Hideous Energy

#068 - Everyone Is Mean and Hates You

2012-01-26T07:58:00.000-08:00

Visit Hideous Energy at the following places:

Twitter - Tumblr - Facebook - hideousenergy@gmail.com - Fan Off.com

Also check out our webcomic Super Cute with artist Brent Hibbard.

Episode #068:
• Intro - Fighting styles and fighting words, also discussions about Discount Comic Book Services
• Topic Thunder - Rob Liefeld discussed his comic book series the Infinite ending; Brandon Graham called Judd Winnick a name; a DC editor and artist were acting sort of weird.
• Read 'Em and Weep - Ultimate Spider-Man #6 by Brian Michael Bendis and Chris Samnee; Batman #5 by Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo; and Moon Knight #9 by Brian Michael Bendis and Alex Maleev.

Go check out our webcomic with Brent Hibbard, Super Cute (supercutecomic.com). Download more Hideous Energy episodes through iTunes or Fanoff.com.

#067 - "I am Benedict Cumberpatch."

2012-01-18T07:48:00.000-08:00

Yes, we know the name is misspelled, that's part of our charm. Go check out Super Cute, our webcomic with Brent Hibbard! Twitter has got it, man, it's GOT IT. Email hideousenergy@gmail.com and tell us what it's like in awesome and faraway places. Facebook has both us and Super Cute. Fanoff is ohhh so pretty. Tumblr knows what you want, and gives it to you. Check out our exclusive content over on Why Not Indie? You can download MP3s of us from Fan Off and also through iTunes!

Episode #067:
• Intro - You are listening to a tale of old, an adventure in progress; you are listening to Hideous Energy! Go to Discount Comic Book Services and buy some comics for amazing prices. The adventure continues.
• Topic Thunder - This is really just blended into the introduction because we're spontaneous. We discuss the DC cancelled books; Rob Liefeld; how FX maybe passed on the "Powers" TV show; and the new DC logo.
• You Should Read This - We discuss Zegas by Michel Fiffe in a little more detail. Go check it out, and scroll down to read more about the book!
• Read 'Em and Weep - Invincible #87 by Robert Kirkman and Ryan Ottley; Whispers #1 by Joshua Luna; and Scarlet Spider by Chris Yost and Ryan Stegman.
• Outro - Byeeeee.

David Hopkins and Austin Wilson battle the elements. Go check out our webcomic with Brent Hibbard, Super Cute (supercutecomic.com). Download more Hideous Energy episodes through iTunes or Fanoff.com and paint your face like a demon.

Zegas by Michel Fiffe

A lot of stuff happens over on the Hideous Energy Twitter account, some of it pretty ridiculous, some of it serious. Recently, with a little help from a huge amount of Manga David and I have been reading, my mind has been searching for genres and/or subjects that I would love to see featured in a comic. During the surge of Manga we came into contact with books about wine, baseball, characters trying to create their own manga, and astronauts. I wanted to experience this same huge palette of subjects with American comics, and started my journey thinking about all the possibilities. Mostly I just ended up thinking about a comic based on that TV show River Monsters.

Dustin Hoffman's character says in the film Stranger Than Fiction that there are really only two types of stories, comedy and tragedy, and even without using that theory as a jumping off point I realized that in reality American comics are doing a pretty good job of touching various genres (whether there be two or more). What we were really looking for were comics from creators who were willing to explore subjects as varied as all those potential readers out there, a different kind of story for a different kind of life. The problem wasn't that American comics about certain subjects didn't exist, the problem was that they weren't going to be as widely available as books about punching and explosions are. If we were willing to do some serious searching we could find American comics that cover it all, and although our search is not over (and most likely never will be), here are two good examples of books that dare to be different.

Artist Michel Fiffe is one of our favorite results from the search for new comics. Found through Comics Alliance, Zegas is almost a fever dream of color and stylized art that at times borders on abstract, but never strays far from the medium's trope of sequential storytelling. Rather than relying on his fantastic art alone to engage the reader, Fiffe supplies short stories about characters who are doing the one of the most interesting and intense things possible: experiencing life. Zegas is a book detailing the lives of two specific people, namely Boston and Emily Zegas. Fiffe describes the book by saying: "Boston and Emily Zegas are orphaned siblings living together in a dreamlike backdrop where they deal with sex and death, not necessarily in that order. It's a color coded slice-of-life story set on the stylized platform I've designed from the ground up. The architecture, the fashion, the law of physics may be not familiar, but the character dynamics are. Also in [the] second Zegas issue I introduce 'Habanna '76,' a semi-autobiographical account that takes a close look at my own family's history and the neighborhood I was born in. 'Habanna' is different from the main Zegas feature in regards to staging, context, and tone, but it's a complementary addition to the main feature."

The beauty of the art, combined with the prospect of watching these characters discover themselves (or try to forget) makes this a book you need to check out. Another amazing aspect of Zegas is the story of its journey to your hands, which Fiffe details on his RocketHub project page, explaining, "Zegas is a comic book series that I...launched last year in an effort to fully realize the kind of thing I've always wanted to create: a full color one-man anthology comic serializing a main feature while having room to cultivate additional content." He continues by saying the book is, "...a series of stories held together not only by style or by theme but by print. After all, it's the personalized nature of a printed comic and its physical properties that can make a reading experience like no other. I can't wait to get deeper into the world of Zegas with this format, using an approach where both the content and its tangible vehicle are treated with the respect they deserve. What can I say? I love the feel, the function, and even the smell of a comic as an accessible objet d'art."

We couldn't agree more. When you hold Zegas in your hands it has the unique feeling of something created, of being hand-crafted. The art plays into this sensation somewhat, as it is nearly (see this Fiffe's post about process for the only digital portions) all hand illustrated and colored. Please go check out Michel Fiffe's site, and give serious thought to donating toward the production of Zegas #2.

Tale of Sand Stuns Visually, Skimps On Story

2012-01-11T10:48:00.000-08:00

My earliest memories of muppets are wrapped up in the movie Labyrinth, the TV show Fraggle Rock, and obviously, actual "Muppet properties" like The Muppets Take Manhattan, The Great Muppet Caper, A Muppet Christmas Carol, and The Muppet Babies. This statement is noteworthy for a couple of reasons, but chiefly it deals with how I frame my interaction with this piece/these pieces of popular culture. Notice I did not say, "My earliest memories of Jim Henson," similarly to how I would never say, "My earliest memories of George Lucas...". The properties themselves are what I interact(ed) with, and although now I am much more aware of a creator or creators than when I was younger, I still go into a book, movie, play, or anything presenting a fictional narrative with the hope that I can place myself inside its created world and experience it as seamlessly as possible. Jim Henson is without a doubt one of the most important visionary creators of the 20th century, and if you debate that I would ask you why. His creations still exist to this day, and often bridge the gap for many fans between various age ranges. Henson managed to bring something into the world that boys and girls could enjoy, and made it possible to carry the enjoyment and entertainment with them as the calendar pages fluttered by and their age-appropriate nouns changed. Passing down a beloved movie (or book, or song, etc.) to one's children is surely a fantastically rewarding aspect of parenthood (I can only speculate), and Henson, along with his collaborators, gave the world a huge amount of material that can function in this way.

I never would have described myself as a huge Henson fan, but sitting down to write this I realized exactly how much of my young life (as well as young-adult, and now adult) has been spent appreciating the art of Jim Henson. Labyrinth was an enormous part of my childhood, and a large role in the development of my imagination and love of escaping into stories - which the movie deals with explicitly - and realizing this led me to see how much I really owe to Henson. I graduated from watching Labyrinth on a VHS prone to storms of static to enjoying it on a pristine Bluray.

My lifelong interaction with certain Henson properties was taken into consideration when Archaia Entertainment announced they would be putting out a comic based on an un-published/un-produced screenplay by Jim Henson and Jerry Juhl entitled Tale of Sand. The announcement came with images from Ramon K. Perez that were absolutely gorgeous, and immediately set the excitement and anticipation levels high. Maybe, at my current age, the eventual enjoyment levels I experience with a book are intimately tied to my previous levels of anticipation/expectation. That equation is something I've dissected and worried over for a few years now, and realistically there is most likely nothing I can do if it's true. I hate to think the actual strength of the material has less to do with my enjoyment than my own personal expectations do, and that is one of the reasons why I refuse to admit there is truth to the theory "It's all about expectations."

When I finally got to read Tale of Sand I went into it looking for adventure, comedy, and maybe just a pinch of introspection powered by the book's own characters learning about themselves. What I found was a collection of absolutely gorgeous images by Ramon K. Perez, with colors provided by he and Ian Herring that lingered in my mind. Also of note is the lettering, which was based on Jim Henson's handwriting.

This book has some of the most memorable art published by Archaia to date. The art plays a large role in how noteworthy the publication has become, and is much more worthy of the positive critical outpouring than the script provided by Henson and Juhl. The words "un-published" and "un-produced" become particularly glaring when Tale of Sand is actually read, rather than just looked at. The prospect of creating a comic based on content from a beloved source that was previously unseen (or even completely unknown) may have saddled this project with unfair critical expectations, and may have made it hard for some reviewers to look with anything other than nostalgic eyes. I absolutely love Henson, but this book delivers 50% of a complete project; its art is gorgeous, its story is all but non-existent.

Maybe the problem with the Tale of Sand story lies in its existence as an un-produced screenplay that had been in the Henson vault for years. Information on the Tale of Sand publication gives a couple of indications of what was to be expected from taking this un-produced script and adapting it. The back of the book states, "It was during the development of the final draft of the screenplay that Jim Henson came involved in the production of Sesame Street and The Muppet Show, and he left the experimental filmmaking of his youth behind to concentrate on the creations that would in time make him a household name." We're given two possible reasons for why the story and/or a plot is missing from Tale of Sand. First, Henson was unable to finish a final draft of the script before moving on to other projects. There's absolutely no evidence to support the theory that Henson left the script unfinished because he was unhappy with it, but that is certainly a possibility. It is undoubtable that Henson's commitment to Sesame Street and The Muppet Show occupied much of his time, but I wonder if Tale of Sand being shelved for almost 40 years didn't indicate Henson's displeasure with the material he and Juhl had created. We'll most likely never know that answer.

Another indication that Tale of Sand was going to be light on story is the book's jacket copy referring to Henson's leaving the "experimental filmmaking of his youth." Karen Falk - the Archives Director and historian of the Jim Henson Company - addresses Henson's experimental work in her foreword to Tale of Sand, specifically an Oscar nominated short film he created entitled "Time Piece." You can see the short film on YouTube here, and I suggest if you're going to read Tale of Sand, you would do well to watch this short film first. It gives you a pretty good hint at what you're going to experience with the book, and might put your mind in the right place going into the material.

I disagree with anyone labeling Henson as a strictly visual storyteller, and that is why I was so disappointed to find very little story in Tale of Sand. Yes, the visuals of Henson's many creations are strong and memorable, but the best of his creations has always relied on story and character to some degree, tales that evoke, as I mentioned earlier, some level of introspection in the viewer, whether it be through comedy or drama.

Tale of Sand is undoubtedly an experiment in visuals, one that succeeds immensely. Where it fails, however, is to deliver a story alongside those visuals, which is a significant failure for a hardcover of 152 pages which will cost you $29.95. If you're content to buy a book that is beautiful to look at, and nothing else, then this book is definitely for you. I think if I had known just how experimental it would be (again, I direct you to the short film Time Piece), my interaction with Tale of Sand would most likely have been different. It's odd to think that even though I have spent a large amount of my youth, adolescence, and adulthood with Henson's creations, I was absolutely unaware of the short film he almost won an Oscar for. I can't help but wonder if this piece of Henson's past should have stayed in the vault, if for no other reason than maybe that is in fact where he intended it to stay. Although the foreword contains references to many attempts to find financing for the film, all resulting in failures, it is entirely possible the script's status as un-produced was because it was in reality just an extended version of Henson's one minute and 37 second short film, which is utterly without story and entirely reliant upon experimental visuals.

I am pleased I got the opportunity to read this publication for without it I wouldn't have seen Ramon K. Perez's gorgeous art, and been able to put his name on my list of artists to watch. Another thing of note is how reliable Archaia is at producing quality publications, from paper stock to binding. A book published by them is almost guaranteed to look wonderful on your shelf. Tale of Sand hasn't altered my love of Henson, but it definitely has put my love for his creations in perspective, and in a way, strengthened that love.

Archaia is currently developing a Labyrinth graphic novel with artist Brian Froud (who helped design the characters for the original film). I will undoubtedly be reading it.

-Austin Wilson

#066 - Breastfeeding Ed Gein

2012-01-11T08:27:00.000-08:00

We talk about breastfeeding in comics/public, about first and second issues of books and what those numbers mean in relation to content, and Ed Gein. There is very little news to report this week, but there is definitely a new strip of our webcomic with Brent Hibbard! Twitter is moooving fast. Email hideousenergy@gmail.com and talk to us like long lost cousins. Facebook has both us and Super Cute. Fanoff loves us and we love them. Tumblr gets jiggy wit it. Check out our exclusive content over on Why Not Indie? You can download MP3s of us from Fan Off and also through iTunes!

Episode #066:
• Intro - A Hopkins celebration is usually bloody and crippling; go buy your comics at Discount Comic Book Services; also, Ed Gein and serial killers.
• Read 'Em and Weep - Defenders #2 by Matt Fraction and Terry Dodson/Rachel Dodson; Fatale #1 by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips; Action Comics #5 by Grant Morrison and Adam Kubert.
• The Listen Bitches - Austin picks "Beacon" by Matt Duncan, and David picks "Midnight City" by M83. Thanks for listening!

David Hopkins and Austin Wilson are reading comics right now. Go check out our webcomic with Brent Hibbard, Super Cute (supercutecomic.com). Download more Hideous Energy episodes through iTunes or Fanoff.com and paint your face like a demon.

A DC Debate!

2012-01-05T14:32:00.000-08:00

Instead of having a complete episode we have this discussion with Seth Breedlove about the reboot of DC, and all of our opinions! Go check out our webcomic with Brent Hibbard! Twitter is pretty cool. Email hideousenergy@gmail.com and see how cool that is as well. Facebook has both us and Super Cute. Fanoff smells nice. Tumblr is great for those days when you just want to look at things. Comic Booked always wears the best shirts. Check out our exclusive content over on Why Not Indie? You can download MP3s of us from Fan Off and also through iTunes!

A DC Debate: It's over an hour of nothing but opinion, featuring listener Seth Breedlove!

David Hopkins and Austin Wilson will debate you. They will debate you so hard. Go check out our webcomic with Brent Hibbard, Super Cute (supercutecomic.com). Download more Hideous Energy episodes through iTunes or Fanoff.com and decide whether you'll get that tattoo or not.

#065 - Rollin' Crits

2011-12-28T07:01:00.000-08:00

With very little news to report/comment on, we are left to our own devices. This is what happens. You can see similar results by going to read our webcomic with Brent Hibbard! Twitter has updates about almost all of the stuff we're doing at any given time. Email hideousenergy@gmail.com and get longer responses from us. Facebook has both us and Super Cute. Fanoff are our one true love. Tumblr has information about comics in visual form. Comic Booked is our one true love (shhhh). Check out our exclusive content over on Why Not Indie? You can download MP3s of us from Fan Off and also through iTunes!

Episode #065:
• Intro - Something happens and you get in-depth discussions of Michael Jackson and the trials he experienced, whether we would/could play any tabletop role-playing game, and then we talk about Discount Comic Book Services!
• Topic Thunder - Two movie discussions, one that actually ties to comics (and whether it ruins your childhood or not), and then we talk about the leak of Watchmen prequel material from DC. You know, because everyone at DC hates each other and you too.
• Top 5 - Two Top Fives! The Top 5 Character Names For Our Hypothetical Dungeons and Dragon session, and Top 5 Weapons We Would Give Our Characters! You get a very interesting cocktail of serious and ridiculous.
• Outro - This is all a blur. We'll be back on January 11 of 2012.

David Hopkins and Austin Wilson are always rollin' crits against each other. This episode runs 1:49:41 and has a tiny bit of everything that has ever happened. Go check out our webcomic with Brent Hibbard, Super Cute (supercutecomic.com). Download more Hideous Energy episodes through iTunes or Fanoff.com and then shave your head and become a monk.

#064 - Accidentally Professional

2011-12-21T05:44:00.000-08:00

MAN! We want you all to read a bunch of comics. Please listen to us. You don't have to start here, but eventually you should go read our webcomic with Brent Hibbard! Twitter is alive with activity from day to day. Email hideousenergy@gmail.com and pretend you're our long lost love Facebook has both us and Super Cute. Fanoff makes life easier. Tumblr sure does look perdy. Comic Booked will help you reach that shelf you can't. Check out our exclusive content over on Why Not Indie? You can download MP3s of us from Fan Off and also through iTunes!

Episode #064:
• Intro - Welcome to show #whatever this is, where we talk about Discount Comic Book Services!
• Topic Thunder - A man goes to jail and for distributing a leaked movie; Bane talks and the internet births a million comedians; and you're an inker? You're fired.
• You Should Read This - In a special extended version of the segment we not only have listener Brandon Murphy on, but Bryan Daggett as well. There are many books discussed! Go check out Why Not Indie? for some special Hideous Energy content, as well as other info about indie comics. Thanks to Brandon Murphy for listening and spending his birthday with us!
• The Listen Bitches - Flying in the face of felony charges, Austin picks "Look At Miss Ohio" by Gillian Welch, and David picks "Y Control" by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.

David Hopkins and Austin Wilson promise they aren't old men. Please read our webcomic, Super Cute (supercutecomic.com). Download more Hideous Energy episodes through iTunes or Fanoff.com and hold your breath until you see stars.

The Becky Cloonan Interview!

2011-12-16T07:30:00.000-08:00

Whatever time it is, right now Becky Cloonan is drawing. If you haven't heard of her or seen her work, then it is a good possibility you can't see or hear. We were very lucky to get an interview with her, and here it is! Tell us who you want us to interview (or try to) on our Twitter. Please read our webcomic with artist Brent Hibbard; the name of the comic is Super Cute. Facebook will let you show your friends and family (fake or real) that you like us! Fan Off has us and other podcasts, so go there! Tumblr thinks you are, just, so pretty. Comic Booked also has us and other podcasts, so again, go there. You can download this and other interviews through iTunes, as well as through Fan Off! Thank you for listening.

We talk with Becky Cloonan about where she was born and why she chose said place as her birthplace; she gives her opinion on the women in comics debate, and talks about how the Tokyopop shutdown affected her. After all of that we discuss fingernail soup, her desire to be a soulless killing machine, and how she sees herself as Peter Lorre.

Go check out her blog, Ink and Thunder, and follow her on Twitter. Most importantly though, swing by her online shop and pick up a copy of Wolves, or anything else she is selling. She's a fantastic artist and a cool person, so you should double-support her art! Thanks to Becky for taking the time to talk to us, and you for listening!

Movie versions of Austin Wilson and David Hopkins would probably be played by Sinead O'connor and Cybil Shepard, respectively. This interview runs 1:04:24 and will make you smile. Please give our other shows and interviews a listen, and check out our webcomic!

#063 - It's a Debate and Slap Fight Kinda' Day

2011-12-14T07:32:00.000-08:00

Oh boy, you get misogyny and confetti and waving brown bears and slap fights! Listen and you will also feel like you're being hit by confetti! Go read our webcomic with Brent Hibbard! The name of the comic is Super Cute. Twitter has over 5,000 tweets by us. Yes. Write to us through hideousenergy@gmail.com and you will most likely get mentioned on-air. Facebook has both us and Super Cute. Fanoff are gorgeous human beings. Tumblr just looks so good. Comic Booked holds us up when we feel as if we can't go on. Check out our exclusive content over on Why Not Indie? You can download MP3s of us from Fan Off and also through iTunes!

