Episode 28: Interstellar Cockfight

We have safely returned from San Diego Comic-Con 2014, so Amanda and I do a final postmortem of the experience… as we prepare to turn right back around to attend and cover Boston Comic Con next weekend.

We also discuss:

• The new Guardians of The Galaxy movie and how it is one of Marvel Studios best… while still not being perfect,
• Guardians of The Galaxy #17, written by Brian Michael Bendis with art by Nick Bradshaw and Michael Avon Oeming, and
• Fatale #24, written by Ed Brubaker with art by Sean Phillips!

And now, the legalese:

• This podcast is recorded live to tape. This might mean more pauses and rough spots than you might be used to in a comics podcast, but it also means that anything can happen.
• This show contains spoilers. While we try to warn before dropping them, be aware that they might come at any time.
• Amanda and I use adult, profane language, and therefore this show is not safe for work. Dr. Dre didn’t spend 18 bucks on research and development for you to listen to podcasts on speakers.

As an aside, this episode is our first show as a member of the Comics Podcast Network. It’s a cool site that features nothing but podcasts about comics and comic culture. We’ve found a few killer shows there that we like listening to, and we’re excited to be joining their ranks. Check them out to find other viewpoints about our favorite hobby!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:38:19 — 80.3MB)

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Enjoy the show, suckers!

Episode 27: Fatigue Hysteria

It is the last day of San Diego Comic-Con 2014, and Amanda and I took a break from the floor to record a short show. It was short because we are exhausted.

So we spent this truncated show ruminating about how SDCC will tire you out, fray your tempo, make you want to throw a shank into convention volunteers, set you on a path to push joyous children into the closest wall, and make you ready to leave… while still surprising you with new spectacle, cool things to buy, awesome panels, and just flat out fun.

We will probably do a recap show sometime midweek, after we arrive back at the Crisis On Infinite Midlives Home Office, but for now, give a listen and get a sense to how SDCC removes all sense from you.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 36:00 — 30.9MB)

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Enjoy the show, suckers!

Episode 26: Pool Floaties

We are still in the thick of SDCC 2014, somehow alive after two full days. And today, we are joined by Los Angeles comedian Gariana Abeyta, who is not only a longtime friend of Amanda’s and mine from stand-up comedy, but who is active in L. A.’s film community, and one of the subjects of Out of Print, the upcoming Julia Marchese documentary about L. A.’s New Beverly cinema – a movie theater that runs film instead of digital projection and is therefore facing obsolescence. Yup, we know someone who’s in an honest-to-God movie!

Because of this, Gariana spent a small chunk of the day in Hall H, Comic-Con’s big room for big movie and TV panels. So we talk a little bit about that, a little bit more about the pure, unadulterated hell of just getting into Hall H, how the convention destroys you physically and emotionally, and the general confusion, frustrations, and compromises that come with attending the best comic book convention in the world. And since we’ve known each other for a while, there are plenty of drinking war stories to go around.

And the usual disclaimers:

• We record this show live to tape. That means that you might hear the odd pregnant pause or, “um,” but it also means that anything can happen… and in this show, it truly did. Seriously, this one’s a little discombobulated, but it’s a blast.
• We use adult, vulgar language, and therefore this show is not safe for work. Gariana was able to borrow some earbuds to tape the show, you can damn sure do the same to listen to it.

And a few notes to clarify some of what we’re discussing here:

• The Thursday Night Fights and The Grand High Council of All Things True (aka the Geek Council) were comedy shows produced by Boston comic Tim McInitre at The Comedy Studio in Cambridge, MA back at the turn of the century. We are old now.
• If you want to hear more of Gariana (and see some quality early-80s soft core boobs!), you can get the DVD of Private Lessons where she contributes to a commentary track!
• The Blind Burro is a great place to have lunch in San Diego… even if their burger with a pile of sausage on the top might be a little much.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:41:28 — 85.3MB)

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Enjoy the show, suckers!

