Episodes

  • Cloak and Dagger Marvel Comics' Most Underrated Art Team of the 1980s - Rick Leonardi & Terry Austin
    Mar 21 2025

    Steven and Chris discuss Marvel's brooding teen superheroes — CLOAK AND DAGGER — from the 1985 on-going series; they go over the first four issues written by Bill Mantlo with art by the wildy incredible and overllooked but influential art team of Rick Leonardi and Terry Austin.

    COMICS ROT YOUR BRAIN! is a deep dive into ‘80s comics (plus a few notable exceptions). In this weekly podcast, screenwriters Steven Bagatourian (AMERICAN GUN) and Chris Derrick (STAR TREK: PICARD) discuss their favorite books, runs, and creators from the Bronze Age.

    Support Our Patreon - / comicsrotyourbrain

    👉🏼 Rick Leonardi - "A Murderers' Row" Comics Journl article by Tegan O'Neil
    https://www.tcj.com/murderers-row-rick-leonardi/

    Drop us a line!


    + Check out our YouTube channel to get a look at some of the fantastic art featured in our episodes. Visit ComicsRotYourBrain.com to sign up for our newsletter, Letter Column. You can also find us wherever you stream your favorite podcasts.

    + We appreciate your support of the show via Patreon: ComicsRotYourBrain

    + For even more cool shit, read Chris's Substack (cinema, comics, and culture) - THIN ICE




    ©2024 Comics Rot Your Brain!







    #comicbooks #comics #graphicnovel

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    3 hrs and 20 mins
  • When The Wind Blows
    Mar 19 2025

    Chris and Steven discuss Raymond Briggs's nuclear war nightmare WHEN THE WIND BLOWS, published by Penguin Books in 1982.

    Drop us a line!


    + Check out our YouTube channel to get a look at some of the fantastic art featured in our episodes. Visit ComicsRotYourBrain.com to sign up for our newsletter, Letter Column. You can also find us wherever you stream your favorite podcasts.

    + We appreciate your support of the show via Patreon: ComicsRotYourBrain

    + For even more cool shit, read Chris's Substack (cinema, comics, and culture) - THIN ICE




    ©2024 Comics Rot Your Brain!







    #comicbooks #comics #graphicnovel

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    1 hr and 18 mins
  • A Poetic Exploration of Fate, Power, and Cycles of Violence
    Feb 27 2025

    n this CRYB! SPOTLIGHT, Chris and Steven discuss DC Comics' batshit-crazy SKREEMER (1988). This proto-Vertigo classic blends noir, cyberpunk, and family tragedy in a retro gangster apocalyptic fable created by Peter Milligan, Brett Ewins, and Steve Dillion. A science fiction comic that makes A CLOCKWORK ORANGE look G-rated.

    This clip was taken from our full-length SKREEMER episode:

    https://youtu.be/gfcvYF0aCd0?si=E5H1E0EfawK1tM17.

    COMICS ROT YOUR BRAIN! is a deep dive into ‘80s comics (plus a few notable exceptions). Screenwriters Chris Derrick (STAR TREK: PICARD) & Steven Bagatourian (AMERICAN GUN) discuss their favorite books, runs, and creators from the Bronze Age.

    + We appreciate your support of the show via Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/ComicsRotYourBrain

    🎙️ SHOW NOTES

    Drop us a line!


    + Check out our YouTube channel to get a look at some of the fantastic art featured in our episodes. Visit ComicsRotYourBrain.com to sign up for our newsletter, Letter Column. You can also find us wherever you stream your favorite podcasts.

    + We appreciate your support of the show via Patreon: ComicsRotYourBrain

    + For even more cool shit, read Chris's Substack (cinema, comics, and culture) - THIN ICE




    ©2024 Comics Rot Your Brain!







    #comicbooks #comics #graphicnovel

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    27 mins
  • The Ultimate SciFi War Story/Space Opera - "Humanity" Explored in Thought Balloons
    Feb 12 2025

    This week is a CRYB Spotlight episode on Marvel/Epic Comics' ALIEN LEGION, published in 1984, created by Carl Potts, Alan Zelenetz, and Frank Cirocco. This clip is taken from our epic (so to speak) deep dive into ALIEN LEGION (see earlier episodes).

    COMICS ROT YOUR BRAIN! is a deep dive into ‘80s comics (plus a few notable exceptions). In this weekly podcast, screenwriters Chris Derrick (STAR TREK: PICARD) and Steven Bagatourian (AMERICAN GUN) discuss their favorite books, runs, and creators from the Bronze Age of comics.

    ALIEN LEGION | The Ultimate SciFi War Story/Space Opera - "Humanity" Explored in Thought Balloons

    SHOW NOTES
    00:00 - Theme song
    00:15 - Intro to ALIEN LEGION
    00:53 - The legionnaire Skobb signs his own death warrant
    01:02 - Zelenetz's brilliance as a writer
    01:32 - The cost of making selfish, all-too-human choices
    03:31 - Thought balloons in comics
    05:11 - Exploring the legionnaires' fears and insecurities
    07:30 - The inner monologue during a War Story
    08:45 - Blending pathos and politics
    09:02 - Tell every story in a war film
    10:25 - The ultimate metaphor for life

    Drop us a line!


    + Check out our YouTube channel to get a look at some of the fantastic art featured in our episodes. Visit ComicsRotYourBrain.com to sign up for our newsletter, Letter Column. You can also find us wherever you stream your favorite podcasts.

    + We appreciate your support of the show via Patreon: ComicsRotYourBrain

    + For even more cool shit, read Chris's Substack (cinema, comics, and culture) - THIN ICE




    ©2024 Comics Rot Your Brain!







