Cartoonist Kit Anderson’s first graphic novel Second Shift was first mentioned on the back back in episode 817, where Avery Hill co-publisher Ricky Miller talked about working with her and bringing the book to his London-based company. But today’s episode dives into the book with the author herself, which is good news for Greg because he read the book multiple times getting ready for this interview and…he has questions.

Second Shift was preceded by a number of short stories and mini-comics, including the Ignatz-nominated “Weeds”. “Weeds” and that other work has been collected in the anthology Safer Places, also out from Avery Hill.   

She has an MFA from the Center for Cartoon Studies and has, among other things, also worked as the Production Manager for friend of the show Josh O’Neill’s BEEHIVE BOOKS. So suffice it to say that Kit Anderson knows her way around a comic book, and that is definitely on display with Second Shift. 

(We’re not the only ones who think that – the New York Public Library put Second Shift on their list of  50 Best New Comics for Adults in 2025!)

[This episode is number 827 in a series.]

CHAPTERS

00:00 – Intro
03:52 – Getting Into Comics
07:17 – CSC Days
09:07 – Finding a Home at Avery Hill Publishing
10:48 – Visual Scripting
20:54 – Refining SECOND SHIFT
23:43 – Ambiguity vs. Missing Pieces
30:40 – The ALIEN In The Room
32:39 – Is SECOND SHIFT a Horror Book?
35:07 – The Bradbury Of It All
37:07 – Birdie’s Arc
39:08 – Analog vs. Digital
40:53 – Color
43:14 – Building TerraCorps
47:13 – Ranking the ALIEN Films
51:20 – What’s Next
52:54 – Outro