Sam Kieth's (with Bill Messner-Loebs) The Maxx with Sidney Davidson

 

Sidney Davidson was the colorist on a series I got to illustrate (with writer Mark Russell) called Vanishing Point.  I invited him to be a guest on the show and he suggested The Maxx, which is among the most formative comics of my experience as a reader. I couldn't wait to talk about it with him!  Does it hold up?  How does it read differently as an adult than as an adolescent?  Did any of the other Image books reference Camille Paglia?  Find out in this episode! 

Here's a link to The Runs Comics Podcast on iTunes.  And here's the link to the show on Spotify. Be sure to subscribe, rate and review! 

And here's a link if you'd like the stream the episode.  

Miller and Mazzucchelli's Daredevil: Born Again with Mark Ginocchio

 

Mark Ginocchio, co-host of The Amazing Spider-Talk Podcast, returns to The Runs to discuss one that we both really love, Daredevil: Born Again.  Is it the greatest Marvel run of all tine?  Who contributed more, Miller or Mazzucchelli?  Can you appreciate it as much as ever given the stank on Frank Miller's legacy?  What images are on Mark's Mount Rushmore of comics?  Find out this episode! 

Here's a link to The Runs Comics Podcast on iTunes.  And here's the link to the show on Spotify. Be sure to subscribe, rate and review! 

And here's a link if you'd like the stream the episode.  

Moench and Gulacy's Master of Kung Fu with David Walker

 

I've been trying to get David Walker (Bitter Root, Big Jim and the White Boy, Naomi, Badazz Mofo) on this podcast every season!  Well, it finally happened. I never would have guessed that he'd pick Doug Moench and Paul Gulacy's Master of Kung Fu, but only cause I didn't know anything about those comics.  Having read them now, it's not at all surprising. More James Bond than Enter the Dragon, these 70's Marvel hidden gems hold their own unique place in comics history, not unlike David himself. 

Here's a link to The Runs Comics Podcast on iTunes.  And here's the link to the show on Spotify. Be sure to subscribe, rate and review! 

And here's a link if you'd like the stream the episode.  

New X-Men by Morrison and Co. with Matt Bors

 

Comics superstar Matt Bors (The Nib, The Toxic Avenger) returns to the show to discuss a different run: Grant Morrison's New X-Men.  There's lots to discuss here about how this compares to other runs of X-men, what it means to be a mutant, how the run holds up and, most importantly, how to pronounce "Quitely." 

Here's a link to The Runs Comics Podcast on iTunes.  And here's the link to the show on Spotify. Be sure to subscribe, rate and review! 

And here's a link if you'd like the stream the episode.  

Jack Kirby's Fourth World Part 2 with Jason Levian

 

Jason Levian, owner/curator of Floating World Comics, one of the greatest comic book stores in the history of the universe, returns to the podcast to continue our discussion of Jack Kirby's Fourth World, one of the most brilliant and bizarre comics epics in the history of the universe.  Does it make more sense the more you read it? Does it matter?  

Here's a link to The Runs Comics Podcast on iTunes.  And here's the link to the show on Spotify. Be sure to subscribe, rate and review! 

And here's a link if you'd like the stream the episode.  

Alison Bechdel's Spawn of Dykes to Watch Out For with My Mom

 

My Mom always read comics.  For about as long as I can remember, Alison Bechdel's Dykes to Watch Out For collections were in our house.  As I've been talking with folks about runs of comics, I thought it might be interesting to have my mom on the show to talk about Dykes to Watch Out For comics and how they've impacted both of our lives. 

Here's a link to The Runs Comics Podcast on iTunes.  And here's the link to the show on Spotify. Be sure to subscribe, rate and review! 

And here's a link if you'd like the stream the episode.  

R. Crumb and co.'s Zap Comix with Bob Fingerman

 

R Crumb founded Zap comix in 1968 and it went on to inspire generations of cartoonists. Among them is the great Bob Fingerman (Minimum Wage, Printopia), who comes by to talk about the series and how it's impacted him and cartoonists that came before and after him.  

Here's a link to The Runs Comics Podcast on iTunes.  And here's the link to the show on Spotify. Be sure to subscribe, rate and review! 

And here's a link if you'd like the stream the episode.  

Alan Moore and Alan Davis' D.R. and Quinch with Douglas Wolk

 

One of comics greatest historians, Douglas Wolk, comes by to discuss an Alan Moore deep-cut. This run is a buried treasure from 2000 AD, featuring a creative powerhouse pair in their early days.  I for one was very interested to hear what Douglas Wolk had to say about it, and to read it for the first time myself.   

Here's a link to The Runs Comics Podcast on iTunes.  And here's the link to the show on Spotify. Be sure to subscribe, rate and review! 

