Wine and Comics: AUTOMATIC KAFKA (2002) by Joe Casey and Ashley Wood

One of the $trange$t comics ever published by Wildstorm Studios, Automatic Kafka ran a mere 9 issues but is nevertheless a series worth revisiting in 2025.

Paired with the tension between different grapes blended together, and adultified versions of childish wines.

Kick DC/Wildstorm to put out a trade paperback collection of it!

Author JOE CASEY himself wrote a 2-part history of the series + a retrospective on the extra-wild 4th issue:

AUTOMATIC KAFKA ORIGINS PART 1

AUTOMATIC KAFKA ORIGINS PART 2

ISSUE 4 RETROSPECTIVE

THE WINES

A.A. Badenhorst Family 2017 Red (Shiraz, Cinsault, Grenache, Tinto Barroca)

Pali Estate Dornfelder 2023

Chapters

• 1:28 Wine Trivia Question of the Week
• 9:24 Origins of Automatic Kafka
• 20:55 What Wine Pairs with Such a Batshit Comic?
• 40:15 Thoughts on the Comic: Would it Have Found its Audience Today?
• 50:15 Favorite Characters and Why
• 55:32 That Issue #4
• 59:07 That Final Issue - Should Creations Survive Beyond Their Creators?
• 1:06:24 Wrap-up!