Secret Stacks: Recent Episodes
Secret Stacks
Secret Stacks is YOUR comics in libraries podcast! Secret Stacks invites you to join a conversation between Thomas Maluck and guests from the worlds of comics, libraries, and publishing. Episodes will include graphic novel news, readers advisory, guest interviews, and tales from the front lines of conventions and library services.
Thomas gets saccharine for the show's farewell episode. Some gratitude, some encouragement, and some reassurance.
Sara Smith, author of the Graphic Library blog and dedicated comics advocate, tells us about how she organizes her school library’s shelves and navigates collection development in a conservative community! There are shout-outs to Katie J. McNamara, Jillian Rudes, Kelsey Bogan, and Matthew Murray, as well as references to No Flying No Tights, Booklist, Graphic Novels and Comics Roundtable, GraphicLibrary.org, and Manga In Libraries. She is a fantastic librarian to follow and always has something new and worthwhile to share.
Fresh Picks
Monster
Asadora
Lost Lad London
Wynd
Grim
Twig
Canto
Little Monsters
Find a comics shop near you
Secret Stacks artwork by Severin Piehl, creator of Tove
Theme song by Julie Jurgens, who blogs at Hi, Miss Julie! and is on twitter as @himissjulie
Writer/Illustrator Yehudi Mercado @ymercado shares the inspirations behind some of his many comics hitting the shelves. We talk about late friend of the show Jenny Colvin, conformity, masculinity, combining genres, being the only Jewish and Latinx kids in school, book bans, black joy, maxing out Photoshop layers, Shazam, and Miles Morales.
Jenny Colvin’s Reading Envy blog
Yehudi Mercado at supermercado.pizza
How Can I Stop Book Bans?
The Mean Streets of South Uptown (from Jerry Craft’s New Kid)
Friends of the Furman Libraries
Greenville Animal Care
Fresh Picks
Sci-Fu
Chunky
Shazam: Thundercrack
What If Miles Morales Was Thor?
The Ghoul Next Door
Find a comics shop near you
Secret Stacks artwork by Severin Piehl, creator of Tove
Theme song by Julie Jurgens, who blogs at Hi, Miss Julie! and is on twitter as @himissjulie
Dave Scheidt @DaveScheidt and Scoot McMahon @scootcomics talk about their new graphic novel, Agents of S.L.A.M., about a super-powered wrestling adventure! We talk about writing and drawing humor and violence for a young audience, lifelong influences, creative sound effects, representation and diversity, cliffhanger reveals, and the happy accidents of their creative process.
Fresh Picks
Mighty Marvel Masterworks: X-Men
Cat Kid Comic Club
Catwad
Mr. Wolf’s Class
Sci-Fu (Thomas’s SLJ review of Book 2: It Takes Two)
Find a comics shop near you
Secret Stacks artwork by Severin Piehl, creator of Tove
Theme song by Julie Jurgens, who blogs at Hi, Miss Julie! and is on twitter as @himissjulie
Matthew Noe @NoeTheMatt #libcomix #graphicmedicine
Graphicmedicine.org
American Library Association Graphic Novel Comics Round Table - accepting nominations for best graphic novels for adults and children
JAMA - “Graphic Medicine - The Best of 2021”
Fresh Picks
The Delicacy
Mighty Thor
Crude: A Memoir
Dying For Attention: A Graphic Memoir of Nursing Home Care
Find a comics shop near you
Secret Stacks artwork by Severin Piehl, creator of Tove
Theme song by Julie Jurgens, who blogs at Hi, Miss Julie! and is on twitter as @himissjulie
My guests for February 2022 are Robin Richardson and Taylor Curreysmith, the artist and writer behind House of the Queerbodies Part 1 on Kickstarter. We talk about the making of the comic, campaign rewards for libraries, Kickstarter’s imminent shift to blockchain, and challenges toward LGBTQ+ content in youth media. We also endorse a pretty choice selection of comics!
Fresh Picks
Buuza
Heartstopper
Life of Melody
The Magic Fish
Mooncakes
Not Simple
Rainy Day Dreams
Tidesong
Find a comics shop near you
Secret Stacks artwork by Severin Piehl, creator of Tove
Theme song by Julie Jurgens, who blogs at Hi, Miss Julie! and is on twitter as @himissjulie
Erica Friedman (@okazuyuri), lesbian icon, LGBTQ tastemaker, yuri expert, librarian, manga editor, blogger, lecturer… what can’t she do? Listen to her heartfelt takes on fandom, grassroots publishing, and empowering listeners to Do The Thing! Okazu Blog
ALC Publishing
Erica on Patreon
By Your Side: The First 100 Years of Yuri Anime and Manga (coming June 2022)
Yuri Studio YouTube Channel
Revolutionary Girl Utena: The Movie (Trailer)
2022 Librarians of the Year
Iron Circus Comics
Fresh Picks
Rose of Versailles Volume 3 (Volumes 1 and 2 getting hard to find…)
I’m In Love With The Villainness (light novels) (manga)
Gideon The Ninth (prose)
Terra Ignota (prose series)
Find a comics shop near you
Secret Stacks artwork by Severin Piehl, creator of Tove
Theme song by Julie Jurgens, who blogs at Hi, Miss Julie! and is on twitter as @himissjulie
Matthew Murray, aka @MidniteLibrary on Twitter.
Book Club For Masochists - a different genre every month
Manga Classics - young adult manga adaptations of classic literature
Toronto Comic Arts Festival (TCAF) - stay tuned for their programs for librarians and educators
Importance of self-published and crowdfunded comics in libraries
Zine Union Catalog - cataloging and holdings information for zines
Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL)
Graphic Novels and Comics Round Table (GNCRT)
Great Graphic Novels For Teens (GGNFT)
Manga in Libraries webinars
Glimpse Image Editor
This is How I Disappear 9781770464612
Spy x Family 9781974715466
Find a comics shop near you
Secret Stacks artwork by Severin Piehl, creator of Tove
Theme song by Julie Jurgens, who blogs at Hi, Miss Julie! and is on twitter as @himissjulie
Put on some headphones while you watch the skies! Seasoned comics pros Larry Hancock (“the best darned small business accountant in Canada that you’re gonna find”) and Michael Cherkas (email) describe their decades-in-the-making series The Silent Invasion. Together, they share their creative process, inspirations, convention experiences, and distinctly Torontonian tone (Torontone?).
NBM blog posts about The Silent Invasion
The Silent Invasion Facebook group
Volume 1: Red Shadows (9781681121741)
Volume 2: The Great Fear (9781681122069)
Volume 3: Abductions! (9781681122557)
Volume 4: Dark Matter (9781681122830) (Press release)
Find a comics shop near you
Secret Stacks artwork by Severin Piehl, creator of Tove
Theme song by Julie Jurgens, who blogs at Hi, Miss Julie! and is on twitter as @himissjulie
We've got a BookTuber in the house! Ashley, aka BookishRealm can be found on YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and Goodreads. We talk about finding the next great read, interacting with publishers and viewers, and the bottomless well of energy known as Goodreads Drama. We also talk about a lot of books!
We Need Diverse Books
White Smoke
Sugar Town Queens
How publishers promote online
Navigating ever-changing discovery algorithms of social media
The Joker Vol. 1 9781779512017
X-Men: Hellfire Gala 9781302931155
Nuclear Family 9781949028737
Radiant Black 9781534319165
Abbott / Abbott 1973 9781684152452 / 9781684156511
Something Is Killing The Children 9781684155583
Edelweiss
NetGalley
Fresh Picks
Himawari House 9781250235572
Allergic 9781338568905
The longest episode for the longest days of the year! Helen McCarthy, dubbed by some (me) as the Judi Dench of manga, has many loose threads to pull. A number of topics and links are below for your reference throughout the conversation, including Helen's peers and books. Get ready for an intellectual journey with an English scholar!
Gerry and Sylvia Anderson’s Supermarionation
Mazinger Z / Goldorak anime addiction started by Spanish TV
The first Moneypenny, Lois Ruth Maxwell
Comparing Osamu Tezuka and Hayao Miyazaki
Perspectives about sexual content in manga and anime
Being more of a door-pusher than a gatekeeper
The UK Anime Fandom Archive
Parenting and engaging with kinds of content in manga and anime
Christian values
In The Night Kitchen & Naked Babies
Helen McCarthy - A History of Manga
Helen McCarthy’s website
Frederik L. Schodt - “Translator, conference interpreter, and award-winning writer”
Erica Friedman’s Okazu blog - “The world's oldest and most comprehensive blog on lesbian-themed Japanese cartoons, comics and related media”
Ryan Holmberg - “Comics & Art Historian, Translator, Editor”
The Art of Osamu Tezuka
Hayao Miyazaki: Master of Japanese Animation
Leiji Matsumoto: Essays On The Manga and Anime Legend
The Erotic Anime Movie Guide
Legend of the Galactic Heroes
Snap endings, surprise twists, meaningful horror! This month’s episode features the Eisner-winning scholar Dr. Qiana Whitted. Thomas and Qiana talk about her published works, some older comics, some newer comics, upcoming virtual author visits, and the teaser trailer for The Harder They Fall. Plus lots of fresh picks!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKz5kZr8mrg
Let’s Talk Race: A Conversation With GB Tran (Sunday, June 27, 2021 @ 3:00pm EST)
Meet The Author: Kwame Alexander (Thursday, July 22, 2021 @ 6:30pm EST)
African-Americans and Graphic Novels: An Evening With Joel Christian Gill (Saturday, October 9, 2021 @ 6:00pm EST)
Whole Lotta Picks
Comics and the U.S. South 9781617039454
EC Comics: Race, Shock, and Social Protest 9780813566313
After The Rain 9781419743559
Black Star 9781419742286
Upgrade Soul 9781620109762
Destroyer 9781684150557
Eve 9781684158089
Tales of The Talented Tenth Vol. 3 9781682750667
Run 9781419730696
Blood On The Tracks 9781949980134
Find a comics shop near you
Secret Stacks logo and avatar by Severin Piehl, go read his webcomic Tove
Theme song by Julie Jurgens, y’all
"We gave one group the Centers for Disease Control document for teens on HIV/AIDS, and we gave the other group the AIDS In The End Zone graphic novel. We saw better results, not surprisingly, with the graphic novel." How's that for demonstrating the power of comics?!
This episode's guest is Dr. Karen Gavigan, who is and has been closely tied to research involving graphic novels. She is also the interim director of the School of Library and Information Science at the University of South Carolina. Karen and Thomas talk about her position, past research, professional organizations, and trends in young adult fiction requests, not to mention a couple of fresh picks!
Will Eisner Grants For Libraries - Growth and Innovation
South Carolina Library Association
South Carolina Association of School Librarians
North Carolina Library Association
North Carolina School Media Association
Virginia Library Association
Social Justice Graphic Novels - a Carnegie Whitney Grant project by Kasey Garrison
Fresh Picks
Showtime At The Apollo 9781419731389
Kimiko Does Cancer 9781551528199
By special request, this episode is a monologue about graphic novels in libraries. It was created for Karen Gavigan's students at Old Dominion University (Go Monarchs!), but I think there's plenty for a general audience to appreciate and dissect. We talk about the rising popularity of comics, particularly for younger readers and manga, perceived notions of quality in reading material, booktalking, professional reading, and suggestions for classroom activities.
“People used to laugh at me when I said kids liked reading comics. Now everyone laughs while they count their money.” - Raina Telgemeier’s Guts is the bestselling BOOK overall in the US this week - Heidi Macdonald, Comics Beat, 2019
Streaming Anime Lifts Manga Sales - Deb Aoki, Publishers Weekly, 2021
Using Graphic Novels In The English Language Arts Classroom by William Boerman-Cornell and Jung Kim 9781350112698
Teaching Artfully by Meghan Parker 9781951038205
Welcome back, everyone! The show has undergone a bit of a format change, and kicking it off is special guest Mahnaz Dar, section editor for School Library Journal. We talk about middle grade and young adult titles, the nuts and bolts of selecting titles for review in SLJ, the nature of illustrated storytelling, rant a bit about NFTs, and of course recommend some great comics!
