026 - Beef with Lego Pasta Thief

MJ & Nath are back for another week of pop culture & there’s beef! It kicks off with Nath’s concern over variant covers mentioned in The Bag, before MJ takes things to the next level with a LEGO thief in the Weird Files. Justice must be served. Right to Jail!

The good news? The Mos Eisley Mailbag returns with letters from a UK Return of the Jedi magazine from the ’80s. The bad news? The Tomb is eerily quiet with no updates this week (but it will rise again).

Throw in a few nostalgia-fuelled commercial breaks, salmonella pasta & a signed autograph from a celebrity’s secretary, and you’ve got another fresh serving of the Pulp Culture Podcast.

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Transcript

SPEAKER_06 0:00

That's a very funny way to say yes, we are lying to our business.

SPEAKER_00 0:19

Let's get this podcast started. MJ and night.

SPEAKER_05 0:24

Hey, welcome to the Pulp Culture Podcast, your weekly dose of all things pop culture. Freshly squeezed for you underneath.

SPEAKER_06 0:33

I'm MJ.

SPEAKER_05 0:34

And welcome back for another exciting extorment. Extorment. Instalment.

SPEAKER_06 0:41

Extortion. Another exciting extortion. Another exciting oral earlobe-based extortion.

SPEAKER_05 0:49

Of pop culture.

SPEAKER_06 0:51

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 0:52

That was a great start. Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 0:54

There's something to that. I don't I don't quite know what it means, but it's something to that.

SPEAKER_05 0:58

Yeah, absolutely. Thanks for your company. Talking about good things.

SPEAKER_06 1:05

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 1:05

Let's get into the bag. You have something.

SPEAKER_06 1:15

Yeah, you know, I just wanted to mention I got a message from uh listener Pablo. Oh who uh full disclosure, I suppose, is um the gentleman responsible for my uh Gotham by Gaslight tattoo. Oh um uh yeah, well my good mate from um the tattoo parlor, but yeah, he just um sent me a message today out of the blue.

SPEAKER_05 1:37

Long time listener, first time bag.

SPEAKER_06 1:40

Yeah, yeah, yeah, no, he's just he gave us a bit of feedback. He just said um yeah, just wanted to say really enjoying the podcast, uh slowly getting through the episodes, uh great sound, great chemistry between you guys, and yeah, just a fun listener for sure, nice work. Oh, gee, we so I just wanted to say thanks, Pablo, because I really appreciate it.

SPEAKER_05 1:57

Yeah, thanks, Pablo. That's nice. Yeah, that's really nice too. Thank you. Yeah, we appreciate those nice comments.

SPEAKER_06 2:03

Yeah, nice. Um really excellent and uh uh yeah, very uh humbled to hear that he's listening.

SPEAKER_05 2:08

Absolutely. It's it's all smoke and mirrors, you know, the the chemistry between you and I.

SPEAKER_06 2:13

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Have I peeled back the curtain too far? Right, it's like Hamish and Andy hate each other.

SPEAKER_05 2:21

They hate each other. Yeah. Yeah, sure.

SPEAKER_06 2:23

They have record between a big perspective screen. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Just stop things from flying. I I believe. That's what I've heard.

SPEAKER_05 2:30

It's like nobody they're not allowed to look at each other or anything like that.

SPEAKER_06 2:34

Did I just start podcast beef?

SPEAKER_05 2:36

What's that? He started something.

SPEAKER_06 2:40

Because that'd be great.

SPEAKER_05 2:42

That'd be awesome. Um, alright, I've got uh I've got a little bit also from uh the bag.

SPEAKER_06 2:48

What you got?

SPEAKER_05 2:48

Uh I've got uh listener Benji uh has um uh left us a bit of a bit of a remark in regards to our variant uh cover conversation that we had. Okay, hello, hello, hello Benji in the in the in the last episode. Um and uh thanks for thanks for also uh making a comment.

SPEAKER_06 3:09

What's he got to say?

SPEAKER_05 3:10

He goes, my biggest fear with variants is that it turns comics into trading cards instead of uh things to be read.

SPEAKER_06 3:17

Yes.

SPEAKER_05 3:18

He said, in my uh constant search for artists, the majority I speak to are interested in cover work, but not interiors because covers pay better. Yes, it's setting a bad precedent for the future because uh then nobody wants to work on interiors. Marvel will spend all their money on an Alex Ross cover only to have 15 fill-in artists on a three-issue arc. Interesting point. Yes, DC have gotten better uh with keeping consistent interior artists, but putting out 102 variants for absolute Batman issue 20, and that is just bananas. Good point.

SPEAKER_06 4:00

Yeah, I think there's uh it's a fair point. I don't know if it disagrees the the right word, but um you have some reservations, yeah. Well, I just I I think um there there are gonna be examples of artists that um opt only to do covers. Um, and I can think of some off the top of my head, but I'm not gonna name names.

SPEAKER_05 4:19

Oh well, Jay Scott Campbell.

SPEAKER_06 4:22

Uh there it is. Yeah, um, and uh uh I honestly think that's fine. Yeah um I think we've talked about it recently. Um it's a I I think it's a bit of a shame. Yeah, you know, um one of the things that I really loved about um Danger Girl back in the day when Jay Scott Campbell was doing it was the interior art. It was spectacular. Um and I would love for him to do more, but um That's just not what he's doing now, isn't it? Yeah and and it it's I mean it's a paying job. If he's gonna get paid to do covers, then he's gonna get paid to do covers. There will be plenty of artists that perhaps don't want to do covers. Yeah. Like there must be artists that don't want to do covers. That'd be interesting.

SPEAKER_05 5:04

Yeah. I'd like to know who though they are.

SPEAKER_06 5:06

Yeah. I mean, I could be wrong. Like uh I I don't I don't know. Yeah. But I imagine there's probably um artists that perhaps prefer to do interiors. Yeah. Um and so I think as long as you've got you know a bit of both, then then then everything will be alright.

SPEAKER_05 5:23

I I I I I and I think I think Benji's point of there's probably too many covers, I think that's right. You know, I mean you mentioned it last week in last episode, yeah um where where it it is uh you know it's almost like a deck of cards we're getting, you know, um on on anything. I I did I did see another post and and I think it goes along uh uh along with this as well, is that we're getting a lot of number ones.

SPEAKER_07 5:48

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 5:48

You know, there's like a restart of of of stories. Yeah. They don't seem to be carrying through, that we're starting a number one of something again.

SPEAKER_06 5:57

Well that's but that's always been the case with Marvel in particular.

SPEAKER_05 6:00

Yeah, yeah, they just sort of restart, don't they? They don't they don't continue the new new sort of team comes on board, end of a story arc, and we go back to number one.

SPEAKER_06 6:10

Yeah. I my I mean it I find that irritating as well when they start with the new one number one, you know, ten months or six months after they've had the most recent one. Yeah um it kind of drives me a bit crazy. I wish instead of trying to constantly um tantalize new readers to characters that they perhaps haven't been reading before, they put a bit more effort into making the storylines compelling. Yeah. Um and I think part of that is yeah, maintaining a consistent um creative team internally, as uh in regards to the writer and the interior art for uh a a reasonable amount of time. Like a a number of times, particularly I've um been uh uh I guess dragged into signing up for a new Marvel series because say um I don't know what uh Edm say Ed McGuinness is gonna doing the artwork. Yeah. Like I really love Ed McGuinness's artwork. I really I love it from you know back when he was doing Superman, Batman, yeah, um, all that sort of stuff. A red red hulk, everything. Yep. But a number of times I've bought books uh with uh not just Ed McGuinness, I'm singling him out because he comes to mind, but yeah, um and and within two or three issues, he's gone. He's either gone or they're mixing it up with like another artist. So yeah, there's filler art and then some Ed McGuinness, or there's some whatever. Um I really I feel really bad all of a sudden for singling him out. Because it's not his fault, but it's just um he's just he's just one of many that you're gonna. Yeah, I can just uh like think of a there's a couple of titles in the past that were that's happened, yeah. And that kind of drives me crazy. I wish they'd sort of put a bit more uh effort into you know, r rather than making a big splash and trying to get everybody's cash to sign on, like try and do something a bit more enduring. And I think that's what we're seeing with um the absolute stuff. Yeah, um, yeah.

SPEAKER_05 8:14

There's definitely right, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_06 8:16

Like absolute's been coming out, you know, absolute Batman in particular has been coming out on a consistent basis. Yes. And Nick Dragotta hasn't always done the artwork. Um there's been you know, we've had some stand-in stuff from Jock and you know, the annual was uh uh Phil uh Kennedy Johnson. Kennedy Johnson. Yeah. Um and so you know, we've had we've had other artists uh step in onto the book, yeah. Um but there's been an effort to keep it consistent. Yeah, and to keep the storytelling consistent even if the artist changes. Yeah. And so that's that's what I'd that's what I would prefer. Just a bit more effort in regards to to to um focus on the book, providing some consistent quality to begin with, because if if you do that, people will stick around.

SPEAKER_05 9:01

Yeah, yeah. Um and new readers will come on anyway because um you know the hype is there anyway.

SPEAKER_06 9:07

Yeah, I think that uh like particularly I mean we are we're calling out Marvel here, but I think particularly with Marvel, I think what they're doing is they're they're um overestimating the um speculator market, yeah. Like the the people that are buying the issue number ones because they're in issue number number one. Um yeah, I'm sure there's a spike every time that they do a new number one, but um I think they would probably find that they they'll make more money and they'll keep more readers long term if they provide a consistently quality product for a consistent amount uh for a reasonable amount of time.

SPEAKER_05 9:42

And and you're also gonna look at it too. If you're if you're in the you know, if you're playing the comic stock market, if you want to call it that, and your aim is to buy number ones of everything, yeah, the the the print run on these things is quite high. I mean, it's not like back in the day where print runs weren't exactly as high as they are now.

SPEAKER_06 10:03

No.

SPEAKER_05 10:03

Um, so you know, the likelihood of those being, you know, really um, you know, worth cashing in on is is pretty low.

SPEAKER_06 10:13

But I mean how how value how how valuable is an Iron Man number one gonna be if over the course of ten years You've got five. We've got six we've had five or six. Yeah. Like, I mean, it it what does it really mean? Yeah, it it just it it diminishes the special nature of it. Yeah. Um like I I love a first issue as much as anybody. We've had some really great ones lately. Like we, you know, we both love Fury of Firestorm.

SPEAKER_05 10:37

Yeah, and that and that's like Dead Devil number one.

SPEAKER_06 10:39

Yeah, Dead Devil number one, yeah, you know, s has set the um the Marvel fans alight. Yeah. Um it's yeah, I mean, I I love them as much as anyone else. But when you've got when you've got a new one every year, yeah, it's not quite the same, is it?

SPEAKER_05 10:53

Oh well, and and I think I think to go back to your point, like, you know, we've got Lobo, Deathstroke, Zatana, um, yeah, you know, those are those are three that sort of come to mind straight away that are number ones right now.

SPEAKER_07 11:06

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 11:06

Um, and but those characters haven't had a uh a series for quite a quite a while. No, right? What what we're talking about is that something like Daredevil, they've just finished the series, yeah. And instead of can doing a new story arc and saying we've got a new creative team, yeah, they've stopped it in its tracks and they've started a new and said, Hey, we've got issue one with a new creative team.

