Off Panel #429: 20 for 2023 with Brandon Burpee

Off Panel #429: 20 for 2023 with Brandon Burpee

Author: SKTCHD December 18, 2023 Duration: 1:45:33

In a special, year-end episode of Off Panel, friend of the show Brandon Burpee returns to chat about the year in comics before we count down our 20 favorite comics of the year. We discuss the year in comics, Brandon's disconnect from the larger conversation, the perils of being overinformed, deciding what to read, how the Big Two are doing, the end of Krakoa, the Ultimate Universe's return, honorable mentions for our faves of the year, our top 20 comics of the year, and more.

Bonus! By popular demand, our lists in full can be found below.

David Harper

  1. Ocean by Lucie Bryon
  2. Damn Them All by Si Spurrier, Charlie Adlard, Sofie Dodgson, and Jim Campbell
  3. Wild's End by Dan Abnett and INJ Culbard
  4. Impossible People by Julia Wertz
  5. Monica by Daniel Clowes
  6. Why Don't You Love Me? By Paul B. Rainey
  7. Kaya by Wes Craig, Jason Wordie, and AndWorld Design
  8. Now Let Me Fly by Ronald Wimberly and Brahm Revel
  9. Danger and Other Unknown Risks by Erica Henderson and Ryan North
  10. A Guest in the House by Emily Carroll
  11. Time Before Time by Declan Shalvey, Rory McConnville, Geoffo, Joe Palmer, Chris O'Halloran, and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou
  12. Peacemaker Tries Hard! by Kyle Starks, Steve Pugh, Jordie Bellaire, and Becca Carey
  13. Night Fever by Ed Brubaker, Sean Phillips, and Jacob Phillips
  14. Hockey Girl Loves Drama Boy by Faith Erin Hicks
  15. Clementine Book Two by Tillie Walden
  16. Lights by Brenna Thummler
  17. Roaming by Jillian Tamaki and Mariko Tamaki
  18. w0rldtr33 by James Tynion IV, Fernando Blanco, Jordie Bellaire, and Aditya Bidikar
  19. Mobilis by Juni Ba
  20. X-Men Red/Immortal X-Men by Al Ewing, Yildiray Cinar, Kieron Gillen, Lucas Werneck, and more

 

Brandon Burpee

  1. World's Finest – Waid, Mora, and Bonvillain
  2. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles – Campbell, Smith, Federici, and more
  3. Darth Vader – Pak, Roberson, and Gorham
  4. X-Men – Duggan, Cassara, Caselli, and more
  5. Local Man – Fleecs, Seeley, Simpson, and Sobreiro
  6. Daredevil – Zdarsky, Checchetto, and De La Torre
  7. Peacemaker Tries Hard! – Starks, Pugh, and Bellaire
  8. Ambassadors – Millar, Charest, Quitely, Kerschl, Coipel, etc.
  9. Radiant Black – Higgins and Carlos
  10. World's Finest: Teen Titans – Waid, Lupacchino, and Bellaire
  11. Superman – Williamson, Campbell, Dragotta, and more
  12. Void Rivals – Kirkman and De Felici
  13. Immortal X-Men – Gillen, Werneck, and Ryp
  14. Adventures of Superman – Taylor and Henry
  15. Nightwing – Taylor, Redondo, and Byrne
  16. Dark X-Men – Foxe and Scharf
  17. Titans – Tom Taylor and Nicola Scott
  18. The X-Cellent – Milligan and Allred
  19. Jean Grey – Simonson and Chang
  20. Batman – Zdarsky and Jimenez

Each week on Off Panel: A Comics Interview Podcast, host David Harper of SKTCHD sits down for a conversation that goes deeper than the usual press cycle. This isn't just about promoting the latest project; it's about understanding the people and the processes that shape the comic book industry. You'll hear from writers, artists, editors, and other key figures in a way that reveals the personal journeys, creative struggles, and collaborative triumphs behind the pages we love. The discussions are thoughtful and meandering, often touching on craft, industry shifts, and the simple love of the medium itself. By focusing on the human stories, this podcast builds a more complete picture of comics culture, from the indie scene to the major publishers. It's for anyone who has ever finished a great comic and immediately wondered about the minds that built it. New episodes arrive weekly, offering a consistent and engaging look into this vibrant world. For more, you can find David Harper and SKTCHD across various social platforms.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 560

Off Panel: A Comics Interview Podcast
Podcast Episodes
Off Panel #29: Galaxies Far, Far Away with Michael Moreci [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:18:45
Comic writer Michael Moreci (Roche Limit, Burning Fields) joins the show this week for a doozy of an episode, as the pair dives deep into Moreci's work, the comic industry, and...Star Wars? That's right. The pair talks a…
Off Panel #28: A Comic Party with Andrew WK [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 23:57
Andrew WK, the musician and King of Partying, is this week's guest on Off Panel as he joins to talk comics, music and fandom. WK comes on and talks why comic books are his kind of party, the communal experience of comics…
Off Panel #26: Comics, Kindness and Katniss with Shannon Watters [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:57
Shannon Watters - Editor at BOOM! Studios, heads of KaBOOM! and BOOM! Box, and co-writer/co-creator of Lumberjanes - joins the show to talk about her varying roles and what she looks for in comics. The conversation's a s…
Off Panel #25: Pro at Cons with Jim Demonakos [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:15:59
Jim Demonakos, the founder of Seattle's Emerald City ComiCon and the Director of Comic Talent at ReedPop, joins the show this week to talk all things cons. Demonakos takes us back to how ECCC first got started, how it's…
Off Panel #24: These Times are A-Changin' with Heidi MacDonald [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:12:53
The Beat's Heidi MacDonald guests on this week's episode of Off Panel, as she talks with David about her career as a comics journalist and beyond. They talk about how things have changed over her thirty years in the indu…
Off Panel #23: The Power of Color with Matt Wilson [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:11:33
Colorist Matt Wilson guests on this week's episode of Off Panel, as he joins David to talk the art of coloring comic. The pair talks the role of a colorist in a comic, how he works, what drives his choices, how he collab…
Off Panel #22: The Art of Comic Design with Tom Muller [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:01:22
Designer Tom Muller guests on this week's episode of Off Panel to talk the evolution of comic design. The pair talks Muller's background, how his role plays out on both creator-owned comics and on for-hire jobs, how comi…
Off Panel #21: Business and Storytelling with Jim Zub [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:20:13
Jim Zub joins Off Panel to talk the business of comics and his work on Wayward at Image Comics. Zub talks about the blogs he has put together about his work, career and financials successes, managing your brand online, h…
Off Panel #20: Back to the Future with Joe Kelly [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:07:29
Writer Joe Kelly is the guest in this week's episode of Off Panel, and he joins the show to talk about his career in the past, present and future. We talk about how his animation work with Man of Action has changed his a…