The TradeWaiters

This week on The Tradewaiters, The Fifth Tradewaiter (a.k.a. Jess Pollard) joins us to talk about "Vattu: The Name and the Mark" by Evan Dahm. This is the first volume in print of Evan’s epic webcomic project. Listen to us chat about how much we love his work, but more importantly, the reasons WHY we love it and why you should too. We’ve got a lot to say about webcomics in general this episode. Mu...

The Tradewaiters are back! Jess Pollard joins Jon, Jeff, Jam, and kgros for a discussion on "Paper Girls" volumes 1 & 2 by Brian K. Vaughan and Cliff Chiang. Join us as we talk about eighties nostalgia, book design, the pacing in floppies, “progressive edgy,” and Matt Wilson’s gorgeous colours. EDIT: Jonathon would like to apologize for mixing up Warren Ellis and Frank Miller. Minus ten points fro...

In this episode we read "Today Is the Last Day of the Rest of Your Life" by Austrian cartoonist Ulli Lust. This comic follows the artist’s real life journey from Austria to Sicily with no money, no passport, and no friends. It’s a heavy book in terms of both physical weight and emotional content. Join us, we’ve got lots to talk about! Music by Sleuth. Our next episode will cover the first two volu...

On today’s Tradewaiters we read "Aya" written by Marguerite Abouet and drawn by Clément Oubrerie. Special guest Jess Pollard joins us again while Angela is away. Our first formal foray into bande dessinée, "Aya" follows the chaotic love lives of three young women in 1970s Ivory Coast. This book was a lot of fun! Join us as we share our thoughts. Music by Sleuth. Our next episode will cover volumes...

Special guest Jess Pollard returns to the TradeWaiters studio for "Americus" by M.K. Reed and Jonathan Hill. She proceeds to get Socratic on the group as we discuss censorship, culture wars, and comics. Meanwhile, we confirm the existence of actual IRL TradeWaiters listeners, and everyone’s got an opinion on a certain ultra-popular young adult fantasy book series. Music by Sleuth. Our next episode...

Stuff is bad right now. Let’s read a book! In this episode Jon, Jeff, Angela, and kgros read "Sacred Heart" by Liz Suburbia, about a group of punk teens surviving in a town that seems to have no adults. Spoiler alert: something mysterious is going on. Also in this episode you’ll find out our panelists’ favourite conspiracy theories, and our thoughts on depicting atmospheric sound in comics. Music...

For today's episode our panelists read "Cul de Sac: This Exit" by Richard Thompson, the "last great newspaper comic." After Richard's passing earlier this year and the dire state of newspapers in general, we may not see his kind again. We also discuss the documentary "Stripped" directed by Dave Kellett, the "tell, don't show" approach to making comics, which part of southern Ontario is the most di...

Voila! Let us next volunteer "V for Vendetta," the volume by Alan Moore and David Lloyd. But are they visionaries viewing behind the veil, or vandals giving voice to violence? Join Jonathon, Jeff, Angela, and kgros as we debate the merits and shortcomings of this dark and gritty and deeply political graphic novel. The discussion ranges from violence against women and anarchy as a lifestyle, to a m...

Our Bakumanathon continues! We read the third and fourth volumes of "Bakuman" by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata and we invite you to join us as we check in with how our boys Mashiro and Takagi are doing in their quest for manga greatness. Also on deck are some in depth discussions of the differences between the North American and Japanese comics industries, and how to make sure comics only breaks...

Episode 20 begins our Bakumanathon! Our TradeWaiters read the first two volumes of "Bakuman" by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata, and it filled them with a determination to share their opinions. Find out what they really think about the Japanese manga industry, the Shonen Jump editorial process, middle school cartoonists, and Pure Romance. Making comics will break your heart, but listening to this e...

Episode 19 continues the discussion from our previous episode on "The Essential Dykes to Watch Out For" by Alison Bechdel. Jeff, Angela, and Kathleen are once again joined by special guest Sfé R. Monster while Jonathon is busy doing work or something. Don’t let the lengthy discussion on long-running Canadian TV franchises at the start of the episode fool you, this episode gets in-depth with a semi...

In episode 18 Jeff, Angela, and Kathleen are joined by special guest Sfé R. Monster for the first of a two-episode break-down of "The Essential Dykes to Watch Out For" by Alison Bechdel. Our panelists have opinions on everything from Star Trek to page layouts, and from Trump to TERFs. You won’t want to miss a beat. Music by Sleuth. Our next episode will continue the discussion on "The Essential Dy...

Episode 17 is our “CAF” episode! Join Jon, Jeff, Kathleen, Angela, and special guest Sfé R. Monster as they share some of the best new comics they found at TCAF and VanCAF 2016. In this episode our panelists talk about: "When You Grow Up" by Ma’at Crook, "My Sister’s Voice" by Alexis Sugden, "Clear Quartz" by Joamette Gil, "(Tr)Eat Yoself" by Wai Khan, "Before the Snows Come" by Kat Verhoeven, "Fe...