SPEAKER_07 11:32

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 11:33

That's where I feel that that's unnecessary.

SPEAKER_06 11:36

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 11:36

I mean, tell us listeners if you think we're wrong. I mean, it it it's um Yeah, I mean, these are these are just our opinions.

SPEAKER_06 11:41

These are thoughts. Yeah. Go like going back to what you know Benji was talking about, I totally empathize with what he's saying. And and I I think he's right. If I think there probably are I mean, there are too many covers, but um, like I was saying in the last episode, um, you know, what's too many? We do we need more than one? No, we don't need more than one. Um it's uh the the the thing is we don't have to buy all of them. Um and if you do have to buy all of them, then I guess I'd probably I'd be questioning No, I wouldn't be questioning, but I just I I think you're in a different bracket of fandom to me.

SPEAKER_05 12:20

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_06 12:21

Look, just to put it like because I'm I'm not buying them, you know, I'm not buying them for to be a completionist. Yeah. And if you are buying them to be a completionist, it's a bit like it's a bit like being a Star Wars figure collector. Like if you're buying to be a completionist, good luck to you. But you but you are gonna be buying a lot of action figures, and you're gonna be buying a lot of action figures perhaps that you don't even really like. Yeah. Um so as I said, I don't begrudge anyone for their their fandom if that's what they're doing, but it's not for me.

SPEAKER_05 12:50

No, and you know, I I I I also look at it from the from the uh retailers point of view, you know, there must be a financial burden there for them to stock you know 102 absolute Batman 20 covers, right?

SPEAKER_06 13:05

And I've and I've you know particularly given my relationship as a customer with All-Star Comics for 15 years, yeah. I like I've always been sort of vaguely aware of that aspect of it, but I'm becoming more aware of it now that I'm involved in.

SPEAKER_05 13:20

Yeah, behind the counter. Exactly.

SPEAKER_06 13:22

Um and so no no doubt. No, no, no, and and for me, that's probably even more important because we you know we want we we want our comic shops to stay open, we want our comic shops to stay viable, we want them to be um not only healthy, but we want them to be happy. You know, we want the the the people that are running those places to be able to um to to be able to run them in a sustainable way, yeah. Um, you know, because if their business is robust, then our fandom and our community is robust.

SPEAKER_05 13:53

So 100% agree. With there is isn't there a uh one of the variant covers out at the moment. I'm not sure whether it's Spider-Man and Superman where one of them has an extra like story or an extra page or something or other in it?

SPEAKER_06 14:07

Oh, it's um it's someone did advertise it like that. It's a Scotty Young uh cover. Yep. Um and uh what they is that for Lobo or no uh no, it's it's it's for Spider-Man Superman. Right. And it's a um I can't remember the word, not not a naked cover.

SPEAKER_05 14:27

Right.

SPEAKER_06 14:28

Like a colour bleed. Oh yeah, yeah. It's it's like it's mostly blue, and then it's got Superman and Spider-Man drawn by Scotty Young, and it's got two lines of dialogue on the cover.

SPEAKER_08 14:36

Right.

SPEAKER_06 14:37

So you know how some covers have dialogue and some don't. This one's got two quite lengthy lines of dialogue. Yeah. And so they've uh well, at some in some Instagram post, someone said, uh maybe it was Scotty himself, yeah, said um, you know, this one's technically got an extra story because you've got this interaction on the front cover. Oh. So uh from a certain point of view, yeah, yes, you do. Yeah. Um so yeah, yeah, I I actually think the value of that one from a storytelling point of view is is but uh higher than the other's worth getting as opposed to. Yeah, totally, and it's a really beautiful cover too, especially if you like Scotty Young's um uh you know uh beautiful style. Yeah um it is a gorgeous cover, it's a great, you know, great blue, and um yeah, it's it's really nice. So yeah, uh from a certain point of view, that one does have an extra story.

SPEAKER_05 15:27

Yeah. Anyway, if you've got anything that you uh want us to to talk about, um, you know, hit us up on our socials under Pulp Culture Pod. Yep. Uh got plenty of uh news to talk about, so let's get into the zest.

SPEAKER_06 15:48

Trailers. Yes. What do you got? I've got some trailers.

SPEAKER_05 15:51

Excellent. You're back, yes.

SPEAKER_06 15:55

Well, I don't know whether I'm back. Um yeah, I've got I've got a couple, like the big one for me um is uh House of the Dragons season three.

SPEAKER_05 16:04

Oh, I saw a quick glimpse of that today.

SPEAKER_06 16:06

Yeah, I've watched that a couple of times. Okay, um, because I'm very excited about that, being a bit of a Westerosi fan. Yeah, um yeah, so I mean that's kind of a big one. The show's back in August, right? Um, which is exciting because frighteningly that's not too far away. Um so yeah, uh I'm I'm really excited about that. A lot of dragon action. Yeah, some great dragon action. Yeah. Um it's one of the things that's great about that show for anyone that isn't sort of immersed in it. Um, you know, uh Game of Thrones was was great. It had some dragon action, uh, and and uh uh quite a bit more towards the end of the show. Yep. Um House of the Dragon Um uh is uh true to its name and it's had you know big time dragon action the whole way through. So um there's no surprise that in season three we're going to get uh more of that.

SPEAKER_08 17:01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 17:02

Um but that's yeah, got me excited, as well as all the the you know the intrigue um and the uh scheming between the different houses. Yeah um yeah, I'm really excited.

SPEAKER_05 17:12

Is this how long is this um is this series going going for? Is this uh is it have they sort of given it a timeline of how many seasons?

SPEAKER_06 17:22

Uh if they have, I don't know about it. Right.

SPEAKER_05 17:24

So it's just as it'll keep going as so long as there's the viewership is there, right? I believe so, yeah.

SPEAKER_06 17:29

I mean it's it keep it I I don't know how much of it is true, but like this this show has kind of gone a bit off book. Right. Uh literally. So the I'm depending on who you believe, like the the the sh the guy, the showrunner and George R. R. Martin who writes the books, they they're not working as as in concert as they are on as the showrunner and George R. R on George R R R on Um uh Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.

SPEAKER_05 18:03

Yeah, right.

SPEAKER_06 18:04

So which I don't think is necessarily a problem. I'm not trying to, you know build up beef or anything here. I'm just saying that that that's what I've heard and and therefore apparently it's not adhering as much to the books, perhaps. Um, and so uh potentially it could go anywhere.

SPEAKER_05 18:21

But we got that with Game of Thrones, where they you know, like they had gone so far and they hadn't written he he hadn't written a book for the yeah.

SPEAKER_06 18:28

Well he still hasn't written the ending, right? Okay, might have, he just hasn't shown it to us, yeah. But um uh yeah, so uh it's it's no problem. Yeah, it's just um uh I I guess basically if if that it helps inform that answer to your question, which is um I'm not sure. Yeah, yeah, I I I don't know. Um uh I'm hoping that it goes for a bunch more seasons because there's plenty of story to tell. Uh and also yeah, really great cast and the writing's fantastic, and um, you know, some of the dramatic turns that we've had in the first two seasons um I think are right up there with uh some of the best stuff that we saw in the original series. So um yeah, and I'm pumped about that. Uh so that's that's the biggest one for me. Yeah um for me. Um I also uh watched and enjoyed the um Star City trailer. Um Star City's um uh spin-off from For All Mankind, which is the Apple Apple TV show. Yep. Um I'm still watching For All Mankind.

SPEAKER_05 19:29

Um I just started season one.

SPEAKER_06 19:31

Oh, there you go. I'm I think I'm in season three.

SPEAKER_05 19:34

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 19:35

Um no, I am, I'm in season three.

SPEAKER_05 19:37

Because they've just started season five, I believe. They have, yeah.

SPEAKER_06 19:40

And and that's I think season five is the end. Yes. Um uh or at least the the end is pending. Yeah. And so Star City is uh um the the the the flip side view of what's happening in the Soviet Union.

SPEAKER_05 19:55

Oh, okay.

SPEAKER_06 19:56

That's so so for all mankind is yeah, you know, it's an it's an alternate history of what happens in the space program in the US.

SPEAKER_05 20:03

Um as if they kept it going after they landed on the moon the first time.

SPEAKER_06 20:08

It's it's as if this uh as if the space race never ended. Yeah. And um Star City is going back to the 60s and 70s in Russia, I guess. Yeah. Um uh and sh showing what was happening there, um, fueling this uh you know unending space race that we see we see the flip side of in For All Mankind. Yeah. Um it looks it's meant to be a really a very different sort of show. Um there's a lot of uh it it's it looks very grim, uh very uh drenched in paranoia, um, but it looks really good. So um I'm excited about that. I think I'll probably, even if I haven't finished watching For All Mankind, which I probably won't because I'm savouring that, yeah. Um I'll probably start watching Star City from the beginning because I don't think it's necessarily going to spoil anything or uh overlap or anything like that. Um but you know time will tell. Yeah, but um yeah, it it it it looks really good and it's got a really good cast, uh headed by I think uh Rhys E fans. Yes. Um uh so yeah, I'm excited for that. That that trailer looked good too.

SPEAKER_05 21:14

Yeah, I love those, I love those shows that give us uh uh an alternate sort of world to what what it is, like you know, Man in the High Castle is like one that I can think of straight away.

SPEAKER_06 21:25

Yeah, totally.

SPEAKER_05 21:26

Um so any of those sort of alternate sort of you know uh sliding door moments or fork in the roads, if if they hadn't gone down this path and they went down this path, what would the world look like?

SPEAKER_06 21:37

Yeah, it's such a great um idea for them to do this as well because that that that's one of the things that I think is most fascinating about um the space programs and the space race uh from their inception uh you know last century to even to now, yeah, is um it it it it's usually uh a result of two Opposing forces, politically, science, scientifically, ego-wise, that they rub up against each other in order to set fire to humanity to achieve these amazing things. And so I think to see the flip side of what it looks like in this admittedly alternate universe is a real gift. I'm really looking forward to it.

SPEAKER_05 22:27

And that's what makes a compelling story, right? Yeah. You know, is is all that sort of friction that happens from that. So that's great. Yeah. I'm looking I haven't seen that trailer, but I'm definitely going to check that one out.

SPEAKER_06 22:39

Yeah, and I do. It uh looks really good. Have you got any any trailers?

SPEAKER_05 22:42

No, no, nothing from me.

SPEAKER_06 22:44

No.

SPEAKER_05 22:45

My apprenticeship is over.

SPEAKER_06 22:46

No, no, that's fine. The only other thing we had is not a trailer, but um Netflix released some uh still images from Enola Holmes 3.

SPEAKER_05 22:53

Yes, I saw I did see that that still image. Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 22:56

Which I I can't sort of make too much of those, although July 1st? Uh something like that, I'm not sure. Uh but I mean producer Kim did point out to me that um Enola is wearing a wedding veil in one of the photos. Oh, okay. Which is probably I mean, it's potentially interesting. You know, maybe she's getting married, maybe she's in disguise, maybe she's I don't know. Yeah, but um I'm really excited about that because I've loved the first two Enola Holmes movies. Yep. Um, and I'm really looking forward to a third.

SPEAKER_05 23:25

And I love Henry Cavill as as Holmes as well.

