Year In Review—2014

Hey, it’s the new year. As I do once every 365 days or so about this time, I thought I’d provide links to some of the highlights from the last year on HU. This is in roughly chronological order, and I tried not to think about it too hard; so if I missed one of your favorites, feel free to link it in comments.

As always, thanks to all of our readers, writers, and commenters for giving your time and energy to HU. Hope you’ll all stick around for 2015!
 

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Samantha Meier wrote a series of post on women in underground comics.

Isaac Butler wrote about the inequity of unpaid theater internships, looking particularly at the Flea theater.

Brannon Costello for PencilPanelPage on Christopher Priest’s Black Panther vs. Jack Kirby’s Black Panther.

We had a bunch of posts where people weighed in on the worst movie ever, the most overrated sci-fi and like matters.

Emily Thomas on new trends in video game text adventures.

A roundtable on Bloom County

Kailyn Kent did a series of posts on wine in cinema.

Brian Cremins on Walt Kelly and racism.

Sean Michael Robinson on how not to make a graphic novel.

Patrick Carland explodes into green goo of hate while reading Zen Pencils.

I wrote about romance as criticism and criticism as romance, focusing on the work of Kathleen Gilles Seidel. This may be my favorite thing I wrote all year, fwiw.

Ng Suat Tong on Nijigahara Holograph.

Michael A. Johnson on the ethics of war photography and representation.

Sarah Shoker on fantasy economics and why nerds really like stuff.

Robert Stanley Martin with a massive history of the legal wrangling between Steve Gerber and Marvel over Howard the Duck.

Tom Gill wraps up his series of extensive posts on the work of Yoshiharu Tsuge.

We did a roundtable on the work of Octavia Butler. The post by Alexis Pauline Gumbs is pretty amazing.

I interviewed Kate Pollack about violence in The Boys.

A translation of the classic French superhero comics Atomas, by Alex Buchet, with introduction by Chris Gavaler.

Osvaldo Oyola on Spider-Man’s changing identity (sometimes he’s Doc Ock.)

Vom Marlowe with an intro to Tony/Steve fanfic.

PencilPanelPage did a roundtable on Groensteen and page layout.

Ben Saunders with an anniversary appreciation of Keith Moon.

Roy T. Cook wonders if Spider-Woman was harmed in the making of that Milo Manera cover.

Stacey Donovan, YA author, on becoming a writer.

Kim O’Connor on the response to male vs. female autobio comics.

Kristian Williams on Red Dawn as critique of imperialism.

A massive roundtable on The Best Band No One Has Ever Heard Of. Everything from Rahawa Haile on the music of Eritrea to Dana Schechter on French psychfolk weirdos Natural Snow Building.

Qiana Whitted on how comics represent Ferguson.

Cathy G. Johnson on dynamics of abuse in Michael Dawson’s “Overcompensating.”

Michael Carson on Nightcrawler and war movies.

Adrielle Mitchell on Paul Klee as a comics artist.

An interview with James Romberger and Marguerite Van Cook on their graphic memoir The Late Child and Other Animals.

Utilitarian Year in Review — 2013

Happy new year! Nostalgia for 2013 starts now, so here’s a list of some of the highlights from the last year at HU.
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Our roundtable on Django, Unchained, started in 2012, but most of it was this year.

Domingos Isabelinho on Fred.

A Twilight roundtable.

Brian Cremins reflets on found art and the Comics Buyer’s Guide.

I talk about gender in the comics of Derik Badman and Lilli Carré

Attack of the Literaries, a roundtable on comics, literariness, and Eddie Campbell

James Romberger interviews Tom Kaczynski

Robert Jones Jr. explains why he’s giving up superhero comics.

RM Rhodes on Ted White’s year editing Heavy Metal

I did a number of posts on Imperialism and Science Fiction

Kailyn Kent on splash pages.

Aishwarya Subramanian on Timpa, an Indian comic strongly influenced by Herge.

Sarah Shoker on Harry Potter, race, and British multiculturalism.

Me on comics vs. fashion editorials.

A massive comics and music roundtable.

Jog on Bollywood sci-fi spectaculars.

Michael Arthur on Madoka

William Leung on the overwhelming awfulness of Before Watchmen.

Kailyn Kent on comics and deskilling.

Me on how homosexuality will make your comic real.

Jog defends After Earth.

The best post ever on the internet if you want it to be.

Jones One of the Jones Boys on the 8 greatest superheroes you never heard of.

Jacob Canfield on consistency from panel to panel.

Patrick Carland on neoliberalism in the Hunger Games and Battle Royale.

Isaac Butler on video games and narrative.

Alex Buchet’s 8 part prehistory of the superhero.

Me on violence and comics conventions in We3, Spy vs. Spy, and Martyrs.

Patrick Carland on Russian animation.

Subdee on Attack on Titan and Pacific Rim.

Ng Suat Tong on Dan Clowes’ Justin M. Damiano

Osvaldo Oyola on queer silence and the Killing Joke.

Vom Marlowe on censorship at Goodreads.

Our Indie Comics vs. Context roundtable.

Robert Stanley Martin on Jim Shooter’s interactions with Tony Isabella, Steve Englehart, and Gerry Conway.

Chris Gavaler on Carrie White and Jean Grey.

Bert Stabler destroys Art Spiegelman, Scott McCloud, and others.

Ng Suat Tong on how even comics critics don’t care about comics criticism.

Chris Gavaler on Thor vs. the Dark World of DC.

Ng Suat Tong questions whether Michael DeForge is the greatest comics artist of his generation.

Kristian Williams on Watchmen, Fail Safe, and Eichmann in Jerusalem.

The blog PencilPanelPage joined HU, and kicked off with a roundtable on Krazy Kat.

Mahendra Singh on Art Spiegelman’s draftsmanship.

Jacob Canfield on Benjamin Urkowitz’s Real Rap

A statement of purpose of sorts for HU.

Emily Thomas explains why the Nao of Brown’s take on mental illness is not helpful.

Pam Rosenthal on romance, lit fic, and Jo Baker’s Longbourn.

Orion Martin asks, what if the X-Men were black?