Ed Brubaker Guest Deejays on KCRW!

Award-winning comic book writer and graphic novelist Ed Brubaker does not shy away from dark themes in his work — or his songs picks. He chooses a slate of songs about heartbreak, loneliness and survival in his Guest DJ Project set for Los Angeles-based public radio station KCRW (89.9FM and KCRW.com). You can find the full set streaming and for download, with a transcript, here: http://www.kcrw.com/music/programs/gd/gd100714ed_brubaker

Ed prefers music that “hits you right in the heart” and kicks off his Guest DJ set with “It Changes” from the Snoopy Comes Home Soundtrack:

“(This) is the song Charlie Brown sings after Snoopy leaves. As an ex cartoonist, I just like Charles Schulz better than Charles Dickens and this song was, I think, the first time I ever felt ennui as a child. It very much informs everything about Charlie Brown as a character and about, you know… the particular genius of Charles Schulz is that he taps into this loneliness that we all feel. And it’s just a song that, every time I hear it, it just brings tears to my eyes.”

He also reveals the music that inspires his work, particularly the tone of his comic book series Criminal:

“When I was struggling with “Criminal,” when I first began it, trying to find the right tone for it, I actually found that tone in old Leonard Cohen and Tom Waits. That sort of seedy, depressing kind of music. I thought, if I could get that type of tone across, then I would be golden. So, yeah, that is something I think about sometimes — what music do I want people to listen to when they read this type of comic.”

Ed has worked on such notable titles as Batman and Captain America and his critically-acclaimed miniseries “Incognito” was just optioned for a feature film by 20^th Century Fox. Considering a conversation we had in KCRW’s Music Library after we taped this session, I wouldn’t be surprised if there were more. It appears Hollywood is knocking on his door!

On KCRW’s Guest DJ Project, an array of cultural trendsetters and icons are asked to share FIVE songs that have inspired them throughout their lives and a new set is posted each week. We recently taped sessions with The Guild’s Felicia Day, as well as “Watchmen” star Malin Akerman, which will be airing in the coming months. We’ve also featured Mark Waid, Tim Sale, Jimmy Gownley, Brad Meltzer and more. You can find them all in the KCRW archives here: http://www.kcrw.com/guestdjproject

About KCRW:  KCRW 89.9FM, licensed to Santa Monica College, is National Public Radio’s flagship station for Southern California. The Santa Monica-based nonprofit represents cutting edge radio at its best, presenting an eclectic mix of independent music, news, talk and arts programming. The terrestrial signal serves Los Angeles, Orange, Ventura Counties, as well as parts of San Diego, San Bernardino, Kern, and Santa Barbara Counties and the greater Palm Springs area. KCRW’s programming is internationally renowned and available worldwide via KCRW.com, including three streaming channels, 27 podcasts and archives of our locally-produced programs and live band performances. Hear KCRW music online, all the time, on the ALL music stream Eclectic24.

**DON’T FORGET** MELTDOWN IS YOUR LOCAL  KCRW FRINGE BENEFITS PROGRAM MEMBER.