Episode 54 - A Creator Spotlight on Dash Shaw

This week on The Comics Alternative, the Two Guys with PhDs feature another “Creator Spotlight” episode, this one focused on the works of Dash Shaw. Tof Eklund joins Derek in discussing and defining a truly unique presence in comics, an artist whose work has been evolving over the past decade. They begin by looking at Shaw’s most recent works, the comic book 3 Stories and the brand new graphic novel, New School (both from Fantagraphics). Tof and Derek note the distinctive visual style of these books — with their heavy linework and their prominent reliance on color, patterns, and background images — and how they differ greatly from most of Shaw’s previous comics. Next they turn their attention to some of Shaw’s earlier works published by Fantagraphics, such as BodyWorld (Tof’s favorite Dash Shaw book), Bottomless Belly Button (Derek’s favorite), The Unclothed Man in the 35th Century AD (which includes previously published short comics, including the pieces included the quarterly anthology, Mome), as well as his lesser known works, such as The Mother’s Mouth (Alternative Comics) and the recent minicomic, New Jobs (Uncivilized Books). If you are unfamiliar with the comics of Dash Shaw, then this is your opportunity to jump right on in and discover a creator whose work stands out from the pack.