Pulp Culture Podcast
Get ready for Pulp Culture Podcast with your hosts MJ and Nath. Every week, they dive into the world of movies, TV, animation, comics, toys and everything in between. From the latest news and reviews to lively debates and deep dives into fandom, Pulp Culture Podcast delivers fun, positive conversations for pop culture fans of all kinds. Join the Pulpsters each week for your dose of geek culture, nostalgia and entertainment.
Pulp Culture Podcast
046 - MAKE the Lanterns Transform!
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This week, MJ & Nath roll out the red carpet for some very special guests as they welcome the committee behind the Melbourne Alternative IComics Expo (MAKE)!
The boys chat with the team about the upcoming expo in October, how MAKE came to life, the story behind the event and what exciting things fans and creators can expect across the three days. If independent comics are your thing, this is one conversation you won’t want to miss.
Then Nath brings out the show and tell, unveiling two new Transformers Blokees before taking a trip down memory lane with Transformers: The Movie on the big screen.
It’s full Green ahead as the boys dive into the latest episode of Lanterns, while The Aisle delivers plenty of comic chat, including why the latest comic from Madcave is titled Escape from New York: Escape from Chicago and also an enthusiastic look at Chachu #2.
Add plenty of laughs, comic book conversation and the usual positive vibes, and you’ve got another packed episode of Pulp Culture Podcast!
All content © 2026 Pulp Culture Productions
I'm back.
SPEAKER_06Something's going on. We started off with a bit of a hitch there.
SPEAKER_09I don't know. It's it all seems fine from my end.
SPEAKER_06Well, it's me then. Hey everybody, welcome to the pop culture podcast, your weekly dose of all things pop culture.
SPEAKER_04Freshly squeezed for you, even with the hitches and glitches. I'm Nate.
SPEAKER_09I am MJ.
SPEAKER_04And welcome back to episode 46. We hope you've had a good week. It's been a full-on week and it's already Tuesday for us. It'll be Wednesday when you get this tomorrow. Uh MJ, anything exciting? Well, anything going on?
SPEAKER_09No, no, just busy. Just busy. Just busy selling comics.
SPEAKER_04Just life. Well, that's a good that's a good thing to be busy doing.
unknownYeah.
SPEAKER_09Hey, what uh speaking of selling comics, you know how last week I said um like you were telling me how you'd read absolute Batman number 24. And I and I and I said, you know, I should should have read it, you know, uh assuming that there's no problems with you know the delivery or something like that.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_09Remember that?
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_09Yeah, I still haven't read it. Ours didn't arrive.
SPEAKER_03Really?
SPEAKER_09Yeah, we got everything else but but absolute Batman 24. So I haven't I haven't I haven't told anyone at that yeah. 100%. I haven't told anybody at the shop that um uh I said that on the pod last week. I'm kind of hoping that they don't hear it because because I'm pretty sure I jinxed it.
SPEAKER_03Oh, it's all your fault. It's all your fault.
SPEAKER_09Well, like I said, you knew that the biggest the biggest absolute villain in absolute Gotham is absolute MJ.
SPEAKER_06Yeah. He's a terrible villain. He's a terrible villain.
SPEAKER_09Nightmare.
SPEAKER_06He just makes stuff up.
SPEAKER_09Yeah, yeah, and it becomes becomes real. It's actually it's actually not a bad power being able to speak stuff into existence, but um uh maybe I won't mess around with it too much.
SPEAKER_04Who was that?
SPEAKER_09Uh was it the um 600,000 followers for the podcast. 600,000 followers for the podcast. Something something will have gone wrong if that happens.
SPEAKER_04It was the umbrella academy with rumor, and she'd say I heard a rumor, and then she would verbalize, remember?
SPEAKER_09Yep.
SPEAKER_04And it would be and it would be seen as true. So um I I I like that pal. That's a good power to that.
SPEAKER_09Yeah. Yeah, no, I don't think I need that in my life.
SPEAKER_04Well, we've got some absolute uh we've we do have some absolute Batman news, so uh why don't we get into uh the zest.
SPEAKER_09What's the absolute Batman news? Frozen Knight? Oh, he's muted himself.
SPEAKER_04No, no, no, no, I'm here. I'm here.
SPEAKER_09He's back.
SPEAKER_04I'm back, I'm back with a vengeance. Um going well.
SPEAKER_09Like well or machine tonight.
SPEAKER_04Oh, yeah, it is. Yeah, we'll we'll we'll we'll we'll persevere.
SPEAKER_09Um uh we're like a we're like a we're like a kettle spitting out toast.
SPEAKER_04We um we we we have news now that uh absolute Batman number 25 will be the last issue for the year.
SPEAKER_09Um okay I hadn't I hadn't heard that one.
SPEAKER_04They're having a bit of a break. Uh so that will be out uh September and towards the end of September. Um and then so for the rest of the year we have no more absolute Batman.
SPEAKER_09Interesting. I hadn't heard that better news.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, they're finishing on 25. There was a lot of panic that's going through the uh the interwebs at the moment, which you can understand. Um but uh they uh they they they they need a break, I think. They've been going pretty solid for the last what is it, two years.
SPEAKER_09Yeah, I think um I think that's fair. It's um as far as I can recall, it's the first break that they've had uh in the entire 25 issues, so I don't blame them to be honest.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, and Scott Scott Snyder's doing other projects as well.
SPEAKER_09So um yeah, I mean he's sort of he's overseeing all of the um the the absolute universe, but in addition to that, he's got other books coming out too. I was going through um the previews magazine on All Stars website today, and he's got other stuff with other publishers as well. So um, yeah, he's uh he's a prolific man.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, it's amazing.
SPEAKER_09Yeah, I think that's okay. Um, you know, it's not like we don't have other absolute stuff to to keep us busy in the meantime. Um, presumably Green Arrow will still keep coming out. We've still got issues of absolute catwoman. Um yeah, and it's it's only a short space of time. So um I don't see too much drama with that. Of course, there'll be lots of people that will be upset about it. Um not everybody is as as patient as your boy MJ, but um uh uh it's uh yeah, I I I think that's fine. Uh and and I think that in the long run it'll um it'll be for the best. If that's what we need to maintain the the same uh standard of of writing and art from Scott Snyder and Nick Tregotta, then so be it.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, yeah, I agree. I I I agree. And let's let's let's like you say, you know, we've got other other books to read. Um we also this is a great opportunity for those that have only just jumped onto the absolute universe, um, specifically with Batman who now have a little bit of time to catch up as well.
SPEAKER_09Yeah, yeah. Uh there's there's still plenty of people catching up too. You know, but we we still have people come in and buy handfuls of um other absolute books and Batman um uh still catching up. So there's there's still plenty of people discovering the joys of the absolute universe. Um, I think it's uh it seems like it's possibly a bit of a gift for Marble, too, with their midnight titles coming out in October. Um it gives them a little bit of of clear air as well to to launch uh those three titles on the 7th of October, I think it is. Yeah, yeah. Um uh October or November. Anyway, um uh I'll have to Google the date. I'll I'll check the date because it's important I get one get that one right. Yeah, um, because I mean we've got we've got a bit happening. Yeah, we'll if if it is October, then that's in the next couple of weeks, really. And um, we've also got Spider-Man 1000 coming out uh this week. Um, so there's there's there's quite a lot um to keep us amused over the next uh month at least. Um you know we're not gonna be short of stuff to talk about, that's for sure. Crazy nace gone silent again on my end. I don't know about his.
