Comics Deserve Better

Hey all! 

(Carrie's back, baby!)

This ep features Brian, Darci and Carrie discussing all-ages awesomeness in Wrassle Castle- Round One: Learning the Ropes by Colleen Coover, Paul Tobin, Galaad, Jeff Powell and Bones Leopard (Vault/Wonderbound)- a book about family (blood and chosen), sibling rivalry and some good ol' fashioned scrapping. Carrie's choice, so you at least know she has a LOT to say about it;)

Hi all! We’re back from our season break! Did you miss us? We definitely missed you. For this episode, Darci and Brian, (Carrie unfortunately couldn’t join us to record)p, discuss Darci’s choice: The Sprite and the Gardener by Rii Abrego, Joe Whitt, and Crank! From Oni Press. There’s talk about the coloring, panel placement and, of course, friendship among other things.

The CDB Crew also talk about a new Heavy Metal themed comic coming soon to Kickstarter as well as their spotlighted books: Bolero #1 by Wyatt Ashley-Costello Kennedy, Luana Vecchio and Brandon Graham (Image) and This Was Our Pact by Ryan Andrews (First Second).

Also, decide at the end if Brian has gone insane during the break and is expressing this by being “artsy” on his personal Instagram page. Don’t worry, despite what he said, “Ennui” is not going to be next week’s guest star.

DIY Corner:

Drumsticks of Doom by Jon Westhoff and Dan Dougherty. First cover by K. Lynn Smith

Good Googly Moogly, WE ARE HERE! 

Get your Kleenex, pull out a drink and pour one out for all the real ones that died in these issues! 

Seriously, so. much. sadness. 

Brian and Richard take you on an unexpected journey as we reach the conclusion of the issues that are available. Be ready for death, mayhem, and sexual escapades in the last Bonus Episode for Saga!

The Boys are back with the second episode of their Saga deep-dive. Brian and Richard discuss heinous murders, why Kindergartners are the best, relationships, and prison tattoos in this whopper of an episode. AS ALWAYS, MASSIVE SPOILERS :) Enjoy!

Wowie! This is an extra-special episode featuring Brian and Richard, who meet to discuss the epic BKV/Fiona Staples' book, Saga. They tackle who shows up, who that baby is, who fights with who, and who's ex is back in town, all from issues #1-18. Be prepared to have your mind inundated with wicked imagery and discussions about why robots are still scary. Enjoy!

It's a fairy tale ending to this season of the CDB Pod as well to the year when Brian, Darci, and Richard talk about Brian's choice this week: The Daughters of Ys by M.T. Anderson and Jo Rioux (First Second). The Crew get lost in talks about sea monsters, lousy Kings, and magic curses. They also discuss the recent breaking news of Dark Horse Comics being purchased by The Embracer Group. For DIY Corner, more love is given to Shing Yin Khor as Darci talks about their new game available via their Patreon and Brian talks about a Brit Pop influenced comic on Kickstarter. Last: Everyone, including Carrie who unfortunately could not record this week, chose their favorite book of the season and/or their favorite book they read in the last 10 weeks. Who chose what? Listen to find out!

Other books talked about this episode: She Could Fly vol. 3: Fight or Flight by Christopher Cantwell, Martin Morazzo, Clem Robins, and Miroslav Mrva; Crow Time by Isa (Webtoon); and Chicken Devil #2 by Brian Buccelato, Hayden Sherman and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou (AfterShock)

Hi All! We have reached our penultimate episode of the current season of the CDB Pod. Unfortunately, Darci was unable to join us for this recording, but Carrie and Brian pressed on and talked about Carrie's choice: Did You Hear What Eddie Gein Done? by Harold Schechter and Eric Powell (Albatross Funnybooks). Carrie and Brian get into the nitty gritty of this True-Crime account of one of the most infamous murderers in history. It get's a little gross, here and there, but just like the book, Brian and Carrie try to keep it classy and not too disgusting while talking about this disgusting topic.

