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Deconstructing Comics
Tim
100 episodes
1 day ago
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

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All content for Deconstructing Comics is the property of Tim and is served directly from their servers with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.
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

Show more...
Visual Arts
Arts,
Books,
Leisure,
Hobbies
Episodes (20/100)
Deconstructing Comics
#856 Jim Keefe interview

Jim Keefe is a longtime comics creator who has worked on the Flash Gordon (art and story) and Sally Forth (art) newspaper strips as well as being King Features’ staff colorist. He has also done lettering and retouching for English editions of various manga, and more. This week he talks with Tim about all of this, as well as his time as a student at the Kubert School, dealing with technological change, and more.

The November 16, 2025, Sally Forth strip, with Jim’s color guides at the top. Note the appearance of Gregory and Janine from Abbot Elementary in the first panel!
Brought to you by:

* Who’s Who podcast
* Our supporters on Patreon

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1 day ago
1 hour 46 minutes 29 seconds

Deconstructing Comics
#855 Jack Kirby’s “Captain America” 214 & Annual 3: Cap vs the Space Vampire!

Jack Kirby wraps up his run on Captain America and the Falcon with issue 214, the rather underwhelming conclusion of the Night Flyer story. But wait! Kirby also did a couple of annuals, so we dig into annual #3 from 1976. Yeaahhhh, that’s the stuff! If you haven’t been getting enough PULSE-POUNDING ACTION in your comics, this is the issue for you!
Brought to you by:

* Full Manga Alchemists
* Our supporters on Patreon

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1 week ago
1 hour 11 minutes 45 seconds

Deconstructing Comics
#410 Marvel Comics: Telling the Untold Story

FLASHBACK! If you’re into American comics at all, you undoubtedly know how Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko and others changed the industry with their work in the 1960s, and set the template for kinds of stories Marvel still publishes today.
That’s just part of the story that Sean Howe researched for his 2012 book Marvel Comics: The Untold Story. Through interviews, research of media reports, and of course tons of comics reading, Howe uncovered the backgrounds of many comics stories and rumors that longtime readers may have wondered about. There’s plenty of intra-creator acrimony to be found in its pages, yet Howe found that the book helped some of those involved to move on from decades-old wounds.
This week Tim talks to Sean Howe about the research, the reaction, and what this book has to say to aspiring creators. (Originally published July 7, 2014.)
Brought to you by:

* The Quick and the Dad
* Our supporters on Patreon

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2 weeks ago
1 hour 29 minutes 32 seconds

Deconstructing Comics
Critiquing Comics #246: “Roy Beckwith and the Cursed Continent” and “A French Expat in the U.K.”

Roy Beckwith and the Cursed Continent is a western series by Nick Patch, Jarret Katz, and Fabi Marques. It looks great but it runs at a breakneck pace and seems to be introducing a few too many elements. Tim and Jason discuss.
A French Expat in the U.K., by Agathe Montagnon, was sold through the LDC Online Comics Fair last summer. It’s a quick and evenhanded look at some of the differences between the British and French cultures, as experienced by the author herself. American expats in Japan Tim and Adam take a look.
Brought to you by:

* Checkered Past podcast
* Our supporters on Patreon

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3 weeks ago
53 minutes 6 seconds

Deconstructing Comics
#854 “Superman” (2025): Its commentary on other supermen

Last summer’s Superman movie was a welcome improvement over many recent films featuring the character, and over much of the recent superhero film entries in general. Kumar and Emmet this week discuss how it comments on Zach Snyder’s take, on internet culture, anti-immigrant sentiment, and more. They also address such topics as how the film distinguishes between Superman and Clark Kent, Superman’s surprising vulnerability, and the Hall of Justice mural.
Brought to you by:

* Our supporters on Patreon

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4 weeks ago
1 hour 4 minutes 48 seconds

Deconstructing Comics
#853 The strange history of “Robotech”

What if your first Star Wars movie were Return of the Jedi? You’d have questions! That’s how Tim felt once he got started reading Robotech II: The Sentinels volume 1, a comics continuation of the animated Robotech show that hit the U.S. in 1985. Robotech was a combination of three different anime — why?? And why is it that, after all these years, the Robotech story doesn’t really progress? Tim discusses with longtime Robotech fan Erik Amaya of Comicon.com.
Brought to you by:

* Worst Collection Ever podcast
* Our supporters on Patreon

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1 month ago
1 hour 4 minutes 16 seconds

