Tag Archives: comics

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Listen to Episode 136, “Bloody Awful Man Parts”

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NOTE: This episode should have been up a few days ago, but sickness, owl attacks, and life in general sorta got in the way. Bat-Turkey forces the boys to apologize.

Gobbledygeek episode 136, “Bloody Awful Man Parts,” is available for listening or download right here, and on iTunes here.

Paul and AJ accidentally read some Latin so they were forced to see the new Evil Dead. And they talk about it. It ain’t pretty! More unprettiness: AJ talks Spring Breakers, Paul talks To the Wonder, and they both discuss the Saga/comiXology controversy. There’s also some fun conversation about pee. Everybody loves pee.

Next: FREESTYLE MADNESS. Or just another lame episode.

(Show notes for “Bloody Awful Man Parts.”)

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Listen to Episode 135, “Debating, Collecting, Hating, Reflecting (feat. Gregory Sahadachny)”

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Gobbledygeek episode 135, “Debating, Collecting, Hating, Reflecting (feat. Gregory Sahadachny),” is available for listening or download right here, and on iTunes here.

Gregory Sahadachny, host of The Debatable Podcast and all-around terrific tweeter, is in the Gobbledyhotseat this week. He discusses the price-gouging of collectibles and the divisiveness of Zack Snyder with the boys, which leads to some impassioned monologuing from all parties about elitism and the male gaze. Plus, Paul and AJ tell Greg which comics to read and the three of them eulogize Roger Ebert.

Next: Paul and AJ get some much-needed alone time.

(Show notes for “Debating, Collecting, Hating, Reflecting.”)

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Listen to Episode 134, “Britain’s Got Wezzo (feat. Wesley Mead)”

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Gobbledygeek episode 134, “Britain’s Got Wezzo (feat. Wesley Mead),” is available for listening or download right here, and on iTunes here.

Proving definitively that America and Britain are allies, the very British Wesley Mead joins the very American duo of Paul and AJ. Wesley–or Wezzo, as the cool kids call him–is one of AJ’s fellow Ann Arbor Review of Books contributors. They’ve also been good friends for years…yet this is the first time they’ve ever communicated vocally. It is literally history in the making. As they speak voice-to-voice for the first time, they discuss the best of British TV, the new Tomb Raider game, Britain’s lack of peanut butter-and-chocolate combos, and the new online comic book The Private Eye from Brian K. Vaughan and Marcos Martin. Plus, AJ has a very special questionnaire for Wezzo.

Next: nothing next week, as it’s a certain bunny-oriented holiday (that’s a pagan bunny thing, right?). When we return, the boys will be chatting with The Debatable Podcast host Gregory Sahadachny.

(Show notes for “Britain’s Got Wezzo.”)

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Listen to Episode 132, “Bang & Twang (feat. Rench from Gangstagrass)”

Rench from Gangstagrass

Gobbledygeek episode 132, “Bang & Twang (feat. Rench from Gangstagrass),” is available for listening or download right here, and on iTunes here.

Hip hop? Bluegrass? The two genres might not be as different as you think, which Paul and AJ learn this week by talkng to Gangstagrass mastermind Rench. Rench discusses his attempt to bridge the gap and of how the fusion came about. Along the way, there’s talk of Whedon, Axe Cop, and of course, Justified. Plus, AJ raves about Enlightened, Paul chats about the new comic Helheim, and there’s more (yes, really!) Americans talk.

Next: the boys are joined by Jason Tabrys of The BastardCast.

(Show notes for “Bang & Twang.”)

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Listen to Episode 131, “So Let’s Get to the Oscars”

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Gobbledygeek episode 131, ”So Let’s Get to the Oscars,” is available for listening or download right here, and on iTunes here.

The Oscars were over a week ago, you say? Who cares, when we’re joined by Kenn Edwards, host of the podcasts So Let’s Get to the Point and Project Batman? In addition to Hollywood’s big night, Paul, AJ, and Kenn discuss Kenn’s forthcoming podcast ventures, the unimportant death of an important Batman character, and whether or not The Office is worth watching in its final season.

Next: the boys are joined by Rench of Gangstagrass.

(Show notes for “So Let’s Get to the Oscars.”)

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Listen to Episode 130, “Talking Turkey: Noble Smith”

'The Wisdom of the Shire: A Short Guide to a Long and Happy Life' by Noble Smith

Gobbledygeek episode 130, “Talking Turkey: Noble Smith,” is available for listening or download right here, and on iTunes here.

Noble Smith joins Paul and AJ to chat about his book The Wisdom of the Shire: A Short Guide to a Long and Happy Life, his forthcoming series The Warrior Trilogy, the work of Tolkien, and so much more. Including but not limited to: the time he watched The Empire Strikes Back with Irvin Kershner, his experience as a veteran of the video game industry, and the ridiculousness of LEGOs. Plus, the boys talk Saga, The Americans, and Frederic Wertham.

Next: Kenn Edwards joins us to talk podcasts, Oscars, and probably a whole bunch of other stuff.

(Show notes for “Talking Turkey: Noble Smith.”)

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AJ’s Got a New Gig Writing About Comics

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“The veal cutlet of independent media”! They’re classy!

