THAT COMIC SMELL: Christmas Do! (Our Best Reads of 2020)

The new episode is online now, celebrating Christmas and discussing our fave reads of the year.

From the website:

"HO! HO! HO!

Get ready because not even distance can stop the TCS crew from having their Christmas party and catch up.

We delve into what we have been reading this year and what we would consider out favourites of 2020. There is also a bit of general chatter as always but we mainly stick to the comics this time surprisingly.

It’s been a funny old year and we even had a bit of a break near the tail end of it to recharge and bank some more episodes. We have had to adapt to the new way of doing the show but we have plowed on and continued to enjoy talking comics and having you all listen. So thank you. A very Merry Christmas to you all and a Happy New Year.

Cheers!

Follow us on Twitter & Instagram @thatcomicsmell

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Podbean: tinyurl.com/yxvecykj

and most places you find podcasts.

Don’t forget to Like, Share, Subscribe, Rate & Review.

Thanks again for listening and supporting the podcast

The Best of The Spirit (Will Eisner)

Pulp (Ed Brubaker, Sean Philips)

Blazing Combat (Archie Goodwin, plus many artists)

Once and Future (Kieron Gillen, Dan Mora)

La Casa [The House] (Paco Roca)

Kent State (Derf Backderf)

What We Don't Talk About (Charlot Kristensen)

New Gods (Jack Kirby)

Journey to the Surface of the Earth (Fraser Geesin)

Sarararara (Olivia Hicks)

Star Jaws (Robin Barnard)

Star Trek The Enterprise Logs (Gold Key)

Atomic Hercules (Adam Falp, Tony Esmond)

Tony Esmond is a Movie Star (Cliff Cumber, Tony Esmond)

Firepower (Robert Kirkman, Chris Samnee)

Homunculus (Joe Sparrow)

The Junction (Norm Konyu)

What We Mean By Yesterday (Ben Marra)

Follow Me In (Katriona Chapman)

V For Vendetta (Alan Moore, David Lloyd)

Apollo (Mike Collins, Matt Fitch, Chris Baker)

Graphic Biography of Malcolm X (Randy DuBurke, Andrew Helfer)

The Three Jokers (Geoff Johns, Jason Fabok, Brad Anderson)"

NEVER IRON ANYTHING: Kent State by Derf Backderf

 

I'm delighted to be on Tony Esmond's Never Iron Anything alongside Tom Stewart discussing Derf Backderf's comic Kent State.

Have a listen here.

THAT COMIC SMELL 30: 2 Recommendations

The new episode of That Comic Smell is now online. We present two comics recommendations each.

Have a listen at iTunes, Soundcloud and YouTube.

From the web:
"We take a little trip back in time with the power of EDITING!!
Yes, we are digging into the archives for this one, recorded back in June before HQ relocated. David, Mike and Tom get together to talk about 2 comic titles that you would recommend to people that aren’t necessarily comics readers. Surprise, Surprise, it’s a nice eclectic round up of comics hidden gems and greats!
There is also a little shout out section before we get into this episode so make sure to check it out.
This and all the usual comics chat on the only comics podcast to have caught a falling star AND put it in their pocket but didn’t save it for a rainy day…
That Comic Smell!"

THAT COMIC SMELL 27: Top 3 Creators

The new episode of That Comic Smell is now online. A discussion on some of our favourite comics creators.

Have a listen at iTunes, Soundcloud and YouTube.

From the web:
"TOP 3 CREATORS. GO!!
Is exactly what we did to our guest on episode 27 of That Comic Smell.
We were joined by the oh so amazing Olivia Hicks! (2000AD writer, Betty & Veronica and Cloak & Dagger Lover)
We all bring our own top 3 creators to the table and one by one present them and discuss some of the works that really made us decide that they were the ones for us.
There is also many a usual wild tangent and what we have currently been reading.
All that and so much more on the only podcast that can be understood by household pets and various wild birds.
That Comic Smell!
Follow us on Twitter & Instagram @thatcomicsmell
Get us on…
Soundcloud: tinyurl.com/y8vzeh3c
YouTube: tinyurl.com/yajnxcno
iTunes: tinyurl.com/hwbqxab
Don’t forget to Like, Share, Subscribe, Rate & Review.
You can also find us on the Podbean app.
Thanks again for listening and supporting the podcast
Here are some of the titles mentioned:
Nando:
John Byrne - Hulk, Fantastic Four, X-men
Moebius - Lt Blueberry, The Incal, Silver Surfer
Paco Roca - Wrinkles, El Invierno del disbujante, Los Sucos del azar
David:
Sam Henderson - Magic Whistle, Humour can be funny
Mary Fleener - Life of the Party, Slut Burger
Al Williamson - Star Wars
Mike:
Akira Toriyama - Dragon Ball, Dr Slump
Bill Finger - Batman
Walter Simonson - Thor
Olivia:
Kate Beaton - Hark a Vagrant
Katie Skelly - My Pretty Vampire
Kathleen Jacques - Band vs Band
Giuseppe:
Sergio Aragonés - Groo the Wanderer, M.A.D, Bogie Man
Bryan Talbot - The Tale of one Bad Rat, Grandville
Darick Robinson - (w/Warren Ellis) Transmetropolitan (w/Garth Ennis) The Boys
Tom:
Derf - Trashed, My Friend Dahmer, The City
Daniel Clowes - David Boring, Ghost World, Wilson
Bill Watterson - Calvin & Hobbes
Some Honourable Mentions:
Tony Millionare - Maakies
Todd McFarlane - Spider-man/Venom
Garth Ennis - Preacher
Kate Leth - Patsy Walker AKA Hellcat
David Robertson - Dump I, II & III, Zero Sum Bubblegum, Wow! Retracted, Berserkotron"