In episode 16 Jon, Jeff, Kathleen, and special guest Jess Pollard continue the discussion of "Nausicaa of the Valley of Wind" by Hayao Miyazaki with volume 2 (or the second half, depending on what printing you have). The TradeWaiters get philosophical as this manga master-work leads us down roads to nihilism, zen buddhism, relativism, absolutism, pacifism, and existential terror. Welcome to funny...

In episode 15 Jon, Jeff, and Kathleen are joined by special guest Jess Pollard to talk about the first half of "Nausicaa of the Valley of Wind," the manga series by world-reknowned animator Hayao Miyazaki. This is an incredibly dense work and we have a lot to say about it! But the true purpose of the Sea of Corruption isn't the only secret conspiracy that this episode will reveal... Music by Sleut...

In this episode we continue to read through Marvel’s "Jessica Jones: Alias" by Brian Michael Bendis and Michael Gaydos, with volumes 3 and 4. We talk about the tricky dance of words and pictures in this series, hypothesize about a Marvel non-comics AU, dis the Savage Land, compare non-canon doujinshi on Wolverine, and discuss post-renaissance mannerism. Oh, and the Jessica Jones Netflix series get...

We’re trying something different! Episode 13 of the TradeWaiters will cover the first two trade paperbacks of Marvel’s "Jessica Jones: Alias" by Brian Michael Bendis and Michael Gaydos, and then episode 14 will cover volumes 3 and 4. "Alias" being a Marvel book, it’s a hard sell for some of the TradeWaiters, but we get in pretty deep with the book’s pros and cons. If you’re a comics reader, a comi...

In episode 12 the TradeWaiters read "Nimona" by Noelle Stevenson, a subversive fantasy graphic novel. In addition to all four panelists gushing over this book, you can get the inside scoop on Jonathon crying in restaurants, what Kathleen really thinks of spoiler warnings, and roll your eyes at yet another imperfect Kindle comic. Music by Sleuth. The next episode will cover volumes 1 & 2 of "Jessic...

For today’s episode Jon, Jeff, Angela, and Kathleen read the first two volumes of Dark Horse’s translation of "Astro Boy" by the godfather of manga, Osamu Tezuka. Travel back in time with us to the dawn of modern Japanese comics, and then forward again to the distant future of the year 2000 and the dawn of the age of robotics. Tune in for an in-depth discussion of the pros and cons of butt guns, c...

In Episode Eight, the Tradewaiters discuss "Tekkon Kinkreet: Black & White" by Taiyo Matsumoto. Jon, Jeff, Angela, and Kathleen have a lot of opinions on how best to adapt manga to an English-speaking audience, Kathleen has some positive words for past-Kathleen, and Angela has some strong opinions on “historical neon.” Music by Sleuth. Our next episode will be on "Essex County" by Jeff Lemire.

In Episode 7 Our panel talks about Two Generals by Scott Chantler, a comics biography of the author’s grandfather’s experiences in the Second World War. Listen to find out what everyone’s grandparents did during the war (spoiler alert: ONE of the tradewaiters’ grandparents were too young to do much of anything), and to find out what it takes to get Angela’s husband to care about comics. Consider t...

In episode 6, Jon, Jeff, Angela, and Kathleen talk about the first two trade paperbacks of Marvel Comics’ "Ms. Marvel," written by G. Willow Wilson and drawn by Adrian Alphona and Jake Wyatt. Be amazed as Kathleen goes through a magical transformation sequence! Feel sorrow when you hear about Jonathon’s messy break-up with the X-Men! If you’re a person who thinks you don’t like superheroes, this m...

n Episode Five, Jonathon, Jeff, Angela, and Kathleen read Mail Order Bride by British Columbian comicker Mark Kalesniko. For once the TradeWaiters can’t agree on whether this is a book worth reading. We are all adults, though, (most of us), so no friendships were ruined in the making of this episode. Read the book for yourself, listen to the episode, and decide what you think. Music by Sleuth. Nex...

In episode four, Jonathon, Jeff, Kathleen and Angela read Broken Telephone, an e-book written by Ryan Estrada and drawn by him and a “lineup of accomplices.” Each chapter follows the hero of one story who will inevitably become the villain of the next. In this episode, Angela uses the word “fascinating” like three times in a row, and Jeff does his best pitch to get paid by Wacom. Music by Sleuth....

In Episode 3 of the TradeWaiters, Jon, Jeff, Angela and Kathleen read One Hundred Demons by Lynda Barry, an "autobifictionalography." Kathleen calls Lynda Barry one of her "must-read cartoonists." Maybe by the end you will want to spend some time with your own demons. Music by Sleuth Next episode will cover Broken Telephone written by Ryan Estrada.