The Comics Canon

The Ask Us Anything Episode

We asked for questions, and you … asked them! In this, our second of two out-of-format episodes marking our 10-year anniversary, we answer the questions on your mind, including: Are there any episodes we'd like to do over? What are our favorite classic comic-book ads? Which comic had the worst movie adaptation? But first, Curt gives his first-ever State of the Canon address, breaking down the characters, creators and comics publishers most represented in that body of great comic-book works known as The Comics Canon! Join us in two weeks when we return to our regular format with a look at the first appearances of Green Lanterns Alan Scott (in All-American Comics #16 from 1940) and Hal Jordan (Showcase #22 from 1959) -- as well as two fun stories by Alan Moore: Tygers and Mogo Doesn't Socialize! Until then:Please consider donating to the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund Impress your friends with our Comics Canon merchandise! Rate us on Apple Podcasts! Send us an email! Hit us up on Facebook or Bluesky! And as always, thanks for listening!

Call for Questions!

There's still time to submit questions for our upcoming March 4 episode, which features an Ask Us Anything segment as well as something Curt cryptically refers to as "The State of the Canon!" If you've ever wondered how we choose the books and storylines we cover, whether we've ever changed our minds about something we've covered on the show, or just want to cast a vote for something you'd like to see discussed on the podcast, send us your emails at letters@comicscanon.com or drop us a line on Facebook or Bluesky by the end of the day on Friday, Feb. 27, and we'll answer as many as we can! Also in this mini-episode, Kevin and Curt answer sample questions from each other with absolutely no preparation or advance warning! Who says this isn't the Comics Canon Age of Value-Added Content? We hope you enjoy it, and we look forward to answering YOUR questions next week!

The Gateway Episode

Got a burning question for The Comics Canon? Submit a question for our upcoming Ask Us Anything episode, airing Wednesday, March 4! Send us an email at letters@comicscanon.com or hit us up on Facebook or Bluesky no later than Friday, February 27! After 10 years and 250 episodes of rendering judgment on the greatest comic book stories of yesterday and today, we decided it's finally time to record an episode for newcomers to the podcast – or to comics themselves! In this super-accessible jumping-on point, we walk listeners through a typical episode of The Comics Canon and offer our recommendations for anyone interested in exploring comics, broken into 10 helpful categories: Comics for Kids Comics for All Ages YA/Young Adult Comics Memoirs Humor Comics Crime Comics Horror Comics Superhero Comics Cosmic Comics and the 800-pound gorilla of superhero graphic novels: Watchmen! Also in This Episode! · What ARE comics, anyway? · Who we are and how we came to be · The creative comics boom of the 1980s · "Your son is hooked on Micronauts." · The one book we'd hand to anyone interested in the comics medium Join us in two weeks for the second in our two-part anniversary series, as we answer questions from listeners, look ahead to possible future episodes and discuss … The State of The Canon! Until then:Please consider donating to the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund Impress your friends with our Comics Canon merchandise! Rate us on Apple Podcasts! Send us an email! Hit us up on Facebook or Bluesky! And as always, thanks for listening!

Episode 250: Understanding Comics

On this milestone episode, we tackle our white whale of show subjects: Understanding Comics, Scott McCloud's fascinating and thought-provoking exploration of the comics medium, how it works, and what it can do – told in the comics format! Join us as we ask the burning questions: What ARE comics, anyway? How long has this particular form of communication been around? (Hint: Longer than you think!) How many different ways can it illustrate the passage of time or the concept of movement? What are the six steps of the creative process? How far down a nerd rabbit hole can Curt and Kevin go? (Pretty far!) And will this landmark textbook make the grade and go the head of that comics classroom known as … The Comics Canon? Also in This Episode! · You mean this ISN'T what Scott McCloud looks like? · Ooh, bar graphs! · Inconsistent bullies are the worst kind of bullies · Reinventing Comics · The Mighty Avengers vs. the 1970s: An Exploration, by Paul Cornell Join us in two weeks as we mark our 10-year anniversary with "The Gateway Episode" – highlighting comics and graphic novels for newcomers to the comics medium! Until then:Please consider donating to the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund Impress your friends with our Comics Canon merchandise! Rate us on Apple Podcasts! Send us an email! Hit us up on Facebook or Bluesky! And as always, thanks for listening!

Episode 249: Zot! The Earth Stories

On this episode, we celebrate our 10th anniversary -- and gear up for our 250th episode -- with a discussion of Zot! The Earth Stories! Specifically, Zot! #28-36 from 1989-1991, written and drawn by Scott McCloud, originally published by Eclipse Comics! The high-flying teen superhero Zot zips merrily along in a bright, shiny and cool retro-futuristic version of our world, cheerful and carefree – so what happens when he ends up stranded on OUR Earth? Mostly, he cedes the stage to his not-quite-girlfriend Jenny and her high school friends, most of whom get a moment to share the spotlight in these touching stories filled with warmth, humor and heart while deftly dealing with topics including coming out, racism and teen sex. Can Zot's relentless optimism remain intact after he experiences crime on our world? Can he convince Jenny not to turn her back on Earth? And can these stories ascend to that World of Tomorrow known as … The Comics Canon? In This Episode: · Horton's utterly ridiculous career goal · Optimax vs. Cyclops · Zot's best moment · 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple and its comic-book connection · Fortune and Glory: The Musical Join us in two weeks as we discuss a book we've talked about tackling since Day One: Scott McCloud's Understanding Comics! Until then:Please consider donating to the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund Impress your friends with our Comics Canon merchandise! Rate us on Apple Podcasts! Send us an email! Hit us up on Facebook or Bluesky! And as always, thanks for listening!