SPEAKER_04No, no, no audio.
SPEAKER_09You're back. No, you're back.
SPEAKER_04I'm back? How unfortunately? You're back.
SPEAKER_09Am I am I uh Yeah, I know, it's devastating.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, yeah. I I was just saying that um I've I've I've seen some early uh um reviews of the new Midnight Spider-Man. Is that what they're calling it? Midnight Spider-Man?
SPEAKER_09Uh yeah, that's uh we've got Midnight Midnight Spider-Man, Midnight X-Men, and then Midnight Fantastic Four.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, right. And they're saying that that the Spider-Man is is horrific, as in like it's quite quite um there's a lot of horror involved.
SPEAKER_09Yeah, I've I've I've heard that. Um uh I haven't had a look myself. I I know there's been some um like ash cans or previews or stuff floating around the the shop, but we've been so busy I haven't had a chance to have a look at them. Um kind of waiting to read it with everybody else anyway. So um uh um yeah, sorry, give me a give me a sec.
SPEAKER_04So this is a great opportunity. So the dog, Mark's dog, always seems to want to go outside whenever we start the podcast. I think he's got it in for MJ. Um, but that's okay because I get to sit one-on-one with you myself and talk about MJ behind his back. Oh, he's back, okay.
SPEAKER_09Hello, I was gonna say leave leave leave it out or take it in uh leave it in or take it out, um editor maestro, but um I just have to let the dog out. And I I I texted producer I yeah, I texted producer Kim, uh, and then I realized I didn't text producer Kim, I texted you.
SPEAKER_06So you texted me, yeah. Yeah, let the dog out. So should I reply my back and say yes, you should?
SPEAKER_09No, no, it's fine. No, it'd be a waste of your time come driving all the way over here.
SPEAKER_04Okay, all right, no worries.
SPEAKER_09Well, we've actually uh chaotic.
SPEAKER_04Well, we've actually uh changed the format and uh normally we would talk about trailers, so uh why don't we uh get on to some trailers? Professor trailer.
SPEAKER_09We can what do we got? We can do that professor trailer, that's a new one, isn't it?
SPEAKER_04Yeah, yeah. Get your get your doctorate out and show everyone that uh you know that you've so I was I used to be miss Mr.
SPEAKER_09Trailers and you were Mrs. Trailers, and if so, if I'm Professor Trailer, what does that make? What does it make you?
SPEAKER_04Uh assistant professor trailer.
SPEAKER_09Yeah, okay, all right. That doesn't have the same ring to it. But um yeah, we've had some good trailers this week. Um did you see that you see the trailer for Ray Gun, Brad Bird's uh Netflix film?
SPEAKER_04How good does this look? How it looks pretty great. Fantastic this look. I mean, it's been a long time coming. You know, this has been uh quite a number of years in the making, and I mean uh I believe Brad Bird sort of had to shop this around and Netflix finally sort of came to the party on this. Um, but I'm I'm so glad they have because it looks awesome.
SPEAKER_09It does, it looks amazing. Um, yeah, a futuristic noir um uh sci-fi murder mystery of some sort. Um starring uh Sam Rockwell, Scarlett Johansson, and Tom Waits.
SPEAKER_04Um yeah, it really human PI, is that right?
SPEAKER_09I'm not sure. I haven't had a look too much into it. I just really I just watched the trailer um and I've seen a few featurettes and stuff, but um, I'm really excited about it. Um, yeah, I can't quite believe that Brad Bird would have had so much trouble shopping it around and getting it made. Like Brad Bird's a a legend, you know. He he gave us the the incredibles and and and so much other stuff. Um yeah, I've I'm a bit I was a bit surprised when I heard um that he had so much trouble finding a home for this thing. Um, because for me it seems inspired.
SPEAKER_04It's out of its normal, you know, like if you think about like a lot of the animated stuff that's coming out at the moment, it's kind of it's a little bit different from everything else.
SPEAKER_09And I think maybe that's why I suspect it's not going to be sort of as as cutesy as as some of the the you know the the traditional Disney fair and Pixar and all that sort of stuff. I think it's probably designed to be um you know somewhere in between uh you know the Disney Pixar stuff and the the Invincibles and um you know the the DC animated sort of stuff. Uh I I I suspect that it's aimed at a slightly uh older audience. Yeah. Um but yeah, I'm I'm really here for it. I think it looks amazing. It um reminds me a lot of um uh was it uh the Jude Law films, is it Sky Sky Captain uh back in the day? Yeah, um it's got that sort of a feel about it, and and that's an underrated film in my opinion, too. Like um, you know, it it had a really unique, amazing genre sort of look that we haven't seen a whole lot of um in film at least. We see it in things like comics and that sort of stuff, but um, yeah, I'm I'm really pumped for for Ray Gun. How about you?
SPEAKER_04You know, it's funny you should mention that though. Like you know, I think at the time, you know, Sky Captain didn't get the sort of the the the kudos that it deserved because the problem was that nobody could really un get that they were just essentially just using blue screen for everything, right? Yeah, and you you look at a lot of the Marvel and Disney films that they're doing now, it's it's all on studio on big screens, you know. There's yeah, there's it's you know, that's what made Spider-Man so unusually rare, is is that it was done um you know, practically outside. Um so I think it was just ahead of its time, like some of these other films that that you know eventually get a cult following. Um, I think that the vision was probably before everybody could actually, you know, get it and see it. Um whereas now I think if they came out with it now, it'd be probably seen in a very different light.
SPEAKER_09Yeah, yeah. No, I'm I'm really excited for Ray Gun. I think it looks looks amazing. And um, I'm really excited by the voice cast too. I think that you know, yeah, um Sam Rockwell's not who you'd normally think. I mean, you know, we get um you know plenty of movies, animated movies led by the same sort of type of voice actor. Um, you know, Sam Reck Sam Rockwell doesn't really fit that. And Tom Waits certainly doesn't, like uh you know, Tom Waits is a is is an inspired choice. And um, you know, Scarlett Johansson's great too. Uh you know, she she she's always good in everything. So yeah, I'm I'm really pumped about it. I'm yeah I'm looking for looking forward to seeing it on a big screen.
SPEAKER_04Well, if you've got a Netflix, uh if you've got a Netflix um account, make sure you watch that and uh give it some love so I can um so it can make it uh make it on the top 10 at least.
SPEAKER_09Yeah, no, I'll I'll definitely be doing that, but I'm hoping that uh because I think it's got some showings in in theaters earlier in December or something. Um and uh I'm gonna make an effort to try and make it to one of those as well.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, I'd be interested in doing that.
SPEAKER_09Yeah. Um, yeah, amongst the other trailers we had, we had a new Clayface trailer, which I think is the final trailer before that movie comes out.
