crew at American Ninth Art Studios and Empress Audrey, Queen of the Galaxy, to whom we are especially grateful for their continuing support of this podcast.
NEXT WEEK: Baxter Building! Join us for a discussion of Fantastic Four issues #356-361.
And if you need to cut and paste this for your own nefarious uses:
http://theworkingdraft.com/media/podcasts2/WaitWhat249.mp3
Jeff! Devilman Crybaby isn’t as into Legend of the Overfiend as you think, Overfiend is just really into Nagai’s Devilman, it’s a whole weird trip.
Huh! I guess I really gotta crack open that collection then. Thank you!
Graeme: Miffy is a Dutch rabbit character from children’s books and cartoons.
Also, if Nicola Scott doesn’t count as an American creator (as she is Australian), neither does Ryan North (who is Canadian).
I thought about this particular point re: Ryan North when writing the show notes, and although “American” gets used widely as “member of the United States,” I think it’s also correct to use as a “member of North American continent.” (Arguably more so in a technical sense, less so in a widely accepted sense.)
So I agree with you, but–I can also see a basis for a hootenanny of an argument.
when asking the question I just meant non-British. anyone else who works in the American market is fair
Thank you for clarifying, Tom! That’s great, because I thought my pick was pretty good!
Another example to add to this not being the New 52 universe would be King’s Mr Miracle. Not really Kirby, but far closer than that last version.
I immediately imagined Tim Curry being the voice of animated Nemesis. I can’t decide whether realising Kevin O’Neill’s world in CG would be something I’d like, but it would be interesting.
My idea re- non-Brits working on 2000AD
Christopher Priest and Jason Latour on Judge Dredd
Jason Aaron and Corey Lewis on ABC Warriors
Becky Cloonan on Slaine
Mags Visagio and Tillie Walden on Judge Anderson
Tom King and Mitch Gerades on Button Man
Larry Hama and Lee Weeks on Rogue Trooper
Colleen Coover on Walter the Wobot
Katie Skelly on Durham Red
Tom Scioli on Zombo
Regarding your question “who pays attention to Heavy Metal?” allow me to direct your attention to my ongoing reread of Heavy Metal – heavymetalmagazine.tumblr.com
I’m still in the early 2000s in my re-read, but I do know that Morrison is still the editor of the current incarnation. And his editorials aren’t any more overwritten than anything that had come before, as far as I can tell.
Hey, Dave Austin here, Cinema_Strikes on Twitter. I typically don’t go by my real name on Twitter ‘cause that place is a damn snake pit and I have a somewhat sensitive job, though I’m fine out of that context. Thanks for answering the questions, and I hope you do circle back to Alita – the first series is both substantially shorter, and in my opinion, substantially stronger than the sequel. I’ve just picked up the first 3 volumes of the new series, but haven’t had a chance to read them yet.
Concerning thought balloons in comics, does Margaret Atwood’s use of them in her ‘Angel Catbird’ series seem likely to have any general effect? Perhaps it will be generally ignored as these are playful, fun superhero comics.
However, with three superhero graphic novels published, Ms Atwood certainly qualifies for the ‘what strip in 2000ad she’d be best suited to write’ question.
If you liked (or found interesting) Lindsay Ellis’ Guardians video (linked above), I would 100% recommend checking out the rest of her channel. The video on the movie of Rent is a good place to start.
One idea for you guys to do when you get to the end of the first FF run is the old torch and Thing stories in Strange Tales. I just looked on amazon and used copies of Essential Human Torch which reprints them all is less the 15 bucks. Lots of Kirby and other Marvel silver age stuff that I think you would enjoy. And more Lee Kirby FF stuff that I think people don’t think of when they think FF.
Is it Kirby and Lee’s fault, particularly on the FF, that US creators have such trouble writing scripts for shorter than 20-ish pages? Looking in the 40s and 50s there are plenty of 6, 7 or 8 page stories which are pretty enjoyable in US comics. Is this the first big decompression of superhero comics, an opportunity for widescreen action that has shaped the medium in that market to the extent that adjusting to a shorter form is such a challenge?
Speaking of good “ins” to 2000 AD, the most recent Meg is packaged with the collected Block Judge, a recent Wagner/Ezquerra story that was aces, and entirely self-contained.
Re: Steve Wacker being editor in chief of Marvel- Wacker is well liked among creatives and his name is on some pretty good books but:
http://4thletter.net/2012/02/thats-a-one-hot-team-every-ten-issues-average/
http://4thletter.net/2012/02/the-prophet-exception-more-on-artist-changes/
http://4thletter.net/2012/02/this-is-what-they-think-about-you-2/
http://4thletter.net/2012/02/watch-who-you-beef-with/
Here is Steve Wacker, six and a half years ago, harassing David Brothers for a week over reasonable comments he made about artist changes hurting his books, apparently sparked by something one of David’s commenters said.
Believe me, there’s a reason I said I hate the guy, Dan.
I know, I was just looking for an excuse to remind people that that happened, and Steve himself he happens to be self-googling.
I wonder: Would David had been so quick to remind the world of Akira Yoshida’s true identity if this hadn’t happened? Do you wonder, Steve? I bet you do.
The funny thing about the Akira Yoshida scandal is that the people who keep mentioning it and dunking on and LOLing about it (Uzi is one off the top of my head) then get extremely precious when Chris Simms’ history of abuse online is brought up. Cebulski stuffed up big time but the online carryon as if he killed someone is getting a bit too much and some perspective needed.
Yeah, with Cebulski I have to invoke the Bill Maher “No one died!” especially when everyone says “he has to make amends!” with whom? for whom? and how? And no one can answer that (not even Graeme). What he did was shady and staggeringly stupid, yes, but there is no provable harm it did to any individual.
Whereas in Sims’ case there is provable harm he has admitted to, and even people he doesn’t speak to anymore, like Kieran Shiach, still feel the need to carry his water. Elle Collins sees nothing wrong with unpersoning Howard Chaykin but still calls Sims one of the best people they’ve ever known.
Not that I think Sims is history’s greatest monster, or that Valerie D’Orazio is completely innocent. There are some things about their conflict that I’m still confused about and I don’t think we’ll ever truly know. But Sims’ childish, unwarranted bullying of D’Orazio ended five years before any of us found out about it, and I don’t see the point about haranguing about it 8 years after the fact if he’s kept his nose clean.