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Kate Beaton says 'nerdiness' is the thread through all her comics

Kate Beaton's new collection of comics, 'Step Aside, Pops', is a wide-ranging survey of the weird and wonderful.
Cartoonist Kate Beaton says that the best graphic novels are like amazing paintings and great novels combined. (Fabiola Carletti/CBC)

Hark, A Vagrant! author Kate Beaton has created her own universe of literary heroes, movie stars, and people you half-remember from history class. In Beaton's hands, great cultural figures  — from John Diefenbaker to Wonder Woman — have both goofy quirks and glaring flaws. 

The Canadian cartoonist joins Shad to discuss her latest collectionStep Aside, Pops; the beauty of always working on the thing you love; and the double power of her medium. 

"It's both words and pictures. If it's done well it's like looking at an amazing painting and reading an amazing novel at the same time," says Beaton. 

WEB EXTRA | See an excerpt from Step Aside, Pops! below. Plus, here are Nasty, Ducks and The Invasion of Canada, three strips we referenced on air. 

An excerpt from Kate Beaton's new book, 'Step Aside, Pops." (Kate Beaton)

Kate Beaton's 'Step Aside, Pops' rounds up some of the cartoonists best comics. (Kate Beaton)