“RAK TAC TAC TAC TAC.” COMICS! Sometimes They Do It All Over Again!

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Posted by: John Kane on May 20, 2012

Categories: Reviews

So I went to the library and got this here book out. As is customary on my planet I read it and , as is inadvisable in my experience, I wrote this. Evasions, justifications, terrible writing, pointless digressions and probably unintended offence are probably in the offing. Why not join me as we look again at Marvel‘s first superhero team! Reed Was beginning To Suspect His Friends Would Never Share His Pleasure In His Colonoscopy Results.

“It Is Not The FIRST TIME This Has Has Happened.” COMICS! Sometimes They Are Hot Off The Griddle!

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Posted by: John Kane on May 13, 2012

Categories: Reviews

Hey old people, remember Sunday evening when you were a kid?: Urrrrrhhhh! Let’s take the Sunday Blues away with some piffle about our four colour floppy friends! COMICS!!!

Wait, What? Ep. 84: Q and A DNA Q

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Posted by: Jeff Lester on May 1, 2012

Categories: Podcasts

First off, our new graphic is courtesy of the incredibly talented Adam P. Knave (who on top of all the other things he does and does well, has added podcaster to the mix. Go check out The Glory, The Glory, why don’t you?) and our old dashed-off scattershot introductions to the podcast, courtesy of me who has once again managed to land himself behind a scheduling eightball. But!  That doesn’t mean we didn’t attend to our duties, as far as answering your questions go.  On the contrary, Episode 84 of Wait, What? is our first hour and forty five minute foray into the savage wilds of your inquiries.  Among the ground covered by Graeme McMillan and me:  our recommendations for…  Read More…

“And Kindly Remove Your Pelvis…” Comics! Sometimes They Are A Lot Like Last Time But Newer (John Carter pt.2)!

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Posted by: John Kane on March 15, 2012

Categories: Reviews

 My name is John Kane and if my instructions have been honoured then what now assails your minds will be a continuation of the unfeasible events that occurred when I persisted in following the course of John Carter comics into the current Century. It is not for such as I to grant such an endeavour any merit for such a task can only fall to those who suffer the results. My chore has ended and yours has only begun…

“I’m A MAN, And I’ll LOVE You As A Man Loves A …” Comics! Sometimes There’s A Film Out As Well! (John Carter!)

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Posted by: John Kane on March 8, 2012

Categories: Reviews

So, yeah, there’s a John Carter film out on Friday. Not that I ever get to the pictures anymore but, hey, you might! In the meantime you could read this about some comics featuring the same character. It’s a thought isn’t it. Probably one more than went into the writing of this. Hey, can CGI do this?: No, no it can not. You lose CGI!

“Clod. I Have WEAPONS…” Comics! Sometimes They Are Almost Fresh!

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Posted by: John Kane on March 6, 2012

Categories: Reviews

It’s a post about comics! Is it early? Is it late? Time is in flux! Only if one man can face his Pull List can The Balance be restored! One Man. One Pull List. There will be Words… (…probably the wrong ones).

An aside for Steve Wacker

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Posted by: Brian Hibbs on February 28, 2012

Categories: Retailing/Industry

While I was writing my last post, I had missed some of the talkback in David Brother’s original post, including Very Special Guest Steve Wacker from Marvel. David’s second post addresses most everything, but I want to drill down to one statement that Steve made which I think is germane here: “We’ll keep making comics and the sales will tell us whether or not people like ‘em. That’s the foundation we’re built on.” That’s a very fair point, and the one that I really want to get across as well — for in January 2012, Marvel’s single best-selling comic (UNCANNY #5) sold (according to ICv2) a mere 63,477 copies. Of course it’s more than that, as Diamond’s reports under-report by…  Read More…

The Problem With Marvel’s Current Strategy

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Posted by: Brian Hibbs on February 27, 2012

Categories: Retailing/Industry

David Brothers has a very excellent post about how the notion of the stable creative team has gone out the window at Marvel with their double shipping madness. I think there’s some more pernicious impacts as well that David didn’t address. One primary consideration is that every book, every where, (nearly) every time, suffers from what we generally refer to as “standard attrition” — that is to say that virtually every comic shows a slightly decreasing audience each and every month as readership walks away, or gets sidetracked. There are certainly ways to get bunches of new eyes looking at a book (crossovers used to do it… not so much any longer), and spike those numbers up again… but the…  Read More…

“The Cane Does The Rest.” Comics! Sometimes They Are Butch!