Episode #063:
• Intro - Celebrating our idiosyncrasies, as we do Discount Comic Book Services!
• Topic Thunder -Brian K. Vaughan hates David because he's a negative jerk; J. Michael Straczynski and Stephen Wacker have a slap fight; and Bleeding Cool predicts the future that Mark Millar kind of predicts? We talk about that. It's better than it sounds.
• Read 'Em (it) and Weep - We discuss the first issue of "The Defenders" by Matt Fraction and the family Dodson. Theeeeennnn...we talk more about it. We talk about it a lot.
• Outro - Come baaaaaaaaaa...

David Hopkins and Austin Wilson could seriously argue about anything. This episode runs 1:37:08. Please read our webcomic, Super Cute (supercutecomic.com). Download more Hideous Energy episodes through iTunes or Fanoff.com and throw confetti into your own face.

#062 - The World's Best Cooking Podcast

2011-12-07T07:33:00.000-08:00

Today we foster gender confusion, discuss comics for somewhere around an hour, then spoil an unreleased movie! Yeah! Check out our webcomic with Brent Hibbard, Super Cute. Twitter is constantly alight with our musings. Emailing us through hideousenergy@gmail.com is an easy way to get yourself mentioned on the show. Facebook has both us and Super Cute. Fanoff never gives up on us. Tumblr loves us. Comic Booked has us and other podcasts! Check out our exclusive content over on Why Not Indie? You can download MP3s of us from Fan Off and also through iTunes!
Episode #062:
• Intro - Ohhh yeah, fostering gender confusion and discussing deals from Discount Comic Book Services!
• Topic Thunder - Marvel's next big event garners a TON of conversation; Bendis leaves "Avengers;" Alan Moore is mean again; and Dark Horse brings digital comics to you and some people thought that was bad.
• The Flicker Shows - David spoils an entire movie that hasn't even been released yet. Seriously. He read the entire script, and then spoils the whole thing.
• Outro - Seeeeee yaaaa'...byyyyeeee...

David Hopkins and Austin Wilson are totally confused about their gender. This episode runs 1:40:23. Please read our webcomic, Super Cute (supercutecomic.com). Download more Hideous Energy episodes through iTunes or Fanoff.com if you enjoy this kind of thing.

#061 - Smoking Leads To Coughing

2011-11-30T07:22:00.000-08:00

If we aren't reviewing comics then we're probably reviewing Jurassic Park and how it would be different if the characters smoked raptor bones. Yeah. Go read our webcomic with Brent Hibbard, Super Cute. Through Twitter you can talk right to us wherever we are. Emailing us through hideousenergy@gmail.com is such a good idea, just such a good idea. Facebook has both us and Super Cute. Fanoff never gives up on us. Tumblr is so freaking pretty. Comic Booked has more info on comics! Check out our exclusive content over on Why Not Indie? You can download MP3s of us from Fan Off and also through iTunes!

Episode #061:
• Intro - Giving up your head space is required for listening to us. Go check out Discount Comic Book Services to get your comics for AT LEAST 35% off.
• Read 'Em and Weep -Fantastic Four #600 by Jonathan Hickman and All of the Artists; Invincible #85 by Robert Kirkman and Cory Walker; Secret Avengers #19 by Warren Ellis and Michael Lark, Stefano Gaudiano, and Brian Thies; and Jurassic Park.
• You Should Read This - Detective Comics: Black Mirror, by Scott Snyder, Jock, and Francesco Francavilla; and The Brave and the Bold collection, by J. Michael Straczynski and various artists!
• Top 5 - Weird Things We Would Smoke
• The Listen Bitches - David chooses "A Real Hero" by College; Austin picks "Party People" by Winter Gloves.

David Hopkins and Austin Wilson have found themselves, and can't believe they were ever lost. This episode runs 1:14:26. Please read our webcomic, Super Cute (supercutecomic.com). Download more Hideous Energy episodes through iTunes or Fanoff.com if you enjoy this kind of thing.

#060 - You Deal the Hand You're Dealt

2011-11-23T07:21:00.000-08:00

Today we test the plausibility of cough syrup poisoning, and whether or not we're capable of loving something too much. Go read our webcomic with Brent Hibbard, Super Cute. On Twitter we're all having a great time. Emailing us through hideousenergy@gmail.com is one of your shots at hearing about yourself on the internet. Facebook has both us and Super Cute. Fanoff loves us for some reason, so show them some love. Tumblr will always love you. Comic Booked has a ton of content for you to peruse, so go, peruse! Check out our exclusive content over on Why Not Indie? At the end of the day iTunes will be there for you.

Episode #060:
• Intro - David makes outrageous claims from his sick/deathbed, and then we put them to the test. Also Discount Comic Book Services gets you your comics at a phenomenal discount - from 35% and up - so going there is a moral imperative.
• Topic Thunder - SciFi wants to make a Booster Gold TV show; some new details about the Batman movie; Marvel kills books and giggles at their plight; DC...seriously? Good lord; and Brian K. Vaughan and Marcos Martin are going to make us happy.
• Critical Thinking - So what happens when something you love becomes something you loved? Trust us, there are plenty of curse words and crazy things to offset the deep thinking.
• Read 'Em and Weep - Friend and listener Ryan Prinkey stops by to chat about two things you should read! Captain America: The Captain, and JSA: The Golden Age.

• Outro - We would totally dance if you asked us to dance.

David Hopkins and Austin Wilson say what they mean and mean what they say. This episode runs 1:24:59. Please read our webcomic, Super Cute (supercutecomic.com). Download more Hideous Energy episodes through iTunes or Fanoff.com if you enjoy this kind of thing.

#059 - Fight Like Raptors, Love Like the Punisher

2011-11-16T07:34:00.000-08:00

If you've ever fought like a raptor then this episode will probably make sense to you. Also, if you've ever thought about the Punisher's mental and emotional state. Go read our webcomic with Brent Hibbard, Super Cute. On Twitter we're all having a great time. Emailing us through hideousenergy@gmail.com is one of your shots at hearing about yourself on the internet. Facebook has both us and Super Cute. Fanoff loves us for some reason, so show them some love. Tumblr will always love you. Comic Booked has a ton of content for you to peruse, so go, peruse! Check out our exclusive content over on Why Not Indie? At the end of the day iTunes will be there for you.

Episode #059:
• Intro - Using weapons to breakdance fight, we begin this episode right. Like raptors. Discount Comic Book Services has a ton of deals, so go check them out and be completely happy you did so.
• Topic Thunder - Frank Miller probably hates you, depending on what device you're reading this on; DC releases a series digitally before printing it; the DC sales numbers are probably wrong; DC might be changing some publishing teams next year; and guy who deserves it goes to jail.
• Read 'Em and Weep - Avenging Spider-Man #1, by Zeb Wells and Joe Madueira; Punisher Max #19 by Jason Aaron and Steve Dillon; Incredible Hulk by Jason Aaron and everyone born ever.
• Top 5 - Things You Can't Look Cool Doing, suggested by our friend Sean Hulse!
• Outro - The next round's on us.

David Hopkins and Austin Wilson waltz in and out like the wind. This episode runs 1:36:31. Please read our webcomic, Super Cute (supercutecomic.com). Download more Hideous Energy episodes through iTunes or Fanoff.com, and you won't have to do any kind of pagan ritual to find happiness.

#058 - A Little Dash of Truth, a Heaping Plate of Lies

2011-11-09T07:42:00.000-08:00

Featuring Caleb Schmreen and Brent Hibbard, this episode is a HUGE one. We discuss Super Cute, our webcomic with Hibbard, then be kind of mean to Caleb. It's all pretty normal. Go over to Twitter if you're into having fun. You can email us through hideousenergy@gmail.com, and we'll answer your questions on-air! Facebook has both us and Super Cute. Fanoff is the rocking place that hosts us, so go there please! Tumblr is prettier than you. Comic Booked holds us close and holds us tight, so go there too! The only way to make sure you get us all the time definitely is to subscribe through iTunes.

Episode #058:
• Intro - We're weird and all, but then we talk about a deal from Discount Comic Book Services that is freaking insane.
• Topic Thunder - Julie Taymor is suing the people she once loved; Brian K. Vaughan will adapt a gigantic Stephen King book for Showtime; Amazong releases a list of best graphic novels and we're only slightly dicks about that; and finally, Marvel hates you and doesn't want you to enjoy things.
• You Should Read This - Local, by Brian Wood and Ryan Kelly; Batman: Under the Red Hood, by Judd Winnick, Dough Mahnke, and others; Lucifer: Devil In the Gateway, by Mike Carey and multiple artists.
• Listener E-mail - We answer a few questions sent to us from our loyal listener, Tiffany Strafe-bomb Piano C-4. The questions are about movies adapted from comics! Send us e-mail questions!
• Super Cute - We discuss our current experiment of running three strips a week for the month of November with Super Cute artist Brent Hibbard. Also, we talk about his process and how he's so pimp.
• The Listen Bitches - We each pick two songs. Holy moly. They are as follows: Birthday Girl, by the Roots; Freaks and Geeks, by Childish Gambino; Helix by Justice; Dissorder by Joy Division; Please Ask For Help by Telekinesis; and Feel It All Around by Washed Out.

David Hopkins and Austin Wilson have, and do, dance with the devil in the pale moonlight. That devil is Caleb Schmreen. Episode #056 runs 2:11:17. Go check out our webcomic Super Cute, running three times a week in the month of November, with more content always on the way! Download more Hideous Energy episodes through iTunes or Fanoff.com, and the circle will be complete.

#057 - We're Dying Trying

2011-11-02T07:27:00.000-07:00

Today you get an episode that is filled to burstin' with comics talk! Speaking of comics, check out Super Cute, our webcomic. Talk right to us immediately through Twitter. Our email is hideousenergy@gmail.com, and we love getting email! Facebook has us and Super Cute. Fanoff hosts our show and others, so go check that out! Tumblr shows you what you should be looking at. Comic Booked also hosts us, and also has other stuff to listen to, so go there! Lastly, subscribe to us through iTunes to keep the fun going!

Episode #057:
• Intro - After our parents left us the Internet we found Discount Comic Book Services. and fell in love.
• Read 'Em and Weep - Justice League Dark #2, by Peter Milligan and Mikel Janin; Incredible Hulk #1 by Jason Aaron and Marc Silvestri; Wolverine and the X-Men #1 by Jason Aaron and Chris Bachalo.
• You Should Read This - Green River Killer, by Jeff Jensen and Jonathan Case; Area 10 by Christos Gage and Chris Samnee; and Northlanders Vol. 1 by Brian Wood and Davide Gianfelice! Go buy them!
• Outro - We promise we'll never change. Or stop trying.

David Hopkins and Austin Wilson do not own the internet, obviously. They do own comics, and promise to keep owning more. Episode #056 runs 1:18:35. Check out our webcomic Super Cute, and download more Hideous Energy episodes through iTunes or Fanoff.com.

#056 - Your Hair Is Already Dead (Try To Sleep Now)

2011-10-26T06:51:00.000-07:00

Is there someone out there you love enough to purchase some of their hair? Or any of their body? These are the kinds of things we discuss on our show, and also Super Cute, our webcomic. Tweet us whose hair you'd purchase through Twitter. Or yeah, email it to us at hideousenergy@gmail.com. You could even go to Facebook for us and Super Cute. Fanoff has lots of people whose hair you could maybe buy. Tumblr has art, not hair, but is there really that big of a difference? Comic Booked is only now developing a way to keep their hair from being stolen and sold on the black market. Please. Go subscribe to us through iTunes. We won't try to sell our hair if you do.

Episode #056:
• Intro - David and Austin briefly switch brains, then talk about Discount Comic Book Services.
• Topic Thunder - The new Batman game gets discussed A LOT; a third season of "The Walking Dead" is already guaranteed; Marvel hates its employees?; Ed Brubaker will write a movie; and someone is going to own Jerry Siegel's hair, and that person isn't Jerry Siegel.
• Wizard World - Mid-Ohio: David attended Mid-Ohio con, and we discuss it and how kids are the future. Also, Perry, if you're reading/listening to this, give us a shout. You're awesome.
• Outro - See ya' 'round.

David Hopkins and Austin Wilson would probably keep some of each others' hair. Austin's bald though. They would find a way around this. Episode #056 runs 1:31:28. Please read our webcomic Super Cute, and please download more Hideous Energy episodes through iTunes or Fanoff.com.

#055 - Our Existential Crisis

2011-10-19T09:26:00.000-07:00

There is a very certain character arc to this episode. We start out feeling normal, and end up questioning our very existence at the end. Read things that are similar to this show on our webcomic. Show Twitter some love. Email hideousenergy@gmail.com and talk to us whenever, at your leisure. Facebook has us and Super Cute. Fanoff will help you quit whatever you need to, cold turkey. Tumblr shines and shimmers. Comic Booked would totally pick us for their kickball team. Subscribing to us through iTunes means you don't really have to do too much to get us each week.

Episode #055:
• Intro - Candles and voodoo and Discount Comic Book Services.
• Topic Thunder - The Walking Dead TV show premieres to huge numbers, but is maybe not as good as the numbers say; New York Comic Con pulled in some huge numbers, and also announced a bunch of stuff. We talk about a few of the announcements.
• Top 5(s) - We do two separate Top Fives this week. First, Verbs or Nouns That Would Make Good Superhero Names. Second, Stupid or Useless Super Powers.
• The Listen Bitches - Austin picks "God Killed the Queen" by Louis XIV, and David picks "Zero" by Smashing Pumpkins. Oh yeah, we also get completely into our own shit, and talk about whether or not we're immature (we are), but also about how much we love comics and how serious we take things. It is interesting?

David Hopkins and Austin Wilson know who they are, and wonder if other people do too. This show runs 1:37:14. Go check out Super Cute! Please download our other episodes and spread the word about how reliable we are about teetering back and forth between normalcy and absolute insane weirdness.

#054 - With Great Power Comes In With the Fanny Talk (With Mike McLarty!)

2011-10-12T07:33:00.000-07:00

Guest-starring both Caleb Schmreen and Mike McLarty, this show has a ton of the talking! Only some of it is mean, but all of it is passionate. Check out our webcomic, and join in the fun. Find Twitter. It found us. Email hideousenergy@gmail.com like all the cool kids. Facebook has us and Super Cute. Fanoff is the hand that rocks the cradle. Tumblr is perdy. Comic Booked guide us through the darkness. Finally, subscribe through iTunes and get a prize!

Episode #054:
• Intro - Sometimes it's hard to remember what we said here, except for the reminder to shop at Discount Comic Book Services.
• Topic Thunder -Vertigo adapts a book you probably have never heard of; Wonder Woman has a dad now, and he isn't the material clay; Barnes and Noble are hilarious babies; and a movie is coming that will kill David righteously.
• Comic Peeps - Our friend Mike McLarty stops by to talk about the new run of Daredevil by Mark Waid and Marcos Martin, and the relaunched Aquaman by Geoff Johns and Ivan Reis. Also, to tell us how we are too mean to Schmreen, but then be mean to him also.
• Top 5 - Goofy Origin Tweaks
• Outro - We are mean to Schmreen. Again.

David Hopkins and Austin Wilson seriously do love their friend Caleb. This show runs 1:33:53. Read our webcomic at Supercutecomic.com, then tell your friends about it and this podcast. Only one of them is on iTunes. Guess which!

#053 - We're Mean and Andy Kirby Is Nice

2011-10-05T08:00:00.000-07:00

Titling this episode was a very delicate process. We were presented with so many options, some compliments of our special guest Andy Kirby, and some generated out of our own fetid mind-swamps. Go check out Andy Kirby on the Marvel 616 podcast, follow them on Twitter and Facebook! They're cool guys, with cleaner vocabularies than Austin's was when he was in Kindergarten. Please read our own webcomic, which now has the ability for you to comment and be nice to us! Go to Twitter, it is waiting. Email hideousenergy@gmail.com and the circle will be complete. Facebook really, seriously needs you to click like for us and Super Cute. Fanoff will never leave us, right? Tumblr needs love too. Comic Booked has so much stuff for you to enjoy, including us. Your day won't be over until you download us and subscribe to the show through iTunes!

Episode #053:
• Intro - Skunky and Kankwar. After that we regain our senses and discuss Discount Comic Book Services and only make a couple of outrageous claims about their services. Go check them out!
• Topic Thunder - Image invades the digital world; Patton Oswalt hates DC and having fun with them (maybe?); a new Batman cartoon dares to be completely awful sounding; Marvel announces some new movie titles; and Dan Didio crushes the dreams of us ever reading a book called "The Crisis Crisis."
• Comic Peeps - We chat with Andy Kirby about his love for comics, and how and when he came to them. We only say weird or gross things a few times in this segment, so your family can probably listen. The rest though? Probably might need to screen those first.
• Vampires and Magicians - An attempt at an intro turned into us talking about vampire sex and their dead/undead physiology; also, magicians and books about them.
• Top 5 - Insult Book Titles - Suggested by fan Alex Warn! This one is his and David's fault.

David Hopkins and Austin Wilson have said a lot of gross things. Sometimes they record them, most of the time not. This time Andy Kirby joined in on the gross fun. This show runs 1:36:00. Go read the newest Super Cute comic, then subscribe to us through iTunes. Enter funny joke about subscribe versus prescribe here.

The Andrew MacLean Interview!

2011-09-30T10:23:00.000-07:00

Andrew MacLean stops by and talks to us about drawing and rocking out like a badass. He hates glass bottles clinking together, and is deathly afraid of spiders. Also, he's illustrating an upcoming book called Meatspace. Watch for it. Tell us what makes you scream and cry on Twitter. Email hideousenergy@gmail.com, it's like a message in a bottle. Facebook is our casual hangout spot. Fanoff has a ton of cool stuff, go check it out! Tumblr is fun to enjoy. Comic Booked has us and so much more. Go over to iTunes for this and other stuff. Read our webcomic Super Cute, and look at your friends in wonderment.

Andrew MacLean draws his inspiration from movies and comics, particularly Mike Mignola. Check out that sweet picture up there for proof. It's available to view alongside more awesome art on his DeviantArt page. Find your jean jacket, and listen to the interview with a dude who is definitely one to watch. Not creepily, though.

Austin Wilson and David Hopkins wear jean jackets under their shirts at all time. This interview runs 57:17 and is dripping with artistry. Not because of us though. Because of Andrew MacLean's art. Download the rest of our shows and go read our webcomic!

#052 - Information For Your Brain Hole (With Liz Suburbia)

2011-09-28T14:54:00.000-07:00

It's a very special episode this week because it guest stars Liz Suburbia! Go check out her webcomic Sacred Heart, and follow her on Twitter and Tumblr. She unequivocally rocks. You should look at Super Cute, our own webcomic! Listen to our insane mutterings on Twitter. Email hideousenergy@gmail.com to make sure we read it while we're wearing our tweed jackets. Facebook lets you see the faces of everyone who likes both Hideous Energy and Super Cute. Fanoff treats us right, so we try to do the same to them. Tumblr sits in a frame. Comic Booked is a playground for comics. Go to iTunes and download all episodes of Hideous Energy!

Episode #052:
• Intro - We talk about weird stuff - surprise - before we talk about Discount Comic Book Services and how they love us for some reason.
• Topic Thunder - Guest starring Liz Suburbia! We talk about "Mad Max" and then about Do-It-Yourself comics and their role in the larger landscape of comics; piracy and whether it is the Apocalypse some people say it is; and yet again we have to discuss whether or not DC hates women. Seth Breedlove wrote an article we mention.
• You Should Read This - David selects "Planetary;" Austin picks "Lady Sabre & the Pirates of the Ineffable Aether;" and Liz Suburbia chooses "Finder."
• The Listen Bitches - Liz Suburbia picks "Tambourines-N-Thyme" by Nana Grizol; David picks "Is This It" by the Strokes; Austin picks "Creepin' Up the Backstairs" by The Fratellis.
• Outro - Ummmmm...

