Fri, 27 November 2020
Because our mascot is a turkey, and because we generally frown upon genocide, Paul and Arlo are spending Thanksgiving weekend discussing films with ties to Native American culture. For this Geek Challenge, Paul urges Arlo to watch Michael Apted's 1992 conspiracy thriller Thunderheart, starring Val Kilmer as an FBI agent who grows to embrace his Sioux heritage. In turn, Arlo makes Paul watch Jim Jarmusch's 1995 psychedelic Western Dead Man, wherein Johnny Depp's iteration of William Blake takes an offbeat journey to the next life. The boys address the major caveat of both films starring white men, as well as their own lily whiteness; determine that Graham Greene and Gary Farmer walk away with their respective movies; and discuss how both films explore spiritual death and rebirth. With a bonus discussion of Apted's documentary Incident at Oglala!
NEXT: Arlo's having a baby. We're going on hiatus with hopes of returning in mid-to-late January. We wish everyone a happy and, more importantly, safe holiday season. We love you.
BREAKDOWN 00:01:00 - Intro / Guest 00:07:15 - Thunderheart 01:08:16 - Dead Man 02:09:36 - Outro / Next
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Sun, 22 November 2020
For the penultimate Gobbledygeek of the year, Paul and Arlo return to an institution they dropped like a bad habit at the start of the pandemic: the Four-Color Flashback! Vickie Willis Navarra, board member of the Comics and Popular Arts Conference at DragonCon, joins the boys to discuss Sandman Mystery Theatre: Book One. Matt Wagner’s resurrection of DC’s Golden Age hero Wesley Dodds, with art by Guy Davis, John Watkiss, R.G. Taylor, and David Hornung, explores the dark dreams of 1938 New York. The gang discusses the art’s sketchy, shadowy noir qualities; Vickie interrupts her praise of Dian Belmont long enough to wonder if Dian falls into the “exceptional female” trope; Paul and Arlo ponder the series’ connection to Neil Gaiman’s Sandman; and more.
NEXT: season 11 comes to a close with a Geek Challenge featuring Thunderheart and Dead Man.
BREAKDOWN 00:00:35 - Intro / Guest 00:11:50 - Main Topic 01:54:34 - Outro / Next
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Mon, 16 November 2020
We’re still here. The world spins on, at least for a time. In the aftermath of Election Day 2020, there are many variables. Will that loser leave the White House? Will the GOP’s slow-rolling coup pay off? Will a Trumpian shadow militia form, leading to an actual Civil War II? As is the norm, Paul and Arlo have no answers, but they ponder these questions and many others. The boys recount their Election Night spirals; Arlo gets tested for COVID; Paul goes to the severe county of Sevier County; and they discuss some pop culture too, like why the kitchen-sink melodrama of This Is Us works, why Baby Yoda being a monster on The Mandalorian is cool and good, and why Paul hates The Simpsons.
NEXT: for the penultimate episode before our pregnancy-induced hiatus, Vickie Willis Navarra joins us for a Four-Color Flashback discussing Sandman Mystery Theatre: Book One by Matt Wagner, Guy Davis, John Watkiss, and R.G. Taylor.
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Fri, 30 October 2020
Hello, kiddies. Are you ready for your deadtime story? Gobbledyween 2020 comes to a close as A/V writer-director Joseph Lewis joins Paul and Arlo in the Cryptkeeper's lair to discuss Ernest R. Dickerson's 1995 frightfest Tales from the Crypt: Demon Knight. These hodunk, podunk, well-then-there motherfuckers discuss the insane cast, including William Sadler, Billy Zane, Dick Miller, and CCH Pounder; the importance of Jada Pinkett Smith's heroine Jeryline; Dickerson's use of light and color; and why this is the perfect mid-'90s time capsule.
NEXT: VOTE.
