Before the cartoon, the toys, and the pizza-fueled catchphrases, there was a scrappy black-and-white comic that nobody saw coming. In this episode of We Love Comics, we crack open Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1, the 1984 book two young cartoonists, Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird, scraped together enough to self-publish. It’s gritty, strange, and violent, a world away from the Saturday-morning version most of us grew up with. Was it a parody? A love letter? A lightning strike? All three?

Joining us as artist Aaron Conley (Sabertooth Swordsman, Bully Wars) brings an artist’s eye to the book that started it all. Beyond breaking down Mirage’s first issue, Aaron talks about why the Turtles still win over kids and adults of every age four decades later, and how they shaped him as an artist.

Four turtles, one rat, and a photocopier’s worth of attitude. Forty years later, they’re still the coolest guys in the sewer.

Want to go deeper? Kyle has compiled the articles, interviews, and essays he used to prepare for this conversation. Check the links below and keep reading.

From Mirage to Millions: The 40 Year Journey of the TMNT - Independent Magazine

Every Day Is Like Wednesday: Some notes on IDW's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Ultimate Collection line

Peter Laird Shoot Interview! The Co-Creator of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Joins the Boys!

PETER LAIRD goes through Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Issue 1 page-by-page with Cartoonist Kayfabe!The Kevin Eastman Interview Part I - The Comics Journal

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

This week on We Love Comics, award-winning cartoonist Ethan Young joins us to dig into Dave Cooper's Ripple: A Predilection for Tina, a strange, unsettling, unforgettable story of an artist, his model, and an obsession that turns into something far more dangerous. We break down what makes Cooper's book so hypnotic and so uncomfortable, then widen the lens to the books and films of the same ilk: stories of desire, fixation, and exploration of taboos & fantasies. What makes this kind of work so great... or so dangerous?

Ethan also talks about his own path: how he broke into comics by self-publishing his work, the firsthand feedback and professional he got from the legendary Jim Lee, and how learning to accept criticism has helped make him the creative force he is today.

Ethan is the creator of Nanjing: The Burning City, winner of the 2016 Reuben Award for Best Graphic Novel and an Eisner and Harvey nominee. His other books include The Dragon Path, Space Bear, Life Between Panels, and The Battles of Bridget Lee. He's a prolific cover artist for DC, Marvel, Image, IDW, Dark Horse, and more. He's also a character designer on Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man for Marvel Studios, and his creator-owned action-horror series Demon Run is currently sold on his website

⚠️ CONTENT WARNING: This episode contains discussion of sexual content, obsession, controlling and possessive relationships, and psychological manipulation. It also includes discussion of Lolita, a novel involving child sexual abuse. These works 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!

About — ethan young

Dave Graphics – The Artwork of Dave CooperWizard #61: Dave Cooper – Palmer’s Picks – Suckle Crumple RippleDave Cooper | du9, l'autre bande dessinée

The Antick Musings of G.B.H. Hornswoggler, Gent.: Ripple: A Predilection for Tina by Dave Cooper