Episodes
Sunday Aug 03, 2014
Episode ## - No Show This Week
Sunday Aug 03, 2014
Sunday Aug 03, 2014
Hey Friends just a quick note to let you know there won't be a show this week. Recovery from SDCC, some food poisoning, life, work etc. We will be back with a great guest interview and some hot comics talk next week, we promise!
Tuesday Jul 22, 2014
Episode 52 - Nothin' But A Good Time
Tuesday Jul 22, 2014
Tuesday Jul 22, 2014
This week’s show is short and sweet, with some fun stories from Aaron about his glory days in San Diego and some specifics about how to find Andrea if you’re going to be at the con. In a non creepy way, of course. Be kind and have fun. Those are the rules.
Andrea's panel with Reading With Pictures is at 4pm on Friday, July 25. More information can be found here.
If you aren't already, you can follow Andrea on Twitter at @andreashock. Or follow her partner in crime Rod at @roderickruth for pictures and shenanigans. You can also follow Aaron at @aaronmeyers, but he'll be in Oregon. Aw snap.
Looking to meet up with us? Add your info to this list. Have a safe, fun SDCC, everyone!
And happy anniversary, Comics Therapy. Here's to another great year.
Saturday Jul 19, 2014
Episode 51 - True Colors
Saturday Jul 19, 2014
Saturday Jul 19, 2014
Two comics from Wednesday, July 16, 2014. Plus your Nerd Confessions (about your favorite character origins).
On The Couch: writer Marguerite Bennett.
Show Notes:
This week’s theme is you can’t deny who you really are. Nature or nurture, whatever it is that makes you you, can’t truly be contained. And more importantly, it shouldn’t be. You *are* a unique snowflake, and trying to be someone or something you aren’t just because other people want you to is only going to bum you out in the long term. We’re looking at two characters who are resisting their true selves, one to fit in and one to, well, not kill people. But hey, if killing people is who you are, do your thing. Maybe. In comics, anyway.
Elektra #4 19:15
An assassin with heart, and a discussion of memory and self identity.
Princess Ugg #2 31:30
A (warrior) fish out of water, and a(nother) discussion of gender roles in today's society.
The Couch - Marguerite Bennett 58:34
Marguerite has written a handful of titles for DC comics, including issues of Batgirl, Lobo, Batman: Joker’s Daughter and Superman: Lois Lane. She’s part of the writing team for the upcoming Earth 2: World’s End weekly series out this fall as well. Last week, Marvel announced that Marguerite would be writing the Lady Deathstrike story as part of The Logan Legacy following the Death of Wolverine, also out this fall. And for Boom, she’s writing the Sleepy Hollow miniseries, based on the television show, and co-writing Butterfly with Aresh Amel, published through their Archaia imprint.
Some of Marguerite's favorite books right now include Lumberjanes, Saga, Batwoman and Batgirl.
Saturday Jul 12, 2014
Episode 50 - Getting Angry Never Solved Anything
Saturday Jul 12, 2014
Saturday Jul 12, 2014
Comics Therapy. No Reviews. Just Analysis.
Three comics from Wednesday, July 9, 2014. Plus your Nerd Confessions (about comics that made you angry).
Show Notes:
This week’s theme is getting angry never solved anything. Really. It just makes things worse. We're not saying let people walk all over you, just maybe pick your battles. Chill out. C’est la vie. We’re looking at characters who haven’t quite mastered the art of taking a deep breath and counting to ten before freaking out. Shockingly, not a single one of them is big and green, either. Turns out, there’s a lot of anger in comics. Because while it may not be a great life strategy, it does make for good storytelling.
Captain Marvel #5 13:55
Punching aliens while the aliens punch you. Carol Danvers hits first and asks questions later.
Magnus Robot Fighter #5 26:57
Punching robots while the robots (and their human) punch you. Magnus hits first and never asks questions at all.
(Bonus: more Carol Danvers talk.)
Punching...your mom? While the CIA tries to punch you? Valentine is surprisingly the most level-headed of this group, so far.
(Bonus: more Carol Danvers talk AND and extended insight into Andrea's pop culture dissonance.)
Friday Jul 04, 2014
Episode 49 - I'm the World's Greatest
Friday Jul 04, 2014
Friday Jul 04, 2014
Happy 4th of July, fellow Americans.
No interview this week, but the show is up a day early. For the people.
Three comics from July 2, 2014. Plus your Nerd Confessions (about your favorite comics EVER) and a bit of Regression Therapy.
