art by Matt and Brennan Wagner, courtesy of Z2 Comics
By their own admission, the crew of “The Last Podcast on the Left” “…laughs into the abyss that is the dark side of humanity.” They categorize their work as horror, but in a humorous vein. Covering crime, cryptids, and other creepy corners of the world, hosts Ben Kissel, Marcus Parks, and Henry Zebrowski always have a smile. I can’t vouch for the song. But at WonderCon, I picked up the first two volumes of their comics anthology The Last Comic Book on the Left from Z2 Comics. That was after an anarchic hour that we all agreed to call a panel.
On the drive home from Anaheim, I listened to an episode and had fun. That night, I read the anthologies, and fell in love with Detective Popcorn. Which was in accordance with a prophecy uttered by Kissell when he signed my book. This morning started out right with a press release from Z2 Comics — that volume 3 was on its way, and I could pre-order it now. At the panel, they’d shown cover art but never got around to actually talking about it. They did, however, express reverence for Matt Wagner, who drew one of the variant covers.
variant cover by Rob Schwager, courtesy of Z2 Comics
So dive in. The anthology expounds upon various podcast topics, using them as springboards for tales with a little humor and a lot of gore. Dread builds; punchlines kill. A good time will be had by all. Read further if you dare and pre-order here.
From Z2 Comics:
The fevered minds behind The Last Podcast on the Left, Marcus Parks, Henry Zebrowski, and Ben Kissel, have once more joined unholy forces with Z2 Comics for a third tome in the The Last Comic Book on the Leftseries. Overflowing with stories equally heretic and hilarious, this new anthology has ensnared a new batch of writers and artists to conjure more macabre and profane sequential art inspired by the podcast, featuring doomed descents into Norwegian Black Metal, the Andreasson Affair, the Hollow Moon, and the Edgewood Arsenal (among others).
main cover art by Bob Fingerman, courtesy of Z2 Comics
What other degenerates have been recruited into this brochure of the wicked?
• Eliot Rahal (Amelia Aierwood: Basic Witch, Cheech & Chong’s Chronicles)
• Bob Fingerman (Minimum Wage, Beg the Question)
• Brennan Wagner (Blondie: Against the Odds)
• Jenna Cha (Black Stars Above)
• Grim Wilkins (Mirenda, Prophet)
• Maria Lovett (Faithless, Porcelain)
• Josh Simmons (Black River, Flayed Corpse)
• Bayard Morse (The Last Comic Book on the Left)
• Eryk Donovan (Heavy, Memetic)
• Jade Young
• Jensine Eckwall
In addition, Marcus Parks and Henry Zebrowski will step out from the bullpen to write their own stories in this new volume. Legendary creator Matt Wagner (Mage, Grendel) provides the cover art for the deluxe edition with repeat offender Bob Fingerman returning to provide cover art on the standard edition; Rob Schwager illustrated the hardback.
variant cover by Matt and Brennan Wagner, courtesy of Z2 Comics
“What did you think? We were stopping at two volumes?!,” Marcus Parks asks. “We won’t stop producing The Last Comic Book on the Left until the sky goes black!”
“Will we see Detective Popcorn naked?,” Henry Zebrowski asks. “He’s a detective. He’s a bag of popcorn. And he deserves to be seen in his full-frontal glory.”
Like the first two volumes of The Last Comic Book on the Left, a series of prints will come bundled with deluxe editions of the book. Artists and subjects include:
• Maria Lovett, Vampires
• Rob Schwager, The Flatwoods Monster
• Jade Young, Curse of the Kelpie
“I’m ecstatic to channel more of the terrifying, hilarious, and incredibly uncomfortable lore that the guys have immortalized into this new comic,” says projector editor and Z2 Creative Director Courtney Menard. “I’m especially excited for Marcus’ and Henry’s contributions in this volume. Prepare yourselves for psychedelic abductions and a side of Detective Popcorn yet to be witnessed.”
This deal was brokered by Z2 Comics A&R Liaison John Domingos. “I hope to say this with every subsequent volume of this series, but this new book raises the bar yet again. We hope the fans feel the same way and know that they won’t be disappointed,” Domingos explains. “Henry, Marcus, Ben and the rest of the Last Podcast team continue to be dream collaborators, and it shows on every page.”
Super Deluxe Editions of The Last Comic Book on the Left Vol. 3 will come with mystery trading cards, which can also be purchased separately.
In addition to running Fanboy Planet, Derek has contributed stories to Arcana Comics (The Greatest American Hero) and Monsterverse Comics (Bela Lugosi's Tales from the Grave). He has performed with ComedySportz, City Lights Theater Company and Silicon Valley Shakespeare, though relocated to Hollywood to... work in an office? If you ever played Eric's Ultimate Solitaire on the Macintosh, it was Derek's voice as The Weasel that urged you to play longer. You can buy his book "I Was Flesh Gordon" on the Amazon link at the right. Email him at [email protected].
