Author: Arlo J. Wiley

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Listen to ‘Gobbledygeek’ Episode 349, “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom – That Is One Big Pile of $@&% (feat. Jason Tabrys)”

Gobbledygeek episode 349, “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom – That Is One Big Pile of $@&% (feat. Jason Tabrys),” is available for listening or download right here and on iTunes here.

Have you tried New Koko? Here’s your chance! Comedy congressman Jason Tabrys returns to Gobbledygeek to help Paul and Arlo make sense of Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom. J.A. Bayona’s sequel, the fifth film in the Jurassic series, finds our heroes returning to Isla Nublar once again–and while the “save the dinosaurs” plot is a retread of The Lost World, Fallen Kingdom isn’t afraid to go in some bizarre new directions, for better or worse. Mostly worse. It’s fair to say none of the boys liked it, but Paul is put in the awkward position of defending a mediocre film from Arlo and Jason’s invective. Plus, Bruce and Selina head for the altar in Batman #50 and Catwoman #1; Ta-Nehisi Coates kicks off his run on Captain America; Al Ewing scares up the Immortal Hulk; and the gang is bowled over by Hannah Gadsby’s Nanette.

Next: after a week off, Paul and Arlo get microscopic with Ant-Man and the Wasp.

(Show notes for “That Is One Big Pile of $@&%.”)

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Listen to ‘Gobbledygeek’ Episode 348, “Spider-Man: Origin of the Hobgoblin (feat. Jed Waters Keith)”

Art from ‘Spider-Man: Origin of the Hobgoblin’ by John Romita Jr., John Romita Sr., and Andy Yanchus.

Gobbledygeek episode 350, “Spider-Man: Origin of the Hobgoblin (feat. Jed Waters Keith),” is available for listening or download right here and on iTunes here.

Paul and Arlo continue to swing through this year’s superheroic Four-Color Flashback to discuss Spider-Man: Origin of the Hobgoblin, joined by FreakSugar managing editor Jed Waters Keith. This early ‘80s story, primarily written by Roger Stern and drawn by John Romita Jr., finds Peter Parker faced with the emergence of a horrific new villain in the grotesque figure of the Hobgoblin. Who is this masked man? Who knows! In true Parker fashion, Spidey tries to unmask Hobby while snapping pix for the Bugle and juggling his crazy love life. The gang discusses the convoluted behind-the-scenes drama surrounding the Hobgoblin’s identity, the evolution of JRJr, how Peter Parker is kind of a huge ladies’ man for being such a dork, and more. Plus, Paul attended this year’s Slayage conference, while Arlo and Jed are reading a whole mess o’ comics.

Next: Jurassic World 2: Even Assic-er.

(Show notes for “Spider-Man: Origin of the Hobgoblin.”)

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Listen to ‘Gobbledygeek’ Episode 347, “Incredibles 2: Infancy War”

Gobbledygeek episode 347, “Incredibles 2: Infancy War,” is available for listening or download right here and on iTunes here.

After 14 long years, the Incredibles are back. The superhero film landscape has changed drastically in that time–but, blissfully, Brad Bird and his retro supers have not, as they  teleport and babysit their way through another round of domestic struggles. Paul and Arlo discuss how Incredibles 2 inverts and deepens the themes of the first, why this is some of the finest superhero action ever committed to film, how Jack-Jack avoids Minion-ization, and why Bird and his films are not Randian. Plus, Paul plays a game of Tag, Arlo takes in a service at First Reformed, Paul keeps getting mistaken for Thanos, Arlo is obsessed with Guillermo del Toro, and Paul goes all Cloak & Dagger.

Next: this year’s superheroic Four-Color Flashback continues as Jed Waters Keith joins us to discuss Spider-Man: Origin of the Hobgoblin.

(Show notes for “Infancy War.”)

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Listen to ‘Gobbledygeek’ Episode 346, “Mary Poppins / The Lure: Cartoon Penguins Eat Polish Mermaids, Don’t They?”

Gobbledygeek episode 346, “Mary Poppins / The Lure: Cartoon Penguins Eat Polish Mermaids, Don’t They?”, is available for listening or download right here and on iTunes here.

