Irving Flavour is a Golden Age comic artist who has a tragic side. Ed is his quiet and shy best friend who is desperate to break into comics and find a girlfriend along the way.

Sherman is a bookstore clerk and aspiring writer with what just may be a terrible habit of self-destructing. This is a sprawling story about regular people and the intertwining relationships and friendships that they experience over a few short years in New York. You can find the this episode on Spotify here, on Apple Podcasts here and on the website right here. See if Tom enjoyed this graphic novel by having a listen along. With the year anniversary of both the COVID lockdown and this podcast Tony decided to choose a book for Tom this time. They sit down and review the collection of Box Office Poison by Alex Robinson. The Yossarians have a dog and a baby.This week Tony is joined by podcasting, comics creating and dog wrangling Scotsman Tom Stewart. The book Catch-22 is featured later in the story, reinforcing this idea. Their last name appears to be a nod to Joseph Heller's Catch-22, featuring a man named Yossarian (and whose first name is later revealed to be John).

Emil and Mora Yossarian, residents of the aforementioned apartment building.

Sora Tweed, owner of the apartment building Sherman lives in.

She calls him into her office multiple times to reprimand him against various mess-ups.

'The Dragon,' Sherman's bookstore supervisor.

With some help from Ed, he is coaxed into fighting Zoom Comics, the owner of the Nightstalker, for some payback on the profitable franchise.

Irving Flavor, a cartoonist and creator of the fantastically popular 'Nightstalker' character.

(Also, her last name appears to reference famous underground comics writer Harvey Pekar.) Her hatred for Dorothy is a recurring characteristic.

Jane Pekar, cartoonist, and Stephen's longtime girlfriend.

Sherman rents a room in Stephen's apartment. Sherman's girlfriend throughout the book.

Beatrice Dorothy Lestrade, who goes exclusively by her middle name.

Ed has aspirations of being a major cartoonist, which are hampered by the various twists and turns of the industry. His hatred of his job is never quite enough to get him to quit. Box Office Poison features a wide array of major, supporting, and minor characters from many walks of life.

Box office poison alex robinson