SPEAKER_04Um didn't they just take it up a notch with the horror?
SPEAKER_09They did, they took it up uh so much of a notch that uh producer Kim has now said she's not coming to see it with me. She was gonna come, she was she was gonna be really, really brave and come and see it with me, but uh after that last trailer, she's changed her mind.
SPEAKER_06So right, okay.
SPEAKER_09Um, yeah, good work there, DC. You've done yourselves out of a uh a 20 buck ticket.
SPEAKER_06A ticket, yeah. Thanks for coming.
SPEAKER_09Um, but uh I'm hoping that I'll see it and then I'll be able to you know take her and and guide her through it. I mean, there's every chance that I'll see it and I'll be scared out of my pants and I'll never want to see it again either.
SPEAKER_04So uh it's gonna rock up in HBO Max like a week later, isn't it? Is that right?
SPEAKER_09No, don't be cynical. That's that's that's just what that's that's way too cynical.
SPEAKER_04Isn't it a week?
SPEAKER_09I don't think so, is it?
SPEAKER_04Yeah, I I think Clayface is the um it's it's it's showing in cinemas for a very short time.
SPEAKER_09Oh, okay. There you go. I thought you were I thought you were just being a smart ass.
SPEAKER_04I I was under the impression that it was going to cinema and then like it was coming out like 22nd of October.
unknownOkay.
SPEAKER_04And then and then after that, it was then coming like November, I think, or like towards I don't know. It was it it felt like it was really short, whatever it was.
SPEAKER_09That's bound to have a detrimental effect on its box office, but um it's a reasonable model to use, I suppose. Um yeah, dunno, we'll we'll we'll we'll see. But I'm I'm determined to be a big boy, put on my big boy pants and go and see it in a movie theatre.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, well that I mean they're in the US they're calling it a a hard R. So um so yeah, it'll be interesting to see um the the film in its entirety. I hope it does well. I really do hope it does well. I'm looking forward to seeing it horror, so so horror dollars do definitely um are spent well. So I'm I'm hoping it does well.
SPEAKER_09Yes, they people do like to be scared out of out of their their seats, don't they?
SPEAKER_04Their pants.
SPEAKER_09I was gonna say that, but I think I said something similar a minute ago, so I was just trying to change it up, you know. Um uh another scary looking trailer that we've we've had, although I I confess I've forgot to watch this. I meant to watch it earlier in the day, but um to be honest, this is one that that another movie that I'm gonna go and see in a cinema I'm in is uh Werewolf. We had a new trailer for uh Robert Egger's uh werewolf. Um the first trailer that we got was enough to get me to go and see that. It looks absolutely terrifying.
SPEAKER_04And the second trailer has just again has just sort of taken it up a notch again. So um yeah, interesting.
SPEAKER_09No, I'm I'm really, really eager to see that. I love werewolves, I've really enjoyed all the Robert Edgar's stuff that I've seen so far. I don't love being scared, but uh I'm willing to be brave to go and see this this film because the other thing about Robert Eggers films, as well as them being um uh scary and grotesque, um, is that they're also really beautiful. So um, yeah, I'm determined determined to go see this one at a theater. I think it's our Christmas Day or Boxing Day, probably here, but um, yeah, round about them.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, Merry Christmas. Um the uh the um there's something about his films that are you know the just the pacing of them are terrifying in the in itself, right?
SPEAKER_09So yeah, um it's yeah, no, they they they they really sit with you, they go at a pace that is designed and is successful at making your skin crawl.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, absolutely.
SPEAKER_09So um, but I I I I've I've loved them. I yeah, The Witch, I I thought was amazing, and um uh Nosferatu I thought was was stunning. Um yeah, I'm I'm really pumped to see Werewolf. Um yeah, I'm sure not sure I'm gonna be able to maintain my level of my usual levels of decorum, but um I'll I will do my very best.
SPEAKER_04He's definitely um starting to position himself in the in that that that league of masters of horror, isn't he?
SPEAKER_09Yeah, definitely. He's a bit of a game, a bit of a game changer, I think. Um yeah, he's really really giving um a very unique, um, distinct uh visual and storytelling vibe that um has a real old school cinema, like you know, back to to a century ago type of feel. Um and and yeah, I'm really excited by it. I think it's I think it's it's wonderful. And and um yeah, that that because those those old horror movies from back in the 1920s, 30s, and 40s, I've always found them more terrifying than modern stuff. Um there's just something about them, something about the sort of out of. Yeah, I don't know what I I don't know what it is. It's just the the fact that you you know that it's not stuff isn't in it's not shot in HD, it's it's um shadowy and dark in a way that um is seems to be difficult to mimic in in modern cinema, although Robert Eggers and and his cinematographer seem to have have managed it. Um there's just something really yeah gothic and astral about it that that really scares the bejiggas out of me. And um, when it comes to Robert Eggers films, I'm here for it.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, yeah. Well, so I might. But other trailers got any other trailers?
SPEAKER_09I've got one more. Um, yeah, this one's for a TV series. Um uh it's uh temporarily escaped me which one of the platforms is gonna be on. I think it's Paramount Plus, but uh Treasure Island.
SPEAKER_10Oh, yes.
SPEAKER_09Um TV series adaptation of the the classic novel um starring Haley Atwell and others. Um uh David Yellow Yellowwo. Um I'm sure I've said it wrong, but um, yeah, uh that looks really good too. Um I don't know whether you ever saw uh the television series that that stars made back in the day, Black Sales.
SPEAKER_04Oh yes, I did, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_09Yeah, but Black Sales, as you would know, is is sort of a it's a it's a prequel to Treasure Island. Um it's it's everything that's sort of happening in the setup to Treasure Island. Um, and so uh because we enjoyed that TV show so much, I'm really excited about seeing this one. Plus, I'd I'd see anything with Hayley Atwell in it. I think she's um you know, a really quality entertainer. Um, and and the rest of the cast looks really good too. So yeah. Um uh we're very excited to to see that hit our screens i thought the trailer was really good i i it gave us sort of a little bit of everything without giving us too much um well i mean we all know the the the the classic story of treasure island and long john silver and and that so um i think it's i think it's on point um it's it's just gonna be really interesting to see another retelling of it i think and um i watch pirate show or film so um i'm all I think it's i mean we don't get heaps of pirate shows on the small screen either um uh so i'm i'm i'm excited to see that genre explored again on on our television screens um so yeah looking forward to that one um how about you have you got any any trailers what have i missed nate no no no trailers this week i might i might come back on a trailer i might just re-watch it again i'm not too sure whether it's worth talking about or not because i don't understand it completely um but uh it's uh day drinker with johnny depp so um if it's worth chat chatting about next week i'll uh i'll mention it so all right well i but i hadn't heard about that one until you mentioned it in our little um discussion prior to the show so yeah i've made it made a note and i'll watch that one as well and we'll either discuss it or we won't what are they have you got any news uh well the only other bit of news like uh they've announced gremlins three yes yes um they gave us a release date like they had a a very short sort of um teaser clip which is not really a teaser it's more just an announcement um of uh yeah I think it was gizmo coming out of the box um and they announced that uh we'll be getting uh a third gremlins film in cinemas on the 6th of October 2028 yeah so that's actually been um extended uh to 2028 it was supposed to come out next year um but I believe that they're using uh practical uh puppetry um which hasn't been confirmed whether it's Jim Henson um workshop yet but I I from everything that it it it sounds like that they're they're the ones that will be doing it so um which is fantastic well uh if that's true I and I hope it is um that that would be wonderful because that'll be a couple of my favorite things coming together I don't think Henson had anything to do with the original films um but they're certainly still a pioneer in that field at at the at this stage of um history so um yeah no I think that would be wonderful I'm really excited about a a new gremlins film I love both of the old ones um and and yeah I just I'm really excited for that so yeah it's good good to see something um uh solid uh in terms of an announcement yeah for sure um for me uh news that's just come in over the last couple of days is that Disney has dared to be the devil with Daredevil season three being the last of the Born Again series I see what you did there.