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Posted by: John Kane on February 26, 2012

Categories: Reviews

So I managed to get an hour and I wrote this.  So, you know, it’s hardly incisive or anything and certainly not structured but I hope it entertains. People like seeing other people fail, right? Tuck in!

Wait, What? Ep. 75: Joshua Judges OMAC

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Posted by: Jeff Lester on February 21, 2012

Categories: Podcasts

[Above:  Not a deliberate shout-out, I'm sure, but we'll take what we can get, of course.] Thanks for your patience during our mild vacation! In return, we offer you Wait, What? Ep. 75, which features more than two and twenty minutes of Graeme McMillan and me “stealing the air” or “pump[ing] up the volume” or whatever it is you “kids” call it. [Thanks to Joolian for pointing out that should really read "two hours and twenty minutes," damn my eyes!] Do we talk Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore, and The Walking Dead? Do we, ever! Dare we discuss Gary Friedrich, Ghost Rider and Marvel? Dare, we do! Tire I of answering rhetorical questions? Frankly, yes, but I won’t let that get…  Read More…

“Do They Come In KID’S Sizes?” Comics! Sometimes I Get A Bit Grumpy.

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Posted by: John Kane on February 3, 2012

Categories: Reviews

Whoops. Lost my momentum there. Trying to get it back by looking at some comics and then blurting thoughts out in the form of words. Disaster? I have a recipe for that! Here’s the ingredients:

Wait, What? Ep. 73: Thicker Than Forget

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Posted by: Jeff Lester on January 31, 2012

Categories: Podcasts

We didn’t even come close. Don’t get me wrong–we certainly tried.  But give Graeme and I more than four dozen questions with an amorphous time deadline and you’re not going to get the bulk of those questions answered even with us putting in two and a half hours to get it done.  [Though we do so at the expense of Haruki Murakami's 1Q84: if you are currently reading that book, please skip over the 20-25 minute section of the podcast to avoid some ship-sinking spoilers.  (Sorry again, Luke.)] So consider this Part 1 of our answers to your questions, with Part 2 to come next week.  If we go to Part 3, I give you permission to begin hunting us…  Read More…

“It Feels So GOOD To Be A Hero…” COMICS! Sometimes They Are Too Good!

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Posted by: John Kane on January 20, 2012

Categories: Reviews

The Church of Howard Victor Chaykin (as named by Corey of The Ottowan Empire) is now in session. Now bend your knees and bow your heads…oh, you have such filthy minds. Shame on you. As is customary many ill-judged words will now follow…

Wait, What? Ep. 71: Funk, Soul, Brother

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Posted by: Jeff Lester on January 19, 2012

Categories: Podcasts

Yep, a bit of a delay but here we are, more or less as promised: Wait, What? Ep. 71, featuring our new theme song courtesy of the hyper-talented Graeme McMillan. This done-in-one episode is not quite two hours and forty-five minutes and covers, um, lots of stuff. Stuff like OMAC and the other cancelled new52 titles; the current state of George Perez’s career and what Marvel’s marketing team could do with it; Mark Millar’s Trouble and Spider-Man; comments by Charles Vess and Ariel Olivetti about Marvel; Mark Waid’s Amazing Spider-Man/Daredevil crossover, Jason Aaron’s Wolverine and the X-Men as well as Wolverine #300. Plus, a lot of babbling from Jeff about PunisherMAX #21; a debate how many “good” issues a creator…  Read More…

Wait, What? Ep. 68.2: Startkicker

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Posted by: Jeff Lester on December 29, 2011