Other books discussed this episode: Barn Owl by Sas Milledge (ShortBox) and Immortals Fenyx Rising: From Great Beginnings by Ben Khan, Georgeo Brooks, and Wes Dzioba (Dark Horse).

The CDB Crew is back this week to talk about a story that a dead bunny once told to a butterfly. Yes, Darci's choice this week is Pretty Deadly vol. 1 from Image Comics. Listen and get lost in the dream like story telling with our hosts. Also stick around for conspiracy theories, gumroad finds and "taco commercial" decisions. 

The crew also address the sad news regarding George Perez and Kickstarter's move to a Block-Chain.

After a very quick hiatus, the CDB Crew is back with a new episode! Brian has chosen for us this week, Rock Candy Mountain by Kyle Starks and Chris Schweizer and published by Image Comics. We also get into conversations about other related topics like riding the rails, strong opinions of John Steinbeck, and how to summon the devil. It is a fun time to be had by all!

Greetings from the CDB Crew (on The Satellite of Love)! This week, Carrie chose for all of us to read Mystery Science Theater 3000 The Comic by (deep breath) Joel Hodgson, Harold Buchholz, Matt McGinnis, Seth Robinson, Sharyl Volpe, Mary Robinson, Todd Nuack, Wes Dzioba, Mike Manley, Jack Pollock, Mimi Simon, and Michael Heisler, published by Dark Horse comics. Though everyone on the panel might not have fully enjoyed this adaptation, they all definitely agreed on how awesome the Crow-Keeper was and how he needs to be in more things very soon. This was a very interesting episode audibly, as well. Brian and Carrie's dog was in a very needy mood and you can here him whining in the background, here and there, throughout the recording. Also, stick around after the credits for old timey phone and fire alarm shenanigans!

DIY Corner this week is a new comic by Jeremy Holt on Tapas and tribute to British Girls comics from the 1960s.

Other comics discussed on this issue: What’s the Furthest Place from Here? by Matthew Rosenberg, Tyler Boss, and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou (Image); Chicken Devil #1 by Brian Buccellato, Hayden Sherman and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou (Aftershock); Hooky by Miriam Bonastre Tur (WebToon); and Puu (பூ ) by Nabi (Tapas).

The CDB Crew (plus Fourth Beatle Richard) are very excited to have comics star Greg Pak come on to the Podcast to discuss his recent Kickstarter campaign "Cooking will Break your Heart". Darci, Richard and Greg discuss everything from comfort food, cooking, family, not accidentally poisoning said family with your cooking, and of course, comics.

Beforehand, Brian, Carrie, Darci and Richard discuss the recent news of the unionization of workers at Image Comics.

The other portion of DIY Corner, aside from talking to Greg, is a cute book about a witch and a mice village. 

Other books discussed this episode: A Thing Called Truth #1 by Iolanda Zanfardino and Elisa Romboli (Image); Atnomen by ilustrAriane (Webtoon);  and The Winchester Mystery House #1 by Joshua Werner, Dustin Irvin and Justin Birch (Source Point Press).

The CDB Crew thinks that Archie Comics are so nice, that they'll do them twice....in a row that is. This week, Darci chose Chip Zdarsky and Erica Henderson's Jughead vol. 1 as the main topic. Much like last episode with Sabrina the Teenage Witch, the discussion breaks down into a general love fest for the creators of this comic. For DIY Corner we talk about a bee related crime book by Christopher Sebela and Claire Roe coming soon to Kickstarter.

Other books discussed on this episode: Human Remains #1 & 2 by Peter Milligan, Sally Cantrino, Dearbhla Kelly, and AndWorld Design (Vault) and Destroyer by Victor LaValle and Dietrich Smith (Boom on Graphite).

DIY Corner: FOULBROOD 1 & 2 : A comic about bees + crime: 

Welcome back to another episode of the best Indie Comics Podcast you are currently reading a description of. We keep the spooky season going with Brian's choice Sabrina the Teenage Witch by Kelly Thompson, Veronica Fish, Andy Fish, and Jack Morelli published by Archie Comics. We do go over the comic pretty extensively, but the conversation eventually breaks down into a Kelly Thompson and Veronica Fish love fest.