SPEAKER_04Yeah do you like that one? Yeah where are the crickets when it's your jokes uh well it's the operator so whoever's operating it gets to gets to choose that was a cricket's joke that one didn't need the sound effect to hear the crickets on that one setting it up for our reels more than anything else so um okay yeah no worries all it's all about the socials yeah that's right it's all about the socials but um we've got to entertain that six six hundred thousand followers that I manifested earlier that's right that's exactly right um that the it it is interesting that that this has been cancelled there's a a number of reasons that they're giving apparently they're they're moving away from this sort of series based um again TV again which is which is again what what are they doing? Second of all they believe that based on the ratings of season two uh dropping from season one that they'd already they'd already started filming season three and so they they've they're fulfilling their commitment to season three uh they have started reshoots or they're about to start reshoots uh of the last episode so that it will be rounded um and finished off but again this is really disappointing because we got we're getting the defenders all back together again um and I kind of think I wonder you know could this season be the season that actually launches you know more of those characters into their own uh their own sphere like like born again um but we're but by the sounds of it we're not gonna get that now so which is uh from a fan is really disappointing um I don't think they're giving the fans what they want I think they're they're not willing to take risks uh and also too they've really got to get their act together when it comes to understanding their metrics and ratings you know having understanding the ratings at the end of the season is just too late. It's just too late. They need to be being a little bit clever and a little bit smarter with understanding what their metrics are doing halfway through the season before they get to the end so that they can really sort of either ramp it up or ramp it down. But to understand it at the end and then just cut it like cancel it at before and out the season's begun um you're really isolating your your fan base and I believe that you to a certain degree will lose an audience based on the fact that they know that you know the season's gonna end. So what's the point in continuing? I don't feel that way um but I do definitely know that there has been some sort of chatter online of like well what's the point in watching the next one if you know it's gonna be cancelled so I I you know I again I think they just need to be a little bit smarter with their metrics and a little bit kinder to the fans.
SPEAKER_09It definitely does have an it have an impact on this sort of stuff when they cancel things before you know stuff's come out. Um yeah I can think of a number of shows that that I've either not watched the last season of or am currently not watching the last season of um because we know that they've been cancelled um and again it's not to say that I won't get around to watching them I will but there just doesn't seem the same urgency does there no no definitely not I mean you look at I mean you and you would know like when Daredevil Born again uh came out you know it had critical acclaim from fans and also critics and uh and and it also helped with the I I believe with the success of the new comic that was released right definitely based on the fact that the series was was out there.
SPEAKER_04So you know they're looking you know it it also seems too that that that these properties are sort of in working in isolation a bit like Marvel did back in you know the day when we had agents of shield that was working independently to the rest of the Marvel films even though they were using characters that were transferable.
SPEAKER_09So um you know it almost feels like like we're going back 10 15 years ago um all over again yeah I I I guess it sort of depends I mean if this is just them moving away from like streaming apparently is is tanking. I don't know I don't I don't listen to all of the statistics and the ratings and all that sort of stuff like I was cheoting out when you were talking about all that you know checking statistics at the end of a season. Yeah like and that's normal I expected it to be now so well you you you you were talking so um it's just it goes without saying doesn't it but um no no no I I of course uh nice yeah I've got one um no crickets that time um yeah no I think that you know uh if if you believe what you hear like streaming is is not doing what the streaming companies wanted it to do it's not making them the money that they wanted wanted them to make and so um a lot of the stuff that we were I don't want to say promised but um that the they they sort of told us they were going to provide to us is starting to dry up like we don't I don't I don't unless um I've forgotten something I don't know about anything coming to Disney Plus uh exclusively for Star Wars beyond Ahsoka and um you know I don't know too much about the what what we're supposed to be getting uh from Marvel on Disney Plus um uh and you know the if if anything um you know the the the DC stuff you know we're we're we're still getting reasonably consistent uh stuff out of the the the DCU on HBO Max um so that's a little bit different but Disney at least seems to be not following through on the the the promise I am going to use the word um of what they were going to give us in regards to the the genre stuff that they provide like Star Wars and Marvel um you know we seem to be getting towards the end of of the the the life of that stuff on on streaming at least at least for now um I wouldn't be surprised if I mean I don't necessarily think it's the end of a seeing these these characters. I think um you know if they're moving away from streaming then possibly they're gonna show up in movies but um you know one thing we know about movies is Secret Wars they should could show up of course they can but I mean I I can't see it being more than a you know a short cameo like yeah um you know if if if we get more than say 30 seconds out of even Daredevil for something like Secret Wars I'd be I'd be surprised because I think they're gonna be demoted to sort of second class characters um and only put in there as a a a bit of a gimmick because the emphasis is in Secret Wars is going to be on the one that the general audience have seen in in cinemas when they go along on in the you know the summer and and see the big blockbusters and buy their popcorn that that that that's where the emphasis is going to be um and that's one of the things about the the TV stuff for me is that you know that you get to spend some quality time with those characters and you get to um you know spend the the everyday with them and and you're just not going to get to do that in movies and and especially not in movies where they're um basically window dressing.
SPEAKER_04Yeah yeah yeah no I I 100% agree with you um have you got any other news that you that's uh fit to print no I think that's um I think that's about it for me. All right well we've got a little bit of uh the two news so let's get into that this is all very exciting isn't it it is very exciting it's really happening uh images don't we we do we do have some images so I'll some of which some of which are even real according to you yeah well so there was um uh I actually sent you some images and said hey check these out this is this is the first look and sure enough I even got conned into the AI slop so um yeah I apologize for that one so uh even even someone as as ai savvy as I am it uh I got I got conned this time round uh but we do have some genuine were they were they were they off the Facebook no they weren't off the Facebook they were they were on a they were actually through a couple of Instagram um posts that had popped up and so there was more than one and I thought oh okay must must be true and yeah sure enough it wasn't so anyway Facebook Facebook adjacent yeah so we've got a couple of images I thought I'd probably put them up on the screen for those that are watching and playing at home uh for those of you with uh that aren't uh we'll kind of describe them as best we possibly can uh here's our first image of Rachel Weiss uh uh uh playing her uh her fan favorite role of of Evie um she's wearing a she looks beautiful um yeah she looks amazing and yeah um so I'm I'm guessing around the 50s would you say or is it a little bit earlier than that?