BREAKDOWN 00:00:50 - Intro / Guest 00:09:08 - Demon Knight 01:47:19 - Outro / VOTE!!! / Next
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Sat, 24 October 2020
This week, we want all our garmonbozia. Gobbledyween 2020 emerges from the Black Lodge as Brett Easton Hell Yes host Katie L. Wright joins Paul and Arlo to discuss David Lynch’s divisive Twin Peaks prequel/sequel, 1992’s Fire Walk With Me. The gang discusses the film’s polarizing reception at Cannes (Tarantino hated it!), the surprising empathy Lynch and co-writer Robert Engels show toward both victims and perpetrators of sexual abuse, how Fire Walk With Me is the lynchpin (get it?) of the Twin Peaks universe, and of course, Sheryl Lee’s incredible performance as Laura Palmer.
NEXT: Gobbledyween comes to a close as original Gobbler Joseph Lewis hams it up with the Cryptkeeper for Tales from the Crypt: Demon Knight.
BREAKDOWN 00:01:07 - Intro / Guest 00:03:10 - Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me 01:40:05 - Outro / Next
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Fri, 16 October 2020
Perfection, NV, pop. 14, is adding three more country bumpkins to its census: Paul, Arlo, and Jason Tabrys, writer for Uproxx and Den of Geek, who is returning to the show after a stunning two-year absence. The gang is here to continue the month-long horror celebration Gobbledyween by discussing Ron Underwood’s 1990 creature feature Tremors. There is discussion of Kevin Bacon’s small head, Burt Gummer’s voting record, the simple efficacy of S.S. Wilson and Brent Maddock’s script, why the Graboids are great movie monsters, and more. Long-time listeners will know that when Jason Tabrys is involved, more means more.
NEXT: we want all our garmonbozia. Jessica Shipp joins us to discuss Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me.
BREAKDOWN 00:00:28 - Intro / Guest 00:06:00 - Tremors 01:33:40 - Outro / Next
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MUSIC “Good Vibrations” by The Beach Boys, Smiley Smile (1967) “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On” by Jerry Lee Lewis, Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On (Single) (1957)
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Wed, 7 October 2020
Leaves are on the ground. Blood is on the screen. It’s time for Gobbledyween.
Take a break from the horror of the real world to join Paul and Arlo for that most venerated of Gobbledygeek traditions, the month-long horror movie marathon known as Gobbledyween. To kick things off for 2020, our pal Greg Sahadachny takes a break from the usual goofy stuff we stick him with (like the very goofy The Stuff) to go legit with his own personal selection: André Øvredal’s 2016 procedural chiller The Autopsy of Jane Doe. The gang takes a scalpel to the film, discussing how Øvredal gets the most out of his “bottle episode” morgue setting; Brian Cox and Emile Hirsch’s strong performances as a father-son coroner duo; how the film avoids fetishizing Olwen Kelly’s nude body; and why nihilism in horror films can feel so satisfying.
NEXT: grab(oid) onto your butts, Uproxx editor Jason Tabrys joins us to talk Tremors.
BREAKDOWN 00:00:50 - Intro / Guest 00:08:00 - The Autopsy of Jane Doe 01:26:06 - Outro / Next
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MUSIC “Open Up Your Heart (and Let the Sunshine In)” by Frente!, Saturday Morning Cartoons’ Greatest Hits (1995) “Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In (The Flesh Failures) [From the American Tribal Love Rock Musical “Hair”]” by The 5th Dimension, The Age of Aquarius (1969)
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Mon, 28 September 2020
If you’re seeing double--do not adjust your set. Paul and Arlo, podcasting’s own dynamic duo, have done a Geek Challenge involving dos doppelganger dramas. Well, drama might be a strong word for such a picture as Peter Medak’s 1981 spoof Zorro, The Gay Blade, starring George Hamilton as Don Diego Vega and his brother Ramon Vega, who are charged with taking up their father’s mantle of El Zorro. That’s Paul’s challenge to Arlo, of course--and Paul’s challenge to himself (listen and find out!) is Krzysztof Kieslowski’s 1991 film The Double Life of Veronique, a mysterious and possibly supernatural film featuring Irène Jacob as Polish singer Weronika and French music teacher Veronique, who share an indefinable connection. Get ready to swash some buckles and contemplate some existences!
NEXT: after a week off, it’s that time again. Leaves are on the ground and blood is on the screen. It’s time for Gobbledyween. Greg Sahadachny joins us to discuss The Autopsy of Jane Doe.