For DIY Corner, we talk about a new history book covering the world of comics from Thailand as well as a Queer Fantasy Adventure. Brian also talks about an article about C Spike Trotman and Iron Circus Comics that he wanted to share with you all.

Other books discussed this episode: Swim Team by Johnnie Christmas (HarperCollins); Liar Game by Shinobu Kaitani (Shueisha); and Sabine: an asexual coming-of-age story by MermaidMap (Webtoon).

Hey all! The CDB Podcast now officially has one episode for every week in the year! To celebrate this milestone, Carrie chose the Little Women adaptation, Little Witches Magic in Concord by Leigh Dragoon and published by Oni Press to the show for us all to talk about. It's a good start to the spooky season for sure! We also talk about an Ethiopian Sci-Fi comic, a new mostly female scribed horror anthology, and a friend's new comic book retail website, Cockatoo Comics for DIY Corner. It's a lot of fun and definitely worth checking out.

Other comics discussed on this episode: Mazebook #1-2 by Jeff Lemire and Steve Wands (Dark Horse); Haunted Mansion: Frights of Fancy by Sina Grace, Egle Bartolini, Nicoletta Baldari, Valentina Pinto, Riccardo Giardina, and Christa Miesner (IDW); and Annarasunamara by Ilkwon Ha (Navar Webtoon, 2010 or translated to Webtoon 2015)

Hey all, the CDB Crew is back with a regular episode after our short break. For this special episode, Darci chose the recently released, first volume of Verse by Sam Beck, published by Vault Comics on the Wonderbound imprint. If you are familiar with Beck's previous works, it will not come as a surprise about how great a read this is and how gorgeous it looks. We hope that we can convince you to pick up this under-the-radar masterpiece. 

That's not all that makes this episode special. We are introducing a new format all-together: we are adding in a new, ongoing segment, DIY Corner- where we will discuss comics that are being self-published, self-released online, and/or are being Crowd-Funded, while cutting back on our discussions and news segments. Once again, a big purpose of this podcast is to help give notice to comics that might not necessarily get a lot of press or discussion on comic book social media.

For the inaugural DIY Corner, we talk about Dirruti: Shadow of the People, Hans Vogel is Dead, The Uncontrollable Wreck-Lass!, and Kardiakía: Stories of Representation: Queer Love and Fat Bodies.

We also talk about Dune: A Whisper of Caladan Seas #1 by Brian Herbert, Kevin J. Anderson, Jakub Rebelka, and Ed Dukeshire (BOOM); The Night Mother by Melanie Gillman; and A Righteous Thirst for Vengeance #1 by Rick Remender, André Lima Araújo, Chris O'Halloran, and Rus Wooton (Image)

Hi All! It's the season finale and the 50th episode-iversary and what better way to celebrate than with a great book and great guests. In this case, the CDB crew welcome past guests Richard and Rebecca to talk about the recent miniseries: The Many Deaths of Laila Starr. No surprise, but everyone ends up gushing over the topic and their may have been a couple spoilers leaked. The extended CDB Crew also talks about their favorite books of the season as well as favorite books they have read recently, copies of Amazing Fantasy #15 that traveled via time machine, and various other fun topics.

Other books discussed this week: Hope vol. 1: Hope for the Future by Guy Adams and Jimmy Broxton (Rebellion/2000AD); Mamo #1-3 by Sas Milledge (Boom/Boom Box); Snow, Glass, Apples by Neil Gaiman and Colleen Doran (Dark Horse); Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art by Scott McCloud (William Morrow); and Kai by Queenue (Tapas and Webtoons).

The CDB Crew is back with some more Indie Comics Knowledge! This week Brian, Carrie and Darci talk about the Jen Wang classic graphic novel, The Prince and the Dressmaker (First Second). The hosts gush over the story, the writing, the art and the wonderful fashion. The crew also dives into the recent Action Labs controversy, the When I was Me Kickstarter and Amazon's further integration of Comxology. For the discussion, the difference between "professional" and "amateur" comics.

