Comedy Podcasts Help: Try These

by on March 14, 2017 at 12:09 am
Posted In: Blog, News
comedy podcast cartoon hogan

“It’s funny because it’s true!”

[dc]W[/dc]hile I was a guest on the Montreal Sauce podcast last week (the episodes will be online in few weeks), one of the hosts, Chris, asked me what podcasts I’m listening to now. (Here’s my previous appearance)

Always a good question, that.

The short answer is, several. I could list all the podcasts I enjoy, but I decided to list the comedy podcasts I’m enjoying as of late. The state of the world has increased my hunger or need, for all things funny.

Favorite Comedy Podcasts

Here are the comedy podcasts I listen to regularly, in no particular order. Note: none of these podcasts are for young listeners (there are lots of swears!).

  • The Adventure Zone – A podcast about the three McElory brothers and their dad playing Dungeons & Dragons. It is, in a word, ridiculous. Start with the first episode. As I said on Montreal Sauce, The Adventure Zone convinced me to give Foxes & Boxes a try. Meaning, there’s an audience for silly fantasy stories and serial adventures. I had the seed of the idea of Foxes & Boxes before ever listening to the Adventure Zone, but without it I might not have ever drawn a page.
  • My Brother, My Brother and Me – Another podcast by the McElroy brothers, but this one is an ‘advice’ podcast. The goofy trio read questions found online and, well, things get silly pretty fast. I went back a year and started with the 2016 season (but there’s a lot more). For more McElroy brothers nonsense, read my post about Monster Factory.
  • The Flop House – I know the world isn’t hurting for ‘bad movie podcasts,’ but The Flop House is a favorite. I’ve been a listener for years now (and it’s where I learned about The Adventure Zone).
  • The Dollop – A history podcast and a comedy podcast combined into one. One of the hosts researches a story from American history and reads it to the other, who is hearing it for the first time. It’s a simple premise, but as both hosts are comedians, it always leads to hilarity. I’m new to The Dollop, and working my way through the back catalog. I started at the beginning, but the Ten Cent Beer Night episode is a good entry point.
  • Gilbert Gottfried’s Amazon Colossal Podcast – Interviews with actors, comedians, and writers old and young. They even interviewed Dick Van Dyke! (Yes, he’s still alive) Of all the podcasts on my list, this one gets the raunchiest, but it’s also super funny and full of great stories about ‘old Hollywood.’

This is by no means a complete list, but just a list of what’s in heavy rotation on my trusty iPod Classic at the moment. Go and listen!

└ Tags: , , , , ,

Patreon Paying it Forward: Jason Strutz

by on March 8, 2017 at 12:01 am
Posted In: Blog, News

[dc]F[/dc]or every three patrons I get on Patreon, I’ll back another artist (for at least six months). Last week, I hit my first goal and got to back another artist! It was time to pay it forward on Patreon, but who to pick?

I decided to back Michigan comic artist and cool dad, Jason Strutz. Jason does great work, be it The Cask of Amontillado and The House of Montresor graphic novels or deciding to draw a different xenomorph for every letter of the alphabet.

If Jason’s name sounds familiar to regular Clattertron readers, it’s because he’s been a cohort at comic shows over the years. He even had a guest spot in an old comic. Jason and his family moved to Grand Rapids this past year and I miss his beardy face.

Check out Jason’s Patreon and considering throwing a buck or twenty his way.

Good news! Another kind soul became a patron yesterday, which means I only need two more patrons before I can pay it forward to a second artist. I don’t know who the second artist will be yet, but I know it will be a woman. I want to try to alternate between male and female artists.

ANYWAY

Thanks to my patrons for supporting me, and making it possible for me to support another artist.

Why should you become a patron?

Well, for starters you help support my comic making, and other artists if I get enough patrons.

You also get rewards!

At the lowest level, only $1 a month, you get full access to my patrons only blog posts. This includes my weekly behind the scenes posts. These posts include a scan of my original drawing for that week’s comic. Higher levels also include blog access, but with the added perks of reading my next Foxes & Boxes comic early and at the $5, $10, and $20 levels I send you original art each month! Note: the original art rewards are limited.