BREAKDOWN 00:00:32 - Intro / Guest 00:07:20 - Zorro, The Gay Blade 00:57:25 - The Double Life of Veronique 01:58:41 - Outro / Next
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MUSIC “It Takes Two” by Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock, It Takes Two (1988) “I Think I’m a Clone Now” by Weird Al Yankovic, Even Worse (1988)
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Fri, 18 September 2020
For all you kids at home with a copy of Webster’s New Universal Unabridged Dictionary Deluxe Second Edition taking pride of place on your bookshelf--boy, do we have a treat for you! Paul and Arlo are back on their bullshit, running at the mouth about anything they damn well please. This week’s subjects include: the extreme metal-ness of childbirth, Spider-Man: Miles Morales swinging onto the brand spankin’ new PS5, covert earbuds, Infinity Train heading to the station on HBO Max, a treatise on The Searchers and Apocalypse Now, and so much more.
NEXT: Zorro, the Gay Blade spends a day in The Double Life of Veronique for a doppelganger-centric Geek Challenge.
LINKS The Infinity Train Comes and Goes, Leaves Audience Feeling Empty in the Best Way Possible, by Alexander Lewis, Loyola Phoenix Raised By Wolves Review: Ridley Scott Among the Androids, by Mike Hale, New York Times Gameplay Footage from Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales (PS5)
MUSIC “Doin’ It” by LL Cool J, Mr. Smith (1995) “Piece of Me” by Britney Spears, Blackout (2007)
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Sat, 12 September 2020
For another freewheeling freestyle extravaganza, Paul and Arlo cast their minds to everything from billionaire playboy Bruce Wayne to the inevitable end of all things. They wonder how they might write The Deli Counter of Justice in the harsh light of 2020 before the conversation mutates into a treatise on the relative fascism of Batman, an update on Arlo’s progress through Andy Mulvihill’s Action Park book, the boys reacting to the Dune trailer because that shit always gets mad hits on YouTube, and eventually a rumination on whether or not human life should even exist. What a fun pop culture podcast.
Next: more fun.
MUSIC “The End” by The Doors, The Doors (1967) “The End of the Line” by Traveling Wilburys, Traveling Wilburys Vol. 1 (1988)
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Thu, 3 September 2020
As Hamilton taught us, everything is legal in New Jersey. So we shouldn’t be surprised that it was once home to Action Park, the most dangerous amusement park in the world. Eugene Mulvihill’s vision of a lawless hellscape with pleasure as its only principle is the American Dream in miniature, with a guest appearance by Donald Trump himself! Paul and Arlo discuss the new HBO Max documentary Class Action Park, which brought the Mulvihill legend to their attention; some ancillary material available on YouTube, including one insane post-credits sequence; how Paul would love to bean somebody with a flaming tennis ball; and their respective childhoods, one as a latchkey kid in the ‘70s/’80s and one as a cowardly nerd in the ‘90s/’00s. Will they emerge unscathed? Tune in and find out!
Next: another episode of your favorite podcast. No, not that one. This one. Wait. Come back.
THE BREAKDOWN Total Run Time: 01:24:00
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Mon, 31 August 2020
Paul and Arlo are doin' good, they're on some new shit: actually talking at length about music! A/V director and founding Gobbler Joseph Lewis joins the boys to rave about Taylor Swift's newest (and best) album, Folklore. The gang discusses how Folklore offers a more mature and introspective look at Swift’s pop star persona, how the collaboration with The National’s Aaron Dessner enhances her sonic palette, the drama of the Teenage Love Trilogy, the beautiful video for "cardigan," and more.
Next: slippin' and slidin' with Class Action Park.
BONUS MUSIC RECOMMENDATIONS: Joe
Arlo
Paul
THE BREAKDOWN Total Run Time: 02:46:30
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Wed, 19 August 2020
He wasn't going to get away that easy. Just in time for his biennial torture session, Chance Mazzia has been roped into another episode of Gobbledygeek. Since his last go-round, Chance has become a high school teacher, thereby automatically becoming a more productive member of society than either Paul or Arlo. Chance tells us about the esports team he coaches at school, Paul and Arlo share a rare moment of commiseration by not knowing any of the games Chance mentions, the gang is bummed out by the latest developments concerning Netflix's live-action Avatar remake, and Paul and Arlo are surprised to fall in love with Harley Quinn.
