The *Coolest* SPACE OPERA in Comic Book History!
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 2 มี.ค. 2024
- Steven and Chris tackle the mind-bending space opera "superhero," 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 NOTES
00:30 - Steven & Chris introduce NEXUS
05:25 - How we each first encountered NEXUS
15:41 - A detailed overview of the absurdly engaging high-wire act that forms the crux of NEXUS
27:40 - “If you’re writing fiction, you need to read NEXUS.” The series’ place in the American comics canon
28:39 - “...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 NEXUS
48:39 - 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 Calvino
1:00:30 - NEXUS’s stylish synthesis of Alex Toth, SPACE GHOST, and Jack Kirby... “...Mashing up elements that are clearly the individual passions of Baron and 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 BADGER
1:06:27 - 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 art."
1:12:14 - 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 alien architecture
01:29:55 - NEXUS as the apex of ongoing creator-owned comics
01:33:11 - Why you need to read NEXUS in the original floppy single issues: a rollicking letter column, “WHAT IT IS!” ...Discussion of Harlan Ellison’s hilarious exchange with Mike Baron
01:43:00 - The act of genius-level wholesale invention that is NEXUS, as opposed to WATCHMEN and SANDMAN
01:45:53 - A last fraught exchange from NEXUS’s letter column
01:49:46 - “...One of the greatest ongoing comics of all time -- and it isn't even close."
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#scificomics #alanmoore #neilgaiman #new #content - บันเทิง
🎙 SHOW NOTES
Steven and Chris tackle the mind-bending space opera "superhero," NEXUS (1981, 1983), created by Mike Baron and Steve "The Dude" Rude.
⏱ TIMESTAMPS
00:30 - Steven and Chris introduce NEXUS
05:25 - How we each first encountered NEXUS
15:41 - A detailed overview of the absurdly engaging high-wire act that forms the crux of NEXUS
27:40 - “If you’re writing fiction, you need to read NEXUS.” The series’ place in the American comics canon
28:39 - “...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 NEXUS
48:39 - 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 Calvino
1:00:30 - NEXUS’s stylish synthesis of Alex Toth, SPACE GHOST, and Jack Kirby... “...Mashing up elements that are clearly the individual passions of Baron and 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 BADGER
1:06:27 - 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 art
1:12:14 - 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 alien architecture
01:29:55 - NEXUS as the apex of ongoing creator-owned comics
01:33:11 - Why you need to read NEXUS in the original floppy single issues: a rollicking letter column, “WHAT IT IS!” ...Discussion of Harlan Ellison’s hilarious exchange with Mike Baron
01:43:00 - The act of genius-level wholesale invention that is NEXUS, as opposed to WATCHMEN and SANDMAN
01:45:53 - A last fraught exchange from NEXUS’s letter column
01:49:46 - “...One of the greatest ongoing comics of all time - and it isn't even close."
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.
Nexus proves comics can be fun and clever at the same time. No movie/Disney hype required.
Totally true! The fun factor is off the charts and the story is still so smartly told - an amazing combo. Pure comics.
- Steven
Damn, now I'm going to have to buy this.
Haha, you totally need to! You won’t regret it.
- Steven
Nexus is at Rude Dude (a new campaign)... But its also with Mike Baron. They have divergent histories now, each taking the character their own way, independent of each other, but both are still publishing. Rude on his website, Mike on Indiegogo. In fact there was already one story published by Mike using Splatto Comics (Ya Boi Zack, the old 'Diversity & Comics' TH-camr) as well as one with Kelsey Shannon doing the art... So there is a bit more coming out in the next 12 months than we have tended to see for quite some time.
I have some of Rude’s solo work. I plan to pick up Mike’s next time I order books online. - Chris
The Baron/Shannon story is actually the first of a 3 part story, it will be republished and the remaining 2 parts published in the next year or two through Mike's own company, Bloody Red Baron I do believe.
The comic shop I've been frequenting for 40 years has those first/comico fliers so that's how I got hooked on badger,nexus, grendel,and elementals and even Chris Claremont showed love for nexus(he tried to get rude on X-Men to no avail)also the hot artist(s) boom of the late 80's early 90's probably didn't help nexus's visibility.....
Sounds like an awesome comic shop - I love that they’re still around! Btw, we also have an episode on GRENDEL thay you may want to check out (the Christine Spar version). And Steve Rude did finally draw the (original) X-Men, at least briefly in that Children of the Atom mini-series he did with Joe Casey (and Paul Smith!). Thanks so much for listening and commenting!
- Steven
This is on my top 5 must read comics and one day I hope to dive into this amazing universe. I enjoyed listening to this video and will be back to listen to more of your content if this is the norm...
