Comics Syllabus: Grace Gipson on “Concrete Park” and the Wait List with Sonny

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/398807442-twoplai-18-02-13-concrete-park-with-grace-gipson-wait-list-with-sonny.mp3]

Or download the podcast episode here.

First, (at 0:00) a walk through the Syllabus, a reading list of comics Paul invites you to read along with him in the weeks to come. See the Syllabus full list below.

This episode’s Close Read (at 28:42 ) is with comics scholar and #BlackComicsChat’s Grace Gipson ( http://twitter.com/GBreezy20 ) examining “Concrete Park” by Erika Alexander (W) and Alex Puryear (W/A) (Dark Horse), set in Scare City, a dystopic future place on a prison planet where the criminalized are sent to make their way, trying to carve loyalty and love in a scifi world packed with real world resonance. IMAGES TO GO WITH OUR DISCUSSION OF “CONCRETE PARK” are at the bottom of this page.

Finally, we wrap up by checking in with Paul’s brother Sonny for a late February installment of the Wait List (at 1:48:00 ), anticipating upcoming trades and collections they’re looking too, and brotherly banter.

“The Syllabus” for 2/13/2018. (Read along wherever you’d like, and we welcome you to share your thoughts on any of these comics with #ComicsSyllabus)

Alt TPB (Tuesdays): “Birthright” by Joshua Williamson and Andrei Bressan (Image), “Rock Candy Mountain” by Kyle Starks (Image), and keeping track of “Paradiso” (Image), “Kid Lobotomy” (IDW/Black Crown) “Sherlock Frankenstein and the Legion of Evil” (Dark Horse), and “Sleepless” (Image).

World/BD (Wednesdays): “Universe” by Albert Monteys (Panel Syndicate) at http://panelsyndicate.com/comics/universe

Throwback (Thursdays): “The Incal” by Jodorowsky and Moebius, more “Fourth World Omnibus” by Jack Kirby (DC), more “Strangers in Paradise” by Terry Moore (Abstract).

Family (Fridays): “Speak” by Laurie Halse Anderson and Emily Carroll (FGS) and “Prince and Dressmaker” by Jen Wang (First Second), along with “Wires and Nerve” by Marissa Meyer and Douglas Holgate (Feiwel and Friends).

Superheroes (Saturdays): “X Men Red,” “Jean Grey,” and the “Phoenix Resurrection” event from Marvel; Young Animal/JLA “Milk Wars” crossover and “Batman” #40 from DC.

Sequential/Small Press (Sundays): “Happy Hour in America” by Tim Lane (Fantagraphics), “Zegas” by Michel Fiffe (Fantagraphics), “The End of the F—ing World” by Charles Forsman (Fantagraphics), “Something City” by Ellice Weaver (Avery Hill)

Manga (Mondays): “Happiness” by Shuzo Oshimi (Kodansha); more “Alita.”

And Sonny and Paul’s “Wait List” mentions: Victor LaValle’s “Destroyer” by Victor LaValle, Dietrich Smith and Joana LaFuente (Boom!), “Teen Titans” vol. 2 by Ben Percy and Khoi Pham, Phil Hester, other artists (DC), “Grass Kings” by Matt Kindt and Tyler Jenkins (Boom!), “Mother Panic” v2 by Jody Houser and Phil Hester, Shawn Crystal, John Paul Leon, Ande Parks (DC).

Subscribe and follow the Comics Syllabus podcast on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, or Soundcloud, or copy this RSS feed to your podcatcher: http://feeds.soundcloud.com/users/soundcloud:users:235183739/sounds.rss or you can find archives for this podcast (previously named “Study Comics with Paul”) here: http://studycomics.club/

Join the discussion on the Comics Syllabus Facebook page: http://facebook.com/ComicsSyllabus or Follow Paul on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TwoPlai or leave your comments here on the showpage.

Thanks for listening!

The following images are from “Concrete Park” by Tony Puryear (W/A) and Erika Alexander (W) (Dark Horse, 2014-2015)

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