We here at Gobbledygeek are big believers in the practice of shameless self-promotion, but I believe this is the first time I’m promoting something of mine from elsewhere. I’m plumbing new depths of shamelessness! That’s right, Gobblers and…Gobblettes?…I’ve snagged a gig writing about comics for The Ann Arbor Review of Books. My column “Thought Balloon” will run every Monday at 4 PM EST, exploring all my weird, largely pointless thoughts about comics as an artform and an industry. You can check out my first piece, about how Mind MGMT is making a compelling case for monthly comics reading, right here. Here’s an excerpt to whet your appetite:

But the series, published by Dark Horse, is also making a strong case for monthly reading at a time when many readers have become “trade-waiters,” waiting for the inevitable trade paperback collections of certain story arcs. Kindt, known for graphic novels like Super Spy and Revolver, says that he doesn’t read monthly comics anymore. In the letter column at the end of the first issue of Mind MGMT, he writes, “I want the reading of this monthly book to be unique. I want it to be something that can’t be replicated in a trade. Something that hasn’t been done before.”

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Listen to Episode 128, “What’s Your Heroic Damage”

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Gobbledygeek episode 128, “What’s Your Heroic Damage,” is available for listening or download right here, and on iTunes here.

What does it mean to be a hero? Does “escapism” have to be a derogatory term? Can good guys be as compelling as their supporting casts and villains? To explore these questions, Paul and AJ are joined by friend of the show/Broken Magic author Eric Sipple and TV writer/producer (of Angel, among other things) Mere Smith. There’s Angel talk, obviously, but also some Spider-Man and some Rurouni Kenshin, plus plenty of Eric-bashing.

Next: Rob Hunt and Joanna Gaskell from Standard Action return to tell us all about season 2!

(Show notes for “What’s Your Heroic Damage.”)

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Listen to Episode 125, “The Bacon Waffle Betrayal”

Bacon waffles

Gobbledygeek episode 125, “The Bacon Waffle Betrayal,” is available for listening or download right here, and on iTunes here.

It’s been a long, grueling month, but Paul and AJ have finally awoken from their slumber. Which, as it turns out, was not so slumber-y; there was much to survive, from bouts of the plague to the holidays to all this Superior Spider-Man nonsense. And if that’s not enough for you, the boys close things out by discussing truth and perception of same in the media. Ooh, intellectual! But fear not: the phrase “bacon waffle” is in the title.

Next: the boys are joined stuntwoman Clodagh Power.

(Show notes for “The Bacon Waffle Betrayal.”)

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Paul & AJ’s Top 10 Comics of 2012

We’ve already listed our favorite TV shows and movies of last year, and we’ve got a couple more lists just before the new season begins. Here are our favorite comic books of 2012; check back tomorrow for our favorite albums (though, considering our extensively detailed history of not knowing how to talk about music, with YouTube clips instead of commentary).

PAUL: 10. THOR: GOD OF THUNDER (Marvel)

Thor in 'Thor: God of Thunder' #1. Art by Esad Ribic.

There was a period of time when Thor was my favorite character in comics. The golden Walt Simonson era was for me the height of otherworldly sword and sorcery super heroics. And while its been quite some time since the character has achieved anything close to that level of wonder, in recent years he’s enjoyed something of a renaissance. From his “death,” to his literal return to Earth under the guidance of J. Michael Straczynski, to his big screen debut, the petulant son of Asgard is kind of back in a big way.

Thor: God of Thunder is the newest incarnation of the title, with the unlikely writer Jason Aaron giving us a triptych of thunder gods, a tale of an alien butcher seeking to torture and destroy all deities told across three different periods of Thor’s life. We see young, arrogant Thor (pre-Mjolnir) and his first meeting with Gorr the God Butcher; modern-day Avenger Thor going full CSI trying to solve the mystery of who or what Gorr is; and far-future Thor, old and broken, sitting on the throne of an empty Asgard, the last surviving god, waiting for Gorr to finish him. It’s a brutal, bloody, and fascinating premise, though I do wish Gorr was slightly more imposing-looking rather than just being a Voldemort rip-off. Aaron creates a genuine mystery and sense of danger with real stakes for our hero, and the painterly art of Esad Ribic suits the romantic epic nature of the story. It’s not quite Simonson-level Mighty Thor (there’s thus far no Beta Ray Bill here), but Thor: God of Thunder is the best the character has been in a long time.

AJ: 10. ANGEL & FAITH (Dark Horse)

Angel, Willow, Connor, and Faith in 'Angel & Faith' #14. Art by Rebekah Isaacs.

I know Whedon fandom is crazy, but I might just be the biggest Buffy fan on the planet. That’s a huge claim, and while I haven’t tattooed James Marsters’ face on my ass or anything (yet), it really is difficult to describe how much Joss Whedon’s world means to me. Without Buffy the Vampire Slayer, I wouldn’t be here today. You wouldn’t be reading these words and I would have even less of an idea of what I want to do with my life. So it pains me greatly to say that the canonical Season 8 and Season 9 comics, though they have certainly had their moments, are largely disposable and occasionally worse. But then there’s Angel & Faith, which has done the impossible, making a monthly comic book series feel like the weekly television shows we fell in love with all those years ago. Christos Gage knows these characters inside and out, both their voices and their motivations. It’s never a question of if the comic will tie back into the shows’ stated mythology, but when and how spine-tingling those connections will be. These are the characters I have loved for a good deal of my life in a story that’s being brilliantly told by Gage and brought to life with wonderful clarity by artist Rebekah Isaacs. If you’re skeptical about Buffyverse comics, you have every right to be, but this one should be a priority.

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