Other books discussed: Lugosi: The Rise and Fall of Hollywood's Dracula by Koren Shadmi (Life Drawn) and Hooky by Miriam B. (Webtoon).

Welcome to another episode of the CDB Podcast! This week, Brian, Carrie and Darci talk to writer Jeremy Holt about their comics like Made In Korea and Virtually Yours as well living in New York, music playlists, interesting COVID influenced purchases and much more. Jeremy was great to talk to and you should all listen to this interview and then go read all of their books! 

Before the interview, The CDB Crew talk about a new Kickstarter featuring Indigenous folklore and fables, Shing Yin Khor being nominated for an Ignatz award, and a brief entry talk about the most recent Gate-Keeping issue on Social Media.

Books by Jeremy Holt talked about in this episode: Made in Korea by Holt, George Schall, and Adam Wollet (Image); Virtually Yours by Holt, Elizabeth Beals, Adam Wollet, and Tim Daniel (Comixology); and Pulp by Jeremy Holt and Christopher Peterson (HP Comix).

Other Books discussed in this episode: Dark Blood #1-2 by LaToya Morgan, Walt Barna, A.H.G. and AndWorld Design (BOOM); Save Yourself! #1-3 by Bones Leopard, Kelly & Nichole Matthews, and Jim Campbell (BOOM); and Legalization Nation: The Dispensary Divide by Box Brown (The Nib)

New week, new episode! This time, Darci has decided to have the CDB Crew journey to the magical world of Koretris and cover the YA comic, Girl Haven. It's a fun and emotional ride for the most part and every member of the CDB Crew makes it home safely. In news, the group covers the Webtoon and DC Comics collaboration and Brian Michael Bendis's move to Dark Horse Comics. For the week's discussion, the hosts dive into the speculation market and talk about the pros and (mostly) cons of that corner of the comic book collectors market.

Other books covered on this episode: Piece by Piece: The Story of Nisrin's Hijab by Priya Huq and Killer Queens #1 by David Booher, Claudia Balboni, Henry Saxon, and Lucas Gattoni (Dark Horse)

Hey we're back again! Carrie decides to keep her horror streak alive while dipping into YA with this week's main subject, Vera's Ghost. There's mixed feelings which leads to some good discussions. The CDB Crew also talk about the Shortbox October Book Fair, Wizard World closing their doors, and Diamond Distributors hiring a new President. The Crew then continues their conversation from last week about Substack since even more news, good and bad, has been released during the last week. 

Other comics discussed on this episode: Chibi Usagi: Attack of the Heebie Chibis by Julia and Stan Sakai (IDW); Ordinary Gods #1-2 by Kyle Higgins, Felipe Watanabe, Frank Willam, and Clayton Cowles (Image); and Let's Make Dumplings! A Comic Book Cook Book by Hugh Amano and Sarah Becan (Ten Speed Press)

This week Darci brings us back to Manga-World with Memories of Emanon volume one to read and discuss. The Crew get into the interesting and rare in comics story telling device this book uses as well as the spectacular art. Free Comic Book Day, INKR, and Russel Mark Olson giving away volume one of their comic Gateway City in order to promote the Kickstarter for volume 2 are talked about in news.

Speaking of news, this week's discussion is about the recent reveal of multiple comics creators will be now releasing their owned work onto the newsletter platform, Substack which has overnight become a major player in the Comic Distribution Industry. What does this mean for the future of comics? How will this affect who gets hired to work with the Big 2 as well as how they compensate their creators going forward? Will this negatively or positively affect tradition independent comic book publishers as well as brick and mortar comic book shops? The Crew discusses these questions and much more during this episode. Also the fourth member of the crew, the giant spider, show has a  very frightening cameo.

Other books discussed: Eat my Flesh, Drink my Blood by Frankee White, Adam Markiewicz, and A.H.G. (Dauntless Stories); Cheer Up: Love and Pompoms by Crystal Fraiser and Val Wise (Oni Press); and Porceilain #1 by Maria Llovett and Saida Temofonte (Ablaze).