SPEAKER_06 23:28

I don't even know if he's gonna be in this one. I meant to have a look. He is, yeah.

SPEAKER_05 23:31

He is he is he is in this one.

SPEAKER_06 23:33

So I mean it's got uh you know, Millie Bobby Brown in the lead, of course.

SPEAKER_05 23:37

Um, which is great, yeah.

SPEAKER_06 23:40

Um, but it also stars Helena Bonham Carter as her mother. Yes um and I love her, like I'd watch her in anything. She's amazing. Oh, she's great, yeah, just really good fun. Yeah, she's good. Um and a very, very talented actress. Yeah, absolutely. So yeah, I'm look I'm looking forward to that as well. But that's that's about um the sum of all of what I've got.

SPEAKER_05 23:59

I've got some interesting news um regarding uh Avengers Endgame. Uh so for those of you who might not know, uh Avengers Endgame is coming up to its anniversary. Um and uh it's going to be re-released in cinemas in September of this year. Ten ten is it ten years? Ten years. Jeez. Um and it's going to, this is interesting, uh, it's going to uh have new footage and new surprises.

SPEAKER_06 24:27

Okay.

SPEAKER_05 24:28

Uh from what I'm reading at the moment and from what I'm seeing um on some posts is it looks like that this is their way of a connection to Avengers Doomsday. So they're going to kind of, and I think we talked about this in previous episodes where where they're where uh phase four of the you know Marvel cinematic universe didn't exactly land very well with audiences, yeah. And this is their way of fixing uh that phase um and connecting it to uh the uh Avengers Doomsday.

SPEAKER_06 25:09

Okay, so el elaborate again, what what what is it then uh what's this fix that they're looking at?

SPEAKER_05 25:14

So so it nothing nothing's there's there's there's no information as to what that app looks like.

SPEAKER_07 25:22

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 25:22

All they've come out and said is that get excited, Avengers Endgame is coming back to cinemas in September.

SPEAKER_06 25:29

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 25:30

Um with new footage and new surprises.

SPEAKER_06 25:32

Oh, okay.

SPEAKER_05 25:33

Right? All right. So um look, great marketing tool to get people to go back and they get more money.

SPEAKER_07 25:41

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 25:41

Um, for a film that, you know, made well and truly over a billion dollars.

SPEAKER_07 25:46

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 25:46

Um, and if it connects it to Doomsday, it will, you know, do some serious pain.

SPEAKER_06 25:53

Squeeze it a bit more and see what comes out.

SPEAKER_05 25:55

Yep, absolutely.

SPEAKER_06 25:56

Um, yeah, I will I'm not I mean that doesn't really do much for me.

SPEAKER_05 26:01

It's just interesting, right?

SPEAKER_06 26:02

I mean it's definitely it's definitely interesting, but it's not like got me pumped to go back to the street.

SPEAKER_05 26:06

I'm not gonna race back and see it. Um I'll be I'll be interested to see what what the response is like for those that maybe have.

SPEAKER_07 26:13

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 26:14

And if it's worth seeing, then I'll go have a look at it. If not, um we'll probably get it streaming before Avengers Doomsday at the end of the year.

SPEAKER_06 26:21

So interesting.

SPEAKER_05 26:22

Um yeah, just a just a a a way of sort of plugging some holes that you know they need to need to fill, I think. Interesting. But yeah, we'll we'll watch this space.

SPEAKER_06 26:33

Well, I I mean I've thoroughly enjoyed many aspects of the most recent phases of Marvel, so Yeah, I agree. I I'm I'm not too fast, but yeah, um yeah, I'm still looking forward to uh doomsday, that's for sure.

SPEAKER_05 26:46

Absolutely. Uh I'm I'm with you on that one. Uh keeping up with the uh superhero films, um Superman Man of Tomorrow.

SPEAKER_07 26:54

Yes.

SPEAKER_05 26:54

Uh Andre uh Royo has um has been cast as an undisclosed character.

SPEAKER_06 27:01

Yes.

SPEAKER_05 27:01

Um and I think I mentioned it to you um offline. And um yeah, I my sort of thoughts is that maybe he's gonna be Martian Manhunter.

SPEAKER_06 27:10

Well I think you mentioned on a previous episode that there was a chance that they were casting Martian Manhunter.

SPEAKER_05 27:16

Yeah, so um and so you know that was that was kind of my thoughts, and then today uh, you know, I was as I was sort of looking for information regarding the Zest tonight, um I happened to see a couple of fan theories about you know Martian Manhunter. So it's not exclusively my thoughts, you know, it's obviously something that's you know quite rampant on the well I can I can certainly see it.

SPEAKER_06 27:40

Like looking looking at pictures of of of him, I can certainly see I mean he he could easily be cast as John Jones.

SPEAKER_05 27:46

But he's a great actor too, right?

SPEAKER_06 27:48

So yeah, I I had a look at his IMDB and and I like I obviously know his face, he's got a very distinctive, handsome face, yeah. But I didn't re I I mean I didn't recognise him from heaps of stuff that I'd seen.

SPEAKER_05 27:59

Do you know who he is?

SPEAKER_06 28:00

Who?

SPEAKER_05 28:00

He's that guy, right? He's that guy. So you go, oh, he's that guy in that film, right? Yeah, he's one of those guys, right?

SPEAKER_06 28:08

Yeah, yeah. No, I just but I did I did I recog um I mean I I certainly recognised him, but I just don't know whether I've seen heaps of stuff. But I mean that happens, you know. Uh people's faces pop up on socials and trailers that you for movies you never see and that sort of thing. So um yeah, I don't know. Welcome to the family.

SPEAKER_05 28:26

Yeah. We'll see what's going on there. Yeah. Um while we're keeping with um with with the James Gunn verse, um uh he has uh come out this week and said that uh uh they're no longer uh that well they've shelled the authority uh film.

SPEAKER_06 28:45

I did see that.

SPEAKER_05 28:46

Um I think maybe he's kind of got a little bit too many projects going on and um he needs to sort of focus a little bit more on you know continuity of those those projects. So that was sort of the impression I got from him.

SPEAKER_06 28:59

I'm sure that there's authority fans out there that will disagree, but but I'm I'm not too fussed by this one.

SPEAKER_05 29:06

I I suspect that um we got the engineer who was part of the authority, anyway.

SPEAKER_06 29:12

But but I just I I I think that maybe that um the uh the the the success of the DCU so far has sort of uh slowed things down and perhaps sort of extended the the timeline a bit. Um I've got no doubt that the authority will be part of the plans in the future, you know. God willing that we get that many um movies and TV series before everything goes pear-shaped. Yeah, but um uh yeah, uh I I think that um there's probably other characters that they can focus on that will sort of uh make for a more um traditional rollout of the DC universe. You know, it's it very uh early for the authority if you want to keep it vaguely consistent with um the way that the the DC universe in the comics has you know rolled out.

SPEAKER_05 30:04

Yeah um because it wasn't originally a DC property anyway, it was a wild storm property that then you know got absorbed with D when DC bought image.

SPEAKER_06 30:15

Which again, there's plenty of examples, like Blue Beetle's another example of of that having happened in the 80s. Yeah. Um so it happened, you know, it happens, they all become uh part of the the same family. But um, yeah, no, I'm not I'm not not too too fussed. No. Um as as as long as this DCU content keeps unfolding in some form. Yeah, like I didn't Creature Commandos, I I I never thought that that was gonna entertain me the way that it did. Um I I'd never read Creature Commandos, like and I've read a lot of DC stuff, yeah, but I'd never read any Creature Commandos comics, and I love that show. Yeah, um and Peacemaker as well. Like I'd never read a Peacemaker comic until um you know he appeared in the the Suicide Squad and then his own show. So um yeah, I'm I'm I'm happy for them just to keep rolling out whatever they want to give us as long as it um it keeps on coming. Yeah, I'm enjoying this um slowly expanding brand new DCU.

SPEAKER_05 31:14

Yeah, absolutely.

SPEAKER_06 31:17

Um well uh the only news I've got, I'm not sure whether to mention it now or mention it in the aisle, but um Jerry Conway died.

SPEAKER_05 31:24

I did, I did, yes. We did actually do a post um of that. Um and um yeah, Jerry Conway, what a talent.

SPEAKER_06 31:31

Like we don't always talk about um you know when people sort of pass on this one, yeah. But I was just looking at uh some of his list of creation credits today.

SPEAKER_05 31:41

And like we've we've talked about a lot of these characters on recent my one of my favourite all-time characters, Firestorm. Exactly.

SPEAKER_06 31:50

I just thought it was worth um uh mentioning because yeah, he's got an amazing CV and and um there's a lot of love uh outpouring uh for for Jerry today, and he wasn't all that old either. No, um and and um that's always you know it's always sad. Sad. Um but uh yeah, no, when when you read a list of characters, um the likes of which include uh as you said, Firestorm, uh Killer Croc, Jason Todd, um, The Punisher, um Carol Danvers, aka Miss Marvel, and now Captain Marvel. Yeah, um it's it's a pretty amazing list of credits, and he's written some iconic stories too um uh down through the years. So and yeah, uh from all uh reports that I've heard today, he uh was also a really great guy, um good to his uh collaborators and good to his fans.

SPEAKER_05 32:40

He also wrote uh he also wrote a number of um uh episodes of G.I. Joe. Okay. Uh as in the cartoon. Oh beautiful.

SPEAKER_06 32:50

So uh he does seem to have been very proli prolific. Yeah, and and I know that um over the years, my many, many years of reading comics, um, you know, his name's been in the credits uh m m for hundreds, if not thousands of times.

SPEAKER_05 33:03

Yeah, more than you'd actually think. Yes, yeah, yeah. No, huge talent.

SPEAKER_06 33:07

Um yeah, no uh valet Jerry Conway um and and thanks for everything that you um gave to us.

SPEAKER_05 33:13

Thanks for the memories, and we can continue to read and watch those.

SPEAKER_06 33:17

And we will, yeah, that's yeah, we'll keep keep on celebrating because I'm sure that's what the the great man would want. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_05 33:23

We've got some interesting news. Gia Carano has uh been on a podcast. Oh and uh she is she's uh uh about to have a um uh a bout against uh Rhonda Rousey, and so they're they're doing a bit of a promotional tour at the moment.

SPEAKER_06 33:43

Okay.

SPEAKER_05 33:43

Um and there was discussions about her um her Star Wars, her role in Star Wars, yes, and what that's looking like. And um now that Dave Faloni has taken over. Yeah, uh and uh and uh she said that she has spoken to Lucasfilms, specifically with uh Dave Faloni and also John Favreau, yeah. Um and it's been quite positive. Okay. So that's interesting. Um I look, you know, whatever the political drama was, um it's it's interesting that that obviously Dave Faloni has some ideas about where that character can go and what that looks like. So um yeah.

