THAT COMIC SMELL: Books about Comics

The new episode is now online.

From the web:

“Get some culture! READ A F*****G BOOK”
Tis the season to be jolly! Hello and welcome to our second Christmas present to you all and the gang is back together. Something a little different this time as well. We are discussing books that are about comics. Bloody Books! Don’t worry though. This hasn’t become some after school book club get together. The folks still get their comics on and in full swing adoration. There’s Alan Moore, Tim Pilcher, Marvel, Tom Spurgeon, Pat Mills, Penguin books, Will Eisner, you name it! There are soooo many books and we had a ton of fun. We hope you do too. Grab a mulled wine, some mince pies and hell of a lot of Christmas cheer.

This and all the usual comics chat on the only comics podcast to make a list, check it twice…

That Comic Smell!

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Graphic Borders: Latino comic books past, present and future (Frederick Luis Aldama, Christopher Gonzalez)
Words for Pictures: The Art and Business of writing comics and graphic novels (Brian Michael Bendis)
Eisner/Miller (Interview Conducted by Charles Brownstein)
Will Eisner's Shop Talk (Will Eisner)
Of Comics and Men: A Cultural History of American Comic Books (Jean-Paul Galbilliet)
How Comics Work (Dave Gibbons, Tim Pilcher)
The International Book of comics (Denis Gifford)
1001 Comics you must read before you Die (Paul Gravett, ed.)
The New Comics (Gary Groth, Robert Flore, eds.)
Marvel Museum: The Story of the Comics (Ned Hartley)
Marvel Comics: The Untold Story (Sean Howe)
Understanding Comics (Scott McCloud)
The Supergirl: Fashion Feminism, Fantasty and the History of Comic Book Heroines (Mike Madrid)
Looking for Calvin and Hobbes (Nevin Martell)
Be Pure! Be Vigilant! Behave! (Pat Mills)
From Hell Companion (Alan Moore, Eddie Campbell)
Super Gods (Grant Morrison)
Art out of time: Unknown comic visionaries, 1900-1969 (Dan Nadel, ed.)
The Penguin book of Comics (George Perry, Alan Alridge)
Stan Lee: The Rise and Fall of the American Comic Book (Jordan Raphael, Tom Spurgeon)
Tales to Astonish (Ronin Ro)
Adult Comics: An Introduction (Roger Sabin)
Comic Book Hero (Barrie Tomlinson)
McSweeneys 13: The Comics issue (Chris Ware, ed.)
The Caped Crusade: Batman and the rise of Nerd Culture (Glen Weldon)
Peter Bagge Conversations (Kent Worcester)

TODD McFARLANE

In the early 1990s, Todd McFarlane was the hottest artist working at Marvel Comics. He worked on the long-running Amazing Spider-Man title, catapulting it to massive success. After a while, a new Spider-Man title was created and sold on McFarlane’s name (and new status as writer/artist). That first issue sold somewhere around 2-3 million copies. Which seems ridiculous, especially by today’s standards, where the most successful Marvel Comics sell about 100k. But apparently that is the amount the title sold.

After that, he left Marvel altogether, taking 5 or 6 other “hot” artists with him to create a new company – Image Comics. Would readers go with the superstar writer/artists on new characters, or stick with the characters Spider-Man, The Hulk and X-Men at Marvel?

Well, for a time, Image was a sales phenomenon. McFarlane’s own Spawn was another million-seller, the other books were big hits too, and the DC / Marvel domination of the US industry was substantially cracked.

Personally, I never liked McFarlane’s style. Before he did Spider-Man, he drew The Hulk, and I didn’t like him on there. His rise to comics superstardom was a mystery to me.

So, why am I devoting time to the guy?

This is all a mere preamble to an interview I’d recommend you give a listen. In 1992, at the height of McFarlane’s success, Gary Groth spoke with him. They are living in different worlds, and it’s a fabulous meeting of minds.

Check it out here.