Even with a spoonful of sugar, Paul finds this week’s Geek Challenge hard to stomach. You see, he has invited Arlo to watch Robert Stevenson’s delightful 1964 classic Mary Poppins, in which a magical Julie Andrews and an accented Dick Van Dyke dance their hearts out while unlocking the joy hidden within a stuffy banker. In return, Arlo has forced Paul to endure Agnieszka Smoczynska’s 2015 goth music video The Lure, in which there is little magic but plenty of pain, blood, and desperation as two virginal maneating mermaids come of age. They’re both musicals, they’re both about women, and…that’s about where the similarities end. Some men just like to watch the world burn, and Arlo appears to be one of them. Plus, lots of great trailers; Sense8, Legion, and Westworld broaden sci-fi TV’s horizons; Brian Michael Bendis’ time with Spider-Man comes to an end; and Arlo finally watched Guillermo del Toro’s debut feature Cronos.

Next: after 14 years, The Incredibles 2.

(Show notes for “Cartoon Penguins Eat Polish Mermaids, Don’t They?”)

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Listen to a Very Special ‘Gobbledygeek,’ “The Wiley Wedding Aural Experience (feat. Everyone)”

This bonus episode of Gobbledygeek, “The Wiley Wedding Aural Experience (feat. Everyone),” is available for listening or download right here and on iTunes here.

Everyone loves aural after a wedding. An aural document of said wedding, that is! That’s right, Arlo and Amber tied the knot, and Paul was on hand to witness the entire drunken event. So were Joseph Lewis, completing the Three Heathens reunion; Kenn Edwards, whose new EP rules; longtime friend of the show but first-time guest Darryl James, who challenges Arlo to a Buffy trivia quiz; and newbie Gabe Hochstetler, who finds himself the sole positive voice during a brief review of Solo: A Star Wars Story. Video game bars, shots, impolite tailors, shots, poorly choreographed “Gangnam Style” dances, shots, impromptu mowing, and oh yeah, shots. It was a wild ride, and you are formally invited.

Next: let your magical umbrella take you to Romania for a musical Geek Challenge featuring Mary Poppins and The Lure.

(Show notes for “The Wiley Wedding Aural Experience.”)

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Listen to ‘Gobbledygeek’ Episode 345, “The X-Files: Season 9 (feat. Wesley Mead)”

Gobbledygeek episode 345, “The X-Files: Season 9 (feat. Wesley Mead),” is available for listening or download right here and on iTunes here.

The truth is out there, or so we’ve been told. As Paul, Arlo, and special British guest Wesley “Wezzo” Mead reach The X-Files season 9 and find the series’ original finale “The Truth,” they wonder if they should have just left it out there. Despite ostensibly having new leads in Doggett and Reyes, Chris Carter & Co. cling to Scully and Mulder–the former is a bored-looking recurring character, the latter is literally no longer on the show–harder than ever before. The gang discusses why Carter’s inability to let go of the show’s past hinders its present, how the character of Dana Scully is destroyed, and whether or not “The Truth” is truly one of the worst series finales in TV history. (Spoiler: it is.) Plus, Arlo and Paul get down with killer clowns with Terrifier and Deadpool 2.

Next: Arlo’s getting hitched! Gobbledygeek will return in June.

(Show notes for “The X-Files: Season 9.”)

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Listen to ‘Gobbledygeek’ Episode 344, “Wonder Woman by George Pérez: Vol. 1 (feat. Heather Wiley)”

Art from ‘Wonder Woman by George Pérez: Vol. 1″ by George Pérez, Bruce D. Patterson, and Tatjana Wood.

Gobbledygeek episode 344, “Wonder Woman by George Pérez: Vol. 1 (feat. Heather Wiley),” is available for listening or download right here and on iTunes here.

In the winding, physics-defying halls of Mount Olympus, the idea for the noble Amazon race was hatched among the gods. In the presumably plain, ordinary offices of DC Comics circa 1987, the idea to reboot one of their most iconic heroes was hashed out by George Pérez, Greg Potter, Len Wein, Karen Berger, and more. And on this typically long, rambling podcast, Paul and Arlo continue this year’s superheroic Four-Color Flashback by discussing Wonder Woman by George Pérez: Vol. 1, collecting the first 14 issues of Diana’s post-Crisis series. Heather Wiley joins them to discuss how Pérez revitalized the character by leaning hard into her mythological aspects; why it’s important that the series touches on uncomfortable subject matter; the minute details that make Pérez such a terrific artist; and why this run hasn’t lodged its place in the public consciousness alongside The Dark Knight Returns and Man of Steel. Plus, Heather fails to keep quiet about Hush, and Paul reads comics.