Show Notes
SLJ Best Graphic Novels 2020
The Onion: Adults Go Wild Over Latest In Children’s Picture Book Series
Kimberly Parker: Most artists are not making money off NFTs and here are some graphs to prove it
Vice: People's Expensive NFTs Keep Vanishing. This Is Why
Mahnaz Dar: @DibblyFresh / mdar@mediasourceinc.com
Fresh Picks
Chunky by Yehudi Mercado 9780062972781
Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure by Hirohiko Araki
Find a comics shop near you
Secret Stacks logo and avatar by Severin Piehl, go read his webcomic Tove
Theme song by Julie Jurgens, y’all
Life – Work – Comics! How have each of these three been affected by Covid-19 and the pandemic sweeping the globe? Kristin and Thomas are trying their best to help people and themselves. Hunker down with another podcast to make the days go by easier. We have links, recommendations, and good ol’ anecdotes from a medical and public librarian! We won’t judge your Animal Crossing town nor your bread-baking abilities!
Epilogue: MLA’s Annual Conference for 2020 already happened!
Indoor/Outdoor scavenger hunt for kids
Fingerplays, Songs, and Stretches for storytime
Pandemic Parenting
How To Do A Storytime From Home
Working Remotely Like a Boss
Digital Resources for Small Businesses and Entrepreneurship
Whatcha Got Cookin’?
Breadit
Virtual Weather Exploration: STEAM Learning For Families
Stuck At Home? 14 Activities You Can Do
Vault Comics: Buy a comics shop gift card, receive two PDF ARCs
Valiant Comics: thread of free digital comics
DIY Comics FAQ with G.E. Gallas
Gail Simone’s Five-Day #ComicsSchool
DC Comics Launches Online ‘Kids Camp’
Kristin’s Picks
Not Funny Ha-Ha 9781606998397
Celebrated Summer 9781606996850
Thomas’s Picks
Green Lantern: Legacy 9781401283551
Die 9781534312708
Find a comics shop near you
Secret Stacks logo and avatar by Severin Piehl, go read his webcomic Tove
Theme song by Julie Jurgens, y’all
Do you know a child, size 3T, who loves Spider-Man? No pressure, just asking. Have you considered sponsoring an angel tree child, either through Department of Social Services or Salvation Army? No pressure, just a thought. Can you hold up this anime transparency in front of this library chair? No press… actually, let us explain. All of this, plus piracy chat, review tropes, and our fresh picks!
Banana Fish Anime Series Leads Obsessed Japanese Tourists To NYPL
Congratulations to Traci on the free Joker viewing! TRACI SAYS – “There was a lot to digest. It was definitely intense – parts that were great, some just eh.”
Tucker Stone’s rant about comics reviews
Ted Brandt comics piracy thread
Notorious RBG Quote: “When I’m sometimes asked when will there be enough [women on the Supreme Court] and I say, ‘When there are nine,’ people are shocked. But there’d been nine men, and nobody’s ever raised a question about that.”
American Library Association’s Graphic Novels and Comics Round Table
The Comics Journal’s Feature Look At Raina Telgemeier’s “Guts”
Kristin’s Picks
My Heroes Have Always Been Junkies 9781534308466
Gender Queer 9781549304002
Thomas’s Picks
Magus of the Library 9781632368232
Little Bird: The Fight For Elder’s Hope 9781534313453
Find a comics shop near you
Secret Stacks logo and avatar by Severin Piehl, go read his webcomic Tove
Theme song by Julie Jurgens, y’all
Workin’ out, nerdin’ out, gettin’ the word out! Working the ropes n’ spokes for the new season of The Swole Stacks!
Rio De Janeiro Mayor tries (and tries, and tries again) to ban Avengers: The Children’s Crusade from a book fair
Cosplayer in residence
Art Spiegelman: Golden age superheroes were shaped by the rise of fascism
The Far Side 2019??
Four Color Fantasies: The Gary Lee Watson Comic Book Collection at the University of South Carolina
Ramona Fradon commissions still available
Autostraddle – queer and nonbinary lifestyle blog
Belgium Comic Expo: The Ninth Art at The Koger Center For The Arts
Kristin’s Pick
Grease Bats 9781684154111
Thomas’s Pick
Stargazing 9781250183880
Find a comics shop near you
Secret Stacks logo and avatar by Severin Piehl, go read his webcomic Tove
Theme song by Julie Jurgens, y’all
They sent us to shut it down! Kristin and Thomas deliver the Quebec Library Association‘s closing keynote. We aimed for a mixture of history, advocacy, passion, industry trends, and a few laughs along the way. What do a couple of American librarians have to share about comics? Come find out!
(Note: there is a brief audio cut made during a description of EC Comics due to the recording device stopping and restarting. The missing snippet doesn’t seem to harm the overall context of the segment, but please pardon any confusion that may result there.)
ABQLA Keynote Powerpoint (Google Slides)
Find a comics shop near you
Secret Stacks logo and avatar by Severin Piehl, go read his webcomic Tove
Theme song by Julie Jurgens, y’all
This is a mini-episode recorded while waiting for John Wick 3, but there’s more content than ever! Kristin and Thomas talk about the Quebec Library Association Conference and the sessions they saw there. Does your library acknowledge use of native lands? What is the best way to utilize a religious space for community programming? Toronto and Montreal’s Comic Arts Festivals were a blast! Sometimes the best way to vacation outside of America is to sit back in a hotel bed and watch Live PD. All this and just two picks!
Escape rooms with Vickie Chen and Edward Lim (thread)
Violet Fox’s Cataloging Lab session (thread)
Library of Congress’s “Illegal Alien” heading
Toronto Comic Arts Festival’s Indigenous Lands Acknowledgment:
“The Toronto Comic Arts Festival would like to acknowledge that the land on which we gather is the traditional territory of the Anishnaabe, Mississaugas of the New Credit First Nation, the Haudenosaunee, and the Huron-Wendat and that Indigenous peoples have lived on and cared for this land for more than 15,000 years. This territory is covered by the Dish With One Spoon Wampum Belt Treaty. Today, Toronto is still the home to many Indigenous people from across Turtle Island. We acknowledge that settlers on the land directly benefit from the process of colonization.
In recognition of our gathering on these lands for TCAF 2018, the festival has made a donation to The Gord Downie & Chanie Wenjack Fund (DWF). We look forward to increasing our support and programs for Indigenous creators in the years to come.”
Margo Gustina’s keynote (thread)
Perry Bible Fellowship: Gnome Bubbles
Montreal Comic Arts Festival
Toronto Comic Arts Festival (photos and audio of various panels)
Kistin’s Pick
Sobriety: The Graphic Novel 9781616495572
Thomas’s Pick
Kino’s Journey: The Beautiful World 9781947194359
Find a comics shop near you
Secret Stacks logo and avatar by Severin Piehl, go read his webcomic Tove
Theme song by Julie Jurgens, y’all
Kristin’s back on Twitter! If you’re a librarian or a professional wrestler, watch out! A Free Comic Book Day anecdote results in relationship advice. Kristin’s down with ILL. Thomas resigns from public librarianship to tend to a massive comics library (in his dreams). #NotAllTeachers #Pedagogy #ListenToDiddy #PrettyDiddy #GraphicMedicine
#EyeAmTheFool
Guilt Cake
Comics Beat: Baker & Taylor Shuts Down Retail Distribution Business
ICv2 & Comichron: Comics Sales 2018
Why Parents Should Rejoice That Their Young Readers Are Gobbling Up Graphic Novels
Circulating Ideas
Poet Sara Holbrook can’t answer standardized test questions about her own poem
Comics & Critical Librarianship
A Blockbuster Collection of Comics: Nearly 200,000 Items Donated To University of South Carolina Libraries (Thanks, Gary Watson!)
USC SLIS Deans’ and Directors’ Lecture – Secret Stacks earns us the F. William Summers Outstanding Alumni Award
2019’s Eisner Nominees Announced
Do you work with comics? Vote on the Eisners!
Kristin’s Picks
When I Arrived At The Castle 9781927668689
The Breakaways 9781250196941
Thomas’s Picks
Kid Gloves: Nine Months of Careful Chaos 9781626728080
Apocalypse Taco 9781419733734
Find a comics shop near you
Secret Stacks logo and avatar by Severin Piehl, go read his webcomic Tove
Theme song by Julie Jurgens, y’all
Kristin reports on Wrestlemania, WWE, and C2E2. Buy more indie comics! What are the pros and cons of separating your collection’s DC and Marvel titles within the graphic novel stacks? What about grouping all the manga together? What is the ideal browsing scenario for your patrons? Do you pronounce cholera correctly? We namedrop a fair number of podcasts. What of Captain Marvel and Shazam? It’s a day that ends in Y, so Thomas is excited about another Green Lantern series.
Last Week Tonight: WWE
NashiCon reading list
Quebec Library Association
Association of College and Research Libraries
Tim Smyth – comics in education
Beastlands #1 Kickstarter (plus an advance review)
Interview: La Voz de M.A.Y.O. #2 hits Kickstarter, plus Henry Barajas and Gonzo on capturing the Latinx struggle in comics
Why Captain Marvel is a Recruiting Win For The Air Force
Spoiler-free Shazam! review
DC’s Young Animal Returns with Two New Series, More Doom Patrol
No Flying No Tights (follow them/us on Facebook!)
Podcasts mentioned in this episode, in order of namedrop
Tights and Fights – Covers pro wrestling with the sincerity and hilarity it deserves
The Adventure Zone – A campaign of high adventure
Circulating Ideas – conversations about the innovative people & ideas allowing libraries to thrive in the 21st century
Comics Alternative – Two Guys With PhDs Talking About Comics
Reading Envy – I’ll have what you’re reading!
Bodice Tipplers – A Ribald Podcast
Bellwether Friends – Just a couple of podcasting librarians, talking mostly about pop culture
The Greatest Generation – a comedy podcast about Star Trek
Hey Amie, we’ll see you in Montreal!
Kristin’s Picks
Minus 9781945820328
Cannabis: The Illegalization of Weed in America 9781250154088
Thomas’s Picks
4 Kids Walk Into A Bank (23 homage variant covers) 9781628751888
PTSD 9781626723184
Find a comics shop near you
Secret Stacks logo and avatar by Severin Piehl, go read his webcomic Tove
Theme song by Julie Jurgens, y’all
Kristin’s been injured, and only your listening can heal her! Well, that and #GraphicMedicine, right? We talk about the comics market, including recent and decade-old descriptions of the publishing and sales landscapes. Do you prefer comics in color or black and white? Who’s the “real” Captain Marvel? Nominate comics you love for recognition! All this and Peter Falk chat await.
Publishers Weekly: Comics Is A Market In Transition
Captain Marvel reading order
DC’s Publishing Plans
IDW printing newly colorized editions of Usagi Yojimbo
Children of the Sea teaser trailer – snap up this manga now!
Top 10 Great Graphic Novels For Teens 2010
Ann Arbor Comic Arts Festival Kids’ Comics Awards
Kristin’s Picks
Lighter than my Shadow 9781941302415
A Fire Story 9781419735851
Thomas’s Picks
The Bridge 9781419728525
Passing For Human 9780525508922
Bonus
Bob’s Burgers 9781606907948
Children of the Sea 9781421529141
Find a comics shop near you
Secret Stacks logo and avatar by Severin Piehl, go read his webcomic Tove
Theme song by Julie Jurgens, y’all
The Secret Stacks is kicking off 2019 with LOTS of comics recommendations! Luciano Vecchio’s gives away the digital files of his black superhero posters. Kristin’s making high-stakes librarian rounds among a herd of doctors. Both of them share stories of their ill-fated high school comics, then reminisce about being touched by the works of Rumiko Takahashi. Kristin’s got another conference announcement to make, and Thomas reports why it’s a GREAT time to be a Jessica Cruz fan! All this and more in our first episode of the year!
