War Rocket Ajax #3: In the Details with Jess Nevins

 

 

On this week’s episode of the world’s most destructive podcast, Euge and I sit down with librarian, comic book annotator and Six-Gun Gorilla expert Jess Nevins for a conversation about the fun you can have with the details of comics!

Or at least, that was what we thought we’d talk about. As per usual, the conversation got away from us, but Jess is so entertaining that we’re probably better off than if it hadn’t. It’ll be obvious if you listen to the podcast, but I’m a big fan of Jess’s work: his annotations for League of Extraordinary Gentlemen are fantastic and fun to read (and in the case of Black Dossier, pretty much necessary) and his thorough index of Marvel’s Golden Age hipped me to both the Armless Tiger Man and, with the help of my pal Scott, Chauncey Throttlebottom III, the Vagabond. But even if you’ve never heard of the guy, he’s phenomenally entertaining to talk to, and we’ve got him discussing what it’s like to write an encyclopedia, the price of Internet Fame, and his strangest conversation with Alan Moore.

Plus, I discuss Batman: Arkham Asylum (surprisingly, I’m very positive), Euge and I talk about Jonathan Hickman’s first issue of Fantastic Four, we devote even more time to Chris Onstad’s Achewood, plus another installment of Big Ups To All My Haters!

Ajax is available on iTunes, but even if you’re subscribed, head over to the site to check out Rusty’s tabletop fighter versions of Jess and–if you didn’t see ’em last week–Caitlin Kittredge, Euge and me. Enjoy!

13 thoughts on “War Rocket Ajax #3: In the Details with Jess Nevins

  1. Do you talk about Inglourious Basterds as promised last week?
    Some of us are still stumped as to what musical cue freaked you out.

  2. Please tell me you big up Nevins’ haters. I have no idea what form irrational anger towards him would take and I suddenly need to know.

  3. Since you asked–being told “Shut up, no one cares what you think” when I put any kind of editorial comment into my annotations. Being told I’m lying about something Alan Moore said. Being told that I’m ripping off the people who contribute to the annotations.

    And so on.

  4. Not so stat that you have time to look in Sunday’s post for it, though?

    Also, you’re right. It’s not like Disney has ever used one of their corporate holdings to produce mature material, or that they in fact formed an entire company to do just that. Remember how Warner Bros. bought DC and then Batman had to start fighting Elmer Fudd all the time?

  5. Since you asked–being told “Shut up, no one cares what you think” when I put any kind of editorial comment into my annotations. Being told I’m lying about something Alan Moore said. Being told that I’m ripping off the people who contribute to the annotations.

    Yes, but what about incidents OTHER than when we interviewed you?

  6. I can’t get over how much that drawing of Chris at the top (the vs screen thing) looks like Mike Haggar: Before the mustache.

    With his friend, pre-hair dye Miles Edgeworth with less flamboyant taste in clothing.

  7. Y’know Rex come to think of it a little Mike Haggar snuck in there. Considering Sims routinely threatens to perform wrestling moves on me either one works. Also when he gets mad I’ve heard he spins around in place with his arms out.

    Eugene is a lawyer so yep, a bit of Phoenix Wright stuff snuck in there too.

  8. And I just noticed the car battery in Jess’s jacket strap thing. Man, I am so jealous, I can’t for the life of me think of a scene from comics I read as a kid that is even close to that cool.

    I hope UDON takes Chris up on his offer to write a Final Fight comic. Because that would be the straight up dope.