Podcast Episode 30 - Best Comics of 2014

2014, eh? Prick of a year. Still, there were plenty of great comics out there, and we've rounded up our favourites. One lucky soul will even win our two top picks, if you booked yourself a Bullshit Bingo card. All you have to do is listen for certain key phrases and mark them off when you hear them. The first person to yell "house" at us on

Twitter

or over

email

walks away with this fantastic prize*.

We have a winner! Thanks to those who joined in the Dionysian

bingo frenzy

Our combined longlists are way, way below, so as not to ruin the surprise.

• Mulp: Matt Gibbs and Sara Dunkerton
• Blacksad: Juan Diaz Canales and Juanjo Guarnido
• TJ & Amal: E.K Weaver
• Trees: Warren Ellis and Jason Howard
• Will O The Wisp: Megan Hutchinson and Tom Hammock
• Moon Knight: Warren Ellis, Declan Shalvey, Jordie Bellaire
• Pretty Deadly: Kelly-Sue DeConnick, Emma Rios, Jordie Bellaire
• Beautiful Darkness: Fabien Vehlmann and Kerascoet
• The Motherless Oven: Rob Davis
• The Wrenchies: Farel Dalrymple
• This One Summer: Jillian Tamaki and Mariko Tamaki
• Through the Woods: Emily Carroll
• Hip-Hop Family Tree: Ed Piskor
• Just So Happens: Fumio Obata
• The Wicked and the Divine: Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie
• Moonhead and the Music Machine: Andrew Rae
• The Collector: Sergio Toppi
• Shoplifter: Michael Cho
• Silver Surfer: Dan Slott, Michael Allred, Laura Allred
• Saga: Brian K Vaughan, Fiona Staples
• Hawkeye: Matt Fraction, David Aja, Annie Wu
• Mind MGMT: Matt Kindt
• Poorly Drawn Lines: Reza Farazmand

...and our special treat at the end, A Naughty Boy for Krampus.

Podcast Episode 17 - Crime

CRIME IS EVERYWHERE. Well, there's a bit. There's a lot in comics too! We take a detailed forensic look at some of our favourite pulp and noir comics, talk about some real life crimes that may or may not have happened. They're pretty exciting crimes! Plus the usual filth and nonsense.

Comics we covered in this episode:

• Transmetropolitan by Warren Ellis and Darick Robertson
• Zombo by Al Ewing and Henry Flint
• Umbrella Academy by Gerard Way and Gabriel Ba
• Parker by Darwyn Cooke, adapted from Donald Westlake
• Fatale by Ed Brubaker and Sean Philips
• Mass Effect: Redemption by Various
• Blacksad by Juanjo Guarnido and Juan Diaz Canales
• Britten & Brulightly by Hannah Berry
• Batman ‘66 by Various
• East of West by Jonathan Hickman and Nick Dragotta
• Pretty Deadly by Kelly Sue DeConnick, Emma Rios and Jordie Bellaire
• Whiteout by Ed Rucka and Steve Lieber
• Lumberjanes by Grace Ellis, Noelle Stevenson and Brooke A. Allen
• Sex Criminals by Matt Fraction and Chip Zdarsky
• Thief of Thieves by Robert Kirkman, Nick Spencer and Shawn Martinbrough
• Top 10 - Alan Moore and Gene Ha
• Gotham Central - Ed Brubaker, Greg Rucka and Michael Lark
• Identity Crisis - Brad Meltzer, Rags Morales and Michael Bair
• Sin City - Frank Miller
• Stumptown - Ed Rucka and Matthew SouthWorth

The Wilkinson Lewis family:

• Yes Hive Overlord
• Music!

Podcast Episode 16 – Myth (Part Two)

We're back on myth this week, looking at comics that create their own myths and discussing 19th century vs. contemporary mythic theory while swearing like troopers. Tell us you get that anywhere else. Liar.

We also set about tackling new some new releases, and generally being terrible people.

• Blacksad - Juan Díaz Canales (writer) and Juanjo Guarnido
• Secret Avengers - Ales Kot & Michael Walsh
• Saga - Brian K Vaughan & Fiona Staples
• Sex Criminals - Matt Fraction and Chip Zdarksy
• Young Avengers - Kieron Gillen & Jamie McKelvie
• Phonogram - Kieron Gillen & Jamie McKelvie
• Chimichanga - Eric Powell
• The Auteur - Rick Spears and James Callahan
• The Black Project - Gareth Brookes
• Just So Happens - Fumio Obata
• Nextwave - Warren Ellis & Stuart Immonen
• Planetary - Warren Ellis & John Cassaday
• Jack Kirby's Fourth World - Jack Kirby
• Grandville - Bryan Talbot
• The Hero - David Ruben

And if you're into actual books:

• The Hero With a Thousand Faces - Joseph Campbell
• Mythopoeisis: Mythic Patterns in the Literary Classics - Harry Slochower
• A Canticle for Leibowitz - Walter M. Miller