And here's a link if you'd like the stream the episode.  

Joe Matt's Peepshow with Keith Knight

 

Break out your pee jar, because this is a long one.  Superstar cartoonist Keith Knight (the K Chronicles, Woke) comes by to talk about the first 6 issues of Joe Matt's Peepshow.  Lots of discussion about jerking off, being cheap, and for some reason, The Wire.  

Here's a link to The Runs Comics Podcast on iTunes.  And here's the link to the show on Spotify. Be sure to subscribe, rate and review! 

And here's a link if you'd like the stream the episode.  

Eve Ewing and Luciano Vecchio's Ironheart with Chinaka Hodge

 

Poet, educator, and the show runner of the Ironheart TV series, Chinaka Hodge, comes by to talk about Eve Ewing's initial run of Ironheart comics.  How do comics relate to TV?  How did the comics influence the show? When do you know you've made it? And was I cool in high school?  All will be discussed this episode. 

Here's a link to The Runs Comics Podcast on iTunes.  And here's the link to the show on Spotify. Be sure to subscribe, rate and review! 

And here's a link if you'd like the stream the episode.  

John Byrne's Fantastic Four Part 3 with Alex Robinson

Season 3 begins with the continuation on my discussion of John Byrne's Fantastic Four run with my ol' buddy Alex Robinson.  Take a long trip with us the Negative Zone.  Why?  Well, it's not really clear, honestly...  But anyway, we had a real good time discussing this classic FF run and I sure hope you enjoy listening to it! 

Here's a link to The Runs Comics Podcast on iTunes.  And here's the link to the show on Spotify. Be sure to subscribe, rate and review! 

And here's a link if you'd like the stream the episode.  

The Runs Season 3 Introduction

Hello, it's been a while!  Season 3 is finally here! Here's a brief introductory how-do-you-do, heads up episode!  I think this Season is going to be a really good one, and hopefully worth the wait!  Let's take a few minutes to catch up and prepare ourselves for weekly episodes again!  Can't wait to share these discussions with y'all!  

Here's a link to The Runs Comics Podcast on iTunes.  And here's the link to the show on Spotify. Be sure to subscribe, rate and review! 

And here's a link if you'd like the stream the episode.  

Peter Bagge's Hate Part 2 with Whit Taylor

 

The Runs Podcast Season 2 Finale!  We're closing out strong, with another deep dive into Peter Bagge's Indy comics canonical series, Hate, with Whit Taylor (Fizzle, Dead Air, The Nib), who is one of my very favorite people to dish comics with.  We get into the nuts and bolts of this series, which really arrives at its fully-formed self in these issues.  Great character development, compelling stories, and unique and expertly crafted cartooning is present in each issue.  We also discuss some of the aspects of the series that are more difficult to talk about, as what was controversial in the 90's may be unacceptable for some audiences today.  Does it hold up?  Listen and find out! 

Thanks so much to everyone who listened to this season!  Drop me a line if you want me to do another one.  

Here's a link to The Runs Comics Podcast on iTunes.  And here's the link to the show on Spotify. Be sure to subscribe, rate and review! 

And here's a link if you'd like the stream the episode.  

Hama and Wagner's Nth Man with Zack Soto

 

Nth Man: The Ultimate Ninja is a series that I never gave a chance as a kid, and it would have stayed that way if Zack Soto (The Secret Voice, Power Button. Study Group) hadn't chosen it for this episode.  This series is an early 90's deep cut, featuring World War 3, a Stevan Seagal-esque American Ninja, and some rather overt parallels to Akira. Was I pleasantly surprised, or is this another episode where I complain about the run the entire time?  Either way, Soto declares this to be Larry Hama's masterpiece, and this episode could be the start of an online campaign to finally have this series collected in a nicely bound book.  You heard it here first!   

Here's a link to The Runs Comics Podcast on iTunes.  And here's the link to the show on Spotify. Be sure to subscribe, rate and review! 

And here's a link if you'd like the stream the episode.  

  

Jhonen Vasquez's Squee with Julia Gfrörer

 

This episode isn't sponsored by Hot Topic, but it might as well be.  Brilliant cartoonist Julia Gfrörer (Laid Waste, Black is the Color) comes by to talk about a formative run for her, Jhonon Vasquez's tremendously popular goth comic, Squee.  If you don't like the episodes where I talk about how crappy I think the run is, you should probably skip this one.  Otherwise, put on your Jnco pants, crank up some Rasputina, and indulge in this gleefully sullen episode.  

Here's a link to The Runs Comics Podcast on iTunes.  And here's the link to the show on Spotify. Be sure to subscribe, rate and review! 

And here's a link if you'd like the stream the episode.