The Very Fine Comic Book Podcast

Originally published in 2014, the incredibly acclaimed THIS ONE SUMMER by Mariko Tamaki and Jillian Tamaki is a coming of age story about two teenage friends, Rose and Windy, during a summer in a small beach town they both frequent with their families annually. Have a safe and happy summer, everyone! ARTICLE: "Using Graphic Novels in Education: This One Summer" by the CBLDF [Comic Book Legal Defen...

In this episode, a spell is cast on us by WITCH HAT ATELIER [ とんがり帽子のアトリエ ], the magical manga series by Kamome Shirahama [ 白浜 鴎 ] published by Kodansha and currently up to 13 volumes as of this recording! In 2020, the series won the Harvey Award for the Best Manga category as well as the Eisner Award for Best U.S. Edition of International Material—Asia. --- Join our Patreon for bonu...

Justin's back from his trip to Japan with a massive pile of manga, many of which have never been translated/localized! --- Join our Patreon for weekly bonus episodes! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/theveryfinecomicbookpodcast/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow us on Instagram at  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/theveryfinecomicbookpodcast/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...

It's our annual oversized episode on TCAF, the Toronto Comic Arts Festival held every Spring at the Toronto Reference Library! https://www.torontocomics.com/ Remembering Joe Matt! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Matt https://www.tcj.com/remembering-joe-matt/ BLIND ALLEY and THE GULF by Adam DeSouza https://kumerish.com/ https://www.instagram.com/kumerish LON CHANEY SPEAKS by Pat Dorian https://w...

One of the very first DC Comics characters of the Golden Age, THE SANDMAN - aka Wesley Dodds - fought crime and injustice in 1930s New York City armed with nothing but his wits, a gasmask, and a gun that fired nonlethal sleeping gas. Decades later, the first issue of Neil Gaiman's legendary "Sandman" series would reintroduce the world to Wesley Dodds, now explaining that his motivations and equipm...

They may be the most-mentioned yet never-spotlighted writer on The Very Fine Comic Book Podcast to date: Grant Morrison! Their graphic novel THE MYSTERY PLAY -- featuring painted art by Jon J Muth -- was published by Vertigo Comics in 1994, and featured a chilling theological twist on the classic UK smalltown murder-mystery trope. --- Join our Patreon for weekly bonus episodes! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...

Two comic creator legends of their respective eras collide in 1997's JUDGMENT DAY, written by Alan Moore, drawn by Rob Liefeld! Seemingly inspired by the then-recent trial of O. J. Simpson, "Judgment Day" tells the tale of a superhero-run investigation and trial for one of their own who's been accused of murdering a teammate -- featuring characters from Rob Liefeld's Awesome Comics and Image Comic...

On this April 1 episode of THE VERY FINE COMIC SNACK PODCAST! -- - a look at the Hostess fruit pies advertisements that appeared EVERYWHERE in Marvel Comics, DC Comics, Archie Comics, and other publishers throughout the 1970s & 1980s! - Dollarama brand Spider-man head lollipops! Open his head, and eat his brain! - Eternals PEZ! (it's lemon!) - Loblaws brand raspberry strudel! (it's overpriced!) Th...

Legendary manga artist Akira Toriyama passed away in March 2024, leaving behind an enduring legacy of work -- most notably his 42-volume magnum opus DRAGON BALL. Dragon Ball began in 1984 and spawned a still-ongoing saga and media empire, and is often regarded as the most influential manga and anime series of all time. In this episode, we'll rekindle our 1990s Dragon Ball / Dragon Ball Z memories,...

In 1984, Marvel Comics created a spinoff line of all-ages kid-targeted comics called STAR COMICS! Overseen by Tom DeFalco and Sid Jacobson, the Star Comics line lasted through 1988 and introduced the comic reading world to the original characters Misty, Planet Terry, Royal Roy, Top Dog, Wally The Wizard, and [most famously] Peter Porker: The Spectacular Spider-Ham! -- along with comics based on li...

As long-promised for our 52nd episode! -- What's a "Crisis"? What's a "multiverse"? What's a "52"? These words get thrown around a lot in DC Comics, as well as in off-page discussions of their lore, continuity, and publishing history. In this episode we'll attempt to give a basic Crisis 101 overview for the total newcomer, discussing the 1985 continuity-streamlining event "Crisis on Infinite Earth...

SKREEONK!!! It's our monstrous 50th episode! What better way to celebrate than with the Big G himself - GODZILLA!!! Many publishers have put out Godzilla comics over the years, including a Marvel Comics series in the 1970s, and a longrunning line from IDW Publishing since 2010. In this episode, we'll be taking a look at the Godzilla titles published by Dark Horse Comics from the late 1980s through...

Guardian! Shaman! Snowbird! Puck! Northstar! Aurora! Sasquatch! Marrina! Together they are ALPHA FLIGHT, Canada's premiere superhero team! Originally appearing in an issue of Chris Claremont's Uncanny X-Men, these avengers of the great white north eventually got their own Marvel Comics series in 1983 which was written+drawn by John Byrne for the first 28 issues. It was a smash hit (surprising even...

During a cold World War II winter, a handful of soldiers find themselves enlisted into a theological battle against fallen angels in THE LIGHT BRIGADE by Peter Tomasi & Peter Snejbjerg! How has this action-packed miniseries NOT become a movie yet??? Get on that, Hollywood!!! Closing song: "Between Two Wars" by The Big Heist, from the album Tightrope: https://open.spotify.com/album/3ixgGNHQI9qbI5pU...