Carrie, Darci, and Brian (CDB) are back with another episode of the Comics Deserve Better (CDB) Podcast with Brian's choice this week, the first volume of Princeless. The Crew are all under the weather this episode and apparently so was Zoom as there were heaps of issues in regards to recording, but a great episode was still created to talk about a great book! Also, is it intentional or coincidental that the podcast has the same initials as the first names of the three hosts? The CDB Crew will never tell! No discussion this week due to the afore mentioned illnesses but it's a solid episode nonetheless with some great tangents about Covid and Booster Gold to name a few.

Other books discussed this episode are Cinnamon #1 by Victoria Douglas (Behemoth); Graveneye by Sloane Leong and Anna Bowles (TKO); and Verse Book 1 by Sam Beck (Wonderbound).

Welcome to a new episode of the CDB Podcast! This week the CDB Crew gets all True Crime-y with Carrie's choice: The Butcher of Paris from Dark Horse. I know what you're thinking, 'True Crime and Podcasts? Who would ever think of combining those two things?' However here we are with another wonderful episode for you all to listen to! The Crew also bends (breaks) the rules and talk briefly about I am not Starfire by Mariko Tamaki and Yoshi Yoshitani because it's a great and undeservingly being disparaged by some horrible corners of the Comic Book Social Media world. It's important to break the rules when necessary and this was a necessary time.

The hosts also talk about the Eisner Award winners, Shortbox's last shortbox, a Judge Dredd Humble Bundle, a Kickstarter for a Trans/Non-Binary anthology and a horror anthology coming out in October from AfterShock Comics.

Other books mentioned on this episode:

The Thud by Mikael Ross (Fantagraphics); Kasama by Allan Matudio (ANAK Publishing Worker CoOp), and The Me You Love in the Dark by Scottie Young, Jorge Corona, Jean-Francois Beaulieu, and Nate Piekos (Image).

On this week's episode of the best indy comic focused podcast, the CDB Crew discuss the first volume of the body horror erotica comic, InSEXts. It's an odd comic and did bring out mixed feelings from the hosts, but they definitely had a lot of fun discussing it. The crew also talks about the new Zoe Thorogood short comic, Harvey Award nominations, and Vault Comics plan to celebrate Pride year round. As for this week's roundtable, the Crew discuss the recent article from the Hollywood Reporter regarding the Big Two and the lack of compensation given to their creatives that make them billions of dollars through movie and tv adaptations of their work and what ways can we as consumers and fans help change this process for the betterment of the creatives. Also, please stay to the very end to find out who was attacked by a giant spider in the middle of recording!

Other books discussed this episode: The Silver Coin #1-4 (Image) by Chip Zdarsky, Kelly Thompson, Ed Brisson, Jeff Lemire, Michael Walsh and Toni Marie Griffin; Beyond the Clouds vol. 1 (Self Published and Kodansha) by Nicke; and Alice in Leatherland #1-3 (Black Mask) by Iolanda Zafrandino and Elisa Romboli.

Happy Birthday (kind of) to the best podcast specifically about Independent Comics! Well it's close enough. To celebrate their birthday, the CDB Crew are covering the new book by Shing Yin Khor, The Legend of Auntie Po. Spoiler alert, it's fantastic. The Crew also discuss the lack of care and placement of All Ages and YA Comics in Comic Book Stores and how it's determent to both the industries and the shops themselves. Last, Carrie was a major trooper and did this episode while being very sick, so please support her in getting better by listening to this episode!

Other books discussed this week are Black's Myth #1 (Ahoy) by Eric Palicki, Wendell Cavalcanti, and Rob Steen; Way of the Hive: A Honey Bee's Story by Jay Hosler, and the Haha Anthology written by W. Maxwell Prince with multiple artists.

