Matt and Cale Read Comics

Matt Cale
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A biweekly analytical comics podcast. Every episode join cartoonist & comics educator Matt Smith and cosplayer & mainstream comics fan Cale Werake as they dive deep into a different graphic novel. Our two comics aficionados examine a book's writing, art and cultural impact, often joined by friends from the comics industry as they celebrate the medium of comics!

  1. Episode 25: Matt and Cale Read "Batman: Gotham by Gaslight" with Julien Pilon

    09/09/2021

    Episode 25: Matt and Cale Read "Batman: Gotham by Gaslight" with Julien Pilon

    Rising Canadian cartoonist superstar Julien Pilon (currently under contract with Comic House) joins our two comics aficionados to talk about this 1989 graphic novel where a turn of the century Batman goes up against the infamous Jack the Ripper!  Set in 1989, this story sees a young Bruce Wayne don the Batman cowl for the first time after returning from his overseas studies and training. But Batman is not the only creature skulking around Gotham...!  Written by Brian Augustyn with art by Mike Mignola and P. Craig Russell, this is a fascinating take on Batman and is the first of DC's Elseworlds' stories which reimagine our favourite characters in new settings. The three of us are huge Batman fans and huge Mignola fans (be sure to check out our second episode on "Bram Stoker's Dracula"), and dive deep into the nature of collaboration in comics.  Julien and Matt have collaborated on two short stories ("The Last Woman on Earth: The Path I Follow" published in Issue 3 of "Monsterella" by "Hangman Comics" and "Haunt'd: Second Story/Up All Night" published by Frisson Comics and Hangman Comics) and are working together on a graphic novel. For anyone who is interested in writing for an artist, the end of the episode will be a real treat as Julien explains how a writer can give their artist the freedom to elevate a script.  And this episode brings our first season to a close! Matt and Cale have been working on this podcast for an entire year and we both need to take some time off to recharge and focus on other projects. We plan to return in January, 2022, so please stay subscribed and make sure you tell your friends about this podcast! There's never been a better time for a new listener to binge all of our previous episodes! You can keep in touch with us during the hiatus on Instagram and Facebook @mattandcalereadcomics and on Twitter @mattandcaleread and find all of our episodes on MattandCale.com. See you in January!

    1h 29m
  2. 24: Matt and Cale Read "Y: The Last Man" (Vol. 1)

    08/26/2021

    24: Matt and Cale Read "Y: The Last Man" (Vol. 1)

    Our two comics aficionados tackle the first volume (issues 1-5) of the Vertigo series, “Y: The Last Man” before the TV adaptation premiers of FX and Hulu! Co-created by writer Brian K. Vaughn and penciler Pia Guerra (with inks by Jose Marzan Jr.), this 60-issue series took place in a world where a virus wipes out every creature on Earth with a Y chromosome except for amateur escape artist Yorick Brown and his helper monkey, Ampersand. Yorick teams up with the secretive Agent 355 and geneticist Dr. Leslie Mann to uncover the cause of the virus and hopefully save the human race! We specifically only discuss events that take place during the first trade paperback, so there will be no spoilers for anyone who hasn’t completed this series, but we think once you read this first volume, you’ll want to read the rest! We will be back in two weeks to celebrate September’s Batman Day with our episode focusing on “Batman: Gotham by Gaslight” by Brian Augustyn, Mike Mignola and P. Craig Russell. You can follow us @mattandcalereadcomics on Instagram and Facebook or @mattandcaleread on Twitter.