Plus, unlike algorithm-ruled social media sites (Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram), patrons see all of my posts in their feeds (and get email updates). That’s right: even if you Like the Clattertron or Foxes & Boxes pages on Facebook, you won’t always see their updates in your feed. It’s true! Facebook makes money by forcing page owners (like me) to pay for their posts (called “boosting”) to be seen by more fans.

If you think it’s crappy you don’t get to see updates for a page you opted-in to following, well you are correct. It certainly is crappy, especially for creators like me. 

So! Skip Facebook and join me on Patreon instead.

└ Tags: ,

KC Green’s Comic Process Video

by on February 28, 2017 at 12:01 am
Posted In: Blog, News
kc green video

Watch KC Green’s video on YouTube.

[dc]O[/dc]ne of my favorite cartoonists, KC Green, uploaded a process video to YouTube, and well y’all should give it a watch.

(video link)

Green condensed five hours of comic making work into a 30-minute video. It is 30-minutes well spent. Green is best known for his comic Gunshow, which spawned the oft-ripped off This Is Fine Dog, a favorite of meme factories, content stealing Facebook pages, and bootleggers all over the Internet.

You can buy official merch and books featuring the This Is Fine Dog from KC Green’s store. Please do (I own this shirt and this Gunshow collection). You can also back Green on Patreon (I do).

These days, Green works on Back (along with artist Anthony Clark) and He Is a Good Boy. Both are recommended reading (He Is a Good Boy is suggested for mature readers, however). The video shows Green working on two pages of He Is a Good Boy.

I love watching how other cartoonists make their comics, and Green’s video gave me a few things to think about when it comes to my own process.

For starters, I liked his method of using Evernote for his comic scripts. It makes sense. Green backs up the text “in the cloud.” As I just switched to lettering all of my comics with digital font, I may give this a try (maybe not with Evernote, we’ll see). Being able to paste my text right from something into Clip Studio Paint is handy. I do this now from OpenOffice, but that’s after I write it out by hand in my sketchbook.

I haven’t really played around with Clip Studio Paint’s word balloon tool much, but after watching Green’s video, I think I should.

I’m always looking for ways to improve, and watching another cartoonist’s process always helps.

Do you want to read about how I make comics? Become one of my Patreon patrons for $1 or more a month and get access to over 25 behind the scenes posts! I add a new one each week with a scan of my original Foxes & Boxes page. Plus, I write about the changes I made in the drawing or writing process.

└ Tags: , , ,

See Me at the 2017 MSU Comics Forum This Saturday

by on February 21, 2017 at 12:01 am
Posted In: Blog, News
foxes boxes mini comic msu comics forum

Foxes & Boxes mini-comics I will have at the 2017 MSU Comics Forum.

[dc]I[/dc]t’s the most magical time of the year: the week of the MSU Comics Forum at Michigan State University! I’m attending once again as a member of Artist Alley and I’m excited to return. This year, I’m showing off my new weekly comic, Foxes & Boxes, which I started back in September.

When is the MSU Comics Forum?

The MSU Comics Forum’s main events are this Friday and Saturday (Feb. 24 and 25, 2017). Friday features the annual keynote address, with one of this year’s speakers James Strum. Saturday brings Artist Alley, panel discussions, and the second keynote address with Charles Hatfield. Both keynotes will be livestreamed.

You can find me in Artist Alley on Saturday starting at 11:00 AM until 5:00 PM.

NOTE: There are two rooms for Artist Alley, so not everyone is in the LookOut! Gallery right by the front. Take a short walk down the hall to find the rest of the artists.

PANELS NOTE: the international travel ban caused some international comic scholars not to make it this year. Read this post on the MSU Comics Forum website.

Where is the MSU Comics Forum?

You can find all the comic-related good times in Snyder/Phillips Hall on Michigan State University’s campus. Follow the signs for the Comics Forum upon entering the building.

Admission is Free!

There’s no reason not to come check out the fun on Friday or Saturday, as the admission is exactly zero dollars. This includes everything: Artist Alley, the keynotes (there are two this year), and the panel talks.

You shouldn’t have to pay for parking either (there’s a chance you could have to walk a bit, so pack your Segway).

Continue Reading

└ Tags: , , , ,