Next: Taylor Swift delivers the best album of her career with Folklore.
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Wed, 5 August 2020
They’ll tear you a new puppet hole, bitch! The worlds of Charles Band and Don Mancini collide in a pre-Gobbledyween Geek Challenge. Paul sends Arlo a psychic alert letting him know to watch 1989’s Puppet Master, the first of producer Band’s direct-to-VHS Full Moon Features and the source of approximately one trillion sequels. In turn, Arlo goes meta and has a doll voiced by him call Paul while the real Arlo is tied to a bed behind him, commanding Paul to watch 2004’s Seed of Chucky. Paul recounts the joy of watching Full Moon Features in his 20s, Arlo launches a full-throated defense of Mancini’s vision, and they are both just completely miserable. Plus, the boys have nothing but nice things to say about Taylor Swift’s Folklore.
Next: we’re off, then we’re not.
THE BREAKDOWN Total Run Time: 01:49:34
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Sat, 25 July 2020
2020 may be an absolute shitshow, but thanks to Disney+, we can all be in the living room where it happens: the filmed performance of Hamilton, recorded in 2016 with the original Broadway cast, is now available to stream. Paul and Arlo may have talked about Hamilton, oh, once or twice or 18 times since its debut five years ago, but luckily über-fan Sarah Kosheff is on hand to help them find new things to say. Arlo talks about getting to see an actual production of Hamilton for the first time, Paul relays the time he was sprayed with Groff sauce, the gang discusses the up-close nuance of the troupe’s acting, and they address some of the political and cultural criticisms of the show.
Next: we get all dolled up for a Geek Challenge featuring Puppet Master and Seed of Chucky.
THE BREAKDOWN Total Run Time: 02:15:20
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Tue, 21 July 2020
A deadly virus rages across the world. The U.S. is in shambles. Despite the imminent threat, humans have started to turn on one another. And in other news, this week Paul and Arlo are talking about Naughty Dog's highly anticipated zombie apocalypse sequel The Last of Us Part II. Joining them for a discussion of this brutal, beautiful game is none other than Alex Jonestown Massacre guitarist Kenn Edwards. The gang discusses how the game departs from its predecessor, the incredible acting of Ashley Johnson and Laura Bailey, how writer-director Nate Druckmann forces the player to confront the consequences of their actions, and more. Also, Arlo didn't actually play it! Plus, Kenn tells us about AJM's new album Run-On Death Sentence and his Lost rewatch podcast Pushing the Button.
Next: there's hope for our ass after all. Sarah Kosheff joins us to discuss the filmed performance of Hamilton.
THE BREAKDOWN Total Run Time: 02:55:47
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Mon, 6 July 2020
The beauty of Gobbledygeek freestyle episodes is that Paul and Arlo will hop on the microphone and start yammering about something or other, then next thing you know, bam, it’s been a tight 45 on the Child’s Play franchise. Killer doll movies, killer German time travel shows (what up, Dark), killer longings for idealized video stores of yesteryear, killer viruses--this episode’s got it all. It will kill you.
Next: speaking of somebody who got killed, Hamilton: An American Musical comes to Disney+.
THE BREAKDOWN Total Run Time: 01:49:40
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Fri, 26 June 2020
The world is, yet again, a much different place than when we last recorded an episode of Gobbledygeek. In the month since the police killing of George Floyd, there have been a wave of protests worldwide and renewed conversations about what role police have in society, if any at all. We--Paul and Arlo--are not sure we should be part of this conversation. After postponing recording for many reasons, our initial urge to record some deep, thought-provoking discussion about racial injustice has subsided. We’re two white guys on an extremely niche podcast that is supposedly about pop culture. We are not going to cover any new ground. What we will say, unequivocally, is that Black Lives Matter. Yesterday, today, always. We do discuss the state of the world, George Floyd, Rayshard Brooks, police abolition, ACAB, etc.--hopefully in a respectful way that might interest some of our listeners. Oh, and there’s still a pandemic going on, so we talk about that too.