Episode 25: Batman Doesn’t Use Axe Body Spray

We are on the ground at SDCC 2014! We have completed our first full day at the show, bought some stuff, seen some panels, and have a few things to talk about, including:

• How the convention looks a little smaller in scale than it has for the past few years,
• The Batman In The 70s panel, and what our personal “our Batman” stories,
• The Geek Movies of 1984 Panel, and which movies of that year (when Amanda and I were each 13 years old) are our personal favorites, and:
• How you can’t get new comics at San Diego Comic-Con

And here be disclaimers:

• This show was recorded live to tape (on unfamiliar mobile equipment). That means a few more pauses and digressions than you might get in other podcasts, but it also means anything can happen (like a digression on finding dirty movies in the 1980s).
• We use adult, graphic language, and therefore this show is not safe for work. We know from traveling this week that you can buy earbuds for 10 bucks. Do it.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 49:12 — 45.1MB)

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Enjoy the show, suckers!

Episode 24: You Have Nice Line Work

Since we are less than 36 hours away from leaving for San Diego Comic-Con 2014, and therefore are fully engaged in preparing for the trip, we are a little fried today. So this is a shorter than usual episode (not the end of the world, considering we plan to podcast direct from the convention at least a couple of times), but a full one, where Amanda and I discuss:

• The changes of Thor to a woman and Captain America to Sam Wilson that were announced on TV this week (if only there were a major convention to make these kinds of announcements!),
• Since Amanda and I have attended nine straight San Diego Comic-Cons, we share a few tips on how to survive the whole experience (and avoid an extinction level digestive event), and:
• Harley Quinn Invades Comic-Con International / San Diego #1, by Amanda Conner, Jimmy Palmiotti and a bunch of guest artists!

And now the legally-required disclaimers:

• This show is recorded live to tape. This means there might be a few more pregnant pauses than you are used to in a comics podcast, but it also means that anything can happen.
• There are spoilers in this show. We try to warn you ahead of time, but if you don’t know the kind of treatment you’ll get at a place called “Dick’s Last Resort,” you might deserve what you get.
• This show contains adult, explicit language, and is not safe for work. I bought earbuds at a gas station for $12 today. What’s your excuse?

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:06:15 — 60.7MB)

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Enjoy the show, suckers! And don’t forget to tune in for episodes live(ish) from SDCC later this week!

Episode 23: Her THAC0 Is Ridiculous

There has been another creative team change on Batgirl, by all reports due to editorial edict. So Amanda and I talk not only about the proposed new direction for the character, but we about the increasing influence over story and tone that editorial seems to have been gaining over creative teams as opposed to the early 2000s, when comics were doomed and writers and artists could seemingly do any damn thing they wanted if the sales numbers this month were higher than the ones from last month.

We are also just over a week away from San Diego Comic-Con 2014, so we talk about some of the scheduled panels, and how the wealth of content can make it infuriating, if not impossible, see everything you want at the show.

Finally, we discuss and review The Walking Dead #129, and Grayson #1!

And now the usual legalese:

• We record this show live to tape. While that might mean some parts are a little rough around the edges compared to your regular comics podcast, it also means that anything can happen.
• This show contains spoilers. We try to give a shout-out ahead of time, but we drink while recording. So tread lightly.
• This podcast contains adult, explicit language, and is not safe for work. If you don’t want your boss hearing us talk about how superhero costumes contain compartments for each boob, wear headphones.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:39:02 — 90.7MB)

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Enjoy the show, suckers!

Crisis On Infinite Midlives Podcast Episode 18: P. S. Balls, Sweet Valley High

It is Sunday, which means another episode of the Crisis On Infinite Midlives Podcast! This one recorded after the depths of a sugar coma!

In this episode, we discuss:

• The recent Slate article by Ruth Graham condemning young adult literature as being something adults should be ashamed to read… and which pretty much out-and-out condemns genre YA fiction as “transparently trashy stuff”
  • During the conversation, we reference a novel called Submergence, by J. M. Ledgard
  • Further during the conversation, I maintain that David Foster Wallace’s Infinite Jest is a genre sci-fi novel. This may anger those who like to haul their copies around college coffee houses in an effort to look smart and try to score coed tail, but I am not the only one who thinks so.
• MTV’s announcement of the MTVu Fan Awards during the 2014 San Diego Comic-Con, MTV’s genre and comics cred (which they utterly ignore in the announcement of said event), and whether Linkin Park is the right band to play SDCC when Anthrax (who did a song about Judge Dredd) will be right around the corner
• Original Sin #3, written by Jason Aaron with art by Mike Deodato, and
• Big Trouble In Little China #1, written by The Goon‘s Eric Powell with art by Brian Churilla!

