100 episodes

Deconstructing Comics is a podcast about the craft of comics. Tim, Kumar, Emmet, and guest reviewers discuss a variety of comics (both recent work and classics) and present interviews with a variety of comics creators -- mainstream, indy, and even international! And in our occasional "Critiquing Comics" episodes, We'll even critique YOUR comic!



Whether you’ve got a comic going and you’re trying to promote it, or you haven’t even started yet and need some help getting rolling, we hope you’ll come here for inspiration and tips. And there’s plenty of interest for the casual comic book or graphic novel fan, as well!



"Tim is probably the hardest working podcaster in the community. He's an insightful and articulate comic reviewer and somebody I always enjoy talking to." -- Jason McNamara, writer, "The Rattler"



“Some of the best interviews I’ve ever heard! You guys review the type of comics I love and that’s really hard to find. So thanks for unique and knowledgeable.” -- Jack Wallace, Disposable Fiction Comics

Deconstructing Comics Tim

    • Arts
    • 4.6 • 28 Ratings

Deconstructing Comics is a podcast about the craft of comics. Tim, Kumar, Emmet, and guest reviewers discuss a variety of comics (both recent work and classics) and present interviews with a variety of comics creators -- mainstream, indy, and even international! And in our occasional "Critiquing Comics" episodes, We'll even critique YOUR comic!



Whether you’ve got a comic going and you’re trying to promote it, or you haven’t even started yet and need some help getting rolling, we hope you’ll come here for inspiration and tips. And there’s plenty of interest for the casual comic book or graphic novel fan, as well!



"Tim is probably the hardest working podcaster in the community. He's an insightful and articulate comic reviewer and somebody I always enjoy talking to." -- Jason McNamara, writer, "The Rattler"



“Some of the best interviews I’ve ever heard! You guys review the type of comics I love and that’s really hard to find. So thanks for unique and knowledgeable.” -- Jack Wallace, Disposable Fiction Comics

    "Ant-Man and the Wasp" (2018)

    "Ant-Man and the Wasp" (2018)

    After the gravitas of Avengers: Infinity War, which ended in a blaze of glory only for the villain, what did we want next? A fun, lighthearted romp of a movie. Right? No? Well, that’s what we got and this movie is certainly fun. But it doesn’t resolve a single thread from Infinity War. Mulele struggles to avoid spoilers for Tim as we review Ant-Man and the Wasp! (Originally published on Patreon February 1, 2020)

    Take our listener survey!

    Brought to you by:



    * The Law of Equivalent Exchange: A Fullmetal Alchemist manga podcast

    * Our supporters on Patreon

    • 41 min
    "Dragon Ball" in depth

    "Dragon Ball" in depth

    FLASHBACK! Though the highly influential manga series, and resulting TV show, are known for non-stop action and fighting, Dragon Ball started out as a comedy strip reminiscent of Akira Toriyama‘s early work, Dr. Slump! Viz’s English versions have gone through various levels of censorship over time to adjust to the low level of sexuality that most Americans expect of kids’ books. Except, most of the characters themselves don’t understand sexuality, and that’s the charm of it; it’s best enjoyed (probably by kids as well) in its pristine form…if you can find it!

    In memory of Akira Toriyama, we re-present our review of the original Dragon Ball series. Tim, Kumar, and Mulele review. (Originally published August 16, 2010.)

    Visual censorship comparisons after the jump (NSFW but probably safe for Japanese kids):



    For this episode I read two different versions of DragonBall — the original floppies in CBR format and the slightly-larger-than-usual “White Book” edition.

    I had initially read online that the White editions were the most uncensored version, so I bought Volume 1. After further reading, I discovered that this was actually the complete opposite: the White Books are the most censored version of Dragon Ball up until Volume 3. Starting with Volume 4, they started putting a “Ages 13 and Up” label on the front, and this series then becomes the mosst UNcensored version available. My understanding is that editions AFTER the White Book series returned to being censored again to various degrees, with almost no two editions the same. Note the DRAGON BALL Z cross-promotion on the cover of the White edition — as we discuss in the episode, I suspect fear of the mass TV audience is what all the edits in this edition.

    Here is a sampling. (It’s been several years since I read them in Japanese, so I can’t speak to changes in the floppy editions from the Japanese originals.) I apologize in advance for the sloppiness of my scans.

    A dialog change:



    Another dialog change here. Is the word “shorts” really that suggestive?! Isn’t the word “studly” by connotation even more suggestive?



    Nudity change:



    Also, in the White edition, Goku’s privates are covered up by the towel in this scene:



    Another nudity edit here. This time, Bulma’s breasts are covered with reflection in the glass. I believe I have also seen another version where she is instead covered by suds.



    Also, how does Bulma’s pose make any sense in this edit? (Notice the art touch-up as well.)



