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Hey, everyone—Jeff here. My apologies for show notes on the truncated side of things this time around: as alluded to in this ep., I’m kinda running around in all directions this week (hence the video above) for good reasons I hope to explain one day (before the end of the year?). For now, I hope you’ll be able to get by on the shownotes below and your just-about-weekly dose of Graeme and me fussin’ and feudin’ comic book style!
0:01-13:49: Greetings from Graeme “Sound of The Underground” McMillan and Jeff “Coasting” Lester! We’ve had a day, and Graeme has had a week, a week filled with situations like the one he goes on to describe involving some very good thoughts about working hard, and some very silly interjections from Jeff.
13:49-27:29: Because we were engaging in some gossipy bitchery, Jeff felt compelled to mention how much he enjoyed Mr. Sinister in the latest issue of Powers of X by Jonathan Hickman, R.B. Silva and Marte Gracia. And Jeff also enjoyed Gwenpool Strikes Back #2 by Leah Williams, David Baldeon, Jesus Aburtov, and Batman #78 by Tom King, Clay Mann, and Tomeu Morey. There may or may not be spoilers for the City of Bane storyline, depending on how things go? And there’s definitely discussion about whether DC will have a reboot, and where it’ll come from.
27:29-35:29: Remember last week’s discussion of Doomsday Clock? It’s back, kinda, because Graeme re-read the first eleven issues of Doomsday Clock by Geoff Johns, Gary Frank, and Brad Anderson. Also discussed: landing the ending; how many copies of Watchmen Graeme owns; and more.
35:29-42:19: To prove that we are lovers as well as haters, Jeff asks Graeme about Graeme’s tweet asking what Marvel and DC books are being slept on:
Okay, comics Twitter, let me know: What’s the most slept-on book at DC right now? What’s the most ignored Marvel book? And what makes them great in your eyes?
— Graeme (@graemem) September 12, 2019
And there was also this lovely little thread by Gail Simone on Twitter re: 25 great things about being a comics professional:
There are a lot of wonderful things about being a comic writer. I’m going to list some, then I’m going to say the one that means the most to me.
1) When new pages of art come in from some brilliant artist
2) When the color makes it pop even more.
— GAIL SIMONE (@GailSimone) September 13, 2019
42:19-51:07: As long as we’re talking about the good shit, both Jeff and Graeme read the five issue run on Mars Attacks by Kyle Starks, Chris Schweitzer, and Liz Trice Schweitzer. Starks has said that this storyline is one of the best things he’s done and we’re compelled to second that. Jeff compares and contrasts it with Mars Attacks Popeye from a few years back with *tremendous* Popeye art by Terry Beatty.
51:07-57:09: Thanks to the tweets of the talented Sarah Horrocks, Jeff was turned on to the first issue of Ryuko by Eldo Yoshimizu. Graeme likes what he sees from the previews, and Jeff loved the brio of the art and the expressionistic storytelling. Great stuff.
57:09-1:12:23: And speaking of great stuff, holy cow, Batman Universe #3 by Brian Michael Bendis, Nick Derington, and Dave Stewart. The cartooning, the coloring, and the fun of BMB’s scripting of this makes this one of our DC faves.
1:12:23-1:17:07: Another book Jeff has all the feels for: volume 2 of Blank Canvas: My So-Called Artist’s Journey by Akiko Higashimura, which was just released in English by Seven Seas. Higashimura is better known as the creator of the popular Princess Jellyfish but the first two volumes rocked Jeff’s world and as he says here and elsewhere is fantastic reading for anyone who’s tried to become an artist.
1:17:07-1:20:18: Graeme re-read the first two issues of SFSX (Safe Sex) by Tina Horn and Michael Dowling, the book that was supposed to be launched as part of Vertigo’s legendary Last Wave but is now coming out soon from Image. Graeme definitely recommends not just the book on the first issue alone as the one-two punch is part of what sold him, as did Tina Horn’s straight-up awesomeness and the fact that, as he puts it, “it feels like a book that needs to be out there.”
1:20:18-1:32:50: And Jeff is going to mention that he digs the second volume of romance novel turned manga, Star Wars: Lost Stars by Claudia Gray and Yusaku Komiyama. He also talks about Star Wars in a Japanese context and how nicely Komiyama’s adaptation fits into that. We also talk about the current crop of American Star Wars comics, and Kieron Gillen’s recent run with Salvador Larroca there.