The year is over, but your latest episode of The Secret Stacks has just begun! Kristin’s using the Arrowverse to fuel her bicycle training for a large gauntlet. BIG NEWS: We’re headed to Montreal in 2019 to deliver the keynote session of the Quebec Library Association’s annual conference! Kristin looks forward to watching Storage Wars in a Canadian hotel. Thomas credits his recent wedding to The Legend of Zelda – thanks, Akira Himekawa! Kate Kane and Mera brought the DC redheads this year. TKO tries out a new publishing model – how will libraries keep up? All this and plenty of fresh picks, all for you!
Aquaman Trailer
Into The Spider-Verse’s Speed Racer moment with “What’s Up Danger”
Deadly Class Pilot Episode
Titans reviews – Episode One, Two and Three, Four Five and Six, Seven Eight and Nine
TKO Comics – New York Times Writeup – Thomas’s review of debut series Sara
Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse Recommendations
Spider-Gwen 9780785197737
Spider-Men 9780785165347
Spider-Man: Noir (sold out in print!)
Spider-Man: Miles Morales 9780785199618
Aquaman Recommendations
Aquaman by Peter David 9781401277468
Aquaman (New 52) 9781401237103
Aquaman Rebirth 9781401267827
Mera: Queen of Atlantis 9781401285302
The Secret Stacks Top 10 Comics of 2018
Kristin’s Picks
Sabrina by Nick Drnaso 9781770463165
Bingo Love: Jackpot Edition 9781534309838
Coyote Doggirl 9781770463257
My Boyfriend Is A Bear 9781620104873
All The Answers 9781501166433
Thomas’s Picks
Tokyo Tarareba Girls 9781632366856
Barakamon 9780316336086
Delicious In Dungeon 9780316471855
To Your Eternity 9781632365712Speak: The Graphic Novel 9780374300289
Find a comics shop near you
Secret Stacks logo and avatar by Severin Piehl, go read his webcomic Tove
Theme song by Julie Jurgens, y’all
Welcome to Episode 47! We’re back, baby! After a long summer hiatus we’ve returned to give you more comics goodness. We talk about the new Batwoman TV spot, Chelsea Cain getting hosed by Marvel yet again, Thomas’s summer comics entrepreneurship program and we take some questions from the listeners! We’re glad to be back!
Batwoman Coming To CW
Joe Quesada deflates ComicsGate
Chelsea Cain’s Vision Cancelled Mid-Production
She-Ra and the Princesses of Power trailer
Live-Action Avatar: The Last Airbender
Scott McCloud lecture thread (courtesy of Matthew Noe)
Mad Max: Fury Road VFX Breakdown
Young Justice season 3 trailer
Adventure Zone podcast
Check your voter registration #NationalComicBookDay
Kristin’s Picks
Coyote Doggirl 9781770463257
The Adventure Zone: Here There Be Gerblins 9781250153708
Thomas’s Picks
Speak 9780374300289
Sheets 9781941302675
Find a comics shop near you
Secret Stacks logo and avatar by Severin Piehl, go read his webcomic Tove
Theme song by Julie Jurgens, y’all
Is summer over already? Hop in the Secret Stacks wayback machine to the end of April, releasing now in September! Back then, Avengers: Infinity War was a theatrical event and not just a series of kiosks asking you to extend this endless cultural experience for one… more… film. There was still time to vote in the Eisners. Universal Fan Con was still flickering in the convention consciousness. Plus a con report from Kristin and fresh picks that will never spoil!
Voting On The Eisners
Philly Comic Con Does Universal Fan Con Ticket Holders A Solid
Barnes & Noble Is Adding A Kids Graphic Novel Section
SEE-IT Awards
C2E2
Kristin’s Picks
Bingo Love 9781534307506
As The Crow Flies 9781945820069
Thomas’s Picks
Lighter Than My Shadow 9781941302415
Satania 9781681121437
Find a comics shop near you
Secret Stacks logo and avatar by Severin Piehl, go read his webcomic Tove
Theme song by Julie Jurgens, y’all
Welcome to Episode 45 of The Secret Stacks, your podcast about name brand footwear and knockoff drinkware. April Fool’s on Thomas and Kristin – opposite temperature extremes! It’s okay, though – Kristin can escape to the comfy halls and adjoining hotel of C2E2 while Thomas takes a nap on his back, the common cure for plantar fasciitis #GraphicMedicine. Movements regarding spoilers, a new Puerto Rico comics anthology, and 30 Days of Autistic Art are all discussed, plus fresh picks as always.
Kristin and Derek from Comics Alternative interview Suzy Hopkins and Hallie Bateman
C2E2
Ada Palmer website
Ricansctruction: Reminiscing & Rebuilding Puerto Rico
#ThanosDemandsYourSilence
If The Story Matters, Then Spoilers Matter
Cross-Universe Comics Crossovers
Paper Girls
Something Terrible
Why Hal Jordan Should Not Be In The Next Green Lantern Movie
30 Days of Autistic Art
Kristin’s Picks
What To Do When I’m Gone 9781632869685
Chainmail Bikini 9781513600123
Thomas’s Picks
Batman / Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 9781401262785
Green Lantern: Earth One 9781401241865
Find a comics shop near you
Secret Stacks logo and avatar by Severin Piehl, go read his webcomic Tove
Theme song by Julie Jurgens, y’all
With ALA Annual taking place in New Orleans this summer, Kristin and Thomas reminisce about meeting there in 2011, plus convention observations in general. Student protests and repatriation get free, informative comics treatments. A creator objecting to misuse of his intellectual property gets labeled as “the establishment” by… an establishment. March pollen ruined Thomas’s throat, but the picks are still fresh! Check in to your nearest boom tube and have a listen, won’t you?
Ava Duvernay directing ‘New Gods’ film for DC
NashiCon and C2E2 are upon us again
Marcela wants to hang out with us and “talk comics for a bunch of hours” – can do!
Nic Cage Finally Playing Superman (as a cartoon)
Two-Fisted Library Stories paired us with @carissapffffft “in the mystery of the dread incorrect citation”
Black Panther clears $1B worldwide
Pepe creator sues InfoWars “The establishment wants this taken down.”
Comic Book Legal Defense Fund Guide To Student Protests
Repatriation Comic written by Sonya Atalay
Kristin’s Picks
Adulthood is a Myth 9781449474195
The End of the Fxxxing World 9781606999837
Thomas’s Picks
Puerto Rico Strong 9781941302903
Quantum & Woody 9781682152690
Find a comics shop near you
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Theme song by Julie Jurgens, y’all
A whole lot of news meets a whole lot of delays – what happened to our audio in February? It’s all good, just a little late. Better done than perfect, right? And these picks are so fresh they’re well within their expiration dates! Get with the times, New York Times – comics are only gaining in multimedia prominence, from print to cartoons to film adaptations to podcasts. Plus Kristin wants your sad/dead parent stories. All this and more on The Secret Stacks!
Squirrel Girl and Ms. Marvel Teaming Up For Free Comic Book Day Title Promoting Marvel Rising
DC Ink and Zoom Titles and Creators Announced
Moon Girl & Devil Dinosaur Cartoon Coming To Disney Channel
Marvel Now, Then, and Again
Tiffany Haddish To Star in Tuca and Bertie
Tiffany Haddish & Melissa McCarthy for The Kitchen
Comics Industry Asks NYT To Restore Graphic Novel Bestseller Lists
Letter To The New York Times Asking For Return of Graphic Novel Bestseller Lists
YALSA’s Great Graphic Novels For Teens 2018
Joss Whedon Drops Out of Batgirl Movie For Lack of Ideas
Ryan Coogler, Michael B. Jordan, and Ta-Nehisi Coates Teaming Up For “Wrong Answer” Film
Kristin wants YOUR picks this time – recommend her some stories about dead and dying parents. The more miserable and awkward, the better!
Kristin’s Picks
Monet Itinerant of Light 9781681121390
Kobane Calling 9781941302491
Thomas’s Picks
The Kitchen 9781401257736
Milk Wars 9781401277338
Find a comics shop near you
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Theme song by Julie Jurgens, y’all
There’s a new Teen Center in town! Media companies are calling dibs on IP lines left and right. Does comics distribution need a shakeup to make entrance easier? What is proper dabbing etiquette? All of these topics plus some fresh picks for the second episode of January 2018. (Go Eagles!)
DMG acquires Valiant Entertainment
Black Panther premiere
Netflix acquires MillarWorld
Gabriel Ba & Gerard Way mark beginning of filming Umbrella Academy
Trailer for I Kill Giants
Diamond maybe allowing pre-orders?
Direct comics shipping services (besides your local comics shop):
Boom!
Dark Horse (their website sends people to Things From Another World)
DC Comics
Image
Marvel
Discount Comic Book Service
Kristin’s Picks
Imagine Wanting Only This 9781101870839
The Hunting Accident 9781626726765 (related: The Crucial Hint)
Thomas’s Picks
Eternity 9781682152652
The Gods Lie 9781942993360
Find a comics shop near you
Secret Stacks logo and avatar by Severin Piehl, go read his webcomic Tove
Theme song by Julie Jurgens, y’all
Who has time to say ‘when’ while there’s money to be made and lost? Superhero news everywhere! Black Panther, Black Lightning, Valiant, and the Catalyst Prime universe are offering a little variety. Want something else? Explore our Goodreads categories! Don’t be like Thomas, hunting for affordable Absolutes – buy comics that will put your money to good use. All this and some fresh picks from years past, plus a new recipient of the Unanimous Recommendation honor. No matter what pushed you out of comics, there are plenty of titles ready for your return.
Black Panther pre-sales
First black lesbian superhero on Black Lightning
Lion Forge’s “Catalyst Prime” superhero universe on Hoopla – Noble, Accell, Superb, Incidentals, KINO, Summit
Faith clothing line
The Secret Stacks on Goodreads (tell us if you’d like us to use a new category)
Martin Luther King and The Montgomery Story (Comixology link; proceeds go toward the Fellowship of Reconciliation)
Kristin’s Picks
Andre The Giant: Life and Legend 9781596438514
On The Camino 9781683960218
Thomas’s Picks
Race To Incarcerate: A Graphic Retelling 9781595585417 (related: The Innocence Project)
Port of Earth 9781534306462
Find a comics shop near you
Secret Stacks logo and avatar by Severin Piehl, go read his webcomic Tove
Theme song by Julie Jurgens, y’all
This is it, the final episode of 2017, recorded on the last day of the old year and published on the first day of the new! Kristin and Thomas gloat about their new podcasting toys before discussing a new comics creation tool for all ages, courtesy of Earth’s global entertainment authority, Disney. We talk about proven methods for multiplying checkouts by high school students. There’s a new tip jar on the website – your support means everything to us, even if you’d rather enjoy our content for free. All this and our fresh picks to close out the year.
Create your own Marvel comics! (with some restrictions)
Puerto Rico comic anthology coming in March, all profits going to help Puerto Rico
How My Library Doubled Its Circulation
Kristin’s Picks
Poppies of Iraq : Findakly 9781770462939
Harvey Pekar’s Cleveland 9781940878065
Thomas’s Picks
Justice League: The World’s Greatest Super-Heroes 9781401273705
Bingo Love 9781534307506
Find a comics shop near you
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Theme song by Julie Jurgens, y’all
Is your baby a happy cooer or a frowning warlord? Does Kristin’s Aquaman Funko live in an aquarium, or the watery graveyards of the Great Lakes? Will Black Panther make us all forget about Star Wars and Avengers running on fumes? Will Disney’s corporate fiefdom continue to consume everything and everyone? (Marvel Comics now on Hoopla!) Free Comic Book Day titles have been announced, and between those and our picks, there’s something for everyone. All of this and more for the first episode of December 2017.