SPEAKER_09I'd say I'd say 40s. 40s okay yeah no I would say 40s.
SPEAKER_04Yeah so she's wearing her wearing a sort of her traditional hat that she's worn in other in other films um and then sort of a a a brown and and yellow sort of skirt ensemble with a briefcase um what what I what I am concerned about is the continuity of this film um when I um when I show you the next image here um she's on the phone I'm not too sure whether they had phones in the 1940s um well that had um that it that'd click with the animated series wouldn't it yeah some of the tech some of the some of the technology they've got in there in the animated series that we we've got to get back to exploring um was definitely ahead of its time so maybe they've gone with that and there's like there's a cameraman in the background like someone should have told them that they're in shot but anyway look that's fine that's uh that's obviously uh uh you know while they're not filming uh between shots yeah yeah yeah absolutely uh this is a this is an intriguing image um that that that's been posted um that we're gonna get covered up by this one um but uh this is uh this is Rick O'Connell um aka Brendan Fraser in a red rocket car yeah which is what is it red and red and silver with the like what blue lightning bolts up the side yeah blue lightning bolts um I'll just show you a um another image um which is of the crowd shot if you have a look uh to the right you'll see a man wearing white overalls um oh yeah and it actually says uh Rick O'Connell racing so uh so yeah I wonder whether this is sort of his new venture away from you know archaeology and tomb raiding so um and uh here's our here's our fan favorite uh leading man uh Brendan Fraser uh obviously on the same set as the rocket car uh with a helmet and and leather jacket looking pretty suave and debonair but a little bit dirty so um so yeah it's uh I've got do you want my do you want my theory without notice about about what what's going on there he's gonna go back in time to stop the mummy again in his rocket car your your your your theory is terrible so I will go with mine.
SPEAKER_09My theory is that um you know Rick's uh yeah continuing to to chase uh the the thrill of adventure um and so he's he's uh channeling it into the the rocket racing or perhaps land speed record racing um and I'm tipping that you know that's something that Evie won't understand because um you know she's a bit like us she gets a gets a thrill and a blood pumping by you know reading a really good book or um you know that from the smell of dusty old tomes and um you know that's not something that Rick's ever gonna to gel with. So perhaps he's having a bit of a midlife crisis there.
SPEAKER_04And that might be a bit and then they're and then they're you know because they're not tomb raiding you know their their their marriage is a little bit bit bit not suggesting that their marriage is on the rocks or anything like that but I'd I'd say that's just a bit boring they need that it'll move we'll spice it up for them.
SPEAKER_09Yeah yeah exactly and then they'll they'll get dragged back into adventure and um and you know Dwayne Johnson will show up with his shirt off and um yeah it'll be and bad CTI scorpion king again.
SPEAKER_04Oh look the worse the better as far as I'm concerned I don't think they can do it to the fans to be honest.
SPEAKER_09So um anyway um well they can they can do it they can do it to me I'm I'm I'm telling them straight away they they can make it as bad as they like I will be there.
SPEAKER_04Well we hope that uh we hope that we can bring you uh some more uh frequent mummy news now that we're starting to get uh shots from from on set um that's got to be the best stuff we've had on the the tomb so far isn't it like that that that's got to be our best that's got to be the best stuff we've had on the tomb so far like aside from the announcement um I mean set set photos are concrete evidence assuming that they're not ai yeah no no these are these are the genuine ones everybody all all the uh even people magazine was was was posting these um so everybody's everybody's on on top of these photos these set photos um so uh these are these are the real deal um this is really exciting and really looking forward to uh to uh to to to bringing you more that's for sure um what we might do is we've got a we've got some special guests coming up uh but what we might do first is we might go to a bit of a break and when we come back uh we'll we'll do our big announcement future for the 21st century in the secrecy of a laboratory the world's most powerful robot is being created in the form of a small channel a robot with human qualities and now back to our story bonus teddy raps raps been at the end was that amazing loved Astro Boy did it did it bring back the nostalgic feels like last week yeah of course it did yeah but now Astro Boy is another one that I remember from afternoon television back in the day Yep absolutely we um well we hope you enjoyed that little break um we're now gonna get into uh we're gonna talk a little bit uh all things make which is the uh what is it what what's the uh the acronym for MAKE again? It's the Melbourne Alternative Comics Expo yep that's the one um and we're really uh lucky to uh to have uh some of the some of the members of the uh of the make committee on with us tonight uh so we'll uh we'll do this little intro and then we'll uh bring them on yay nice yay nice hello they all file in and hello everybody hello crazy thanks so much for having us welcome welcome welcome to the pub culture podcast yeah we just did a little bit of a uh bit of a bit of an intro there um and uh we're just getting everybody online now which is uh which takes a little bit of time uh we've got uh tom we've got tom I saw your dog in the background tom is that right yeah he he's he likes the camera every now and again we've got uh dog with tom and dog with Aaron
SPEAKER_01who often join our mate committee meet meetings. So they're they're well and truly uh members of the mate committee as well.
SPEAKER_04It's a tough yeah my dog's currently patrolling the backyard barking a possum so um it's a tough too busy to join yeah yeah so it's so uh so uh please everyone welcome uh we've got uh tom Aaron and B uh from from mate I forgot you guys recorded with a live studio audience yeah we do we do record with a live studio audience so no expenses spared us a fortune cost us a fortune but it's it's all there worth every penny we want to make sure our guests always feel welcome so um that's that's that's the most important thing so um maybe what we'll do is um we'll just uh get each of you just uh just to tell us a little bit about yourself and um what your involvement is with make and then we can sort of go from there so start with we'll start with Tom first.
SPEAKER_07All right um yeah well I'm Tom I'm one half of Gateway Comics and manga with my partner B um and for market day uh sorry for make we're we're basically in charge of of the market day um I think that's more like something a focus uh more for me and B is a bit more widespread that they can tell you about that.