Show Notes:
This week’s theme is delusions of grandeur. We’re looking at characters who think they’re untouchable, unstoppable. That’s a pretty common trait in comics. Heroes and villains with a god complex make up probably a third of the books out there. What sorts of things have to be in play to convince an individual that he is all-powerful? And yes, shockingly, all of the delusional characters we’re looking at today happen to be male. Go figure.
Moon Knight #5 22:00
This unstable vigilante is kicking ass and taking names, looking more confident than he has in years. So far, his delusions really are pretty grand.
The White Suits #4 37:35
Who are the good guys anymore? And if revenge is the motivator behind one's actions, are those actions still done for the greater good?
Sheltered #10 52:50
A God amongst kids. Or a reprehensible leader, using his charisma - and a lot of lying - to carry out the most atrocious acts.
Saturday Jun 28, 2014
Episode 48 - Intergalactic
Saturday Jun 28, 2014
Saturday Jun 28, 2014
Two books from June 25, 2014. Plus Your Nerd Confessions (about your favorite comics set in space) and a brief moment of Regression Therapy.
On The Couch: artist Nick Pitarra.
Show Notes:
After last week’s navel gazing, we’re turning our eyes upward and outward to ponder the vastness of space and the opportunities that present themselves beyond the limits of this rock we all call home. Do the trials and tribulations of Earth translate to space or is space crime more exciting because it’s in space? And what makes someone decide to go to space in the first place? Earth may be full of issues, but at least they’re usually pretty manageable. Space is so vast and unpredictable, as we’ll see. Plus, in space, no one can hear you scream.
The Fuse #5 14:30
"It's a trap."
Letter 44 #7 29:40
"You will find that many of the truths we cling to depend greatly on our own point of view."
The Couch - Nick Pitarra 46:05
Nick is the artist and co-creator of the Eisner-nominated series The Manhattan Projects, published by Image Comics. He previously collaborated with his co-creator Jonathan Hickman on The Red Wing, also published by Image.
It's a long interview, and we kept the pre- and post-conversation in the show. Otherwise you would have missed a sweet discussion about kale. And also comics. And Skype. And drawing. Yeaahhh. It's a loooong interview. You're welcome.
Saturday Jun 21, 2014
Episode 47 - That Boy Needs Therapy
Saturday Jun 21, 2014
Saturday Jun 21, 2014
Comics Therapy. No Reviews. Just Analysis.
Two books from June 18, 2014. Plus Your Nerd Confessions (about which characters would benefit most from therapy or counseling) and a new segment, Regression Therapy.
On The Couch: cartoonist and designer Jen Vaughn.
Show Notes:
This week's theme is internal demons, specifically in the form of mental illness. There’s such a stigma in our culture when it comes to talking about this kind of stuff, and even more so when it comes to admitting it’s something you have dealt with personally. Comics - and movies, books, television, art in general - give us a chance to be honest under the guise of storytelling. Something happens, though, when that raw truth is recognizable and relatable under the fictional glaze. It’s beautiful and scary and awesome. Comics, man. Good job this week making us think.
Translucid #3 13:35
The story of the way a young boy deals with his fractured, abusive home life. How he uses fantasy to escape his tragic reality. And how this vivid disassociation itself could be the symptom of something far more insidious going on inside his head. This isn’t a superhero story in the traditional sense at all, and that’s what makes its character journeys so incredible.
Sex Criminals #6 22:40
A much more complete view of Jon than we’ve ever seen before. He’s struggling. He’s impulsive. He’s intense. He’s detaching from his own contrived reality. He needs help, because he can’t help himself. This issue is Jon’s story of the consequences of his own slippage and one possible attempt at a reset. He’s on meds, so there may not be any more impulsivity issues - bad or good - but there are also no more feelings. Everything is just fine. Until it isn’t.
The Couch - Jen Vaughn 39:55
Jen has contributed to Adventure Time and Princeless, and is part of the team doing Cartozia Tales, the all-ages anthology. Her book Avery Fatbottom: Renaissance Fair Detective - decidedly not all-ages - is published by Monkeybrain Comics. Jen also works in marketing and communications for Fantagraphics and you may have seen her in Cartoon College, the documentary film about the Center for Cartoon Studies where she did her graduate work.
Saturday Jun 14, 2014
Episode 46 - You Don't Know Me At All
Saturday Jun 14, 2014
Saturday Jun 14, 2014
Two comics from June 11, 2014. Plus your Nerd Confessions (about your favorite time meeting a creator in real life).
