Episode #62 – Superman: Family, Friends, and Foe
The world of Superheroes is made so much stronger by the supporting cast they host, and the world of Superman is no different. Appearing in literally thousands of stories across comic books, radio, TV, and film, Superman has been one of the most dominant pop culture properties since his creation in 1938. And yet, despite the iconic nature of the character, it’s hard to imagine what a Superman story would be without the people at the Daily Planet or without the villains that threaten the values of truth and justice that Superman defends and holds dear. The panel will examine some key characters from the Superman mythos: Lois Lane, Lex Luthor, Jimmy Olson, and the Kents and decide, who is most important to the world of Superman.
Episode #61 – Chosen Ones
The archetype of the hero can come in many different forms, but a common one is the trope where a character is deemed the Chosen one. The idea of the “Chosen One” is most typically found in fantasy fiction; usually a character that is destined for greatness. Destined to be the heroic savior who will one day return the world back to a more peaceful state. In this episode, the panel will examine the idea of Chosen One characters to find commonalities and deconstruct when they work, when they don’t, and what they enjoy about this trope in media.
Episode #60 – Definitive Five: Our Favorite Versions of Characters Across Media
Often there can be variations for characters depending on which form of media you encounter them in. Sometimes the differences in these variations can be slight, while other times they can, of course, be very big. The panel will look at a list of characters prepared by Frank, and each person will decide if the definitive version for them can be found in either comics, movies, TV, animation, or in video games. Some of the panel’s choices are actually quite surprising.
Episode #59 – Spotlight: Dwayne McDuffie
Dwayne McDuffie is one of the most important creators in the modern era of comics. Probably best known, and most importantly, as the co-founder and one of the architects of Milestone Media, a comic book company focused on better representing minorities in comics. There he would create or co-create titles such as Static, Icon, Blood Syndicate, and Hardware. Elsewhere, his work includes seminal runs on Fantastic Four, Deathlok, Firestorm and creator of the abundantly clever Marvel Comics series Damage Control. In addition to his work in comics McDuffie was a prolific writer, story editor, and producer of fantastic animated programming including Ben 10 Alien Force, Static Shock, Justice League, and Justice League Unlimited. The panel is honored to shine the spotlight on the one and only Dwayne McDuffie.
Episode #58 – Fictional Relationships (and Relationshipwrecks)
Romantic subplots drive so much story in western media. In fact, romantic subplots might be the single most common trait among all genres of storytelling in all forms of media. Love is always going to be part of the action, whether it’s comics, tv, or film. As in real life, in the fictional world, some couples work better together than others. With so many examples of popular couples in the media, the panel will examine which romantic relationships work best and which don’t.
Episode #52 – Reactions to the Onslaught of News from Disney Investor Day
Disney Investor Day was held on December 10th, 2020, and surprisingly they announced a massive slate of new projects to be released over the next few years. These exciting, and numerous, new projects from Star Wars, Pixar, Disney Animation, and of course Marvel Studios will be dropping on streaming services, such as Disney+ and Hulu, or in Theatres in the coming years. Come along with the panel as they react to all the news from Disney Investor Day!
EXTRA – Pop Culture Junk Food
One indicator of a pop culture property’s success is the amount of merchandise that goes a long with it: toys, children’s books, school supplies, even bed sheets and beach towels are all relatively common. But in some ways, the true tell of a property’s popularity is whether or not it has been licensed for a snack food. It doesn’t happen for everything, but it does happen, and maybe more than you think. Today the panel discusses their favorite pop culture junk foods from over the years.
EXTRA – Invincible Animated Trailer Reactions
Robert Kirkman is probably best known for his post-apocalyptic zombie drama The Walking Dead. What may be new to some fans is that along with artist Cory Walker, he’s also created Invincible; which is their modern take on a more traditional superhero. Just as engaging and just as adored by fans as The Walking Dead. Amazon Studios is launching Invincible as an animated series and the panel gives their thoughts on the very first trailer. Invincible is set to premiere in 2021.
Episode #47 – Spotlight: Home Alone
Today, kids movies tend to be thought of as Pixar, talking animal cartoons, or even the marvel films to some extent. The live-action kids movie was something that was quite commonly produced during the 1990s however, and one of the most popular and most successful of its kind was Home Alone. Not only has the film’s popularity maintained over the years, but something interesting has happened; over time, the film has grown to become a beloved holiday classic as well. To celebrate the film’s 30th Anniversary, the panel takes a look back and relieves the heart, humor, and high jinks of Home Alone.
Episode #42 – Friendly Neighborhood Hangouts
Everybody has a spot they frequent. A place you can go to meet with friends and chat, hang out, and plan your next hilarious scheme. Well, maybe not the scheming part, but that’s the way it works in TV and movies. Fictional characters often have a regular spot; a coffee shop, a restaurant, maybe a watering hole. Whatever it may be, it provides a nice change of pace to the scenery to mix up the surroundings a little bit; but what if these places existed in the real world? Which places would you like to hang out in? That’s precisely what the panel discusses today, their favorite hangouts from media they would choose to be their spot.