Next: we inch closer to oblivion with Wesley Mead, who joins us once more to discuss Chris Carter’s seminal sci-fi series The X-Files. This time? It’s season 9, the original final season. So. Yeah.

(Show notes for “Wonder Woman by George Pérez: Vol. 1.”)

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Listen to ‘Gobbledygeek’ Episode 343, “Avengers: Infinity War – Oh Snap!”

Gobbledygeek episode 343, “Avengers: Infinity War – Oh Snap!,” is available for listening or download right here and on iTunes here.

A feat even more miraculous than Paul and Arlo agreeing on the same movie? Successfully juggling a cast of dozens in an interplanetary epic that shakes up the world’s most popular film series. That’s exactly what Joe & Anthony Russo have done with Avengers: Infinity War, a daring space opera that acts as a culmination of a decade’s worth of superheroic blockbusters while taking the Marvel Cinematic Universe in new directions. The boys discuss how (nearly) each character gets their due, why Josh Brolin’s Thanos more than lives up to the hype, and where the MCU goes from here. Plus, Arlo binges the Disney Renaissance and MoviePass takes an unsurprising heel turn.

Next: this year’s Four-Color Flashback continues as Heather Wiley joins Paul and Arlo to discuss Wonder Woman by George Perez: Vol. 1.

(Show notes for “Oh Snap!”)

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Listen to ‘Gobbledygeek’ Episode 342, “Captain America and the Falcon: Secret Empire (feat. Ensley F. Guffey)”

Gobbledygeek episode 342, “Captain America and the Falcon: Secret Empire (feat. Ensley F. Guffey),” is available for listening or download right here and on iTunes here.

An American feels betrayed by his government, which has revealed itself to be nothing but a bureaucratic system designed to conceal criminal activity. Sounds familiar, right? It’s also the basis for the superhero classic Captain America and the Falcon: Secret Empire. Steve Englehart, Mike Friedrich, and Sal Buscema’s Nixon-era tale finds Cap on the run from a populace that no longer trusts him. Joining Paul and Arlo for this Four-Color Flashback installment is Wanna Cook? author and Cap superfan Ensley F. Guffey. The gang discusses why a story like this couldn’t be told today, how it’s difficult to understand Watergate’s importance given today’s political climate, the uncomfortable jive-talkin’ racial stereotypes, and why the outrageous cornball of old superhero comics doesn’t dilute its power. Plus, Arlo makes an apology and the gang shares what comics they’ve been reading.

Next: it’s all been leading to this. Avengers: Infinity War.

(Show notes for “Captain America and the Falcon: Secret Empire.”)

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Listen to ‘Gobbledygeek’ Episode 341, “A Quiet Place: STFU (feat. Nate Curtiss)”

Gobbledygeek episode 341, “A Quiet Place: STFU (feat. Nate Curtiss),” is available for listening or download right here and on iTunes here.

Shh. Keep it down or you’ll miss the latest episode of Gobbledygeek, wherein Paul and Arlo are joined by their pal Nate Curtiss for a discussion of John Krasinski’s horror-thriller A Quiet Place. The nearly wordless film, which makes extensive use of subtitled American Sign Language, presents a unique theatergoing experience; every gulp of soda and crunch of popcorn reverberates throughout the auditorium. The gang talks about their different theater experiences, and how the film reveals the true heart of an audience; why it’s important Krasinski cast deaf actress Millicent Simmonds; how Krasinski’s lack of horror experience proves to be a strength; and more. Plus, Paul digs on TV sci-fi: Final Space, Lost in Space, The Expanse, and Legion.

Next: this year’s superheroic Four-Color Flashback continues with a discussion of the original, non-Nazi-fied Captain America and the Falcon: Secret Empire. Wanna Cook? co-author (and Cap superfan) Ensley F. Guffey drops by.

(Show notes for “STFU.”)