Episode 200: Reviews of Hillbilly #1 and #2, Satan's Sodomy Baby #2, and Time Clock

On this episode of The Comics Alternative, Derek and Andy celebrate their 200th regular review episode! They begin by sharing some of the messages and well wishes they've received from listeners in the past couple of weeks. After that, they get into a discussion of this week's review titles. They begin with Eric Powell's new series, Hillbilly (Albatross Funnybooks), the second issue of which was just released last week. The guys focus on Powell's use of folktale tropes and storytelling techniques, pointing out that this title reads more somberly than does The Goon and Billy the Kid's Old Timey Oddities (at least so far), although it does have its humorous moments. Albeit subtle. Much more in-your-face is Satan's Sodomy Baby #2 -- branded as SSBII for "safer" consumption -- Powell's other Albatross Funnybooks publication. This is a follow up to the 2007 one-shot Satan's Sodomy Baby, and like the earlier issue this comic book will not be reprinted nor will it be released digitally. And, appropriately enough, it comes in a sealed bag and parental advisory warning, so as to avoid any immature hands. While this issue of Satan's Sodomy Baby isn't as scatological as the first, it's over-the-top in an entirely different way. Current politics is what drives this story, and Donald J. Trump is the butt (pun intended) of Powell's scathing satire, small hands and all. The Two Guys wrap up this week's episode with a look at Leslie Stein's Time Clock: An Eye of the Majestic Creature Book (Fantagraphics). Very different from last year's Bright-Eyed at Midnight, this book is a follow up to Stein's other Eye of the Majestic Creature releases from 2011 and 2013. Andy and Derek discuss the the phantasmagorical stories that make up the text, wondering if the protagonist's life events -- e.g., her sand counting and the relationship with her anthropomorphic guitar friend, Marshmallow -- may have any allegorical connections to Stein's own life. But what drives the narrative is Stein's seemingly mundane observations, clothed in the fantastic, and especially her art style, a curious mixture of cartoon and creepy.