    1h 14m
  3. 23: Matt and Cale Read "Green Hornet" with Tyler Echols

    08/12/2021

    23: Matt and Cale Read "Green Hornet" with Tyler Echols

    Matt and Cale are joined by Tyler Echols (one of Matt’s OTHER best friends) to discuss the Dynamite Comics reboot of “Green Hornet.” Based on the un-produced screenplay by filmmaker Kevin Smith, this graphic novel was adapted by Phil Hester with pencil art by Jonathan Lau and fully painted covers by Alex Ross. Originally created for the radio in 1936, the Green Hornet and Kato were a dynamic duo of masked crime fighters three years before Batman first appeared! The character has appeared in comics, feature films (starring Seth Rogen and Jay Chou) and a short-lived TV series in the 1960s where the characters teamed up with Adam West and Burt Ward’s Batman and Robin! This TV series was also the first major American role for Bruce Lee as Kato! There are a few dated elements, but Matt, Cale and Tyler all truly enjoyed this very cinematic graphic novel! All three are big fans of Kevin Smith, but give Smith props for stepping outside of his comfort zone to create something that doesn’t feel like anything from his View Askewniverse! We will be back in two weeks for our episode on the first volume (collecting the first five issues) of “Y: The Last Man” by Brian K Vaughn and Pia Guerra. You can follow us @mattandcalereadcomics on Instagram and Facebook or @mattandcaleread on Twitter. Listen and subscribe on: Apple Podcasts Anchor Spotify Castbox Google Podcasts Overcast Radio Public and more!

    1h 29m
  4. Special: Matt's Creator Commentary for "You're Stuck With Me Now"

    08/03/2021 · BONUS

    Special: Matt's Creator Commentary for "You're Stuck With Me Now"

    In this special episode, Matt looks at the first chapter of his full-length graphic novel, "You're Stuck With Me Now: A (True) Love Story."  "You're Stuck With Me Now" is an autobiographical book detailing how Matt met his Scottish wife, Emma, while they were both teaching in Kuwait, how he proposed and how she tricked him into getting two cats.  Matt will discuss his intentions for certain pages and inspirations behind specific panels, giving an in-depth look into his creative process. If you HAVEN'T read "You're Stuck With Me Now," you can get the first chapter for FREE from Matt's website: SmithvsSmith.com and you the entire book is on sale (in both digital and print) right now from SmithvsSmith.com/store.  You can see more of Matt's work online on Instagram and Facebook @smithvssmithcomics and on Twitter @smithvssmith. Cale will be back to join Matt for a regular episode next week where our two comics aficionados read "Green Hornet" by Kevin Smith, Phil Hester and Jonathan Lau.  You can follow us online on Instagram and Facebook @MattandCaleReadComics and on Twitter @MattandCaleRead.

    39 min
  5. 22: Matt and Cale Read "Daredevil: Yellow" with Jake Browske

    07/28/2021

    22: Matt and Cale Read "Daredevil: Yellow" with Jake Browske

    Cale's high school best friend, Jake, joins us to discuss "Daredevil: Yellow" by Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale. This 2002 graphic novel takes us back to Daredevil's origin and a time when he wore a yellow costume instead of the red tights we are familiar with. Tim Sale's retro, expressionistic art perfectly compliments Jeph Loeb's wistful script and they are joined by Richard Starkings on letters and Matt Hollingsworth on colours.  Ol' Horn Head is a favourite character of Matt, Cale and Jake, and we all share what makes Matt Murdock so special to each of us during our discussion.  Next week we will have a special episode as Matt releases a creator commentary for the first chapter of his graphic novel, "You're Stuck With Me Now." This is the true story of how Matt met his wife, Emma, who joined us for our episode on Jeffrey Brown's "Clumsy." You can get a copy of "You're Stuck With Me Now" in print and digital form on Matt's website: SmithvsSmith.com and you can get a free copy of the first chapter to read along with Matt's commentary now!  We will be back the following week for our episode on "Green Hornet" by Kevin Smith, Phil Hester and Jonathan Lau.  You can follow us @mattandcalereadcomics on Instagram and Facebook or @mattandcaleread on Twitter.