SPEAKER_06 34:25

Yeah, no, that is interesting. Um I'm yeah, I mean, uh I yeah. It's a it's a hard one, right? It's a tough one. I'm trying to rem I'm trying to remember the exact nature of the things that she said, and I remember when she said them, like I profoundly disagreed with everything that she said. Yeah. Um and uh but uh whether they were things that were all like you know, all time count cancelable, yeah. Like um I understood the sh I understood her getting sacked from from Star Wars. Um uh but uh yeah, uh I I'm not um uh it's hard, right? It's it's it's a difficult one. It's difficult. Like, I mean I I don't yeah, I don't want to sort of be part of that, you know, um cancelling people forever type thing. But um I also can't really remember what she said. Yeah um I can't remember exactly how hurtful it was to um uh members of the community, uh uh members of communities of which I'm perhaps not part of. Yeah, um, and so I don't want to say uh it's not that bad. Well no, no, I didn't yeah, I don't know, I don't know. But at the same time, um yeah, yeah, my my um overriding thought when she was uh engaging in all of that sort of stuff was probably maybe best to keep that stuff to yourself.

SPEAKER_05 35:41

Yeah, yeah, yeah. And that and that's the thing, right? You know, well just just do your job, act, you know. If you want to have an opinion, then go and do your humanitarian work, you know, in that space or whatever it looks like.

SPEAKER_06 35:55

I'll probably get in trouble for saying this, but it's like um uh I don't mind p I don't mind actors having opinions. Actors are like bakers, they're like retail shop assistants, they have a right to have a uh a say in the uh things that go on in society as much as anybody does. But um uh if you're gonna speak out in public, have better opinions.

SPEAKER_05 36:21

Hey um uh Sony is getting uh the writer of Mystic River uh to write the script for a uh uh Django and Zorro film based on the Tarantino and uh Wagner comic series.

SPEAKER_06 36:39

Okay. That's interesting. That is interesting.

SPEAKER_05 36:41

Yeah, I I wonder whether that uh yeah, it's it's it's interesting because you know Zorro and and Django though those two actors would be a little bit too old to play those uh characters now.

SPEAKER_07 36:55

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 36:55

Um so I wonder whether they'll do a sort of a rebootish as as such with uh with Django and and Zorro, and whether that's a lead in to separate films or whatever. But interesting that they've uh picked up the comic and you know, because it's a great comic, because it's really enjoyable.

SPEAKER_06 37:11

I don't know if you've read it. No, I haven't.

SPEAKER_05 37:13

Um but uh yeah, it's really enjoyable, and um so yeah, I'd be interested to see what that looks like. Um but yeah, they they they made Sony made an announcement this week that that's that's in the works.

SPEAKER_06 37:25

Okay, we'll we'll see if that happens.

SPEAKER_05 37:26

Yeah, absolutely. Um your your your favorite TV series of um of uh of this year or last year and this year, um uh It Welcome to Derry Um is uh we got some news about that.

SPEAKER_06 37:43

That's good. Uh I have stalled a bit, but I am gonna keep watching it.

SPEAKER_05 37:48

So they have let us know uh what's in store for season two without giving away any spoilers. Um so it's gonna be set around the Great Depression, specifically in 1935. Okay. Um and it's going to have the Bradley Gang bank robbers involved in that. So that's a really interesting um storyline.

SPEAKER_06 38:09

So this is a this is a jump back, isn't it?

SPEAKER_05 38:11

So it's a jump back. So so so this next this next uh so season two uh as well as season three, yeah, uh we're going back in time. Um and as you continue to get through uh season one by the end of this year.

SPEAKER_06 38:31

Yeah, uh Wow, okay, yeah. Uh that's definitely something that might happen.

SPEAKER_05 38:36

You'll uh you'll you'll you'll understand why they're going backwards, not going forwards. Okay. Okay.

SPEAKER_06 38:42

Alright. No, I'll I'll persist with my homework.

SPEAKER_05 38:45

So I'm looking forward to that.

SPEAKER_06 38:47

Uh little bit of uh I am not so much.

SPEAKER_05 38:50

A little bit of uh memorabilia news, uh Ace Ventura when nature calls.

SPEAKER_06 38:55

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 38:56

Uh the Butt Berth Rhino.

SPEAKER_06 38:58

Oh, I think it was up for sale, wasn't it?

SPEAKER_05 39:01

It was up for sale.

SPEAKER_06 39:02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 39:02

Uh and they were expecting about$8,000.

SPEAKER_06 39:05

$8,000? Yep.

SPEAKER_05 39:06

Okay. Uh it just sold for$59,850. Oh my goodness. Yeah. So um, yeah, it looks like the seller got a buttload of profit. Um boom boom. But uh yeah, look, I I don't know why you buy it. I mean, like, what are you gonna do? Like, hey kids, let's go through the back end of the rhino.

SPEAKER_06 39:29

Well, it's um I'm sure there's ace ventura mega fans out there.

SPEAKER_05 39:33

Yeah, but I suppose, yeah.

SPEAKER_06 39:34

Um yeah, uh uh I'm not surprised that it sold for more than$8,000, that's for sure.

SPEAKER_05 39:39

Yeah, I I could probably think of you know plenty of plenty of other things I could spend sixty thousand dollars on. Yeah. Or just shy of sixty thousand dollars. So yeah, definitely.

SPEAKER_06 39:48

But um, good good luck to whoever's bought that one.

SPEAKER_05 39:51

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_06 39:52

Uh hope it stinks better than you'd think it would.

SPEAKER_05 39:56

We've got some uh we've got a sad note. Yeah. We don't have any news for the tomb.

SPEAKER_08 40:02

What?

SPEAKER_05 40:03

No news.

SPEAKER_06 40:04

I mean, we should have told me this before we started recording.

SPEAKER_05 40:07

We've flatlined. I have searched every every I've scoured every uh corner of the internet, even to the dark web I went just looking for the mummy news. There's nothing. Zero.

SPEAKER_06 40:20

How was the old dark web?

SPEAKER_05 40:21

Uh yeah, they've got nothing either. So it's very dark on the on on the mummy four.

SPEAKER_06 40:26

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 40:27

Uh so yeah, we've we've uh we've hit our threshold for that.

SPEAKER_06 40:31

That's devastating.

SPEAKER_05 40:32

Yeah, it is devastating. Um, yeah, and uh, but uh hopefully we'll be back next week with uh thank you goodnight.

SPEAKER_06 40:40

Yeah, we're gonna get cancelled for that.

SPEAKER_05 40:42

Uh we we hopefully we'll have some some some more news for you next week. Um but the good news is yeah, it's time for the weird files.

SPEAKER_06 40:52

Hey, yay. Yippie Kaye.

SPEAKER_05 41:01

So I've got uh I've got three for you. I've got uh I don't want three all at once. Uh well I I won't give you three all at once, I'll just give you three. Uh Deal with Choice.

SPEAKER_06 41:12

Okay.

SPEAKER_05 41:12

Uh role uh Jeopardy Music. Uh we have uh unlicensed wrestling. We have Pastor Lego, and we have Kogne Concert Air.

SPEAKER_06 41:25

Every time you say Pastor Lego, I always think you're saying a past the Lego. Let's go with Pastor Lego.

SPEAKER_05 41:34

Past the Lego.

SPEAKER_06 41:34

Just so that I don't have to make any jokes like that again.

SPEAKER_05 41:37

So you sure you sure you want the past the Lego?

SPEAKER_06 41:39

Why are you asking that?

SPEAKER_05 41:44

Just to kid just to cause doubt in your mind. So uh more than anything else.

SPEAKER_06 41:49

I don't need that. Right, okay. I've got I've got plenty plenty of doubt swirling around in there as it is.

SPEAKER_05 41:56

Oh, okay, alright. 28-year-old uh California man was arrested this week after allegedly buying uh high-value Lego sets, specifically Star Wars and Marvel sets, yeah, from Target stores, removing the collectible minifigs and key pieces, and then refilling the boxes with dry uh wheat uh salmonella pasta before returning them for full refunds.

SPEAKER_06 42:23

Salmonella pasta. Yeah. I don't think you mean salmonella pasta.

SPEAKER_05 42:27

Salmolina.

SPEAKER_06 42:29

They're very different things.

SPEAKER_05 42:30

They are very different things. Apologies for salmonella pasta.

SPEAKER_06 42:34

Salmonella pasta. I thought this was about to take a really gross turn.

SPEAKER_05 42:38

Uh the genius detail that the pasta was specifically chosen because it mimics the weight and sound of Lego bricks shifting around inside the sealed box.

SPEAKER_06 42:48

Prison shaken. Prison.

SPEAKER_05 42:50

Making the returns harder to catch on the spot.

SPEAKER_06 42:53

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 42:54

He allegedly pulled the scheme off uh roughly 70 times across target locations in California, Texas, Tennessee, New Jersey, and Florida, racking up around 34,000 in fraudulent refunds before police tracked him down in LA County apartment and found the unboxed bricks stackpiled inside.

SPEAKER_06 43:17

No. This is monstrous behavior.

SPEAKER_05 43:20

He had been booked on grand theft charges and the statement called it a pastoratively terrible plan. They didn't, did they? Did and promised that his scheme would be cooked al dente.

SPEAKER_06 43:39

I I I get how they're joking about this, but this is not funny.

SPEAKER_05 43:43

It's crazy, right?

SPEAKER_06 43:44

It's not only crazy it's monstrous behaviour. You you need to insert the Fred Armeson straight to prison, straight to jail. You're stealing right to jail. Okay, you need to put that sound button here because that's what it is. Straight to jail.

SPEAKER_05 44:01

Straight to jail.

SPEAKER_06 44:01

Yeah. No, no parole.

SPEAKER_05 44:04

You know how all this started, right? What actually alerted them was that people were buying it, and this has become a bit of a thing on social media. Yeah. Is that people are buying it and saying, hey, I got pasta instead of Lego. So what's the deal? So all these these are actually.

SPEAKER_06 44:22

So he was doing it so much it was becoming an epidemic.

SPEAKER_05 44:26

Yeah. So people were going in, purchasing these larger items, larger Lego sets, taking them home, and there's your Salmolina uh pasta.

SPEAKER_06 44:36

Our salmonella pasta, yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 44:38

Inside instead of the Lego.

SPEAKER_06 44:40

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 44:40

And so it was it was, you know, sort of hitting all the all the social platforms.

SPEAKER_06 44:45

No, no. I don't I don't want to see this dude ever again. It needs to go to where is it? Where did Bang go? Santa Prisco.

SPEAKER_05 44:51

Santa Frisco.

SPEAKER_06 44:52

Yeah, it needs to go to the bottom of that hole. Yep. And he needs to stay there forever.

SPEAKER_05 44:55

Never able to jump from one step to the other. Never. Yeah. No. Never.

SPEAKER_06 44:59

And don't give him any Lego because he'll be able to ladder out.

SPEAKER_05 45:01

Break his back, leave him just a little bit. Yeah, no, I'd look him.

SPEAKER_06 45:04

I don't care what happens after he's in the hole. But that this this is monstrous criminal behaviour. Yeah. You don't mess with people's Lego.

SPEAKER_05 45:11

I did say it was going to be a sad one. It is a weird file. It's not sad. It's curiating. It's clever. It's clever. I'll give him points for criminality, but I I won't give him points for anything else.

SPEAKER_06 45:21

I'm getting very upset.

SPEAKER_05 45:22

I would I would hate for uh I would hate to be the receiver of this.

SPEAKER_06 45:27

I mean it'd be awful, right? No, I don't yeah, I don't I don't like it here.

SPEAKER_05 45:31

But look, you know, you uh you you get you you reap what you sow. And so uh yeah, I'm sure he'll be just all he'll be enjoying in prison is just pasta now. So uh good luck.

