NEXUS (Capital Comics, 1981 & First Comics, 1983)

Steven and Chris tackle the mind-bending "superhero" space opera, NEXUS (1981, 1983), created by Mike Baron and Steve "The Dude" Rude.COMICS ROT YOUR BRAIN! is a deep dive into ‘80s comics (plus a few notable exceptions) in a weekly podcast. Screenwriters Chris Derrick (STAR TREK: PICARD) & Steven Bagatourian (AMERICAN GUN) discuss their favorite books, runs, and creators from the Bronze Age.SHOW NOTES00:30 - Steven & Chris intro NEXUS05:25 - How we first encountered NEXUS15:41 - A detailed overview of the absurdly engaging high-wire act that forms the crux of NEXUS27:40 - “If you’re writing fiction, you need to read NEXUS.” The series’ place in the American comics canon28:39 - “...NEXUS feels like my platonic ideal of pure comics. Something that you can scarcely imagine existing in another medium without being dramatically changed or bastardized in order to dumb it down for some so-called 'mass audience'...”36:04 - “...Neither fish nor fowl...” The elusive nature of NEXUS48:39 - THE NAME OF THE ROSE by Umberto Eco; THE MASTER AND MARGARITA by Mikhail Bulgakov; IF ON A WINTER’S NIGHT A TRAVELER by Italo Calvino1:00:30 - NEXUS’s stylish synthesis of Alex Toth, SPACE GHOST, and Jack Kirby. “...Mashing up elements that are clearly the individual passions of Baron & Rude... a crackling, kinetic mix.” In the words of Harlan Ellison: “It glows with originality.”1:02:51 - The crossover with Mike Baron’s other First Comics title, THE BADGER1:06:27 - The once-in-a-lifetime radiance of Steve Rude. “There’s nothing he can’t draw... That’s what’s f'd up.”01:11:04 - “...These are alien landscapes, alien ships, alien clothing... Steve Rude... has lived in these worlds… a master class in comic book art1:12:14 - The subtlety, grace, and beauty of Rude’s art -- a barrier-to-entry for some?  01:20:55 - The unbelievable alien physics of Steve Rude’s intergalactic architecture01:29:55 - NEXUS as the apex of ongoing creator-owned comics01:33:11 - Why you need to read NEXUS in the original floppy single issues: a rollicking letter column, “WHAT IT IS!” + Harlan Ellison’s hilarious exchange w/ Mike Baron01:43:00 - The act of genius-level wholesale invention that is NEXUS, as opposed to WATCHMEN and SANDMAN01:45:53 - A last fraught exchange, NEXUS letter column01:49:46 - “...One of the greatest ongoing comics of all time -- and it isn’t even close.”  Drop us a line! Support the show+ 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