David Hopkins and Austin Wilson have made some awesome friends through this podcast, and Liz Suburbia is one of them. This show runs 1:45:48. Read our newest Super Cute strip, download all Hideous Energy episodes on iTunes.

The Do It Yourself Comic - Editing

2011-09-26T17:05:00.000-07:00

I've gone through quite a few steps on the way to creating my own comic - concept, design, plotting, and scripting - and now that I have a finished script in hand, it's time to do something with it. Instead of starting in on the actual art process (see: design), I'm going to spend some time editing what I've written and see what changes.

I won't spend too much time on this since the process has a dual nature. While I was writing the script I edited out certain things that weren't working, almost always because of space. The comic I'm setting out to make is 16 pages, and you wouldn't think only six pages less than the traditional comic book would make too big of a difference, but it seemed like it did. This partially might've been because I had the story in my mind, and written down as a loose outline. Without seeing it in the context of comic book pages, where I would have to worry about pacing the dialogue along with the overall flow of the story, I wouldn't be able to see where I might need to make cuts. I'm sure some people might spend more time on the outlining, and get every piece as meticulously into place as possible, but I didn't want to get bogged down on what will be a very small story. This one-shot shouldn't take me months to outline, so I got the basic gist of the story down and went ahead.

One thing I ran into immediately was having enough time to give my readers a sense of who the main character is. I had all of these aspirations of showing a storyline unfolding with the main character, but also giving the reader a sense of who the secondary character is, and that quickly went out the window. My goal to show how anger can affect us got whittled down to one central act, and the main character became the sole focus. Another thing from the original outline that was changed was the timeline. I had it written that I would show the main character at work over the course of two days, but that was impossible because of the page count.

Movies sometimes utilize a technique known as a "jump cut," which I'm pretty sure was the product of the French New Wave, or so David tells me. It's a method that can work beautifully on-screen, allowing the filmmakers to show the passage of time in large or small chunks, and present a visually interesting change that will keep the viewer engaged. In comic books, however, it can sometimes be too jarring, and only work in conjunction with captions or dialogue explaining the new surroundings. I utilized a few jump cuts, and did so for a few reasons. First, I was working with a very limited amount of space to tell my story. I needed to set up the main character's life, both in and out of work, and I wanted to show him at home to give the readers some kind of comparison between how he acts when he's alone, and how he acts when he's with people (or one person in particular). Second, after I realized my 16 pages were quickly being eaten up by the script, I knew that using jump cuts would be an easy way to cut out certain chunks of narrative, and do so in a way that served the story.

One of the bad things about editing as you work is it takes longer to produce a final product, and definitely presents the possibility of getting wrapped up in making the work perfect before it's even finished. Normally when I'm writing something I'll worry about editing later, but since this is such a short comic, one I can finish and not worry about sequels or follow-up issues, I didn't worry about getting caught up in the editing.

Most likely after I go back to the script and look over it I'll see pacing problems, or maybe plot points that don't make sense. I will definitely see dialogue that could be better, and that will be the majority of what gets edited. I'm going to go into it with my editing weapons out. Murder your darlings.

-austin

The Sam Humphries Interview!

2011-09-23T11:13:00.000-07:00

We talk to writer Sam Humphries, the writer of Our Love Is Real, a one-shot getting ready to be published by Image Comics! He talks about having sex with plants and dogs, but also about corporate-citizenship, as well as how awesome he looks airbrushed on the side of a van. Tell us what your van looks like on Twitter. Email hideousenergy@gmail.com and we shall talk, internet style. Facebook probably looks different, but who cares? Fanoff has MP3 downloads of us talking! Tumblr has pictures that we love, and you might too. Comic Booked is a place we hang out 'cause it's cool. You can download this and every other thing we've done, ever, on iTunes. Also, go check out our webcomic Super Cute.

Give a listen to us chatting with writer Sam Humphries. We discuss co-opting genuinely cool and artistic facets of culture, whether there are children out there reading comics, and also bigotry and hatred. It's a lot of fun, trust us! There are, however, no monster trucks.

Austin Wilson and David Hopkins just bought some vans and airbrush kits. You will know when you see them coming. This interview runs 1:23:45 and made the guys bleed out of their eyes immediately because of that running time. Download us!

#051 - He's a Duck Banker

2011-09-21T07:34:00.000-07:00

For our 51st show we talk about comics, but also hair and duck banking. No, that second thing is not one of those HILARIOUS special sex moves. It really is about ducks, and banking. Go check out the second Super Cute webcomic! Sit next to us digitally on Twitter. Email hideousenergy@gmail.com and we promise we'll read it. Facebook wants you to click like on Hideous Energy and Super Cute. Fanoff makes sure to always tell us we're pretty. Tumblr reminds you why there are colors. Comic Booked is where the comics go to play. Find us on iTunes and download the holy crap out of us.

Episode #051:
• Intro - We're dorks who worry about HP and MP and all kinds of other dorky abbreviations, and Discount Comic Book Services graciously sponsors us.
• Topic Thunder - There was almost an "Avengers" game, and it was almost awesome to play it; JT Krul is done with "Green Arrow;" and DC, again, may or may not hate women.
• Read 'Em and Weep - Frankenstein Agent of S.H.A.D.E. by Jeff Lemire and Alberto Ponticelli; Demon Knights by Paul Cornell and Diogenes Neves; and Ultimate Spider-Man #1 by Brian Michael Bendis and Sara Pichelli.
• Hair - Everyone has it, kind of.
• Outro - Duck banking.

David Hopkins and Austin Wilson aren't sure they know where some of their words come from. This show runs 1:35:43. Go check out the new Super Cute strip. Read it, then download this show and others on iTunes.

Making the Comics - A Peek Into Super Cute

2011-09-15T17:23:00.000-07:00

Even though we don't talk about it too often, David and I continue to operate Hideous Energy exactly as it was operated the day it began. Our love of comics has never waned, and we are the right kind of obsessive to ensure that it won't. It was only natural that after so long of loving something so completely we would decide to create our own, an object of adoration that would be born from and exist within the ruby-tinted love we huddle around every week when we record the Hideous Energy podcast.

What all of that means is we started a webcomic called Super Cute. There's some information on that site under the "About" tab which touches on this briefly, and gives a little insight into how things came about. The even shorter version is that we found Brent Hibbard, our artist, and things seriously fell into line pretty easily after that. I've been struggling with getting comics made for some time now. I only write them (although right now I'm working on "drawing" one too), so no matter how much time I've put into a project, seeing it come to fruition has always relied on someone else. Super Cute is officially the first comic I've been involved in making, because it's the first that has not only been started, but completed. Which means I've had a lot of starts and stops over the years. Something happened with this one though, something different. Once Hibbard sent us his art, and David and I both saw he was awesome, he started working to become the artist of this project and he never stopped. His commitment was never in doubt because it was on display in every image he sent us. It is sort of laughable how much everything worked exactly like it should in the run-up to this webcomic being published, once we found our artist.

The first official strip is up on the website. Here's the strip that was originally going to be published first, strip #000. It didn't rehash any information we'd already published through the "Characters" tab on the site, but it did give readers another week to wait until the actual stories about these two characters (Bronson and Leonard) began. So we don't feel like we asked Brent to draw something only to file it in a drawer, here is the finished strip, entitled "#000 - Diagnostics," along with a breakdown of the process on the road to a completed strip. Thanks to Brent for being dedicated and awesome! Go check out the webcomic.

#050 - "Fifty" Kind of Sounds Like "Filthy"

2011-09-14T10:28:00.000-07:00

For the 50th time we talk to you about comics and all kinds of nuttiness! Can you believe we've done this 50 times? Also, we have a webcomic now! Talk right to us on Twitter. Email hideousenergy@gmail.com if you want to talk to us about anything and need more space. Facebook now not only has Hideous Energy, but Super Cute (our webcomic) as well. Fanoff collects us and we love that. Tumblr is skin deep. Comic Booked has us and so much more. Go download this show, and all of our others on iTunes. Count them and realize we love you and this sooooo much.

Episode #050:
• Intro - In honor of our 50th show ever we talk about Dick Carpet, then expertly segue into mentioning our sponsors, Discount Comic Book Services.
• Read 'Em and Weep - DC books, talked about for A LOT. Or a while. Either one. Batgirl #1 by Gail Simone and Ardian Syaf; Animal #1 by Jeff Lemire and Travel Foreman; and Action Comics #1 by Grant Morrison and Rags Morales.
• Top 5 - People Whose Bodies We'd Possess and Why
• Outro, With Special Surprises - We sign off for the 50th time, and give you a little behind-the-scenes peek into what recording the show is actually like.

David Hopkins and Austin Wilson won't stop, because they can't stop. This is what Hideous Energy is all about. This show runs 1:30:33. Go to supercutecomic.com and check out the new strip! You should also go to iTunes and download all of this, all 50 episodes of us doing this weird thing we do.

#049 - It's Time To Travel (With Secrets)

2011-09-07T07:10:00.000-07:00

We traveled back in time to record this episode and reveal what we've been working on all along. It's a webcomic! Talk to us about it on Twitter. Email hideousenergy@gmail.com and have long, heartfelt conversations with us. Facebook now not only has Hideous Energy, but Super Cute (our webcomic) as well. Go search for it, until we get 25 fans and get our URL. Fanoff loves us and we love them. Tumblr has the pictures. Comic Booked will let you enjoy us over there too. If you love life, download us on iTunes. That will prove it to yourself.

Episode #049:
• Intro - Counting blessings can and should include counting Discount Comic Book Service. Also, us.
• Read 'Em and Weep - The DC Relaunch is finally in full effect, and we review Flashpoint #5 by Geoff Johns and Andy Kubert, as well as Justice League #1 by Geoff Johns and Jim Lee. We discuss this a lot.
• Secret Project Revealed - If you've been following us at all, you might have heard/seen a few references to a secret project. It's why we had to skip recording last week, and it can finally be revealed! We interview (kind of) Brent Hibbard, our awesome artist on our brand new webcomic, Super Cute. It's at supercutecomic.com, and will be updated every Wednesday with the show! Thanks to Brent (the One we call Hibbard), this run-up to episode #050 has been a ton of fun. Right now there is a promo photo posted of the two characters the strip will focus on, and next week the webcomic officially begins with strip #000. Check it out!
• Top 5 - Worst Ways To Time Travel
• Listen Bitches - David picks "Brother" by Murder By Death, and Austin picks "The World May Never Know" by Dr. Dog.

David Hopkins and Austin Wilson found Brent Hibbard, and together they all created a webcomic. It's a lot of fun, so go read it. This show runs 1:26:49. Go to HideousEnergy.com and find your way to us in all forms, but also go to supercutecomic.com! Oh yeah, and download this show on iTunes.

The Whitney Matheson Interview!

2011-09-01T20:44:00.000-07:00

Today we bring you an interview with someone who also talks and writes about comics - it's Whitney Matheson, from USA Today's Pop Candy column! Check out Pop Candy, and probably put it into your bookmarks immediately. Send us links to cool shit on Twitter. Email hideousenergy@gmail.com to let us know about things that need knowing. Facebook is maybe awesome? Fanoff has MP3 downloads of us talking! Tumblr will make you lose consciousness. Comic Booked let's you listen to us too. Where else? How about iTunes! Go there immediately and get this and other shows we recorded.

Whitney Matheson stops by to chat with us regarding pop culture, how she came to write for USA Today, and her journey to comics. Also, she talks to us about how she could totally kick Ryan Reynolds's ass, and how Pee Wee Herman almost made her cry. Thanks for listening!

Austin Wilson and David Hopkins would probably never even try to fight Ryan Reynolds. Fight him with hugs maybe. This interview runs 50:42, and is available from Fan Off, Comic Booked, and most importantly from iTunes!

The Do It Yourself Comic - Scripting

2011-09-01T19:29:00.000-07:00

If you're following along you'll know I loosely plotted a comic I'm working on making myself, and that I've also briefly worked on the design for how the art will look. The plotting was definitely loose, since I'm going to be creating a mini-comic. That doesn't mean there has to be a simple plot, but that's the path I chose.

Now that I know what I want the theme of my comic to be - the idea of giving and taking, and how anger can affect both of those - I can start in with the actual scripting. Normally I would focus a lot more attention on creating characters, and that would play a huge role in the plotting. I've spent less time doing that here since there will only be two people in my book. In actuality I've most likely thought about these two guys more than I told myself I would, imagining their back stories, their demeanor and why they do certain things.

Here are the first two script pages. Click them to see them better.

I knew I wanted to start the comic with the main character's hand just lying there, to show inaction and how that plays a role into who this guy is and how he feels most of the time. His hand is lying there limply, almost like he's dead. That easily led to my wanting to show him shutting his alarm clock off, another action which can be used to show what kind of thoughts and feelings we're going to be seeing from this guy.

After I wrote that first page I knew I wanted to do something unique with page two, possibly a two-page spread. The first image that popped into my head was a long panel, one where we saw the main character lying there looking dejected and not at all happy to be awake. I wanted it to be more than him simply not being a "morning person." I wanted there to be a sense of doom, or depression. As my head went through all of this I started thinking about depression, and I remembered a story my mom told me once about a family member dealing with depression. She would see him constantly lying back, with an arm draped across his face, and it struck me as a very sad pose. I thought of this person desiring darkness, doing all he could do to push the light away, and it made me feel for him. So I wrote that into the script.

Next, I thought about how to lay this page out, and whether I would write it into a two-page spread. Using the theme of hands, how they are pulling us through our days, I tried to think of where I could go, and how to use my theme to get there. I really liked the idea of trying to play up this character's sadness. The more I thought about the sadness the more it started taking on a new form, and started seeming like this guy wasn't just dealing with a job he hated, but a life he wasn't sure he could live anymore. It started to become about despair.

Thinking of layout, searching for an interesting way to move the reader's eyes through these pages, I thought about how I wanted to show the character reaching down for something, basically for the simple reason of I thought it would look cool to have the panel be defined by the outside of his wrist and hand, and have him reaching down into another panel. It would make for a short page, but hopefully the layout and emotions/story implications presented would make it stick in the readers' minds. After I thought that, my mind shifted quickly to what he could possibly be reaching for. The first thing I thought of was a prescription pill bottle. My thought process went like this: "Yeah! Wait, no. That's way over-dramatic. How bout some Tylenol or something. Well, wait. Yeah, it might not be so bad for him to be reaching for a prescription pill bottle. And yeah, how 'bout he grabs it and discovers it's empty. Ooooooh. Yeah. I like that." So that's what I wrote in.

It put a nice little fire under my ass, and got me excited to write the rest of the script as quickly as I could, so that's what I'm going to try and do. I don't really think there needs to be an entry on editing, but ya' never know. Maybe I'll come across something I think I should write about, and how I made the decision to alter dialogue or some other small part of the whole process/product. Stay tuned.

The Do It Yourself Comic - Plotting

2011-08-29T20:02:00.000-07:00

Here I am, working my way toward making a comic. I've gone through a couple of steps already, working on the concept of my book, as well as some preliminary design work regarding the art. It's all been a ton of fun, and I'm ready to get started on the next step in the process. I've said it before, but I'll reiterate it now: none of this is supposed to read as a How-To, but simply as a description of how one amateur does things.

Normally when I start writing what I hope will turn out as a comic, whether I have an artist attached or not, I begin with plotting. It wasn't always like this, but it's something I've gotten more and more comfortable with, and something I view as necessary to make sure I go into the actual writing as prepared as possible. At first it was hard, and felt pretty arduous, but after doing it consistently something weird happened. It stopped seeming like work, and started seeming like fun. Actually, sometimes it feels like I'm having more fun plotting than actually writing. That doesn't really matter in the end, because I can't really not do one or the other, not without making myself feel like shit.

The comic I'm trying to make is going to be 16 pages, a mini-comic that tells a story with a beginning and an end. Technically there will probably be a middle, but that might be kind of hard to plan for, so right now I'm plotting out the beginning and end. I want to try and present two characters in a way so the reader feels as if they know about them and their lives, and finds them intriguing, interesting, and provocative in some way. It's definitely a tall order for 16 pages wherein I introduce the characters while simultaneously trying to tell a story and end it satisfyingly.

I talked a little about what I have in mind during the concept stage, and I'll expand on that here. The idea I came up with for this mini evolved out of a two-page spread layout I had planned for a story I'm currently plotting for another book called "Ninjaville." I'd still like to use the layout for that comic, but that one's going to need an illustrator, a lot more time, and most likely some funding. For now I'll have to settle for using the idea within this mini, and having it filtered through my own abilities with photographs, light-boxing, digital editing, and print methods.

The layout would have 10 panels, with 6 running across the top (an even number to easily divide down the middle, with that bastard fold), one giant panel in the middle, and four panels running across the bottom (again, even). I want to follow a character walking through the top 6 panels, illustrating and laying out the art so the character's head/face isn't shown. The idea not to show the character's face is based on two things: first, I don't really want my face in this mini a bunch. It's partly a shyness/self-conscious thing, but it's also because I don't really want to be the star of a comic, I just want to write and create them. Second, I really like the idea of showing emotion using nothing but body language, particularly hands. Why the hell did I choose hands? That's part of the original layout; those top 6 panels following the character walking will have six smaller panels within them, framing the right hand of our protagonist. It will be clenched into a fist, and I want the readers' eyes to follow it just as closely as they follow his walking, maybe more so.

The concept of creeping anger, or having anger sneak up on you and take hold so completely it poisons your thoughts, actions, and emotions is intriguing to me. By putting the focus on that fist I'm letting the reader know that something is going to happen. I can either make it obvious, or not. I'm choosing to go the obvious route. This guy is heading somewhere to punch someone, and this has to come across with no facial expressions. It's going to have dialogue, all in narrative text boxes, but none of it is going to say anything like, "I'm going to punch him."

After I knew I wanted to incorporate that two-page spread, and play with the idea of a very sneaky anger, my head circled the idea, looked at all the angles and corners it could possibly go in. Focusing on that hand gave me the idea to do a comic that is largely based around nothing but hands. They are how we interact with the world on a daily basis. That particular thought sent me down a path that led me to the theme of giving and taking, both of which we do with our hands, including throwing punches. With a theme now - give and take - I thought about why this character wanted to punch the other character so badly. One of the things I came up with was a disgruntled employee. It isn't original, admittedly, but for a 16-page mini-comic I'm not planning on doing any follow-up issues to, I decided that was fine. Right now it's more about showing myself I can do this if I want to, and I am the only one who is going to stop me. Still though, I want the story to have something original, and plan on bringing that with my characterizations and layout.

My character is going to react to something so poorly that he believes punching his boss is the answer. Actually, he probably doesn't think about it at all. Once that anger takes hold things escalate quickly, and if he thinks anything it's a hazy mess of emotion. With the why in place I could focus more fully on the ending, which I'm not planning on being just a punch; I want to make the reader care that this person has punched someone else, and again, with 16 pages I'll have my work cut out for me.

One thing I've read from numerous editors, writers, and artists is that when pitching a comic it's important to completely explain the project, and not attempt to hold out on the ending or any surprises. You're not trying to have them experience the pitch exactly like the reader will experience the comic. I'm not pitching this comic though, so I can violate that rule. I'm not going to tell what the ending is, other than someone gets punched. I still want someone to read this eventually, so I'll hold onto at least one secret.