    #comicbooks #comics #graphicnovel

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    12 mins
  • Art Deco Retro-Futurism SciFi Mystery Noir and Flying Cars... Welcome to the World of Mister X
    Feb 4 2025

    Steven and Chris discuss acclaimed graphic designer Dean Motter's science fiction opus, MISTER X (Vortex Comics, 1984); the first four issues were written & drawn by Los Bros Hernandez (Mario, Gilbert, and Jamie) of LOVE & ROCKETS fame and colored by Paul Rivoche.

    COMICS ROT YOUR BRAIN! is a deep dive into ‘80s comics (plus a few notable exceptions). In this weekly podcast, screenwriters Steven Bagatourian (AMERICAN GUN) and Chris Derrick (STAR TREK: PICARD) discuss their favorite books, runs, and creators from the Bronze Age.

    Support Our Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/c/ComicsRotYourBrain

    MISTER X | Art Deco Retro Futurism SciFi Mystery Noir and Flying Cars

    🎙️ SHOW NOTES see below💥

    Copyright © 2025 Comics Rot Your Brain

    #graphicnovel #scifi #comicbooks

    Drop us a line!


    + Check out our YouTube channel to get a look at some of the fantastic art featured in our episodes. Visit ComicsRotYourBrain.com to sign up for our newsletter, Letter Column. You can also find us wherever you stream your favorite podcasts.

    + We appreciate your support of the show via Patreon: ComicsRotYourBrain

    + For even more cool shit, read Chris's Substack (cinema, comics, and culture) - THIN ICE




    ©2024 Comics Rot Your Brain!







    #comicbooks #comics #graphicnovel

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    1 hr and 43 mins
  • Moebius, Druillet, and... Alex Nino - this Visionary Filipino Genius Is One of the Greatest Comic Book Artist of All Time!
    Jan 31 2025

    In this solo episode, Steven takes a wild trip into the breathtaking visual world of legendary and visionary Filipino artist, Alex Niño, as seen in the unfortunately named graphic novel, SPACE CLUSTERS (DC Comics, 1986).

    Comics Rot Your Brain! is a deep dive into ‘80s comics (plus a few noteworthy exceptions). Screenwriters Chris Derrick (STAR TREK: PICARD) and Steven Bagatourian (AMERICAN GUN) discuss their favorite books, runs, and creators from the Bronze Age.

    Moebius, Druillet, & ALEX NIÑO - This Visionary Genius Is One of the Greatest Comics Artists Ever!

    • We appreciate your support of the show via Patreon: / comicsrotyourbrain

    • The Blerd It Out show on Alex Niño mentioned in this episode from Adrian Johnson @ Inazuma Studios:

    • Blerd It Out! - Episode 4: Alex Nino

    Drop us a line!


    + Check out our YouTube channel to get a look at some of the fantastic art featured in our episodes. Visit ComicsRotYourBrain.com to sign up for our newsletter, Letter Column. You can also find us wherever you stream your favorite podcasts.

    + We appreciate your support of the show via Patreon: ComicsRotYourBrain

    + For even more cool shit, read Chris's Substack (cinema, comics, and culture) - THIN ICE




    ©2024 Comics Rot Your Brain!







    #comicbooks #comics #graphicnovel

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    1 hr and 25 mins
  • Marvel Comics' Lost Space Bounty Hunter by Howard Chaykin
    Jan 11 2025

    Chris discusses Howard Chaykin's MONARK STARSTALKER single-issue scifi story from the ultra-cool try-out book, Marvel Premiere.

    COMICS ROT YOUR BRAIN! is a deep dive into ‘80s comics (plus a few notable exceptions). In this weekly podcast, screenwriters Steven Bagatourian (AMERICAN GUN) and Chris Derrick (STAR TREK: PICARD) discuss their favorite books, runs, and creators from the Bronze Age.

    Support Our Patreon - / comicsrotyourbrain

    Fantagraphics is finally collecting Chaykin's early Marvel Comics work - https://a.co/d/dkKaCM3

    Chaykin's STARS, MY DESTINATION adaptation - https://a.co/d/07teTGn

    Chaykin's AMERICAN FLAGG! - https://a.co/d/dayB529

    0:00 Music & Intro
    0:59 Plug for Marvel’s upcoming collection of early Howard Chaykin work
    1:13 What is Marvel Premiere?
    2:41 Who is Howard Chaykin?
    3:42 Diving into Monark Starstalker

    Drop us a line!


    + Check out our YouTube channel to get a look at some of the fantastic art featured in our episodes. Visit ComicsRotYourBrain.com to sign up for our newsletter, Letter Column. You can also find us wherever you stream your favorite podcasts.

    + We appreciate your support of the show via Patreon: ComicsRotYourBrain

    + For even more cool shit, read Chris's Substack (cinema, comics, and culture) - THIN ICE




    ©2024 Comics Rot Your Brain!







    #comicbooks #comics #graphicnovel

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    45 mins
  • Our Secret Origins
    Dec 31 2024

    In the final episode of Season One, Steven and Chris reveal their own secret origins on how and why they came to discover the world of comics in their youth... way back in the '80s!

    Drop us a line!


    + Check out our YouTube channel to get a look at some of the fantastic art featured in our episodes. Visit ComicsRotYourBrain.com to sign up for our newsletter, Letter Column. You can also find us wherever you stream your favorite podcasts.

    + We appreciate your support of the show via Patreon: ComicsRotYourBrain

    + For even more cool shit, read Chris's Substack (cinema, comics, and culture) - THIN ICE




    ©2024 Comics Rot Your Brain!







    #comicbooks #comics #graphicnovel

    Show more Show less
    2 hrs and 24 mins