SPEAKER_06 45:42

Yeah, I'm hopefully gets to play with his um Juplo maybe.

SPEAKER_05 45:48

Anyway, that's it for the weird files. All right. Uh let's um you know what we haven't done for a while?

SPEAKER_06 45:55

What's that?

SPEAKER_05 45:56

We haven't done a uh an anniversaries uh No, we haven't, no no. So we've got some um we've got some good anniversaries.

SPEAKER_06 46:04

We've probably got sort of got a fresh batch.

SPEAKER_05 46:06

Yeah, I'll I'll I'll probably um let's do let's do some anniversaries for for the month of April. Okay. Because there's some some really good things in there.

SPEAKER_06 46:13

Well April's almost done.

SPEAKER_05 46:15

Yeah, April's almost done. So um let's let's go through a couple of those. Yeah. Uh back in 2004, Hellbait, the Hellboy premiered. So um the the film uh Hellboy so that's what twenty-two years now.

SPEAKER_06 46:31

Twenty-two.

SPEAKER_05 46:32

It's amazing.

SPEAKER_06 46:33

It's Taylor Swift years old.

SPEAKER_05 46:34

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 46:35

I wish um only my fellow Swifties will get that joke.

SPEAKER_05 46:38

Yep. Um I wish uh I wish they bring out a third one.

SPEAKER_06 46:42

Um uh Taylor Swift.

SPEAKER_05 46:45

No.

SPEAKER_06 46:46

Oh no uh Del Toro Hellboys. Yeah, I'd watch it. Oh of course, I'd watch that.

SPEAKER_05 46:50

I'd watch that. Yeah, I mean Rob Pellman wants to do it. Yeah, he's he's on the record. He's such a cool dude. He is a cool dude.

SPEAKER_06 46:57

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 46:57

I don't know if he's getting too old for it, but you know, anyway.

SPEAKER_06 46:59

Yeah, that's okay. It's prosthetics and CG and um yeah, but no, bring it on.

SPEAKER_05 47:05

Uh uh 2014, Captain America Winter Soldier Cinemas.

SPEAKER_06 47:10

Yes.

SPEAKER_05 47:11

One of my favourite all-time Marvel films.

SPEAKER_06 47:13

Yeah, I think that's uh a fairly common perception amongst um superhero fans. I love it. Can't get enough of it. No, it's a great movie.

SPEAKER_05 47:21

Happy to re-watch it.

SPEAKER_06 47:22

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 47:23

Um one of my favourite films when it came out, maybe not so much now, it's kind of dated a little bit. 1995. Uh Bad Boys debuted with Will Smith and uh Martin Lawrence.

SPEAKER_06 47:35

I um still think I've only seen the first one maybe once or maybe twice.

SPEAKER_05 47:39

Yeah, first one. Yeah, and and it really sort of gave us that Brookheimer resurgence of action films. Yeah, you know, um, because at that stage we were sort of getting the at the tail end of your Schwarzenegger's and um, you know, Stallones of that time. Yeah, and so we really didn't have the new sort of the new up and comers going into action.

SPEAKER_06 48:03

Yeah, well, Schwarzenegger's and Stallones were all getting old then.

SPEAKER_05 48:06

They were getting old then, right? So but uh speaking of the tomb, yeah. Oh, we do have something to talk about then. Yep. Tick that box. Yeah, absolutely. Um we had uh we we had 2019, we had Avengers Endgame.

SPEAKER_06 48:23

Yep.

SPEAKER_05 48:24

Uh so uh so yeah it's happy seventh anniversary. Yeah, seventh anniversary for that. Uh in TV, we had uh in 1992 Batman the Animated Series preminate iconic, absolutely icon game changing. It it and not only did it change for animated uh series, yeah, but it also changed the comics as well. Yeah, you know, started to um introduce lore and different lore and um you know backstories of characters that weren't there and you know Harley Quinn. Gave us Harley Quinn.

SPEAKER_06 48:58

So if it wasn't for that show, we wouldn't have Harley Quinn.

SPEAKER_05 49:01

Well it was um Batman the Animated series that gave us um a really um uh a really deep insight into um uh um Mr. Freaks.

SPEAKER_06 49:14

Yes, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_05 49:15

And you know, so if we didn't have that series, we would never have that that that amazing, you know, deeply sorrowful uh storyline for for Mr. Freaks.

SPEAKER_06 49:24

I've been re-watching Batman the Animated series from the start um over the last couple of years, and um some of those early episodes are just amazing storytelling, like nothing else you've ever seen on TV. Um fairy tale-like, uh you know, gothic um yeah, gothic fairy tales. Yeah. Um some some really beautiful stuff. Um and yeah, as you say, it's it changed the comics, it's influenced filmmakers um who've delved into the Gotham world ever since.

SPEAKER_05 49:54

Um it was also the beginning of um having these sort of artwork pieces as as um of uh episode titles. Yes, you know, it was the first time that we we we got these this this sort of look, yeah, um, and it then started to pave the way for other animated series to do exactly the same thing.

SPEAKER_06 50:18

Yeah, it's sort of that 19 1930s, 1940s um uh uh painterly style of title cards.

SPEAKER_05 50:25

So what to expect.

SPEAKER_06 50:26

Yeah, no, they're beautiful.

SPEAKER_05 50:27

Yeah, absolutely. Um in uh 1994 Friends was was uh was was released. Yep. Um we had uh Game of Thrones season three uh debuted in uh 2013.

SPEAKER_06 50:43

Season three of Game of Thrones.

SPEAKER_05 50:44

Now the reason I re I I mentioned this because it was the Red Wedding. Ah, right, yes. And uh, if you watched uh if you've watched um uh Game of Thrones, you'll know it was a bloody good times.

SPEAKER_06 50:59

It's still it still hits.

SPEAKER_05 51:00

It's it's yeah, it's pretty it it's pretty full on.

SPEAKER_06 51:03

Yeah, I did a rewatch of that episode uh late last year, yeah, and it's still it still hits. It's not even the sec just the second time I've seen it, I've seen it multiple times, and it it still has huge impact emotionally, and um it's yeah, awful.

SPEAKER_05 51:19

So, so great, but awful. Producer Mandy and I we were watching that series together, yeah. And that episode came on, yeah, and then I started watching the series on my own.

SPEAKER_06 51:32

Um, you know what? That the end fair enough, producer Mandy. Um totally, totally reasonable. I remember watching that episode for the first time with producer Kim on our couch, and uh we were all over the place. Like we had legs uh knees above our eyes, and we were trying to I don't know what was happening. We were beside ourselves. Um, I still remember exactly how it felt. It was wild.

SPEAKER_05 51:58

And and it was such a shock, right? Because it was so unexpected. You did not know that that was gonna happen.

SPEAKER_06 52:03

No, no.

SPEAKER_05 52:03

And I think that that's what has a level of you know understanding as to why um, you know, that has made such an impact on pop culture, right?

SPEAKER_06 52:15

Yeah, um yeah, it's moments like that that that really um define Game of Thrones.

SPEAKER_04 52:20

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_06 52:21

Like I was saying, um, you know, House of the Dragons got a few as well. Yeah. Um and yeah, that's part of why I'm so excited for it to be back later this year.

SPEAKER_05 52:30

Um I'm yet to start the series.

SPEAKER_06 52:31

Um you've got all that you've got all that fun ahead of you. Yep, all that dragon action.

SPEAKER_05 52:35

Yeah, looking forward to it. Uh talking about icons of pop culture, um, The Simpsons um back in uh 1989 uh debuted on the Tracy Allman show.

SPEAKER_06 52:48

Okay.

SPEAKER_05 52:48

Um so those earlier runs.

SPEAKER_06 52:50

I still love those clips.

SPEAKER_05 52:51

Absolutely. Um I think my favourite one is the uh I think it's the Aquarium or the Shark Tank or whatever it is. That's that's what that was the original. I remember a friend of mine sent me a video tape with those recorded of the on the Tracy Ullman show, and he sent it to me probably six or eight months prior to the Simpsons actually being released. Oh gold. And um I I don't know where that tape is now. I'll have to try and see if I can dig it up, but um never realizing that you know it would be such a such a you know pop culture icon that it is now.

SPEAKER_06 53:24

It was really a moment when it actually finally debuted over here, wasn't it?

SPEAKER_05 53:28

Yeah, yeah, it really was.

SPEAKER_06 53:29

It was like it was a real event.

SPEAKER_05 53:30

And and mothers were like, you know, like banning their kids from watching it because Bart Simpson was such a villain, right?

SPEAKER_06 53:37

Yeah, he was telling people not to have cows.

SPEAKER_05 53:39

Yeah, or he eat his shorts.

SPEAKER_06 53:41

Yeah, my goodness. It was um uh yeah, I remember because I remember it it came out in uh as everything did back then, it c in the US a long time before it came out here. And so even though there was no internet uh or anything like that, um we became aware of the hype. Yes. Um, you know, we started to see on I guess you know tonight shows and stuff that people were talking about it and and so the excitement was at a fever pitch when it finally came out. I was in year nine.

SPEAKER_05 54:12

And it was like do the Bart Man, the Bartman was out before the actual series was out.

SPEAKER_06 54:16

I've still got that on a cassette single. It's got a it's a cassette single, and I think that the from memory, I think the cassette is yellow. Yeah, and it's in like a one of those sliding paper sleeves.

SPEAKER_05 54:29

Hey, if you haven't heard the Bartman, here it is now.

SPEAKER_03 54:44

Everybody go.

SPEAKER_06 54:52

You're very welcome. Absolute gold.

SPEAKER_05 54:55

All right, maybe right on we could talk about the Simpsons all day. Uh let's do that. Back in two back in 2005, uh the Doctor Who revival era began. Um so back in 2005. That was a big moment in pop culture. It was a big moment in pop culture, yeah. And um, yeah, it was um and and it had a great run. Yeah. So yeah, I'm I'm really happy about that.

SPEAKER_06 55:19

And it's still going.

SPEAKER_05 55:20

It's still going so far. Yeah. Sort of.

SPEAKER_06 55:23

No, it's still going. It'll be back.

SPEAKER_05 55:24

Yeah. Uh we in in comics we had uh Action Comics number one, first appearance of Superman. Uh in 1940, we had Detective Comics introduce Robin back in 1940.

SPEAKER_06 55:39

Batman number one.

SPEAKER_05 55:40

Batman uh it was uh Detective Comics 38. Oh, was it? Yeah, Detective Comics 38.

SPEAKER_06 55:45

Oh, well, I don't know.

SPEAKER_05 55:46

It was the first introduction of Robin.

SPEAKER_06 55:48

Okay.

SPEAKER_05 55:48

So um it could have been uh, you know, back page Robin turned up, or it could have been like where's Wally and he was sort of sort of hiding somewhere in Gotham.

SPEAKER_06 55:57

I've said it once and I'll say it again. I am not a journalist.

SPEAKER_05 56:00

Yeah, good to know. 1964, Daredevil, uh Daredevil number one. Nice first appearance of Daredevil. Um not my favourite character, but in 1976, Howard the Duck, number one, launched his solo series.

SPEAKER_06 56:14

Well, there's no need to grow to throw shade.

SPEAKER_05 56:16

Yeah, I've got beef with him anyway.