Knowing that I will be writing about anger, using hands to illustrate how we give and take from each other constantly and how that can maybe incite anger, I went from there. I would use myself as the character who does the punching, and cast a friend as the character who gets punched. Now I can start writing the script, which won't come out finished. It'll need editing and refining, and will most likely give me some ideas regarding layout that could potentially affect story as well.

The Do It Yourself Comic: The Design

2011-08-28T17:06:00.000-07:00

After deciding to make a comic and thinking up a concept for what exactly the thing would contain and be about, I moved onto the next step. Since I'm going to compile the art myself by taking photographs and light-boxing them, I wanted to focus on the design before I got too far into scripting. In this case, "design" is sort of a loose term, since I'm referring to light-boxing photographs to produce pencils. I've messed around with light-boxing in the past, and was generally pretty happy with the results I came up with, but it'd been a while. It was possible I'd take some photos, sit down to light-box them, and realize it looked like garbage.

All the times in the past I've ever started working on a comic I've always started with the writing first, but that's because I haven't been involved in the illustration. Now, since I'm doing both, I was able to think of things somewhat differently, or at least in a slightly altered order. Although I haven't written any of the script yet there are a lot of images in my head, ideas for panel progression and storytelling mechanisms, and knowing some of this stuff definitely helped when I wanted to do some practice art. I really like thinking of how a page will be laid out, how to utilize the comic form to tell interesting stories, and visualization plays a pretty big role in my writing process.

I went out with my camera and my buddy named Emery Peck to take some photos. Some of the pictures were random, staged so I could practice with penciling in (tracing) details later, things like shadows, folds in clothing and so forth. Other pictures were reminiscent of sequences I am planning to write. There were a few concerns I had with my camera - mostly about utilizing continuous shooting to capture movement, and whether that would look more authentic than posing the "actors" - along with how close I would need to shoot in order to give myself high quality pictures, basically so I wouldn't be with a photo to light-box and end up trying to discern what the hell all the blurry blobs in the background were.

Here are two of the 56 pictures we took. I selected these because they presented people at two very different distances, and also in places with varied amounts of shadow and detail.

I took the pictures in color, then changed them to black and white afterwards on my laptop. I also altered the contrast, exposure, and definition to make the blacks darker. This makes it easier to find definition between objects when light-boxing. I'm still unsure if I'm planning on inking the pencils or not. I can definitely alter the pencils digitally, darkening them either in Photoshop or Illustrator, but inks tend to add another level of completion to pencils.

After altering the original photos I printed them both out on a single page of regular computer paper. Since I don't have a light box, and
don't have the money to buy one (or the materials to make one) I had to figure out some way to create a light box from what I have around the house. I took a drawing out of a picture frame, removed its cardboard back, and was left with a large pane of glass. Next, I took a table lamp from the living room, removed its shade and sat it on the floor. I sat with the pane of glass on my knees, and let the bare light bulb project its light up and through the glass. I laid the page with the printed photos down and taped it in place using Painter's Tape, the blue kind people usually use to make sure they don't accidentally paint on their wainscoting or carpet. Painter's Tape is made with less adhesive (or at least a less-aggressive adhesive), so you can pull it off without worrying about bringing whatever it's stuck to along. In this case it's going to be the art for the comic, so I don't have to worry about ruining a page because I accidentally tore the page in half or something.

Next, I laid a piece of plain computer paper over the photo page, and taped it in place as well. Someone once showed me a trick for keeping two sheets of paper flat against each other, and I did that here: I laid a ruler down, keeping the pages flush and allowing the maximum amount of detail to shine through from the photographs.

To "illustrate" I used a simple, cheap mechanical pencil. I had a fine tip Sharpie next to me, in case I wanted to try my hand at inking, but I skipped that for now. Here's what I came up with.

I didn't get too deep into the details yet because I wanted to focus on the face in the first image and the shadows in the second. There is a lot of wood grain in that first photo, and a ton of bushes in the second, and I didn't want to spend too much time on these. I definitely don't want to "draw" in an intensely realistic style, and did a pretty loose trace in some parts. After doing this initial test with the light-boxing I'm confident I can achieve the style I'm looking for, and will be able to at least get the images I want. There's definitely further design work in the future, though, because I've got a few very specific ideas about layout, but I don't want to think too much of that just yet.

I'm definitely planning on drawing more of the backgrounds, but didn't do so here because these were just tests. I'm pleased with how the art turned out, so I can let my head move on to the next phase: scripting.

The Do It Yourself Comic: The Concept

2011-08-27T11:28:00.000-07:00

So where to start? I'm going to make a comic. The way I think, the first step to making a comic is having an idea. A comic (or any art) might not reach creation without your brain putting together something you find interesting yourself, which plays into the oft-repeated "write what you know" guideline. True, you can in fact make a comic without having an idea first, but doing so is probably going to lead toward something that you don't find personally fulfilling, and might leave anyone who reads it pretty freaking bored. So yeah, idea time.

Ideas can come from anywhere, from any image, sound, or just random screwed up thought you might stumble across during your regular day. The one I'm working with deals with a few factors which directly relate to the creation of the book I'm going to put together, specifically the actual craft of illustration. I suck at drawing. I suck at drawing so badly I can't even classify what I do as drawing. So already I have a huge obstacle to overcome. If I can't draw, what kind of freaking comic am I going to be able to make? I am approaching this problem not unlike Robert Rodriguez did when he made his first film El Mariachi, which he wrote about in his book Rebel Without a Crew. Later that film and book (along with a film called Slacker, by Richard Linklater) helped inspire a dude named Kevin Smith write, direct, and star in Clerks. The basic idea Rodriguez presented was to make a list of things you have, and to write your script around those things. This is a dangerous way to create a story because you deal with the very real possibility of creating a shallow story based around objects which have little to no connection to one another, or even just a story that falls flat because it is devoid of character. You might only have a rolling pin and some stamps. Sure, it's possible to write a compelling story about those two objects, but you better be a freaking Story Magician if that's what you're working with.

In my case the idea of generating this list of objects to be used comes about because, yeah, I can't draw for shit. I'm left with a few options, which are: 1. Find someone to illustrate for me. This kind of conflicts with the whole idea of DIY, and will take longer (and cost more), so it's out; 2. Compile a comic using photographs. While this is definitely a viable option, it leaves me pretty cold. I've always found it hard to get into comics that are "illustrated" with photographs, and that right there is a bad sign when thinking about making one myself. So yeah, moving on; 3. Take photos and light box them to produce penciled art. True, this is technically still photographs, but my primitive brain sees the penciled art and thinks "comic," whereas when it sees photographs it thinks "photographs." It's a weird, neurotic thing, and one I could maybe delve into deeper, but I'd rather just make a comic. So I'm going to go with option number 3.

Which leads us back to the concept. Knowing I'm going to be "illustrating" it myself based off of pictures I take, my list has to contain some obvious materials:

• camera
• computer
• scanner
• light box
• pencils, pens, paper, all that jazz...

None of those concern story, though, right? So how do I arrive at the concept I want to make, using those tools? I like to start with things - either emotions, ideas, images, anything really - I find interesting. When I decided to go on this DIY comic journey, an idea popped into my head which would utilize things I had, while relying minimally on other people and objects. The concept evolved out of an idea I already had for a two-page spread within a story I am plotting called "Ninjaville." It revolves around anger, and how it can fester inside of us, and occasionally doing so without our knowledge. We might not even recognize our anger secretly forming, nursing itself, doubling and tripling until one day it comes rocketing out in some form. I liked that idea. It made me nod, so I went further.

The two-page spread I had in mind would deal specifically with one character's fist, and what happens when his anger gets the best of him. It's somewhat obvious, but that's something I can't let myself worry about at this stage. It could stall me, kill my momentum quickly, so I need to focus on my conviction that I can tell an interesting story using this concept, and one that will maybe be compelling to read. Also, showing anyone the process from concept to completion immediately lets them in on any secrets or surprises the story might have, so this is technically a little different than it would normally go.

Another roadblock I need to avoid - and this is from learning my lesson in the past, with other attempts - is to worry about the title later. I LOVE naming things. I freaking love it. I don't know why, but naming shit gives me such joy, so I have to be careful or I'll just sit around writing down potential titles.

So now what? I have to take my concept, which I'll sum up as "creeping anger," and create a story. Since I'm planning on writing, drawing, and even starring in this comic myself, I have to think about time. How much time do I have to do this? It isn't a strong enough concept to create anything more than a single issue, and that actually lends itself to the amount of time I'll be spending making the thing, as well. Also, I'm going to have to print the thing myself as well, most likely from a computer I own. This leads to an entire world of information I'll need, but right now I want to focus on the creation. There is always time for editing later - yet another lesson learned - and I know if I let myself wander too far away from the world I'm trying to create, I can most definitely get lost and be unable to find my way back there. One thing I know I'll have to keep in mind though is script length. Even though it's great to be artsy, and live in the moment while spinning around and letting my mind be free, I can't float off completely. I'm going to aim for writing a comprehensible story in 16 pages. More on that later, and how many pages of actual paper it'll translate into.

So here we go. I'm going to take the concept of creeping anger and how it can affect us, and see what my head comes up with.

- • -

Obviously this is all very subjective, and is one way to do things. I am absolutely in love with comics in almost every aspect. I love reading and hearing about process, and have mined various creators' own methods to come up with my own. This is just how I go about doing what I am trying to do. I'm not an expert, and will never ever claim to be. Later I'll post script pages, art samples while I'm refining my "illustration" process, and whatever relevant information/experience comes up.

Paying Too Much Attention: Doing It Yourself

2011-08-27T07:10:00.000-07:00

There are a lot of ideas out there. People are thinking all the time, and it isn't always about whether their jeans are too saggy in the butt, or if their breath smells, or if maybe one eye is slightly bigger (or slightly squintier) than the other. Those are very real concerns, yes, and mostly because these Smell Factories called bodies carry our minds around all day and night. Eventually we learn to curb these worries, and think about something outside of ourselves, something Other. When that happens the possibilities are only limited by where we're willing to let our heads go.

My head has continually gone toward the land of fiction for a while now. It's a great big universe where anything can happen, and usually does. I could cut this up into little finer slices of existence, but seriously, it is just so huge that I would be putting too fine a point on it. Fiction allows us to describe our lives (individual or collective) by talking about ANYTHING.

Fiction isn't constrained to prose, and realistically it isn't even confined within the realm of the written word. I certainly don't think that all fiction is art, but that's the great thing, isn't it? The subjective nature of art allows all of us to see something different in whatever form we're enjoying; or hating, consuming, watching, reading, just pick a verb and enter it here and you are taking part in the freaking amazing world of art.

I'm not trying to figure out what is or isn't art. There is no definitive answer there, at least not one that isn't completely colored by opinion. What I'm thinking about is the idea I mentioned earlier, at the beginning of all this: the astronomical amount of ideas and the amount of people having them. Not everyone is concerned with fiction, though, so that original number (which really only exists as a symbol) can be decreased. Now we're dealing with a more manageable amount of thinkers. Still though, everyone who has thoughts about fiction does not have the desire to create more, so again, we can subtract. It's a smaller amount gone, however, because if you are a reader - specifically of comic books - the chances are somewhat high you'll want to create what you enjoy. I would never say the comic book world is filled with people aching to create the art they love, more so than any other artistic field, but it probably wouldn't be too hard to convince me.

I read comics. I want to make comics. More specifically, write them. I've been working at it for a while now, and the amount of people (fellow comic readers) I've met who have ideas for comics is large. If looked at one way, this means the odds of becoming a comic book writer (or artist, inker, letterer, editor, etc.) are constantly shifting, steadily closing in to suffocate. Another way to look at it is that with more ideas comes more yearning for creation. So if cut up into two very rigid categories, we're dealing with either being disheartened or inspired.

Those aren't the only two options, obviously. One of them is incredibly negative, and the other can easily come off as arrogant or pretentious. It's possible to avoid falling into these traps (I think doctors call them emotions), and go after what you want regardless of the bullshit known as "the odds." No one can stop you from making comics. People can hurt you, but they can help you too, and the latter is hard to remember occasionally. One place that made me realize I haven't tried hard enough to make comics was Kickstarter. It's an amazing place, a freaking portal of inspiration. I found a comic project on there which clicked my head-gears over into a configuration where the thought of "I'm going to do this" wasn't so hard to come by. I didn't decide to start a Kickstarter project, but I did decide that putting together a small comic is something I'm completely capable of, and immensely passionate about.

Even if I'm not getting paid to do it, I feel like I have to make comics. I replace all my worries about whether my jeans are the right shade of denim for my outfit with thoughts about comics. If I'm not making a comic of some kind, then I'm wasting my time. So I'm going to put together a comic, and document the process on here. Maybe no one will see it, maybe I'll show it to everyone because I took something out of my head and made it into something. It might suck. It might be mediocre. It might even be good. But it will definitely be.

#048 - Party Like a Serial Killer

2011-08-24T09:15:00.000-07:00

It turns out partying like a serial killer is actually the same as partying like you normally would? Yeah, trust us. Beg us to continue on Twitter. Email hideousenergy@gmail.com and talk to us about all the things you can't talk to anyone else about. Facebook isn't just for your grandma. Fanoff loves us and we love them. Tumblr has the pictures. Comic Booked will let you enjoy us over there too. Why don't you go to iTunes and download us? Please?

Episode #048:
• Intro - Partying in one form or another! Discount Comic Book Services wants you to party with them.
• Topic Thunder - Korean webcomics are gonna' get ya'; Brian Azzarello is going to scare us with Wonder Woman; and Grant Morrison wants to commit vehicular manslaughter.
• Read 'Em and Weep - Walking Dead #88 by Robert Kirkman and Charlie Adlard; Venom #6 by Rick Remender and Tom Fowler; and Supergirl #68 by Kelly-Sue Deconnick and Chriscross.
• Listen Bitches - Schmreen selects "Hell" by Tegan and Sara; Austin selects "On Palestine" by JJ Grey and Mofro; and David selects "Heartbeats" by Jose Gonzalez.

David Hopkins and Austin Wilson love Frisbee. This show runs 2:01:21. Go to HideousEnergy.com and find your way to us in all forms.

#047 - Trailblazers? No.

2011-08-17T08:41:00.000-07:00

The pre-show preparation includes a lot of chanting and speaking in tongues. Episode #047 touches on this somewhat, but not a lot. Ask us about it more on Twitter. Email hideousenergy@gmail.com for any reason at all. Facebook lets you show your friends that you love us. Fanoff rocks, go there! Tumblr is nice yes? Comic Booked is a cool place too, so go there after. Listen, especially on iTunes. You can love, too.

Episode #047:
• Intro - Ceremonial body painting is discussed! Go visit Discount Comic Book Services where there are some freaking awesome deals!
• Topic Thunder - Web-comic product placement and Taco Bell; Robert Kirkman may betray us; and Marvel hates Jack Kirby, apparently.
• Read 'Em and Weep - Batgirl #24 by Bryan Q. Miller and Pere Perez; Criminal: Last of the Innocents #3 by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips; Punisher Max #16, by Jason Aaron and Steve Dillon.
• Listen Bitches - David selects "Make It Wit Chu" by Queens of the Stone Age; Austin selects "Give a Little" by Hanson; both the boys select "Hideous Energy: The Truth Shirts" by Bryan J. Daggett.

David Hopkins and Austin Wilson are their own product placement. They talk about themselves like they are products. It's weird. This show runs 1:39:45. Oh yeah! Go to HideousEnergy.com now, and you'll go right to Fan Off, which acts as a hub for all of our stuff! It even has an iTunes link on it. Yes!

The Tom Brevoort Interview!

2011-08-12T12:21:00.000-07:00

We're taking over the whole week! Not really, but we are expanding to publish interviews on Fridays. This doesn't mean there will be an interview every Friday, but that when we do have one it will appear on said day. Go find us on Twitter. Email hideousenergy@gmail.com if you are a creator and want interviewed, or if you want to suggest an interview idea. Facebook could use you. Fanoff has MP3 downloads of us talking! Tumblr gives you plenty of ideas of how to be creative. Comic Booked has us and other shows too. Right now though...

Go listen to this interview we did with Executive Editor and Senior Vice President of Publishing for Marvel Comics, Tom Brevoort. Tom stopped by to talk with us about what exactly his job entails, and we delve deeply into the process Marvel uses to edit its stories, as well as their thoughts on finding and using new talent. It's a very informative interview. If you wanted to know more about how the comics get from the companies/creators into your hands, then listen to this!

Austin Wilson and David Hopkins love doing interviews. Don't forget, they'll be on Fridays from now on. This show runs 1:05:06, and is available from Fan Off, Comic Booked, and most importantly from iTunes!

#046 - Our Business Ain't Usual

2011-08-10T07:53:00.000-07:00

Episode #046 shows what happens when people sponsor us. The result? Nothing too different. Chatter at us on Twitter. Email hideousenergy@gmail.com with either Top 5 suggestions, or anything at all. Facebook lets us all be friends together forever. Fanoff lets you download our shows too! Tumblr is the New Museum. Comic Booked lets Austin post things, and also posts our show. They're nice and awesome! What iTunes has is all of our episodes. Go there! Quickly. Also, look out for our new format, wherein we post interviews the Friday following our Wednesday shows. This week, Marvel Executive Editor and Senior VP of Publishing Tom Brevoort!

Episode #046:
• Intro - Welcome to the new world! We are now officially sponsored by Discount Comic Book Services! As you can see, very little has changed.
• Topic Thunder - Movie pictures everywhere; and Brian Michael Bendis may think you're childish? Maybe? It all depends.
• You Should Read This - The boys discuss "Promethea" by Alan Moore and J.H. Williams III, and "The Batman: Nine Lives" by Dean Motter and Michael Lark!
• Top 5 - Discarded/Unused Superhero Catch Phrases. These are gross, mostly.
• Outro - Again, you see that very little has changed. Thanks again to DCBS!

David Hopkins and Austin Wilson love comics probably as equally as they love each other. This show runs 1:11:58, and is the first step toward us taking more steps. Oh yeah. Get the show from Fan Off, or listen to us on iTunes, then smile.

Go Straight To Jail - Do Not Pass Go...

2011-08-08T17:15:00.000-07:00

In 2010 an American man was arrested for crossing into Canada with what was deemed child pornography by Canadian Customs. You can read more about this, and specifically my opinions by reading the editorial I wrote on Comic Booked.com.

After writing the article, and during the process of its editing, I saw the possibility to publish some information that I didn't include in the original article, specifically quotations from CBLDF Executive Director Charles Brownstein.

In an interview with Robot 6, Brownstein made statements I think sum up the American man's legal troubles perfectly, and places them squarely within the realm of uncertainty.

Brownstein said, "We protect the First Amendment rights of the comics art form. Sometimes that means coming out against bad laws that almost everyone agrees are bad laws, and sometimes that means fighting for important free speech principles by protecting unpopular speech. Protecting free expression is messy work. Often protecting the principles of free expression means defending material that makes one personally uncomfortable. That discomfort is a small price to pay for maintaining a culture of free expression."

It certainly doesn't make it any easier for my own struggle, which I detail further on Comic Booked, as for whether comics depicting underage characters in sexual situations should be considered child pornography or not. My distaste for the material aside, the legal ramifications and classifications are interesting to me, so Brownstein's quote hit home.

An article in the Ottawa Citizen directly addressed the Canadian Constitution, but made much more bold statements than I feel comfortable making. The article, which is posted without a byline, states, "There’s no point in having a right to free speech if we make exceptions for everything that people find distasteful or offensive. We must make an exception, though, when expression causes real harm — such as pornography that uses children as models for photographs or videos. That’s a horrible crime, and even the possession of such material must be treated as a serious offence."