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed the video. NEXUS is a gem. And yes, this is absolutely representative of all the episodes of our show: deep dive discussions about ‘80s comics that were not part of the mainstream! - Steven
Nexus is so awesome, strong, tough, and very intelligent hero! He is a great fighter with multiple fighting techniques!
Nexus is great!!!! Thanks for spotlighting it, guys.
We agree!!! And we loved talking about it. Thank you for commenting!
- Steven
Baron writings, which are complex and still accessible may have never gotten off the ground without the intricate yet open style of Rude.😊
Yes, that’s a very astute point! I agree that the “open” and clear style of Rude’s drawing no doubt made it easier for folks to take in Baron’s uncommonly layered, nuanced storylines.
- Steven
Rude’s work is so compelling and easy to follow. How he did layouts to enable Baron’s storytelling and structure to be digestible is part of his genius. - Chris
Dang, i wished i gotten into Nexus way back,when i was collecting consistently.
I remember seeing it at the comic shop and i liked the covers art, but idk why i never started picking it up.
I had tons of titles i was buying in the mid-late 80s, so i may have just not had enough extra money. Lol
Hey, don’t blame yourself too much. The mid to late ‘80s blessed us with such an embarrassment of riches as comic book fans that it was nearly impossible to afford all of the great comics coming out - hence, the reason our show is focused on ‘80s comics! But seriously, it’s never too late to start reading NEXUS…
- Steven
Loved this one back in the old days... Caught onto it during the color First Comics run
Yup, that’s when I started reading it, too! But those early black and white issues are definitely worth seeking out!
- Steven
Indie comics were out of my price range while I was in high school, and I could only gift myself a few issues here and there. But by the early 1990s and now in college, I felt DC, Marvel and Image had declined to such crap that I was exclusively reading either indie published or foreign graphic novels. It also meant I was now buying a lot of back issues of Comico, First, Kitchen Sink Press, and other from the '80s! I was fed up with mainstream comics, and not the world of graphic novels and art.
Yeah, I had a very similar arc in terms of my comic book reading habits from the ‘90s and beyond. It was only in retrospect that I realized what an insane wealth of amazing comics came out of the ‘80s indie explosion… Hence, our show! 😊 Thanks so much for listening and commenting! Please stay tuned, and feel free to suggest some of your favorite ‘80s indie comics for us to cover! Lord knows there are SO MANY good ones…
- Steven
New to your page. Liking it so far. Haven't thought of this comic in a very long time but this and x men started me in comics. Still consider this one of the best. Have you heard of" whisper" from first comics?
Hi, glad you’re digging our channel! And yes, we are definitely familiar with WHISPER - yay, ninjas! It’s on our list of comics we’ll be covering on the show (which honestly includes most of the First Comics ‘80s lineup lol), so stay tuned! And thanks for commenting!
- Steven
I think it’s because it has not been made readily available like a lot of other books you’ve mentioned, how long has Nexus been out of print it is not readily available in the zeitgeist of comic book readers mind or just readers mind, Bendis’s powers , Vaughn’s Saga, Wagners, Sandman mystery theater and his Mage, Robinson’s Starman & Golden Age, Mignola’s Hellboy, Willingham’s Fabel’s ,Starlin’s Dreadstar , Brubakers any thing, are all great stories on different levels and complexities.
Dark Horse has done several Nexus omnibuses over the last two decades (but not full-sized trades) so may be they are, to your point, not reprinted enough, and maybe they also don’t sell enough units at the LCS to be in stock.
I only read Saga because I wanted something like Nexus. And Mike’s stories fascinating me more than Brian’s (but to each his own)
We have a Dreadstar episode coming next season! Love that book so much! The two new Kickstarter volumes are fun too - Chris
07:49 Eastsider? Cedar Road, baby!
Did you frequent Kovac’s Comics? Or Northcoast Nostalgia? -Chris
Nexus and Mirical Man were both in the space where I felt like the only person who picked them up. Slept on books for sure.
Most definitely! And yeah, MIRACLEMAN was such an amazing book, too - we’ll definitely do an epidode on it one day. Thanks for commenting!
- Steven
"Neither fish nor fowl." I say that every day.
Something Judah would say.😊
@michaelbaron172 Mike!!! We appreciate you listening to our episode about your and Steve's simply scintillating and sensational saga. It's been an inspiration and it's set the bar for my own space opera and science fiction writing. -- Chris
I've been reading Nexus since the Capital days, and it's one of my favorites as well, but I have to agree with most of the other fans: Clonezone was lame.
Haha, Clonezone was so controversial! I love how a lizard alien interstellar stand-up comedian can piss people off so much. Only in comics! 😊 - Steven
Do Starstruck or Strange Days next!!
