Comic Book Couples Counseling Podcast
Arts:Books
A story is never one story. A story is several stories. It's the story imagined by its author or authors, as is often the case in comics, and it's the story imagined by its many readers. They can be similar or significantly different, but none of them are the same. Never have we been more aware of this phenomenon than when we were talking to Becky Cloonan and Tula Lotay about their new comic, Somna.
The DSTLRY series gripped us immediately. One issue in, we found ourselves challenged, wrestling with how these witch trial stories typically propel themselves. Fear and hate are the enemy, but what happens when the paranoia is justified? Both of us interpreted the story differently, but our interpretations differed slightly from Becky Cloonan's headcanon, and hers differed slightly from Tula Lotay's headcanon. Fascinating.
We can agree on Somna's plot. Ingrid is unhappily wed to the town bailiff, who succeeds by sniffing out witches and bringing them to a cleansing fire. His work consumes him, drying his desire for Ingrid and leaving her open to shadowy whispers from a potentially demonic phantom. Becky Cloonan and Tula Lotay trade pages throughout, setting barriers between dream and reality before breaking them down in tremendous fashion.
Somna's third and final issue arrives in shops today. It's the culmination of a decade-long journey for Cloonan and Lotay, and they're eager to share their inspirations, interpretations, and intentions with us. Our conversation is spoiler-ish -- we HAD to talk about that last panel, so it's best if you're caught up on the series before diving into our episode.
To continue this discussion, you can find Becky Cloonan on Twitter and Instagram, and Tula Lotay on Twitter and Instagram.
As always, Omnibus, the Digital Comic Store and Reader, sponsors our Referrals segment. This week, we selected two comic book titles on the site that satisfy this episode's themes. We won't spoil what they are here, but if you click the links below, you'll be immediately escorted to those books.
Brad's Referral
Lisa's Referral
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Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
CBCC 51: Dawn & Norrin - Worlds Apart
CBCC Road Trip 3 - Dawn & Norrin & Groot
CBCC Road Trip 2 - Four Color Fantasies Charity Auction
CBCC 50! Dawn & Norrin - Silver Surfer: A New Dawn
CBCC 49: Freddy & Laura - Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me
CBCC @ Awesome Con - The Umbrella Academy
CBCC 48: Dick & Babs - Convergence
CBCC 47: Dick & Babs - Oracle & Nightwing
CBCC Creator Corner: Tom Scioli on Jack Kirby: The Epic Life of the King of Comics
CBCC 46: Dick & Babs - Batman Family
CBCC Creator Corner: Kevin Eastman on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
CBCC 45: Dick & Babs - Batgirl: Year One
CBCC 44: Harley & Ivy - Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy
CBCC 43: Harley & Ivy - Harley Quinn Road Trip Special
CBCC Creator Corner: Stephen R. Bissette on Saga of the Swamp Thing
CBCC 42: Harley & Ivy - Welcome to Metropolis
CBCC Creator Corner: MARC Makes Comics!
CBCC 41: Harley & Ivy - The Timm/Dini Mini
CBCC Creator Corner: Cuddles and Rage on 'Bites of Terror' Part II
CBCC 40: Rogue & Remy - Mr. & Mrs. X
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