This week on We Love Comics, artist, educator, and Odyssey Comics creator Professor Raco joins us to dig into James O’Barr’s The Crow. The 1989 black-and-white "Outlaw style" classic is a revenge story on the surface and, at heart, a gothic love story born from real grief. We talk about what makes it so beautiful and so brutal, where it stumbles, and what it means to make art out of pain. Along the way we wander into goth and punk subcultures, the 1994 film, life drawing, breaking into indie comics, AI, and why art is ultimately about connection.

Professor Raco is a writer and artist for Odyssey Comics, where the supernatural YA thriller Everybody Is Happy Nowadays is out now, and teaches life drawing at the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television. Raco's upcoming anthology project, This Is Not a Love Song, will be released just in time for their appearance at the Thought Bubble Comic Art Festival in Yorkshire!

⚠️ CONTENT WARNING: This episode contains discussion of sexual violence, graphic violence, self-harm, drug use, a racial slur, trauma, and grief, along with strong language. These subjects are examined critically. Listener discretion is advised; intended for adult audiences.

Want to go deeper? Kyle has compiled links to the information and material he discovered while preparing for this episode. Check the links below and keep reading!

https://www.aprilconnorsart.com

The Crow: When Fantasy Manages Trauma - by Alec Worley

The Crow - The Comics Journal

My 1994 James O’Barr “The Crow” Author/Illustrator Interview – Anything Goes – Allman Brothers Band Forum

But What ARE Outlaw Comics?

The Crow: A Deep Dive into James O'Barr's Graphic Novel and its Enduring Legacy - Lbibinders