Great suggestions, thank you! Good news - we do have plans to cover both of those series. STARSTRUCK is amazing. I adore Mike Kaluta’s art. And STRANGE DAYS is wildly underrated… Milligan & McCarthy never miss! - Steven
Nexus ,Badger ,Grips, Ralph Snark....all that shit mane !
Haha, I actually loved RALPH SNART ADVENTURES when I was a kid. Crazy comic!
- Steven
Vootie!
Another great video, gentlemen! Regards
Thank you so much! Appreciate you commenting!
- Steven
Wild tonal shifts and a Harlan Ellison endorsement? As a TRIGUN fan I am intrigued. I always say it in the shop as a kid but never picked it up. Time to check out 'Nexus'; better late then never
Yes, never too late to discover NEXUS! You won’t be sorry. As Harlan proclaimed: “It glows with originality.” He ain’t wrong!
- Steven
I too didn’t read Nexus as a kid during its First Comics run, but discovered it at Dark Horse, which has some great omnibus editions.
Loved Nexus. Still have a bunch of issues from when they originally came out. Not as easy to follow as the Marvel/DC titles because they came out so infrequently. Badger was also great.
Badger was a trip! I loved that comic when I was a kid. Ham the Weather Wizard!
- Steven
Nexus is probably the best and only true science fiction comic book, because Nexus isn't a super heroe. A fantastic comic ,full of amazing characters. Question, dose he still have his kids? Is one of them the new Nexus? Thanks...btw. Zot!! Is The best comic ever written ♥️
Honestly, I’m not sure about Nexus’ kids - that’s a good question! Maybe someone else can answer that here? Re: Scott McCloud’s ZOT!… I frickin’ love that comic! It’s definitely one we’ll be covering on our show, so stay tuned! Eclipse Comics had SO MANY great titles! And Dekko has one of the craziest designs ever for a villain - his “Empire State Building head” is wild! Thanks for commenting!
- Steven
Im curious to read Zot!; heard about forever, never read it. Perhaps it will be part of Season 2 (coming soon) - Chris
Horatio and Sundra have a boy, Harry, who is seventeen in my version.
Ylum as in Asylum
Yes, thank you for pointing this out! I wish we had mentioned it in the episode when we talked about the name of Nexus’ planet. Knowing it’s a spin on “asylum” makes it so much easier to remember the proper pronunciation of “Ylum.”
- Steven
Yo!
Hey Mike,
Thanks so much for dropping by and for your support of this episode of our fledgling show!
As Chris and I discussed here, we hold your and Steve’s accomplishments with NEXUS in the highest possible regard; it’s been a source of endless creative inspiration.
Hats off to you and The Dude for your incredible vision in creating such unique characters and a timeless story! -Steven
Yes you need to finish sandman
Okay, okay… I will try again!
- Steven
When speaking of other creator owned books that run a good length at the quality of Nexus..... I think a certain Aardvark is conspicuous in his absence from your list.
Yup, CEREBUS is certainly the aardvark in the room when it comes to this particular conversation. However, I would not agree at all that CEREBUS maintained the consistent quality level of Baron & Rude’s NEXUS. Having said that, there is obviously a much larger and more troubling discussion that one could have regarding what happened to CEREBUS.
- Steven
💬 TELL US
❓Which other writer-artist teams in comics just can’t miss? This comments section is 🏜barren without your perspective!
Marshal Law by Pat Mills and Kevin O´Neill
The Shadow (DC, 1987) by Andy Helfer and Bill Sienkiewicz & Kyle Baker
And a few others...
The Question by Denny O´Neil and Denys Cowan
Alien Legion by Carl Potts & Alan Zelenetz and Frank Cirocco - Chris Warner - Larry Stroman
Justice League by Keith Giffen & J.M. DeMatteis and Kevin Maguire
Animal Man by Grant Morrison & Peter Milligan and Charles Truog (and later Steve Dillon, some of his best work)
Shade, the Changing Man by Peter Milligan and Chris Bachalo
GREAT choices!! Wow, you have extremely similar taste to us! Two of the comics you mentioned - THE QUESTION & ALIEN LEGION - have already been covered on our show. Check out those episodes, I think you’ll dig them - we did four hours on each title! And literally EVERY other comic you mentioned is one we will definitely be spotlighting in the future! Morrison’s ANIMAL MAN ia an all-time favorite of mine and our SHADE THE CHANGING MAN episode is coming up real soon. So, stay tuned! And thank you for commenting!
- Steven
@@ComicsRotYourBrain Thank you for your answer and compliment! I already spotted your vids about Question and Alien Legion + will watch them soon. Love your show!