Comics Rot Your Brain!

Drop us a line! Support the show + Check out our YouTube channel to get a look at some of the fantastic art featured in our episodes. Visit ComicsRotYourBrain.com to sign up for our newsletter, Letter Column. You can also find us wherever you stream your favorite podcasts. + We appreciate your support of the show via Patreon: ComicsRotYourBrain + For even more cool shit, read Chris's Substack...

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxONuw60a0sJXul6nw7-lmlyjgB-lkn5C&si=nqCc-4aNAl6ZsKid The legendary Stephen R. Bissette joins Chris and Steven us for a CRYB! interview discussion spanning the breadth of his historic career as a writer, artist, editor, and publisher. Topics covered include SWAMP THING, TABOO, the Kubert School, and countless other things, all on the occasion of the first-eve...

Join Steven as he goes on a ride-along with an odd couple of hyper-violent cops, braving the squalid urban underworld of the futuristic, philosophical crime story that is UNTAMED (Epic Comics, 1993) ; written and drawn by Neil Hansen, this comic is a madly ambitious and profoundly bizarre piece of mainstream comic art that was somehow willed into existence by the passionate vision of one man. COMI...

Uncanny X-Men #186 — “LifeDeath” — remains one of the boldest creative swings in Marvel history. Instead of battles and villains, Chris Claremont and Barry Windsor-Smith deliver a quiet, emotionally devastating story about identity, trauma, and the cost of rebuilding yourself after everything is taken away. COMICS ROT YOUR BRAIN! is a deep dive into ‘80s comics (plus a few notable exceptions). In...

Chris and Steven journey to the surreal realm of the undead with the zombie-esque trapeze artist extraordinaire, DEADMAN (DC Comics, 1986), in this four issue mini-series written by Andrew Helfer and drawn by the incomparable Jóse Luis Garcia-López. COMICS ROT YOUR BRAIN! is a deep dive into ‘80s comics (plus a few notable exceptions). In this weekly podcast, screenwriters Steven Bagatourian (AME...

See how this run reframes Cap’s identity through the lens of a cyborg from the future. The Deathlok Saga | CAPTAIN AMERICA #286 – 288 (DeMatteis & Zeck). In this first episode of CRYB!  Season 3, Chris dives into one of Marvel’s most haunting time-travel/identity stories.  He examines how J.M. DeMatteis and Mike Zeck transform a sci-fi popcorn thriller into a meditation on what makes a hero hu...

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxONuw60a0sJXul6nw7-lmlyjgB-lkn5C&si=KOQWYJLqYpDi04O2 In this solo episode, Steven excavates the tomb of the ‘80s most obscure proto-influencer/superhero, the weirdo wonder himself, that achingly irreverent NYC hipster super dude… PARADAX! (STRANGE DAYS #1 - 3, Eclipse Comics, 1984). COMICS ROT YOUR BRAIN! is a deep dive into ‘80s comics (plus a few notable e...

COMICS ROT YOUR BRAIN! is a deep dive into ‘80s comics (plus a few notable exceptions). In this weekly podcast, screenwriters Chris Derrick (STAR TREK: PICARD) and Steven Bagatourian (AMERICAN GUN) discuss their favorite books, runs, and creators from the Bronze Age of comics. Steven and Chris enlist in Epic Comics' ALIEN LEGION (1984), created by Carl Potts, Alan Zelenetz, and Frank Cirocco....

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxONuw60a0sJXul6nw7-lmlyjgB-lkn5C&si=KOQWYJLqYpDi04O2 In a solo episode, Chris looks at Frank Miller's first published Elektra solo adventure, working for an on-the-run Nazi, in a story called "Cobra" that appeared in BIZARRE ADVENTURES #28 (Marvel Comics, 1981), a black-and-white anthology comics magazine. COMICS ROT YOUR BRAIN! is a deep dive...

In a solo episode, Steven descends into a “corpse world” in the furthest reaches of the galaxy to examine the infamous GREEN LANTERN CORP story, “Tygers” (GREEN LANTERN CORP Annual #2, DC Comics, 1986), otherwise known as “The Last Temptation of Abin Sur.” Brace yourself for a disturbing ride! COMICS ROT YOUR BRAIN! is a deep dive into ‘80s comics (plus a few notable exceptions). In this weekly po...

Steven & Chris explore the rocky emotional terrain winding through the first four issues of Paul Chadwick’s imposingly granite-bodied softie, the brooding giant who is CONCRETE (Dark Horse Comics, 1987). COMICS ROT YOUR BRAIN! is a deep dive into ‘80s comics (plus a few notable exceptions). In this weekly podcast, screenwriters Steven Bagatourian (AMERICAN GUN) and Christopher Derrick (STAR TR...

Steven and Chris sit down with legendary Mexican comic book artist, Jose Ladrönn, for a lively discussion about his influences, his work with Alejandro Jodorosky on the FINAL INCAL and SONS OF EL TOPO, plus a whole host of indispensable advice.   COMICS ROT YOUR BRAIN! is a deep dive into ‘80s comics (plus a few notable exceptions). In this weekly podcast, screenwriters Steven Bagatourian (AMERICA...

