Sometimes you just give in to the buzz. After enjoying the DC Horror book Soul Plumber, it still didn’t sink in for me who the members of The Last Podcast on the Left were. But wandering Artists’ Alley at WonderCon Friday, I found Book One of Z2 Comics’ The Last Comic Book on the Left and remembered people telling me I’d like it. Then at Z2 Comics’ booth, I saw they had a second volume. They told me there that today the crew would have a panel. Who was I to avoid fate?
Bear in mind that I still have not heard the podcast, nor yet read the books I bought. But it only took me five minutes into the panel to know that I’d better start. Some combination of improv skills, stand-up, and deep conspiracy research adds up to this popular podcast, translated into graphic novel form. Topics range from true crime and news of the weird to deep, deep state conspiracy theories that can all be deflated with a well-placed tongue in cheek. They’re irreverent but somehow sincere. And Z2 Comics editor Courtney Menard moderated with the patience of a saint.
I said it took me five minutes to get hooked, but it took about ten for the tangents to die down just enough that Menard could say, “about the comic…” That worked for maybe one minute. But who’s timing? All three enthused about being at a convention where they could meet celebrities as diverse as the Soup Nazi (actor Larry Thomas) from Seinfeld and the original Gorn on Star Trek. (For the record, actor Bobby Clark.) The real acknowledgment was that somehow, WonderCon has a smaller fan-driven feel, a different energy than its older sister Comic-Con International.
Briefly, Menard was able to focus them on the slides of their comic book covers. Excited that they had Eric Powell doing a variant cover, they debated on which one should have been the front of the Human Centipede. Frankly, we don’t debate that crucial question among our friends enough. The cover features host Ben Kissel in front, with Henry Zebrowski in the rear. That’s where the controversy really stuck, as Zebrowski claims to have the more discerning palate. Marcus Parks may have still been marveling about meeting the Soup Nazi. All agreed on one question. “Isn’t it weird how much better we look as cartoons?”
Their slow conquering of the comic book industry continues. Even with the second volume of their Z2 Comics anthology arriving with retailers in May, the team will be working on another single narrative book with Dark Horse Entertainment. In collaboration with artist Dave Rubin, Operation: Sunshine will be about “vampire on vampire crime.”
From their perspective, it’s been fun to collaborate with a variety of artists. Parks calls Paradox Press’ Big Book of… series from the 90s a heavy influence. Also raised on a steady diet of old MAD Magazines, he acknowledges he has a dangerous amount of knowledge about people like Spiro Agnew. The trick in comics has been to learn to work with artists and let them do their thing. They were surprised at the enthusiasm they got for dark subject matter, but appreciated that they could let artists run free. It’s up to the Last Podcasters to “…take it on the chin legally.”
Apparently, they have received many legal and illegal threats from their subjects. It must be a strange badge of honor to be sued by a serial killer for mentioning that he wet the bed as a child.
And so I entered not knowing much about The Last Podcast on the Left, but after 50 minutes of a dark humored but zany panel, I was a fan.
However, I’ve been haunted for the rest of the weekend by a fateful question they asked: “Are we the last generation to know who Abbott and Costello are?”
So I have to go home and watch an Abbott and Costello movie tonight. That’s after reading The Last Comic Book on the Left.
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