Episodios
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Anthony recently made an appearance on a panel at Jersey City's Black Comic-Con 2024, and now you can listen to the presentation live! Fascinating discussions, great audience questions, and a beautiful environment all led to this - listen now!
Transcript
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We make our Shenanicon debut with our long awaited panel on Baccano! What makes these immortal mafioso interesting? Tune in to find out!
Intro Who is Capes on the Couch? What is Baccano? Characters Czeslaw Meyer - tortured and distrusting of anyone & everyone, ESPECIALLY immortals Ladd Russo - psychopathic manchild with a⊠unique moral code (16:18) Firo Prochainezo - the cutest, politest mob boss youâll ever meet (20:26) Jacuzzi Splot - heâll kick your ass, right after he gets done crying about it (23:30) Claire Stanfield - solipsism to its (logical?) conclusion Szilard Quates - what does he want? Yes (32:48) Q&A portion (37:48) Ending Plugs for social & GonnaGeek NetworkReferences:
Darkwing Duck - Anthony (27:00) Jamie Madrox episode - Anthony (37:22)Apple Podcasts: here
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When Doc is away, Anthony & Allen will play! Allen Dunford returns to talk about the end (?) of the Grandma Chainsaw saga - listen now!
Intro Background Listen to the first 3 episodes if youâre unfamiliar with the GC series Grandma Chainsaw 4 Where does this issue start? (3:55) Where did you come up with Hazelâs true identity/form? (8:21) SPOILER DISCUSSION (15:00) SPOILER END - Kickstarter bonuses & tiers (34:28) Any new stories coming up? (37:15) Ending Plugs for social Taking a hiatus during July & AugustTranscript
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GC4 KickstarterApple Podcasts: here
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Under the cover of a full moon, we shed a light on Jack Russell, WEREWOLF BY NIGHT! How many Warren Zevon references do we fit into this episode? Listen now to find out!
Intro Apologies for delays in episodes - Doc and I going thru stuff (separately) Reminder that Shenanicon registration is now open - still no word on exact date & time of Baccano panel Background (3:13) Jack Russell, Werewolf by Night, created by Roy Thomas, Jeanie Thomas, Gerry Conway, & Mike Ploog in Marvel Spotlight #2 (Feb. 1972) Jacob Russoff is the son of Gregor Russoff, a Transylvanian baron whose ancestor was bitten by a werewolf working for Vlad Dracula in 1795 Gregor acquired the Darkhold and read it, triggering the latent curse and turning him into a werewolf - after he was killed, his wife Laura moved to America and remarried her brother-in-law Phillip Russell, and Jacob became Jack Russell Jackâs curse took effect on his 18th birthday, and shortly thereafter his familyâs driver sabotaged his motherâs car to crash under Phillipâs orders - before her death she told Jack the truth about his heritage and made him promise not to take revenge on Phillip (no promise was made about the driver, thoughâŠ) Spent most of the next few years on the run from the Committee, who wanted to capture him and use him for their own purposes - among the many people hired by the Committee was Moon Knight, who defeated Jack before having a change of heart and teaming up with Jack to escape Spends a chunk of the 80s on a motorcycle driving around the country - after a battle with the Hulk, his fatherâs spirit tells him he must accept his beastly nature or die; he does, and gains control over his transformation and abilities Unfortunately his control didnât last, and he began seeing visions of Hell during his transformations - this drove him to alcoholism and suicidal thoughts until he encountered a woman similarly afflicted and under siege by a small town - they killed the leaders and agreed to help each other live free He was given a vaccine by Michael Morbius that helped him regain control, and he joined the Midnight Sons - his new mindset was that of acceptance, and he was determined to find other âmonstersâ around the world and help them the way he had been helped - this includes Rahne Sinclairâs son, who she rejected because the child was feral He had his head blown off by Deadpool after Wade found him in bed with his wife - he survived, but it took some time for his head to grow back Issues - Theme is âa sheep in wolfâs clothingâ (7:46) Finally reached an acceptance of his werewolf nature, even if the world hasnât Formerly suicidal alcoholic (14:10) A drifter whoâs unattached to any one place for too long (24:28) Break (32:12) Plugs for I Am Your Target Demographic and Hops Geek News Treatment In-universe - Treat yo self Out of universe - Focus on the addiction issues first, and then work on the other things Skit (41:40) Hello Jack, Iâm Dr. Issues. - Hi. Man, I could have used you a long time ago. *pause* Thaaanks? So, what can I do for youâŠnow? - Just hear me out. Iâve hesitated to do any therapy because I didnât think anyone would listen. Oh, so my reputation precedes me. -You never answered my calls or emails. I can be scant in my availability, yes. But that should be a deterrent, right?. -Every review I read said that you are the most patient psychiatrist theyâve ever met, but youâre hard to track. I like that. Maybe you can tolerate my story. My goal is more than tolerance. I want patients to thrive. But sometimes you have to crawl, then walk, then run. -You got that right! So I did my homework. I know this is confidential as long as Iâm not a threat, right? Yup. -Well, what if I told you that thereâs only a certain number of nights where I was a threat, but I kept everyone safe with an airtight plan? Makes sense, right? I guess -*interrupting* and what if I told you that I even went so far as to meditate to harness my rage in a form that was productive. Are you with me? Is this a metaphor for male menopause or -*interrupts again* Heck man, I even found a, uh, âalternative healerâ to basically cure me. This is some wild stuff, huh? You sound like an infomercial right now. What is your angle? Are you trying to promote some woo-woo healthy positivity or what? Iâm confused. Youâre way more upbeat than I thought youâd be. I just scrolled through your emails -Better late than never *Interrupting* No wonder I blew you off. You sent me an autobiography that reads like Ann Rice decided to make out with Kafka. -*pause* So a bit melodramatic? Therapy is supposed to be more than just venting. You say you have all of these tools toâŠwow this is longâŠsurvive with lycanthropy?! You could have just said âIâm a werewolf.â -Well you always use those vocab words in your writing so I was trying to match you. And how dare you try to shame a patient. Iâve come a long way, you know! No shame, no blame. JustâŠ*sigh* I get this a lot. You want to connect on a human level. Thatâs awesome. Iâm impressed, because youâre clearly putting the proper energy into this. But there IS a way to swing too far on that pendulum. I want to be your trusted professional, but Iâm not your buddy. Thereâs a difference. Letâs focus on your accomplishments so far, since thatâs your focus out of the gate. -Cool! First off, I survived a family that sometimes turned feral. Lots of reconciliation. Great. -I am on the sober path. Wonderful. -I can live in my own skinâŠand fur. Check. -No, further east than that. Huh? -Nevermind, bad joke. Not rushin ya -Huh? Even worse joke. -*snaps fingers* You DO have a bright side.Anywho, what Iâm trying to say is, I donât have everything figured out. But Iâve taken care of the boulders. Now I need to take care of the smaller rocks, the pebblesâŠyou get it? Yup. Much better clarity. Iâll take you on as a patient under one condition -No werewolf? Howâd you guess? -Just a hunch. Oh, and hereâs my local pharmacy. I donât think you need a prescription -Itâs the only one I know willing to incorporate silver compounds. *pause* Welp, thatâs either a dark backup plan, or the wickedest joke of this encounter. *simultaneously* WHY NOT BOTH? Ending (46:03) Recommended reading: Legion of Monsters Next episodes: Storm, Wonder Woman, Shadowman Plugs for social & GonnaGeek NetworkTranscript
References:
âBBL Drizzyâ - Anthony (2:23) Shenanicon 2024 - Anthony (2:50) âWerewolves of Londonâ - Doc (8:55) âPapa Was a Rollinâ Stoneâ - Doc (25:30) SHE CAME DOWN IN A BUBBLE - Anthony (36:00) âHair of the Dogâ - Anthony (46:40)Apple Podcasts: here
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We bring back friend of the show Allen Dunford to talk about his new baby daughter! I'm sorry, we bring him back to talk about his doctoral thesis! Wait, I mean we discuss his latest Kickstarter campaign THE HERALD!
(And we also talk about those other things...) Listen now!
The Herald #1: A Supernatural Western by Allen & Will â Kickstarter
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It's time to swim in the Deadpool and do the DEATHSTROKE! Some people would give their left eye for an episode like this. Those people probably need help just like Slade. Listen now!
