RiYL

In Cannonball, Kelsey Wroten tells the story of a a young writer dealing with the successes of her first novel. After her debut graphic novel became a hit in its own right, Wroten has seen some of the book’s events come to life first hand. Of course, the cartoonist isn’t her character. The Kansas City transplant had already made a name for herself as an illustrator, her work appearing in such publications as The New York Times, New Yorker and NPR. In this sit down recorded shortly after the book’s release, Wrote discusses her move to New York, experimenting with her visual style and the importance of queer identity in her work. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Seeing Freaks at 19 was a formative experience. A small public viewing of the film in a Greenwich Village loft left Bill Griffith feeling baffled and fascinating, with the overwhelming desire to express the experience through art. This was well before he became another convert of the underground comics movement, eight years later, his best known and longest lived creation bore the clear influence of the film. Schlitzie, a microcephalic supporting actor was the clear inspiration for his strip, Zippy the Pinhead. Schlitzie’s influence was largely aesthetic, however, with Zippy largely being a cipher for Griffith and a conduit for absurdist satire. Decades later, the cartoonist finally found the ideal outlet for a longtime fascination with Freaks. Nobody’s Fool tells the story of Schlitzie, offering a full portrait of a performer who captured his imagination a lifetime ago with a few moments on screen. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Released last year on Secret Acres, Little Stranger presented a much welcome retrospective of Edie Fake’s more recent comics work. The book collects an assortment of pieces published in various zines and anthologies since his seminal series, Gaylord Phoenix. After stints in Chicago and Los Angeles, Fake currently resides in the California desert of Joshua Tree. Here they largely focuses paintings influenced by a range of topics, including nature, architecture and trans and nonbinary sexuality — themes that have also been pervasive in his comics work. A guest of honor at New York’s MoCCA Fest, Fake sat down for wide-ranging discussion on urban life, art and identity. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2010 to 2012 was a busy time for Bad Books. By the end of its first two years, the band had two LPs and a tour under its belt. It was easy enough to hit the ground running, of course. Manchester Orchestra’s Andy Hull and Robert McDowell met Kevin Devine on tour, an opening act slowly ingratiating himself into the band’s live set. The fit was so perfect the trio began a new group with a new name. By 2013, however, the group went silent. Seven years after their last full length, the group is back with the simply titled Bad Books III, out this month on Loma Vista. The new record is the product of more mature artists, both in terms of music and subject matter, dealing with topics like parenthood. Ahead of the new record, Hull and Devine joined us to discuss song writing, collaboration and Elliott Smith. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Law school didn’t work out for Rachel Kramer Bussel. After failing to complete her studies as NYU, she began writing erotic on the side, while working as a paralegal. Twenty years later, she continues to write and edit works in the genre, even after moving to a far more suburban life in New Jersey. In the intervening years, she’s edited dozens of collections, including the Best Sex Writing series. The author sat down with us on a recent trip to Manhattan to discuss a two-decades long career that began as a happy accident and how life away from the big city has impacted her work. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Like many of his fellow Pittsburgher cartoonists, Jim Rugg’s work lives at a fascinating cross section of mainstream and indie comics culture. It’s a phenomenon Rugg and cohost Ed Piskor happily explore in their YouTube series, Cartoonist Kayfabe, which breaks down the earlier days of Wizard Magazine, issue by issue. His work, too, is the product of a confluence of distinct influences, from the skateboarding and martial arts of Street Angel, to the blacksplotation films and pulp comics of Afrodisiac. On a recent visit to his hometown, Rugg joined us to discuss teaching comics, choosing projects and why Rob Liefeld is important. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In Satan Goes to the Mind Control Convention’s eponymous essay, Joseph Flatley visits a convention of therapists dedicated to uncovering repressed memory, a fascinating artifact from the Satanic Panic that gripped the U.S. in the 1980s. His upcoming followup, Finders, is set to explore similar territory, this time focusing on a rumored kidnapping ring with CIA ties. Since leaving the world of tech journalism, the author has devoted himself to the world of conspiracy theory. In the intervening years, the mainstream media has joined him, as concepts like Pizzagate and Q-Anon have gained popular acceptance, from YouTube propagandists like Alex Jones to the President of the United States. We sat down with Flatley on a recent trip to Pittsburgh to discuss the rise of conspiracy from flat earth to the Satanic Panic, and what, if anything, can be done to stop it. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When she arrives for the interview, Cara Beth Satalino has her luggage in tow. She’s gearing up for a handful of shows ahead ahead of the release of Outer Spaces’ sophomore release, Gazing Globe. It’s a nice spot ahead of a second record, having honed their chops in Baltimore, the trio has held its own alongside indie vets like Ted Leo, Waxahatchee and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah.Though the musician explains that she’s not too hung up on expectations. Music has never been particularly lucrative, but there’s a lot to be said for the ability to do what you love in the studio and on tour -- and putting out memorable music along the way. And Satalino and her rotating cast of musical cohorts are enjoying the process more than ever. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The way he tells it, The Hard Times was a hit right out of the gate. Some perfect combination of zeitgeist and internet algorithms had the satirical site racking up a million page views via social media sites like Facebook almost instantly. It’s a far cry from the sort of hard luck grinding stories one usually hears about the punk scene — but when it’s right, it’s right. Initially focused on the punk and hardcore scene, it’s since grown into a broader view on millennial culture. Founded with few expectations in 2014 by Matt and Ed Saincome and Bill Conway, the site managed to capture much of what made The Onion a phenomenon, while staying focused on a wide range of subcultures. Earlier this year, the site launched an interview podcast, with more multimedia projects in the works, including a book and television show. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.