    All of Goku’s “pat-pats” to check for male g******s have been re-drawn and are referred to as “staring”:



    Two key (and hilarious) panels completely removed:



    The VERY racy “bra size” gag (the edit makes Oolong’s puff-puff gesture nonsensical):



    Finally, a non-sexual penis reference. I find this one problematic because it avoids the hilarity of Goku still not understanding that women do not have penises:



    What I find slightly odd about all this is that Toriyama refused to allow his work to be flipped (left-to-right reading) for Western audiences, resulting in the unprecedented first non-flipped manga in North America. And yet, he seemed to have no issues with them editing the artwork for other purposes.

    Kumar

    • 42 min
    Priest’s “Black Panther”

    Priest’s “Black Panther”

    FLASHBACK! In 1998, under the “Marvel Knights” banner, Christopher Priest began the first ongoing Black Panther title in nearly two decades. Panther was a relatively unknown character to many Marvel readers at the time. With the aid of “Emperor of Useless White Boys” Everett K. Ross, and artists like Mark Texeira and Joe Jusko, Priest (a.k.a. Jim Owsley) made Panther a must-read and brought the nature of his character into sharper focus. Kumar and Tim discuss the first 17 issues (the ones included in Black Panther by Christopher Priest: The Complete Collection Volume 1) and see if it still stands up 23 years later. (This episode was originally published March 10, 2021.)

    Michael Hoskin’s 4-part article

    Take our listener survey!

    Brought to you by:







    The Quarter-Bin podcast

    Our supporters on Patreon

    • 1 hr 1 min
    "Delicious in Dungeon" yields a feast

    "Delicious in Dungeon" yields a feast

    Ryoko Kui’s Delicious in Dungeon pokes fun at fantasy games and cooking manga tropes, exploring what it would really be like to be a character in a fantasy game, arranging your life in ways that wouldn’t really make sense in the real world. This week, Kumar and Emmet do a deep dive on this consistently enjoyable and beautifully plotted manga, the anime for which is now on Netflix.

    Take our listener survey!

    Brought to you by:



    * BAT 77: The ’70s Batman podcast

    * Our supporters on Patreon

    • 56 min
    Critiquing Comics: "Murky Water" and "Barking"

    Critiquing Comics: "Murky Water" and "Barking"

     



    Kel McDonald‘s Murky Water is about a paranormal investigation police unit looking into the death of a man from drowning – in his very dry living room. (Currently being Kickstarted!) Tim and Adam critique. Then, Jason joins Tim to review Lucy Sullivan‘s Barking, about dealing with depression in an inadequate mental health care system. The art is beautiful, but how does this style work in a 130-page book?

    Take our listener survey!

    Brought to you by:



    * To the Batpoles! podcast

    * Our supporters on Patreon

    • 48 min
    Jack Kirby's "2001: A Space Odyssey"

    Jack Kirby's "2001: A Space Odyssey"

    Jack Kirby’s 1976 adaptation of 2001: A Space Odyssey is an odd combination of the Stanley Kubrick movie, the Arthur C. Clarke novel, and Kirby’s own research and dramatic inclinations, which sometimes were pretty out-of-step with the tone of the film! This week, Tim and Emmet discuss this out-of-print treasury edition comic, where it borrows from one or both of the other versions, and where Kirby goes off on his own tangents!

    “The Crazy Legacy of Jack Kirby’s Forgotten 2001: A Space Odyssey“ (Wired.com)

    Take our listener survey!

    Brought to you by:



    * Checkered Past podcast

    * Our supporters on Patreon

    • 1 hr 15 min

Customer Reviews

4.6 out of 5
28 Ratings

28 Ratings

snuffysam ,

A thoughtful & engaging podcast!

The hosts are incredible at giving in-depth, respectful discussions on each week’s topic!

ProfessorAlan ,

Smart and Interesting

Tim and his rotating band of co-hosts do an excellent job covering comics from across the spectrum and around the world. Definitely not the usual comic book podcast. it is smart, insighful & entertaining.

Joe StPierre ,

great interviewer

I listened to Tim's interview with Dan Jurgens, questions were great, a real nice insight into the comics craft and marketplace. Tim gives attention/respect to the independents as well.

Top Podcasts In Arts

Fresh Air
NPR
The Moth
The Moth
99% Invisible
Roman Mars
Snap Judgment Presents: Spooked
Snap Judgment
The Magnus Archives
Rusty Quill
The Recipe with Kenji and Deb
Deb Perelman & J. Kenji López-Alt

You Might Also Like

Jacked Kirby
Cultural Compulsive Disorder
To The Batpoles! Batman 1966
Tim and Paul
THE AWESOME COMICS PODCAST
The Awesome Comics Podcast
iFanboy - Comic Books
iFanboy
The Bunker
Podmasters