Off Panel #537: A Bad Trip with Charlie Adlard
Artist Charlie Adlard joins the show to talk about post-Walking Dead living and his new Image Comics graphic novel, Altamont. Adlard discusses a recent signing, becoming a different Charlie, figuring out which projects to take on, the constant drumbeat of deadlines, leaning in different directions, the story of the Altamont Free Concert, what made that story a draw, how Altamont came together as a graphic novel, coloring the book, how he thinks about art, its journey from France to America, Altamont’s commentary, what’s guiding him these days, verisimilitude, his love of Lego, and more.
You can find Adlard on Instagram and his work in Altamont at Image Comics.
You can download the episode directly here on Libsyn.
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Thanks to another of the show’s sponsors, Oni Press! This March, there’s no escaping high school in Dead Teenagers from Oni Press! Since 1997, five friends have been trapped in the ultimate nightmare as a mysterious entity forces them to relive their first prom night over and over again . . . and re-kills them in new and increasingly insane ways each time. They dress up. They party. They make out. And no matter what they try to change, they always die…until now. Something is about to break the cycle that has kept one group of friends locked in a bizarre purgatory beyond all understanding…but what they find on the other side will be the most disturbing revelation of all. Hell is the ’90s in this brash and brutal, genre-distorting ode to the generation that gave us Scream and Buffy the Vampire Slayer as GLAAD Award–nominated writer Jude Ellison S. Doyle and Eisner Award-nominated artist Caitlin Yarsky unleash the year’s most clever and compulsively page-turning horror thriller. Dead Teenagers #1 is in comic shops this March, only from Oni Press.
Lastly, thanks to the show’s final sponsor in IDW. IDW is having a big February, and it all starts with Smile: For the Camera #1. If you thought the Smile films were unsettling, buckle up, because this story drops you into Fashion Week 2005, where the smiles are fake, the pressure is real, and something very wrong is lurking behind every flashbulb. Horror fans, this one is for you. Then on February 25th, The Rocketeer: The Island debuts. It’s a classic pulp adventure with jetpacks blazing, and yes, it features cameos from Popeye, Tintin, and more. It’s fast, fun, and pure old-school serial energy. If you love throwback adventures with a modern kick, don’t miss it. Lastly, Godzilla: Rulers of Earth — IDW Classic Collections arrives. It’s over 300 pages of kaiju chaos for just $13.99. This is Godzilla at full power with massive battles, fan-favorite monsters, and one of IDW’s most beloved Godzilla runs, all in one affordable collection. Whether you’re looking for horror, adventure, or kaiju mayhem, you’ll find it from IDW at your local comic shop or wherever you get your comics in February.
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Header photo is from Adlard’s cover to Altamont. Off Panel’s opening theme music is Vulfpeck’s “Outro,” used with permission from the band (and thanks from me for them doing so!), with the rest of the music being an original track by custom music agency Upright T-Rex Music, written and performed specifically for the podcast. A huge thanks to Ross and Cody from Upright T-Rex Music for putting the track together!