Disney-Fox Deal’s Effect On Boom Studios Movies
Free Comic Book Day 2018
Questions from listener Victoria:
1) How do you feel that about how our current state of our country is starting to feel similar to certain comics(ex. Watchmen, Ms. Marvel, etc.)?
2) The international podcast “Welcome To Night Vale” will be adapted into a TV series next year. What are your thoughts on trying to translating a work of spoken word into a visual medium?
3) Today marks the 3-year-anniversary of Korrasami; do you think that LGBT representation in media has gotten better since this fictional couple’s debut?
4) Since the release of the new Star Wars film (which I haven’t seen yet so don’t say anything), I continue to ask myself when this eternal war amongst the stars will ever end; will the Rebels win against the Empire or will they just continue this perpetual battle so long as the Mouse can enough moolah from the merch it generates?
Cebulski Profile & Apology
LEGO The Flash Trailer (what, it’s cute)
A List of the Lists of Great Comics & Graphic Novels of 2017
Comixology end-of-year sales
Marvel Comics on Hoopla
Kristin’s Picks
Josephine Baker 9781910593295
Hot Dog Taste Test 9781770462373
Thomas’s Picks
Marathon 9781596436800
A Wrinkle In Time 9780374386153
Find a comics shop near you
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Theme song by Julie Jurgens, y’all
On Episode 38 of Secret Stacks, Kristin and Thomas discuss their Thanksgiving adventures, the insane saga of C.B. Cebulski, and their favorite Christmas Carol version. They also answer the most important questions out there: Which Flash is the best? How shirtless is Aquaman in Justice League? How great is Taika Waititi? Kristin settles a debate about ghost humor.
Cebulski and Akira Yoshid at Marvel
(Similar story involving Best American Poetry anthology)
Eddie Berganza fired from DC
Amazonian Costumes
Henry Cavill Being Uncomfortable
Goldie Vance movie
She Makes Comics
Batman & Bill
Kristin’s Picks
Uncomfortably Happily 9781770462601
Going Into Town: A Love Letter To New York 9781632869784
Thomas’s Picks
Mech Cadet Yu 9781684151950 (Discover Now edition out in comics shops in January!)
Just So Happens 9781419715969
Find a comics shop near you
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Theme song by Julie Jurgens, y’all
Kristin and Thomas are the new “Tom Goes To The Mayor,” a show they both enjoy. Comic book movies Thor: Ragnarok, Justice League, Atomic Blonde, My Friend Dahmer, and A Silent Voice are all mentioned. Our hosts compare “low-brow opera” and the Zelda Symphony to reading according to your tastes. No snobs allowed! All this and some great picks for our first episode of November 2017.
Van Jones is a big comics fan
Zelda Symphony
Reading Books Will Help You Build These 7 Habits
Some political comics:
Prez – a teenager accidentally goes viral on video and wins the presidency. Satire ensues.
The Legend of Koizumi / Reform With No Wasted Draws / Mudazumo Naki Kaikaku
She-Hulk – commentary on political asylum for Latverian dissenters
March – Congressman John Lewis’s experiences in the Civil Rights movement.
Excel Saga – hooray, civil servants!
Attack On Titan – fighting monstrous giants gives way to Japanese colonialism…sure?
Mr. A – All your favorite Randian hits, courtesy of Steve Ditko!
Kristin’s Picks
In The Pines: Five Murder Ballads 9789492117397
Garbage Night 9781910620212
Thomas’s Picks
Letter 44 9781620101339
Mister Miracle 9781401277307
Find a comics shop near you
Secret Stacks logo and avatar by Severin Piehl, go read his webcomic Tove
Theme song by Julie Jurgens, y’all
Where have we been? Where have YOU been? Well, I guess that checks out. Kristin and Thomas revisit the ninja turtle topic, recommend some #GraphicMedicine appropriate picks, and say no to clowns. They also check out the latest ebook feature from Google, although Thomas is already smitten with ereading on the Kobo Aura One (though how could he not, right, deep-pocketed sponsor Rakuten?) All this and a knowing laugh for medical and academic librarians! You know what’s up. You’ve seen Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.
Kobo as our next unofficial sponsor
Daredevil + Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles = Connected
Google + public library ebooks (strictly Overdrive?)
PBS: How You Can Help Hurricane Victims In Puerto Rico
Kristin’s Picks
Last Things 9781573246989
Roughneck 9781501160998
Thomas’s Picks
Black Jack 9781934287279
Fragments of Horror 9781421580791
Find a comics shop near you
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Theme song by Julie Jurgens, y’all
We’ve got solar eclipse fever and there is no cure! Welcome to Secret Stacks Episode 35 for August! Kristin and Thomas talk about the dog days of summer, different library cosplay contests and more! Are the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles superheroes? How great was Ducktales and how great will the new show be? They talk about the mess that was the response to “Make Mine Milkshake”. AND PICKS! Enjoy!
Johnson City Public Library Wins Cosplay Contest
#LibrarySuperHeroes
Win A Teen Titans Cardboard Cutout from ALA!
“Make Mine Milkshake”
George Perez On His 1987 Wonder Woman Pitch (shoutouts to editors Janice Race and Karen Berger!)
Bonus! Some neat comics statues:
Incredible Hulk Library Statue (2013)
Statue of Harvey Pekar Unveiled (2012)
Robocop Statue In Progress
Kristin’s Picks
The Best We Could Do 9781419718779
Tangles 9781551111179
Thomas’s Picks
Green Lanterns Vol. 2: The Phantom Lantern 9781401268497
God Country 9781534302341
Find a comics shop near you
Secret Stacks logo and avatar by Severin Piehl, go read his webcomic Tove
Theme song by Julie Jurgens, y’all
Kristin Lalonde: soft on Starfleet captains, hard on Batman! But wait: IS Kristin Batman? Are YOU? Don’t ask Alexa, she’s programmed to keep our secrets. Actually, can you order us some Werther’s Originals? Thomas and Kristin’s picks wound up predicting a whole lot of Eisner winners. Thomas has some games to recommend based on comics properties, plus some great animated films! Did you know a bunch of hot trailers debuted at San Diego Comic Con?? All this and the usual solid picks, now with lots of practical context!
Eisner Award winners, 2017
John Lewis visits the Center For Civil and Human Rights in Atlanta. (and not the National Museum of African American History and Culture)
Almost Got ‘im: Batman: The Animated Series variant of Werewolf/Mafia
Marie Enger and Ray are offering art prints to anyone who donates money to trans-friendly organizations and messages them the proof! (while supplies last)
Free Go starter sets for schools/libraries!
All 23 volumes of Hikaru No Go for schools/libraries for $25!
Fathom Events Ghibli Fest
Graphic Medicine – “the intersection of comics & healthcare”
Penn State University Press’s graphic medicine book series
Kristin’s Picks
Not Funny Ha-Ha 9781606998397
The Bad Doctor 9780271067544
Thomas’s Picks
Hikaru No Go 9781591162223 (related: Takeshi Obata was a mentor to Eyeshield 21’s artist Yusuke Murata!)
Cells At Work! 9781632363565
Find a comics shop near you
Secret Stacks logo and avatar by Severin Piehl, go read his webcomic Tove
Theme song by Julie Jurgens, y’all
Welcome to Episode 33 for July 2017! Happy Birthday, America! It’s a slow news cycle for comics, DC and Marvel haven’t done anything stupid of note recently so Kristin and Thomas talk a lot about nostalgia, Newspaper comics, and Archie! They also talk up School Library Journal and Shonen Jump. Plus some pretty great picks!
Shonen Jump
-Fun fact: Thomas once wrote them an open letter complaining about their move to all-digital. Now he’s singing their praises on a podcast. Poor public periodical policy has not obstructed his personal enjoyment!
EBSCO’s SEE-IT award for comics literature (still accepting jury applications)
Comics Curmudgeon
Is Garfield Supposed To Be Funny?
Dear CW, stop shipping Betty/Jughead
The Weird & Wonderful Archie Comics Multiverse
School Library Journal’s Good Comics For Kids blog
Also check out SLJ’s graphic novel reporting
How To Sound Professional When Talking About Cerebro
Beware The Valkyries
GoComics
The Onion’s editorial cartoons
Ducks Arrested For Loitering In Pennsylvania
Circulating Ideas
Kristin’s Picks
Good Eggs 9780061711466 (also recommended by Graphic Medicine!)
Audubon, On The Wings of the World 9781910620151
Thomas’s Picks
My Brother’s Husband 9781101871515
Happiness 9781632363633
Find a comics shop near you
Secret Stacks logo and avatar by Severin Piehl, go read his webcomic Tove
Theme song by Julie Jurgens, y’all
Fret no more, Milhouse, the fireworks factory is here! Kristin and Thomas are a little light on news this episode, but their picks are fresh and their hearts are true (and full of spite). Kristin discovers a wealth of #GraphicMedicine. Thomas implores you to watch Mask of the Phantasm, unless you rebel against recommendations.
Jay Asher Jessica Freeburg’s Piper
Graphic Medicine’s graphic novel list
School Library Journal’s Fall 2017 Sneak Peek
Mask of the Phantasm coming to blu-ray in July
Kristin’s Picks
The Sculptor 9781596435735
California Dreamin’ 9781626725461
Thomas’s Picks
On The Camino, Jason 9781683960218
Outcast 9781632150530 (related: Elizabeth Breitweiser interview)
Find a comics shop near you
Secret Stacks logo and avatar by Severin Piehl, go read his webcomic Tove
Theme song by Julie Jurgens, y’all
Secret Stacks Episode 31 for the end of May 2017! What a lovely day to talk about Conferences! Kristin went to the Medical Library Association conference in Seattle, Thomas laments about not being able to attend all the awesome comics related panels at the ALA conference this year and they both agree that socializing is the best part of any conference. Thomas also talks about his Wonder Woman movie experience (WONDER WOMAN MOVIE: PRETTY GOOD, Y’ALL, though it could have been intersectional) and of course, the picks!
Vote, if eligible, on the Eisners! Deadline midnight PDT, June 16
Desi Geek Girls Podcast
Hoopla’s LGBTQIA Collection
Richland Library’s Queer Comics
ALA Annual schedule keyword search
What Does Wonder Woman Actually Represent?
Austin Mayor Adler’s response about Alamo Drafthouse’s women-only Wonder Woman screening
Women-only screening receives legal complaint
Wonder Woman 75th Anniversary article
Reading pathways for Wonder Woman comics
Marvel’s library problem
Insane Marvel digital deals (no link necessary, as the deals have ended, but the excitement was real)
Kristin’s Picks
Bones of the Coast (not yet in print)
Woody Guthrie and the Dust Bowl Ballads 9781419719455
Thomas’s Picks
Hostage, 9781770462793
Blade of the Immortal, 9781506701240
Find a comics shop near you
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Theme song by Julie Jurgens, y’all
Free Comic Book Day stories! Pupusas! Pride Month! Comics sometimes ARE for kids? Other times they’re for church. Kristin and Thomas do not trust monopolies nor robots. They also forecast possible avenues for the next phase of the Marvel cinematic universe, followed by fresh picks from other publishers.
Pupusa recipe
Consortium distributing Indie Comics, Diamond monopoly going down?
Diamond upgrading its storage and shipping abilities, monopoly going up?
Image Comics Pride Month Variants
Kids comics sales still growing
Shout-out to Amanda Foust of In The Library With A Comic Book and No Flying, No Tights fame!