It then goes further, saying, "But Canada’s current law goes beyond pornography that causes harm to children. It also makes some works of the imagination — stories and drawings — illegal if they depict people under the age of 18 in sexual situations. Many classic works of art might meet that definition, and the law does allow for a defence on the grounds of artistic merit. This puts the courts in the bizarre position of determining what is a work of art. Citizens cannot hope to know in advance what the law really forbids, and whether the judge will share their opinion of what is art. Policing the way you express yourself on a piece of paper or on your laptop comes awfully close to policing your thoughts."

One of the most interesting parts within the Ottawa Citizen article is their reference to "classic works," as well as art that is deemed to have "merit." Upon reading this my mind immediately snapped to Vladimir Nabokov's Lolita, and Alan Moore and Melinda Gebbie's Lost Girls. The Moore and Gebbie work may be much more appropriate for this discussion, as it concerns comics. It certainly met with criticism for portraying young characters in sexual situations, but I am unaware if it has ever been deemed child pornography, and will even go so far as to say it hasn't. If it had, would it still be available for purchase?

During my email correspondence with Brandon Graham I asked about comics containing material that clearly goes too far. Specifically, I said, "When you said, 'I don't think it's possible to do anything really harmful with drawings of fictional characters,' does that include all forms of pornographic comics?" This question was related to Graham's mention of controversial comic creator Mike Diana. Graham referred to Diana by saying, "One thing that surprised me about [this case] is you hear that someone has got in trouble for a comic and you immediately assume it's some Mike Diana level cannibal feces dog child sex thing..."

Answering my question about comics which contain material that goes too far, Graham said, "I certainly don't want to read the worst that can be drawn but I can't think of a good reason to not allow it to be drawn."

I find all of this extremely interesting. Please go check out my article on Comic Booked, and feel free to comment, whatever your opinion.

Time To Make the Manga - How To Do It Right

2011-08-04T09:43:00.000-07:00

Some of us geeks (nerds, whatever) are busy worrying about whether we've "won" or not, and what that means sociologically. It might be a relevant question, but it deals with navel-gazing so blatantly that it becomes unsettling, and I would rather read the books and think about them than what it means for comics to be so visible and relevant now. It would undoubtedly lead to me wondering if comics are in fact that mainstream, but no thanks.

One of the best things to come out of the Harry Potter and Twilight (and arguably other) crazes is the focus on Young-Adult fiction, and how reading is seen as fun and worthwhile by a whole new generation of brains that are attached to eyes. Creating younger readers is the first step to creating older readers, which is one step in a huge process of trying to create better thinkers/feelers (or how about "emotionalators"). There are definitely downsides to the onslaught of YA fiction though: an adherence to derivative plots and characters, unimaginative design sense, writing with your agent overlooking the screenplay already-in-progress, and on and on. Focusing on the positive is such a happy thing to do, however, so let's be happy together.

Maybe YA fiction isn't making a "resurgence." It is definitely a genre that has been around for ages and ages, albeit perhaps in a different form than it inhabits now, and Laura Ingalls Wilder would most likely agree. Even her works weren't immune from adaptation, although it took quite a few years before they made it to the glorious Land of Landon. There is one difference between this age's YA fiction and the fiction of yesteryear: the inevitable and potentially lucrative road toward adaptation. It's a road that may or may not lead to its intended destination. Plenty of books go through the adaptation process only to end up in a cul-de-sac, a sad little dead end that people use to turn around when they're lost. The road has existed for a while though, only now people and properties travel down it much faster, with the speed limit increasing year after year.

Now adaptation doesn't just mean TV or film, but comic books as well. No one was surprised when "Twilight" was adapted into a best-selling Manga. Some people also weren't surprised that it was considered to be below average, which is putting it nicely. This same surprise is applicable to "Harry Potter," and how there are no comics of that insanely popular property. Those two parties of surprised people aside, novels making the leap to comics/graphic novels are starting to look not only more like a trend, but like one piece of the media puzzle.

Rick Riordan's "The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians)" was not only adapted into a movie, but a graphic novel as well. Although the movie did horribly, most likely spelling doom for any sequels, the graphic novel sold well enough that other books in the series will see adaptation as well. This might be the new blueprint for YA novels (or potentially any genre novel); write book, adapt into movie and comic book simultaneously, cross fingers.

Now another series of YA novels is making its leap to comics, with an eye toward the movie screen as well, this time Scott Westerfeld's "Uglies" series. The first book has been adapted into a Manga where Westerfeld will outline the story, with larger writing duties falling to Devin Grayson, and Steven Cumming illustrating. This isn't just another tale of a YA novel trudging down that slow and difficult road toward adaptation though, this is the tale of how someone is thinking differently. Not only that, but thinking about this process from a perspective you love to see, but are often afraid you won't. Scott Westerfeld is thinking about the adaptation of his novels creatively, with an eye toward character.

Yes, his first novel in the series, "Uglies" is in development as a film, and it could be oh so easy to see the adaptation of that same book into Manga form as a quick cash grab, spiced up with a little bit of marketing ploy. That's not what this is though, at least not from where I'm sitting.

Westerfeld announced in San Diego, at Comic Con International, that the Manga adaptation of "Uglies" (slated for publication in May 2012 from Del Ray) will in fact be following the story of Shay, a secondary character featured in the novel as a friend of the main character, Tally.

Rather than offering up an exact adaptation of the novel so many fans have already read, Westerfeld chose to expand on the world he created, and delve into other characters and their stories. Although, yeah, this will definitely work as a marketing technique, that doesn't seem to be foremost in the minds of the creators involved.

I've read all but one of the "Uglies" series, and was a huge fan of all of them. Seeing this news, I kind of groaned, and wondered why exactly I would want to read a comic book adaptation of a book I had already read. Certainly this is a personal preference, but in my case it's one that just doesn't make sense. Having read the book, I had already pictured the characters and their world as I wanted them to look, so why worry about reading/looking at someone else's interpretation? This leads to the obvious question of why then go see a movie adapted from a book, and my answer for that is: actually moving pictures are different than mentally moving.

I love the idea of taking the adaptation process/opportunity in order to expand a fictional reality. It does lead to the question of whether the word adaptation even applies, but I'm not worried about that. I'm worried about being told great stories. Now, knowing what will be in store for me with the "Uglies" Manga, I'm worried that the adaptations of the future won't be as interesting.

#045.2 - The Joshua Hale Fialkov Interview

2011-08-03T07:46:00.000-07:00

This companion piece to episode #045 is all thanks to Joshua Hale Fialkov! He stopped by for an interview, and we had a blast with him. He is the writer of the books "Elk's Run," "Tumor," "Echoes," as well as the forthcoming, "Last of the Greats," and "I, Vampire." Please go check his stuff out - "Tumor" is probably the best place to start - and show some love.

The interview is a very long one, but Josh talks in-depth regarding the writing process, as well as the comic industry in general, and then we all take turns cussing and talking about orgies. We like to cut a wide swathe through the broad spectrum of interests, and this interview is a great example of how that can go. Thanks to Joshua Hale Fialkov for stopping by to do the incredibly long and fun interview, and taking time away from his busy life! This show runs 2:01:32. Whoa. He rocks!

You can download this, and other shows from Fan Off, or especially on iTunes! Go do that!

#045.1 - Why Can't You Just Say What You Mean?

2011-08-03T07:45:00.000-07:00

Here on #045 we talk about people saying things they either didn't mean, or meant to sound different. Then, from the heavens above, we are delivered our very own version of this. The world is a thematic place. Say things purposefully or otherwise on Twitter. Email hideousenergy@gmail.com with either Top 5 suggestions, or anything at all. Facebook lets you see who else is into our particular brand of nuttiness. Fanoff is sort of like that too, so go there and check out the forums! Tumblr lets you see what we're seeing. Comic Booked has other podcasts, including ours, so go listen and look. Really though, downloading us on iTunes is the most important thing in your life.

Episode 45:
• Intro - We completely rewrite history, specifically World War II. Also, go check out our Joshua Hale Fialkov interview!
• Topic Thunder - Miles Morales is the new Ultimate Spider-Man, and people are freaking out in every possible way; more talk of DC and women, now with more Dan Didio; Robert Kirkman maybe called out his friends; and Alan Moore promises we only need two more Dragonballs before our wishes come true.
• Top 5 - The Band: We pick five comic book characters, assign them instruments and explain our reasoning, then name the band. Thanks to Liz Suburbia for the suggestion!
• Outro - Seriously, go listen to our Joshua Hale Fialkov interview. It is SUPER long, but very informative. He's an entertaining guy, both as a writer and a talker. You won't be sorry you listened! We thank him for being so awesome.

David Hopkins and Austin Wilson might accidentally challenge someone to a duel one day. They just don't know. This show runs 1:17:43, and has a lot of giggling. Get the show from Fan Off, or listen to us on iTunes and think about us all day long.

#044 - Accuracy and Truth (The Finally Final Destination)

2011-07-27T07:39:00.000-07:00

Episode #044 arrives and is chock full of information from San Diego Comic Con. We weren't there, exactly. Chatter at us on Twitter. Shoot us an email through hideousenergy@gmail.com. Facebook really wants you to click the "Like" button. Fanoff is a great place to chill! Tumblr is gorgeous and pretty. Comic Booked is totally awesome, so hop over there and show some love. What you can do is download us on iTunes. It will be so much fun.

Episode 44:
• Intro - The magic and art that is the "Final Destination" films. Thank you, Devon Sawa.
• Topic Thunder - A huge list of stuff from Comic Con International in San Diego gets us talking for a long time. Catch up on what caught our eyes!
• The Listen Bitches - Austin picks "That Time" by Regina Spektor, and David Picks "In the Waiting Line" by Zero 7. Also, we talk about friendship pacts.

David Hopkins and Austin Wilson are constantly making friendship pacts, you just don't hear most of them. This show runs 1:36:41, and has some hints about what's in store for you. Get the show from Fan Off here, or Listen to us on iTunes and then smile and talk about it.

#043 - The Supernaturals: Ghost Crotches and Explosions

2011-07-20T08:43:00.000-07:00

Another step closer to #050, and a huge leap into the weird world of dick jokes. Go forth and tweet at us on Twitter. Please email us through hideousenergy@gmail.com. Facebook needs your numbers, as do we. Fanoff lets us hang out, so show them you care! Tumblr is magnificent. Comic Booked is another place we hang out, and it's cool there. Now and always, iTunes is there for us. Go be there for them, by downloading us.

Episode 43:
• Intro - Ghost dicks. Surely there was more talked about, but this sticks out so easily. Ugh. Boner puns.
• Topic Thunder - IDW is maybe gaining fans while they maybe alienate some; "Avengers" and "Amazing Spider-Man" teasers make David speak gibberish; Superman dresses like a weird-ass, and hates marriage; DC will publish 1,216 pages in December, after they do it in September too; and finally, reboot? Oh no, relaunch.
• Top 5 - Things That Look Cooler With Explosions In the Background
• The Listen Bitches - David picks "Little Secrets" by Passion Pit; Caleb picks "I Don't Mind It" by Screaming Females; and Austin picks "Fire It Up" by Modest Mouse.

David Hopkins and Austin Wilson could give you a thesis about ghost dicks. Caleb Schmreen probably could too, but we'd most likely make fun of his for a bit, then discuss it with him seriously. This show runs 2:03:21, and took our grossness into the supernatural realm. Listen to us on iTunes and wonder what that weird feeling is.

#042 - I'm So Glad I Read Wikipedia (With Robert Venditti)

2011-07-13T08:29:00.000-07:00

Episode 42 sees writer Robert Venditti join us to chat about the books he's written, and will write! Talk to us about it through Twitter. Or email us through hideousenergy@gmail.com. Facebook desperately wants you to click "Like." Fanoff hosts our show, and has a forum we use, and is totally awesome! Tumblr is where we go to appreciate beauty. Comic Booked posts our shows, and other shows too. Somehow iTunes loves us just as much as we love them, so go over there and download us!

Episode 42:
• Intro - David and Wikipedia have conjugal visits; and David and books are together for life, but only if they aren't "bendy."
• Read 'Em and Weep - We discuss "Red Skull: Incarnate" #1 by Greg Pak and Mirko Colak; "Flashpoint: Batman: Knight of Vengeance" #2 by Brian Azzarello and Eduardo Risso; and "Flashpoint #3" by Geoff Johns and Andy Kubert.
• Interview - Writer Robert Venditti stops by for a chat! He's the writer behind "The Surrogates," "The Surrogates: Flesh and Bone," the graphic novel adaptation of "Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief," as well as the brand new graphic novel, "The Homeland Directive." Check his work out, because it's great!
• Outro - We always say goodbye, but we always return!

David Hopkins and Austin Wilson both are pretty obsessed with their books. This show runs 2:00:40, and most likely got us flagged by the government for one reason or another. Listen to us on iTunes to show us that you care!

Paying Too Much Attention: The Shelves! Think of the Shelves!

2011-07-11T10:53:00.000-07:00

Books are constantly coming out. You can't stop it, and you'd be insane to try. When books come out it means there is fresh art to be consumed, and maybe another little wrinkle will form on your brain. This is an exciting possibility. Aside from the internal changes, the release of a new book leads to a much more pragmatic, and external change. Where the hell are you going to put this new book? Where to store them is something you have to deal with on your own. It's a lonely fight, but one you cannot imagine giving up. Right? Yeah, us either.

What we all can battle together is the emotional war zone that is dealing with aesthetics, and the mind splinters they cause.

If there's anything that's enticing about the digital revolution, and the slow, painful death of print media, it is undoubtedly the idea of an increasingly easier mode of storage, and thus not having to worry about whether the color schemes of all 20 of your "Ultimate-Spider-Man" collections match each other. You will have to worry about whether the covers match on whatever digital device you're storing them, but that is much easier to remedy than changing an actual physical copy. Trust me. I've seen David meticulously eye and measure - never with an actual ruler, but with the equally accurate comparison method, wherein a fingertip is used - his "Locke and Key" hardcovers, and I've seen him lament how his collection of "Powers" trades are partially published by Image, and Icon. This is a unique burn, a mental (and first world) ache somewhat akin to the familiar pain of realizing you accidentally have two different socks on. It's fixable, but not without going somewhere and doing something, with the latter of those two actions most likely involving money being spent.

We're not alone though. Not only do we have each other to use as crutches, but we now have publishers with a keen eye toward uniformity, and the warm, gentle blanket of satisfaction it can create.

Craig Thompson, the author and illustrator of "Goodbye Chunky Rice," "Carnet De Voyage," "Blankets," and the forthcoming "Habibi" recently posted these pictures of his new book, along with a new edition of his old book, and got us thinking about how much mental and emotional anguish he'll be saving us.

"The new editions of 'Blankets' are here in time for San Diego Comic Con (in stores in August). The hardcover is the exact same dimensions as 'Habibi' so they’ll mesh nicely on bookshelves. Check the stamped gold foil and spotgloss. They both have fancy smyth-sewn bindings to sprawl open in the sunny backyard."

More importantly they will be the exact same height next to each other, with a design sense that allows them to be their own, while still existing with a sense of togetherness. David and I will both have to sell our softcover version of "Blankets" in order to get this hardcover, but it'll be worth it for the years and years of zen-like peace we feel from not having one spine stick up higher than another. Every inch on that shelf is precious. Much less precious than our egg shell minds, which crack when one shade of yellow doesn't match another.

-Austin

Paying Too Much Attention: Locke and Key Clues and Theories

2011-07-10T09:42:00.000-07:00

If you pay any attention to Hideous Energy - or are here because of Alter Ego Comic Cast - you know that "Locke and Key" is my favorite book that is currently on the shelf. I read it with a fervor that harkens back to my earliest days of comic reading, but now the addiction and obsession is spiced with age and an intense love of story, structure, and character development. In comic books those three things are deployed on multiple levels, and Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez have given us a wonderful look into how comics can be any number of things: fun, terrifying, poignant, and all manner of adjectives. It also has to be mentioned that this book is given a tremendous boost thanks to the colors of Jay Fotos. I've somewhat recently become a keen observer of colors thanks to "Stumptown" by Greg Rucka, Matthew Southworth, with colors by Lee Loughridge, and also "100 Bullets" by Brian Azzarrello, Eduardo Risso, and Patricia Mulvihill, who took over colorist duties at issue #15. Within "Locke and Key," Fotos adds gorgeous colors that set off the emotions and locations Hill and Rodriguez give us, and make this book all the more effective and noteworthy.

If you're not reading "Locke and Key" go and do so right now. Not only will this article mean very little to you, but it will contain plenty of spoilers for the series.

[SPOILERS] [SPOILERS] [SPOILERS] [SPOILERS] [SPOILERS] [SPOILERS] [SPOILERS]

"Locke and Key: Keys To the Kingdom" was recently released in hardcover, which means I gave the six issues contained therein another read through. I've read every issue of every "Locke and Key" series multiple times, and for multiple reasons. First, for fun. The enjoyment I get out of these issues - even when I'm witnessing the sadness and destruction the Locke family are going through - is immense. Second, I reread these books for clues. I'm not entirely sure that Hill and Rodriguez are peppering the issues with as many hidden references and clues as I imagine, but maybe that's part of the fun as well. I could most definitely (will?) do an issue-by-issue breakdown of the clues I've seen, and my guesses as to what they mean. Right now I want to focus on the supplemental material contained within the back of the fourth hardcover. The second hardcover, "Head Games" saw the first printing of the supplemental material that has been in each hardcover since then, and is only available (as of this writing) in the hardcovers. There are other supplemental materials in the hardcovers, but I'm focusing on "The Known Keys."

The first are "Presented as journal entries of Benjamin Pierce Locke (1757 - 1799)," these journal entries contain a picture of the key described in the writing, and a picture of the key either in use, or recently used. The entries by Benjamin Pierce Locke have pictures which look like woodcuts, with the initials "BL" in the corner. All of the information presented is interesting, and certainly gives hints as to where the story could potentially be going, as well as where it has been in the past. There are certain similarities between the journals and the story being presented in "Locke and Key," and that is why I'm transcribing some, but not all, of the journal entries here. They are transcribed in modern English, but most of them are written in an affected, old English style. I have altered spelling where necessary, but will keep the formatting of capitalized words. Occasionally I will interject details relating to what is written. Now, let's go pay too much attention to "Locke and Key!"

- • -

"From the journals of Benjamin Pierce Locke (1757 - 1799)"

The Anywhere Key - "Used the key to anyplace again, to return to Boston and gather intelligence for Crais." Here the journal shows the first reference to a man who shows up in "Crown of Shadows" as a statue, Colonel Adam Crais (May 18 1736 ~ June 4, 1780; also of note, the intro to the "Welcome to Lovecraft" hardcover was written by author Robert Crais, but that's just a neat shout-out by Hill, and most likely not a clue to the story...most likely) Also, I'm pretty sure Crais is photo-bombing the cover to "Clockworks" #1, the forthcoming series.

Key description continued..."Tis an act of terrible witchcraft, but better I do it than my sister, who is obsessed with REVENGING herself upon the RED-COATS for their violence against our father and brother and beloved mother: Aye, my dread of being called to account someday by SATAN HIMSELF is a trifling concern when matched with my desire to rid the world of the devils who take the King's coin to do rape and murder..." Note the number of family members mentioned: a father, mother, and brother. The journals are written by Benjamin Pierce Locke, who also mentions his sister Miranda in later journals; which would put their family at the exact same number as Rendell and Nina Locke, as well as having the exact same number of boys and girls. Also, the "RED-COATS" obviously refer to British soldiers, but here a comparison/connection can be drawn with "Welcome To Lovecraft" the first "Locke and Key" series. When Sam Lesser and Al Grubb show up at the Locke's summer home, Sam Lesser is wearing a red hooded-sweatshirt. Later, when Zack Wells shows up, he's wearing a red-hooded sweatshirt as well. Maybe unintentional, but probably not, although this is likely thematic in nature.