SPEAKER_02Um but so we'll be uh running the event on the Sunday um which is is going to have about a hundred and ten different creators publishers retailers um all there peddling their wonderful wares um and yeah we'll be the big finish to to our three day event super exciting Aaron hi um I'm Aaron um I'm in charge of the opening event which is a speaking to pictures event um which basically means that it's a reading night with pictures um and there's a lot of comic artists who will be performing on that night so that's on the uh 9th of October at the Wheeler Center and we've got Rachel Ang, Eloise Grills, Mandy Ord, Joshua Santospiritos, uh Bailey Sharp and Sean Tan Tan performing and I'll be MCing and doing a little performance of my own oh excited lineup that's an awesome lineup yeah and yeah get ready get get your tickets now yeah absolutely and B you're up yeah great um awesome yeah I'm yeah uh I'll try to chop it um I'm B and I'm the other half of the Gateway Comics and Manga and Market Day team um and yeah really excited to have everybody at Kensington Town Hall on Sunday the 11th um and just excited to be a part of make it's it's been such a cool initiative to to get going we've seen awesome festivals in almost every other state in the country and we're really excited to be a part of Melbourne's own version yeah now you've mentioned either side of of the 10th of october right so that 10th of october is community day so can you can you tell us a little bit about what that is yeah you want to go for it I can speak yeah so community day is a day of um panel discussions uh artists talk uh it's a chance for the community to come and talk uh you know hear artists speak um and we have a like a bunch of talks on some of them are about publishing some of them are about webcomics um I'm on one that's about Melbourne in comics um and then we have a big one at the end um with Sean Tan um that's uh in like a bigger area uh oh and remind me who's Sean Tan speaking with uh it's hometown and and home time so he's with Campbell White Campbell White that's right truly yeah stacked community bay as well yes so how did how did Mike sort of all come about what was uh where where was the how did the sort of get get launched yeah I think there's a few people sort of thinking gee should we give this a go separately um and then it it took uh one person in Bruce Mattard to sort of bring us all together um at the right time like um yeah for for Tom and I we we uh joined at the hip uh except for when we're on interviews um and we went to Scamp in Sydney and we just came back and we thought geez we've got to do this how do we start a not for profit and make this happen um and then you know through talking with the community and friends and friends and friends um we were introduced to Bruce and brought on to the committee um yeah so I think I think a few people have been keen to get something going.
SPEAKER_01Aaron, I don't know if you want to speak to your story.
SPEAKER_09So I was doing a PhD at RMIT I well still am but um got uh invited to this group called Gutter Stars which is a group of a couple of other graphic novel people who are doing PhD or involved in recent research about um the make festival in several ways and we were we were all we were looking for something oh sorry and um Benny as well um Benedict O'Leary Rutherford and we were all looking for some way to make a um yeah like a like this commun community day make community day like make something uh like a conference for uh comics people that was like dedicated to um the study of comics and so we we're really excited when Bruce said that um that was going to be part of this festival Bruce has a a tendency to to to rally the troops for these types of things which is fantastic um uh from him and um so it's so it's great that he's uh that he's done this um mj what what what you've I know you've got some burning questions you wanted to ask yeah I I just wanted to um uh I guess compliment the guys on the the three-day format like I'm really excited about the um the the uh uh time for these different aspects of of looking at comics and the comics community in Melbourne um yeah it's uh for me it seems um yeah like a really uh emboldened choice to to decide to do it over over three days and I'm really excited about the the prospect of um yeah really people really being able to sink into several different aspects of of of um the the the comic making experience I just one wondered whether you could expand on um what the inspiration behind that was yeah I think in early meetings it was sort of uh right away go big or go home you know um and we do want to get bigger and make the festival grow each year and we want to try different things but um for our first year we we had a well we have a really experienced involved bunch of comics people um with a lot of connections so we thought you know someone's just gonna call their friend Sean Tan and see if he can come um and yeah so it it it definitely was a piece to be bold but it also I think we would probably all agree that it speaks back to the name of like make comics is as in we want people making comics.
SPEAKER_01And so it's important not just to have because it might have just started with a market day if Tom and I did it for example. But if if we can expand how we're what avenues and what directions we're approaching the comics industry from then hopefully we can get more people making comics, people attending and saying oh my gosh I'm gonna make something and then they're tabling the following year.
SPEAKER_09That that's sort of um one of the many dreams involved in this yeah it's I I I definitely think that it's it's um it's already got people inspired to make comics. There's you know quite a bit of talk um around All-Star Comics Melbourne um especially over the weekend when we had our fundraising event there on Sunday making the the tote bags um there there were lots of people asking questions about uh you know how you get your books on the shelves at places like All-Star and with Gateway and um at other stores around the country as well and and I think that um you know if if all of those people are are able to get to some or all of the make festival it's just going to energize um the creative process and and and really um lead to a a a real surge of enthusiasm for for for making these things uh pun intended um and yeah I I really think you can feel the energy building around Melbourne um already and and I'm really excited about it.
SPEAKER_07Oh it's so great to hear yeah and it like it speaks to like the like we've been saying like the community aspect of the entire thing the the Melbourne comic community is so generous um they're they're like they're generous but segmented sometimes um there are a lot of people that want to give advice and want to help new people or want to help anybody with it with any aspect of it but sometimes they can be uh sort of siloed off into their own smaller communities within the greater community um and like essentially like that's what having the bigger crew that we've got like lets us do from the start is like we start with people from all different corners of the the Melbourne comics community and that's how we build the entire event. And so we all know our own groups of creators of people in the industry and bring them in. And that that brings all of these communities closer together. And like I said everyone's so generous in their own ways and wanting to help everybody else that it it just it's it's already made the event feel so large it hasn't even happened yet we haven't even got we haven't even got to the event and we can already see a viable path forward for the next you know X amount of years. We just we know that we're gonna be able to get there. We just like need the fast forward button to like let's get through a few years and grow and grow and grow and eventually we're gonna be able to have something hopefully pretty mighty on our hands I think.
SPEAKER_04Yeah that's that that is really good. I mean we've we've seen a we've seen a there's obviously something in the water over in um in WA with some amazing artists who are producing comics at the moment I don't know what it is but um they seem to be leading the charge when it comes to uh to independent um publishing um and you know Melbourne sort of led that charge probably you know 15 yearsish ago and then sort of uh uh it sort of has sort of dwindled away and we're still seeing works being done but just not in the in the same sort of steam or collective steam as we as we had sort of all those that those years ago so it's great that you guys are putting together something that can really sort of build that community um and um and give those opportunities because I know that um you know the the amount of times you know you've had somebody who would say um you know how do I get into comics you know how do I get published where do I start you know um who should I talk to about these things and I think that that's great that you're you're going to be having those um those conversations during that three day this three day event um so we've just had Zoran who's uh who's just just joined us uh Zoran hi everybody thanks for joining in we really appreciate your time um we've uh we've done a little bit of an introduction from everybody else maybe if you can tell us a little bit about you and and what your involvement with uh with make is uh I'm just uh I'm just uh a a willful helper at this point um it was uh something that um I've I've often thought about and and years ago I remember speaking to Bruce and to Bernard Callier who um are both uh uh are connected in one shape or form um well Bruce is the the founding committee member but um but um this is something that has been uh uh something that I've wanted uh to attend for for years.
SPEAKER_08I was originally uh doing uh a podcast on local creators many years ago that unfortunately has um I've run out of time uh with life but um but it's it's super awesome to be part of it and even what little you know I can help and um you know it's it's awesome and everybody that's part of it is incredible like the amount of work that everybody's put in and to to to for lack of a better word make this thing happen. It's monumental um and yeah just be super super happy to to lend a hand and be a part of it.
SPEAKER_04Yeah that's that's that's awesome. So so how long's this been in the mix?