Fear not: we also talk about pop culture! Paul plays The Last of Us: Part II, Arlo watches great films by Black filmmakers like Charles Burnett and Billy Woodberry, we have a brief discussion on the state of the comics industry mid-COVID, and more. Hopefully there are some laughs.
Next: we’ll be back, theoretically in a week’s time.
THE BREAKDOWN Total Run Time: 01:40:35
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Mon, 1 June 2020
Ah, youth. A time of joy and comfort, of excitement and adventure. Also pain and fear and anxiety and awkwardness and all that fun stuff. Spinning out of their recent conversation with senior British correspondent Wesley Mead, Paul and Arlo talk about nostalgia (Greek for “pain from an old wound,” according to Don Draper). They regale the listener with tales of their misbegotten youths, from chronic illness and cutting class to oddball rebellion and a very memorable chauffeur experience. Is any of this interesting? Who knows? We’re past episode 400 here, what do you expect?
Next: as always in these strange times, you’ll know when we do.
THE BREAKDOWN Total Run Time: 01:31:39
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Mon, 18 May 2020
Rule, Wezzo! Wezzo, rule the podcast! Gobbledygeek’s senior British correspondent, Wesley “Wezzo” Mead, returns after a truly mind-boggling 22-month gap to fill us in on how exactly the UK is falling apart. Boris Johnson is handling the COVID-19 pandemic very poorly, especially for someone who nearly died from the virus--but still not as poorly as Galactic Emperor Trump, with his Space Forces and super-duper missiles. You’ve heard all about how Paul and Arlo are coping with quarantine, but what’s Wezzo been watching? Well, do you remember the Olsen twins sitcom Two of a Kind and Amanda Bynes vehicle What I Like About You? No? That’s okay, Wezzo remembers them for you! Nostalgia plays a big role this episode, as we pine for our glory days from the discomfort of our hellish present; and specifically, those tactile yet intangible sense memories. Wow, deep! But it’s mostly What I Like About You.
Next: gonna cruise her round the town, show everybody what I’ve found, rock ‘n’ roll with all my friends, hopin’ the music never ends, these happy days are yours and mine, oh happy days.
THE BREAKDOWN Total Run Time: 01:53:55
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Thu, 14 May 2020
Another week, another reckoning with the apocalypse. As the country gears up to reopen, Paul and Arlo discuss how their home states of Alabama and Ohio are handling things. They are not optimistic! Crowds packed close, restaurants teeming with teens, maskless mugs--these things, and more, contribute to our hosts’ reluctance to get this society back on the road. After they’re done ruminating on our impending doom, Paul raves about Hulu’s Normal People; Arlo recommends two more Hulu series, PEN15 and Ramy; they’re both excited about the forthcoming Sandman audio drama; and the announcement of a much sooner release date for the filmed performance of Hamilton leads Arlo to go negative on negativity. Plus, bones slathered in peanut butter.
Next: senior British correspondent Wesley Mead updates us on life in Boris Johnson’s UK.
THE BREAKDOWN Total Run Time: 01:37:20
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Sat, 9 May 2020
When you’re a geek, you’re a geek til ya die, from the stupid reviews to the heaviest sighs. And so, tonight, tonight, the geeks are out tonight--we’re talkin’ finger-snappin’, toe-tappin’ street gangs, daddy-o! Out of seemingly nowhere, Arlo pressures Paul into watching Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins’ 1961 adaptation of the 1957 Broadway show West Side Story by Arthur Laurents, Stephen Sondheim, and Leonard Bernstein. You might have heard of it! Somehow, though both of them love musicals--as documented extensively on this podcast--neither Arlo nor Paul had ever seen one of the most famous, and the most Oscar-adorned, musicals ever made. And so the boys discuss how, in true Romeo and Juliet fashion, Tony and Maria are kind of boring; George Chakiris and Rita Moreno being the film’s true stars; Robbins’ dynamic dance choreography; how you’ve just got to stay loose, boy, and accept the movie’s campy, colorful world; and more. Plus, a quarantine update and an exciting new behind-the-scenes development.