Kristin’s Picks
Love In Vain: Robert Johnson 1911-1928 9780571328833
The Property (from 2013) 9781770461154
Thomas’s Picks
Hellboy: Into The Silent Sea 9781506701431
Wonder Woman, Volume 2: Year One 9781401268800
Find a comics shop near you
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Theme song by Julie Jurgens, y’all
Kristin and Thomas discuss a variety of things this week! RFID tags, Mr. Glass from Unbreakable, the world of Stand Up Comedy and of course, the most recent Marvel PR disaster! Kristin and Thomas also talk about their picks! Enjoy!
M. Night Shyamalan’s Unbreakable Sequel
Secret Empire, Explained
DC Comics get download codes!
Valiant incentive bonuses for pre-ordering whole story arcs
J.A. Micheline & Dave Gibbons on the nine-panel grid
Aquaman’s spork
Kristin’s Picks
Turning Japanese 9781937541163
Life With Mr. Dangerous 9780345494412
Thomas’s Picks
Empress 9781302902063
Roughneck 9781476773995
Find a comics shop near you
Secret Stacks logo and avatar by Severin Piehl, go read his webcomic Tove
Theme song by Julie Jurgens, y’all
Our recommendations this month don’t come from Marvel, but that won’t stop us from armchair-quarterbacking their recent controversies! Really popular challenged graphic novels get the official Secret Stacks endorsement well after their debuts (you’re welcome for that long tail, publishers!). We keep talking about convention culture and Osamu Tezuka. We can’t separate our nostalgia for Power Rangers from our current enjoyment of the new movie and comics. The grim reaper is breathing down all our necks, but we don’t have to despair. April is a cruel month for ending, but we can still enjoy it while it lasts.
Augusta Baker’s Dozen
Liminal Comics: Love Stories For Outcasts, Rebels & Misfits
Why Hiring Ex-Vertigo Editors Makes So Much Sense
The Outrage Over Marvel’s Alleged Diversity Blaming, Explained
Marvel “Generations”
File your complaints + corrections here
Ardian Syaf’s politics and religion on display in X-Men Gold #1
Some context and further reading from G. Willow Wilson
American Library Association’s Top Ten Most Challenged Books in 2016
Kristin’s Picks
Cosplayers 9781606999486
Can’t We Talk About Something More Pleasant? 9781608198061
Thomas’s Picks
The Complete Tales From The Con 9781534301009 (read some of the comics yourself here!)
Power Rangers 9781608868933
Bonus Picks
Drama 9780545326995
This One Summer 9781626720947
Find a comics shop near you
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Theme song by Julie Jurgens, y’all
Welcome to Secret Stacks Episode 27 for the end of March 2017! Kristin and Thomas really stay #OnBrand this episode when they talk almost 100% about libraries and comics! First they discuss the world of conventions in libraries, they have tips and tricks to share for anyone interested in putting on a con in their library. They read a lovely letter from a listener asking about some starting out as a librarian recommendations and superhero librarian discussion. And of course, their picks! Enjoy!
Marissa Lieberman episode of Circulating Ideas
Events at Clinton-Macomb Public Library
Saladin Ahmed writing Black Bolt
Free Comic Book Day
Scratch n Spin in The Daily Gamecock
What does Elyssa Kroski have for breakfast?
Kristin’s Picks
The Abominable Mr. Seabrook 9781770462670
Something New 9781626722491
Thomas’s Picks
The Adventures of Superhero Girl 9781616550844
Pyongyang 9781897299210
Find a comics shop near you
Secret Stacks logo and avatar by Severin Piehl, go read his webcomic Tove
Theme song by Julie Jurgens, y’all
Who’s looking forward to convention season? Who’s already in the middle of it? Hooray! Thomas revisits a previous stance regarding depictions of Jughead. Everyone’s cool enough to admit they enjoy Prairie Home Companion… right? Up with Shelly Bond’s Black Crown! Up with Tom Taylor’s nation-sized embargo! Whether Spring in your neighborhood means rain or shine, we hope you find time to curl up with some good books. Just don’t get… erased!
NashiCon – Osamu Tezuka panel
A Prairie Home Companion with Chris Thile
Shelly Bond Launches Black Crown Imprint With IDW
Tom Taylor’s statement about refusing to travel to America
Kristin’s Picks
Irmina 9783956400063
My Dirty Dumb Eyes 9781770461161
Thomas’s Picks
Secret Path 9781501155949
Erased 9780316553315 (the anime is really good too!)
(What’s with the disappearing children in this episode’s picks? Pure coincidence!)
Find a comics shop near you
Secret Stacks logo and avatar by Severin Piehl, go read his webcomic Tove
Theme song by Julie Jurgens, y’all
Recorded on Monday, posted on Tuesday. Whoa! Quick turnaround. How are you liking the double shots? Kristin and Thomas swear to raise the bar on comics news, just as soon as they talk about Riverdale… and Lego Batman… and a Nightwing movie… any day now! We talk about showboaters versus laborers, ex-Vertigo editors Shelly Bond and Karen Berger moving on to promising new ventures, and a graphic novel removed from a school library! Oh, and the misplaced cult of personality behind Punisher. More than 30% of this episode consists of comics news, reviews, and anecdotes about Adult Swears. We’re all going to heck. Enjoy!
Comics Beat: Only 30 Percent of the News On Comics News Sites Is Actually About Comics
SC Comic Con and HeroesCon in the Carolinas – maybe say hi to Thomas at them!
Chipper Zdoosky writing Spectacular Spider-Man
The Comics Journal’s Jack Kirby Interview (Stan Lee ain’t all that)
Punisher emblem and ‘Blue Lives Matter’ decals on cop cars… okay…
Femme Magnifique Kickstarter
Karen Berger To Launch Berger Books Imprint At Dark Horse
Stuck In The Middle removed from middle school library
Comic Book Legal Defense Fund’s case study on Stuck In The Middle from 2011
America Chavez sale on Comixology
Black Comix Returns Kickstarter (act fast!)
Kristin’s Picks
Motor Crush 9781534301894
Today Is The Last Day of The Rest of Your Life 9781606995570
Thomas’s Picks
The Other Side: An Anthology of Queer Paranormal Romance 9780997484700
Forbidden Brides of the Faceless Slaves in the Secret House of the Night of Dread Desire 9781506701400
Find a comics shop near you
Secret Stacks logo and avatar by Severin Piehl, go read his webcomic Tove
Theme song by Julie Jurgens, y’all
More compact episodes! We’re going to be doing two episodes a month now so let us know if you like it. We’re leaner and meaner, well not meaner, we’re pretty nice actually.
Love Is Love on Hoopla (downloads through Hoopla’s partner libraries, as well as sales, will generate proceeds for Equality Florida)
Cybils 2016 Winners (it was March: Book Three)
Roger Ebert’s Great Movies List
The Comics Alternative Podcast (aka the primary suspects in the event of our untimely deaths)
Kristin’s Picks
Beautiful Darkness 9781770461291
Incognegro 9781401210977
Thomas’s Picks
X-Men: Legacy, Vol. 1: Prodigal 9780785162490 (a great readalike for the Legion tv show)
Detective Comics Vol.1: Rise of the Batmen 9781401267995 (a great readalike for The Lego Batman Movie)
Find a comics shop near you
Secret Stacks logo and avatar by Severin Piehl, go read his webcomic Tove
Time for some hot takes from two cool cats. Thomas tore himself away from Final Fantasy XV for five minutes to get this out before episode 24 gets recorded! We’re excited about comics anthologies, plus Captain America continues planting agents in the U.S. government. YALSA’s got a graphic novel recommendation list you can count on when the New York Times lets you down. If you need more than one list per year, Kristin and Thomas are still serving up quality comics for you to read, hear, and pass along!
To punch Nazis or not to punch Nazis, that is the no-brainer
Shelly Bond’s Femme Magnifique is in the works
New York Times removes graphic novel category from bestseller lists
Melanie Gillman’s Other Side anthology free for schools, libraries, and cash-strapped teens
San Jose City Councilman Lan Diep sworn in holding his Captain America shield
YALSA’s Great Graphic Novels For Teens 2017
Kristin’s Picks
One Hundred Nights of Hero 9780316259170
Sick 9780996273916
Thomas’s Picks
Barakamon 9780316336086
Shaft: Imitation of Life 9781606907573
Find a comics shop near you
Secret Stacks logo and avatar by Severin Piehl, go read his webcomic Tove
Theme song by Julie Jurgens, y’all. BONUS: Watch & listen to her play “Hero” as a submission to NPR’s Tiny Desk Contest!
It’s our end of 2016 episode! We hope all your various holidays were delightful. Thomas tells us all about his trip to Japan and of course, he visited some libraries while he was there! So many interesting cultural differences! We reveal our NEW FORMAT for 2017, we’re going biweekly! So many new things happen in the world of comics, we want to keep the hot takes piping fresh. Let us know what you think! We also talk about some upsetting things a comics creator was arrested for recently and the effects of separating the art from the artist. And of course, we give you THE PICKS! Enjoy!
Don’t let Gundam happen to you
Overdrive expands GN selection
DC Rebirth titles available via Hoopla
Will Eisner Graphic Novel Grants For Libraries
Kristin’s Picks
Love Is Love 9781631409394 (related: now in its third printing!)
Slam! 9781684150045
Backstagers 9781608869930
Thomas’s Picks
Case Closed 9781591163275
Orange 9781626923027
Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin 9781935654872
Find a comics shop near you
Secret Stacks logo and avatar by Severin Piehl, go read his webcomic Tove
Theme song by Julie Jurgens, y’all
What are we thankful for? Great comics! And you guys! This is the November episode of Secret Stacks! Thomas talks about his upcoming ALA Midwinter panel with Greg Rucka, Tom King and Ben Percy (UPDATE: Thomas can’t make it to Midwinter like he thought, but the great Marcela Peres will moderate that panel!). Kristin and Tom discuss the new America Chavez book coming out, March Book Three, new Dykes to Watch Out For, the trials and tribulations of John Stossel and Kristin’s science teacher who said the moon landing was faked! We also talk A LOT about CW shows, because they’re great.
In this episode, talks about Secret Stacks wanting to take YOU to the moon, regardless of what Kristin’s Science Teacher has to say about it! Record yourself talking up your favorite comic of 2016 and email it to us at secretstackspodcast@gmail.com for a chance to win a copy of Tom Gauld’s MOONCOP. We’ll play our favorites on the January episode, when we give our top picks from 2017! We’ll randomly draw from our favorite entries and we’ll send the selectee MOONCOP! More details in the episode so be sure and listen close! (Also by Tom Gauld and endorsed by us: You’re All Just Jealous of My Jetpack)
DC Rebirth panel at ALA Midwinter with Marcela Peres (update: I have to miss Midwinter this time, but go see the great Marcela!)
Gabby Rivera, “Quirky Rican”
March Book Three wins National Book Award
New “Dykes To Watch Out For”
Supergirl’s adoptive sister Alex came out as a lesbian on the TV show. Check out this touching story about connecting with a teen through the character/series. (Disclaimer: a character coming out should not be such big news in and of itself, but the character arc has been particularly well done and its positive reception is worth noticing (as opposed to “Why are gays in my superhero show” arms-crossers with too much time and too little empathy/perspective. Who wants the soapbox next?).
Archie on CW
Doctor Mirage series maybe coming to CW (Doctors Strange, Doom, Who, McNinja, Light, Fate, Manhattan, Mid-Nite all quite jeaous over this; no comment from Dr. Demento, who is/is not dead)
Danny Elfman / Oingo Boingo playing February 2017 in Big Bear Lake, California
Kristin’s Picks
The Fun Family 9781603093446
The Greatest of Marlys : 9781770462649
Josie and the Pussycats : 9781682559895
Thomas’s Picks
Lake of Fire 9781534300491
The Flintstones (Readalike: Prez)
Vietnamerica 9780345508720
Find a comics shop near you
Secret Stacks logo and avatar by Severin Piehl, go read his webcomic Tove
Theme song by Julie Jurgens, y’all
Bonus video: John Stossel getting slapped in the face (Always stick around after the credits!)