SPEAKER_06 56:18

Clearly. Alright, we'll get into that in a special episode. See you in the car park, Howard. Um I know he's gonna win that one.

SPEAKER_05 56:26

It's gonna be me.

SPEAKER_06 56:27

Yeah, um with a cigar burn on your forehead.

SPEAKER_05 56:31

1986, The Dark Knight Returns uh came out. Yeah, fantastic. Yeah, amazing, absolutely amazing. Still one of my favourite all-time comic comic films. Yeah, so yep. You can watch that over and over and over and you'll get tired of it. Um there's our anniversaries. Beautiful. Some really good ones in there. We've checked in. Yeah, some great ones.

SPEAKER_06 56:54

Let's make sure we do it again next month.

SPEAKER_05 56:55

Yeah, I think so. Yeah. All right, uh, shall we get into the aisle? Yes. Okay, sounds good.

SPEAKER_12 57:03

Polish up the Red Ferrari, Thomas Magnum, the wise cracking, unloving, freeloading, freelance private eye, return soon to ten with brand new series. Special guest stars, including Frank Sinatra, join the laid back jumper, who's taking on fast cards at slow flood in an all-new series of action facts, and of adventures, soon on dead. You don't want to listen to that.

SPEAKER_11 57:30

If you're looking to solve a good mystery, the Mr.

SPEAKER_02 57:33

Oil, it's just me, Jessica Fetch.

SPEAKER_11 57:36

Because wherever you go, murder is scored of all. Okay.

SPEAKER_10 58:13

That's a real good question.

SPEAKER_06 58:19

What have you been reading?

SPEAKER_05 58:20

Yeah, I have been reading some amazing comics.

SPEAKER_06 58:25

He's uh reaching into his his his bag, everybody. He's pulling out props for an audio medium.

SPEAKER_05 58:32

So a few weeks ago, I went into All-Star Comics.

SPEAKER_06 58:36

Yes, you did, I remember.

SPEAKER_05 58:37

And uh to uh to hang out with you.

SPEAKER_06 58:40

Yeah, it was a momentous event. I hadn't seen you in in nine nigh on a decade. Like two days. Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 58:46

And uh and uh and it was also the time when I uh interviewed uh Benji Bajoric. Yes, um, and while I was there I picked up uh these two um really nice uh comic scenes. I was wondering what had happened with these. Yes, these these are me. Yeah, um and and it it it's called uh Behemoth.

SPEAKER_06 59:06

Yep.

SPEAKER_05 59:07

Uh and this is by uh Nathaniel Whale. Uh the the the the two that I've picked up is uh chapter one and two. Yep. There are about an A5. Um and uh yeah, so this is done by Nathaniel Whale. Um he's from WA. Okay.

SPEAKER_06 59:23

Um and uh so much good talent in WA.

SPEAKER_05 59:27

Yeah, yeah. I'll um in the in the uh shout I'll uh tell you about another WA artist.

SPEAKER_06 59:33

They must have good water or something.

SPEAKER_05 59:34

Yeah, I don't know, but um yeah, they've got some sun, that's for sure. Um these uh these are the first two of nine chapters.

SPEAKER_06 59:42

Okay.

SPEAKER_05 59:42

Um and essentially it's about Lan and uh Corrigan, um, who are two prehistoric wizards fighting di uh sorry fighting dinosaur gods to keep their people free and safe.

SPEAKER_06 59:56

They're beautiful looking books.

SPEAKER_05 59:58

Yeah, uh like shading is great, paneling is good, um it's uh there's there's there's not a lot of dialogue in this, yeah, but when the dialogue is is is there, um it's it's presented really well.

SPEAKER_06 1:00:12

Um the uh Benji listener Benji's got me thinking a lot about um paper quality and stuff as well. Yes. And the the paper's really lovely in these.

SPEAKER_08 1:00:22

Yes.

SPEAKER_06 1:00:23

Um yeah, it's it's just a nice thing to to flick through.

SPEAKER_05 1:00:26

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 1:00:27

Um yeah, so they were good?

SPEAKER_05 1:00:28

Fantastic. Yeah. Fantastic.

SPEAKER_06 1:00:31

So you can lend me these, yeah?

SPEAKER_05 1:00:32

Yes.

unknown 1:00:33

Okay.

SPEAKER_05 1:00:33

Well, um, so have a read. Um but yeah, highly recommend uh you check out uh Nathaniel Whale. Yeah um and uh and and those two uh those two are the beginning, like a set of nine chapters.

SPEAKER_06 1:00:46

As have you is he on Instagram? Have you have you said that already? He he he is on Instagram because I was distracted looking through the books.

SPEAKER_05 1:00:53

You can um find him on Instagram, um that's probably the best place to find him. Um under uh Nathaniel Whale. That's it's just like one word, Nathaniel Whale.

SPEAKER_06 1:01:03

I'm gonna spell it out though, because um like Nathaniel is spelt differently to what I would normally Yes? Yeah, so um N-A-T-H-A-N-A-E-L-H-A-L-E. Yes. Um just for ease of finding it.

SPEAKER_05 1:01:20

Yep. Uh and so yeah, be be sure to check out his work. He's got some some really um amazing, he does a lot of uh these comic scenes, um, and uh, you know, fantasy seems to be his kind of bag. Um and um so uh hopefully uh I can you know pick up some of his other works.

SPEAKER_08 1:01:41

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 1:01:42

Uh but uh listeners, if you know of anywhere where we can get these, uh we get any of his other works, uh let us know. Hit us up on uh socials under Popculture Pod.

SPEAKER_06 1:01:52

Oh well these yeah, these are stunning, and if you're happy to leave them with me, I'm gonna have a read. Yes. So I'll I'll report back.

SPEAKER_05 1:01:57

Five dollars a night.

SPEAKER_06 1:01:59

Uh yeah, done. Yeah. What about you? What have you been reading? Rolling in that podcast money. Uh you know, since we recorded only two or three days ago, our last episode, um, I actually I'm a bit ashamed to admit I haven't read any comics. Oh. Um I haven't read any any comics since the ones I reviewed last episode. Yeah. I've been reading books. Yep. Um, so yeah, I'll just I figure I'll just update you on the books that I've been reading.

SPEAKER_04 1:02:28

Sounds great.

SPEAKER_05 1:02:29

Um still I don't read books.

SPEAKER_06 1:02:31

No, well that's okay. Yeah, you read books on my behalf. Well, you read comics. That's you're reading a lot more than a lot of people, I'm telling you that much. Um so no, it's uh but I've been reading some books. I've been re- reconnecting with some of the novels that I've um uh got on my reading pile.

SPEAKER_08 1:02:49

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 1:02:50

So um I finished off um the second book of the uh Star Wars The High Republic novel series, The Rising Storm, by Kevin Scott.

SPEAKER_05 1:02:58

Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_06 1:02:59

Um I'd been reading that for a while, and so yeah, I wanted to uh sort of get back into it and kick on into the next one. Um yeah, so I've started the third book, um, which is The Fallen Star by Claudia Gray. Okay. Um and yeah, I've I've made a bit of inroads into that. Um I know a bit about what's gonna happen in this one, and I'm not exactly looking forward to it, um, because it's a very dramatic um event in the the Star Wars High Republic universe, but um, you know, it's gotta be done. Um I've read a lot of the uh comics, so I'm kind of vaguely aware of what happens in the timeline um in this part of the the Star Wars Galaxy. Yep. Um but the books are great, and there's some really wonderful Jedi characters in particular, some really um compelling villains. Um yeah, so that's that's what I've been reading. Um and the other thing, which is not really a pop culture thing, but I just thought, again, I'd mention it, um, is I've started reading another history book. Oh. Uh I finished my last one, which was called uh Bedlam, London and It's Mad by uh Catherine Arnold. Um I previously read a book uh by her called Necropolis, London and It's Dead. Oh. Um uh and yeah, it was all about what London has done historically with it its dead bodies. Buried everybody. Interesting. So very grim stuff. But the this one, um London and it's mad, I really enjoyed because um you know it's it sort of sho shows the evolution of um uh perceptions of mental health and treatment of mental health from you know hundreds of years ago to today. Yeah. And I found that really interesting. But um, yeah, I've done with that one and I've moved on to something um uh even rosier. I've fallen moved on to book two of the Hitler years.

SPEAKER_05 1:04:45

Oh it's called Sounds like really good light reading.

SPEAKER_06 1:04:48

We've got a sub subtitle called Disaster 1940 to 1945 by um Frank McDonough. Um uh I've read the first book in this series, um, which was uh the rise of um Hitler and the Nazis in in uh Germany. Yep. Um and this is about them getting their well-deserved comeuppance. Right. Um so yes. Spoiler alert. This is I I say all of this to um uh inform you as to why I haven't been reading um so many comics, but um I'm gonna get back into those this week.

SPEAKER_05 1:05:22

Sounds good. Yeah. Sounds good.

SPEAKER_06 1:05:24

And yeah, what about you? Anything else?

SPEAKER_05 1:05:26

No, nothing for me. Uh like I like like you, it's uh it was a little bit light on because we'd had so much uh just recently. We did.

SPEAKER_06 1:05:34

Um and uh and I'll have more I'll I'll have more next week.

SPEAKER_05 1:05:36

Yeah, there's definitely there's definitely heaps more on my pile. I I I I need to catch up on quite a number of titles, Batman being one of those. Um about six issues behind. The um the ongoing yeah, the fractions and um series. Are you you're that far behind? Yeah, I'm I'm yeah, I'm quite quite substantial. I'll jump into it, mate. So I've I've definitely got to catch up on that. So review. next episode will come with that.

SPEAKER_06 1:06:02

That's exciting though, because that series is such a uh a relatively fast paced, dynamic wild ride to have a bunch of issues to look forward to. I think that's really exciting.

SPEAKER_05 1:06:14

Yeah, absolutely. I'm I'm pumped for it. Let's get into the review.

SPEAKER_02 1:06:21

Where you are with the wear with superstars.

SPEAKER_04 1:06:52

The interviews, the fan mail, this business is all tick, tick, tick. So much kidding. I love it.

SPEAKER_09 1:07:00

It's that Woody Star from Milmac and he's all yours. New wise cracking out these of party alien.

SPEAKER_03 1:07:06

Let's go check out the fridge.

SPEAKER_09 1:07:08

He's loaded with jars. You'll make it feel three feet tall. It's wise cracking out, which is barely any dogs new from Coleco.

SPEAKER_06 1:07:51

What do you mean watch it? Uh again, not heaps because we only recorded a few days ago but um some pretty momentous stuff. I watched the finale of Scrubs. Yes. Um which I talked about last week. Amazing again I shout out Disney and Hulu and say renew it. Give us some more we want to know what's happening but um really enjoyed the finale I thought that they um nailed it as I knew they would. And the other one is of course we prioritise more Shadow Lord.

SPEAKER_05 1:08:23

We got two episodes.

SPEAKER_06 1:08:25

Yeah well they've been releasing two every week. Yep we got two episodes we did um some very eventful ones and and I'm really excited by I was really excited by both episodes. They were wild. They were pretty wild like lots and lots of action yep um lots of uh high emotion particularly for the title character yep um uh some really fun flashbacks and uh cameos I guess yep um but I'm really excited by where this one has ended um I've talked about it where he's sort of at in the in the tunnel is that what you're referring to sort of but you know at the end of this we sort of get a bit of a name drop from another um Star Wars property that I've mentioned on here recently being solo a Star Wars story. Yeah and it looks a bit like this um show might um tie into that a little sooner than I thought it would.