The Head Key - "Of all the keys I have forged from the WHISPERING IRON..." This is one of many mentions of the "whispering iron." "...it's the key that opens the human mind I most regret. Miranda has a perverse fascination with the key and has used it to fill her head with all there is to know about WAR and the SLAYING of MEN, and she carries an arsenal with her wherever she goes. Yet I am less in dread of what she has put in than what she has removed. Sometimes it is as if she is now without FEAR and indeed s herself more man than I!" Here we get another comparison for the story we're reading and what has happened in the past. Benjamin Pierce Locke mentions his fear over what his sister has "removed" from her head, which is something Kinsey Locke does in the "Head Games" series.

The Shadow Key - "Oh wicked night! Damned be Crais and damned be the Redcoats and damned be my own fool self. Miranda is grievously hurt and lingers on the threshold of death! The Redcoats pursued her and the tattered remnants of Crais's company into the caves..." The caves featured in "Crown of Shadows" I assume. "...but I drove them back with the aid of the living shadows. If she dies I wouldst rather be a shadow myself than remain in this diabolical world, knowing she would never have been at risk if not for me!"

The Mending Key - "The Iron whispered to me last night and I worked in a fever all day, making a cabinet and forging a new key out of that dreadful metal that is not metal." Here is another mention of the "whispering iron," and the first mention of the "metal that is not metal." I assume Benjamin Pierce Locke is referring to the material he used to forge the Omega Key, which has a journal entry of its own, sort of. Also, there is a door within the caves, mentioned earlier, in the shape of the Omega symbol, which is adorned with a 1; this door shows up in "Crown of Shadows." "Yet if the devil may pervert Holy Scripture to serve his purposes, so may the righteous at times turn the DEVIL'S TOOLS..." Which I'm guessing is a reference to how he feels about the "metal that is not metal," and what its purpose may be. "... to do the work of SWEET JESU! For the key and cabinet I fashioned could be used to mend fractured objects - shattered plates, cracked eggs and broken sisters. Blessed be THE LORD, Miranda has recovered! I only wish she would remember her place and become the demure and modest girl she once was, but fear her love for Crais will imperil her again soon enough." Could there be some sort of cyclical timeline at work here? The relationship between Crais and Miranda sounds reminiscent of that between Kinsey and Zack Wells, which is itself most likely a slightly altered version of the relationship between Ellie Whedon and Lucas "Dodge" Caravaggio.

"Excerpts from the journal of Harland Locke, 1851"

These keys first show up in "Crown of Shadows," and their supplemental journal entries first show up in the hardcover of that collection. They are written in a different style than the 8 and 1/2 keys listed previously. I present one journal entry, as it addresses a theory I've had since "Welcome to Lovecraft" and "Headgames."

The Animal Key - "...Ulysses said he would fly all the way to Hell if he had to, to find Delacorte for me. Clint said he would probably only be required to fly to Georgia, but that the two places were much alike, except Georgia is a bit hotter. We have fought a thousand times, my brothers and I, but this morning I felt I could not love any living souls more. Ulysses stepped through the door and emerged on the other side, a golden eagle. He gave me a short, lordly look, and took to the skies..."

It took me 12 issues to develop this theory, but as soon as I grabbed hold of it I haven't let go, and Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez have continued to support my theory, accidentally or otherwise. On the very first page of the very first issue of "Locke and Key" ("Welcome to Lovecraft #1") we see a Death's Head Moth. It also reappears on page 11 of that issue. Later, it shows up in issue two, when Bode enters the Death/Ghost Door, and it is easy to see this moth as a thematic touch, as it showed up when death was near to a character or characters.

I think Hill and Rodriguez are using it not only as a thematic mechanism, but also as a very important component to the overarching storyline of the keys, the characters they have affected, and the entire plot. The moth reappears in "Headgames" practically as the centerpiece of the two-page spread showing Bode's headscape, and also in the last issue of "Keys To the Kingdom" as Detective Mutuku is contemplating the murder of Joe Ridgeway; in the background a child is flying a Death's Head Moth kite. The kite is more obviously a thematic detail, and Bode's memory of the moth is most likely shown simply to have the pieces of the puzzle be present from the beginning.

In "Crown of Shadows" Kinsey and her friends go down into the caves near Keyhouse. While they are down there an accident occurs, and Kinsey and two of her friends (Jamal and Kavanaugh) are thrown into the water and trapped. A rat jumped onto Jamal, scaring him. His fear translated into him screaming and hopping around, breaking the staircase which lead to and from the water, and stranding his friends in the freezing water. I think it was more than a simple accident, but an occurrence that was hoped for and organized by...the rat!

On page 35 of the "Crown of Shadows" hardcover (page seven of the second issue, I think) you see the first glimpse of the rat in the upper right corner of the second panel. It has the strange appearance of a rat who is actively watching the kids enter the caves, specifically right as they pass near the Omega door. Later it crawls from a pipe, leaps onto Jamal, and boom, the kids are trapped; this happens five pages from the rat's first appearance. Also, the rat has red eyes, which isn't necessarily too odd, as some white rats have red eyes. This is a brown rat, however, so its red eyes are somewhat unsettling. This would be a minor detail if the Death's Head Moth didn't also have red eyes visible at the end of issue two in "Welcome To Lovecraft."

My theory is that the rat and moth are following/associating with the Locke children, perhaps trying to protect them. I believe two of Rendell Locke's friends - specifcally Kim Topher and Mark Cho, who are mentioned by Joe Ridgeway as having "disappeared" in the first issue of "Head Games" - were changed into a Death's Head Moth and rat, respectively, by Lucas Caravaggio. At some point we will discover they have been living as these animals for some time, most likely because they are trapped.

"Excerpts from the diary of Hannes Riffel and correspondence of Jean Locke 1942"

These next keys were first shown in "Keys To the Kingdom," and mentioned in the supplemental material in the corresponding hardcover. They don't contain any great hints or clues, but were written in German, and sparked my curiosity. Since I don't speak German I consulted Hideous Energy friend Andi Preller, and he was gracious enough to translate the passages for us. Here are the English translations!

The Angel Key - "Oh my God. Oh my God! At dawn I was outside looking for little Joe. There was a storm and it was pouring rain. Everything seemed sick and unreal to me – like in a nightmare. I ran and ran, totally desperate, and I didn't give a fuck what he was telling Jean about me. If he was dead I wanted to die as well. And then I saw something unbelievable – something that could not actually be in existence, and my knees went soft from surprise and wonderment. I saw Jean fly upwards through the rain, her brother's shattered body in her arms. She carried the harness with her wings, and in the back was the key. I swear she was flying! And she looked as beautiful as a mourning dove."

The Hercules Key - Half of the 8th army and a seemingly endless bunch of SS-Men were waiting there for me! I hurled Eric against the wall and heard his ribs break, as if someone had jumped on a bundle of twigs. I have to admit it sounded like music to my ears! With the other hand I hit the soldiers and they flew through the air like matchsticks. The Hercules-Key released all the power in me that I had not possessed as a goddamn cripple. But the Sturmbannführer (a military title in the 3rd Reich army - Andi Preller) knew how to wear me down/ finish me off!"

- • -

Gabriel Rodriguez presents some of the journal entries on his personal blog, so hop over there and check them out, along with all the other gorgeous art.

Thanks for paying too much attention to "Locke and Key" with me. Hopefully you have as much fun reading these books as I do, and hopefully my theories have sparked the desire to go back and read these issues again. They are without a doubt some of the best comics around.

-Austin Wilson

#041 - We Never Don't Hold Hands (with Andy Kirby)

2011-07-06T08:31:00.000-07:00

Being 41 means we extend our circle of friends, and that means Andy Kirby joins us this week! Tweet at us through Twitter. Or email us through hideousenergy@gmail.com. Facebook shows all the Listen Bitches songs we've picked. Fanoff hosts our show, and has a forum we use, and is totally awesome! Tumblr is our pretty place. Comic Booked posts our shows, and is where Andy Kirby hangs out and chills. Go chill on iTunes. We love it there.

Episode 41:
• Intro - Indiana Jones and the Hypoallergenic Pillow Fight; and Indiana Jones and the Relentless Jokes.
• Topic Thunder -Warren Ellis's new graphic novel gives you a job to do; Twitter shows us more news, this time about how DC might be dicks; and speaking of DC, they talked about Barbara Gordon again. Featuring Andy Kirby!
• Top 5 - Things Indiana Jones Did/Does That We Didn't Know About...Until Now.
• The Listen Bitches - More music to chill to. Andy Kirby picks "The Predatory Wasps of the Palisades Is Out to Get Us!" by Sufjan Stevens; Austin picks "Ride Ride Ride" by Vetiver; and David picks "Something Good Can Work" by Two Door Cinema Club. Now go. Dance!

David Hopkins and Austin Wilson never don't hold hands. They occasionally hold hands with other people, like Andy Kirby, who guested on this show! Thanks to Andy, who is our pal and confidant. This show runs 1:22:16, and is filled with Dance in all forms. Download us on iTunes to start your own slumber/dance party!

#040 - Two Magnificent Bastards Kick Furby Asses

2011-06-29T07:46:00.000-07:00

Now that we're 40 we know for a fact that we aren't, and never will be normal. Tweet at us through Twitter. Or email us through hideousenergy@gmail.com. Facebook runs the world. Fanoff hosts our show, and has a forum we use! Tumblr is our pretty place. Comic Booked posts our shows, so go show them some support. Download us on iTunes! Listen. Love.

Episode 40:
• Intro - Creepy sub-singing and awkward dancing; those Furby assholes; psychotic brothers; and gross names that we regret.
• Topic Thunder -More "Powers" TV casting news; Warner Brothers plans another Green Lantern movie apparently; new Captain America trailers are neat; and Grant Morrison saves the day!
• Interview - We interview rising star Kyle Morton, the artist of the graphic novel, "Husk: The Hollow Planet" written by Scott Thompson of "Kids In the Hall" fame! Check Kyle's work out, and keep your eyes open for him in the future!

• You Should Read This - "His Face All Red" by Emily Carroll, and "Ultimate Spider-Man: Volume 6: Venom" by Brian Michael Bendis and Mark Bagley.
• The Listen Bitches -You are taken on a musical journey this week, with three songs by two people! Austin picks "Rawnald Gregory Erickson the Second" by Starfucker (ugh), and David picks "The Next Time Around" and "Keep Me In Mind" from one of our favorite albums of all time, "Little Joy," by the band Little Joy.

David Hopkins and Austin Wilson promise they don't just think about hurting things all the time. They are quite loving, as well. This show runs 1:58:59 and has plenty of names you can call people, ready and waiting to be memorized. Download us on iTunes, and follow our madness!

We Love Team-ups!

2011-06-28T09:56:00.000-07:00

How do you know we love team-ups? Because we teamed-up with another podcast and did some special guest-hosting, and it is live and ready to be listened to. We talked with Andy Liegl and Daniel Fabrizio of the Comics Dispatch about a lot of things. The podcast is hosted over on Comic Attack.net, and is waiting for you to go there and have fun. What all did we talk about? How about people who were born on motorcycles; your easily obtainable superhero name; and mutually agreed upon dislike/hatred! It's fantastic and fun and filled with cussing. Go listen here, and then check out other Comics Dispatch episodes, and the rest of Comic Attack! They're our friends, so they're your friends too. Let's all be friends. Yes!!

We Get Interviewed!!

2011-06-27T15:46:00.000-07:00

The most super-cute of pimps, Andy Kirby, interviewed the Hideous Energy boys over at the totally awesome Comic Booked podcast a week or so ago, and the interview is now live! Check it out to get a behind the scenes look at how ambitious we are (we aren't), how responsible we are (we're not), and hear a story about how Austin and David kissed one time (that...is actually true).

Check it out here!

And definitely check out the Comic Booked podcast network and specifically Andy's awesome podcast Marvel 616 Politics!

GeekWeek's Last Show

2011-06-25T07:41:00.000-07:00

As we mentioned on the show a couple of times, we had the privilege to be asked to guest-host the last episode of the totally awesome GeekWeek podcast a week or so back. Those guys are awesome, and continue to do awesome things. Definitely take a listen to the older episodes and also check out The Comics Dispatch - another awesome podcast co-hosted by the guy we co-hosted with (it's really meta) named Andy Liegl.

You can listen to the show here.

#039 - Let the Sadness Wash Over You

2011-06-22T08:31:00.000-07:00

Approaching 40, we do what everyone does; pretend we're normal. Listen and see if we're right.We love getting Tweets, and the only way to send them is on Twitter. Join the elite ranks of awesome people who've emailed us by emailing hideousenergy@gmail.com. Facebook is essential to yours, and our, existence. Please become our fan! Fanoff is gracious enough to love us every week, so show them some love too. Tumblr is a great place to build up your mental art gallery. Comic Booked has got our backs. Yeah! Download us on iTunes, and spread the word. Oh yeah.

Episode 39:
• Intro - The opening of the show is where we're the most normal. After that, it's a coin toss.
• Topic Thunder - David Goyer has been tapped to adapt "100 Bullets" for the Showtime channel; Lucy Punch was cast as Deena Pilgrim, and Jason Patric was cast as Christian Walker in the "Powers" TV adaptation; and Green Lantern is a movie.
• Unnamed Fan Segment - We speak with listener and all around awesome guy Andi Preller, one of our listeners from Germany! He talks about "Johnny Cash: I See a Darkness" by Reinhard Kleist.
• Read 'Em and Weep - Ultimate Spider-Man #160, by Brian Michael Bendis and Mark Bagley.
• The Listen Bitches - On this week's show David picks "Skinny Love" by Bon Iver, off of the album "For Emma, Forever Ago;" Austin picks "Playground Love" by Air, from the Virgin Suicides soundtrack.

David Hopkins and Austin Wilson can argue about anything, even whether sadness is essential for happiness. This show runs 1:47:05 and might be a little down, but it's got moments of sunshine! Download it and other episodes on iTunes.

#038 - Seriously Insane and Insanely Serious

2011-06-15T08:38:00.000-07:00

We dive into some topics and have deep discussions about them. We also talk about transforming into things, like Kafka, but ya' know...Hideous Energy. Talk directly to us, wherever we are via Twitter. Pretend you're mailing us a letter using the Pony Express through hideousenergy@gmail.com. Facebook is like talking to us through a bunch of other people; it's a game of Telephone! Fanoff hosts our show, and other shows, and they are all there to be listened to. Tumblr is pretty. Comic Booked is a place for sounds to be enjoyed. What you should really do is download us on iTunes. Then talk about us.

Episode 38:
• Intro - Kafka could've used some pointers from David; Schmreen talks to us about Purgatory; and search engines?
• Topic Thunder - Paolo Rivera made amazing art happen, and it makes us want to punch Hitler; a "Beasts of Burden" movie; and DC's female creators are missing! Help us find them! Let us know your opinions about the DC relaunch and the role female creators will play. It is a very interesting topic that needs to be looked at closer.
• Read 'Em and Weep - Invincible #80, by Robert Kirkman and Ryan Ottley.

David Hopkins and Austin Wilson use their thinking muscles, and then quickly run away from that weird feeling. Caleb Schmreen joins in the fun. This show runs 1:22:44 and teeters on the precipice between contemplative and crazy. If you like what you hear then hop over to iTunes. We're there. Visit us.

#037 - Dr. Catholic and Tuxedo Carl Argue and Discuss

2011-06-08T07:49:00.000-07:00

DC is living it up, making sure they are the top news item on every comic reader's list. We are some of those comic readers. Tell us about comic continuity we've either rewritten or bastardized on Twitter. If 140 characters aren't enough, there's always hideousenergy@gmail.com. Facebook is some kind of social network monster; help us fight it. Fanoff is a great place, so hop over there and check it out. Tumblr shows you what we're looking at. Comic Booked knows you're there; they know. Downloading us on iTunes is like giving us a gift. We love gifts.

Episode 37:
• Intro - Is Purgatory a punishment, or just kind of a benign waiting room? Yeah.
• Topic Thunder - DC made even more announcements, this time about more number ones and their creative teams. We talk about them for a long time; Jeff Lemire joins the ranks of comic creators who have movies; and the X-Men are kind of good.
• Top 5 - DC Number Ones They Haven't Announced Yet

David Hopkins and Austin Wilson might end up in purgatory, but if so, they'll be together. They can argue about things there. This show runs 1:40:19 and has it all; religion, arguments about incorrect continuity, and then more arguments about Willy Wonka/Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Please download us on iTunes, and tell someone you know about us. We love doing this!

More Thoughts On DC

2011-06-02T13:07:00.000-07:00

Whatever your opinion of the whole DC re-launch/digital news is, you have to admit, they're making sure people are taking note. Whether or not the new readers are already lining up, I'm not sure. That's one thing I'm interested in knowing that I probably won't: what new advertising methods/venues are DC utilizing to hook these new readers? Publishing books with updated or redesigned characters only goes so far; the readers have to know what/where/who, and all those other Ws the journalism teachers make you chant at them like Druids. Without the details, this would remain a mystery. Already DC has taken care of a small portion of the mystery, releasing the creative teams behind ten of the 52 books that will see relaunch in September. They're not all noteworthy, but some of them did catch my eye.

The new Wonder Woman title will feature writing by Brian Azzarello, and art by Cliff Chiang. The art would be enough to hook me alone (and David), but adding Azzarello into the mix is just enough of a sweetener to make me more curious about the character than I have been in a long time. I've read some fantastic work by Azzarello - and some I've not cared for - and I've pretty much always loved what Chiang has drawn, so right away, DC is making a good choice with this one.

The book I'm most interested in is The Fury of Firestorm. The description on the DC blog reads as follows, "Welcome to a major new vision of the Nuclear Man as writers Ethan Van Sciver and Gail Simone team up with artist Yildiray Cinar to deliver THE FURY OF FIRESTORM #1. Jason Rusch and Ronnie Raymond are two high school students, worlds apart – and now they’re drawn into a conspiracy of super science that bonds them forever in a way they can’t explain or control. The cover to issue #1 is by Ethan Van Sciver." I'm interested because so far this is one of the descriptions released that shows how much re-imagining they could possibly be doing with these characters. As of now the rest of the titles seem to be basically along the lines of what readers and fans already know, although to be fair, not a lot of information has been released, so really who the hell knows?

One thing David and I could've discussed further - maybe - on episode #036 is the anger that fans could possess at their characters being changed (or destroyed, depending on how angry they already are). It's a very valid point, and one I'm somewhat surprised isn't more alive in myself. The possibility that the stories I've read about these characters could be classified as void or irrelevant puts the New Vs. Old Readers situation into a whole new perspective. What isn't happening inside my head, though, is the debate about whether I will be reading DC still or not. As more information comes forth, and I start to see a clearer picture of what these books will entail and contain, I'll start making decisions about whether I need to bother with them. Maybe I've changed. I'm not AS worried that they'll be taking away years and years of history and continuity; I'm worried that I won't be entertained. That's my biggest concern.

•Austin

#036 - The DC Re-Explosion Show

2011-06-02T12:08:00.000-07:00

There was an announcement made by DC comics that spread through the world not unlike the fire those aliens from Independence Day (ID4) unleashed on us. We talk about that. Give us your opinion on Twitter. Type pages and pages of words to us through hideousenergy@gmail.com. Facebook needs you there. Fanoff is a community for you to have fun in. Tumblr has eye food. Comic Booked has a party goin' on! If you really love us, download us from iTunes. That will show us. Yeah.

Episode 36:
• Intro - Boom.
• Topic Thunder -We discuss the announcement that DC will be rebooting their publishing roster, publishing 52 #1 issues in September, along with releasing the digital copies of new books on the same day and date as the hard copies. Also, there is a giant helping of fan/listener opinion there to balance out an entire show of David and I talking about a single thing.
• The Listen Bitches - Rock. Roll. Dance. Live.