Trick or treat! Our Halloween episode is out just in time for Thanksgiving week! (Tom Turkey’s first time in the editing chair.) Kristin talks about comics as gifts. Thomas plugs Halloween ComicFest. Wonder Woman gets celebrated by the UN. Chelsea Cain got harassed for a dumb reason. Both of us respond to the mailbag. All of this, plus our always-solid three picks each – this is a packed episode, so spare us your eggs and go attack some miser’s house.
RIP Jack Chick + Steve Dillon
Halloween ComicFest
When is Batman’s Birthday?
Wonder Woman as Honorary UN Ambassador for the Empowerment of Women and Girls
Chelsea Cain, writer of Mockingbird, leaves Twitter, potentially comics in general
Mailbag
“What comics would you recommend to help teach cultural literacy?”
El Deafo, Cece Bell
American Born Chinese, Gene Luen Yang
March, John Lewis, Nate Powell, Andrew Aydin
Marbles: Mania, Depression, Michelangelo, and Me, Ellen Forney
“You Say Latino” by Terry Blas
Joey Alison Sayers zine “Just So You Know” about transitioning
Dykes To Watch Out For, Alison Bechdel
Wandering Son, Takako Shimura
DAR by Erika Moen
Kristin’s Picks
Invisible Ink (9781606998953)
The Impostor’s Daughter (9780316033053)
Disquiet (9781606999288)
Thomas’s Picks
The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl Beats Up The Marvel Universe (9781302903039)
Tetris: The Games People Play (9781626723153)
Complex Age Yui Sakuma (9781632362483)
Find a comics shop near you Secret Stacks logo and avatar by Severin Piehl, go read his webcomic Tove Theme song by Julie Jurgens, y’all
What should you do when someone gives you a criticism? What should you NOT do? Kristin and Thomas talk about the recent fiasco involving VOYA and how many writers, artists and creators don’t handle criticism well. Kristin talks about Check, Please and how cute it is. Thomas discusses the importance of telling your favorite creators how much you like their work! And of course, their favorite picks for the month! Come get some!
Lionel Shriver’s speech about cultural appropriation
Lionel Shriver’s follow-up interview
Moana costume
VOYA madness (it just… keeps… going)
AICL’s take on Raina Telgemeier’s Ghosts
TSU’s take on Ghosts
Valiant’s cat cosplay variant covers
Mariko Tamaki writing a Jennifer Walters Hulk story
Mariko’s also writing a Supergirl miniseries (with Joelle Jones on art)!
Check, Please! on Kickstarter
LGBTQ Anthology, Love Is Love, from DC + IDW
RIP C. Martin Croker
Gene Luen Yang receives MacArthur Grant (DC and Marvel (Ta-Nehisi Coates) each officially have an anointed genius writing for them)
Kristin’s Picks
Bandette 9781616552794
Supergirl (Rebirth) 9781401268466
Ruins 9781906838980
Thomas’s Picks
The Osamu Tezuka Story 9781611720259
Adventures of Supergirl 9781401262655 (related: Supergirl tshirt with Darwyn Cooke art)
Haven’t You Heard? I’m Sakamoto 9781626921962
Find a comics shop near you
Secret Stacks logo and avatar by Severin Piehl, go read his webcomic Tove
Theme song by Julie Jurgens, y’all
HASHTAG: TEENS! Kristin and Thomas talk about parks and public lands for a while, because NATURE. Thomas created a Stranger Things readalikes display and they discuss what a Library Themed role playing game would look like. They also spend a long time discussing and taking umbrage with the recent article, “Teenage Wasteland: Please, No More Teenage Heroes” which posits that teen superheroes are bad! Hashtag: Unpleasant. And of course, Kristin and Thomas discuss their picks for the month! Enjoy!
Parks across America
Five great comics for fans of Stranger Things
Teenage Wasteland: Please, No More Teenage Superheroes
Teenage Daydream: Welcome Aboard, Teenage Superheroes
Kristin’s Picks
Oh Joy Sex Toy 9780982343784
Steven Universe Vol. 1 9781608867066
Tiny Titans 9781401220785
Thomas’s Picks
Wrath of the Eternal Warrior Vol. 1 Risen 9781682151235
Weirdworld, Vol. 1: Where Lost Things Go 9781302900434
Blue Beetle Vol. 1: Shellshocked 9781401209650 (this series needs reprints ASAP)
Find a comics shop near you
Secret Stacks logo and avatar by Severin Piehl, go read his webcomic Tove
“Stranger Secret Stacks” logo created via Make It Stranger
Theme song by Julie Jurgens, y’all
It’s comics awards season again! Kristin and Thomas talk about the Eisner Awards and how so many of their picks are on that list! They also discuss The Harveys and Valiant’s weird sweep of every single category. Kristin watches the Justice League trailer! They talk about Godzilla and King Kong for WAY longer than is appropriate! Plus their monthly picks! Come on down and get these hot comics takes! And stay tunes after the credits for the greatest pun ever told.
For anyone with opinions about The Killing Joke comic or movie: Thomas recommends The Brave & The Bold #33
Eisner Awards
Harvey Awards – Related: Valiant Comics on Hoopla
Halloween Comic Fest
Secret Stacks guest episode of Circulating Ideas (If we seem loopy during this Secret Stacks episode, it’s because we recorded the CircIdeas episode first. Download for our fresher takes!)
RIP Jack Davis
RIP Richard Thompson
(Consider the context of the “get hyped over trailers then give the movie 6/10” conversation – Thomas, who enjoyed Suicide Squad’s trailers, saw the movie well after this recording and rates it 6/10.)
Kristin’s Picks
Giant Days 9781608867899
A Matter of Life 9781603092661
Fires Above Hyperion 9781561639861
Thomas’s Picks
The Drawing Lesson – A Graphic Novel That Teaches You How To Draw 9780385346337
I Am A Hero 9781616559205
The Vision Vol.1: Little Worse Than A Man 9780785196570
Find a comics shop near you
Secret Stacks logo and avatar by Severin Piehl, go read his webcomic Tove
Theme song by Julie Jurgens, y’all
Jessica Cruz on the skywalk at ALA OrlandoThomas shares the Ignite session he did at ALA Annual Conference 2016! Kristin and Thomas discuss various Florida theme parks and the weird licensing issues they have with comics characters.Thomas talks about all the cool people and panels he saw at ALA, not to mention all the amazing graphic novels and ARCS he picked up from vendors! Plus all the picks! And special information about what Steve can be good for. Enjoy!
Whatta haul! Many of these titles will find happy homes with a variety of readers.
Secret Stacks Ignite Powerpoint
Best/Worst Graphic Novels For Adults panel
Valkyries/Valhalla panel
Kristin’s Picks
Goldie Vance 9781608868988
Zodiac Starforce 9781616559137
The Complete Wimmen’s Comix 9781606998984
Thomas’s Picks
Your Lie In April 9784063713015
Monstress 9781632157096
Delilah Dirk and the King’s Shilling 9781626721555
Find a comics shop near you
Secret Stacks logo and avatar by Severin Piehl, go read his webcomic Tove
Theme song by Julie Jurgens, y’all
Thomas got his wisdom teeth removed! Kristin is starting a new job! People are mad at comics! But probably for good reasons. They talk about Hydra!Cap, the arguments, the counter-arguments and the counter-counter-arguments. They discuss Rebirth, the most recent event in DC Comics but they avoid giving away any spoilers (because they’re good people). They also talk about Comixology Unlimited, what it is, what you get and what people are saying about it! And of course, Kristin and Thomas have a special message for Hoopla! Come on in and listen to their hot takes!
Captain America #1’s Hydra Reveal
DC Rebirth (Related: Thomas’s Panels article about spoilers)
Comixology Unlimited
Dewey Decibel podcast stealing our hard-earned Hoopla money [citation not needed, we have the high ground]
R.I.P. comic book artist and writer Darwyn Cooke
Gallery of Darwyn Cooke’s month of variant covers for DC
“The Secret Stacks: Your Comics In Libraries Podcast” Ignite session at ALA Orlando
“Best/Worst Comics & Manga For Adults” panel at ALA Orlando
Kristin’s Picks
DC: The New Frontier (9781401248888)
Rosalie Lightning (9781250049940)
Patience (9781606999059)
Thomas’s Picks (All-ages edition!)
Mega Man (9781879794856)
Three Thieves (9781554534159)
Little Nemo: Return To Slumberland (9781631400599)
Some screencaps from The Swords of Glass, available to read on Comixology Unlimited or $19.99 to buy the series (about 200 pages total across four books). Art by Laura Zuccheri:
Find a comics shop near you
Secret Stacks logo and avatar by Severin Piehl, go read his webcomic Tove
Theme song by Julie Jurgens, y’all
Secret Stacks, Episode 14! SUPER FRESH. Kristin and Thomas talk about the 2016 Eisner nominees, the politics of awards and the sadness and controversy behind Shelly Bond being let go as an editor of Vertigo. Thomas reports back from SC Comic Con with clips from Jeremy Whitley, the creator of Princeless and members of the band SOUND OF THUNDER. Kristin met a cow named Ricky at a Maple Syrup Festival. AND SO MUCH MORE. Plus all of their monthly picks! Come get some!
Pirating Shakespeare
Free Comic Book Day
Eisner nominees
Shelly Bond Removed From Vertigo
SC Comic Con
Comics Beat: “Comics toxic heritage strikes again as DC editor named as sexual harasser”
Abhay Khosla’s take on harassment in comics
Comics written by Jeremy Whitley
“Tower of Souls” from A Sound of Thunder’s album Tales From The Deadside, inspired by the Shadowman comics
Prince available for streaming via Hoopla
Behold! Meghan Hetrick‘s list of Stoopid Questions & Comments, from her SC Comic Con booth:
Kristin’s Picks
The Infinite Wait and Other Stories (9780987963024)
Punk Rock and Trailer Parks (9781593621353) (related: the sequel webcomic, The Baron of Prospect Avenue)
The Love Bunglers (9781606997291)
Thomas’s Picks
Ivar, Timewalker (9781682151198)
Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure: Part I, Phantom Blood (9781421578798) (related: Panels.net’s Guide To Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure)
The Art of Charlie Chan Hock Chye (9781101870693)
Find a comics shop near you
Secret Stacks logo and avatar by Severin Piehl, go read his webcomic Tove
Theme song by Julie Jurgens, y’all
(Huyen Diep, Thomas Maluck, Tracy Boehm, and Kristin Lalonde)
Kristin and Thomas talk about all of their adventures at this years Chicago Comics and Entertainment Expo (C2E2) where they were panelists. They talk extensively (almost too extensively?) about pizza, hot dogs and doughnuts that they have enjoyed. Also they give you Con Tips and Thomas has audio clips from some fine folks he spoke too. They also go over DC’s ReBirth announcement! And of course, their three picks for the month!
Fill your life with sugar, dough, and love: Chicago’s Do-Rite Donuts.
DC Rebirth: New creative teams
Faith Is Breaking The Rules For Fat Girls
Ongoing series for Faith confirmed!
Vote for our ALA Ignite Session
Thanks to David F. Walker and Atom! Freeman for talking to us!
Kristin’s Three Picks
Faith 9781682151211
Junior Scientist Power Hour 9780692480595
Happy Stories About Well-Adjusted People 9781894994866
Thomas’s Three Picks
Clean Room 9781401262754
Godzilla in Hell 9781631405341
Swamp Thing: Season’s End 9781401257705
Find a comics shop near you
Secret Stacks artwork by Severin Piehl, creator of Tove
Theme song by Julie Jurgens, who blogs at Hi, Miss Julie! and is on twitter as @himissjulie and @JulieJurgens
Kristin and Thomas walk down memory lane as they discuss the exciting and harrowing origin story behind the show, C2E2 plans, Batman v Superman predictions, Batman & Superman relationship dynamics, and our three picks for the month! Be sure and listen after the ending for a pre-recording conversation between Kristin & Thomas regarding Aquaman.