SPEAKER_05 1:09:20

Yeah and I'm really excited by that as as in what we were talking about last week with Crimson Dawn.

SPEAKER_06 1:09:25

Exactly yeah um you know the it's yeah it's spoilers I guess but um you know that there's a mention of of that yeah uh that's the second time it's been it it's been mentioned it is but this this one seems to sort of be pointing towards them uh potentially appearing in some form in this story yeah relatively soon whether it's before the end of this season or next season.

SPEAKER_05 1:09:47

And I love the Inquisitors like that was they're they're just gold.

SPEAKER_06 1:09:52

I meant to who what's the name of that one with the pointy face? Because he's from like Jedi Fallen Order or something isn't he? Crow man. Right. Crow Skull you can just say I don't know. Crow Skull you can just say I know I don't know like because we're we're literally wearing t-shirts that say we are not journalists. We're not see which is proving that we're not we're even less trustworthy. I don't know anyway yeah no see he's some sort of like apex yeah inquisitor he's unreal yeah like if someone's gonna come back at us and tell us what his name is and I'm gonna kick myself but um let us know yeah no he it was really cool and some great um lightsaber battles and we still got we still got the the pose yes in in it must be just their thing right they must just like keep that that continuity right every episode we've got to have mole he's got to be silhouetted or standing ready for action and then turning on his lights well like I've said previously it make it does make me giggle but I also love it you know it's like it's it's totally fine keep doing keep doing it.

SPEAKER_05 1:11:00

You get both sides of it right yeah yeah it's no he is very cool yeah he's cool also very messed up in the head oh and and especially that the end of that last episode episode six uh was yeah gave us a real insight into what's going on he's not stable is he he's definitely not stable yeah like it doesn't take too much for to send him into a tis and a tantrum no and I just watched uh I watched the end of Rebels uh well uh the end of Rebels season three I think it is where where you see Maul and Obi-Wan together yeah and like you know like to live your life in revenge you know for it to to to to to happen the way that it did what a waste of the life right it it is I mean it is it's it's it is pathetic isn't it his whole life was was all about getting to a point where he could seek revenge and find out where Knobby was.

SPEAKER_06 1:11:58

I think what's fascinating for me is like the intensity with which that fire burns within him. Yeah it's like you know we all get upset right and and we all get um angry about things and we all hold on to baggage yeah but for him to never calm down about this we're talking like 30 years right we're taking 30 30 plus years easily and i i'm and I'm just saying that I think that that is fascinating flaming rage yeah like it just this it's it's his core drive for revenge is for revenge and um it does it makes for a really compelling um fascinating character I think yeah absolutely yeah no he just he really needs to um uh chill out yeah he needs to get a meditation app like me yeah well he does meditate um I'm guessing he's just dreaming streaming about about about all the bad stuff that he can be one his must be called bad head space yeah um well have have you uh have you been watching anything else uh no uh again you know it's only been a couple of days since we recorded so um I have not um one thing that you will hear me over the next coming weeks talk about is the return of Bob's burgers and I am so excited for it to be back.

SPEAKER_05 1:13:19

There's a new episode these are new episodes nice um so we're in uh season 16 now okay um and uh this is the second half of the season all right we've had a very long hiatus um Disney are doing a really bad job of um being consistent with these episodes yeah you know they'll bring out four at a time you know four weeks consistently and then we'll have two weeks off and then we might get another episode and then we'll get four weeks and then we'll get another two I I think they're just dragging it out um so you get Bob's burgers all year round um but it's really frustrating um and anyway it's been uh it's been a long hiatus the last the last the well sorry the first part of the season yeah the last episode finished on the 28th of December last year okay and so we're now getting the other half of that season it is a long time it's a really long time especially if it's technically the the same season yeah exactly so um what we're this this is a great episode it's called the keyboard uh I think it's called the keyboard um but uh essentially what what we're looking at here is that uh Tina takes a um uh an extra class so that she can go on a field trip so that she can stare at her prospective boyfriend's butt while he's while he rock climbs.

SPEAKER_06 1:14:44

Right. Um and not appropriate not appropriate behavior kids.

SPEAKER_05 1:14:48

And definitely not um and um she uh in she uh enroll herself into a uh a uh keyboard typing uh class okay um and uh the teacher who is uh will forte oh nice uh is uh condemns her for her um her her uh I think he refers to them as spaghetti fingers um because she doesn't type type the right way doesn't sound like a very nice thing for a teacher to say and uh so we're so it it just so happens that will to Will Forte feels threatened by her based on her ability to be able to type um you know um a lot of words per minute almost to the same that he is and he is the teacher.

SPEAKER_07 1:15:36

Okay.

SPEAKER_05 1:15:36

And so they have a type off um which is absolutely fantastic. The side story that we get is we get Bob and um and Linda and also um Teddy. Teddy is building a uh a barbecue and um for a uh a rich wealthy person. Yeah and it just so happens that that barbecue is um uh Bob's uh like dream barbecue to have and so he has to get in on the action as well. Um and yeah again it's just it's a delight from start to finish. It's one of those um series that we're now in you know 16 seasons and it's still as fresh and as new and as exciting as I probably felt with the Simpsons seasons one through ten. Right?

SPEAKER_06 1:16:28

Yeah yeah um but these guys haven't slowed down they can it's amazing isn't it like amazing how they've uh managed to maintain that level of quality because you hear that from all sorts of people I'm not caught up with Bob's burgers at all. Yeah it took for whatever reason I had never watched an episode of Bob's burgers until maybe a year and a half or two years ago.

SPEAKER_05 1:16:48

Yeah um and then I started watching it as a um uh just before I go to sleep yeah show that's a good comfort show right yeah exactly um and I'm uh several seasons in now and I'm I'm loving it but um I also love that I've got so many episodes ahead of me yeah um it's it's really wonderful to have come to something late uh because yeah now I've got all these episodes that people talk about to look forward to and they did a movie um and that that movie has helped to carry the you know the the the the seasons after that yeah which is great um they've they've learned right into that and so their opening um credits um you know is a tribute to the to the movie as well. Okay. Um and so you know if you have the movie then watch you know you watch that. Yeah more for me to look forward to but yeah I mean they've got a you know they've got the the the the cast is very comfortable in those characters um their one-liners are just amazing um they they work extremely well together to add lib um and to have the the cavalcade of stars that make guest appearances on it is fantastic so um it's a very talented cast but oh yeah shout out to Kristen Schall because she's one of my favourites um she's just so funny Louise is a great character she's a great character but it's all because Kristen Schael is just such a funny lady it just feels like it's Kristen Schall with with bunny ears right you know that's that's that's what it is right yeah no but um yeah as you say it's a it's a really uh great great cast that obviously gets along really well and um yeah I'm looking forward to watching more.

SPEAKER_06 1:18:29

Yeah so um so yeah for those that are uh Bobsburgers fans and aren't aware that the the new season has started I think it drops I think it drops this week in for for Disney so yeah yeah looking forward to uh to many more weeks of that check it out unless Disney decide to hop and stop and whatever uh anything else for you uh no no no that's the the pretty much the sum of my watching this week well backed by popular demand my sizesly mailbag yeah well now now listeners I know nothing about what MJ is about to read so I am as making it sound very full I am I am just as captivated and and ready for a Nostradamus prediction like we had in the last episode. Oh who knows maybe all right we are going to transport ourselves back to um what in this case 1984 right um to another issue of uh the return of the Jedi magazine from the UK um I've got news oh last week I mess it mentioned that um uh the guy that was writing uh the letter to the letter column Peter I think his name is Peter yes um he was addressing his letter to Cyril yes I I I know who Cyril is now right and I know what Cyril looks like. Oh you've done some you've done some deep research yeah so uh Cyril is actually the he's the the robot editor of the return of the Jedi magazine oh okay um and I've got I've got some pictures of him he's he's actually featured on the front cover of um of of this magazine I'll show you Nathan he's not a great he's not a great look at droid oh come on sorry he does he do he looks like a bit like if a The Muppets made a droid I I I was gonna say the Jow is like put together scrap parts. Well it doesn't mean he's not a good editor okay so just back off. Leave him alone leave Cyril alone yeah leave Cyril alone save Cyril yeah free Cyril Cyril for president I'm gonna get you a t-shirt got out of control um yeah so I'll post some images uh for anyone that wants to see Cyril yeah um in all his uh handsome glory I think he looks wonderful um but yeah that's uh we we now know that Cyril is the yeah the robot uh editor of the magazine got it I've been looking through a few of these magazines and they're really fascinating like um there's a Cyril cartoon in this one again I will I will post that in its entirety I reckon on our socials so people can have a look it's got a um yeah nice little Star Wars theme.

SPEAKER_05 1:21:16

Yeah um you know what they remind me of they remind me of the uh the the hardback books that you use to get the annuals yes that you would you you would sort of get for a for for any property so they do like once a year in the UK like Bino. Yeah so like once a year you get a Star Wars annual right and you get all of this stuff in it.

SPEAKER_06 1:21:36

Yeah totally but this is like an ongoing series they still do them for some stuff like they still do seem I think they still do a Doctor Who one every yeah oh really okay oh that's kind of cool. And they're really great because I I actually got a Stranger Things one oh okay um that they produced this year yeah because it was the last season. Right. And it was really good you know great photos and yeah puzzles and all sorts of stuff in it. Bits of trivia. I love those things they're amazing. I think they're great they've there's lots of nostalgia involved in those um but yeah I've been looking through a few of these magazines and and I'll talk about aspects of them at some stage but um one of the ones I went through like they really serialize some really wild stuff. Like it's it's got Star Wars on the front and they they usually have a bit of a Star Wars comic in it but not always. Like one of the ones that I was looking at had um Guardians of the galaxy was like from the late 70s. I think it was like 1979 and it had Guardians of the Galaxy um comics it had Deathlot comics remember Deathlot comics he's not a he's not a he's not for kids. No. But then but and then it had a tale of the Watcher oh so the Watcher from Marvel comics this is obviously a Marvel production I'd say oh totally well completely I mean back in those days you know Star Wars was still in um Marvel's hands for for the first time in terms of comics. Yeah so yeah um it's it's really interesting but also some fantastic ads uh you know drawings oh look power pack I've just opened up this one and it's got the it's got the um got first issue of PowerPack yeah well this is some of the original power pack stories so no it's gold and they're also they're advertising I I mean I could go on for hours but they're advertising um like little comic uh trade swaps in Sheffield and frickin' Leeds and all sorts of stuff.

SPEAKER_05 1:23:28

It's really good fun stuff do you reckon they should bring back uh the the ads in comics like you know send send five coupons to get extra the the classified ads yeah I I reckon they should bring those back and put them in comics I I still assume most of them be dodgy.