Deconstructing Comics
#369 “Krazy Kat”: Show me the bricks

One of the most highly-regarded English-language strips of all time is George Herriman’s Krazy Kat, featuring the odd love/hate triangle of Krazy, Ignatz, and Officer Pupp. Why was Krazy so gender-ambiguous? How did Herriman’s (somewhat mysterious) racial background influence the strip? Tim and Kumar discuss this and much more. (Originally published September 2, 2013.)
Brought to you by:



* Who’s Who podcast
* Our supporters on Patreon



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1 month ago
1 hour 8 minutes 10 seconds

Deconstructing Comics
#852 Dan Schkade and “Flash Gordon”

In 2023, King Features Syndicate decided to bring Flash Gordon, originally created by Alex Raymond and first published in 1934, back from rerun purgatory with new strips, written and drawn by Dan Schkade. Dan was also the artist on Dynamite Entertainment’s Will Eisner’s the Spirit Returns in 2016, and is also known for his original work Lavender Jack, which ran on Webtoon. This week, Tim talks with him about Flash Gordon and some of the trickier aspects of doing a newspaper strip, including refreshing readers’ memories and getting new readers on board while also moving the story forward a step every day. And, in 2025, how do you handle a great villain (Ming the Merciless) who’s also a terrible racial stereotype?
Brought to you by:



* Full Manga Alchemists
* Our supporters on Patreon



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1 month ago
1 hour 3 minutes 54 seconds

Deconstructing Comics
#358 Carl Barks, “The Good Duck Artist”

From 1942 to 1966, many of the Donald Duck comic books published by Dell Comics were written and drawn by Carl Barks. Like most comic book creators at the time, his name was unknown; the Duck comics were all credited to Walt Disney. Fans only knew that his work was by the GOOD duck artist. Barks created Scrooge McDuck and many of the other duck characters that are taken for granted as part of Disney canon today.
What made Barks the standout Duck artist? Were they meant to be satirical, or simply enjoyable stories? Tim, Kumar, and Tom Spurgeon discuss Barks’ work, particularly the Fantagraphics volume Lost in the Andes. (Originally published June 3, 2013.)
Comics Journal review of Lost in the Andes
Brought to you by:

* Our supporters on Patreon

 
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1 month ago
1 hour 3 minutes 20 seconds

Deconstructing Comics
#851 Jack Kirby’s “Cap and Falcon” 212-213: “I love you, baby!”

Captain America and the Falcon #212 concludes the Arnim Zola/Red Skull storyline in somewhat perfunctory fashion, and gives a living castle with big teeth much less P.R. than it deserved! In #213 we meet the strange and underutilized assassin the Night Flyer! (Underwhelming name? Must’ve been named by Jack Kirby!) Tim and Emmet discuss both issues in this episode.
Brought to you by:

* The Quick and the Dad
* Our supporters on Patreon

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2 months ago
1 hour 1 minute 40 seconds

Deconstructing Comics
Critiquing Comics #245: “Joe Mallard” 4-6 and “Dream Machine”

Joe Mallard, a favorite of Tim and Jason’s from a year ago, is back! Creator Asante Amani has sent us issues 4-6 of this crime series. Did it go over with us as well as the first two issues did?
Ky Lawrence has created a trippy graphic novel about survivor’s guilt. In Dream Machine, our protagonist dreams he can sacrifice himself to bring his cancer victim twin back to life. Tim and Adam critique.
Brought to you by:

* Our supporters on Patreon

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2 months ago
43 minutes 27 seconds

Deconstructing Comics
#850 “Fantastic Four: First Steps” (2025): Did it live up to the hype?

We’ve been building up to it for months with our reviews of previous Fantastic Four movies. Now it’s here, the FF’s debut in the MCU, Fantastic Four: First Steps. How well did it scratch that FF itch? Kumar and Jordan once again join Tim to review the film, and discuss how it stacks up against the others (including the unreleased 1994 version).
One idea about what “Subzero Intel” might mean
Brought to you by:



* Full Manga Alchemists
* Our supporters on Patreon



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2 months ago
1 hour 21 minutes 19 seconds

Deconstructing Comics
#849 “Almost Sunset”: Wahab Algarmi on growing up Muslim in America

This week, Koom interviews Wahab Algarmi, author of Almost Sunset, a graphic novel about a Muslim American boy’s search for balance between his family traditions and the demands of life in Middle School. Koom and Wahab discuss their international family backgrounds as well as the merits or demerits of 1990s Image comics!
Almost Sunset on Amazon
Brought to you by:

* The Quick and the Dad
* Our supporters on Patreon

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2 months ago
1 hour 14 minutes 14 seconds