The CDB Crew is back for the finale of their fourth season where they talk about the graphic novel from Mexican author and artist, Edgar Camacho, Onion Skin. They discuss the story telling devices used, the panel work, and the Camacho's ability to stay away from trope pits that more experienced authors easily fall down. They also discuss translations and whether chilaquiles are better with red or green sauce. 

The group also gets into the recently announced Eisner nominations, Peow Studio closing and Sarah Gaydos stepping down as EIC of Oni/Lion Forge. Also at the last moment, Brian remembered that there is an excellent Kickstarter started by legendary editor Shelly Bond that he donated to and wanted everyone to else to chuck in a buck if they are able to. 

Last the Crew discuss the ill-timing of a Fables adaptation and the Pulitzer Prize Committee choosing not to present the award for Best Editorial Cartoonist to any of the nominees this year. 

Other comics discussed this episode are Coyote Doggirl by Lisa Hanawalt (Drawn and Quarterly); Namesake by Isabelle Melancon; and Luunarbaboon.

Here are some links from today's episode:

On this episode of CDB, the Crew talk about Charlot Kristensen's graphic novel, What We Don't Talk About. They all loved it, but Brian and Carrie particularly found it to be very similar to things they had experienced in the beginning of their relationship, so it quickly becomes a pretty candid conversation. 

Other books discussed on this episode are Jenny Zero #1-2 (Dark Horse) by Dave Dwonch, Brock McKinney and Magenta King; Mochi by Gemma Gene; and Mamo #1 (Boom Box) by Sas Milledge.

The Crew is back to talk about the first volume of Stilwater which is about a town whose citizens can not die. The book is pretty creepy and everyone had fun reading and talking about it. The hosts then discuss intentional and unintentional gatekeeping among comics fans caused by strongly expressing negative opinions about comics, creators or genres that the particular fan expressing the opinion may not like.

Other items discussed this episode are "My Name Is..." by Iskander Salim (New Naratif); Bunny Mask by Paul Tobin, Andrea Mutti, and Taylor Esposito (AfterShock); and Made in Korea #1 by Jeremy Holt, George Schall, and Adam Wollet (Image).

This week the CDB Crew dives into the water and swims with the fantastic Graphic Novel, The Magic Fish by Trung Le Nguyen. There is so much to talk about when it comes to this story that the Crew decided not to have an additional discussion. However, don't fret, there's a lot of discussion to be had in this episode. Bottom line, The Magic Fish is a MUST read. There is a quick content warning before we discuss some tragic events, but they are marked with a quick interruption by Carrie

The hosts also go through news real quick, talking about the tragic and sudden death of Kentaro Miura, Punderworld getting a collected edition, Mech Cadet Yu getting green lighted for an animated show, and the release date of the Trese adaptation on Netflix.

Other books talked about on this episode include Snow Angels #1-4 (Comixology) by Jeff Lemire, Jock, and Steve Wands; Willow vol. 1 (BOOM) by Mariko Tamai, Natacha Bustos and Eleonora Bruni; and The Girl from the Sea (Scholastic) by Molly Knox Ostertag

The CDB Crew welcome special guest Richard Dupiton to discuss the first volume of the Harlem Renaissance period demon hunting series, Bitter Root including the wonderful character designs, story telling and much more to be found in this volume. Though he was very excited to talk about the entire series, Brian did a good job to not reveal any spoilers from the next volumes to the rest of the hosts including a moment that had filled his eyes with tears of joy.

The Crew then discuss what other independent comics they would like to see become tv shows or movies which results in Carrie telling everyone about the time she was awkward towards Terry Moore when she met him at a Convention.

