The TradeWaiters

There are two mysteries in this book, and we solve them both. Jam, Jon, and Jeff read "Batwoman: Elegy" by Greg Rucka and J.H. Williams III, and it sparked a lot of good discussion. We talk about reasons to be a superhero, how to write in an extended universe, and the gulf between art and script. Join us as we solve the mystery of who Alice is, and why this book is structured the way it is. Music...

It’s real-talk, 1906-style. For today’s episode, Jam, Jon, Jeff, Jess, and Kaye read "A Bintel Brief: Love and Longing in Old New York" by Liana Finck. This unusual memoir takes the advice column from a hundred-year-old Yiddish newspaper and translates it into comics. It’s a unique window into a bygone age, as well as a personal journey through the author’s heritage. It sparked a lot of conversati...

Archie has continuity now?? For today’s episode, local Archie expert Kathleen Jacques joins us as we read "Archie" Volumes 1 and 2, the reboot written by Mark Waid and drawn by Fiona Staples, Annie Wu, and Veronica Fish. We discover who has never read an Archie comic before, how the reboot reads to long-time fans, what the deal is with the #lipstickincident, and how this version of Archie compares...

"Why Art?" by Eleanor Davis is a meditation on what art means for the artist and for society. This surreal story isn’t one that can be easily pinned down, but it is complex and insightful, and Jess, Jam, Jeff, and kgros will spend some time unpacking it with you. Read it, listen in, and decide if you want it on YOUR fantasy football curriculum vitae. Music by Sleuth. Our next episode will be on "A...

Comics are the closest thing to the experience of remembering. "The Complete Persepolis" is Marjane Satrapi’s memoir of growing up in Iran, living through the Iranian Revolution and the Iran-Iraq War, moving to Europe alone at fourteen, and returning home to a country she barely recognized. It’s one of the best comics ever made, and now you can listen to the TradeWaiters gush about it for an hour....

Today’s episode is about unreliable narrators. Also it’s about "I Kill Giants" by Joe Kelly and JM Ken Niimura. Barbara is a troubled middle schooler who may or may not kill giants, and Jess, Jon, Jeff, and Jam have a lot to talk about as we dive into this story. Unless we don’t. We might decide to talk about pastel goths vs. soft bois instead. There may be a movie adaptation of this book, which y...

It’s like Goofus without Gallant. For this episode we read "Fante Bukowski" by Noah Van Sciver, a short, indie graphic novel about a failed writer who is basically the worst. Check out the book and then listen in to find out what Jess, Jon, and Jeff thought about it. We’ve got plenty of good writers’ tips to share, like don’t die, and manage your moose anger. Music by Sleuth. Our next episode will...

Anyone can be a comics reader. That’s an oft-repeated theme on the TradeWaiters. And it became the guiding mantra of our first-ever LIVE episode, recorded at this year’s VanCAF. On “How to Hook Your Friends on Comics,” Jon, Jeff, Jam, and Jess will share four books that YOU can use to get more people reading comics, and offer some advice on what hooking someone on comics really means. Our picks th...

Listen in as Jon, Jess, Jeff, Jam, and Kaye read "The Prince and the Dressmaker" by Jen Wang. This book is a stunning piece of cartooning and an instant classic. It’s a fairytale-esque historical drama about a genderfluid prince and his fashion designer slash muse slash confidante. TradeWaiters episodes have been sparse in the last few months, which Jon would like to apologize for, so to make up f...

In today’s episode Jam, Jeff, Jon, and Kaye read the first two volumes of "Battle Angel Alita" by Yukito Kishiro. Join us in the bleak, dystopian future of this nineties manga where robot bodies are cheap but freedom is not. Spoiler alert: one of the Tradewaiters didn’t like this book, and another doesn’t like movies. Music by Sleuth. Our next episode will be on "The Prince and the Dressmaker" by...

The TradeWaiters read "Louis Riel" by Chester Brown, which gave us a chance not only to meet our Cancon quota, but to dive deep into Canadian history, as well as a discussion on biography and the journalistic integrity of the author. Canadians can look forward to feeling nostalgic over Expos 86 and 67, while listeners from away can look forward to finding out just how interesting (and how grim) Ca...

In today’s episode our panelists finish out the extant volumes of Linda Medley’s "Castle Waiting" with volume two. This volume answers questions about the Doctor, Simon’s father, and Jain’s childhood. We also discuss the most important parts of history, fairy tale endings, where we hope the series will go next, and cartoonist death pacts. Music by Sleuth. Our next episode will be on "Louis Riel" b...

After much delay, we can finally bring you the first of our two episode series on Linda Medley’s "Castle Waiting." The whole team reunites to do a close reading of this indy darling, which takes some familiar fairy tales in new directions. We’ll talk about story structure, sense of place, bearded nuns, and the Heroine’s Journey. Hashtag France is real. Music by Sleuth. Our next episode will be on...