Comics For Black History Month: Nonfiction, General Fiction + Webcomics, and Superhero comics with black leads
Listener Question: “Have Batman and Superman fought in the comics yet?”
1986 – Dark Knight Returns 9781563893421
2002 – Hush 9781401223175
2015 – Endgame 9781401261160
“Batman V Superman: Choosing Sides” thematic readalikes
FINAL REMINDER: We will be on the Comics Collection Quandaries In Libraries panel at C2E2 Friday, March 18, 11:00-12:00 in S405b
Kristin’s Three Picks
Two Brothers 9781616558563
Midnighter Vol. 1: Out 9781401259785 (Now a GLAAD Media Award nominee!)
Market Day 9781897299975
Thomas’s Three Picks
Dark Night: A True Batman Story 9781401241438 (out in June!)
Prez Vol. 1: Corndog-in-Chief 9781401259792
Divinity 9781939346766
Find a comics shop near you
Secret Stacks artwork by Severin Piehl, creator of Tove
Theme song by Julie Jurgens, who blogs at Hi, Miss Julie! and is on twitter as @himissjulie and @JulieJurgens
Secret Stacks, Episode 11! Kristin and Thomas talk about Gene Luen Yang becoming the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature for 2016, the Ike Perlmutter/ Donald Trump/ Marvel Comics controversy and G. Willow Wilson’s response, a super special Secret Stacks announcement for a thing happening in March, the garbage fire that was the 2016 Angoulême International Comics Festival, YALSA’s Great Graphic Novels for Teens list for 2016 and, of course, their three picks for the month! Come and get it!
Send a question to our Mailbag!
Follow the show on Twitter: @SecretStacks
Follow Kristin and Thomas on Twitter: @shinyinfo and @LiberryTom
Email the show at secretstackspodcast@gmail.com
Audio link: http://traffic.libsyn.com/secretstacks/Secret_Stacks_11.mp3
Stuff We Discussed:
Circulating Ideas guest episode: Top 10 Graphic Novels of 2015
Gene Luen Yang appointed National Ambassador for Children’s Literature by the Library of Congress – great interview with Swapna Krishna at Panels
(I wonder if that Alexander Nazaryan, who wanted all teens to read classics and not then-Ambassador Walter Dean Myers, is even madder about a cartoonist in the position?)
G. Willow Wilson on Ike Perlmutter’s $1 million Trump donation
Secret Stacks at C2E2: “Comics Collection Quandaries in Libraries,” with fellow librarians Tracy Boehm and Huyen Diep, Friday 11:00am in S405b
Angouleme Grand Prix sexism
Angouleme Fake Awards Mishap
Navigating “Secret Wars”
YALSA’s Top Ten Great Graphic Novels For Teens
- A Silent Voice, Yoshitoki Oima
- Roller Girl, Victoria Jamieson
- Nimona, Noelle Stevenson
- Awkward, Svetlana Chmakova
- Lumberjanes, Noelle Stevenson, Brooke Allen, Shannon Watters
- Sacred Heart, Liz Suburbia
- Squirrel Girl, Ryan North, Erica Henderson
- Ms. Marvel, G. Willow Wilson, Adrian Alphona, Jacob Wyatt
- Trashed, Derf Backderf
- Drowned City, Don Brown
Kristin’s Picks
Trashed (9781419714542)
Poorly Drawn Lines (9780147515421)
Kaptara (9781632155573)
Thomas’s Picks
The Death-Defying Doctor Mirage (9781939346490)
A Silent Voice (9781632360564)
Manifest Destiny (9781607069829)
Secret Stacks artwork by Severin Piehl, creator of Tove
Theme song by Julie Jurgens, who blogs at Hi, Miss Julie! and is on twitter as @himissjulie and@JulieJurgens
SECRET STACKS, your comics in libraries podcast. Episode 10! The first episode of 2016! Kristin and Thomas talk about getting prepared for Free Comic Book Day at the library, diversity in comics and the redonkulous Op-Ed in the New York Times and of course, their top three picks of the month! If you have questions or would like Kristin or Tom to address something on the show, tweet at @secretstacks or email secretstackspodcast@gmail.com !! ENJOY!
Send a question to our Mailbag!
Follow the show on Twitter: @SecretStacks
Follow Kristin and Thomas on Twitter: @shinyinfo and @LiberryTom
Email the show at secretstackspodcast@gmail.com
Audio link: http://traffic.libsyn.com/secretstacks/SecretStacks10.mp3
Stuff We Discussed
Free Comic Book Day – May 7, 2016
Library ebook circulation boosts sales
Amazon’s influence on Comixology becoming more apparent
That Oxymoron, The Asian Comic Superhero
Coming Out As Gay Superheroes
The Valkyries – Comics Discussion & Advisory For Female Retailers & Librarians
Women In Refrigerators
Kristin’s Picks
Patsy Walker, aka Hellcat #1
Moongirl & The Devil Dinosaur #1-2
Through The Woods (9781442465954)
Thomas’s Picks
The Sandman: Overture (9781401248963)
Martian Manhunter (9781401261511)
Hereville: How Mirka Caught A Fish (9781419708008)
Find a comics shop near you
Secret Stacks artwork by Severin Piehl, creator of Tove
Theme song by Julie Jurgens, who blogs at Hi, Miss Julie! and is on twitter as @himissjulie and@JulieJurgens
SECRET STACKS, your comics in libraries podcast. Episode 9! In this episode, Kristin and Thomas have writer Asher Powell on the show to talk about her comic in the Vertigo SFX anthology KRAK! Kristin discusses her experience at ComiqueCon, they discuss the LCS Valkyries opening up Valhalla to Librarians and they all share their three picks for the month! 50% more comics recommendation! Insight from comics creators! Good times for all! Enjoy!
Send a question to our Mailbag!
Follow the show on Twitter: @SecretStacks
Follow Kristin and Thomas on Twitter: @shinyinfo and @LiberryTom
Email the show at secretstackspodcast@gmail.com
Audio link: http://traffic.libsyn.com/secretstacks/SecretStacks9.mp3
Stuff We Discussed
A Lesson Is Learned But The Damage Is Irreversible
Prez going for full 12 issues
Asher Powell on Twitter: @AsherPowell
Asher on Tumblr: A Thousand Bad Ideas
Lee’s Comics
Comique Con
Valkyries membership is now open to female-identifying librarians
Asher’s Three Picks
Hopeless Savages: Break (9781620102527)
Toil and Trouble #1
Art Ops #1+2
Kristin’s Three Picks
Beyond: A Queer Sci Fi and Fantasy Comic Anthology (9780990995685)
Archie vs Predator (9781616558055)
Damage Control Complete Collection (9780785197904)
Thomas’s Three Picks
Jessica Jones: Alias (9780785198550)
The Omega Men (9781401261535) (Related: William James at the Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy)
Vinland Saga (9781612624204)
Find a comics shop near you
Secret Stacks artwork by Severin Piehl, creator of Tove
Theme song by Julie Jurgens, who blogs at Hi, Miss Julie! and is on twitter as @himissjulie and@JulieJurgens
SECRET STACKS, your comics in libraries podcast. Episode 8! In this episode, Kristin and Thomas discuss Supergirl, Superman, Jeb Bush talking crazy about Batman, Jessica Jones, and Legion. They also delve into the mailbag to get some listener feedback and to discuss their ideal Fantastic Four lineups. As always, there the three picks of the month! So much good stuff and all packed into a petite 1 hour episode! Enjoy!
Send a question to our Mailbag!
Follow the show on Twitter: @SecretStacks
Follow Kristin and Thomas on Twitter: @shinyinfo and @LiberryTom
Email the show at secretstackspodcast@gmail.com
Stuff We Discussed
Cards Against Librarianship
Comique-Con
Storytime Underground’s Guerrilla Storytime
Jeb Bush’s favorite Marvel superheroes
Supergirl on CBS
Legion pilot ordered for FX
Jessica Jones trailer
Justin Guarini reflects on Daredevil
Kristin’s Fantastic Four
Squirrel Girl
She-Hulk
Ms. Marvel
America Chavez
Thomas’s Fantastic Four
Squirrel Girl
Silver Surfer
Rocket Raccoon
Capt. Marvel (Monica Rambeau)
Recommendations for big-name superheroes’ starting places: admittedly, answering this question could take up a couple dozen blog posts’ worth of information, but Thomas enjoys tilting at this windmill on his library’s blog. There are posts about Batman, Superman, Weird Batman, Batgirl, Supergirl, DC’s New 52, X-Men, Green Lantern, Daredevil, Flash, Deadpool, Fantastic Four, and Naruto manga readalikes.
Then there’s the official CCGC post about Collecting the New 52, DC’s own Graphic Novel Essentials and Chronology, and Comic Book Herald’s Marvel Reading Order Guide. There’s a lot to digest in these links, but we hope they lead to a lot to read on your shelves!
Kristin’s Picks
Spider-Woman:Spider-verse (9780785154587)
Displacement: A Travelogue (9781606998106)
(Readalike: Can’t We Talk About Something More Pleasant? (9781608198061))
Around The World (9780763669256)
Thomas’s Picks
Star Wars: Skywalker Strikes (9780785192138)
Moon Knight (9780785154082 / 978-0785154099 / 978-0785197348)
One-Punch Man (9781421585642)
Honorable Mention: Kristin and I loooved the new Jughead debut!
Find a comics shop near you
Secret Stacks artwork by Severin Piehl, creator of Tove
Theme song by Julie Jurgens, who blogs at Hi, Miss Julie! and is on twitter as @himissjulie and@JulieJurgens
SECRET STACKS, your comics in libraries podcast. Episode 7! In this episode, Kristin and Thomas discuss Batman Day, comics crafts, The Harveys, single issue sales vs. trade sales, famous people at comics conventions, the Black Panther announcement, Star Wars, Thomas makes some recommendations for some listeners and much more!! They also discuss their three favorite reads for October, including some extra special SPOOOOOKY reads from Thomas! Don’t forget to to check out Goodreads for all of our recommendations!
Send a question to our Mailbag!
Follow the show on Twitter: @SecretStacks
Follow Kristin and Thomas on Twitter: @shinyinfo and @LiberryTom
Email the show at secretstackspodcast@gmail.com
Stuff We Discussed
Reading Envy with Jenny Colvin
Batman Day
Graphic novels earning more than floppies – Great, longer read about comic and graphic novel sales
Panels: comics collected in themed folders
Ron Weasley Made Me Sad
Carol Tilley
Harvey Awards 2015
Ignatz Awards 2015
Will Eisner Graphic Novel Grants For Libraries
Astro City #1/2 “The Nearness of You” (Free!)
Kristin’s Three Picks
Shoplifter 9780307911735
The Night Bookmobile 9780810996175
Exquisite Corpse 9781626720824
Thomas’s Three Picks
Tokyo Ghoul 9781421580364
Baba Yaga’s Assistant 9780763669614
Attack On Titan (too many books and spinoffs to list here, check the link!)
Find a comics shop near you
Secret Stacks artwork by Severin Piehl, creator of Tove
Theme song by Julie Jurgens, who blogs at Hi, Miss Julie! and is on twitter as @himissjulie and@JulieJurgens
SECRET STACKS, your comics in libraries podcast. Episode 6! In this episode, Kristin and Thomas discuss The Hugo Awards, Lumberjanes Issue 17, Image Comics & Hoopla, the Vixen animated show, Duke University & Fun Home, webcomics, the joys of Hawkeye and much more!! They also discuss their three favorite reads for September! Don’t forget to to check out Goodreads So many things! Enjoy!
Send a question to our Mailbag!