1:32:50-2:05:00: Speaking of Marvel and licensed properties, Graeme has a question for Jeff—why is Marvel doing a Conan/Moon Knight event, called Serpent War. (With Solomon Kane! And Dark Agnes! And also…Dark Agnes?) But in order to dig into that, we look briefly at the recent sales figures and trends in the marketplace. Pick a side in the battle between Dear Justice League Truthers vs. Conan Truthers, cue up Pump Up The Volume, and wade into the melee!
2:05:00-end: Closing comments! Look for us on Stitcher! Itunes! Instagram! Twitter together and separately: Graeme and Jeff! Tumblr, and on Patreon where a wonderful group of people make this all possible, including Empress Audrey, Queen of the Galaxy, to whom we are especially grateful for her continuing support of this podcast. (Also, don’t forget about Spotify!)
Next week: Skip week, but join us in two weeks for Drokk!!
And here’s the cut for your paste:
http://theworkingdraft.com/media/podcasts3/WaitWhat279.mp3
Hold on a moment. There are Wait, What? ringtones?
Top show as ever, sorry about the life turbulence, chaps.
And thanks for putting Rupert Holmes’ Answering Machine in my head, what could be better?
My mind is blown by Jeff having assumed DC wanted us to think the letters in Dear Justice League were from real kids… NO ONE would believe Simon Baz has a fan! And besmirch not ENB! As someone who received a personal letter from him after writing to DC for the solution to ‘The Great DC Contest’, two questions printed by Answer Man Bob Rozakis and ran letter columns for UK DC reprints, Bugs Bunny Comic, Duckuka and My Little Pony, I can tell you the letters and drawings poured in. Such great kids.
HEADS UP, ARIZONA!
You said you needed a pitch for a story for Conan in the modern world?
In a rational response to a Cimmerian raid deep into centralish Europe, the ancient Austrian School exchanges goods and coin for the services of their god, Markedt, and his acolytes-if-the-rate-is-acceptable, Markedt Forces. Seeing the the numbers just don’t work out to take on Conan and incur the cost of the Crom tax, the School (which is invisible, much like the Hand of Markedt), makes a one-time subsidy for transporting Conan to where and when Markedt’s power reins supreme: 21st-century America.
There, Conan hears the guidance of Crom, who shows through signs and portents (and CNBC) that the true strength to take down Markedt lies in economic leverage. To this end, Conan has to fight in a way he’s never fought before — in the marketplace of clicks, where the hits are virtual! Will it cost Conan his soul? Will he become… an influencer? Can the Might of Monetization carry the day and drive Markedt wailing from platforms?
You think you’ve seen how hostile a takeover can be?
See for yourself… in a story we could only call… “Buy Crom!”
P. S. With you, Jeff, on the Pump Up the Volume and Samantha Mathis love. And now in my head there is a Christian Slater Cinematic Universe. In it, the Slater skater ollies so hard he skips from Orange County to future San Francisco where he joins Starfleet ( remember the Slater cameo?).
There was a large exhibition of manga at the British Museum recently. One of the most striking things there was some video of Akiko Higashimura drawing. She’s so fast and confident laying her lines down.
Looking at the image of Ryuko by Eldo Yoshimizu. set me looking for more. I wonder if there’s some Sergio Toppi influence in Eldo Yoshimizu’s drawing. I’m thinking about the patterning in the more reflective moments, compared perhaps with images from Sharaz-de: Tales from the Arabian Nights.
I think there could be comedy value in Conan being in a group of god-bothering heroes of various types. I think Conan is a sort of deist- Crom starts it all off and then gets out of our way and spends his time drinking. If you can’t wring some humour out of Conan being grumpy at the various agents of the gods and gods of the Marvel Universe, I don’t think you’re trying.
This episode had me laughing so many times. Thank you! They say you shouldn’t discuss religion or politics in mixed company, but if bringing up Crom can engender a discussion like this during Thanksgiving, I’m gonna do it.
Thanks for the rec on Ryuko. Unfortunately, it’s sold out everywhere in Japan. Even Yoshimizu’s Facebook page only has links to the English and other foreign language versions. It seems like he’s putting more effort into bringing out overseas than providing his home country with it.