We're back! All the Export pods had to take a pause while I recovered from covid, but Coffee & Comic Books returns with an episode about this classic of comics theory. We were joined by Mark for a 90 minute conversation where we get into all the things that have got us to return to the book over the years, and all the things about it that are frustrating and worth criticizing. You can listen for free on the Export Audio Patreon or in its own RSS feed at exportaud.io/comicbooks.
Hit the read more for a list of other comics that we bring up over the course of our covnersation.
- Urusei Yatsura
- Matt Howarth -- This image was taken from lars.ingebrigsten.co. I am not vouching for any of the content of that blog, I haven't read it. This is just the best image I could find of this out of print book haha
- Zot!
- Jimmy Corrigan -- We very briefly gloss over Jimmy Corrigan in this episode but you should go read Jimmy Corrigan if you haven't. Jimmy Corrigan is an absolute stone cold classic to a certain kind of indie comics reader, to the point where it feels like an obvious recommendation. But if you don't know what this book is, just go read it.
- City of Glass
- Homestuck -- If you're reading this there's a 100% chance you know what Homestuck is and don't need me to explain it. However, if you have not listened to Homestuck Made This World, go check it out. In the first or second episode, cmrn cites Understanding Comics in relation to Homestuck. My brief mention of Homestuck is basically me expounding on that point as it relates to McCloud's followup book Reinventing Comics. Anyway here's Karkat.
- Astro Boy -- This image is from Zot #3, where McCloud lays out his love of Tezuka. In the episode, we spend a lot of time talking about McCloud's love of manga. In some ways it is good and necessary work to promote manga so heavily to North American comics readers in the 80s and 90s. In other ways, we often bristle at how McCloud exoticizes manga storytelling techniques and expresses an orientalist worldview.
- The Rob -- I don't care what anyone says, I still like Rob Liefeld art