Follow the show on Twitter: @SecretStacks
Follow Kristin and Thomas on Twitter: @shinyinfo and @LiberryTom
Email the show at secretstackspodcast@gmail.com
Stuff We Discussed
Reading Envy podcast w/Jenny Colvin
Ms. Marvel wins a Hugo award for Best Graphic Story against Saga Volume 3, Rat Queens Volume 1, Lumberjanes Volume 1, Sex Criminals Volume 1, The Zombie Nation Volume 2, and No Award
Dirk Gently TV series coming to BBC America with Max Landis as head writer – YOU’RE WELCOME
Lumberjanes #17 – Jo is transgender. Charlotte Finn of Comics Alliance did a great writeup about this
Hoopla adds Image Comics to their library catalog – first wave includes The Walking Dead, Saga, Morning Glories, Invincible, Chew
Vixen web series on CW’s website and app – six five-minute shorts released weekly on Tuesdays
@MizCaramelVixen – Creator of the #BlackComicsMonth hashtag, good to follow
Raising Dion – first issue available for free! Single black mother raising her superpowered son.
Fun Home controversy at Duke – student Brian Grasso’s argument
“Why babies in medieval paintings look like ugly old men” – the explanation on the show oversimplifies, but the actual facts in this link are more interesting!
Oliver Queen’s showdown with Ra’s al Ghul
Kristin’s Three Picks
Secret Wars Secret Love
Power Up
Jem and the Holograms (related: movie trailer)
Thomas’s Three Picks
Descender
Time Killers
Hawkeye (related: The Hawkeye Initiative, Kristin endorses The Rockford Files on Netflix (also on Hulu))
Find a comics shop near you
Secret Stacks artwork by Severin Piehl, creator of Tove
Theme song by Julie Jurgens, who blogs at Hi, Miss Julie! and is on twitter as @himissjulie and@JulieJurgens
SECRET STACKS, your comics in libraries podcast. Episode 5! In this episode, Kristin and Thomas discuss San Diego Comic Con, Deadpool, problems in graphic novel collection development, their Circulating Ideas episode and MOOOOOOOOORE! They also discuss their three favorite reads for August, plus an additional three recommendations from New Jersey Librarian and Manga reader extraordinaire, Marissa Lieberman! Many good things! Check it out!
Send a question to our Mailbag!
Follow the show on Twitter: @SecretStacks
Follow Kristin and Thomas on Twitter: @shinyinfo and @LiberryTom
Email the show at secretstackspodcast@gmail.com
Stuff We Discussed
We guest-hosted Circulating Ideas and interviewed Marissa Lieberman about conventions and graphic novels! She has a website about anime and manga programming in libraries called Manga-tize Your Library.
Vertigo’s back, baby!
Deadpool vs Comic-Con (Pick a video, any video)
Deadpool quick picks:
- Deadpool “Marvel NOW!” series, Volume 1: Dead Presidents 9780785166801
- Deadpool’s Art of War 9780785190974
- Hawkeye vs Deadpool 9780785193104
Correction: Thomas understands that a sonic boom is not created by hitting two objects together. He would regret the error, but it remains to be seen if Wonder Woman will create actual sonic booms in the Batman v Superman movie.
Kristin’s Three Picks
- Archie #1 (Hot Archie article)
- Bombshells
- Roller Girl 9780803740167
Thomas’s Three Picks
- Harrow County 9781616557805
- The Woods 9781608864546
- CMYK 9781401253363
Marissa’s Three Picks
- Kids: Chi’s Sweet Home 9781942993162
- Teens: Sword Art Online: Aincrad 9780316371247 [Note: there are several Sword Art Online manga spinoffs and novels.]
- Mature Readers: Uzumaki 9781421561325
Changes to Batgirl text in the trade edition to remove transphobic elements
Find a comics shop near you
Secret Stacks artwork by Severin Piehl, creator of Tove
Theme song by Julie Jurgens, who blogs at Hi, Miss Julie! and is on twitter as @himissjulie and@JulieJurgens
SECRET STACKS, your comics in libraries podcast. Episode 4! In this episode, Kristin and Thomas discuss Hoopla, changing comics readership, convention culture, Summer Reading Program and MUCH MORE. Plus a SECRET STACKS EXCLUSIVE! Thomas brings back several amazing SECRET TREASURES from HeroesCon for all of us to enjoy! They also discuss their three favorite things this month and return to the deep deep well of quality content known as the Archie Kickstarter.
Send a question to our Mailbag!
Follow the show on Twitter: @SecretStacks
Follow Kristin and Thomas on Twitter: @shinyinfo and @LiberryTom
Email the show at secretstackspodcast@gmail.com
Stuff We Discussed
HeroesCon
Comics Alliance: more kids + girls reading comics than last year for 2nd year in a row, based on retailer surveys from Publishers Weekly
List of comics creators available for visits/Skype
A-FORCE will be a new series post-Secret Wars!
“When I’m sometimes asked when will there be enough? And I say ‘When there are nine.’ People are shocked. But there’d been nine men, and nobody’s ever raised a question about that.”
-Ruth Bader Ginsberg (originally about Supreme Court, but also relevant to A-Force gripers)
DC and Vertigo on Hoopla
gwynnie bee, a Netflix-style service for plus-size (10-32) dresses
Kickstarter links from Mailbag responses:
Brawl in the Family
Fantagraphics
Sam & Fuzzy
Strong Female Protagonist
Digital Manga Publishing
Archie
Six Lessons From Archie
Tezuka Kickstarters And All That Jazz
Kristin’s Three Picks
1) Unbeatable Squirrel Girl (ISBN13: 9780785197027)
2) Fresh Romance
3) Black Canary
Thomas’s Three Picks
1) SuperMutant Magic Academy (ISBN13: 9781770461987)
2) Opus (ISBN13: 9781616556068)
(Every Frame A Painting: Satoshi Kon – Editing Space & Time)
3) Sunny (ISBN13: 9781421573403)
Find a comics shop near you
Secret Stacks artwork by Severin Piehl, creator of Tove
Theme song by Julie Jurgens, who blogs at Hi, Miss Julie! and is on twitter as @himissjulie and@JulieJurgens
SECRET STACKS, your comics in libraries podcast. Episode 3! In this episode, Kristin and Thomas discuss comic book sales vs. comic book movie sales, comic book store experiences, the Archie Kickstarter, A-Force, and much more! They also answer some readers advisory questions and discuss their three favorite things this month!
Send a question to our Mailbag!
Follow the show on Twitter: @SecretStacks
Follow Kristin and Thomas on Twitter: @shinyinfo and @LiberryTom
Email the show at secretstackspodcast@gmail.com
Stuff We Discussed
April Comic Book Sales Figures
Michael Uslan, from his Reddit AMA:
I think there’s a missing link. How can millions of people go to an Ant Man movie, yet the comic book not sell over 25,000 copies (that would equate to selling 500 copies per state in the US). By the way, this is not a real example, I’m just using Hank Pym as a hypothetical. How can San Diego and New York Comic Cons get 150,000 fanatical fans, yet a typical super-hero comic can’t sell over 50,000 copies in a month? A link needs to be found to unite the movie, TV, animation and videogame fans with the comic books themselves. I would LOVE to hear all your ideas as to how best to accomplish this goal!
Bruce Campbell on comics conventions that aren’t so focused on comics
DC Comics free 8-page previews of all their new and returning series
Archie Kickstarter Canceled
Hoopla’s Digital Comics
Thomas’s Richland Library blog posts about kid-friendly series and adult franchises on Hoopla Comics
Raina noticed me, ahhhhh!
Marguerite Bennett, from the all-female Women in Comics panel at Denver Comic-Con:
I frequently get asked what the “endgame” of women in comics is – “What do women in comics want?” As if we all want the same thing, as if we are all the same person. “What do women in comics want?” My takeaway from the panel was that every woman wants to choose her own path. Every woman wants to make her own way.
Readers advisory for Jennifer (Checklist includes a series with the following elements: Western, Fantasy, Romance, Kick-butt Ladies) – Pretty Deadly, The Sixth Gun, Serenity, Preacher
Original comic that coined “The Bechdel Test”
Ask us anything on Twitter @SecretStacks or via email at secretstackspodcast@gmail.com
Kristin’s Three Picks
1) Lady Killer
2) Batgirl of Burnside
3) Gotham Academy
Thomas’s Three Picks
1) Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency
2) Groo: Friends & Foes
3) A-Force
Find a comics shop near you
Secret Stacks artwork by Severin Piehl, creator of Tove
Theme song by Julie Jurgens, who blogs at Hi, Miss Julie! and is on twitter as @himissjulie and @JulieJurgens
SECRET STACKS, your comics in libraries podcast. Episode 2! In this episode, Kristin and Thomas discuss Free Comic Book Day at their libraries, Convergence, Noelle Stevenson, C2E2 and their three favorite things this month.
Send a question to our Mailbag!
Follow the show on Twitter: @SecretStacks
Follow Kristin and Thomas on Twitter: @shinyinfo and @LiberryTom
Email the show at secretstackspodcast@gmail.com
Stuff We Discussed
- Chicago Comics & Entertainment Expo
- Free Comic Book Day
- Brian Michael Bendis on outing Iceman
- Kristin’s “Bitch Planet” cosplay (NSFW, rude hand gesture)
- Noelle Stevenson’s hometown visit
Kristin’s Three Comics
1) Princess Leia
2) Bitch Planet
3) Lumberjanes
Thomas’s Three Comics
1) Star Wars (manga adaptation)
2) Baltimore
3) Silver Surfer
Find a comics shop near you
Secret Stacks artwork by Severin Piehl, creator of Tove
Theme song by Julie Jurgens, who blogs at Hi, Miss Julie! and is on twitter as @himissjulie and @JulieJurgens
SECRET STACKS, your comics in libraries podcast. Episode 1! In this episode, Kristin and Thomas introduce themselves and the show. We go into Mailbag questions and discuss our three favorite things we read this month.
Send a question to our Mailbag!
Follow the show on Twitter: @SecretStacks
Follow Kristin and Thomas on Twitter: @shinyinfo and @LiberryTom
Email the show at secretstackspodcast@gmail.com
Stuff We Discussed
How To Keep Up With Comics Series Without a Local Shop
(Disclaimer: there are plenty, PLENTY of indie publishers and series out there that would comprise a small phone book to include here. These links are meant to cover 99% of what people conventionally mean by “comics,” although the wide world of webcomics will be its own episode later.)
- Diamond Previews
- Collected Editions
- Comic Book Resources
- Comics Alliance
- Panels.net
- Women Write About Comics
- Graphic Novel Reporter
- Valkyries
- Discount Comic Book Service – And definitely not “Direct Comic Book Service” as stated on the show
- Things From Another World
- Image Direct
- DC Subscription
Digital:
- Marvel Unlimited – ($10/month for all of Marvel’s catalog, minus the past six months)
- Comixology – (Just about everything you could ask for, complete with regular sales, bundles, and digital-first titles)
- Dark Horse Digital: (Dark Horse does not use Comixology for distribution [EDIT: Now they do! But Dark Horse’s app and digital store are still available.)
“How do I justify comics to my board/staff?”
- Comic Book Legal Defense Fund
- Resources For Librarians
“Where do I start reading superhero comics?”
- Wikipedia – Pick a character and start digging!
- 25 Great Jumping-On Points For New Comics Readers
- 25 More
- Wednesday Comics
- DC’s New 52
- Marvel’s Leading Ladies
- YALSA’s “Collecting DC and Marvel for Teens”
- Great Graphic Novels For Teens – (also works for good reading lists, period)
- Valiant Comics
Find a comics shop near you
Secret Stacks artwork by Severin Piehl, creator of Tove and is on twitter as @sevpiehl
Theme song by Julie Jurgens, who blogs at Hi, Miss Julie! and is on twitter as @himissjulie and @JulieJurgens