Intro - Jeremy Whitley Apologies for the delay Background (2:18) Deathstroke (Slade Wilson) created by Marv Wolfman and George PĂ©rez in The New Teen Titans #2 (Dec. 1980) At 16, he lied about his age to join the Army during the Korean War, and later met his wife, Captain Adeline Kane - after they married, they had three children: Grant, Joseph, and Rose Subjected to an experiment where he was injected with a substance that drastically increased his healing, as well as giving him expanded use of his brainâs capacity #BecauseComics Started working as a mercenary, keeping his business private from Adeline, until a criminal kidnapped Joe to blackmail Slade - although Slade killed the criminal, Joeâs throat was sliced, destroying his vocal cords and rendering him mute - this angered Adeline, who shot Slade through the right eye Grant took a contract to kill the Teen Titans, but died after an experiment to give him superhuman abilities - Slade vowed vengeance on the Titans, blaming them for Grantâs death, but was defeated The Judas Contract - Slade used Terra to infiltrate the Titans, then once he learned their identities and weaknesses, systematically went after each of the Titans - Joseph joined with Nightwing to possess his father, and after Terra died, Slade was captured After that, Slade occasionally worked alongside the Titans while still working as a merc - he was forced to mercy kill Joseph, who was a Titan known as Jericho and was possessed by the souls of Azarath Gave Adeline a blood transfusion which drove her insane, and she tried to kill all metahumans, blaming them for Jerichoâs death - when she requested a mercy kill, Slade refused but Starfire obliged, and he cut ties with the Titans Jericho possessed Slade right before his death, and used Sladeâs body to enact revenge on all the Titans - this led to Slade training Rose, his last remaining child, to kill Jericho, but his methods drove her insane Was responsible for the destruction of Bludhaven and killing over 100,000 people to mentally destroy Nightwing - he was defeated by Batman, Robin (Tim), and Nightwing New 52 - reboots Slade as a mercenary who lost his eye in a terrorist attack, and after his sons and wife were killed, he goes on a rampage to protect Rose Dies in Rebirth after being killed by Red Arrow Issues - Theme: Being too smart for your own good doesnât have to turn out this bad! (9:59) Kids: Theyâre a handful, am I right? Intellectualization as an isolator The definition of âEnoughâ (26:05) Break (35:58) Plugs for Sips Suds & Smokes and Frigay the 13th Treatment (37:57) In-universe - Give him a protection contract and make him honor it Out of universe - So many examples with real-life veterans (41:35) Skit (49:29) Hello Deathstroke, Iâm Dr. Issues. -Hello, Doctor. *pause* This is unusual and I donât like it. Well, therapy or counseling isnât always meant to be fun, and lots of people hate going to the doctor, so -*interrupting* Not like that. Iâve been a wanted man for ages. Youâve seen patients like me in confined areas before. Yet you let me waltz in without a hint of security. No shackles, no guards, not even a warning. That doesnât make sense. I can only draw 2 conclusions. Either you are requesting my services, in which case you have no need for safety, or you have an unknown unknown, which uncharacteristically would put me at a disadvantage. Iâm sure youâve read my profile. -From the âexposureâ you had a while back, sure. Very sloppy, and yet cleaned up as if it never happened. Your current information is modest on networks but still acclamatory. But Iâm sure you are referencing my ability to infer that you are a pacifist and would never entrust my means. Very well. I will take this session at face value. Humanity is full of idiots, youâre no different. That is quite the exposition and non sequitur simultaneously. Iâll bite. Whatâs wrong with humanity, and how does that affect you? -Itâs hard to act with perfection when you canât let morons know you are imperfect. I can exploit anyone I want. Sometimes itâs pleasurable. Itâs certainly profitable. But Iâm not above petty revenge. Iâve loved before. I hate even more. And yet, only one of those goes unrequited for long. No one will pity a mercenary. You donât deserve pity. No one does. -*pause, genuine shock* Too Machiavellian of a phrase for a Hippocratic practitioner. Too quick of a process for the smartest man in the room. No one deserves pity. They deserve grace, honesty, and empathy, the ratios of which can be seen as enlightening, punishing, and rewarding, depending on the circumstances. The chase is beneath you. By your own account, IâM beneath you. So why bother? Money? Really? -If I have mastered the rules of a game, then I should be able to keep my own scoreboard at my whim. But I have other motivations, and yes, I will admit that they are just as basic as any other *ahem* family man. I donât pretend to be stereotypical in my reactions, but I mourn my losses, too. I feel like this is all a test of my wits. I have to prove to you Iâm worthy of your time. You could have ended thisâŠtake of that what you willâŠat any point. Do you really think I have some sort of ace up my sleeve? -Unlike you, I donât use the colloquial âI feelâ To substitute for âI think.â And yes, I thinkâŠhaha, I KNOW you have me scouted. Anything less and you are a trusting fool. Try me. -I know youâve encountered the Titans before. I created a diversion so they will be too busy searching for a fake battle hundreds of miles away. You are alone. Am I? -I know about your latest burner phone. All signals from this office are blocked. Itâs a brick, now. No bats will be in this belfry. UmâŠwell⊠-Surely that canât be it, right? You have more to deliver to test my mettle? The archer? The Martian? The big blue buffoon? Donât call me Shirley. -*Pause* You truly are an idiot like all of the rest. Cool, then you donât have to waste your energy on killing me. -Youâre not a mark. Thatâs the only reason youâre still breathing. Iâll take it! -As if you have a choice. Pathetic. *door opens as heâs about to leave* Oh, and Mr. Wilson, I just wanted to let you know that you donât have to intimidate someone who is genuinely trying to help you. It makes you look like a casual jerk instead of a ruthless assassin. Amongst the government agencies, interstellar factions, extradimensional rulers, and plain olâ folks who want to see you suffer, I might be your only chance of living any semblance of a peaceful life. Iâm risking my existence by talking to you and keeping my vow of confidentiality only if you mean what you just said, because I can have a clear conscience that you are a shrewd butthurt businessman rather than the essence of evil that those who conspire against you would want me to believe. I figured all of that out without anyone telling me a single word. So I may not be a queen on your chessboard, but I damn sure am NOT a pawn. -Do you *interrupting* Slade. -*pause* All you had to say was my name, and we could have avoided the banter. No contacts, please, unless I come to you. Now we have an agreement. Goodbye. Ending (54:49) Recommended reading: Judas Contract Next episodes: Storm, Wonder Woman, Shadowman Plugs for social & GonnaGeek NetworkReferences:
Teen Titans Go! To the Movies - Anthony (1:45) Dennis the Menace - Anthony (3:02) Terra episode - Anthony (5:35) âCats in the Cradleâ by Harry Chopin - Anthony (8:28) The Simpsons - Homerâs half-assed overparenting âGrampa vs. Sexual Inadequacyâ - Doc (14:04) Hamilton: âWho Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Storyâ - Anthony (32:43) âThat Would Be Enoughâ - Anthony (33:14) âSatisfiedâ - Doc (38:33) Cast Away - Doc (58:35)Apple Podcasts: here
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We sit down for the SIXTH time with writer Erica Schultz in advance of the release of Rat City. Get comfy, folks, this is our longest creator interview yet - almost TWO HOURS LONG!
Intro Background What would it take to get you on a Marvel ongoing? Dream character & artist/team? X-23: Deadly Regenesis Why go back to this period of Lauraâs life? Created Haymaker, a transmasc non-binary MMA fighter, as the main villain - how did that come about? (21:20) Hallows Eve (28:31) New evolution for Janine Godbe/Elizabeth Tyne/Mary Bailey/Sarah Porter Powered masks: did you come up with the masks first and then their impact on story, or was it âwhatâs the story?â and then work the masks in? What If: Dark Moon Knight (34:08) How did you select this particular jumping off point? Moon Knight vs. Bushman happens so many times, why this one? Nice to see Marlene take an active role in a MK story, even if itâs not necessarily clean Daredevil: Gang War (50:06) Previously written Matt as Daredevil, now Elektra: how to write legacy characters with different voices Whatâs it like working on an event tie-in? How much freedom do you have for story you want to tell within obvious constraints, how much editorial oversight, etc? Rat City (77:15) How did you get this gig? Spawn cover for Deadliest Bouquet, now an actual Spawn book! What led to this expansion of the Spawn universe? How much do you have to understand Spawn to follow this story? Love the commentary on soldiers being chewed up & spit out, flaws of capitalism, etc. Any new stories coming up? Blood Hunters & Darth Maul Black White & Red: - more Marvel mini/tie-ins Ending Plugs for socialReferences:
Ericaâs website Ericaâs interview on ITK - Anthony (34:19) Key & Peele - Text Message Confusion - Erica (57:10) Dirty Dancing âI carried a watermelonâ - Erica (65:17)Apple Podcasts: here
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After months of talking about it, we finally get overridden with guilt and break down ROBBIE BALDWIN! Whether Speedball or Penance, this rapid-fire hero has no shortage of issues - listen now!
