Posts by author

Jono

  • Zogg

    Children’s books have always presented, in a sense, a kind of unique menace. They are among the first lengthy exposures that our children have which are dedicated to learning language. And yet, far more than most adult reading material, children’s…

  • It’s No Bullshit!

    Although George Carlin is renowned for his standup comedy, a career more prolific than that of any other modern practitioner of the form, he had some fascinating detours along the way. He was Mr. Conductor in the old Shining Time…

  • Hansi, the Girl Who Loved the Swastika

    Spire Christian Comics was an old comics company that, like many other publishers (including Marvel, in its early years), was distributed and printed by a larger company. Archie Comics, the publisher that got famous off of superheroes like The Shield…

  • Shatner Unrepentant

    If you’re feeling a bit cloyed and put out by Vanilla Ice’s apology for “Ice Ice Baby,” wash it down with William Shatner’s stubborn refusal to concede any ground on history’s unkind judgment of his interpretation of “Rocket Man.” The…

  • Batman, Robin, and…Dostoevsky?

    Drawn and Quarterly is one of the premier anthology publications in the indie comics world. Although the caliber of work in the quarterly is almost always superb, the crossover appeal and sheer cleverness of their Crime & Punishment adaptation are,…

  • The Uncensored Tintin

    The importance of Tintin to the medium of comics can’t be overstated. Tintin anticipated creator-ownership, lengthier serial publications, and the globalization of comics, laying the groundwork for comics like American Flagg, Martha Washington, Scott Pilgrim, and even Astro Boy. The…

  • Staplerfahrer Klaus

    If you’re heading out onto the job for the first time, you’d probably better wait a moment and watch Staplerfahrer Klaus, the most important safety-training video in any language. Matter of fact, it wouldn’t hurt to buy the DVD, either.

  • Lying in the Gutters

    Comic-book gossip column Lying in the Gutters, hosted at Comic Book Resources, is one of the things that makes the subculture of comics so fascinating and exciting. Unlike most comics journalists, Rich Johnston has the chops, the résumé, and the connections to…

  • The Chaser

    The Chaser is Australia’s answer to Monty Python, the Frat Pack, the Kings of Comedy, and every other great comedy squadron. The Chaser began with a satirical newspaper, and has progressed to encompass two stage shows and numerous television programs,…

  • The Rumpus Long Interview with Michael Uslan

    Comics and movies with the man who has owned the film rights to Batman for thirty years.

  • This Modern World

    This Modern World, Tom Tomorrow’s revolutionary, groundbreaking, relevant, and important newspaper strip is fully archived.  Since 1990, the strip has been experimenting in backgrounds, gutters, bleeds, panel shapes, content, and collage in ways that almost no other strips, and even…

  • The Tortuous Past of Flogging Molly

    Dave King sings for Flogging Molly, the punk band of choice for hipsters and hippies, green-beer Irish and real-life Dubliners, and party people everywhere.  But did you know that he used to sing for Fast Eddie Clarke’s 80s metal band,…