Happy 2018, time travelers. In this episode of the TradeWaiters, Jess, Jam, Jeff, and Jon read "I Killed Adolf Hitler" by the Norwegian cartoonist Jason. It’s a short episode for a short book, but it’s a book that isn’t quite what it seems. Have a listen and see for yourself. Music by Sleuth. Our next episode will be on volume one of "Castle Waiting" by Linda Medley.

Our TradeWaiters haven’t read a NEW comic this week, but we do have a bunch of OLD comics we’d like to talk about that might be new to you. If you’re looking for a comic to give away this holiday season, or a comic to give to yourself, Jess, Jon, Jam, and Jeff have some carefully selected favourites for every type of comics reader. This episode is unusually spoiler-free, so give it a listen! In th...

Welcome back for part two of our look at Akiko Higashimura’s "Princess Jellyfish." Jam, Jeff, and Jon have a lot to talk about for Volume 2 of this series, including our theories, hopes, and worries about where the story might be headed next. Also there’s an anime of this? But none of us have watched it, so our spoilers only cover Volume 2. Music by Sleuth. The book for the next episode is current...

On today’s episode Jeff, Jam, and Jon dive into the first volume of "Princess Jellyfish" by Akiko Higashimura. This is the first half of a two-part look at the world of the Amars otaku and the gender-bending “stylish” who invades their lives. It’s pretty hard to be compulsively obsessed with jellyfish (or trains or kimonos or old men or BL manga or The Three Kingdoms) when the outside world keeps...

At last we’ve reached the end of our Scott Pilgrimage. Join Jess, Jam, Jeff, Jon, and Kgros as we finish off Bryan Lee O’Malley’s "Scott Pilgrim" with volumes 5 and 6. In this episode we talk about character arcs, throwaway plot twists, background artists, and More Kim Pine. If you’ve traveled with us this far, take our hand and jump into the void with us one more time. Also there was a movie base...

And now, we continue our “Scott Pilgrimage” through volumes three and four of Bryan Lee O’Malley’s "Scott Pilgrim." In this episode we go even deeper into the themes, scenes, and subspace highway dreams of a twenty-something slacker who’s not very good at playing the bass. We talk about evil exes, what it’s really like to be inside Honest Ed’s, and we finally get to find out what Jess thinks of th...

GET READY! Today we start our three episode “Scott Pilgrimage” as Jon, Jeff, kgros and Jam read the first two volumes of Bryan Lee O’Malley’s "Scott Pilgrim." These books changed comics, and they changed each of our panelists. Join us as we talk about video game literacy, female coming-of-age stories, breaking the fourth wall, Can-con, garbage twenty-somethings, and how one of us used to have Brya...

Today’s TradeWaiters covers "Shadoweyes" by Sophie Campbell. With Jess mysteriously absent (someone start putting up missing person posters!) it’s left to Jam, Jon, Jeff, and kgros to dive deep into this dense, indie graphic novel. We test the limits of what counts as a superhero comic, discuss the “slow burn friendship drama,” remember the nineties, and talk about the shady, short past of some de...

Join us once again as Jess, Jam, Jon, and Jeff finally decide who the Last Cartoonist will be while we read volumes three and four of "Last Man" by the French team Balak, Sanlaville, and Vivès. Gaze in amazement as we do the mental gymnastics necessary to sort out this weird, fun, genre-mashup (but not trope-destroying) comic about ultimate fighters from a fantasy world. Or don’t, because, it’s a...

In today’s Tradewaiters episode Jess, Jam, Jon, and Jeff read the first two volumes of "Last Man" by the French team Balak, Sanlaville, and Vivès. Join us on a strange journey through a martial arts fighting championship on another world where nothing is quite what it seems. Caution: this comic, and our discussion about it, spend a not insignificant amount of time on sexual assault. Music by Sleut...

Join Jess, Jam, Jon, Jeff, and kgros for another episode of the TradeWaiters. We read "Wendy" and "Wendy’s Revenge" by Walter Scott, a gritty tale of post- art school drama told in a super indie style. Come for the insightful comics discussion, stay for the totally stealable gallery show concepts. Music by Sleuth. Our next episode will cover the first two volumes of "Last Man" by Balak, Michael Sa...

Today on the TradeWaiters, we jumped head-first into some shoujo manga with the first two volumes of "Your Lie in April" by Naoshi Arakawa. Join us as we immerse ourselves in classical music, middle school romance, family drama, and the fine art of panel-to-panel transitions. We also officially welcome Jess Pollard as our fifth podcast panelist! Music by Sleuth Our next episode will cover "Wendy"...