SPEAKER_08Like are you you you you seem to be all sort of talking in the same terms that um it's uh this has sort of been bubbling in the background for a while is is that would I be correct in sort of assuming that yeah I think it's I think it's a combination of uh the enough people uh because like Saren said it is a lot of work and it is all uh volunteers like we're we're making zero dollars out of this personally um and we really hope to just not lose money so um it obviously does take uh a bit of um oomph to get that going um but I think I think um you know there's been a few pots on the stove so to speak for a few years and it's just been a matter of timing um and getting enough people and the right people in the room um yeah or yeah just uh people with different skills and perspectives uh who can contribute different things um not unlike the uh the sorry no yeah you guys are on no I was just gonna make a stupid joke about Voltron and the 28 car compartment um uh you know uh forming the one hole um is basically what um what you know watching watching everybody just the amount of work that everybody's putting in and everybody's doing a little piece some people doing more at other times but um it's been incredible to see and particularly with with Bruce um at the helm and getting everything kind of coalescing into what make uh will become it is pretty incredible to see.
SPEAKER_09Yeah I actually think it's a really great analogy Zoran yeah thanks mate yeah I I no no no I do I I think it I think it's a really great analogy I I think one of the things that um speaking out in in make making yeah well one what one of the one of the things that I think in um you know the the comic making community especially the the people that are just looking to get started in it is they have so many um little questions uh about uh how to get over the different speed humps that that that there are uh between them and getting their project um actualized and um I think that the answer is yeah it it it's clearly working in in community a lot of the questions that people have I know from my own experience but but the a lot of the questions that people have they they have simple answers but um until you've actually got someone to ask and get the answers from um it it it they seem insurmountable um and it's just uh emblematic of the fact that you know these creative projects require a a a whole community to to get them off the ground um absolutely and so I think I think it's I think it's a really great analogy.
SPEAKER_08And and the the mere fact that like you know built upon other you know similar types of festivals that Melbourne has had like Homecook Festival IndyCon you know all doing stuff very similar but there was nothing that really concentrated on the makers and giving them information about how to how to forward their creativity or their creations or you know and hopefully you know down the track you know you open that up to all sorts of other types of information that creators can use in their ongoing career.
SPEAKER_04I think what you're doing is you're actually going to make me poor because I've got a lot of indie comics to buy coming up in the future. I think that's what it's the saddest thing about this whole thing. It's the saddest thing about this entire endeavor is and you know what that's a good it's a good problem to have right you know like yeah and you'll know it's a budget for next year like they're gonna have to they're gonna have to make another shelf for independent books um at at all star as well so it's been growing it's been growing over there which is great yeah yeah the sections getting bigger and there's there's always more room yeah we have incredible and there's something about what's that I was just gonna say that we we we we had an incredible problem uh be and myself with uh creating the list of of of of vendors at market day that uh when we had to we we received a lot more applications than we could fit uh in the venue which we weren't we weren't always sure if we would but the but the response ended up being overwhelming uh and then when you look at the names uh like oh if if this person is gonna have to make the list then someone's gonna have to come off it and uh we we ended up with a we ended up with a you know a a system of of course to to figure that out but the just looking at the names on the vendor list at the moment is like it feels surreal sometimes there are so many incredible people that are going to be tabling there and not to mention the incredible people that are going to be giving talks at at our community day and and and uh being the pitches and and with workshops on on the market day as well there's there's so many really really incredible comics names um that are both well known and and not so well known yet uh that yeah it it's it's uh it's like an overwhelming pride I think looking at all of those names yeah no that's it's that's fantastic will you be releasing the the list of um of vendors on the Sunday or if you haven't already or yeah yeah gradually so we're we're releasing them in batches on on uh our Instagram now um so yesterday we did a post with uh I believe 12 or 16 names and then today we did the same thing again so small batches um and until we have sort of everybody everybody out there yeah awesome that's so cool um Aram just uh with uh speaking in pictures on the Friday night this feels very much like uh like meet the author you know um where you would have a bit of a reading um where the author would sort of read their book and um you know you get to sort of mix with them mingle with them get to get into their headspace that type of thing is that kind of what we're what what we're to expect on that Friday night um so it's like not really like a panel discussion or anything on that night but it is a performance night where people will be performing sections of their work.
SPEAKER_02I think everyone has about 10 minutes uh to perform um and obviously we've got a lot of readers that night um speaking of pictures is an event I've been doing at my studio in uh Coburg called Pink Ember. So I have a lot of experience programming these nights and how they usually go is people will perform, you'll get a like a lot of laughter from the crowd or some sort of reaction and then we'll mix together and have a drink together afterwards and people will you know have something to compliment you about if you're one of the readers on the night and it connects you with a crowd of people who um you might not have seen your work before then Might have read your work, but they haven't really seen the personality behind the work, you know. So it's like really good to connect the person with the work.
unknownYeah.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, that's that's fantastic. And I believe, um, I believe the special announcement we've got is that MJ will be doing a performance there for 10 minutes on on the Friday night. Is that right, MJ?
SPEAKER_09That's uh uh new news to me, but um I'm I'm down for anything, especially if it's gonna support support our make festival.
SPEAKER_02But I mean uh everybody loves a surprise performance, don't they?
SPEAKER_09Yeah, that it'd definitely be a surprise performance, but um yeah, I'm sure I can put I'm sure I could put something together.
SPEAKER_05I love to put I'd love to put MJ on notice without him knowing.
SPEAKER_09So just I love picking I love picking up the gauntlet and running with it, mate. So um yeah, now bring it on.
SPEAKER_08I mean the the market aisles are are ripe for uh for uh any sort of performance on MJ if you've got the time.
SPEAKER_09All right. Um it's been a couple of decades since I've done a cartwheel, but I'll try and get them out.
SPEAKER_04Uh well well, we'll be there in some way, shape, or form. I believe MJ's gonna be there on the on the Sunday uh representing All Star. Um I'll be I'll be there on all three to uh to represent the pod, um which we're looking forward to uh to being part of. We're um we're we're is there anything else that you need to tell us about before we before we move on with the show? Is there anything exciting to tell? Is there is there a watch this space? Is there um is there an exclusive that you can you can tell us that we won't tell anybody else?
SPEAKER_01On this recorded podcast will keep it quiet between us and the listeners. That's right. Um that's exactly right.
SPEAKER_09A few things only about three of them, so me, Tom, and then some other person.
SPEAKER_01I don't know.
SPEAKER_09Yeah.
SPEAKER_01It's Benji.
SPEAKER_09Yeah, maybe Benji, that's what it is.
SPEAKER_01That's it. Um I will say um just quickly that our Friday night is a ticketed event, and tickets are selling out. So please book into speaking of pictures if you're listening to what Aaron is saying um and going, wow, that's for me, or you're hearing a name that makes your um ears prick up, then definitely um book those tickets. Community day has is a free event but is reserved seating. So please book those tickets as well. Our all-day passes are gone, but you can book in individual sessions. Um and Market Day, please just rock up.
SPEAKER_08Just to add to that, that some of those some of those events on Community Day half are now just wait list only. So um that and which is an amazing, an amazing um thing for the festival. Yeah.