Intro SIX YEARS!!! New subseries: Colleagues on the Couch, where we interview MH professionals about their work in the field Background (6:55) Robbie Baldwin (Speedball) created by Steve Ditko and Tom DeFalco in The Amazing Spider-Man Annual #22 (Jan. 1988) Robbie Baldwin is a Connecticut high school student who is bombarded with other-dimensional energy during an accident at a lab he works at - the explosion gives him endless kinetic energy, which also creates a protective force field He calls himself Speedball and begins working as a teenage superhero, coming into conflict with his district attorney father, who despises masked vigilantes He later joins the New Warriors, but his frequent trips to New York to join the team create stress on his home life, and his parents divorce shortly after learning the truth about his abilities Robbie is at the center of Civil War: He and the New Warriors attempt to capture a group of villains, and Nova explodes, killing 612 people including 60 children - Robbie initially was thought dead but was the only survivor - his kinetic field kept him alive, but as a result of the overexertion he loses his powers After being arrested, he is shot in the spine by a father of one of the children killed in the blast - this leads to him changing his mind and registering He has a new suit made, one with 612 internal spikes to cause him constant pain - calling himself Penance, he joins the Thunderbolts, where he is under constant surveillance He stole a SHIELD jet and made his way to Latveria, where he defeated Doctor Doom in combat to get his hands on Nitro, who was being held prisoner there - Robbie placed his spiked suit on Nitro to torture him After Doc Samson was able to make headway with Robbie in several therapy sessions, Norman Osborn had him heavily sedated and manipulated by a therapist to keep him in a mentally fragile state for Osbornâs own machinations - after a battle with some of his former New Warriors teammates, he is able to break free of the conditioning He joins Avengers Academy, calling himself Speedball again, in an effort to seek forgiveness for his previous actions, although he still retains much of the Penance guilt and attitude - after defeating a group of villains at the Stamford memorial site, he quits the Academy and teams up with Justice to reform the New Warriors, where they recruit Sam Alexander among others Joins CRADLE, where he enforces the law preventing anyone under the age of 21 from operating as a superhero Issues (14:41) Conflict with his parents over him being a teenage superhero Survivorâs guilt over the Stamford incident (24:50) Severe PTSD (35:29) Break (42:44) Plugs for Into the Knight, Comic Book Keepers, and Al Ewing Treatment (44:40) In-universe - Focus on other feelings Robbie could have expressed to people Out of universe - (47:01) Skit (51:52) Hello Robert, Iâm Dr. Issues. -Robert, huh? So I guess this is meant to be that kind of encounter. Hello, doctor. I didnât mean to infer that your formal name implies a demure tone. Iâve seen Robbie in your chart. Is that preferred? -Whatever floats your boat. You mentioned my chart, so I take it Doc Samson gave you my records? I said it was ok. Yeah, but I donât dwell on what other doctors have done. Even if theyâre literal giants in their field⊠What can I do for you now? -Thatâs whatâs weird about a meeting like this. Iâm not sure Iâm in the right frame of mind to get help. Thatâs either quite insightful or quite dangerous. -Why not both? Fine. Care to elaborate? -Lots of lives lost. Iâm involved. I almost die. I lose everything. THATâS when most people think âhey, that guy needs therapy.â But the focus is on blame. I even do it myself. Work to be done, one way or another. Iâm channeling it. Revenge. Yadda yadda, it works. Parts of it work, but go on. -Iâm seeing Doc Samson AFTER all of that. Then I get some psychobabble manipulative nonsense, all on accord of some narcissistic bureaucrats that donât really care about me, and it all comes tumbling down. I STILL work my way out of that mess, and Iâm kind of bouncing around ever since. *chuckles* I swear, I didnât intend that. Humor is great as a coping mechanism. - I used to think so. My jokes fell flat once people started dying. *sighs* Doc, do you think people change their personality? If youâre asking for my opinion on multiple persona -*interrupting* No no no, I just meanâŠfor the longest time, Iâm no expert, but Iâve heard so many mental health folks talk about how some personalities canât be fixed. But I have a problem with that. I donât think personalities are what YOU people think they are. This is way deeper than I expected. Alright, whatâs your theory? -I had a chance to see the world in a new dimensionâŠlike, really different. And I realized that it was all just a different way of seeing myself. So when something catastrophic happened, I changed my mind. Now Iâm left wonderingâŠwhy canât we all do that? What limits a person to who they think they are? IâŠumâŠI donât pretend to know the answer to that. -And thatâs why I donât think I need this kind of help right now. You are probably great at what you do, but youâre looking for illness. Iâve had that mindset too, and it caused me more pain. I donât want to look for fragility, or loathing, anymore than I already have. I intentionally walked that path with purpose, and even if I canât get the brightness the way I had it before, I know itâs there. You rebounded well -*pause* Sooooo, was that your way of bringing levity or⊠*sigh* I donât know man, I canât quite read the room with you as well as I usually do, so Iâm letting it ride. On one hand, congratulations. Iâm humbled by your ability to endure disasters and maintain resilience. On the other hand, Iâm getting a hint that thereâs something always brewing with you under the surface.Doc Samson can be forceful, so heâs the type to challenge head on. I donât do that. - At least I donât have to worry about you punching me into the stratosphere when I get pissed off. *genuine laugh* You have a nice laugh. *pause* I think I can answer your question better now. I DO think people can change anything they want about themselves within reason. The friction, both internal and external, depends on their motivation, energy, and habits, and support. And, I think thatâs true for each particular trait, with a potentially longer timeline for those things that prove to have adverse consequences in the immediate term. -*pause* Now whoâs getting deep? So Iâm not pushing you to do anything you donât want to do. If you are having troubles with transitions, thatâs your sticking point. Iâm your man. -Naw, the sticking points were for someone else. *groan* Really? -Sorry, I have a bit of gallows humor in me. Then I think any future sessions are going to go juuuuuuust fine. Ending (57:20) Recommended reading: Civil War: Front Line, OR New Warriors Vol. 5 Next episodes: Deathstroke, Jack Russell, Storm Plugs for social & GonnaGeek NetworkReferences:
Sam Alexander episode - Anthony (13:21) A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood - Anthony (31:08) GI Joe parody videos - Anthony (46:06)Apple Podcasts: here
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We follow up last episode with the second half of our discussion with writer Phillip Kennedy Johnson - this time we're talking James Bond, John Stewart, and the Incredible Hulk! Plus a meaningful discussion on patriotism, and Anthony & Doc make a pitch to work with PKJ ;)
Creators on the Couch - Phillip Kennedy Johnson 3
Intro Superman One last question: Metallo giving everything for his sister - where did that idea come from? James Bond (11:52) Based more in Fleming novels vs. films? Was there a particular Bond you had in mind while writing? What makes him such an enduring character, in light of the constant reboots and takes on him? Admittedly only read first half - could not access God & Country John Stewart (23:12) Given your military background, did you gravitate towards John vs. other Lanterns? Focus on Johnâs family life - mother with dementia and loss of younger sister Revenant Queen - like her speech style (35:18) Obviously itâs ongoing, but how far out do you have mapped storylines? Incredible Hulk (39:05) This story is much more monster-oriented than previous Hulk runs - was this intended to shift away from internal/mental focus like the Ewing run? Body horror - story and art focus on the pain and effects of transformation What inspired Charlie? Feels like more than just audience surrogate Whatâs next for you? (52:24) Ending Next episodes: Speedball, Deathstroke Plugs for socialReferences:
Marvel Team-Up #145 - PKJ (2:55)GonnaGeek Network
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We're back! And so is Philip Kennedy Johnson! We sit down with PKJ for the second time to talk about his recently wrapped runs on Action Comics & Alien. Listen now!
Intro
Apologies for delay in episodes - see blog post for more
PKJ
Last time we spoke was Feb. 2021, discussing Last Sons of America, Kill A Man and end of The Last God
Superman (3:42)
What was something you wanted to do with Superman that hadnât been done before?
Exploration of Clark-Jon relationship - so many emotional moments
Warworld Saga - why go with Mongul for main villain of storyline?
Love Osul and Otho - their lack of exposure to anything resembling compassion and love, and the welcoming by the Superman family, is best addition to mythos in a long time
Superman family gets major focus here - family is thru-line running across the entire arc
Special point on Kong Kenan and his âdefectionâ
Blue Earth movement - *chefâs kiss*
Alien (22:28)
Another instance of a father doing anything for his son in first arc
Was it always the plan to have 3 separate arcs across 2 volumes?
How much input did you have into Xenomorph designs, or was that all artists?
Ending (34:00)
Next episodes: Speedball, Deathstroke
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To tie in with the recent release of Aquaman & the Lost Kingdom, we take a look at the man himself, Arthur Curry! We have a whale of a time with this one, and we'll cod to making more than a few fish jokes just for the halibut...
