Episode 256: Reviews of Kid Lobotomy #1 and #2, Carnival of Contagion, and Monograph

Time Codes:
00:00:30 - Introduction
00:03:00 - Our new Kickstarter series and Slack channel!
00:08:48 - Kid Lobotomy #1 and #2
00:31:09 - Carnival of Contagion
00:48:15 - Monograph
01:20:23 - Wrap up
01:23:15 - Contact us


This week Paul and Derek review three new titles that are all quite different in content and audience. They begin with the first two issues of Peter Milligan and Tess Fowler's Kid Lobotomy, the first series in IDW's new Black Crown imprint. The guys start their discussion by referencing Shelly Bond and her stated intentions behind the new creator-owned line. But while they're certainly amenable to the edgy or punk mentality that had once defined Vertigo, the guys feel that in her commentary in these first two issues, Bond is trying a little too hard to be hip and get us on board. And while both Derek and Paul are fans of Milligan's storytelling, there's something a little too much, something too crowded or unwieldy, about the premise of Kid Lobotomy. Nonetheless, given the creative team on this title, and its place in the new Black Crown line, the guys are going to give this series a lot of rope in hopes of being won over.
Next, the guys discuss Carnival of Contagion, a new educational comic from the University of Nebraska Press that's all about vaccination awareness. Illustrated by Bob Hall, and written by him as well (along with John West and Judy Diamond), this is a title that's apparently intended for classroom use. As Paul and Derek reveal, the story may be a little dry -- and even didactic in places -- but it effectively drives home the importance of vaccination not only for individuals, but for our communities as well.
Finally, the Two Guys turn to a behemoth of a text, Chris Ware's Monograph (Rizolli). Both Derek and Paul are big fans of Ware's creativity, and they're mesmerized by the sheer beauty and ingenuity contained within this work (which is much more of an art book, and one with autobiographical impulses, than a comic). However, they're a little put off at times by the apologetic tone of the author. Granted, Chris Ware is known for his self-deprecation, where he feels he has to apologize for his comics efforts as an artist. But such a stance can also take on a more self-aggrandizing quality, highlighting the uniqueness -- and the "seriousness" or the high-brow-ness -- of the project and contrasting it to more "common" or mainstream comics. This can also be seen in Art Spiegelman's introduction and his emphasis on "comix." But despite these minor annoyances, the guys are completely taken by this volume and strongly recommend it to not only Chris Ware fans, but to serious comics readers as a whole.