Comics Syllabus 024 – Jason Shiga talks “Demon” (First Second); Best Miniseries 2017 with Wolf Warner

( 9:35 ) Brooklyn teacher Wolf Warner (on Twitter @drewarner) runs through his best miniseries of 2017. ( 20:02 ) Then Jason Shiga joins us to talk about his recently completed “Demon” series from 2017, including some SPOILER-FILLED TALK! (BEWARE!) NEXT WEEK: Lion Forge’s Catalyst Prime line.

Welcome to the Comics Syllabus podcast, where we read widely and we dig deep. Your host Paul, a literacy researcher and English teacher, introduces curious readers to a range of current and classic comics, and then engages in closer discussion and analysis of particular comics works.

[audio: http://feeds.soundcloud.com/stream/358799174-twoplai-024-jason-shiga-on-demon-first-second-best-miniseries-2017-w-wolf-warner.mp3]

Or download the podcast episode here.

First, in the introduction, ( 0:00 ) a mention to Brooklyn’s Mama Says Comics Rock (http://www.mamasayscomics.com/), comic store of Wolf Warner, and a set up for the two pieces we feature this week.

On our General Ed segment (at 9:35 ), friend of the podcast and middle school teacher Wolf Warner @drewarner breaks down his list of best miniseries of 2017. Here’s Wolf’s list:

Honorable Mentions: Clue (IDW) by Paul Allor and Nelson Daniel; Jazz Maynard (Magnetic) by Raule, Roger Ibanez Ugena, Godshaper (Image) by Si Spurrier and Jonas Goonface.

10. Black Panther and the Crew (Marvel). By Ta-Nehisi Coates, Yona Harvey, Butch Guice.
9. Nightwing: The New Order (DC). By Kyle Higgins, Trevor McCarthy.
8. Batman: The White Knight (DC). Sean Murphy, Matt Hollingsworth.
7. Secret Weapons (Valiant). By Eric Heisserer, Raul Allen (w/ variant cover artist Jelena Kevic-Djurdjevic).
6. Plastic (Image) By Doug Wagner, Daniel Hillyard, Laura Martin.
5. The Button (DC). By Joshua Williamson, Tom King, Howard Porter.
4. Shirtless Bear Fighter (Image). By Sebastian Girner, Jody LeHeup.
3.God Country (Image). By Donnie Cates, Geoff Shaw.
2. Victor LaValle’s Destroyer (Boom). By Victor La Valle, Dietrich Smith.
1. Mister Miracle (DC). By Tom King and Mitch Gerads

Then, (at 20:02 ) our creator chat is with cartoonist Jason Shiga about his Eisner-winning series “Demon” from First Second. We open with some general talk about Jason’s background in Berkeley and beyond, including this past year in an artist residency in France at Angoulême. At (34:55) SPOILER WARNING we begin talking about Jason Shiga’s “Demon” touching on moments from the first two volumes of the collected story from First Second. At (58:10) FURTHER SPOILER WARNING we discuss the ending parts found in Volumes 3 and 4 of “Demon” as published by First Second. (Images we discuss are below).

By the way, Jason mentions a number of other sources and comics, including Jesse Hamm’s Tips Twitter account (http://twitter.com/Hamm_Tips), “Nancy” by Ernie Bushmiller, Norakuro manga (http://cartoonresearch.com/index.php/norakuro/), “L’ours Barnabé” and “Petit Poilu” and the work of Ben Hatke, and “Death Note.”

Some links:
Previous episode of this podcast where Paul discussed “Demon”: https://soundcloud.com/twoplai/083116-demon-by-jason-shiga-shigabooks-and-first-second
Transcribed (and abridged) version of this interview with Jason Shiga: http://wp.me/p42KN3-HWK
Previous Multiversity Interview with Jason Shiga by Leo Johnson: http://www.multiversitycomics.com/interviews/jason-shiga-talks-demon/

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Thanks for listening!

Images are prints from Jason Shiga’s “Demon”

Original Cover of Minicomic Issue #1