Issue 186 - Aquaman
Intro Shoutout to Into the Knight, who got a thank you from Jed McKay in the last page of Moon Knight #30 Background (4:29) Aquaman (Arthur Curry) created by Paul Norris and Mort Weisinger in More Fun Comics #73 (Nov. 1941) Golden Age origin is he is the son of a scientist who lived in the ocean and taught him how to breathe underwater and communicate with & control undersea life Silver Age origin: Arthur Curry, son of Tom Curry & Atlanna, and because of his mixed heritage he has access to several Atlantean abilities, including how to breathe underwater and communicate with & control undersea life This version introduces most of his supporting cast: wife Mera, son Arthur Jr., aka AJ or Aquababy, half-brother & nemesis Ocean Master, Black Manta, and others Post-Crisis origin: Orin, son of Queen Atlanna & the wizard Atlan, he was abandoned by Atlantis and discovered by Tom Curry who eventually dies when heâs a teen, and he returns to Atlantis where he is imprisoned before breaking out and joining the Justice League, where he uses his abilities like how to breathe underwater and communicate with & control undersea life This is the version that loses his hand after itâs eaten by piranhas He is the leader of Sub Diego, an undersea version of San Diego He becomes the Dweller of the Depths to assist the new Aquaman, Arthur Joseph Curry, before dying and later resurrected during Blackest Night/Brightest Day New 52 - Once again the son of Tom Curry & Atlanna, he was raised on land but aware of Atlantis, and when he returns to the sea he is crowned King, but he abdicates to be with Mera and join the Justice League until heâs forced to return to rule over Atlantis despite half the population hating him He finally proposes to Mera at the start of DC Rebirth Issues - Theme is fish out of water, then in, then out, then in⊠(10:34) Reluctant ruler of Atlantis - numerous time he returns to the throne in times of trouble, only to either vacate willingly to help Justice League/other heroes, or be forced to abdicate due to various factors Walks two worlds, but not fully accepted in either (15:36) Loss of a son - created strain on him and Mera (31:47) Break (42:02) Plugs for Last Sons of Krypton & SNEScapades Treatment (43:50) In-universe - Build a safe space for Aquaman Out of universe - (46:56) Skit (53:35) Hello Aquaman, Iâm Dr. Issues. Would you preferâŠum Arthur? Orin? Your chart has some conflicting information, and my electronic health record merges files quite haphazardly. - Doctor, you can just stick to Aquaman for now then. Most land acquaintances do. Do they now? Ok. So, what can I do for you? -Iâm in a state of flux. Iâm trying to keep on course. The problem is, I donât have a map. Are you speaking metaphorically, or is this some sort of buried treasure -*snapping* I donât make puns and I need you to take this seriously. *gulp* My apologies. So, how did you get so lost? -Iâm not sure. I have a lot of people counting on me, but when they all ask for help at once theyâre like crabs in a barrel. Theyâre too quick to lionize me as their savior, and too quick to denigrate me as a fake. Iâll admit, that sounds like injustice, and I donât mean that from a dramatic perspective. The world hasnât always been fair to you, has it? -Maybe not, but I canât complain too much. Thereâs no breathing room. *clears throat* pardon, but I need to drink some water. Sure, go right *sound of a tidal wave or something* âŠahead. Um, did you have to soak the whole couch? -My kingdom is good for it. You donât mind barnacles, right? Barnacles, no, but the jellyfish - *ignores* Anyway, my kingdomâŠ*sigh* itâs not always my kingdom. Sometimes I want to swim away and never see any of them again. But I wonât abandon my family. Priorities. Got it. You sound like you have a lot of triggers that could exacerbate anxiety and/or depression. Have you experienced any of those symptoms? -Well Iâm not the one with the degree, but if youâre referencing eternal sadness, sleepless nights, the sense of dread that your society will be wiped out, and those who know of you before you know them are willing to kill everyone you love for the sake of power so you let your own sense of pride burst forth into a fit of rage that only the mightiest of beings can come CLOSE to matching *clearly exasperated but trying to calm down* perhapsâŠI have. I wonât snap to judgment on diagnosis, but you donât need any labels. Sounds like youâve had stuff going on for a looooong time. What led you to come to me now? -Iâm not sure. Youâve said that more than once. -And Iâve meant it every time. This is the only place I can use a phrase like that and not die. Mostly right, sometimes wrong, but never in doubt. A real Type A mindset. -If that makes the most sense to you, then yes. Iâm a buffer zone. That can work, but ultimately youâre going to have to find a way to recreate that in other environments. -Tricky to do when the natural state of those environments are hostile. Are they really, though? Iâm not saying youâre wrong, just challenging the assumption. - Thereâs a not-insignificant portion of my kingdom who believes I was cursed the moment I was born. Thereâs also a large segment who wishes I would vacate the throne and never return. Not surprisingly, those two segments share a healthy overlap. So when the very people I aim to lead donât want me in the leadership role, I think itâs fair to say itâs a hostile environment. And thatâs ignoring the numerous attempts on my life, the never-ending struggle with my half-brother, the various threats from the surface world⊠Then you need a huge amount of resiliency, and that doesnât get built in a vacuum. You mentioned family as your number one priority. Are they integrated into how you process your life, or are they delicate figures you keep sheltered in your mind so you donât lose them? -I would never refer to them as delicate or sheltered. But I donât make my personal life a spectacle either. Mera is everything to meâŠsometimes the only thing. Itâs okay to want more than that. -I donât need more. I specifically didnât say need. I said want. Aspirations that are your own, even in the midst of external values. -That is such a land dweller thing to say. I confess my biases, yes. But Iâm acknowledging your culture as well. Iâll have to learn on the fly how to blend your understanding of how the world works with my own. I embrace that challenge. -*pause* How far are you willing to go? I donât knowâŠthatâs really vague, and I know that type of question is leading to some discomfort -*boldly* NO whining! You may be granted a privilege that will change your life, If you are a brave soul. See, Iâm a coward, so -*dismissive* Nonsense! You just need some basic skills. Can you swim? Yes. -Can you hold your breath for at least 2 minutes? What? I donât knowâŠprobably? But if youâre alluding to what I think you are, I donât think my freediving skills are up to par. -Weâre not simpletons. We have equipment; you need to be fit enough for the transition. And this benefits YOU in what way. -If I can show you just how unique our ways are, then you would be able to not only assist me, but also those who question my position. Expand your practice. Can you give me some time to mull this over? Iâm not used to someone actually getting so gung ho about my sessions. -I wonât wait forever. If you need to seek council from those who would put your mind at ease, then I understand. You will hear from me shortly. Ending (59:57) Recommended reading: Peter David run, with focus on Time & Tide and the Atlantis Chronicles Next episodes: Echo, Speedball, Deathstroke Plugs for social & GonnaGeek Network Anthony: That will do it for this episode. Doc? Doc: *text message sound* Hold onâŠitâs Aquaman? HuhâŠâthanks for the introductory session. I know I told you I would contact you shortly, but I am so excited that I did a search on therapy techniques. I think youâll understand my world better if you engage in flooding. This is NOT a request.â What the hell does that mean? I just go to the beach or the aquarium and *water rushing/waves crashing* *gurgling* I guess I should try to keep my head above water for now Anthony: He didnât have to be so dramatic. For a drowning Dr. Issues, Iâm Anthony Sytko, and weâll see you next time!References:
Black Manta episode - Anthony (6:38) Chuck Cunningham Syndrome - Anthony (8:54) âWe Donât Talk about Brunoâ - Anthony (9:20)Apple Podcasts: here
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We take our first look at a Flash-affiliated character with Barry Allen's nemesis EOBARD THAWNE! Things go off the rails pretty quickly, but it's ok, because we can just jump to another timeline where everything is fine, and no one will be any the wiser - except for Eobard...
Intro Background (2:05) Eobard Thawne, aka Professor Zoom or the Reverse Flash, created by John Broome and Carmine Infantino in The Flash #139 (Sept. 1963) Eobard Thawne is a scientist from the 25th century, where superheroes are few He becomes obsessed with learning about the Speed Force, but he initially encounters some obstacles until his future self intervenes several times: He was jealous of his younger brother growing up, until his future self prevented Robern from being born and then his future self caused the death of his parents, since they were worried about his obsession He kills another professor who is close to unlocking the secrets of the Speed Force After Eobard falls in love with a reporter, his future self kills her fiance and any man she ever dated - when she still rejected him, his future self went back to her childhood and traumatized her to the point of rendering her mute He becomes obsessed with Barry Allen, to the point of getting cosmetic surgery to resemble him Obtains a Cosmic Treadmill, a copy of the Flashâs costume, and replicates the accident to give himself Flashâs powers - he traveled back to a few years after Barryâs death, and learned that he would become Professor Zoom, the Reverse-Flash, and Barryâs greatest nemesis This caused a psychic break, and Thawne became convinced he *was* a resurrected Barry Allen, and even managed to convince several of Barryâs friends he was Barry - after attacking several heroes for âforgettingâ him, Wally West tricked him into returning to his home time Thawne became obsessed with replacing Barry, to the point of killing Iris West, and when he attacked Fiona Webb, Barry broke his neck and killed him Flash: Rebirth reveals that Thawne is responsible for every tragedy in Barryâs life, including the death of his mother - after killing several speedsters, he announces his connection to the Negative Speed Force, and says he will kill Iris before Barry has a chance to meet her - as Barry and Wally travel backwards in time, they merge into the lightning bolt that originally gave Barry his powers #BecauseComics - Thawne is imprisoned in a device that severs his connection to the Speed Force, removing his powers The broken neck version was resurrected during Blackest Night and then purified by a white light Thawne is the central villain of Flashpoint - when Barry travels back to prevent Thawne from killing Nora West, the resulting timeline is drastically different - Thawne is then killed by the new Batman, and Barry goes back to prevent himself from stopping her murder, which creates a new third timeline Rebirth revises his origin - heâs met in the 25th century by Barry, who prevents him from carrying out further crimes - he is temporarily rehabilitated, until he travels to the past and learns Barry didnât consider him as much of a friend as he initially thought, so he vows to make Barry miserable until Barry âmakes timeâ for him Heâs one of the primary villains of the Button, where he has memories of every timeline, and uses this knowledge to torture Barry, Bruce Wayne, and heroes, until heâs killed by Dr. Manhattan, although heâs resurrected by the negative Speed Force once again Finish Line - Thawne vibrates into Barry, taking over his mind and trapping Barry in the Speed Force - Thawne says he and Barry will forever be trapped in a loop, until Barry forgives him - this confuses Thawne, and Barry is able to reset him in the 25th century, where he is a tour guide at the Flash Museum with no memory of being a villain Issues - âEobard Thawne. The man who reads the Evil Overlord List and reacts with an oblivious bemusement. The man with an absolute pathological need to prove himself superior to everyone around him to the point where even other villains hate his guts. Thawne has spent the last 60 years elevating the concept of the Villain Ball to an almost comical extent, and is fortunately so ridiculously chatty and forthcoming about himself and his feelings that we can easily mine a ton of his many issues from it to figure out why.â (15:56) Absolute obsession with and desire to replace The Flash. Thawne comes from a time when superheroes are thought of as a quaint anachronism, and striving to be one would be like someone today saying their dream was to be a medieval knight. But he idolized the era and The Flash in particular enough to become obsessed with becoming him. After recreating the accident that gave The Flash his super speed and traveling back in time to meet his hero, he found out that his destiny was instead to become The Flash's greatest enemy, and it simply broke him inside. From then on, his entire reason for being became wrapped around inserting himself into Barry's life, alternating between trying to ruin it and trying to usurp it. He tried getting Barry's wife to fall in love with him, tried to take Barry's place in the original accident and become the original Flash, and ultimately settled on using his time travel ability to become the source of every bad thing that ever happened in Barry's life. It's not an exaggeration to say that Thawne does not have or want a life of his own; he actually does want Barry's for himself. Superiority complex. When you think about Eobard Thawne is actually capable of doing, it's a real wonder why he ever fails at anything at all. The man can move at many times the speed of light. He can cross the room and shred your heart before your eyes can even send the signal to your brain that it's happening. He can kill a room full of a hundred people in a hundred different ways before any of them could react. All of which pales in comparison to his mastery of time travel. If anyone or anything is an obstacle to his objectives or even so much as affronts his sight, he can go back in time and completely erase it from existence. That's an actual thing he does with regularity. There is quite literally no goal on any scale he could not achieve with his powers. But that's simply not enough for him. At the moment of every single one of his triumphs, he has to let everyone in earshot know that it was him who did it. He grandstands and gloats about his success, explaining in great detail everything he did, how he did it, and how powerless everyone is to stop him from keeping on doing whatever he wants. Invariably, this winds up with the heroes either having the time to make their move or having the exact information they need to stop him. Thawne didn't invent Evil Monologuing by any stretch, but he's perfected it to an art form. It's a pathology with this man. He has to have you acknowledge his greatness, or he doesn't consider it a victory. There is no limit to what he could achieve if he just didn't care about getting the credit for it. (22:18) Pettiness on a scale hitherto undreamt of. To paraphrase Billy Beane in Moneyball, there's petty, there's that which petty aspires to be, there's fifty additional magnitudes of petty that the English language doesn't have words for, and then there's Thawne. The man responds to personal slights as if they were absolute declarations of war. He has completely erased his younger brother from existence because he thought his parents loved him more. He got a crush on a woman and erased her husband and all of her ex-boyfriends from existence so she'd have no reason not to date him, then when she still rejected him, he traveled back in time and repeatedly traumatized her as a child to the point where she wound up in a permanent vegetative state for the rest of her life. He found a limiting factor on his time travel that he couldn't kill Barry Allen or do anything that prevents him from becoming The Flash, so instead he settled on simply becoming the direct cause of every bad thing that's ever happened in his life, including things so minor as making him late for class in school and making him miss a catch in a baseball game. He's done this with villains who annoy him as well; Hunter Zolomon owes the entire line of tragedies that led to him becoming Professor Zoom to Thawne traveling through time and causing them. There is no slight so trivial that Thawne won't respond to it with the most disproportionate retribution he can imagine. (28:28) Dozens and dozens of lifetimes worth of memories. Thawne's use of the Negative Speed Force gives him a form of superceding time travel. He can alter history and retain the memories of his life and the world exactly as it was before he changed it. Unfortunately, he has time traveled and altered history so many times and so drastically that his memories now consist of dozens of lifetimes all folded into themselves. He remembers every version of himself in every timeline he's ever existed in, and every version of every other important person in his life and how their histories have changed as well. It all just blends together for him in a way that makes absolutely no linear sense trying to keep it all straight. That has to be absolutely maddening; like a Mandela Effect, but for your entire life, and multiplied by every single time he changes the timeline. No one else remembers anything in the same way that he does, and there's absolutely no way he can convince anyone about the way things used to be. (38:22) Break (45:33) Plugs for Ignorance Was Bliss, Geek Peak, and Gail Simone Treatment (46:46) In-universe - Transcranial magnetic stimulation analogue to help Thawneâs brain Out of universe - Use CBT to help people to slow down and notice things more (49:40) Skit (54:34) Hello Mr. Thawne, Iâm Dr. Issues. HmmâŠyou seem out of breath - *heavy breathing* It took a lot for me to get here. But I canât ignore a slight like that. As you know, a doctor should only address a colleague with a title the equivalent to their own. You canât be serioâŠow! What was that? -The skin of the areola is incredibly sensitive to certain angular forces. Your nerve endings are actually a bit different based on your scream. Most people have a heightened reaction from the pain itself, but for you, the mere sensation of unexpected touch and pressure were too much for you. *yawn* But as all plebians before you, your nervous system stood no chance in keeping up with my abilities. And that, my dear doctor, was only a sample of what I am capable of. *pause* You just gave a soliloquy on a purple nurple? -I had to demonstrate that you are not superior to me in any aspect of existence. Ok -*pause* Thatâs it? Just, âOK?â You donât protest? Whereâs the fear? Whereâs the awe? Anger? Something besides âOkâ? OkaaaaayâŠProfessor? -Thatâs betterâŠwait, still no emotion behind it. What is wrong with you? Do I have to phase through you and shatter your spleen? Needlessly graphic but noâŠ*sigh* Look, Iâm not superpowered, youâre not controllable, so Iâm a sitting duck just for agreeing to meet with you, no matter what safeguards I may have thought of. -That was very naive of you. Iâd be insulted if I didnât already feel insulted about the fact that some version of me that I talked with at some point in the future thought this was a good idea. What will I be thinking? UmâŠwas thinking. You get the point. Sure. So, what can I do for you? -Thereâs someone I know that I used to idolize. Now I hate him. He killed me, but I came back. Now I canât destroy him because I want to exist, but I want to ruin every part of his life. You know, âas you doâ Are you expecting me to empathize with that? OOOOF; what did you do now? -Matter has multiple phases. Most people will only experience the most basic solid, liquid, and gas. But, as a scientist at heart, Iâm sure youâre aware of plasma. Under typical Earth conditions, you would only be able to withstand a nanoparticle of any element in a picosecond of time as it sublimates from a liquid format and dissipates instantaneously in some form of biological substrate in an elongated but small cavernous bony structure with a malleable yet firm membrane *Interrupting* You spit in my ear?! What are you, 12?! - Superspeed saliva, sir! Itâs your privilege. The fact that your head did not disintegrate is only because I can control my mouth and tongue with exquisite precision. You could kill me at any moment, and you torture me with pranks? Whatâs the point? -Iâve given you a glimpse of my power. Now imagine that for every moment of your life. To know that at any point, I can cause you immeasurable suffering and pain with the slightest show of effort on my part. THAT is what I live for. So you can be the most influential being for every personâs life who ever existed, and you choose to make it miserable? Not exactly a way to win friends. -But youâre wrong. Iâve created factions of allies that bring dimensions to their proverbial knees! Until you, what, give them a thermonuclear wedgie? Thatâs what the history books will say. Eobard Thawne, the person who created a black hole constructed out of his own spite and misery. -You do realize that with what you're proposing, there would BE no history books, because I would have wiped out recorded history by definition of Do you have an off switch for that? -My genius? No, unfortunately for you, I donât. Then why donât you find someone else to bounce your evil plans off of? Iâm too ethical to help you make things worse for yourself. -*pause* Come again? Ever heard of mimetic thinking? Itâs the idea that an individualâs goals in life are constantly shaped by the goals theyâve observed set by others. Weâre unique in our existence, but not in our shared outcomes. You already determined one failpoint, whoever you were talking about -Barry. His nameâs Barry *dismissive for once* whatever. The point is, you must have gotten this idea, somewhere, from someone, that destroying everything is a positive. But the lack of anything is sure to be a negative when thereâs nothing left. Will you just do it again? Are you so unoriginal that you just want to run a time loop hamster wheel? -You are NOT getting away with comparing me to a hamster on a wheel, just because I use a treadmill to guide the fate of the universe! I didnât evenâŠuhâŠwow. Thatâs umâŠthatâs aâŠthing, I guess -You donât even know your own argument. Youâre bluffing! This is beyond trivial. Hey, you said that at some point, YOU told yourself that talking to me was a good idea. I have no inkling WHY, because youâre the self proclaimed genius with the speed to do it all whenever you want, and you make yourself trivial in the process. I donât think youâre capable of relating anymore. At least not with someone like me. Go find my evil doppleganger or something in another dimension, I donât know. -*evil laugh* YES! You stupid, foolish brilliant doctor! That makes sense. There must be a negative version of you.I just have to find him. He will unlock the last mysteries of my negative speedforce forever! But I needed you to tell me that. Wait! I *zoom sound, door shut* I guess I should be glad he took the âevil dimensional twinâ comment and not the nuclear wedgie one. *more zooming, then door knocking* Um, come in. -*heavy breathing* Hello Mr. Thawne, Iâm Dr. Issues. HmmâŠyou seem out of breath - *heavy breathing* It took a lot for me to get here. But *interrupting* Itâs still me, Eobard. I think youâve got yourself stuck somehow. -*pause* HowâŠI know this is Barry somehow. It has to be. Itâs his ultimate prank on me. Heâs getting me back! Iâm forced to listen to an incompetent shrink until I find a way out! Hey!âŠorâŠORRRRRâŠyou could try doing some positive coping activities that open your mind so that you end up with a sense of gratitude for what you have, which will lead to better things in the future. Huh/ Huuuuuh? You ever think of that? Youâre stuck with me until you get it right anyway. -Oh for the love ofâŠhow about if I shortcut this whole thing to the end and tell myself that you are worth talking to so we can all get along and I can move on to wrecking Barryâs life again. Deal? Isnât that just -Donât care, Iâm doing it. Goodbye, Doctor *zoom* Ending (60:22) Recommended reading: Flash: Rebirth Next episodes: Aquaman, Echo, Speedball Plugs for social & GonnaGeek NetworkReferences:
Timey-wimey ball - Anthony (8:44) Imitute it exarctly - Doc (20:40) âWhy do you assume youâre the smartest in the room?â - Doc (24:02) âI arranged the menu, the venue, the seatingâ - Doc (25:40) I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream - Anthony (39:18) Planet of the Apes Simpsons - Anthony (63:04)Apple Podcasts: here
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Intro
Background
Spike Spiegel created by Shinichiro Watanabe & Toshihiro Kawamoto in âStray Dog Strutâ, April 1998
Protagonist of the series, heâs a bounty hunter partnered with Jet Black aboard the spaceship Bebop
Over the course of the series, we learn his backstory - a former member of the Red Dragon syndicate, he fell in love with Julia, the girlfriend of his partner Vicious - when Vicious finds out, he forces Julia to kill Spike or be killed herself, so she goes into hiding to save herself
Spike fakes his death and goes on the run, where he teams up with Jet - theyâre also joined by Faye, a gambler who recently awoke from cryogenic sleep; Ein, a Welsh Corgi with human intelligence; and Edward, a young Earth girl whoâs also a master hacker
During the series finale, Julia has Faye send Spike a message that she is alive and ready to meet with him, but Vicious has her killed - Spike goes to the syndicateâs headquarters and has a final battle with Vicious, where Vicious is killed and Spike is severely wounded or killed - the ending is left ambiguous
Issues
Vicious Vicious Vicious⊠where do we begin?
Never got over his abandonment by Julia either
A life of drifting vs A life of intention
Treatment
In-universe - Get captured as a bounty, take the time to get to know Spike
Out of universe -
Skit
*knocking on door*
SPIKE: *mumbles* who the hellâŠ*regular voice* Come on in
DOC: UhâŠare you Mr. Spiegel?
SPIKE: Iâd better be, or else youâd be dead by now. Plus we donât get visitors unless Jet has business with âem. He gave me the heads up. Youâre the doctor, right?
DOC: Yes, Iâm Doctor Issues
SPIKE: Weâre not exactly fancy here, but help yourself to something to eat while you wait for him.
DOC: Wait for who?
SPIKE: Jet said he hired a doctor to check things out, and he wanted to make sure I was around. Weâre kind of in no manâs land here. I think we have bell peppers and beef, but itâs a little light on the beefâŠ
DOC: About thatâŠI donât usually do house calls, but he made it sound urgentâŠexcept I need a special waiver to diagnose and treat someone so far out of my jurisdiction. He took care of that already, right?
SPIKE: Suuuuuuure he did. Whatever.
DOC: GoodâŠthen thereâs the other part of the misunderstanding I need to clarify.
SPIKE: Donât tell me you forgot your equipment? I figured youâd need hardware tools if you have to deal with Jetâs arm
DOC: Iâm not an orthopedist
SPIKE: Then maybe heâs got a cold or something. I dunno.
DOC: Iâm not here for Jet.
SPIKE: *pause* Iâm not paying for the bill to get you to the right address then
DOC: Spike, Jet asked me to talk to you. He figured if you were in your own space youâd be more amenable. Says youâve had some tough breaks.
SPIKE: I thought you said you werenât an orthopedist
DOC: Har har har. Iâm a psychiatrist.
SPIKE: Iâm a bounty hunter. I hunt bounties. I know what I do. No psychiatrist necessary, unless you managed to pack a better couch with you.
DOC: No such luck. But you seem to be relaxed as it is.
SPIKE: Not quite. *lights up cigarette, blows smoke* ah, thatâs more like it. Want one?
DOC: I donât condone smoking.
SPIKE: More for me, then. I suppose this is where you warn me of the dangers of smoking and tell me to quit.
DOC: You just did it for me
SPIKE: Taking a shortcut. I like that. How long will this take?
DOC: Iâm contracted for a typical hour
SPIKE: Then that gives me some time for a nap. I donât have anything to talk about. You can stay or go, your choice.
DOC: I donât abandon patients, but Iâm not going to bug you in your own domicile. Mind if I watch something on my phone?
SPIKE: Suit yourself
DOC: *exaggerated reactions* Oooh his countering is so slow
SPIKE: *clearly interested* What ya watching?
DOC: I always keep some fights downloaded to pass the time.
SPIKE: You donât seem like the fighting type.
DOC: Iâm a huge fan because I view combat sports as the truest test of wills.
SPIKE: Spoken like someone whoâs never been in a real fight.
DOC: Be that as it may, if you saw what I saw, youâd have a similar critique.
SPIKE: *begrudgingly* Alright, show me
DOC: See how this guy keeps his head on the center line? He invites every hook imaginable, but he doesnât have the handspeed to land a counterpunch.
SPIKE: Yuck; heâs too rigid. He has to justâŠflow. Itâs hard to explain
DOC: Be like water.
SPIKE: *pause* Youâre the first person to get that in the first try. *sigh* You know, itâs nothing personal, but the reason I donât need a psychiatrist is because Iâve already trained my mind with the best that martial arts has to offer. Thatâs how I get through things. I flow with them, until I need to crash.
DOC: HmmmâŠI think that may be a problem
SPIKE: No way.
DOC: Water as a liquid has the properties you claim. But what about under intense pressure and heat? It vaporizes. What about when itâs cold? It freezes.
SPIKE: So?
DOC: SoâŠdepending on what is going on around you, youâre making yourself subject to the whims of people or circumstance. Judging from this place, you guys are nomads. But your background means that you had a strong homebase at some point. Either your situation was so intense you needed to become vapor and disappear, or you became so frigid to them that you are more stoic than you should be. Either way, youâve lost control. So which is it?
SPIKE: Neither. Itâs like I said, I flow until I crash.
DOC: So whenâs the last time you crashed?
SPIKE: The last bum I knocked out, I guess.
DOC: No, I mean emotionally. Whenâs the last time you crashed? Who angered you? Who made you laugh? Who made you cry?
SPIKE: You sure youâre not ISSP with all these questions?
DOC: Iâll back off, but the point is to answer those questions for yourself.
SPIKE: Iâve had some people tell me the opposite.
DOC: Why?
SPIKE: *pause* Because they donât want me to die.
DOC: Your job is dangerous
SPIKE: *sarcastic* Ha. My LIFE is dangerous. Letâs go with your metaphor. If I do the wrong thing, people get boiled. If I care too much, others become targets. So I freeze them out. And no, I canât just pretend that I want it some other way. All I can do is hope that the parts I DONâT like leave of their own volition, or I find something else to keep my mind occupied. Is that what you wanted to hear this whole time? Big whoop.
DOC: Damn, that was deep.
SPIKE: *calmer now* So, you got some time for some more fights?
DOC: Depends on if you have time for more sessions.
SPIKE: Well, weâre due for another major dogfight and damage to the ship thatâll put us out of commission for a while any day now, so Iâll let you know when that happens.
DOC: Sounds like a plan.
SPIKE: Now if youâll excuse me, I need to go find some protein. If I have to eat one more carbohydrate Iâm gonna puke.
Ending
Thank you everyone for coming
Hope to be back for PuchiCon Teaneck in the spring
See you, space cowboyâŠ
-
Fairytales do come true - we finally bring you the long-awaited issue on Bigby Wolf! So smoke 'em if you got 'em, because things get hairy in this one!
Intro Apologies for delay in new episodes Shoutout to new Patron Justin Background Bigby Wolf created by Bill Willingham and Lan Medina in Fables #1 (July 2002) Based on the Big Bad Wolf of stories, he is the Sheriff of Fabletown, a section of NYC populated with characters from folklore and legend Centuries ago, the North Wind fell in love with a wolf named Winter, and they had a litter of cubs - Bigby was the runt, relentlessly teased by his brothers and abandoned by his father When Winter died, Bigbyâs brothers left to find their father - Bigby vowed vengeance against his father and his brothers Years later, he confronted his father seven times, and seven times failed to kill him - he eventually gave up and accepted defeat Living in the Black Forest, he served as an uneasy ally of the other Fables against the forces of the Adversary - he insisted on tasting the flesh of anyone attempting to pass through a portal, and determined whether they were worthy After being cut with a lycanthropy-stained knife, he gained the power to change into a human at will, and later mastered the power enough to control the extent of his transition Under the guidance of King Cole, Bigby was hired as Fabletownâs sheriff because of his detective skills and fighting ability, but he remained untrusted by the other Fables Later had seven children with Snow White, and they inherited their fatherâs abilities - they all stayed at the Farm, where Bigby was forbidden to visit until he was forgiven by Prince Charming - after marrying Snow White, he and the family moved to Wolf Valley and he retired as Sheriff Turned into glass and killed by Prince Brandish as part of Brandishâs fight with Snow White - he was resurrected by witches, but since one of the pieces of glass was missing, his resurrection was tainted and he was under the control of Nurse Spratt until the final piece was returned and he was fully restored Issues - Theme is taming the mind while remaining wild at heart (9:51) Lack of trust by other residents of Fabletown because of his actions prior to the amnesty Hostile relationship with his father Internal dissonance between his animalistic nature and the human side he has to present Break (26:41) Plugs for Play Comics, Scotch N Sports, and Erica Schultz Treatment (28:18) In-universe Out of universe Skit (37:35) Hello Mr Wo -***interrupting*** Bigby. Bigbyâs fine. Hello Bigby, Iâm Dr. Issues. -And Iâm leaving. Please don't, or weâre both going to be in trouble.-There wonât be any trouble if you just step aside. You can see Iâm fine. Iâve come in like this before, and I tell everyone in the ER that Iâm fine, so they let me go. Not this time. -GrrrâŠwhy not? Because youâve come in so many times with unknown injuries, outlandish reports that donât make sense, and by the time you leave itâs as if nothing ever happened. -Exactly. EXACTLYâŠthatâs why the ER director wants me to do a psychiatric evaluation for decision making capacity. If you refuse, then police will be contacted to do a wellness check on wherever you say youâre going. -ThatâsâŠproblematic. I agree. So, whatâs up? My main point is to determine if you understand the risks and benefits of your decision making, and if you are a danger to yourself, others. Or property. - Look, Iâm not a danger to anyone, unless they get in my way. But if you donât let me out of here, youâre putting others in danger. Can you live with that? Nope, thatâs why I have confidentiality on my sideâŠand the only way itâs broken is if I think there is a danger. Youâre not the danger and someone else isâŠprove it. - Thatâs just it. If I tell you, then youâre in danger. The safest thing for you is to keep you in the dark. You just have to trust me. Do you trust me? -No. Then itâs mutual. Mexican standoff. I have my regs. You can beat me to a pulp, you can bash your way out of here, you can tangle with the police, but I know my job, and itâs protecting society at all costs. Thatâs all there is to it for me at this point. - *chuckles* Whatâs so funny? - You anâ I are a lot more alike than I figured. OK. Fine. Have it your way. Iâll play your game, Iâll answer your questions, but only far enough to get me out of here. We clear? Crystal. - *grunts* Hate that word. Why? - Bad experience. Long story. For once, I ainât got time for that. Plus, youâre obviously in a hurry. Whyâd you come to the hospital? -I didnât volunteer. Tough scrape, got hit with a truckâŠwhat FELT like a truck. I know people donât survive too many hard shots, and they wanted to check me for a concussion. You look and sound pretty good, all things considered -You should see the other guy. Were there any homicidal threats? -No, not this time. *pause* how often do you get threatened? Is this like a mob thing or -No, Iâm actually on the side of keeping things in order. I canât say more than that. Classified? -Letâs go with that. AhâŠI think Iâm getting the picture. You weave quite the tale -No kidding. You done? Not quite. Do you know what the typical treatment plan is when youâre evaluated for physical and mental injuries? -IâŠuhâŠwait a while and if Iâm ok, I leave. Like I saidâŠa million timesâŠEVERY time. Including now. Consistency. I like it. And do you know the risks if you leave without any further medical evaluation? -I get to not talk to you anymore, and get on with my job. My very important job that keeps you and everyone else safe, and none the wiser. Am I making myself clear? *exaggerated* Sir yes sir! -What? Iâm picking up what youâre putting down. Tough guy, lots of fighting skill, important work under lock and keyâŠalright, Iâm satisfied. You donât have to tell me what branchâŠis it CIA? FBI? Secret Service? ATF? DEA? Ooooh, maybe youâre international and itâs MI6 -You read too many novels. Stop. Iâm completely off the books *chuckles* damn I wasnât even trying with that one. Alright, Alright. Look, Iâll make your chart locked and the only way to break the seal is if you or your POA approves. Is that a deal? -Whatâs a POA? Power of AttorneyâŠor, if you donât have the ability to share such a legal document, you would need a listed next of kin -Not a chance, too much of a blowhard. And the missus, well⊠if she found out Iâd gotten into a scrape like this, it wouldnât end well for me. Suit yourself. Iâll be as vague as possible with details. But I canât keep this up forever. If you do anything to compromise yourself, I wonât be able to hold back whatâs in store for you. Youâre going to get yourself killed at some point. - Wouldnât be the first time⊠I, uh, came really close. Iâm sorry to hear that. You know, I see more people like you than you realize. I know your type. -*startled* Grrr.WHAT?!! Calm down. I mean the facade. You come off like a grizzly, but I know underneath that, youâre really a teddy bear. Thatâs all. I work with some people like that. And I canât change them, so I ride the wave. I hope you let the people close to you see the softer underbelly instead of the claws. - Damn, Doc, youâre a lot closer than you realize. Not bad for a mundie. *confused* But itâs Wednesday. - *sigh* Can I go now? Ending (44:04) Recommended reading: The Wolf Among Us Next episodes: Eobard Thawne, Aquaman, Echo Plugs for social & GonnaGeek NetworkApple Podcasts: here
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We do our first ever compilation episode in conjunction with the release of the Marvels in theaters this week - it's a THREE HOUR episode about Carol Danvers, Monica Rambeau, and Kamala Khan! In case you missed the previous issues on these women, we got you covered!
Carol's original episode
Monica's original episode
Kamala's original episode
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We bring back Allen & Will to talk Grandma Chainsaw 3. We also discuss the untimely loss of colorist Jasen Smith, and how A&W are gearing up for the finale.
Creators on the Couch - Grandma Chainsaw 3
Intro Background Grandma Chainsaw 3 Loss of Jasen Smith (24:15) Opportunity to discuss grief within the book (29:15) What comes next when GC 3 is done? (40:00) Ending (49:20) Next episodes: Bigby Wolf, Eobard Thawne, Speedball Plugs for socialReferences:
Grandma Chainsaw 1 with Allen, Will, & Jasen (RIP) - Anthony (22:14) Turn Off the Lights by Teddy Pendergrass - Anthony (48:05)GonnaGeek Network
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This episode, we focus on one of Gatman's most gafflingly grazen gad guys, the Ventriloquist (and Scarface!) Who's really pulling the strings? Listen now to find out!
Intro
Reminder of PuchiCon appearance
Background (3:00)
Important to note that in this version, the dummy was made from wood used in Blackgateâs old gallows, and there are conflicting reports whether the dummy is possessed or not
Ventriloquist (Arnold Wesker) created by John Wagner, Alan Grant, and Norm Breyfogle in Detective Comics #583 (Feb. 1988)
Arnold Wesker is a meek man from a mafia family â originally developed DID after witnessing his motherâs murder
His origin was later retconned â imprisoned in Blackgate prison, he begins hearing voices from a dummy named Woody, and the voices convince him to murder his cellmate â during the fight, Woody is damaged, and takes on the name Scarface
In either version, Scarface becomes the controlling force, and Wesker is his âpuppetâ - to the point that Scarface becomes enraged if people insist on speaking to Wesker and not him
One telltale sign is that Wesker/Scarface is unable to pronounce the letter B, replacing it with G - Batman becomes Gatman, bullets become gullets, etc.
At one point Wesker was committed to Arkham Asylum, and upon escaping used a sock puppet named Socko - when Scarface learned he had been replaced, he and Socko had a gunfight, resulting in damage to Weskerâs hands #BecauseComics
After an earthquake nearly destroys Gotham, a new villain called the Quakemaster shows up demanding a ransom to prevent further earthquakes - Tim Drake is able to deduce itâs Scarface because Quakemaster refuses to pronounce words with the letter B
Has an on-again/off-again partnership with the Penguin, where they often break each other out of prison and work together on criminal enterprises
Murdered by Tally Man in an effort to frame Harvey Dent
Later resurrected during Blackest Night as a member of the Black Lantern Corps, and creates a construct of Scarface with his ring
New 52 - he was never killed, and was hospitalized for treatment of his DID
Briefly controlled by the Venom serum, but was taken down by Nightwing and Damian Wayne
Succeeded as Ventriloquist by a woman named Shauna Belzer, who had her own puppet Ferdie
He helped Batman defeat Psycho-Pirate, because his DID was able to override Pirateâs emotion control powers since Scarface was really in charge
Issues - the pawn who would be king (7:03)
Dissociation, Depersonalization, and Derealization
Subordination (14:03)
Masochism (21:04)
Break (26:01)
Plugs for Popcorn Psychology, Ocho Duro Parlay Hour, and Phillip Kennedy Johnson
Treatment (26:56)
In-universe - introduce ways to take Scarface out of commission
Out of universe - work on scaling down and away from coping mechanism (30:10)
Skit (34:06)
DOC: Hello Mr. Wesker, Iâm Dr. Issues.
SCARFACE: Nope, youâre talking to ME, doc. Leave the dummy outta this.
WESKER: W-w-well at least l-l-let me say h-h-hello f-first.
SCARFACE: Shut yer yap and lemme do the talking. The less you talk, the faster we can greak outta here and get gack to gusiness.
DOC: I love Vaudeville as much as anybody, but
SCARFACE: *interrupting* that explains your practice
DOC: Hey! This is a serious establishment. Are you going to talk to me or not?
WESKER: I-I-I
SCARFACE: Aye Aye Aye is right! Sheesh! You gonna take the hint, shrinkydink? This mug is useless without me. Iâm the grains of this operation. Thatâs how I keep making gread.
DOC: *flustered* Fine. Tell me, what can I do for you?
SCARFACE: Can you crack safes?
DOC: No
SCARFACE: Can you crack heads?
DOC: NO!
SCARFACE: Knockaround guy? Gagman?
DOC: No and No
SCARFACE: Is your office a good place to do laundry, if ya catch my drift?
DOC: Iâm not doing anything illegal for you!
SCARFACE: Then youâre a waste of space like this guy over here!
DOC: He is the reason you can talk at all!
SCARFACE: waaaaatch your mouth, youâre on thin ice, capiche?
DOC: Mr. Wesker, are you going to stand for this?
SCARFACE: He doesnât have to, thatâs why heâs sittin down. And youâre gonna be layin down for a dirt nap if you donât keep your eyes on me!
DOC: You donât have any weapons. That tommy gun is a toy. Iâm not stupid.
SCARFACE: My noggin is like taking a Louisville slugger to the jaw if youâre unprepared.
DOC: If youâre so bright,have you figured out a way to resolve your anger without resorting to violence?
SCARFACE: Resort? You darn right I resort. A hideout full of moola and the screams of my enemies make crime a vacation.
DOC: Is that what Wesker wants?
SCARFACE: Who cares what he wants?
DOC: I do. And if this is you, Arnold, then Iâm willing to work with you in thisâŠunique arrangement.
SCARFACE: Iâm confused. Are you talking to me or to him?
DOC: Yes.
SCARFACE: *pause* Ooooh, youâre a slick one, aintcha? Gut thereâs no one else you need to talk to.
DOC: Thank goodness. So, Iâll make sure I only direct my questions to you, and youâll answer, and Iâll make sure itâs documented in your chart, under your name. Just spell it for me so I get it right.
SCARFACE: S-C-A
DOC: A-R-N
SCARFACE: *screaming* THIS AINâT A JOKE!
DOC: Iâm not laughing. Iâm talking to you. Iâm looking at you. I know you run the show, and Iâm giving you the attention you deserve. If the other part is not important according to you, fine. But I wonât let your reality get in the way of mine.
SCARFACE: YOU SICKO! Donât toy with my emotions.
DOC: Donât use your emotions as toys
WESKER: Please stop fighting
DOC: who said that?
SCARFACE: NOBODY! DUMMY, SHUT UP!
WESKER: yes sir
DOC: You seem to have an issue with a part of you that is intimidated. What do you plan to do to strengthen it?
SCARFACE: Iâm not weak; that loser
DOC:*interrupting* Youâre a loser; got it.
SCARFACE: Iâm not here to be insulted!
WESKER: You usually leave that to me
DOC: Progress! Now if you could only get him to stop shoving his hand inside you to compensate, you wouldnât be so uptight
SCARFACE: *pause* waitâŠare you actually trying to treat me here?
DOC: It wasnât my first idea but if itâs the only way I can ultimately give you some peace and have fewer people hurt, Iâll make it work.
SCARFACE: *exaggerated wistful sigh* Maybe I can finally get a world without Dummy. A mafioso can dream.
DOC: UmâŠermâŠsomething like that. Anyway, I noticed that I didnât get my usual fee before the session, so Iâm going to have to bill you for the balance.
SCARFACE: *deadpan* OhâŠDummy takes care of that
WESKER: I DO NOT
DOC: WHAT?
SCARFACE: I MEANT THE CHECKâS IN THE MAIL. Now get me outta here before he makes me talk about my mother. *fake sob* I really miss her.
DOC: Pining?
SCARFACE: No, oak.
Ending (38:54)
Recommended reading: Batman: Broken City by Brian Azzarello & Eduardo Risso
Next episodes: Bigby Wolf, Eobard Thawne, Speedball
Plugs for social & GonnaGeek Network
References:
Penguin episode - Anthony (5:14)
All the Smoke podcast - Doc (15:00)
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Things get downright evil as we delve into Nathaniel Essex, aka MISTER SINISTER! How messy does this diva get? Listen now to find out!
Issue 181 - Mister Sinister
Intro Background (2:17) Mister Sinister (Nathaniel Essex) created by Chris Claremont in Uncanny X-Men #212 (Dec. 1986) - first seen in #221 (Sept. 1987) drawn by Marc Silvestri Nathaniel Essex born in Victorian London, he is intrigued by Darwinâs theories of evolution and survival of the fittest, but believes that mankind can go further After his 4-year-old son dies, he believes that science can perfect the human race - to that end, he hires a gang to kidnap homeless people to serve as test subjects - he allies with Apocalypse, as they share a common goal His wife discovers his imprisoned test subjects, as well as their dead son that Essex had dug up to experiment on - she goes into premature birth, and dies from blood loss, calling him sinister - he takes on the name after En Sabah Nur transforms him with Celestial technology, giving him the powers of immortality and telekinesis Sinister tries to kill Apocalypse, but fails - he commits himself to creating a mutant who can kill him, this leads to the eventual creation of Cable Sinister collaborates with many villains & characters throughout the decades, including being responsible for setting up the High Evolutionary, and having his research be the basis for Weapon X project He keys in on the Summers line, after secretly establishing an orphanage to keep track of children of his experiments - it is here he meets a young boy named Scott Summers, descendant of one of his earliest subjects - Sinister pretends to be Nate, another orphan, and tries to manipulate Scott to become an ally to Sinister until Scott is rescued by Xavier Creates a clone of Jean Grey after determining that a child of Scott and Jean would be capable of killing Apocalypse - after the Phoenix Saga, Scott meets Madelyne Pryor at a Summers family reunion, leading to a whole bunch of messiness Encounters the X-men for the first time during Mutant Massacre Dies during Messiah Complex when he attempts to kidnap the newborn baby Hope - due to earlier experimentations, his consciousness transfers first to Xavier, before transferring to Claudine Renko, a former test subject - she calls herself Miss Sinister Later is restored to a male form and creates an entire civilization of Sinister clones in San Francisco in an attempt to get Celestials to wipe out the planet so he can start anew - this is Kieron Gillenâs reboot of the character, and all subsequent stories work off this version Creates five Madelyne clones in an effort to house the Phoenix Force during AvX, but the Phoenix Five destroy everything Sinister built This Sinister is killed by another clone with an X-gene, making Sinister a mutant - it is this clone that works with Xavier and Magneto to compile a database of mutant DNA for the new Krakoan society, and he joins the Quiet Council He also creates several clones of Moira MacTaggert, and exploits her timeline reset ability to his benefit, which leads to Sins of Sinister, where he successfully kills Xavier, Hope, Emma Frost, and Exodus, creating a dystopian future for mutants and mankind Issues - Theme is âThe show must go on, but when does it stop?â (12:10) Constant experimentation on others and himself in pursuit of perfection Presentation and theatricality often doom his efforts (17:06) Wants everyone to underestimate him, but overestimates himself (22:14) Break (28:10) Plugs for Frigay the 13th, Hops Geek, and Chris Claremont Treatment (30:20) In-universe - The ultimate family meeting Out of universe - Review making changes just for changes sake Skit (42:40) Hello Mr. Sinister, Iâm Dr. Issues. - HelloâŠDoctorâŠyou know, that doesnât quite fit what we should be going for, here. I donât follow. -While I prefer my choice of moniker, I donât want any mistake in how this works. I am also a doctor. But thatâs not ALL I am, at this point. Do you catch my drift? So weâre colleagues, and I have every intention of giving you the respect you deserve. -Oh, but thatâs where youâre wrong. Colleague denotes equals, peers. There is no such thing with me. Are you trying to intimidate me, orâŠ-*interrupting* Oh my, no! If I wanted to have you cowering in fear, I would simply tear your mind asunder. Then replace it backwards. No, this is all trivial to me. But Iâm bored, so letâs see where this goes now that Iâve established dominance. I donât think Iâve been so eloquently insulted in all of my life! -You're welcome. *clearly angry, but not stupid enough to act* I donât want to be rude back, but if you have no interest in changing anything about yourself, then this is going to be fruitless. -Nonsense, dear doctor. I am all about change for the better. Thatâs why Iâm here. I sought you out. Thatâs refreshingâŠI guess? Then why demean me? -Is it demeaning to say that an insect is expendable, or a seed only has value once planted? You sound like someone I met once -I knowâŠI learned from the best. So what do you want to change? -*truly evil smile* YOU, my dear Doctor Issues *gulp* Iâm always looking to improveâŠbutâŠumâŠthatâs not how therapy works. -Do you doubt that the transference and countertransference phenomenon that were known when I was a much younger lad are true? EVERY therapist changes the moment they speak with a patient. But that is too slow. I need to see my results in real time. *fearful* A..aaaaaâŠas a doctor, you know that consent is a VERY important part of any changes that would be proposed, and I donât give you that -*curt* This is NOT a review board or ethics panel. What I say, goes. Understand?! Is it too late to say that youâre falling back on past patterns of aggression for the sake of comfort in a new environment? -If this were truly a new environment, then you wouldnât be in such dire straits right now. Oh, the torment you may feel for a short while will be well worth my efforts. I will admit though *whispering* Iâm not gentle. I would like the anger back, please. Creepy is much worse. -Who said anything about creepy? Iâm not hidden about my intentions. My name says enough. Perhaps I could interest you in the meaning behind that also referring to left-handed orientation? -More stalling. *yawn* You are coming off as pathetic now. So, youâre not trying to scare me, youâre not interested in what I have to say, and you want to...do SOMETHING and I donât know what. Are you trying to build anticipation? Iâm confused. -Perhaps ***awkward pause*** OK Iâve had it. Just do it. Kill me, or torture me, or whatever it is you plan to do because it takes a lot for me to lose my patience nowadays. Just know that each time I try to start a conversation that may be insightfulâŠTHERAPEUTIC even, you have ignored it, or mocked it, or intimidated me about it. Youâre trying to play me like a fool, and Iâm NOT having it. I can tell youâre cunning, but nobodyâs really that catty about mental wellness treatment. -Well then, letâs see how well your sessions go without this oh so beautiful couch to sit on. *ripping sounds* WHAT? Seriously? Itâs in the name! Who messes up a couch? -You need someone like me to make this whole room over. Your office is in shambles. Have you never heard of feng shui? I donât care -*interrupting* Obviously you don't. And your clothesâŠa button down shirt with stripes? How tacky are you? Is this what you consider changing me for the better? A mastermind doesnât waste their time focusing on minutiae to criticize! - You think this is beneath me? Forget about Lizzo, darling, I engineered my DNA to be 100% that bitch. So then what are your plans for my DNA? -Oh you simple, simple man. You have to learn how to put a comb through your hair, get a decent suit, learn how to tie your shoes properly AND find a decent non-offensive cologne before I ever do gene-work on you! For once, I must focus on the outside instead of whatâs inside. Iâll be here every week until you are worthy of being my next great experiment. Then Iâll keep trying to be an example of a regular person who is willing to accept imperfections. I hope that sinks in. -Nonsense. Until then, consider this my parting gift *laser sound* WhoaâŠdid you justâŠlaser shaveâŠumâŠbut my clothes are still onâŠyou know what? I donât want to talk about it. That was without my consent. - Youâre quite welcome. This time it was hair. Next time, it will be more than that if youâre not careful. Ending (48:36) Recommended reading: Immortal X-Men, Cerebro episode on Sinister Next episodes: Ventriloquist, Bigby Wolf, Eobard Thawne Plugs for social & GonnaGeek NetworkReferences:
Chris Claremont interview - Anthony (5:45) Gambit episode - Anthony (6:25) Moira McTaggart episode - Anthony (9:15) Cerebro podcast with Kieron Gillen - Anthony (11:23)Transcript
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