Next: T-B-muthafuckin’-D.
THE BREAKDOWN Total Run Time: 01:48:58
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Thu, 23 April 2020
We’re all responding to quarantine (semi- or otherwise) in different ways. Paul seems to be practicing some sort of immersion therapy, living out the post-apocalypse in games like The Last of Us and shows like The Leftovers. Arlo, meanwhile, reaches for the comfort of old reliable favorites like the first Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie or the modern classic sketch comedy series Key and Peele. Have you ever realized they’re different people? The boys discuss texting syntax, Paul’s genuine repulsion at a certain aspect of The Leftovers, Arlo’s journey through old superhero comics, and so much (or at least a little) more.
Next: TBD, as per ush.
THE BREAKDOWN Total Run Time: 01:58:01
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Sat, 18 April 2020
Once upon a time, three idiots did a podcast. Their names were Paul Smith, Arlo “AJ” Wiley, and Joseph “Will Penley” Lewis. And no, we’re not talking about Gobbledygeek episode 400--we’re talking about the very first episode, recorded a full decade ago. This painful, awkward reminder of where it all began has been lost to time and/or the BlogTalkRadio servers for at least a few years now. Now, it has been restored--but never remastered--to its proper glory. Relive the earliest day of the podcast, with discussion of Alice in Wonderland, Lost, Joss Whedon, Kevin Smith, and a whole bunch of random nerd shit they did not have the faculties to properly critique. Enjoy? |
Tue, 14 April 2020
A global pandemic. Britain leaving the European Union. Donald Trump being elected president. FX canceling Terriers after one goddamn season. It has been, without question, the dumbest decade. Add to that list the strange, mystifying endurance of Gobbledygeek. A podcast hosted by two straight cis white male idiots, ostensibly devoted to the discussion of “popular culture,” and listened to by only a small handful of reprobates, has somehow lasted ten years and 400 episodes. Many other, arguably better podcasts have come and gone. But Paul and Arlo are still here, joined by original Gobbler and fellow Heathen Joseph Lewis, to reminisce about their extraordinarily humble beginnings. The gang listened back to their very first episode (now available to cringe through for the first time in years!) before recording, and they revisit those long-forgotten topics in the year of our lord 2020. Do they remember anything about Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland? Does the Lost finale hold up? Do they give even a single shit about “fandom” anymore? All that PLUS they commiserate about our COVID-infected present and reenact a scene from a truly insane screenplay Joe wrote when he was 15. Oh, they talk about the Gary Oldman thing again too.
Next: we’ve given up even trying to guess. There’ll be another one of these soon.
THE BREAKDOWN Total Run Time: 02:18:40
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Sun, 22 March 2020
FIRST THING’S FIRST: Paul obliquely confesses a past sin during this episode, it’s kind of a super tense moment, but Arlo has cleared off-mic that it was not a criminal act! So...do with that what you will! Elsewhere, the world is fucking ending, so you might as well watch The End of the Fucking World. Paul and Arlo muse on the collapse of civilization, discuss proper social distancing etiquette, and recommend things to watch and read as society dissolves. Some of those recommendations: The Hunt, now available on VOD since movie theaters have shuttered; comfy junk food movies like Yes Man and Ghosts of Girlfriends Past; Netflix’s I Am Not Okay with This; Hawkeye: Freefall by Matthew Rosenberg and Otto Schmidt; Matt Fraction and Steve Lieber’s uproarious Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen; and, of course, perennial classic Good Burger.
Next: Ten years. 400 episodes. It’s all led to this. It’s a shame we’re all dying.
THE BREAKDOWN Total Run Time: 02:08:53
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Wed, 11 March 2020
We start with frozen dairy dessert. We end with a world on the brink of madness. Between that gulf lies...nothing, everything. Paul chides Arlo for becoming obsessed with Black Hammer. The boys laugh about getting the @Gobbledygeek Twitter handle back. Good stuff. You like that, right? Well, guess what? Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson have coronavirus, the NBA has suspended the season, all travel from the EU to the US has been stopped, our president appears to be slowly dying on national television. All that, in real time. Read the mouse print, baby: it’s the end of all things.