Deconstructing Comics
#848 “More Weight”: Ben Wickey talks Salem witch trials

Ben Wickey has created a graphic novel, More Weight: A Salem Story, that gives us a very deep dive into the Salem witch trials: why they happened, who was to blame, and how the city has dealt with their legacy. This week Koom gets the scoop on what inspired Ben, why his art style seems to vary depending on what point in the past he’s writing about, and more.
More Weight: A Salem Story on Amazon.com
Brought to you by:



* Checkered Past podcast
* Our supporters on Patreon



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3 months ago
1 hour 27 minutes 35 seconds

Deconstructing Comics
“Spider-Man 3” (2007)

The film is bloated, it’s busy, it showcases numerous failures at human communication, and doesn’t hit some points it needs to. And yet, Spider-Man 3 screenwriter Alvin Sargent managed to weave together the many plotlines thrust on him to make a script with a message – although not necessarily the one director Sam Raimi had in mind. Tim and Mulele examine Raimi’s final Spider-Man film. (Originally published on Patreon May 23, 2020.)
Brought to you by:

* Our supporters on Patreon

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3 months ago
46 minutes 44 seconds

Deconstructing Comics
“Spider-Man 2” (2004)

To this day, Spider-man 2 is considered one of the best superhero movies. How does it stand up to Tim’s first viewing, after watching all the MCU movies that came after? What does Mulele notice about the look of the film that’s a little annoying? How is Spider-fan Tim feeling about the portrayal of Peter Parker in these movies? These points and more! (Originally published on Patreon April 25, 2020.)
Brought to you by:

* Our supporters on Patreon

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3 months ago
46 minutes 53 seconds

Deconstructing Comics
“Spider-Man” (2002)

Tim and Mulele begin reviewing the Sony (pre-MCU) Spider-man movies with a look at 2002’s Spider-man, directed by Sam Raimi and starring Tobey Maguire. After watching all the MCU movies, how does this film feel different? How was it affected by 9/11? And more. (Originally published on Patreon April 11, 2020)
Brought to you by:

* Our supporters on Patreon

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3 months ago
51 minutes 46 seconds

Deconstructing Comics
Critiquing Comics #244: “God Summoner” and “The Keluarga Cable Ship Company”

This week, a look at two great new comics submitted by their creators:
God Summoner, by Dio Zogaris and Manos Laouvardos, is a story in the fantasy genre. Tim and Jason thought “Meh” until they actually read it! This is a well-written story with beautiful black and white art.
The Keluarga Cable Ship Company, by Mereida Fajardo, gives us a father and son with communication problems, and a ship that lays down undersea cable through which, well, communication flows. Or doesn’t flow. But what makes the book stand out is its very unusual format that shows great thought and planning on the author’s part. Tim and Adam critique.
LD Comics Fair
Brought to you by:



The Quarter-Bin podcast
Our supporters on Patreon



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4 months ago
53 minutes 42 seconds

Deconstructing Comics
#780 Jim Shooter interview

FLASHBACK! Jim Shooter, who was Marvel Editor-in-Chief from 1978 to 1987, passed away on June 30. He wrote a number of comics published by Marvel (including the original Secret Wars series) and by a number of other companies. Two years ago, Koom interviewed Shooter to find out what he thought about Marvel in its current incarnation, get his recollections of Frank Miller and Ann Nocenti’s respective starts in the comics industry, hear his theory that the nursery rhyme “Little Miss Muffet” can be a tool to teach good writing, and more. We re-present the interview this week in observance of his passing. (Originally published August 23, 2023.)
Brought to you by:



* Our supporters on Patreon



 
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4 months ago
29 minutes 26 seconds

Deconstructing Comics
#847 “Angel and the Ape”: Forgotten, but not gone

In the 1960s, both Marvel and DC tried publishing humor books, often in a style reminiscent of MAD Magazine. One of these was DC’s Angel and the Ape, about a beautiful young woman and a comics-artist gorilla who run a detective agency. While it only survived for 7 issues (with two title changes!) in 1968-69, somehow it got a Phil Foglio reboot in 1991, and showed up again as a Vertigo book in 2001, co-written by Howard Chaykin and David Tischman. While it’s hard to explain the existence of these revivals, comparing the three versions gives us an appreciation of the changes in the US comics industry over 35 years. Tim and Kumar discuss.
Brought to you by:



* Worst Collection Ever podcast
* Our supporters on Patreon



Show more...
4 months ago
53 minutes 33 seconds

Deconstructing Comics
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