Other books discussed this episode: Rangers of the Divide #1 by Megan Huang (Dark Horse), WWE: The New Day: Power of Positivity by Evan Narcisse, Austin Walker, and Daniel Bayliss (BOOM); Little Fox in the Forest by Stephanie Graegin; Red by Jed Alexander; Professional Crocodile by Giovanna Zoboli and Mariachiara Di Giorgio; and Marjorie Finnegan: Temporal Criminal #1 by Garth Ennis, Goran Suzuka and Miroslav Mrva (AWA: Upshot)

Richard can be found on all social media at @topcat360

Hi All, the CBD Crew is back and this time Darci has brought a comic anthology exploring sound through comics to the table for us to discuss. All the contributors for this anthology are from Southern and Southeast Asia so it was a great way to broaden everyone's comic horizons. They talk about each entry but each host had a primary comic they wanted to feature. Brian had The Cat who Barks by Bryan Arfiandy, Carrie had Bonus Points by Benjamin Chee and Darci chose two with Hokken for Beginners by Nicolette Lee and On:Off by Xie Shi Min, Richard Phua, and Xiao Yan. The official Podcast Dog, Jonny, wanted to get in on this whole discussion of sound by providing very audible whines and toy squeaking in the background at points. 

For this week's Round Table, the group talks about why there is not as many non-English written books translated into English than there should and could be, aside from the main factor of money, of course. 

Other books discussed this week: Eve #1 (BOOM) by Victor LaValle, Jo Mi-Gyeong, Brittany Peer and AndWorld Design; Out and About #1-3 (Self Published) by Corinne Roberts, and the Medikidz Explain Epilepsy series.

Brian and Carrie welcome special guest, Andrew Levins to talk about the recently released first two chapters of the sweet mayhem of Candy Flurry which can be found in Shonen Jump Magazine as well as digitally on their app. The group also discuss getting into Manga from Comics and vice-versa as well as some fun tangents into The Snyder Cut, The Beatles and a few other things. It's a fun conversation throughout that dives into many things.

Other books discussed in this issue are Helm Greycastle #1, Giraffes on Horseback Salad, and Remina. 

The CDB Crew are back (from the grave) to talk about Riverdale and the zombie apocalypse in Afterlife with Archie. They also discuss the literary works of Neil Gaiman, bring up The Magic Fish for the third episode in a row, and the awakenings of sexuality that the salmon ladder on Arrow may have caused some viewers to have. The hosts also discuss whether or not professional comics creators should reveal and/or be judged on their pasts as a fanfic writer. 

Other books covered this episode are At the Mountain Base, Djeliya, and The Many Deaths of Laila Starr.

We are back for another jam packed episode. This week Siobhan Coombs from King's Comics and the Serious Issues Podcast joins the CDB Crew to talk about  two wonderful books from Shortbox Comics: Don't Go Without Me by Rosemary Valero-O'Connell and Homunculus by Joe Sparrow. The team also talk about how Conventions are and will probably be after the Pandemic as well as how inaccessible Ulysses by James Joyce is as a piece of literature. Other Comics discussed in this episode are Joe Sea-cret Agent, the new editions of Osamu Tezuka's comics Crime and Punishment and Storm Fairy, Understanding the Spectrum, and Umami: Starters,

We're back from vacation! This episode we introduce Carrie as our newest permanent member of the CDB Crew and also have on returning guest, Rebecca Hart! Not only this, but we also interview writer Tom Ward about his series available through Kickstarter, Merrick: The Sensational Elephant Man as well as other things like him hosting his own digital convention even before COVID made it necessary. 

Later, Rebecca, Carrie and Brian discuss whether or not independent comics do a better job than the Big Two when it comes to Representation. Also, stay tuned at the end because there may be an impromptu cameo made by Rebecca's cat. 

Other comics discussed in this episode are Beasts of Burden: Occupied Territory #1, Beneath the Dead Oak Tree and current Kickstarter Lampblack.

For both the end of Sports Month and Season Three, Brian and Darci talk about the sports manga, Chihayafuru. They also dive into the competitive card game, Karuta, what is and what is not a sport, winning an Oscar, and much more. Also both of the hosts realize that a lot of books they spoke about this season are from the same genre and look to branch out in future episodes. There is a special segment for the end of season as well as a few reveals about the show for the next round. Other books discussed in this episode are Ultramega, Tatashe vol 1 and 2, Shadecraft and A Shot in the Arm! Big Ideas that Changed the World. 