Steven and Chris vividly discuss John-Paul Leon and Brett Lewis' post-Cold War crime magnum opus, THE WINTER MEN (Image Comics, 2005).   COMICS ROT YOUR BRAIN! is a deep dive into ‘80s comics (plus a few notable exceptions). In this weekly podcast, screenwriters Steven Bagatourian (AMERICAN GUN) and Christopher Derrick (STAR TREK: PICARD) discuss their favorite books, runs, and creators from...

Steven and Chris discuss Marvel's brooding teen superheroes — CLOAK AND DAGGER — from the 1985 on-going series; they go over the first four issues written by Bill Mantlo with art by the wildy incredible and overllooked but influential art team of Rick Leonardi and Terry Austin. COMICS ROT YOUR BRAIN! is a deep dive into ‘80s comics (plus a few notable exceptions). In this weekly podcast, scre...

Chris and Steven discuss Raymond Briggs's nuclear war nightmare WHEN THE WIND BLOWS, published by Penguin Books in 1982. Drop us a line! Support the show + Check out our YouTube channel to get a look at some of the fantastic art featured in our episodes. Visit ComicsRotYourBrain.com to sign up for our newsletter, Letter Column. You can also find us wherever you stream your favorite podcasts....

n this CRYB! SPOTLIGHT, Chris and Steven discuss DC Comics' batshit-crazy SKREEMER (1988). This proto-Vertigo classic blends noir, cyberpunk, and family tragedy in a retro gangster apocalyptic fable created by Peter Milligan, Brett Ewins, and Steve Dillion. A science fiction comic that makes A CLOCKWORK ORANGE look G-rated. This clip was taken from our full-length SKREEMER episode: https://yo...

This week is a CRYB Spotlight episode on Marvel/Epic Comics' ALIEN LEGION, published in 1984, created by Carl Potts, Alan Zelenetz, and Frank Cirocco. This clip is taken from our epic (so to speak) deep dive into ALIEN LEGION (see earlier episodes). COMICS ROT YOUR BRAIN! is a deep dive into ‘80s comics (plus a few notable exceptions). In this weekly podcast, screenwriters Chris Derrick (STAR...

Steven and Chris discuss acclaimed graphic designer Dean Motter's science fiction opus, MISTER X (Vortex Comics, 1984); the first four issues were written & drawn by Los Bros Hernandez (Mario, Gilbert, and Jamie) of LOVE & ROCKETS fame and colored by Paul Rivoche. COMICS ROT YOUR BRAIN! is a deep dive into ‘80s comics (plus a few notable exceptions). In this weekly podcast, screenwrit...

In this solo episode, Steven takes a wild trip into the breathtaking visual world of legendary and visionary Filipino artist, Alex Niño, as seen in the unfortunately named graphic novel, SPACE CLUSTERS (DC Comics, 1986). Comics Rot Your Brain! is a deep dive into ‘80s comics (plus a few noteworthy exceptions). Screenwriters Chris Derrick (STAR TREK: PICARD) and Steven Bagatourian (AMERICAN GUN) di...

Chris discusses Howard Chaykin's MONARK STARSTALKER single-issue scifi story from the ultra-cool try-out book, Marvel Premiere. COMICS ROT YOUR BRAIN! is a deep dive into ‘80s comics (plus a few notable exceptions). In this weekly podcast, screenwriters Steven Bagatourian (AMERICAN GUN) and Chris Derrick (STAR TREK: PICARD) discuss their favorite books, runs, and creators from the Bronze Age....

In the final episode of Season One, Steven and Chris reveal their own secret origins on how and why they came to discover the world of comics in their youth... way back in the '80s! Drop us a line! Support the show + Check out our YouTube channel to get a look at some of the fantastic art featured in our episodes. Visit ComicsRotYourBrain.com to sign up for our newsletter, Letter Column. You...

Chris and Steven put on their jet-packs and blast into issues one thru 10 of the wondrous sci-fi idea-bomb that is Scott McCloud’s ZOT! (Eclipse Comics, 1984), a slam-bang collision between the widescreen imaginations of Osamu Tezuka and Jack Kirby. Prepare yourself for iconic heroes and villains, heady philosophy, and rich humanism… Much like ZOT! itself, this episode’s got it all and it ought to...

In this episode, Chris -- in his first one-shot solo episode -- discusses the fan favorite scifi adventure comic ATARI FORCE (1984), written by Gerry Conway and drawn by Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez. A special projects DC Comics' series took inspiration for the legendary Atari 2600 video game console. + We appreciate your support of the show via Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/comicsrotyourbrain  ...

In this “one-shot” episode, Steven offers a solo examination of Trevor Von Eeden's mind-expanding artwork from issues 305 & 307 of DC’s long-running Superman and Batman team-up series, WORLD'S FINEST COMICS. Drop us a line! Support the show + Check out our YouTube channel to get a look at some of the fantastic art featured in our episodes. Visit ComicsRotYourBrain.com to sign up for...

In this episode, Steve and Chris discuss the serialized story, GENERATION ZERO , from Marvel Comics' defunct Epic Comics flagship book, Epic Illustrated . A sci-fi story written by long-time comic industry luminary Archie Goodwin with painted art by the famed Spanish cartoonist, Pepe Moreno. Check out more of Pepe Moreno's art at https://pepemorenostudio.com/ Support Our Patreon - https:...