Next: assuming we make it, there’s another Four-Color Flashback. Yep, another one. Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic. Alison Bechdel. See you then.
THE BREAKDOWN Total Run Time: 01:46:30
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Fri, 6 March 2020
Don’t you just hate it when you’re a superhero who saves the world and then gets zapped to a shitty little farm town in another dimension that you literally cannot leave? In Jeff Lemire and Dean Ormston’s Dark Horse series Black Hammer, Abraham Slam, Golden Gail, Barbalien, Talky-Walky, Colonel Weird, and Madame Dragonfly sure do. For this month’s Four-Color Flashback, Paul and Arlo discuss the recently concluded “main” storyline of Lemire and Ormston’s ever-expanding creation, consisting of Black Hammer issues #1-13 and Black Hammer: Age of Doom issues #1-12. From a backwater farm to the furthest reaches of time and space, our heroes explore every facet of the superhero genre. Along the way, they confront the metatextual realities of comics storytelling--and the just plain textual fact of aging.
Next: we have no plans.
THE BREAKDOWN Total Run Time: 02:33:48
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Tue, 3 March 2020
No one, especially not Alan Moore, ever really wanted a Watchmen sequel. Which is exactly why handing the reins to Damon Lindelof, who has a history of disorienting and upsetting expectations, is a stroke of genius. Last year’s HBO series, spearheaded by Lindelof, is a bold, startling continuation of Moore and Dave Gibbons’ graphic novel masterpiece--so of course, after talking about the book, Paul, Arlo, and reformed podcaster Greg Sahadachny had to discuss the TV show. The gang talks about the ways in which Lindelof subverts and pays tribute to Moore and Gibbons’ work; how Lindelof built a writers’ room with people who were not like him; the show’s provocative exploration of race and authority; whether or not the show sticks the landing; and much, much more.
Next: due to one scheduling kerfuffle after another, we’ve got another Four-Color Flashback for you! Paul and Arlo will discuss Jeff Lemire and Dean Ormston’s Black Hammer.
THE BREAKDOWN Total Run Time: 02:32:50
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Sun, 2 February 2020
After a year of pointedly discussing no superhero stories, Paul and Arlo revive Four-Color Flashback for a new decade with the big kahuna of all superhero stories: Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons’ 1986-87 maxi-series Watchmen. Aided by emotional sherpa Greg Sahadachny, once and future host of The Debatable Podcast, the boys openly admit there is no new light to shed on perhaps the most analyzed comic book of all time--then get to shedding. What’s it like reading Watchmen in 2020? In the wake of Damon Lindelof’s TV sequel? The gang finds that, like all great art, Watchmen has not changed in the 33 years since its run wrapped, but we have. In a world where fascism seems much more tangible, where superhero fiction reigns supreme, Moore and Gibbons’ work has taken on a renewed sense of meaning. The gang discusses the book’s formalist genius; our heroes’ utter contempt for those they claim to save; why, for a certain type of reader, Rorschach is a morally just idol; and plenty more.
Next: we continue watching the Watchmen with a discussion of Lindelof’s HBO show.
THE BREAKDOWN Total Run Time: 01:50:43
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Sat, 18 January 2020
The geeks speak! Gobbledygeek has been resurrected via cloning or Force magic or some shit, and to kick off season 11, Broken Magic author and The Deli Counter of Justice co-creator Eric Sipple has lightspeed-skipped on over to discuss Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker. After adoring The Last Jedi, the gang approached this supposed final film in the Skywalker Saga with heavy amounts of skepticism--well-earned, depending on who you ask. They discuss the mystical, magical malarkey behind Palpatine’s return; how director J.J. Abrams and writer Chris Terrio are uniquely suited to not deliver a satisfying conclusion; the oodles of fan service; what the film’s final scene means for the legacy of Star Wars; and more. Plus, they talk about The Baby Yoda Show AKA The Mandalorian.
Next: it is January 29, 2020. Paul and Arlo are discussing Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons’ Watchmen for a Four-Color Flashback. I am tired of this world; these people.
THE BREAKDOWN Total Run Time: 02:35:50
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