Do you love... golllllddddd? So do the protagonists of Satoru Noda's manga series GOLDEN KAMUY, a gold rush tale set in the early 1900s in Japan's northern region of Hokkaido, in the aftermath of the Russo-Japanese War. This epic and thoroughly-researched manga just wrapped up in 2022, and is also currently airing as an anime series on Crunchyroll, and a live-action film hitting Japanese theatres...

Happy new year! What are some good beginner comics / graphic novels for someone new to the medium? -- it's a question we get asked frequently by friends and colleagues since starting this very fine comic book podcast. In this episode, we go through an assortment of popular and critically-acclaimed modern favourites which should be very/perpetually available at your local bookstores and libraries,...

This is not a joke. This is not a drill. We are literally reviewing the actual "OFFICIAL COMIC BOOK OF CHRISTMAS", as self-declared, or perhaps ordained by a governing body of the holiday. What is it??? You'll have to hear the episode to find out, as we unwrap this festive gift for YOU, dear listener! Happy holidays, everyone!!! Thank you for spending time with us during this first year of The Ver...

Our monthlong celebration of Xmas-themed comics continues with a tribute episode to the late great writer/illustrator Keith Giffen, who passed away in October 2023 at the too-young age of 70. Keith's career touched every corner of superhero comicdom, most notably the longrunning Justice League International series he co-created with J. M. DeMatteis and Kevin Maguire. In the first half of this epis...

Santa Claus is coming to town! Our monthlong celebration of Xmas-themed comics kicks off with THE GREAT TREASURY OF CHRISTMAS COMIC BOOK STORIES, featuring a smorgasbord of golden age holiday tales brought together in a gorgeously festive hardcover, edited by Craig Yoe and published by Yoe Books + IDW in 2010. Featuring art and stories by John Stanley, Walt Kelly, Richard Scarry, and more! --- Fol...

Well, we've officially peaked early. Because THE PEOPLE DEMANDED IT, here at last is the official definitive final word on Jim Davis' GARFIELD vs George Gately & Peter Gallagher's HEATHCLIFF. We have spoken. --- Follow us on Instagram at  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/theveryfinecomicbookpodcast/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  and send us questions to potentially read on-air via IG DM or via email at theveryfinecomic...

News Strip November continues! KRAZY KAT (also known as KRAZY & IGNATZ in some reprints and compilations) was an American newspaper comic strip by George Herriman which ran from 1913 to 1944. In this episode, we'll dive into the history of the character and their creator, through the lens of the compilation "The George Herriman Library: Krazy & Ignatz 1916-1918", the first of four oversized Herrim...

In this very special wedding-themed episode, we take a look at: Superman: The Wedding Album (1996) Fantastic Four Annual #3 (1965) Amazing Spider-Man #131 (1974) and... Amazing Spider-Man Annual #21 (1987) - in which Peter Parker finally weds Mary Jane Watson, forever!

Happy Halloween! Our shocktober horror coverage comes to a close with a two-part episode covering all 23 issues of The Simpsons' TREEHOUSE OF HORROR anthology from Bongo Comics, which was released every October from 1995-2017 and featured a wide variety of writers and artists terrifying Springfield's favorite family in a spooky smorgasbord of styles. This episode - Part 1 - covers issues 1-10! Par...

"𝐼𝑡'𝑠 𝐻𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑜𝑤𝑒𝑒𝑛 𝑛𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡𝑒𝑛-𝑦𝑒𝑎𝑟-𝑜𝑙𝑑 𝑀𝑜𝑛𝑎 𝑖𝑠 𝑠𝑡𝑢𝑐𝑘 𝑖𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑑𝑒 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑠𝑜 𝑚𝑢𝑐ℎ 𝑎𝑠 𝑎 𝑠𝑐𝑎𝑟𝑦 𝑚𝑜𝑣𝑖𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑐ℎ. 𝑆ℎ𝑒 𝑓𝑖𝑔𝑢𝑟𝑒𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝐻𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑜𝑤𝑒𝑒𝑛 𝑐𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑑𝑛'𝑡 𝑔𝑒𝑡 𝑎𝑛𝑦 𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑠𝑒, 𝑏𝑢𝑡 𝑎 𝑔𝑖𝑎𝑛𝑡 𝑚𝑜𝑛𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑎𝑝𝑝𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑠 𝑖𝑛 ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑙𝑖𝑣𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑟𝑜𝑜𝑚 𝑡𝑜 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑣𝑒 ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑦, 𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑦 𝑤𝑟𝑜𝑛𝑔. 𝑆ℎ𝑒 𝑖𝑠 𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑠𝑒𝑑 𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑜 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑛𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑠ℎ𝑒 𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑠 𝑠𝑜𝑚𝑒 𝑜𝑑𝑑 𝑛𝑒𝑤 𝑓𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑑𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑓𝑖𝑛𝑑𝑠 ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑒𝑙𝑓 𝑜𝑛 𝑎 𝑞𝑢𝑒𝑠𝑡 𝑡𝑜 𝑠𝑎𝑣𝑒 ℎ𝑢𝑚𝑎𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝑏𝑖𝑙𝑙𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑚𝑜𝑛𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑠. 𝑇ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑔ℎ 𝑀𝑜𝑛𝑎 𝑖𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑡...