Author Archive
Comics for Grownups Episode 44: Best of 2014
by Joshua Malbin on Dec.25, 2014, under Comics
Happy Holidays! We’re ending the year with our “Best of 2014” list (plus some extras from 2013). Hosted by Joshua Malbin, Alexander Rothman, and Andrea Tsurumi, it’s now available for download from iTunes. Direct RSS link for Android users here or listen online here.
Leftovers from 2013:
Top 10 of 2014
This One Summer by Jillian and Mariko Tamaki
Ant Colony by Michael Deforge
How the World Was by Emmanuel Guibert
The Late Child and Other Animals by Marguerite Van Cook and James Romberger
Beautiful Darkness by Fabien Kehlmann & Kerascöet
How to be Happy by Eleanor Davis
Education by John Hankiewicz
Wicked Chicken Queen by Sam Alden
Can’t We Talk About Something More Pleasant? by Roz Chast
Comics for Grownups Episode 40
by Joshua Malbin on Sep.18, 2014, under Comics
It’s Comics for Grownups episode 40 with Alexander Rothman and Andrea Tsurumi, now available for download from iTunes. Direct RSS link for Android users here, or listen on the Web here.
Here is Seth Kushner’s fundraiser. If you haven’t already, please check it out. He’s a wonderful guy fighting an awful disease.
This time, we’re trying something a little different. We all got together to record and review (in the historic Manhattan Saddlery, no less), and this time had more of a conversation about the books than usual. There was a lot to talk about, too: just one gorgeous book after the other.
It Never Happened Again by Sam Alden
How to be Happy by Eleanor Davis
Demon by Jason Shiga
God and the Devil at War in the Garden by Anders Nilsen
How the World Was: A California Childhood by Emmanuel Guibert
This One Summer by Mariko and Jillian Tamaki
Top image is from How to be Happy by Eleanor Davis. Our podcast music is by Joshua Hudelson.
And some extras:
Eleanor Davis demonstrating watercolors and dropping some knowledge. Seriously, watch this.
Emmanuel Guibert’s drawing technique demo for Alan’s War.
The New York Comics & Picture-Story Symposium is just about to start its Fall session. Check out upcoming meetings here.
And SPX is coming! Alexander and Andrea will be at table A13a. Come say hi!
Comics for Grownups Episode 39
by Joshua Malbin on Aug.11, 2014, under Comics
Comics for Grownups Episode 39 with Joshua Malbin, Alex Rothman, and Andrea Tsurumi is now out on iTunes. Direct RSS link for Android users here, or listen on the Web here.
This episode we begin by discussing a few great new resources like The Tiny Report, a new source for information about micro-presses by Robyn Chapman; Radiator Comics, a new publisher and distributor headed up by Neil Brideau; Nick Bertozzi’s fundraiser for the new Rubber Necker, and let’s add in Festival Season, a new self-publishing review platform from Kenan Rubenstein. (We didn’t know about that last one yet at the time we recorded.)
We also review some great new comics, specifically:
Pictures that Tick Vol. 2: Exhibition by Dave McKean
Truth is Fragmentary by Gabrielle Bell (and here is the interview with James Romberger that we mention)
Darwin Carmichael Is Going to Hell by Sophie Goldstein and Jenn Jordan
Irene #4 edited by d.w., Dakota McFadzean, and Andy Warner
š! #17 edited by David Schilter and Sanita Muižniece
Comics for Grownups 37: Pat Dorian
by Joshua Malbin on Jun.07, 2014, under Comics
Comics for Grownups Episode 37 with Alex Rothman and Andrea Tsurumi is now out on iTunes. Direct RSS link for Android users here, or listen on the Web here.
In this episode we talk to Pat Dorian about his work, his varied artistic background, and the Grand Comics Festival.
We also review:
Andre the Giant: Life and Legend and Number 1 by Box Brown
Angie Bongiolatti by Mike Dawson
Blimpakind: Drinking Buddies by Talya Modlin
Safari Honeymoon by Jesse Jacobs
Suspect Device 4 edited by Josh Bayer
Weapons of Mass Diplomacy by Abel Lanzac, art by Christophe Blain
Top image is the announcement for the Grand Comics Festival. The next two are from Pat Dorian’s Savage Brute and the third is a picture of Pat’s desk, showing how many iterations he goes through in the course of character design. Fourth image is the cover of Box Brown’s Andre the Giant and the final image is the cover of Jesse Jacobs’s Safari Honeymoon.
Comics for Grownups Episode 36: Josh Bayer
by Joshua Malbin on May.30, 2014, under Comics
Comics for Grownups Episode 35 with Alex Rothman is now out on iTunes. Direct RSS link for Android users here, or listen on the Web here.
In this episode Andrea Tsurumi joins us as a permanent cohost, and the three of us talk with Josh Bayer about his work, his teaching, and his Kickstarter campaign for issue #4 of Suspect Device.
We also discussed:
Climate Changed: A Personal Journey Through the Science by Philippe Squarzoni
I’m Not a Plastic Bag by Rachel Hope Allison
This article about Dark Mountain founder Phil Kingsnorth and this article about the “politics of the impossible” by Jedediah Purdy
Weekend Alone by Noah Van Sciver
Sad Sack by George Baker
Written in the Bones by Christopher M. Jones, illustrated by Carey Pietsch
War of Streets and Houses by Sophie Yanow
The prank movie May the Best Man Win
Nature Show by Matt Lubchansky
Full House DVD Box Set Season 2 by Greg Kletsel


Episode 35: Liana Finck
by Joshua Malbin on Apr.30, 2014, under Comics
Comics for Grownups Episode 35 with Alex Rothman is now out on iTunes. Direct RSS link for Android users here, or listen on the Web here.
This episode we’re joined by Liana Finck, whose book A Bintel Brief was just published by Ecco. It’s fantastic and you should go buy it; you can check out a review of it on NPR here. We discuss that book and other parts of Liana’s career in comics, and then review:
The Undertaking of Lily Chen by Danica Novgorodoff
Sonatina #1 and #2, edited by Scott Longo
The Sleep of Reason: An Anthology of Horror, edited by C. Spike Trotman
Memory Palaces by Edie Fake (and here’s the article and Vimeo clip we reference)
Finally, Alex and some colleagues are releasing a new literary journal for comics poetry called INK BRICK. It’s available for preorder here. And Josh Bayer, a friend of the show and upcoming guest, has a Kickstarter going for the newest edition of his Suspect Device anthology.*
Top images: Cover and interior page from A Bintel Brief by Liana Finck. Third image is a page from The Undertaking of Lily Chen by Danica Novgorodoff. Fourth image is from Sarah Ferrick’s piece in Sonatina #2. Bottom image is from Memory Palaces by Edie Fake.
*Full disclosure: Alex and Andrea Tsurumi, a frequent contributor to the podcast, contributed to the anthology.
Comics for Grownups Episode 34
by Joshua Malbin on Mar.17, 2014, under Comics
Comics for Grownups Episode 33 with Alex Rothman is now out on iTunes. Direct RSS link for Android users here, or listen on the Web here.
Please note that we’ve just switched hosting services. If you are using iTunes, you don’t need to do anything. If you are using another RSS reader or podcast client, make sure you re-add our podcast at comicsforgrownups.libsyn.com/rss.
This episode we review:
Persimmon Cup by Nick Bertozzi (coming soon to his online shop)
Beautiful Darkness by Fabien Vehlmann and Kerascöet
Pimo and Rex by Thomas Wellmann
Gandhi: My life is My Message by Jason Quinn and Sachin Nagar
Nijigahara Holograph by Inio Asano
and for our webcomic, we discuss:
Drive: the SciFi Comic by Dave Kellett
Top image is a detail from Persimmon Cup by Nick Bertozzi. Middle Image is from Beautiful Darkness by Fabien Vehlmann and Kerascöet. Bottom image is from Pimo and Rex by Thomas Wellmann
Comics for Grownups Episode 33
by Joshua Malbin on Mar.06, 2014, under Comics
Comics for Grownups Episode 33 with Alex Rothman is now out on iTunes. Direct RSS link for Android users here.
This episode we review:
Wicked Chicken Queen by Sam Alden
The Complete Multiple Warheads by Brandon Graham
Omnibus by Einat Tsarfati and Hila Noam
Where Bold Stars Go to Die by Gerry Alanguilan and Arlanzandro C. Esmeña
On Loving Women by Diane Obomsawin
For our classic comic, we discussed:
Scud the Disposable Assassin: The Whole Shebang by Rob Schrab and Dan Harmon
And for our webcomic, we reviewed:
Bouletcorp by Boulet
She couldn’t tell Charlotte that Anderson had told her to look into it. To Charlotte, Anderson was a stain on the clean humanitarian program she was trying to run. To Maria, Anderson was an inevitability.
Comics for Grownups Episode 32: Annie Koyama
by Joshua Malbin on Feb.19, 2014, under Comics
Comics for Grownups Episode 32 with Alex Rothman is now out on iTunes. Direct RSS link for Android users here.
In this episode we have a great interview with Annie Koyama, rockstar publisher of Koyama Press. Plus we review:
Were You Watching? by Keren Katz
Snowpiercer Vol. 1: The Escape by Jacques Lob, art by Jean-Marc Rochette
I’m Zonin’ by Sam Spina, a collection of his webcomic Spinadoodles
Other things we talked about:
Couch Tag by Jesse Reklaw
Alex’s Rumpus article on Keren Katz
Here are links to Annie’s Spring 2014 list and Fall 2014 list.
Comics for Grownups Episode 31
by Joshua Malbin on Jan.31, 2014, under Comics
In this episode we review:
Digger Omnibus by Ursula Vernon
World War 3 Illustrated #45, edited by Peter Kuper
SF #3 by Ryan Cecil Smith
The Hartlepool Monkey by Wilfrid Lupano and Jérémie Moreau
Oglaf (NSFW!) by Trudy Cooper and Doug Bayne
Miracleman by Alan Moore, Garry Leach, Alan Davis, and John Totleben