Categories: Podcasts

It’s the conclusion of Episode 68 and our last episode for 2011! (Hopefully, it was be as carefree and as easy to find and listen to as part one was an epic tragedy.) Join Graeme McMillan and me on a speedy 75 minute tour of the highlights and lowlands of the year (of which the former is the career of Kate Beaton, whose book is represented above, and of which the latter is the career of, oh, I dunno, me, probably). The Kirby trial outcome! The layoffs at Marvel! Superhero movies! Kickstarter! Watchmen 2! Feigned excitement! And much, much more, of course. I pray to god the miserable son of a bitch is on iTunes but if not, you can…  Read More…

“Now, Tanned, Rested, Ready And Fully Equipped With Brazilians…” Comics! Sometimes They Are Kind of New(ish)!

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Posted by: John Kane on December 9, 2011

Categories: Reviews

A couple of posts down from this rubbish there is a quite extraordinary thing occurring. People are discussing Digital comics and no one has been killed! It’s a Christmas miracle, by Jove! Why not go have a looksee, this rot isn’t going anywhere.

Wait, What? Ep. 64.1: Can Stop, Will Stop.

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Posted by: Jeff Lester on November 22, 2011

Categories: Podcasts

Oh, Thanksgiving weekend! What a boon you are to some, and a curse to others. I know I am extra-happy with the time off from work, but it also means Graeme and I won’t be recording this week. And it also means there didn’t seem to be much point to breaking this episode in half since so many will be away from their computers on Thursday and instead dealing with the complex mash of family, friends and strangers. (I’ll spare you details about my upcoming Thanksgiving but I realize I’m being way more morose about it than everybody else.) The point is, we are giving you a big ol’ 110 minute Waitstravaganza, with Graeme and I talking Community and Parks…  Read More…

“…I’m Taking The Case.” Comics! Sometimes They Aren’t Older Than Your Grandad!

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Posted by: John Kane on November 18, 2011

Categories: Reviews

Here’s an image from DAREDEVIL #4; a comic that isn’t talked about within. But I just really, really wanted it up there so I indulged myself. I do go on about #5 of DAREDEVIL though. Is that alright? Are you sure? Because it matters to me! Well, I can’t promise to help but I did write some words about some comics that were actually published this Century. Yay me! Oh yeah, one of the images may be NSFW, depends where you work, I guess?

Wait, What? Ep. 61.2: Fat Kid Loves Cake

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Posted by: Jeff Lester on November 3, 2011

Categories: Podcasts

And here we are with part 2, just as promised: McMillan! Lester! Cassard! Acero! Questions! Answers! More after the jump!

Wait, What? Ep. 61.1: Same As It Ever Was….

22 comments

Posted by: Jeff Lester on November 1, 2011

Categories: Podcasts

(And look where my hand was.) Hey, we are back! After a pleasant two week respite, Graeme McMillan and I have returned with the first installment of Wait, What? Episode 61. And as you can see, we have a nifty new piece of fanart to bring along with us, courtesy of the awesomely talented Garrett Berner (who some of us also know on Twitter as The Mighty Gar). Well, that’s all fine and good, you say, but what about the podcast?  And I am happy to report it should already be up on iTunes and making its way back into your heart, like it had never left, just like some kind of ringworm or intestinal parasite.  And in it, we…  Read More…

Wait, What? Ep. 53.1: Why Are They Smiling?

17 comments

Posted by: Jeff Lester on August 23, 2011

Categories: Podcasts

I kinda like that I’ve decided to call this installment, “Why Are They Smiling?” and I have a this illustration of someone asking “Why are they smiling?” and also maybe someone says it in the very podcast, too. It’s a bit like “Merv Griffin!”, that most excellent Milk & Cheese cartoon, and it’s a bit like that “turtles all the way down” meme, and a bit like that faux-Jack T. Chick Cthulhu strip, and it’s a bit like I have headache and can’t really think of anything especially subtle. So. Due to said headache, I will skip the program notes which I’ve been trying to add (not really sure if they’re helping anyone or not, anyway) and, hmmm, maybe I…  Read More…