David Hopkins and Austin Wilson don't know what to do with themselves sometimes. When that happens they just curl up and shake. This show runs 1:45:14. Go to iTunes and download the show. And if you're a comic illustrator looking for collaboration, let us know! Our contact info is up there, and pretty much everywhere!

#035 - King Babar's Hell Club

2011-05-25T07:22:00.000-07:00

Holy lord. This episode has some comics talk, but it also has disturbing portions of our psyche pouring out. Help us deal on Twitter. Join the elite club of people who have emailed us by sending anything to hideousenergy@gmail.com. Facebook lets you see our faces, kind of. Fanoff.com has forums, and we'll talk to you through there too! Our Tumblr account won't have pictures like King Babar, but better, less sadistic ones. Comic Booked will let you listen to us, so do it. Downloading us through iTunes is one way to ensure you are leading a good and healthy life.

Episode 35:
• Intro - Hypothetical questions lead to discussions about things we've already discussed before, kind of.
• Topic Thunder - Stan Lee forgot where he put his keys, car, apartment, and Spider-Man cameo secret; IDW prepares to release more Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles; and Christopher Nolan owns your ass.
• New Reader Extravaganza - Thanks to listener Tiffany (Strafebomb or PianoC4) for the inspiration for this segment. We talk about new readers, and discuss ways to get them into comics.
• Top 5 - A sequel to episode #003; Animals We Would Fight: King Babar's Hell Club.
• The Listen Bitches - Have a wonderful day. Or night. Music makes your emotion muscles flex.

David Hopkins and Austin Wilson could probably do a Top 5 of animals they'd fight every week. They won't though. They seriously will not do that. This show runs 1:39:39. A LOT of animals were harmed in its recording. If you download us on iTunes, though, it will all be undone. King Babar is vicious, but righteous.

#034 - We Hate How Much We Love You

2011-05-18T09:36:00.000-07:00

We love our listeners, and we even mention some of them on this episode. If we didn't get to you, we will try to in another episode. You guys rock. Go talk to us on Twitter. Send Top 5 ideas, or even just hey how are ya's to hideousenergy@gmail.com. Facebook will have things on it, trust me. Fanoff.com hosts forums for us, and other things too. Our Tumblr account could be a museum one day. Comic Booked posts our weirdness, so please go look at them and their weirdness. Really though, go to iTunes and own us for nothing. You will be happy.

Episode 34:
• Intro - We chat about all kinds of things. It is jovial and shit.
• Topic Thunder - Stephen Spielberg and Peter Jackson laugh at your reality; Lucy Knisley gets yelled at by Warner Brothers; and rhyming makes stupid ideas better, doesn't it Smallville?
• You Should Read This - Jar of Fools by Jason Lutes, and Fantastic 4: World's Greatest by Mark Millar and Bryan Hitch
• Top 5 - Worst Comic - Related TV Shows That Haven't Happened Yet
• The Listen Bitches - Disgusting metaphors. It's what we do. Listen to these songs and picture us dancing.

David Hopkins and Austin Wilson know what darkness lies in the hearts of men. This show runs 1:13:30, and is weird. If you want the craziness to stay with you, download us on iTunes. Your whole family can listen!

#033 - You're Officially Slam-Decked

2011-05-16T11:35:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone, come and listen and make up fake words* with us! Use words on Twitter. Use even more words through hideousenergy@gmail.com. Facebook has words sometimes, but mostly just fake farms. Fanoff.com has our forums, and a lot of fun words there too. Our Tumblr account is just pictures through. Comic Booked has a ton of words and shows! Our words are on iTunes, and you can put them directly into your brain.

Episode 33:
• Intro - This is the intro. Go!
• Topic Thunder - Locke and Key got cancelled already; Thor is a god who loves working out.
• Read 'Em and Weep - Flashpoint #1 by Geoff Johns and Andy Kubert.
• You Should Read This - The guys read three books, and they want you to do that too. Oh yeah.
• Top 5 - Awesome Alternate Reality Characters

David Hopkins and Austin Wilson invented a new dance and fight maneuver. Caleb Schmreen is injured by both of those things. This show runs 1:39:48, and will make you make noises you don't understand. Download us on iTunes, spread us around, yeah!

* Batman is totally slam-decking Barry Allen up there.

#032 - All the Cool Kids Are Doing It

2011-05-04T13:03:00.000-07:00

Don't try to smoke or snort this episode. It's to go straight into your veins. Help us by talking to us about things on Twitter. Send us personal messages through hideousenergy@gmail.com. Facebook is there too. Fanoff.com has our forums, and we'll totally talk to you about whatever. Our Tumblr account is prettier than you (and us). Comic Booked is gracious enough to post our shows too, so go there! The only real way to live is to download us on iTunes, and then make other people do the same thing.

Episode 32:
• Intro - We think of really great ways to spend money, that are worthwhile and not wasteful at all; and you see behind the scenes.
• Topic Thunder - Is the Lizard going to kill Spider-Man; drug abuse is given awards; and Superman can only get your attention if he's mean.
• You Should Read This - Criminal: The Dead and the Dying by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips, and Locke and Key (the whole series, really) Keys To the Kingdom #6 by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez.
• Top 5 - Completely Fictional Drugs We Would Definitely Try.
• The Listen Bitches -There's a party up in heeeeere!

David Hopkins and Austin Wilson can quit any time they want to, so shut up. No. NO! They don't have a problem! This show runs 1:29:56, and is a cry for help. Download the show on iTunes, and let people know that everything will be okay.

#031 - You're Dead First: Manimals Invade

2011-04-27T08:29:00.000-07:00

How would you go about fighting a war against an army of Manimals? Tell us through Twitter. Lay out your battle plans and send them to hideousenergy@gmail.com.. Facebook is where you can post your pictures of the battles you've fought. Fanoff.com has forums, and we can use them to help organize our war games. Our Tumblr account is just for comic book art, basically. Comic Booked posts us too, and it has all kinds of things for you to check out, so go do that! Downloading us on iTunes is such a freaking great idea.

Episode 31:
• Intro -The Manimal War arrives; and we discuss some topics briefly, in between talking about suicidal/odd sexual moves used as intimidation; and a huge argument about time travel.
• Read 'Em and Weep - Invincible #79 by Robert Kirkman and Ryan Ottley.
• You Should Read This - Jimmy Olsen one-shot, and The Comics Journal: A Cartoonist's Diary.
• Top 5 - Character's We'd Let Punch Us In the Face; suggested by listener Les Wilson!
• The Listen Bitches - Music is the blood of the Earth. Not sure why.

David Hopkins and Austin Wilson would have rumbles in the park over time travel. They would probably both be Greasers. This show runs 1:25:38, and got here because it was frozen in the past, then thawed in your garage. Download us on iTunes. It's for your own good.

#030 - Ultimately (Bear Noise)

2011-04-20T10:15:00.000-07:00

Joined by guest host Caleb Schmreen, the Hideous Energy boys talk about all kinds of comics this week. They love them. Say succinct things at us through Twitter. Say longer things to us through hideousenergy@gmail.com.. Facebook lets you spy on us, kind of.Fanoff.com has forums, which are like digital pool halls. Our Tumblr account will light up your life. Comic Booked likes us, so go like them! Downloading us on iTunes will literally complete your life.

Episode 30:
• Intro - The infinite battle rages on. There are toads involved.
• Topic Thunder - Spider-Man might not be Spider-Man any more: Tokyopop might as well add another "o" to their name, hah! And Joseph Gordon Levitt is going to be in a movie.
• Read 'Em and Weep - Ultimate Spider-Man #157, and Infinite Vacation #2.
• The Listen Bitches - Three more songs to groove to. Groove. Grooving.

David Hopkins and Austin Wilson . This show runs 1:39:24 and preceded a dance party breaking out. You know what would make us dance even more? If you downloaded us from iTunes, and told other people about us. Yeah!

#029 - Ernest Has a Fever-Induced Breakdown

2011-04-13T07:42:00.000-07:00

If you've ever had a fever and thought your body was crawling away from you, then you know what it's like to listen to Hideous Energy. It's another week of insane mutterings! Let us know what you think about them through Twitter. Please oh please email us at hideousenergy@gmail.com; we love goofy shit. Facebook is there, yeah yeah, go look at it. Better yet, go to Fanoff.com and check out our forums. Our Tumblr account proves we're not afraid of pretty things. Comic Booked also puts our nuttiness into the air through their site and their iTunes feed, so go there too! The most important thing you can do, ever, is download us on iTunes and tell someone about us. There are so many ways to listen to us it's insane not to.

Episode 29:
• Intro - David hallucinates this show into existence; Ernest P. Worrell and his universe is discussed.
• Read 'Em and Weep -Two issues of Invincible (#77 & #78), by Robert Kirkman and Ryan Ottley are discussed (sort of), and Nonplayer #1 by Nate Simpson!
• Tweet Storm - On the first edition of Tweet Storm we talk about a Twitter discussion had by @GailSimone, @IvanBrandon, and @bclaymoore. These are their Twitter handles. Check 'em out!
• Top 5 - Characters Who Were Dicks In High School (suggested by Wesley Couch).
• The Listen Bitches - We give you four songs. They were given to us once. The Circle of Life.

David Hopkins and Austin Wilson indulge in the finer things in life. They sip their cough syrup. It's how you know they're serious. This show runs 1:14:41. If the show isn't downloaded from iTunes, then the Mayans were right, and we're doomed.

#028 - Farewell to Alter Ego Comic Cast, and Hello To New Ears!

2011-04-06T07:44:00.000-07:00

This might be your first time here, and if so, welcome! We're Hideous Energy (David Hopkins and Austin Wilson), and we talk about comics, mostly, but also plenty of other stuff. Not all of our shows are this long, but they tend to be longer. To find out more about us, hop on Twitter (@HideousEnergy), email us for any reason through hideousenergy@gmail.com. Facebook is another way to talk to/about us. Go to Fanoff.com, where we have forums for longer form discussions. Our Tumblr account is dedicated to gorgeous art, mostly, but you never know what we'll put on there. We are now available through Comic Booked, so run over to that place and check us and other shows out. Definitely download us on iTunes. We want to be with you. Everywhere.

Episode 28:
• Intro - We say an official farewell to the Alter Ego Comic Cast, and then talk about other things.
• Read 'Em and Weep - Detective Comics #875 and Walking Dead #84 (SPOILERS; and surprise, we give incorrect information about the numbering of these issues)
• C2E2: the Reviews - We discuss three books we have read that were purchased at C2E2, and this is a small portion of our giant truckload of purchases.
• Top 5 - Spin-offs We'd Love To See: Schmreen stops by for this segment, and fun is had.

David Hopkins and Austin Wilson dance like no one is watching all the time. Most of the time there is actually no one watching. This show runs 1:53:49. It's long. And go check us out on Fan-Off and Comic Booked. See ya' soon!

#027 - The Biggest Parade On the Internet

2011-03-30T08:44:00.000-07:00

If you're here then you're into parades. This isn't as odd as it sounds, but rather a completely relevant reference to you enjoying this weird thing we do every week. Twitter will help you understand your love of our parade(@HideousEnergy), or hey, email us with ideas for Top Fives, or even just to tell us what we're doing right or wrong over at hideousenergy@gmail.com. Facebook lets you look at us in another digital way. Talk to us on Fanoff.com, through the forums; we can have a discussion, yes sir. Our Tumblr account will show you what we're looking at, and let you look at it too. Most importantly though, download us on iTunes and take us out into the world with you. If you are listening to us in some place awesome (this could be ANYWHERE) send us a photo of the awesomeness taking place. We'll totally show it to everyone.

Episode 27:
• Intro - Parades. Sheesh.
• You Should Read This - David cheats and picks something you can't even read, and Austin plays by the rules; they take turns pretending to be James Dean and Jimmy Stewart.

• The Listen Bitches - This week you receive four songs that are guiding our minds and bodies through their respective dance moves. Enjoy the emotional ride everyone!

David Hopkins and Austin Wilson have huge amounts of passion for a ton of things. They love talking about them all. You're looking at a 1:04:58 show this week. The episode is somewhat light on comics, but we're steadily digesting everything we bought at C2E2, so expect a giant explosion of arguments/discussions about who likes what book more than the other person. Please tell anyone who might care, to care about us! You guys rock.

#026 - Hideous Energy V. C2E2

2011-03-23T09:11:00.000-07:00

We recap some things that happened to us at C2E2, and manage to use what little energy we have left to do the rest of the show. Next week we will be normal humans again. Twitter is the new way to love each other(@HideousEnergy), or express your slight enjoyment of us through the old-fashioned hideousenergy@gmail.com. Facebook is your new phone; this isn't as confusing as you think. Talk to us on Fanoff.com, through the forums; we will talk to you, hooo boy. Our Tumblr account is filled with pictures of great things. Download us on iTunes. It'll make you feel great.

Episode 26:
• Intro - Lawsuits and discussion about made up last names; also, reminding everyone of stupid shit we've said in the past.
• C2E2 - It's like a nerdy marathon. The arrogant Ghostbusters were there.
• Listen Bitches - Again we run through three songs that you should listen to, and talk about why we like them. You'll have to listen to find out what they are though! We are the Listen Bitches!
• Outro - A special composition by Dr. Sean Hulse and David C. Hopkins; composed in the 6 a.m. Amtrak Recording Studio.

David Hopkins and Austin Wilson might end up being music moguls. Caleb Schmreen is their friend, and he'll probably be there too. This episode runs 1:32:25, and is a diary of our time at a con, but is nowhere near all of the information we consumed there. Look for a blog post by Austin trying to take what's in his head and make it into words. If you like us, pass the word on. Thanks!

#025.2 - The Doug Jones Experience

2011-03-16T12:37:00.000-07:00

In this very special episode of Hideous Energy, we talk to actor Doug Jones, star of such great movies as "Pan's Labyrinth," "Hellboy," "Hellboy 2: The Golden Army," "Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer," "Hocus Pocus," and even "Batman Returns." Doug stopped by to chat with us about his career, and we ended up talking about his life. They do intersect, but they are also two different things; it was a great interview. Our Skype-to-Skype connection had some troubles, so we eventually switched over to a phone conversation; please stick it out through the bad parts. Trust us, it's worth it.

Thanks again to Doug for stopping by! He's amazing, so check his work out.

#025.1 - Reministalgia: A Good Thing

2011-03-16T09:26:00.000-07:00

This 25th episode comes at you with some special stuff. First, to celebrate recording 25 shows, we split the episode in two, and that means you get twice the Hideous Energy this week. Second, we bare our freaking souls. This sounds painful - and is, slightly - but also kind of cool. Oh, also, third: we did an interview with actor Doug Jones!! That's Hideous Energy #025.2. Listen to us talk about our childhoods, and also our interview with Doug Jones!! Tell us about the things you've let go of on Twitter (@HideousEnergy), or send us detailed histories of your lost loves through our email, hideousenergy@gmail.com. Talk to us on Facebook where we are always having fun. Talk to us on Fanoff.com, through the forums, where we debate things with typed words. Oh, oh, also, we have a Tumblr now. Go there, it's awesome! Most of all, download us on iTunes. Thanks for listening.

Episode 25.1:
• Intro - Anniversaries; more discussion about cutting yourself (don't do it, by the way); gratitude; and ohhh boy some discussion about "Sandman" and our head-dreams.
• Reministalgia - TMNT; Star Wars; wrestling, movies; life. It's all in there.
• Listen Bitches - We each list a song that we connect with, and talk about why. (GRAMMAR NOTE: "Listen" is used as an adjective here; We are the Listen Bitches.)

David Hopkins and Austin Wilson and Caleb Schmreen talk and talk and talk. If you listen, thank you. They appreciate you taking your time to visit in on their weird world. The first half of this anniversary episode runs 1:27:20. It's got emotions. Please download it and pass it along.

Eerily Accurate - Muppet Life

2011-03-09T11:05:00.000-08:00

We're taking a brief week off to get some things in order for our 25th show. We are quite freaking excited, so stay tuned and see what we have up our sleeve.

In lieu of a show this week, however, we present you with this totally righteous picture by Liz Suburbia. This is her idea of what it looks like when we record the show. It actually isn't this cool, because neither David nor I have a rocking-ass James Spader poster. Thanks to Liz Suburbia, yet again, for being one of the coolest people out there. We recently got a chance to read her comic zine "Cyanide Milkshake #2," and it's a blast of fun and and awesome things. There are humans with new heads, zombie apocalypse sex, crazy advertisements; reading it is sort of like flipping through the really cool channels in your brain. Thanks again to Liz (who we usually just call Suburbia)!

#024 - Notes On Prom and Not Playing

2011-03-02T08:03:00.000-08:00

In this episode you have dancing (or the lack thereof), and plenty of not playing. It will all make more sense once you listen. Tell us about the secret messages you hear between our words on Twitter (@HideousEnergy). Email cryptic communiqués through hideousenergy@gmail.com. Definitely use Facebook to keep in touch with us daily, and go yammer on our forums on Fanoff.com. Now, with iTunes, you can talk to yourself about how wrong our opinions are.

Episode24:
• Intro - Christianity and underage drinking; de-friending people; aaaaannnnddd prom.
• You Should Read This - A sort of new segment, this time with fan interaction with Seth Breedlove! We talk about books that you should read.
• Top 5 - Movies That Have Nothing To Do With Comics, But Should Be Comics!
• Outro - Batman and his psyche; a seriously in-depth discussion about Batman and his relationships. No shit. Thanks.

David Hopkins and Austin Wilson have a friend named Caleb Schmreen, and he's here on this episode too. They all don't play. This episode runs 1:57:47 long. We kept it under two hours. Download us, so you can listen to this episode in ten minute bursts.

#023 - Sarah Oleksyk and "Ivy"

2011-02-23T10:04:00.000-08:00

It is a double-posting day! You get two episodes, this one with way too many references to Justin Bieber. What do you think Bieber has to do with us? Tell us on Twitter (@HideousEnergy). Email us your own personal manifesto through hideousenergy@gmail.com. Use Facebook to suggest things at us, and go peep our forums on Fanoff.com. The key to having us with you always is iTunes. Use it.

Episode23:
• Intro -Animal noises.
• Topic Thunder - Everyone, including us, is talking about the Dead Island trailer, DC wants to fire all of its writers; and Iron Man 3 is really a sequel to The Monster Squad.
• Interview - Sarah Oleksyk, the writer/illustrator of "Ivy" for OniPress stops by. We talk and have a grand ol' time.
• Top 5 - People Who Would Have Awesome Journal Comics
• Outro - Walking and talking. It ain't no thang.

David Hopkins and Austin Wilson do stuff like this even when there aren't microphones around. They aren't afraid to argue about who likes something more than the other person. This episode is 1:33:50 long. Just Bieber loves it. Download us on iTunes. You will love yourself for doing so.

#022 - The Tattoo and Food Episode

2011-02-23T07:22:00.000-08:00

Lifelong decisions are made, and then we talk about food a couple times after this. If you're into this kind of thing, tweet at us on Twitter (@HideousEnergy) and we'll talk to you. We do it every day with all kinds of cool people. Email us before we lose our minds - hideousenergy@gmail.com. Become a fan on Facebook, and check out our forums on Fanoff.com. All of this is a way for you to show that you are nuts and probably always will be. Downloading us on iTunes confirms it, irrevocably.

Episode22:
• Intro - We are rebels. Can't nobody hold us down.
• Topic Thunder -Strange things are coming in May; Lee Bermejo does a ton more work; Marian Churchland designs a fake video game for a comic she's writing; Spider-Man, and David's love; some trailer for a movie about X-Men.
• Top 5 - Keys We Would Want To Exist (and further info on them); suggested by Daniel Sanchez!
• Outro -We talk our way through a goodbye, and discuss that awesome title card Emi Lenox drew!

