Play Comics

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | Podchaser | TuneIn | RSS

Get ready for a dragon duel of epic proportions! In this corner, we have Dragon Power, the janky NES game that tried and failed to cash in on Dragonball mania. And in this corner, we have the original Dragonball manga, which captures all the absurdity and excitement that Dragon Power completely whiffed on! Let’s get ready to ruuuuumble!

Please give a warm, silly welcome to our special guest judge for today’s podcast, the one and only Kyle “Game Genie” Federline! When he’s not dropping hot takes on the K&K Indie Gaming podcast, Kyle spends his time teaching his kids about the wonders of games from his childhood and trying to find gaming’s biggest hidden gems in the indie scene. Get ready as Kyle lends his unique blend of gaming wisdom and snark to judge today’s retro showdown!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | Podchaser | TuneIn | RSS

There’s something just so endearing about The Smurfs. Mostly I think it’s because it’s just such a simple concept. Little blue dudes have an adventure and it all wraps up nicely by the end. Seems pretty safe and kid friendly doesn’t it?

Yeah, that’s what I thought too. Good thing I have October K Santarelli here to help blow some of those ideas out of the water. Listen in as we take a dive into Smurf history and explore some of the dark secrets of these little blue demons.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | Podchaser | TuneIn | RSS

Sometimes I just wonder why even got some games. It’s not that I don’t appreciate them, that’s not it at all. But licensed games where we don’t really know the franchise? And game genres that aren’t able to carry the game by itself? And doing it all on a disaster of a console where it seems like nothing could be done right. I know I’m sounding super negative right now but I think that is part of the charm of Magic Knight Rayearth.

And you know who else thinks so? Satsunami from the Chatsunami podcast. Listen in as we take a look at this hidden gem of a game about a hidden gem of an anime and manga property that we just couldn’t appreciate when were first exposed to it back in the 1990s

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | Podchaser | TuneIn | RSS

It all comes back to Spider-Man doesn’t it? The cultural saturation of the character in a lot of English speaking societies. The relatable nature of the character (and to be perfectly honest, most of the Spider people characters). The fact that the first Spider-Man trilogy was the first thing since the 90s Batman movies to really hit such a mainstream audience is no coincidence.

So how do we get a look at what Spider-Man means to people? Oh, I don’t know, maybe get a guest like Keifer from Select and Start to come and give us a look at what both this 2004 game and the movie that it ties in with? Yeah, that seems like a good idea. I should pat myself on the back for doing exactly that.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | Podchaser | TuneIn | RSS

I’ve decided that I just really like fantasy stories. I’ve decided that a lot in the past, and I’m deciding it again right now. There’s just something about a writer being able to ignore all of what’s actually possible in this world and yet still having to make something that’s internally consistent with the story that they want to tell. Something about an artist being able to make characters that just couldn’t happen here in anyway, be it through crazy anatomy that just doesn’t play nicely with Earthly physics or the fact that if an alligator was really on a team with a rabbit one of them would get eaten pretty quickly and we all know which one that would be.

Let’s scratch just about all of those itches at once with an episode where I talk to Grant Stoye about his Kickstarter series, and also upcoming Scout Comics book Sidequest! Listen in as we get to some of the hows and whys behind this wonderful story and try to figure out how Chris didn’t know about it sooner.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | Podchaser | TuneIn | RSS

Some of the most important things I have right now are things that I’ve always had. Mostly my stuffed Snoopy that I’ve had since I was little. And while having him to hold on to has helped in a lot of situations, what if he was actually able to physically fight off demons and monsters?

Listen in as Tayson Martindale comes to talk about his comic The Keepsakers, a story that explores that exact theme of your childhood friends actually being some of your biggest protectors. (Hopefully) Coming to a comic store near you March 29th and brought to you by Invader Comics.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | Podchaser | TuneIn | RSS

Sometimes you just need to flip things on their head. You know, really make sure to hit the point that you’re trying to make. Take down anything that stands in your way and kick right through any obstacle standing before you.

And sometimes I just try to make stupid puns because we’re doing things backwards today and looking at comic books based on a video game. Listen in as the Pop Historian joins the show to talk about the Mortal Kombat comics that are obviously based on that game you might have heard of from the 1990s.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | Podchaser | TuneIn | RSS

What is it that makes a comic connect with an audience? Is it the writing? The art? The characters? Nope, but also yes….? It’s the passion behind it. And that passion certainly comes across in everything else but you can have the best writer and artist in the world using the most popular characters and have things fall flat if they’re just going through the motions.

Today we’re talking about Ravage with Eli Powell. He certainly has the passion for this story and I’m really excited to get my hands on a physical copy of this one. Be sure to check out the Ravage Kickstarter Campaign so you can get your hands on one as well.

And a big thanks to Mike over at Invader Comics for helping to set this one up.

No matter if you’re a die hard fan of what Rebellion is doing with 2000 AD and Judge Dredd, or if you’re someone who wants a place to get into the comics, 2000 AD Prog 2350 and Judge Dredd Megazine #460 will give you exactly what you’re looking for.

Wrestling is in the middle of a quiet cultural renaissance. Sure, we’re not exactly seeing a return to the high-water marks of the 1980s or the Attitude Era of the late 1990s, but wrestling’s getting big again. One of the best ways to see how this particular form of entertainment is sparking the imagination is by looking at your local comic shop. Titles like Do a Powerbomb and Wrassle Castle have brought wrestling into the four-color world, but they’re just the tip of the iceberg in terms of the squared circle’s presence in comics. Ahoy Comics’ THE GIMMICK (Joanee Starer, Elena Gogou) is another great example of how well comics and wrestling can go together.

Dem’ Gulls is a fun start to what I can only describe as middle schoolers taking Tiny Toons and Animaniacs to the next level.

Pro wrestling and crime are more closely related than one might think. After all, the whole thing more or less got started as nothing more than a pretty elaborate con, and the rap sheets of some of the men and women who have been involved in the sport tell their own tale. Honestly, it’s a little surprising that more writers haven’t mined this particular vein, especially since it’s full of larger-than-life characters routinely putting their health on the line for the promise of what’s generally a pretty small payday.