SPEAKER_06 1:23:46

Oh of course that'd be still be fun no even if it's just funny more litigious now that we were past that yeah no I'm not okay anyway keep going oh well you bring them back. My size litigious just don't put the podcast name on it I'm not I'm not I'm not going down with you all right what do we got what what what letter we got bloody kids kids choking on Dakota rings anyway um let's read a couple of letters from cosmic correspondence shall we oh um I've got three that I'm gonna read here oh um from this issue which is uh number 80 28th of no 29th of December 1984 25p Return of the Jedi magazine and I think it's got Walt Simons and art on the front that's cool yeah anyway I'll I'll post it on our socials um the first letter uh it's it's titled Make let Make Jabber's Palace it says it's from Andrew Pittman doesn't say where he's from uh dear Cyril I have had a great idea for Jabba's Palace all you need is some polystyrene tiles you can make your palace any shape or size you wish then you are ready to put your evil jabber in the palace with all of your R O T J creatures and droids. I have had great fun with my palace so far. I think that's a great idea from Andrew.

SPEAKER_05 1:25:15

Thanks for that crafting with Andrew.

SPEAKER_06 1:25:18

Well it's I I like this letter because it it harkens back to a day like obviously there was no um Jabber's Palace sail barge uh toy at the time like I said it's 1984 um and and that's what we used to do back in the day. You know if you wanted like a um you know Jabber's Palace or uh the Yarv and Rebel base or something like that you had to use like couch couch cushions and stuff to you to make them. True or Lego or cardboard or yeah yeah Lego I used to use you know Lego quite a bit I'd make like um you know Batcave or whatever.

SPEAKER_05 1:25:53

Yep.

SPEAKER_06 1:25:53

Um because it wasn't that long ago that we didn't have any Star Wars official Lego. No true if you want if you had if you had it if you had a Lego X ring X Wing you'd made it yourself. Yeah um we all did it.

SPEAKER_05 1:26:06

Alright Crafting with Andrew is our first one.

SPEAKER_06 1:26:08

Yeah so that's what there's that one. Alright the next one is called False Claims oh yeah this one might get you a bit roiled up oh okay I'm ready uh this is from I'm ready to flip the table. I think it's it's from CF Sheffield I don't know whether it's CF from Sheffield or CF Sheffield.

SPEAKER_05 1:26:24

I'm gonna flip this table so hard that it goes back to 1984.

SPEAKER_06 1:26:27

You're not strong enough to flip this table no offense dude but come on plus you might dent my new Masters of the universe action film.

SPEAKER_05 1:26:37

Oh we can't do that.

SPEAKER_06 1:26:39

Dear Cyril a lot of readers write into this mag claiming to be people from the films since the mag started way back in 1978 folk have claimed to be C3PO R2D2 IG88 Luke Skywalker Hansolo Yoda Darth Vader Leia Ben Kenobi The Emperor and so on.

SPEAKER_05 1:26:56

People want to hear from readers with interesting points not from in quotation marks Luke Skywalker with all the figures from CF Sheffield I reckon he went on to be a keyboard warrior on the internet.

SPEAKER_06 1:27:09

I reckon he went on to be a Tory politician I read this I read this one out because basically you know uh it's a long uh time after he's actually said the letter but chill out CF yeah come on yeah come on relax have a bit of fun yeah um yeah it's like use your imagination for goodness sake and that's all I'll say about that as if as if Luke's like you know riding into Cyril yeah well he might be highly unlikely no just dude you'd just relax yeah use your imagination relax relax Cyril do make your own polystyrene jabber's palace on the floor and chill uh last letter yeah this is this is my favorite um this one's called I think Cyril's got his wires crossed here anyway it's uh it's I'm gonna call it a letter from a Harrison Ford fan oh okay very Uh Deary Cyril. Deary. Yeah. I'm just reading it as written. Typo? Oh maybe. Um after joining the Star Wars fan club, I sent away for lots of autographs. After five months, I have written to and received the autographs of Peter Mayhew, George Lucas, Mark Hamill, Billy D. Williams, and John Williams. Oh. In June, I made a book on Lucasfilm and the Star Wars saga and sent it to Harrison Ford for his birthday. Oh. Two weeks ago, I received an envelope marked airmail. I knew it was an autograph, and I ripped it open. In tore the autograph?

SPEAKER_05 1:28:45

Oh, okay.

SPEAKER_06 1:28:48

It's not the weird files. Inside was signed photograph and an a photograph and another envelope. It's a typo there. Like hair. I opened the envelope and inside was a card with Harrison Ford printed on the front. Harrison Ford back then, he's lucky he didn't send him a joint. It was a note typed in by his secretary from him saying thank you for the book and that he liked it. I am thrilled. All those of you who have written to the cast of Star Wars and haven't received anything yet, don't give up. I wrote to Harrison for 10 months from Harrison Ford fan.

SPEAKER_05 1:29:24

What I want to know is I want some certificate of authenticity.

SPEAKER_06 1:29:30

I don't think those words have been excuse existed in 1984.

SPEAKER_05 1:29:33

Is this mum and dad? Like just, you know. Mum and dad, I've been waiting for Harrison Ford.

SPEAKER_06 1:29:39

But the thing that gets me about this is like, is this for real? Like if it is, yeah, that's amazing. Massive. Can you imagine doing that now?

SPEAKER_05 1:29:49

Yeah, it'd be amazing.

SPEAKER_06 1:29:50

Yeah. And part of the reason I say is I want to know from our listeners, like the older ones like us, yeah, di if did did you ever do this? And if you did, did you have any success? Like, I remember you used to be able to send away to celebrities and fan, you know, fan fan clubs and all that sort of stuff. Because sending a letter was the only way that you'd, you know, potentially have any sort of input or feedback. Yeah. But like, was it possible for you to actually get sent an autograph like this? Um, let alone great question. Like that's like the Mount Rushmore of Star Wars.

SPEAKER_05 1:30:28

Yeah, great, great question, right?

SPEAKER_06 1:30:30

I mean it's like Billy D, though, dude. Billy D.

SPEAKER_05 1:30:32

And if he's still got these, yeah, right? If he's still got these as part of his collection.

SPEAKER_06 1:30:36

Yeah, and if he doesn't, they're probably if he doesn't, that's an even bigger story.

SPEAKER_05 1:30:40

That's probably worth some money because this is back in '84, right?

SPEAKER_06 1:30:44

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 1:30:44

Over time their signatures change.

SPEAKER_06 1:30:47

Yes.

SPEAKER_05 1:30:48

And so based on their signature is based on the value of of that particular item.

SPEAKER_07 1:30:54

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 1:30:55

So this is like in its infant stage, really, yeah. When they when they're signing these things. So if that is genuine, yeah, boy, you're sitting on a gold mic.

SPEAKER_06 1:31:04

Yeah. Like I I like to believe that this is true, word for word. Like I'm done. I'm okay with it. I don't know why a Harrison Ford fan would lie to us. Well, his secretary did it for him. Harrison Ford's. Yeah. Yeah, but it said he's he's got he no, he's got an older graph. He said a signed photograph and another envelope. Right. And in the envelope was a note from the uh secretary. Nice saying thanks for the book. Was it Christopher? Your knowledge of the Harrison Ford timeline is severely lacking.

SPEAKER_05 1:31:38

That's amazing.

SPEAKER_06 1:31:40

Um, yeah, so there you go. That's the Moss Isley mailbag for this week.

SPEAKER_05 1:31:43

Great to open the Moss Aesley mailbag again. Look forward to uh another opportunity for it to be reopened.

SPEAKER_06 1:31:52

Yeah, we'll do because it's gonna happen.

SPEAKER_05 1:31:54

Maybe next week.

SPEAKER_06 1:31:54

Yes.

SPEAKER_05 1:31:55

All right. Well, you know what that means.

SPEAKER_06 1:31:57

What does that mean?

SPEAKER_05 1:31:59

It means we're into the shout. All right. What do you got for the shout? Anything?

SPEAKER_06 1:32:08

Nothing new. Oh. I'm just gonna say uh I hope everybody had a great time at Free Comic Book Day. Yes. I got some great reads. Yes. Um hit us up on the socials and tell us what you picked. Yeah. I'm really fascinated to see what people picked. If I if there's anything left once I've finished giving out comics to other people, I'm gonna try and pick some stuff that like I'm committing myself to try and pick some stuff that's different, like stuff that I don't normally read.

SPEAKER_05 1:32:31

Oh, good point.

SPEAKER_06 1:32:32

Yeah, so yeah, as I said, that's if there's anything left. Yeah, but um, yeah, I'm just interested to know what people picked, what they thought of them, whether they've discovered anything new. Um yeah, let us know what you've what you've uh uh gotten your hands on at Free Comic Book Day.

SPEAKER_05 1:32:49

Yeah, absolutely. Um one thing that I just want to shout about is uh the uh pop culture plus which we've been um we've been doing episodes of now. Um so uh issue uh by the uh the time that you've listened to this, uh issue four uh would would have been released.

SPEAKER_06 1:33:09

Episode four.

SPEAKER_05 1:33:10

Episode four. Did I say issue four? You did. Yeah. Which is fine. People might have issues with four.

SPEAKER_06 1:33:14

That's fine. We occasionally talk about comic books on this podcast.

SPEAKER_05 1:33:17

Um so uh yeah, episode four will drop, uh, which will be with uh Lee Kleman. Uh he's a uh a WA uh artist uh and writer um who is has launched his Kickstarter, um, which uh you can listen to that episode. Um but uh we um we're we're really grateful that you've um you've you've sort of gravitated towards this um this this new sort of arm of pop culture um with us.

SPEAKER_07 1:33:48

Yep.

SPEAKER_05 1:33:48

Um because uh yeah we can we can we can see that that people are really enjoying it um by by the download count. That's great. Which is which is fantastic. But um, you know, we've got a really great lineup um pretty much for I don't know, at least the next three or four months um of people. So um really looking forward to uh to to to bringing those to you. And it's not just gonna be me, MJ's gonna um uh get on the get on the mic and uh have a chat with a uh with a few of these creators himself. So um so yeah, you won't have to always listen to me. Um but uh we're looking forward to bringing you um uh you know more episodes of Pulp Culture Plus.

SPEAKER_06 1:34:30

Yeah, well I'm really enjoying listening to them and um yeah I'm looking forward to getting on and being involved myself.

SPEAKER_05 1:34:35

Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. Well, the shout's over. The zest is over.

SPEAKER_06 1:34:42

Yes, it's all it's it's all over.

SPEAKER_05 1:34:44

It's it is all over.

SPEAKER_06 1:34:45

Oh, it sounded more grim than I meant it.

SPEAKER_05 1:34:50

Well, it's over for another week. Yeah, until next week. Until next week. When we'll have lots and lots and lots more pulp culture goodness. We did alright this week. Considering that we only recorded in our time three days ago. Yeah. Um I think we've done exceptionally well. Yeah, I agree. So congratulations.

SPEAKER_06 1:35:08

Yeah, no, well done, Ars.

SPEAKER_05 1:35:10

I'm gonna give you a participation certificate.

SPEAKER_06 1:35:13

You know, I know you're joking.

SPEAKER_05 1:35:15

And a signed uh Harrison Ford photo by the secretary.

SPEAKER_06 1:35:22

I'll take it.

SPEAKER_05 1:35:25

But uh thanks for your company. We uh we always enjoy um your company and uh we enjoy your feedback. Don't forget to hit us up on socials under Pulp Culture Pod. Uh but stay tuned next week when you'll hear MJ say.

SPEAKER_06 1:35:39

Run, Barry, run. Thanks very much, stay fresh. See you guys.

SPEAKER_00 1:35:46

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