    1h 19m
  6. 21: Matt and Cale Read "Batman Year One"

    07/14/2021

    21: Matt and Cale Read "Batman Year One"

    Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli rewind the clock with this epic retelling of the Dark Knight’s origin! After redefining Batman with his groundbreaking “Batman: The Dark Knight Returns” (which we covered in a two-part episode), Frank Miller was tasked with introducing new readers to Batman. Miller re-teams with David Mazzucchelli, his collaborator on “Daredevil: Born Again” (another book we covered on this podcast) and Mazzucchelli’s moody, luscious inks are a perfect match for Miller’s noir-ish story. They are joined by Mazzucchelli’s wife, Richmond Lewis, as the colourist and Todd Klein as the letterer. This is one of our favourite Batman stories and one of our favourite graphic novels of all time. This book has been a huge influence on the character and comics as a medium, inspiring other creators to take a more thoughtful, serious approach to their own stories. Influences can also be seen in almost every film adaptation of Batman from Christopher Nolan’s “Dark Knight” trilogy to “Batman: Mask of the Phantasm.” We will be back in two weeks for another wonderful collaboration: Daredevil: Yellow by Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale. In the meantime, you can follow us @mattandcalereadcomics on Instagram and Facebook or @mattandcaleread on Twitter.

    1h 15m
  7. 20: Matt and Cale Read "Radioactive Man" (Part 2)

    06/30/2021

    20: Matt and Cale Read "Radioactive Man" (Part 2)

    Jeepers! We're back with part TWO of our deep dive into Bongo Comics' "Radioactive Man" series. In the 1990s, at the height of "The Simpsons'" popularity, Bongo Comics decided to bring Bart Simpson's favourite superhero, Radioactive Man, to life! The series was written by Steve Vance (who also did layouts), with finished art by Bill Morrison and co-plotting/colours by Cindy Vance.  Each issue jumps around in the fictional history of Radioactive Man and in this episode we examine the last four issues:  #216 (from 1972), #412 (from 1980), #679 (from 1986) and #1,000 (from 1995). Each issue is PACKED with homages to/parodies of superhero comics, background jokes and references to "The Simpsons." There's so much thought and care put into each and every panel. This is one of Matt's all-time favourite series, but at the start of our first episode, Cale wasn't as excited about the book. Will Matt's enthusiasm lead to more appreciation from Cale? You'll have to listen to find out!  We will be back in two weeks for "Batman: Year One" by Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli. A re-telling of Batman's origin, this graphic novel is set in the same universe as Miller's "Batman: The Dark Knight Returns" (make sure you listen to our 10th episode) and re-teams him with his "Daredevil: Born Again" collaborator (so make sure you listen to our 8th episode as well)! We've been posting a ton of images on social media, celebrating all of the classic comics that have influenced "Radioactive Man." You can follow us @mattandcalereadcomics on Instagram and Facebook or @mattandcaleread on Twitter.

    48 min
  8. 20 : Matt and Cale Read "Radioactive Man" (Part 1)

    06/16/2021

    20 : Matt and Cale Read "Radioactive Man" (Part 1)

    Our comic aficionados celebrate 20 episodes with a deep dive into one of Matt's (and Bart Simpson's) favourite comic: "Radioactive Man"!  A spin-off of "The Simpsons," this six-part limited series was published from 1993 to 1994 by Bongo Comics. Radioactive Man is a love letter/parody/deconstruction/celebration of superhero comics, jumping between time periods from issue to issue. And in classic "Simpsons" style, it's hilarious! We had so much to say about this series (by Steve & Cindy Vance and Bill Morrison) that this is our second ever two-part episode!  In part one, we will discuss the characters and the first two issues in depth (Issue #1 from 1952 and Issue #88 from 1962). Bongo Comics is now defunct and the series is out of print, so why not make a trip to your local comic book store and explore the back issues?  Join us in two weeks for the second part of this episode, where we discuss the remaining four issues (Issue #216 from 1972, Issue 412 from 1980, Issue #679 from 1986 and Issue #1,000 from 1995).  You can follow us @mattandcalereadcomics on Instagram and Facebook or @mattandcaleread on Twitter.

    54 min
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About

A biweekly analytical comics podcast. Every episode join cartoonist & comics educator Matt Smith and cosplayer & mainstream comics fan Cale Werake as they dive deep into a different graphic novel. Our two comics aficionados examine a book's writing, art and cultural impact, often joined by friends from the comics industry as they celebrate the medium of comics!

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