On this week’s episode, we’re graced by an interview with Mark Russell, writer of the Ahoy Comics series “Billionaire Island” with artist Steve Pugh and the newly collected first arc of “Second Coming” with artist Richard Pace. Mark Russell talks with Paul about the origins of these sharply satirical but ultimately profound comics, one about […]

Comics Syllabus

215 Mark Russell on SECOND COMING and BILLIONAIRE ISLAND

On this week’s episode, Johnny digs deep into a pair of series from Image Comics, “Little Bird” by Darcy Van Poelgeest (W) and Ian Bertram (A) and “Pretty Deadly: The Rat” by Kelly Sue DeConnick (W) and Emma Rios (A). But first, our “Picks and Shovels” segment on what we’re reading: Johnny: “Green Lantern” Seasons […]

214 On Little Bird and Pretty Deadly: the Rat, Lemire in space, TKO, and Spy x Family

Ben Passmore’s new “Sports is Hell” from Koyama Press satirically sends up our intertwined sports, politics, and cultural madnesses. Paul and Johnny dig deep into the short graphic novel. But first, our “Picks and Shovels” (What We’re Reading) include: Johnny: “The Last God” (DC Black Label), “Nancy” by Olivia Jaimes (Andrews McMeel), “East of West” […]

213 On “Sports is Hell” by Ben Passmore

This week, Johnny and Paul offer a perspective and critiques of the “Dawn of X” mutant titles from Marvel, drawing on theory of the “literary carnivalesque” from Mikhail Bakhtin to describe what’s  intriguing about the X-books in the wake of Jonathan Hickman’s House of X/Powers of X relaunch. Our discussion then touches on all the […]

212 Carnival X: On Marvel’s Dawn of X

What comics meant the most in the 2010s… to us, to comics, to the larger culture? “Saga”? “Ms. Marvel”? Raina Telgemeier’s “Smile”? Paul and Johnny run through their list of the comics of the decade, the graphic novels, superhero books, independent or alternative comics that marked out the 2010s for them. They also try to […]

211 Comics of the Decade

What graphic novels in 2019 stood out as the most significant, most soul-stirring, most thought-provoking, most artistically innovative? Co-hosts Paul and Johnny are excited to share the Comics Syllabus Podcast’s favorite graphic novels of 2019. Listen as they chatter about the comics works and collections that they loved most this year. Johnny’s List: 10:  The […]

210 Favorite Graphic Novels of 2019

On this week’s Comics Syllabus, Paul (@twoplai) shares his favorite comic books series of 2019, recommendations for the holiday season and for all your year-end reading. His top ten series list includes: “Giant Days” by John Allison and Max Sarin (BOOM!) “Paper Girls” by Brian K. Vaughn, Cliff Chiang, Matt Wilson, Jared K. Fletcher (Image) […]

209 Favorite Series of 2019

On the Comics Syllabus today, guest co-host Johnny Hall (@johnnyhall3) and Paul (@twoplai) discuss Frank Santoro’s graphic novel “Pittsburgh,” (starting at 12:30) a potent reminiscence and contemplation of Santoro’s immediate family and upbringing in the city. But first, Johnny and Paul remember Tom Spurgeon, comics reporter extraordinaire and example for us all. After talking about […]

208 Pittsburgh by Frank Santoro, Tom Spurgeon, Re-reading Planetary, and Dawn of X with Johnny Hall

On the Comics Syllabus today, another installment of COMICS PLEASE! (for Parents, Librarians, Educators, and Student Enthusiasts), covering comics and graphic novels for kids and teen readers. This time, a review of the “Wings of Fire” graphic novel series, adapting Tui T. Sutherland’s fantasy series as graphic novels with art by Mike Holmes from Scholastic’s […]

207 Comics PLEASE: Wings of Fire and Superman Smashes the Klan

On the Comics Syllabus today, our special guest is Alea Perez (@ShhhYeah), President-Elect of the American Library Association’s Graphic Novels and Comics Roundtable and Multiversity contributor. At ( 38:40 ), we talk about Mariko Tamaki and Rosemary Valero-O’Connell’s “Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me” (First Second), this past summer’s graphic novel hit. But first, […]

206 On “Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me” and Comics in Libraries with Alea Perez

This week’s Comics Syllabus podcast features a discussion of Kevin Huizenga’s “The River at Night” (Drawn + Quarterly) ( 35:20 ) with good friend of the podcast Johnny Hall. Johnny and Comics Syllabus host Paul met up at Cartoon Crossroads (CXC) Columbus, had a chance to meet Mr. Huizenga, and talk about this collection of […]

205 On Kevin Huizenga’s “The River at Night” and CXC Columbus with Johnny Hall

For kids and middle grade readers: “Guts” by Raina Telgemeier (Graphix) (6:22) And for teens and young adults: “Simon and Louise” by Max de Radigués (Conundrum). (18:39) In this pilot episode of “Comics PLEASE! Kids Graphic Novels and YA Comics for Parents, Librarians, Educators, and School-aged Enthusiasts,” @TwoPlai tries out a new format for podcasting […]

204 Reviews of “Guts” by Raina Telgemeier & “Simon and Louise” by Max de Radigués

“Best Friends” by Shannon Hale and LeUyen Pham! “Might Jack and Zita the Spacegirl” by Ben Hatke! “Hilda and the Mountain King” by Luke Pearson! This week, @TwoPlai is joined by his first (and admittedly favorite) guest host of the new Comics Syllabus era– Cohost Kid! We talk about a couple books from First Second […]

203 Kids Series- “Best Friends,” “Mighty Jack & Zita,” and “Hilda & the Mountain King”

First, @TwoPlai offers an analysis of “King of King Court” by Travis Dandro (Drawn & Quarterly), an affecting graphic memoir employing comics’ repertoires of subjective narrative to explore the experience of growing up with family, addiction, love, and pain. Then, a rundown of recent series that @TwoPlai has been reading in a new segment called […]

202: “King of King Court” by Travis Dandro (D+Q) plus NCBD Notes on Sword & Sorcery Comics

On the return of the Comics Syllabus podcast, we talk about “Hot Comb” by Ebony Flowers (Drawn & Quarterly), a memoir in vignettes about Flowers coming-of-age in the Baltimore area black community as a young woman and her experiences surrounding hair, touching poignantly on race, gender, growing up, family, societal expectations, community, class, identity, and […]

Comics Syllabus 201: “Hot Comb” by Ebony Flowers (Drawn + Quarterly)

A comics analysis podcast, where literacy researcher, English teacher, and comics reader Paul (@twoplai) discusses a comic book for socio-cultural, literary, and artistic significance. The podcast pairs various academic approaches to studying comics with superhero comics, alternative comics, and other offerings in the medium. Let's dig deep!

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Comics Syllabus

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