On The Couch: Eisner-winning writer J. M. DeMatteis
Show Notes:
This week’s theme is you ain’t who you say you are. You know that terrible feeling when you discover waaay late in the game that someone you really thought you knew is in fact totally different in every way? It never works in the positive direction, either. It’s not like suddenly they turn awesome after being a giant asshole. Noooooo. It’s totally like after years and years of trusting you really know someone BOOM! You wake up and realize it was all a lie. We’re looking at two comics that touch on that big reveal, that big realization that there’s a whole lot more - or less - going on under the surface than you expected. Could be robots. Could be secrets. Murder. Mayhem. Mystery. Could be the comic itself is completely not what you expected. Really, it’s fine.
Two cops. One is a robot. They don't know which one. Hijinks ensue. In the comic and on the show.
Original Sins #1 27:24
Another Marvel event with cosmic implications. And advertisements. And mansplaining. Not a lot of secrets, though. Weird.
The Couch - J.M. DeMatteis 42:28
Over his 35 year career, Mr. DeMatteis has written lengthy runs on Captain America and Spider-Man for Marvel, including the critically acclaimed ‘Kraven’s Last Hunt’ storyline. He’s written countless Justice League stories for DC over the years, winning the Eisner in 2004 for the mini-series Formerly Known As The Justice League with Keith Giffen and Kevin MacGuire. His graphic novels Mercy and Moonshadow among others helped launch the DC imprint Vertigo in the 90s. He’s written all-ages comics and prose, like Abadazad and the novel Imaginalis, as well as episodes of Teen Titans Go!, Ben 10 and other animated shows. He is currently writing Justice League 3000 and Justice League Dark for DC Comics.
Saturday Jun 07, 2014
Episode 45 - Aliens Exist
Saturday Jun 07, 2014
Saturday Jun 07, 2014
Comics Therapy. No Reviews. Just Analysis.
On The Couch: writer Jeremy Holt.
Show Notes:
This week we’re talking about the classic threat that has peppered speculative fiction for centuries - alien invasion. It’s a theme that we’ve touched on before, but so has virtually every civilization since the dawn of time. We’re discussing Earth under attack long after the demise of humans, leaving our successors to defend their lives and our legacy, and we’re taking a look at what might happen when the aliens themselves have home field advantage, and your only defense is a field hockey stick and some theater props. Also, that totally makes the humans the aliens, right? Mind blown. Pssshhhhhh.
D4VE #5 10:20
We may have lost the robot uprising, but the joke's on them. Recreated in our image, the robot's lives are just as empty and unfulfilling as humanity's. Until the aliens come. Dun dun DUH.
Bonus: Andrea has no sense of humor. But Aaron already knew that.
The Woods #2 22:17
Transported to an alien world, the students of Bay Point Prep fight teachers, creatures and each other to survive. Dun dun DUH.
Bonus: Andrea hates The Giver. Aaron is crushed. Comics, what?
The Couch - Jeremy Holt 38:18
You may know Jeremy from his Multiversity column Strange Love or his books Southern Dog and Cobble Hill, both originally published by 215Ink. Southern Dog will be published by Action Lab Entertainment beginning in August. He is currently writing two books published by MonkeyBrain Comics, Art Monster and Skinned, the latter co-written by Tim Daniel.
Saturday May 31, 2014
Episode 44 - School's Out
Saturday May 31, 2014
Saturday May 31, 2014
Comics Therapy. No Reviews. Just Analysis.
Three comics from Wednesday, May 28, 2014. Plus your Nerd Confessions (about the comics you think should be taught in schools).
Show Notes:
In honor of the holiday weekend marking the unofficial start to summer, we’re talking about school. Well, not really, because school sucks. And you know why? It’s not because of the work, it’s because of the kids. If hell is other people, then high school is the ninth circle. So this week we’re looking at teen superheroes and what they do outside of school and schools for young assassins and kids sent to space because they’re too smart for school. You know how adolescence and school cliques are portrayed in stories written by adults in many cases for adults but featuring kids? It’s totally fine. Because being a teenager really does suck for a lot of reasons, and that’s no different in comics.
Ms. Marvel #4 25:40
Trying to fit in at school, at home and within one's community is already a challenge during adolescence. Surprise super powers totally complicate everything.
Pariah #4 34:45
Teenagers think they know everything. This group of kids actually does.
Or at least enough to stay alive, so far.
Deadly Class #5 43:00
Sex, drugs, rock 'n roll. Cliques, classes and clowns. Teenage angst and philosophical musing.
And 1987 is a beautiful place.