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This episode was inspired by the essay Evan Dahm included at the end of his book "3rd Voice: 1st Passage," which is what our next episode will be about. His essay got us thinking about the material conditions of cartooning, how we got here, and how to keep making comics when all our infrastructure seems to be coming apart. Tapas is being shut down, and this isn’t the first or last time comics as an art form is compelled to come a distant second to comics as an industry. Music by Sleuth.

And now, the thrilling continuation of "Marvel Knights Daredevil" numbers 38 to 50 by Brian Michael Bendis, Alex Maleev, Manuel Gutierrez, Terry and Rachel Dodson, and Matt Hollingsworth. We have lots more to say about Daredevil; but also owl physiology, classical Chinese philosophers, the American legal system, and how to read comics when you’re blind. Any crimes discussed during this podcast are strictly fictional. Music by Sleuth. Our next episode will be about "Third Voice" by Evan Dahm.

In Hell’s Kitchen there stalks a devil. And that devil is Marvel Comics’ trade paperback numbering system. No. For this episode we read issues 26 to 37 of Marvel Knights Daredevil by Brian Michael Bendis and Alex Maleev. Come with us and spend some time with the comics that set the tone for modern Marvel superheroes. We’ll discuss gritty gangsters, the gap between writing and drawing, rotoscoping, and whether ACAB includes the crooked cop who ruined Matt Murdock’s google results. Music by Sleuth. Our next episode will be on Marvel Knights Daredevil numbers 38 to 50 by Brian Michael Bendis and Alex Maleev.

The Tradewaiters return with a new book to read. "Flip" by Ngozi Ukazu is a new twist on a “Freaky Friday” storyline. Chi-Chi and Flip switch bodies, and must experience race, gender, class, and their own mental health and personal hang-ups while living in each other’s shoes. We’ll talk about the ethics of body-swapping, the power of comics, and whether everyone in Vancouver has small house Stockholm syndrome. Music by Sleuth. Our next episode will be on "Daredevil Marvel Knights" numbers 26 to 50 by Brian Michael Bendis and like 20 other people.

On today’s Gutter-Take, Jam, Jeff, and JD talk about zines! Zines are back. They never left. We talk about their history, their future, and the many roles they can play in your life. Music by Sleuth. Our next episode will be on "Flip" by Ngozi Ukazu.

With the recent passing of Marjane Satrapi, we are reposting this episode from 2018 that we recorded with Kathlees Gros and Jess Pollard about "The Complete Persepolis." Marjane shared several stories with the world in a few different media during her life, but Persepolis in particular is a seminal work in the medium of comics. This memoir of her life growing up in Iran and then Europe is more important than ever, and it will outlive all of us. Let it never be forgotten. Music by Sleuth. We’ve got new episodes in the works, so look for that soon.

We’re back with the weighty graphic novel "Hello Sunshine" by Keezy Young, a book that weaves together one person’s mental health crisis with supernatural horror in a way that is simultaneously smart, original, and respectful. This book is a lot more than just “Scooby-Doo, but serious.” Be prepared for spoilers (go read the book first), and stay tuned for some character-revealing moments. Music by Sleuth. Our next episode will be on "Flip" by Ngozi Ukazu.

The TradeWaiters return with an old friend, Jess Pollard, as she gets us to read the first two seasons of the Webtoon "Everything Is Fine" by Mike Birchall. This comic might seem cute and simple, but don’t let the “Hello Kitty” faces fool you. This is a story about existential dread, paranoia, and the death of optimism. We’ll also talk about what makes a comic a comic, and where the lines get blurry between the panels (or when your panel is a phone screen frame). Music by Sleuth. Our next episode will be on "Hello Sunshine" by Keezy Young.

It’s a (winter) summer crossover spectacular! For this episode Jeff and JD were joined by Jack and Diane of the Panel Pals podcast to read "Minus" by Ryan Armand and "Sweet Poolside" by Oshimi Shuuzou. And then you can continue the crossover over on the Panel Pals podcast for part 2 later this week! Join us as we talk about lost and hard-to-find comics, the early 2000s webcomic scene, and why on Earth Diane made us all read this manga. Music by Sleuth. For part two of the Tradewaiters VS Panel Pals crossover, we will be looking at "Omega the Unknown" by Jonathan Lethem and Farel Dalrymple, and "Batman/The Spirit" by Jeff Loeb and Darwyn Cooke.

Come with us to the future of the past as we read "Kingdom Come," written by superhero powerhouse Mark Waid and painstakingly painted by Alex Ross. This dark vision of the future of DC superheroes might be a commentary on the grim-dark comics of the 1990s, or it might be an excuse to get all of Mark Waid’s favourite characters in a room with Alex Ross’ dad. Either way, the art (in this fully auditory podcast) is amazing. Music by Sleuth.

On today’s Gutter-Take, Jam, Jeff, and JD talk about how to make friends in comics. Maybe the real comics were the friends we made along the way. Music by Sleuth. Our next episode will be on Kingdom Come by Mark Waid and Alex Ross.

This week we read "Home by the Rotting Sea" by Finnish cartoonist Otava Heikkilä, a short but emotional journey to another world where the Arctic is melting and gender is what you make of it. We’ll talk about anthropology, allegory, and Otava’s unique page compositions. We’ll also talk about the censorship situation with Itch.io and payment processors, which does nothing to convince JD to choose digital comics over print. Music by Sleuth. Our next book will be "Kingdom Come" by Mark Waid and Alex Ross..

This week Jam, Jeff, and JD went back in time to read "The Rose of Versailles" Vol. 1 by Riyoko Ikeda, one of the foundational works of all shoujo comics. Get into your Versailles mindset (Versaind-set) for some gorgeous dresses, elegant balls, murder, and class warfare. Listen in so as to put this work in its proper historical context, and to avoid a case of “Paris syndrome.” Music by Sleuth. Our next episode will be on "Home by the Rotting Sea" by Otava Heikkila.

On today’s Gutter-Take, Jam, Jeff, and JD talk about manga. What’s it like to read manga for the first time? What was it like for manga to be widely available in North America for the first time? And what have been the lasting impacts on both readers and creators alike of manga’s English-language successes? Music by Sleuth. Our next episode will be on the first volume of "The Rose of Versailles" by Riyoko Ikeda.

Today’s book is weighty. We read "Feeding Ghosts: A Graphic Memoir" by Tessa Hulls. This book follows the lives of Tessa’s grandmother, mother, and herself through some of the most difficult periods of Chinese history in the first half of the twentieth century, as well as the mental illness and generational trauma that has bound them together ever since. It’s not all doom and gloom as we also talk about visual metaphors and page composition, but come prepared. Music by Sleuth. Our next episode will be on reading manga.