Friend of the show Bluzo joins the panel to talk about Blue Period, volumes 1-6, by Tsubasa Yamaguchi. In our first long read of the year, we delve deep on the complicated ordeal of pursuing an art career, and the mortifying ordeal of being known. Oh and also rampant transphobia.

• (00:00) - “Blue Period” by Tsubasa Yamaguchi
• (01:05) - Front Matter
• (03:37) - Impressions
• (07:01) - It’s a sports manga
• (15:15) - It’s pretty didactic
• (20:49) - Real art in the manga
• (22:36) - That’s the stuff
• (25:47) - Accessibility
• (27:10) - Shouts out to the artist crediting
• (28:18) - SPOILERS
• (28:22) - Yuka-chan
• (43:23) - Better storytelling as it progresses
• (45:32) - More on Yuka-chan
• (49:49) - Making pastries with my boys
• (54:52) - This boy is masking HARD
• (57:45) - Hey. Scout is in this book.
• (01:03:27) - Love to not be a teenager anymore
• (01:03:46) - More Yotasuke
• (01:05:03) - Hashida
• (01:08:36) - The teachers!
• (01:11:48) - TUA complicates things!
• (01:13:45) - Mori
• (01:15:24) - I don’t “get“ art
• (01:16:38) - What is talent?
• (01:24:55) - Questions from Amet!
• (01:32:33) - Further Reading

- The Blue Period live-action movie
- She and Her Cat adapted by Tsubasa Yamaguchi
- Nude Model and Other Stories by Tsubasa Yamaguchi
- Look Back by Tatsuki Fujimoto
- Goodbye Eri by Tatsuki Fujimoto
- Blank Canvas: My So-Called Artist's Journey by Akiko Higashimura

Read Anniversary by Elle Shivers!

A comics podcast for everyone, proud to be a part of The Worst Garbage network.

Find us on Bluesky or Tumblr.

This week’s panelists can be found at:
Bluzo

Matt
Robin

Scout

Jillian

Editing this week by AJ Fillari.
Cover art by Scout Wilkinson.
Intro/Outro music by Boqeh.

Today, your panelists wonder: what does it look like to tell a story about prejudice but divorced from real-world analogues? What does it mean to tie concepts of hunger and desire together inexorably? Just how much money is cow bathwater going for these days? And wait, is that-? Oh my god, it's Legoshi, my close personal friend Legoshi!

• (00:00) - “Beast Complex” by Paru Itagaki
• (00:43) - Front Matter
• (03:47) - Plot Overview
• (04:42) - Short stories
• (05:48) - The world of Beast Compkex vs Zootopia
• (14:14) - How the book improves over time
• (16:24) - What is doujinshi again?
• (17:48) - Is the mangaka a nepo baby?
• (19:26) - “Devouring”
• (25:45) - SPOILERS!
• (25:48) - Our top 3s
• (31:06) - The Tiger and the Alpaca
• (34:05) - The Pig and the Peacock
• (36:13) - ERROR ⚠️
• (43:17) - The Wolf and the Rabbit
• (54:02) - The Chipmunk and the (Mountain Hare)
• (01:01:08) - Relationships vs Events
• (01:03:39) - The Shiba Inu and the Shiba Inu
• (01:08:28) - The Alligator and the Cow
• (01:14:47) - The Wolf and the Seal
• (01:20:11) - Some of the stories that don’t work
• (01:26:29) - Final thoughts
• (01:27:37) - Further Reading
• (01:32:33) - Back Matter

A comics podcast for everyone, proud to be a part of The Worst Garbage network.

Find us on Bluesky or Tumblr.

This week’s panelists can be found at:

Matt

Scout

Jillian

Editing this week by AJ Fillari.
Cover art by Scout Wilkinson.
Intro/Outro music by Boqeh.

Today your panelists talk Frontier, a French graphic novel written and illustrated by the artist of Citizen Sleeper and Citizen Sleeper 2! Join us as we discuss hope among dystopia and how pacing can let down an otherwise incredible story.

You can purchase Frontier in English here.

• (00:00) - “Frontier” by Guillaume Singelin
• (00:42) - Front Matter
• (03:26) - Impressions
• (05:34) - Guillaume’s art style
• (08:05) - Chibi violence
• (11:37) - The density of Frontier’s space
• (15:13) - Singelin’s Rescue card
• (16:16) - Unfamiliar familiarity
• (17:42) - Little nubbin feet
• (20:23) - Variation in line weight
• (23:37) - Spoiler section!
• (23:48) - Similarities to Citizen Sleeper
• (27:59) - Finding meaning or a way out
• (36:08) - The opening structure of this book
• (37:43) - Pacing problems
• (38:13) - GOKU!
• (41:09) - More on pacing
• (44:04) - Hopeful science fiction
• (46:20) - How Camina is let down by utopian naivete
• (53:04) - Even more on pacing
• (54:09) - Our favorite characters
• (56:02) - Ji-soo’s retirement
• (56:54) - Favorite panels and pages
• (01:04:00) - Camina, trans icon
• (01:04:14) - A quote that is too real
• (01:05:05) - How this book was made
• (01:05:56) - Further Reading
• (01:07:31) - Back Matter

A comics podcast for everyone, proud to be a part of The Worst Garbage network.

Find us on Bluesky or Tumblr.

This week’s panelists can be found at:

Matt
Robin

Scout

Jillian

Editing this week by AJ Fillari.
Cover art by Scout Wilkinson.
Intro/Outro music by Boqeh.