THAT COMIC SMELL GUEST POST: Tom Stewart

For a few weeks, I'm running a series of guest posts from my friends over at That Comic Smell podcast. The pieces are any length, style, whatever. The only brief I gave was to write something about comics. First up is Tom Stewart.

Dear comics,

I think it’s about high time you and me sat down for a little chat. Don’t worry I won’t take up too much of your time. Before you ask, yes I have been fine. No I haven’t had time to read any of your vast back catalogues as of recent. I’m still trying to plough my way through “The Stand” which is taking approximately 100 years. I’m sure you will still be there when I finish up though.

Enough about me, let’s talk about you. Haven’t you been a busy lot recently? Not only have all of your medium been taken and adapted into various films and TV Shows (Some good. Some utter shit) but your vast array of genres, subject matter and styles are getting bigger and bigger by the day. No your bum doesn’t look big on that shelf, although some of your works do come in all shapes and sizes. I’m just getting a bit shocked at how far you have come over the years. The snowball that is comics (you) shows no signs of stopping either. With the sheer enormity of comic conventions cropping up these days, also the size that some of them have become is crazy!! It almost seems like you’re a respected art form. Yet... are you?

As far as I am aware, whenever I mention you to people I still get “oh, that thing about superheroes. Isn’t that a bit kiddy” I honestly thought that with the popularity of the superheroes these days that, that kind of thing wouldn’t matter. It’s funny as well seeing as how the folks that come away with such phrases are usually the first people to sprout things like “Have you seen the new Avengers?” or “Spoder-min looks AWESOME doesn’t it?” and that’s the problem isn’t it? People only take you seriously when it suits them. They don’t see you as this platform for artists and writers to get down some of the most gutting punching and heart wrenching philosophical/political ideologies on paper in an understandable manner by accompanying it with diagrams and detailed references. To show how really fucked up the world can be or similarly how their world can be. To show the most romantic feelings ever conveyed or the most evil even one person can commit. The power to tell someone’s entire life and have it beautifully rendered also. To have 2 worlds colliding in perfect synchronicity on paper. Writing and pictures. I’ve got to say, you do one hell of a good job. These folks don’t understand you the way we do. By “We” I of course mean your fans. Now stop blushing, you know you have a massive fan base out there. I mean hell, there is an entire industry of incredible writers and artists that have worked with you over the years, there’s no need to modest. Stand proud. You have worked with some of the best. Alan Moore, Frank Quitely, Moebius, Frank Miller, Robert Crumb, Derf Backderf, Scott Snyder, Jack “The King” Kirby, Stan “The Man” Lee, Bill Finger, Steve Ditko, Mike Allred, to name but a few. These folks have been eager to work with you too. You have a lot to be proud of. So why do you reckon the stigma still?

Maybe it’s that when you put pictures with words people think that it lacks intelligence. Maybe that you lack imagination, even though I can’t think of anything more imaginative than the majority of the stories to come out of your being. Who knows?

All I know is, those folks are missing out.

It’s so good catching up with you. I know you don’t get a lot of time due to the aforementioned rate in which you are growing. Yet, the more you grow, the more I feel we all have time to catch up with you.

I best let you get off though. You’ve got more minds to mould and melt. I’m sure we will sit down and have another one of these catch up’s soon. There are lots more we need to discuss in the future.

Take care.

Tom

You can listen to That Comic Smell at Youtube, Soundcloud and iTunes.

TREEHOUSE COMICS PODCAST

Logo by Neil Scott.

The inaugural episode of the Treehouse Comics Podcast is now available to listen to here.

The show features Jon Adam, Stuart McAdam, Neil Scott and me.

We talked about Trashed by Derf; The Fiction by Curt Pires and David Rubin; Image Comics including Nowhere Men by Eric Stephenson and Dave Taylor; Zap Comix #16; Slow Comics including Hubert by Ben Gijsemans; Richard McGuire's Here; Island Comics; and Brian Chippendale's Puke Force.

Other topics include bands with more than one drummer!

It was great fun to take part in and I hope you enjoy listening to it.