The TradeWaiters

Strictly for new episodes


The TradeWaiters 109: “As the Crow Flies” by Mel Gillman

For this episode on As the Crow Flies, by Mel Gillman, Jam, Jeff, and JD are joined by Ryan Estrada. We talk about one of Ryan’s favourite banned books. Is this a thoughtful story of alienation, doubt, microaggressions, and faith? Or is it, as one book banner summed it up, […]


The TradeWaiters 108: “Thunderbolts Vol. 1: Justice, Like Lightning” Part 2 by Kurt Busiek, Mark Bagley, and Sal Buscema

This week we return to Thunderbolts Volume 1: Justice, Like Lightning, by Kurt Busiek, Mark Bagley, Sal Buscema, Peter David, Mike Deodato Jr., Steve Epting, and others. We look deeper into the main cast of the series, and propose a wish list of changes (thirty years too late). We’ll see […]


The TradeWaiters 107: “Thunderbolts Vol. 1: Justice, Like Lightning” Part 1 by Kurt Busiek, Mark Bagley, and Sal Buscema

This is the first part of a two-parter on Thunderbolts Volume 1: Justice, Like Lightning, by such people as Kurt Busiek, Mark Bagley, Sal Buscema, Peter David, Mike Deodato Jr., and Steve Epting. We brave the Marvel Universe in the mid 90s to ask important questions like, what happens when […]


The TradeWaiters 106: “The Jellyfish” by Boum

This week Jam, Jeff, and JD read The Jellyfish by Boum. This BD fresh out of Montreal publisher Pow Pow follows Odette, a character whose vision is being increasingly obscured by a swarm of jellyfish. It’s a story with a lot of depth and heart, and some great cartooning. We’ll […]


The TradeWaiters 105: “My Aunt Is a Monster” by Reimena Yee

For this week’s episode we read My Aunt Is a Monster by Reimena Yee, whose unique and thoughtful approach to cartooning gave us lots to talk about, from panel transitions to world-building to colouring. This is a unique book and a welcome addition to the YA graphic novel canon. Also […]


The TradeWaiters 104: “Roaming” by Jillian Tamaki and Mariko Tamaki

Join Jam, Jeff, and JD for another episode of the TradeWaiters. This time we read Roaming by Canadian paragons of cartooning Jillian Tamaki and Mariko Tamaki. It’s a story of three young women visiting New York and discovering themselves, and in true Tamaki fashion, pushes the medium of comics to […]


The TradeWaiters 103: The Cartoonist Co-op 2024 Mini-Comic Awards

For today’s episode we look at the winners of the Cartoonist Co-op 2024 Mini-Comic Awards: Fancies by Alex Cara, Marrow A.K.A. Rodney’s Law by Sloane Hong, Crossed Signals by Narrenstrich, Bottom’s Up! by Barbara Benas, and The Bird Daughters by Madeline McGrane. We’ll talk about the unique magic of minicomics, […]


The TradeWaiters 102: “Nancy” by Olivia Jaimes

The TradeWaiters are back and ready to join the Nancy Renaissance! We read the first print collection of Nancy by Olivia Jaimes, and weigh in on the new artist who has taken over an ancient but venerated comic strip. Spoiler: Olivia Jaimes is lit, and you’re wrong if you think […]


The TradeWaiters 101: Comics Reinvented: The Next 100 Years

After much delay, we can finally bring you episode 101 of the TradeWaiters. This time we’re putting ourselves on the spot, and talking about our hopes and fears for the present and future state of comics. This is a continuation of our discussion from last episode on Scott McCloud’s Reinventing […]


The TradeWaiters 100: “Reinventing Comics” by Scott McCloud

It’s episode 100! Special guest Kathleen Gros rejoins the TradeWaiters to help us celebrate our anniversary, and we read Scott McCloud’s Reinventing Comics. This book made bold predictions of what the future of comics could be. More than twenty years later, we revisit Scott’s ideas to see where they’ve been […]