This decompressed we talk to artist/writer Jason Latour about the process of starting his first ongoing run for Marvel, on WINTER SOLDIER 15.

Is that a worryingly prosaic and sensible intro for Decompressed? Don't worry. It was recorded in a busy cafe in November, the day after a con, and features our minds wandering over such stuff as ads in Breaking Bad, UP-as-serial-killer, the Dukes of Hazard as founding influence, love of old white dudes AND we have a guest appearance from Ivan Brandon, snoozing. This isn't a podcast. This is a defining cultural moment for a generation.

Actually, it's a podcast.

You can find our study aids over here.

This Decompressed is like turning up to a gunfight and discovering the dude's got two guns and you have to (er) dodge both bullets? I was originally going to do a sex metaphor, and thought better of it. Extrapolate for yourself. ANYWAY! Writer Sam Humphries has two comics this week, and I thought a compare and contrast could be interesting.

UNCANNY X-FORCE #1 with Ron Garney is a relaunch as part of the Marvel NOW initiative. SACRIFICE #4 with Dalton Rose isn't just creator owned - but actually self-published, moving towards its conclusion. How do the two experiences work? There's got to be something to talk about there. And lo and behold, there was.

You can buy both from your local comic shop, or online at digital comic shops (Here's X-Force's comixology page and here's Sam's page to point at all the places you can buy Sacrifice, online and off).

And you can find all the show-notes over here.

Er... we're back? I always said it was going to be irregular. But the podcast constipation is over and... this metaphor is going to no place that's good. Let's stop.

I recorded this back at New York Comic Con, where I talked to Al Ewing about the revenge-thriller villain-protagonist creature that is Jennifer Blood 17. We pick apart its double-page-splash structure, Splash ends, whether Splash-ends is a porn term, physical size's relation to dramatic size, ethics, the king of the New York piss porn circuit, sound in dialogue to create momentum in sex scenes and - oh my! - this is really all about sex and craft. And death. Really, it's primarily how great Kewber Baal is.

You can buy JENNIFER BLOOD from your local comic-shop or digitally from Comixology.

And you can find the show notes here.

Something a little different this week. A podcast rather than not a podcast! No, really. It is actually different, as it was recorded in front of a live audience in Nottingham Game City back in (er) the past. October. Man! Doesn't time fly when you're incredibly busy (or rather, moderately busy and lazy). Anyway! This time I talk to Antony Johnston about his collaboration with Sam Hart, THE COLDEST CITY. This spy thriller set at the very last days of the Cold War is also the first complete OGN we've covered, meaning we wander over the whole thing. The audience also altered the dynamic, as sitting in front of a crowd, on expensive chairs in a spotlight does has a way of making you want to go all serious. So less nob gags than normal.

And you'll find all the show notes here.

Hullo! This week on Decompressed I'm joined by Steven Sanders. He's different. He's a drawing man. For the first time, we're talking about the drawing! Specifically, about how he approached Jason Aaron's script for WOLVERINE & THE X-MEN 20. We talk about paneling, character design, how to make hand cannons more awesome, integrating bits of manga he loves into American superhero comics, comedy and more.

And the study aids can be found over here!

We're back. Sorry for the delay. Basically, most of October was constant travel and disruption, so I couldn't find time to get this done. But I did record three podcasts, and plan to do some more at THOUGHT BUBBLE next weekend. Hey! I always said that it would be irregular.

But this is a good one to come back on.

I'm joined by Rick Remender to talk about UNCANNY AVENGERS, the biggest selling superhero comic of the year so far. We talk about an idle idea growing into an enormous book, the question of choosing the level of transgression in imagery, the choice of craft and emotion, of talking through your stories, of compression and everything else.

Shownotes can be found here!

Because I've been travelling, there hasn't been much of a chance to record with someone. So I recorded a panel at DUBLIN. Here it is. It's a writers panel with Matt Fraction, Kelly-Sue Deconnick, Si Spurrier, Rob Williams, Andy Diggle, Jeff Parker and me. Hurrah!

Shownotes can be found here.

I'm joined by Si Suprrier to talk about CROSSED: WISH YOU WERE HERE. Because it's a webcomic makes it a somewhat unusual one, in that you can literally follow this link and read the whole thing. In fact, I'd recommend you do so, as it's genuinely great horror material, written with an underlying intelligence and humanity. I'd also recommend the trade collection, which puts it all in a nice book. You can get it from your local comic shop, and in a couple of weeks on Amazon.

And Study Aids are here! Go look.

I'm joined by David Hine and Shaky Kane to talk about the cut-up Burroughsian excess and glory of 84, the fourth issue of their Bulletproof Coffin: Disinterred. Once again, it's a stand alone issue, so can be consumed alone if you can find a copy (it's available digitally), but I'd recommend you hunt down the trade. It's just out so your local shop will have it, but it's available from all the usual online retailers.

You can find the show notes here.

Honest, you really can. Just click the link. Trust me. I am very trustworthy.

This week I'm joined by Paul Cornell and Jimmy Broxton to talk about issue 6 of SAUCER COUNTRY, a stand alone issue which applies a lecture-type structure to its themes of the UFO in the modern world. We talk about research, structure, experimentation, subjectivity in visual elements, colouring your own work, interpretation, the power of bleed and lots more. You can buy it from your local comic shop, or online for future-eye-reading.

Your study aids can be found here.