And, as usual, our disclaimers:

• This show is recorded live to tape with no editing, and as such may contain more pregnant pauses, looping logic, repeated assertions, and references to “Diarrhea Island” than you are accustomed to in a comics / pop culture podcast
• This show contains spoilers. We make an effort to announce them ahead of time, but as to whether we are successful, well, see the point about “no editing.” Be particularly careful when it comes to our discussion of Original Sin #3.
• This show contains adult, profane language, and is not safe for work. While I might personally think Beats By Dre are an abominable waste of money, I will ignore their use in the listening of this show.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:07:01 — 61.4MB)

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Enjoy the show, suckers!

Because Nothing Screams Comic Book Nerd Like Linkin Park – MTV Announces New Fan Awards Show At SDCC

So, MTV has decided that it needs to up its presence at Comic-Con. This year it will hold something called the mtvU Fandom Awards and a MTV Fan Fest. Here, let them tell you about it:

Grammy-winning rock band Linkin Park will headline the first ever mtvU Fandom Awards and MTV Fan Fest, both of which will be held on Thursday, July 24, at Petco Park during San Diego’s Comic-Con. Then on Sunday, July 27, at 8 p.m., on the final day of Comic-Con, MTV and mtvU will air the 60-minute mtvU Fandom Awards special, showcasing the musical performances from the Linkin Park-headlined show, and honoring all of the fans whose passion have swept across the globe, stemming out of Comic-COn.

“The mtvU Fandom Awards will reinvent the traditional award show format,” says executive producer Ryan Kroft. “In addition to handing out trophies, we will recognize the achievements of fans and their favorite obsessions with special surprises and experiences. It’s the perfect event to reward the fans at Comic-Con, the epicenter of all fandoms.”

Yes, because when I think of nerd fandoms, so often my mind immediately turns to MTV…and Linkin Park. Not.

It seems between this and Zachary Levi’s Nerd HQ, which we talked about here, Petco’s going to be hopping for the duration of the convention.

Love’s Labour Lost: No Badge Resale For San Diego Comic-Con 2014

We’ve written more than once about the Herculean, if not Sisyphean, effort it takes to attend San Diego Comic-Con these days. The Hercules metaphor is probably more accurate, since between pre-registration, registration, hotel registration and assorted travel and vacation time booking, the steps you need to complete to make it to the show approach Twelve Labours. However, for many people the Sisyphus analogy is more apropos, because when it comes to Comic-Con, if you make a single misstep, the rock will roll right back down over you.

With that said, there has always been one final chance for all comers to attend Comic-Con: the final badge resale. For the past few years, what has happened is that, once the first cancellation deadline for hotel rooms passed (which happened on April 30th this year) and the convention badge refund date has gone by, the nice folks who run the convention sell the returned badges to desperate people who haven’t been able to navigate the process fully successfully.

So that’s nice, isn’t it? No matter what happens leading up to the final date, everyone gets one last bite at the apple to attend the biggest pop culture convention of the year. So that final badge resale should be happening any day now, right?

Yeah, not this year.

Crisis On Infinite Midlives Podcast Episode 11: The Golden Shakeoff Caper

Yeah, I know that we mentioned the other day that we had subjects that we wanted to talk about in a podcast, but I also know that you didn’t even remotely think that we’d actually, you know, do one.

Well, the joke’s on you, because here’s Episode 11: The Golden Shakeoff Caper! In which we discuss:

• The ComiXology buyout by Amazon (in which I reference a piece I wrote about ComiXology’s licensing and lack of ability to back up your comics)
• The San Diego Comic-Con hotel registration process, and the anxiety-provoking processes around attending SDCC in general
• Deadpool #27
• DC’s new weekly comic, Batman: Eternal #1

And here is our usual disclaimer: this episode was recorded live to tape, meaning that other than adding the intro and outro music, it is presented exactly as we discussed it, with every, “um,” “uh,” cough and burp. Further, this podcast is not safe for work. Be advised that we liberally use explicit and vulgar language, although if you weren’t tipped off by the fact that our title this week includes the phrase, “golden shake-off,” you need more help than a friendly warning. Either way, use some headphones.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 58:15 — 53.4MB)

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Enjoy the show, suckers!