June. 1962. Two men do the impossible: break Out of Alcatraz. The legendary escape almost immediately caught the public's imagination, becoming fodder for TV, film, and prose. Maybe you've encountered a few of these stories; maybe you haven't. Whatever the case, you certainly have not read an interpretation like the Oni Press comic from Christopher Cantwell and Tyler Crook.

Their Out of Alcatraz begins in the crashing waters outside the prison. From there, it dips into a storm of speculation, terror, and hope. Through their story, Cantwell and Crook explore a critical moment in the American narrative. The Civil Rights movement hasn't quite popped off. John F. Kennedy still stands righteously in the White House. The confidence of Post-war America is about to burst. Three criminals taste freedom with all its bitterness and desperately attempt to choke it down.

This week's podcast considers the American story and those who were left out of it or forced from it. We chat with Cantwell and Crook about the real men who broke free from Alcatraz and the fictional men they became in Cantwell and Crook's imaginations. We discuss the allure of prison narratives and the cells we all find ourselves in at some point.

Issues one and two of Out of Alcatraz are now available wherever rad comics are sold, and issue three will arrive in shops on May 21st.

Continue this conversation by following Christopher Cantwell on BlueSky and Tyler Crook on BlueSky, Instagram, and his Website. Also, you can listen to his music through his Bandcamp page (although it's also available on Spotify, Apple Music, and the like).

This Week's Sponsor

We're sponsored by 2000 AD, the greatest comic you're not reading! Within its pages is a whole universe of characters, from Judge Dredd and Strontium Dog to Rogue Trooper, Shakara, Halo Jones, and the poor sods slogging across the Cursed Earth in The Helltrekkers. Get a print subscription at your door every week - and the first issue is free! Or subscribe digitally, get free back issues, and download DRM-free copies of each issue for just $9 a month. That's 128 pages of incredible monthly comics for less than $10.

Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode:

Tyler Crook on CBCC: The Ultimate Lonesome Hunters Interview
Tyler Crook on CBCC: Mage - The Hero Discovered
Brad Appears on The Oblivion Bar to Review Sinners and Warfare
Four Color Fantasies Charity Sketch Cover Auction
Patreon Exclusive: Saga of the Swamp Thing Book Club
Support Your Local Comic Shop Free Patreon Series

Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):

Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.

The Comic Book Couples Counseling TeePublic Merch Page.

And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.

Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.

Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.

Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.

Christopher Cantwell and Tyler Crook on Out of Alcatraz

Comic Book Couples Counseling Podcast