Welcome to Week three of our sports month where Darci and Brian talk about the romance sports manga-esque series Fence, which is about, you guessed it, putting up fences. Or maybe it's about selling stolen goods, Most likely, since it's sports month, it's about the sport of fencing. Other items discussed in this episode include an article about the forgotten West African artist Ibrahim Njoya, Orphan and the Five Beasts, Cats! Purrfect Strangers and Undone by Blood or The Other Side of Eden.

Sports month continues on the CDB Podcast with this week's main topic: 21: The Story of Roberto Clemente by Wilfred Santiago which dive's in the interesting life and philanthropy of the Hall of Fame Baseball Player. Darci and Brian also discuss Dead Dog's Bite #1, Virtually Yours, BRZRKR #1, The Incredible Nellie Bly, Proctor Valley Road and a lively discussion about local Cryptids at the end of the episode.

Quick correction: Brian had videogames on the brain and accidentally said the name of the co-writer of Proctor Valley Road is "Alex Kidd" when it's actually Alex Child. Brian needs to put his Sega down and pay more attention.

On this week's episode. Brian and Darci cover the 2019 graphic novel, Dragon Hoops by Gene Luen Yang. They spend over an hour going over everything from basketball, to racism, to the general treatment of youth athletes. It's a great graphic novel that is packed with a lot of information, so there is a lot to talk about this week. Also, Brian breaks the rules slightly and talks about the Milestone Comics revival and Darci continues the conversation from last episode about the work of cartoonist Vernon Grant. Other books discussed in this episode are By The Horns #1, Jonna and the Unpossible Monsters #1 and the upcoming Tidesong by Wendy Xu.

We're back despite the internet going down in Brian's neighborhood and forced to record a day later with the internet still being less than stellar. This week Darci and Brian discuss the beautiful graphic novel, Run Wild. They also discuss an article about forgotten comic creator Vernon Grant, We Live #5, Two Moons #1 and Mao vol. 1. 

On this episode, Brian and Darci head north to talk about the Viking Adventure Drama, Heathen. The conversation dives into Norse Mythology, clothing, mermaids, and choosing settings for stories. They also discuss further on Even Though We're Adults as well as The Last Witch #2. Plus quick discussions about Shadow Doctor #1 and The Girl without a Face vol. 1. Due to the recent storms in the Midwest, the sound quality is less than stellar, but nevertheless everything is pretty audible and listenable.

After some technical difficulties, we're back!

On this week episode, Darci and Brian dive into the first two volumes of Paper Girls. They also discuss Head Lopper #14, Luna #1 By the Horns #1 and The Grande Odalisque.

On this week's episode, Darci and Brian go over Sloane Leong's fantastic graphic novel: A Map to the Sun. From the story to the amazing colors, there's a lot to talk about. The recently announced GLAAD award nominees as well as the proposed Image Comics Cruise. Other books and articles discussed in this issue are Something is Killing the Children #14, Resonant #7, Even Though We’re Adults vol. 1, and "Translating British and US-American Graphic Novels into French: A Conversation with the Translator Lili Sztajn”.

On this week's episode, Brian and Darci are joined by Jake Fortier and we cover the modern classic, Sleepless; it's a well crafted story, has beautiful art, and some of the best costuming ever to be featured in a comic. Other things covered include Origins, To Your Eternity, Orcs!, Luna, Stake, and Scott Pilgrim vs. the World: The Game Complete Edition.

We're back from our Winter Sabbatical with a new episode! In fact, it's our first episode with a Manga as our main course! We are joined by Carrie this episode as we dive into the Fashionable and Otaku world of Princess Jellyfish. We also discuss the McDuffie Awards nominees and a couple book announcements. We also have a quick discussion about Gatekeeping at the end and encourage everyone to welcome anyone who is interested in this crazy hobby of ours to sit down and read an issue or two with us.

Other books discussed in this episode: Ind-xed, The Book of Human Insects, Sarah's Scribbles, Crimson Flower, Abbot 1973 and Little Witches: Magic in Concord

Thank you everyone!