David Hopkins and Austin Wilson apparently want to turn a lot of stuff into food. This episode is 54:31 long, and has plenty of reasons for you to go eat something. Download this and other episodes on iTunes. You can hear us be normal now, and next week.

Permanent Nerd

2011-02-16T12:30:00.000-08:00

Here's a video of Austin getting marked for life. David is behind the camera. The tattoo is the key from the Escapist's chest, the character created by Michael Chabon for his novel, "The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay." Later on the character starred in Brian K. Vaughan's story, "The Escapists," and even filled the pages of some small anthologies. Austin clearly loves the character. Or just wanted to make a really bad decision. Here it is, fresh from the gun into his skin. Please note his goofy smile.

New Title Card!

2011-02-16T09:50:00.000-08:00

In case you didn't notice, there's a new title card up there, this time supplied by the amazing Emi Lenox, writer/illustrator of "Emitown." We also did an interview with her, so you should go check that out too.

Huge thanks to Emi for taking the time to supply us with yet another incredible and unique take on the idea of "Hideous Energy." She rocks quite hard, yes indeed.

Hob and Me

2011-02-11T19:51:00.000-08:00

The comics landscape has changed a bit over the years, with the focus going from single issues to collections. Even that's changed somewhat, with a heightened amount of attention paid to original graphic novels. I'll skip the debate and discussion about the definition of these terms, but I want you all to know that I am absolutely gritting my teeth and fighting this urge.

Because my brain has developed the way it is, I am obsessed with lists; making them, reading them, maintaining them after I have made them. At any one time my phone has at least two or three lists on it. Two of these are similar, or exact copies of lists on my iPod, which are also on my computer. I am pretty sure this all stems from my childhood, when I would buy action figures, particularly Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Every figure came with at least 1,900 accessories, usually weapons. There was no physical way for the Turtle or whatever other weird animal/warrior ninja to hold any more than one of these weapons at a time. This messed me up pretty badly.

Years later, I use those jagged memories and end up creating Top 5 lists nearly every week. One of those lists has almost nearly been "Our Top 5 Favorite Favorite Single Issues." Actually, I'm not entirely sure we never did that one. Even so, the constant and obsessive list making has led me to think about my favorite single issues of comic books on more than one occasion. Here I am again, doing this.

- • -

Neil Gaiman wrote 75 issues of Sandman. All of these issues contain enough awesome shit to put you into a sweet coma. There are two Sandman issues I love enough to read over and over, and one of them (maybe both) makes my list of All Time Favorite Single Issues. The name of the issue which is definitely on the list is "Men of Good Fortune," and it was the thirteenth issue Gaiman wrote. Yeah, he wrote 62 issues after he wrote the issue that I would carry around with me always, if this were possible without making me wonder how far away I am from just building a house out of the shit I like.

The issue deals with Morpheus, the Lord of Dreams, meeting a man named Hob Gadling in a bar in the year 1389. Gadling is an outspoken guy, maybe not specifically because he's drunk, but certainly that amplifies the trait. He tells his drinking buddies that he's not going to die, simply by refusing to do so. He says death is a "mug's game." Morpheus overhears Hob saying these things, and he happens to have his sister, Death, with him. Being members of the Endless - a family of ethereal beings whose powers border on the limitless, and also all have names beginning with Ds - someone making such an outrageous claim along the lines of "I'll never die, just 'cause I don't want to" turns into something much more.

Gadling is granted immortality for as long as he desires it. It's kind of surprising Desire, Dream's androgynous sister-brother never shows up, because this story sort of deals with that concept as well. What Gaiman does do with the story, however, is much more entertaining than having another member of the Endless appear to send ripples through the mortals' - or soon to be immortal - lives. At this point in the series we had only seen Dream and Death, and Gaiman was still feeling out who these characters were, and who they were going to become. He's stated in several interviews, as well as introductions and afterwords to the Absolute Sandman editions, that he didn't exactly have a defined story in mind, at least regarding the span of the 75 issues that ended up being written.

The most interesting aspect of the "Men of Good Fortune" issue is how surprising it ends up being. Before this issue there were tales of revenge, some bloody, some psychologically jarring/scarring, and all of them delivered from the hands of Morpheus to those who had betrayed him or greedily used his artifacts for their own personal gain. Issue six was titled "24 Hours," and it covered that amount of time inside a diner. Over those 24 hours Doctor Destiny used Morpheus' dream amulet to torture the customers in every way you can freaking imagine, eventually capping the whole festival off with some grisly murders. So yeah, when this Hob Gadling dude tells his friends that he isn't going to die because he refuses to, it isn't too hard for the reader to envision some Clive Barker-esque torture scenario where the guy ends up living forever, but has to literally puke his stomach lining up every time someone talks to him, or some nutty shit like that.

There's no way for me to know if Gaiman planned to use previous story lines and their themes or plots to nudge readers into a crazy teeth-counting serial killer mindset. No one's asked him this yet, that I know of, and I probably won't be the guy to do it; sometimes I describe Neil Gaiman as "British as shit," so I might not be the first choice to ask the guy anything. I don't mean it pejoratively. I guess I just mean he has a really awesome accent. My adoration comes out in strange forms, occasionally.

What happens is partially obvious. Hob Gadling is granted immortality, yeah, and the reader most likely knew that was coming. The next part was a surprise, however. Morpheus says that he will meet Gadling in that bar in 100 years, and if he still wishes to live, then they'll take off for another hundred and do it all over again. If he wishes to die, however, then that wish will get the okay too. About that time, when Morpheus dropped that bit of information on our boy Hob, I could hear the chains rattling and the fires roaring.

They meet, they talk, they generally just sort of hang out. We see them both go through various clothing styles, Gadling taking on different careers that fit into the changing world around him. Through it all he never says he wants to die, even when he's having a shitty time of things and the endless life he's been given is dragging his ass through the dirt.

The thing that makes this comic one of my favorite single issues ever is the ending. It isn't a surprise/twist, not in the widely accepted sense of these things, but it definitely surprised me. I would hate to spoil it for someone, so maybe this is all pointless or incomplete. I know for me, when I read this issue, it changed not only how I thought about the Sandman series, but about the character of Morpheus in particular. I was reading the next issue with a fresh set of eyes, and that is always an accomplishment for any writer.

Comic Twart Continues To Be Awesome

2011-02-09T09:00:00.000-08:00

If you've never checked out the Comic Twart, you should go do so now. It is a continual parade of interesting and amazing art, and should be a regular stop on your daily internet wanderings. Recently I saw this picture, by Evan Shaner, and it reminded me why I love comics. Check it out.

This is only one of the awesome entries by the Comic Twart artists doing their interpretations of the Ghostbusters. Francesco Francavilla has a great, clickable piece to look at as well, so check that one out too. Comics rule.

#021 - Emitown and Hideous Energy

2011-02-09T08:22:00.000-08:00

We talk A LOT in this episode, about all kinds of weird and disgusting shit, but also about some interesting and awesome things. This is basically our formula for doing the podcast. Tweet us (@hideousenergy) and let us know what you think about the length of this episode. Email us over in hideousenergy@gmail.com. Visit FanOff.com and talk on our forums. Also, check us out on iTunes. That place is awesome.

Episode21:
• Intro - It all ends up with knitting. True. Also, awkward tales of meeting.
• Topic Thunder - The Superbowl happened. We watched it. This is kind of about comics?
• Interview - Emi Lenox, the author/illustrator of "Emitown" talks to us! Check out her blog here, and pick up her book published by Image Comics. Thanks to Emi!
• Top 5 - Characters Who Would Rule Ass At Karaoke, and the Song They'd Sing Best (Suggested by Liz Suburbia)!
• Outro - More talking, this time of the farewell kind.

David Hopkins and Austin Wilson love doing this. They really do. Caleb Schmreen stops by, and we have fun with him, like always. This episode is 1:59:56 long; holy shit. If you've got some time on your hands, go download us on iTunes. We'll ramble while you do something else you're trying to forget you're doing.

#020 - The Future Looks Like Wednesday

2011-02-02T09:25:00.000-08:00

Here on episode 20 we see what the future will look like, and it's surprisingly similar to almost every Wednesday you've seen before. Through the miracle of technology we are able to just completely pound stupid jokes into the ground. Let us know your favorite joke we won't let go of on Twitter (@hideousenergy), or by visiting our forums at FanOff.com, and especially go download us on iTunes. If you feel the urge, e-mail us at hideousenergy@gmail.com. We promise we'll read it and respond.

Episode20:
• Intro - Snow descends and brings an icy hell; technology makes life better, though.
• Topic Thunder - Venom got some new legs; Superman gets a new face, and maybe Lois too.
• Gimme' the Goods - Austin picks a book, and David does too! We want to read them.
• Top 5 - Fictional Technological Gadgets We Want
• Outro - We'll be back.

David Hopkins and Austin Wilson can never be defeated by the weather. This episode is 1:03:55 long. Download our podcast on iTunes, and take it out with you into the world.

#019 - Business As Usual (Read: Spice Girls Are Discussed)

2011-01-26T09:14:00.000-08:00

The nineteenth episode delivers yet more commentary on news! We talk about the stuff you're talking about too, and we generally talk pretty much just like you do! Ask us how/why we are so weird on Twitter (hideousenergy), Facebook, or through email at hideousenergy@gmail.com. FanOff.com was generous enough to host a forum for us, so go over there and make them realize it was good idea. Download us at iTunes, and maybe even leave a comment about us there.

Episode 19:
• Intro - Marriage is a beautiful thing; our favorite Spice Girls; and that might be it, I think.
• Topic Thunder - The Human Torch, we knew ye well; Wizard/Toyfare; Christopher Nolan is spoiling us all.
• Couch Change - There are always things to buy. Please buy them. Go here and get Katie Cook's "Fuck You, Box!" It's great.
• Top 5 - Comics That Should Have Lavish Musicals (featuring guest star Emergy Peck)! This was suggested by fan Seth Breedlove. Thanks Seth. You rock.
• Outro - We say goodbye quickly.

David Hopkins and Austin Wilson know they can't dance, but sometimes they do it anyway. This episode is 55:04 long; it is a sprint, rather than a marathon, of dumbness. Download this show on iTunes, and let our voices either lull you to sleep, or make you so crazy you talk to your lamps!

#018 - Life Intrudes Briefly, Then Comics!

2011-01-19T08:27:00.000-08:00

Somehow, by some odd mechanism of the universe, this is episode 18 and we didn't make any tobacco jokes. Weird. We do have odd conversations about things that aren't comics though. How do you feel about that? Let us know by using a thing called Twitter (hideousenergy), Facebook, or email us at hideousenergy@gmail.com. You could also talk to us on FanOff.com on our forum, or download the show on iTunes. It will keep you comfortable whenever you are cold and lonesome.

Episode 18:
• Intro -Young people, 9/11 (seriously), and...wait...what? (NOTE: there are no jokes about 9/11 here)
• Topic Thunder - The Green Hornet makes green a wrong color; X-Men whatever; pictures of people in costumes; and graphic novels made by people who make other things!
• Read 'Em and Weep - "Second Chances," We talk about books that we originally didn't like too much, but then, did.
• Outro -A very long outro with discussions about high school.

David Hopkins and Austin Wilson promise they won't be serious in every episode.This episode is 1:37:48 long, and spans the entire gamut of human emotions and experiences. Download this show on iTunes, and reminisce with us from the comfort of your car, or the closet you hide in to escape from the world.

#017 - Members of Planet Earth

2011-01-12T07:57:00.000-08:00

On this week's episode of Hideous Energy the guys figure out that they are tiny members of a gigantic planet. It's somewhat obvious, but hard to grasp occasionally. Tell them what this means to you on Twitter (hideousenergy), Facebook, and email them at hideousenergy@gmail.com. More importantly, download their show on iTunes, and jump over to FanOff.com and talk to the guys on the forum. They love talking. Obviously.

Episode 17:
• Intro - The smell of Tauntaun innards; international love; and really dark discussions of suicide.
• Topic Thunder -Alan Moore and his beard; DC loves Grant Morrison and Geoff Johns; and who the hell knows what else?
• Read 'Em and Weep - Who Is Jake Ellis? and Sweet Tooth! Some punctuation added for emphasis.
• Top 5 - Normal Things We Would Love To See Alan Moore Do.
• Outro - Auf Wiedersehn; language discussions;

David Hopkins and Austin Wilson are flying kites and eating Cinnabons; they are not playing Ultimate Frisbee. This episode runs 1:10:27, and is filled with a lot of awkwardness. Swing by FanOff.com and our forums, and definitely download us on iTunes. Now. We dance.

#016 - A Birthday Rambling

2011-01-05T08:07:00.000-08:00

NOTE: Quetzalcoatl art by Dan Staten

For Christmas we got a brand new title card by Liz Suburbia (go check out "Sacred Heart"). She definitely captured our mindset and feel with this title card, and we can't thank her enough. Tell us what you think about it, and the show, on Twitter (hideousenergy), maybe on Facebook, or how about in the hideousenergy@gmail.com email box? Stop by FanOff.com and visit our forum. We will talk about a lot of stuff, yeah! You can download us on iTunes, as well.

Episode 16:
• Intro - 2012 and Quetzalcoatl, and his (hers? its?) connections to Dragonball Z and/or pterodactyls; more Liz Suburbia; and some disgusting alternate titles for the show.
• Topic Thunder - DC pricing, and our mental wanderings; Axel Alonso is named Editor-In-Chief of Marvel, and Joe Quesada is made Chief Creative Officer; we manage to talk about a ton of other stuff in the midst of this.
• David's Birthday List - We run down every comic David got for his birthday (and a little for Christmas, I think); it goes here, there, and everywhere; this segment is set in the year ElephantSymbol, taking place in Taco Germany. Also, here is that Darwyn Cooke "Parker" portfolio.

• Outro - No other birthdays left. This isn't as dramatic as it sounds.

David Hopkins and Austin Wilson both have obsessive compulsive tendencies, and it's pretty obvious when you look at the evidence. This show runs 1:26:31, and doesn't have a Top 5, but does have plenty of talk about afterbirth and Christmas stories. Check out FanOff.com and our forums, and download us on iTunes. We need you. In a good way though.

#015 - The Christmas Episode!

2010-12-23T07:21:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas to everyone who celebrates Christmas! Here's a special episode, where we talk about Christmas and snakes! Please tell us about yourself on Twitter (hideousenergy), Facebook, and hideousenergy@gmail.com. Visit FanOff.com and talk to us on our forum, or even use your internet to download us on iTunes. We can't stop making the internet do our bidding. We won't.

Episode 15:
• Intro: Harry Potter and awkward naming; easy jokes; we turn into Oprah; and ohhhh boy we sort of lose control, surprising no one.
• Top 5 - People Who Would Be Better Santas Than Santa (We promise we won't just do Top Fives from now on)
• Outro: Hideous Energy gets sued!

David Hopkins and Austin Wilson celebrate Christmas, and so does guest star Caleb Schmreen. This show runs 45:47. Talk about your favorite things on FanOff.com and our forums. Download us on iTunes and put our show on your brand new iPod. We'll be back to normalcy next week, promise.

Webcomics - The Worlds Within the World

2010-12-16T11:46:00.000-08:00

Hideous Energy: "We read everything."

That is a direct quote from our interview with Liz Suburbia. She's a comic artist and writer, and does a webcomic called "Sacred Heart." During our interview we asked Liz what comics she reads (both from the shelf and online), and she gave us a huge list and made us realize we don't read anywhere near "everything." That's a good thing though. She gave us a list of things to discover, and we thought we'd share her suggestions. We won't be able to post a review of them, as it would mean we'd have to put the list up a few months from now after we could formulate opinions on them. For right now it's just a list. Maybe there's something new on here you've never heard of. There definitely was for us.

- • -

• Achewood - Written and illustrated by Chris Onstad, the site says this: "“Achewood,” like wormwood, was used by antebellum slaves in the production of “achewater,” a long-since outmoded and outlawed Southern beverage. Drinkers of achewater experienced hallucinations and euphoria, but the after-effects of the liquor produced a deep and lasting melancholy (hence its name). Modern science has confirmed that achewood oil, the active ingredient in achewater, is a powerful depressant which causes irreversible neurological damage. Achewater is generally thought to have inspired many Southern folk songs and fables, such as “The Story of Poor John Ritch,” “Sullivan’s Bear and Dried Bird” and “I’m Following a Little Round Lord.”" It looks like a book that can cause pangs of nostalgic melancholy, or force you to laugh at the ridiculousness of everything. It definitely has us intrigued.

• Templar, Arizona - Here's what the "Templar, Arizona" site says about the comic, written and illustrated by : "I’m Spike. I’m a lady. I live in Chicago, with a dog and a man. I was born in Washington, D.C. the day that Jim Jones poisoned 900 members of his doomsday cult in Jonestown, Guyana. I’ve been thinking, drawing, and writing about Templar since I was a kid. I started the comic in summer of 2005. I’ll finish it before I die, but probably not soon. It’s pretty long. Templar, Arizona is a story about a town that doesn’t exist, and the people who live there. I alternately describe it as speculative fiction, an alternate timeline, and an alternate history. This isn’t the Arizona you’re probably thinking of. This is a different Arizona. This is a slightly irregular Arizona that fell off the back of a truck somewhere, and now all the power outlets are a weird shape and a couple of wars never happened. Templar’s populated with junkies, fuck-ups, pretty girls, millionaires, hockey teams, weird religions, dumb subcultures, and people in love. So it’s a lot like the cities you might already be familiar with, except the air there gives you Miner’s Lung and nobody has a cell phone." Yep. We are reading this now.

• Girls With Slingshots -This comic is written and illustrated by Danielle Corsetto, and she says: "In October of 2004, [I] began Girls With Slingshots, and a couple of years later [I] was doing the strip full-time. It’s now updated 5 times a week at some god-awful hour. In addition to GWS, [I] wrote and drew The New Adventures of Bat Boy for the Weekly World News, taking the reins from Bat Boy’s kind & talented former creator Peter Bagge."

• Eat That Toast! - Written and illustrated by Matt Czap. This webcomic has all kinds of great shit happening. I read one about weather and suicide, one about a beauty contest where a lumberjack wins, and one about a bird peeing into a cup for a drug test. Read it? Yes.

• Moon Town - This one I accidentally stumbled across while reading "Eat That Toast!" It's written and illustrated by Steve Ogden. Here's his plot synopsis: "The year is 2087. Earth has been mined into a shell, so mankind is mining the moon. But when ore shipments begin vanishing amid rumors of pirates, a new sheriff comes to town in the form of rookie security guard Cassandra Quinn. Can she solve the mystery of the missing ore? Or will she find out too much? Some secrets can get you killed…

• Curvy - With art that is somewhat reminiscent of Alex Robinson, "Curvy" is described as: "A sexy sci-fi adventure comic for adults. New pages every Saturday." I read a little of it and saw a girl with her head implanted on a guy's body.

• A Softer World - The synopsis of this webcomic is as follows: "A Softer World is a comic that was created by Emily Horne and Joey Comeau so that people would recognize them as important artistic geniuses. Sometimes the "comic" is sad or harsh. It should be noted that this is in the tradition of George Simenon's 'romans durs' (or 'hard novels') and not in the lesser traditions of comics like Peanuts or anything else not French. Comeau is a French name. (Pronounced kuh-moe, by the way. Joey is very important, please say his name correctly. Emily is also very important but her name is easier to pronounce.)"

Sorry there aren't more in-depth reviews of these comics. Maybe it isn't such a bad thing that you'll be going into reading them with no one's opinion other than your own, though. If you check any of them out, let us know what you think. Thanks to Liz Suburbia for the list.