SPEAKER_07We the the main thing that we haven't uh like fully announced yet is the um our our workshops on market day. So at the at the Kensington Town Hall where the market day is, um, there's a and we have a couple of rooms upstairs where we'll be running um workshops all day. Um run like mostly run by um uh Emily Walsh, who will be she's creating the groups of people that are going to be doing um the different different workshops. And that hasn't been announced yet because I think we're still at the very end of finalizing exactly who's going to be doing uh what. We had a lot of people interested in in uh in give giving like the their time to those workshops. Um so we've tried to match a lot of them up into into to smaller groups of people. So um yeah, absolutely watch out um for news incoming of that because there'll be some really, really cool ones that will be you know appropriate for all ages, absolutely. Definitely like ones aimed at younger people, ones aimed at older people, ones to help creators with specific problems, um, ones that are just for fun. There's gonna be a lot of really cool stuff going on there.
SPEAKER_10Yeah.
SPEAKER_07Um and those will be help with the older people one.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, we've got you on the top of the list. Um we've also got so those workshops will be free to attend. Everything on market day is free to attend. Um, and we've also got uh an exhibition where a lot of the comic creators have been generous enough to um lend their works, some of the in-progress to finish works, to the exhibition, which will be up on stage in the market hall. So we've got some people working really hard to keep all the art safe and collect it and display it for everyone to have a look at. So there'll be lots to do on all the days, but um, yeah, a few a few moving pieces on market day, which is very exciting.
SPEAKER_04That's that's fantastic. If you if uh you uh the audience want to know more about uh the uh the the make festival, which is the uh Melbourne Alternative Uh Comics Expo, uh it's over three days. It's from October the 9th to October the 11th. Uh we've got October the 9th, which is speaking to pictures, uh October 10, which is community day, and then October 11th is Market Day. Um again, if you want to know more, then uh you can check them out at makecomics.com.au. Now, what's the social handle for for uh for for make again on it is make comics festival, all one word, make comics festival. Perfect. So you can check them out there. Um we will definitely be uh uh spruking it right up until the day, and we'll be there in some way, shape, or form as I said before. Um, but uh we we uh oh yeah you just wanted to do your your your little plug there with your bag. Is that right?
SPEAKER_07I want to go unique one of the bags like only obtainable from uh fundraiser held exclusively at all star comics mel.
SPEAKER_09I got two. Yeah, no, I just wanted to show off my my tote battering. The I think it's the work of Bruce Uttard, so um yeah, never decided to be rocking my my both my totes uh in the lead up to the make festival.
SPEAKER_07Nice, all right. Hey, that thank you for all of your shout-outs as well, guys. Like we have been hearing them and super, super grateful for you know all of the shout-outs that you guys have been giving the festival over the past couple of months, I think. So that's that's really meant meant a lot. It's again the whole thing is based on on the community, so it's it's it's been wonderful to hear.
SPEAKER_09More than happy to um throw our lack of credibility credibility behind your initiative.
SPEAKER_04That's right. We're not journalists, and we don't plan to we don't we don't claim to be either. So that's that's fine. Uh but we uh we think we we thank you for your time. We appreciate you being uh being part of the show, and um we uh we look forward to uh to to to talking in high praise about it um in the uh in the week after the show is uh is uh done and dusted, the expo. Um and uh we uh we uh look forward to uh talking about it again probably next week.
SPEAKER_09We can't wait.
SPEAKER_02Great. Well, I can't wait to see you um at the Wheeler Center for speaking to pictures.
SPEAKER_09Yeah, very pumped for all of it. Wonderful.
SPEAKER_01Awesome. Thanks so much for having us on.
SPEAKER_09Thanks for coming on, you guys.
SPEAKER_01Thank you. Bye.
SPEAKER_09We're back.
SPEAKER_03We're back. That was good. That was good catching up with it.
SPEAKER_09I think that was great.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, they were a great bunch of people, um, who really um really have the best of intentions for the for the comics community and um it's got a real it's got a real positive vibe about it, which is what I like.
SPEAKER_09It's got a really positive, uh creative, encouraging vibe. Uh and yeah, I couldn't be more excited for it.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, well that's the pop culture uh jam, isn't it, for us? So um, you know, we Yeah, no, we're the we're the perfect fit. Yep, absolutely. So 100%.
SPEAKER_09Well Yeah, no, thanks thanks to ever thanks to everybody for for joining us. That was really, really great.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, absolutely.
SPEAKER_14Um, well, why don't we uh why don't we take a uh a quick commercial break uh and we'll be right back uh with another segment in disguise?
SPEAKER_09I think it was great. Is that leading into what we're gonna be talking about next?
SPEAKER_04Oh, let's talk about some show and tell, shall we?
SPEAKER_09That's that's what I was hoping.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, some show and tell. So what you got? Uh I'll just bring in my name.
SPEAKER_06Oh, look at this. Look at this beauty.
SPEAKER_09Oh wow, it's bigger than I expected.
SPEAKER_06Yeah, hang on. Well, hang on.
SPEAKER_09Just so that audio doesn't get taken out of context. I'm just gonna point out that you're holding a uh Optimus Prime action figure there.
SPEAKER_04That's right. So can you see his lights? He's got his lights on. And uh let's open him up. Does he light up? Yeah, he lights up. Look, and even the matrix, even the matrix lights up inside. See?
SPEAKER_09Oh wow, isn't that right? That must that must have cost you a good grand for something that quality.
SPEAKER_04Definitely not. This is uh this is from Blockies. So Blockies are are uh are really sort of uh changing the landscape of what action figures look like. Uh this came as a uh essentially a model kit. Uh so there's no gluing, there's no cutting, there's no um, you know, any of that frustration that you would normally have um with these things. These are just snapped together. Um it's got 250 points of articulation, this thing. So I'll just set him down and you can see that his arm moves and um everything, everything bends and moves, his even his head moves. Um, I'm just gonna be careful because I'm balancing him on this little platform. Um, but that's that's Optimus Prime. Uh I picked these up at Target, they were on specials, so I couldn't uh I couldn't pass them up. Uh I don't normally buy myself things, but um when I saw these and after uh my uh my adventures last week at the cinema, um I felt inspired to uh to get the to get these. So this is you can't have Optimus Prime without having uh our main man Megatron. Um and he's he's also awesome as well. Um you um I think there's something you do something with the gun and um it opens up at the front, but I can't do it right now. Um you've got laser beak, which which can sit on his arm, um which is a sound wave, which is which is rad. Um he also lights up, so hang on. It's all magnet driven. So uh everything lights up from the from the back. Hang on.
SPEAKER_09Okay.
SPEAKER_04Did that come on? Yeah, there we go.
SPEAKER_09Yeah, yeah, there it is.
SPEAKER_04You can see there, he's got his eyes and his and his chest lights up. Um, so it's all magnet. So you you put a magnet on their back and it uh turns on the lights, and when you remove the magnet, it it will turn itself off. So very clever, very, very clever little thing. Again, you know, lots of articulation, um, you know, even to the point where the the legs flap open like in the in the uh transformable mode for gun. Um they come with with additional sort of parts. Um here's uh little backpack that goes on um Optimus Prime in one of the episodes. Um very nice. This is this is the this is the uh part of the the the muzzle on the gun um that goes on his on his back there, if you want to put that. Um in the in the movie you had the um uh actually it was in the first one of the first episodes, I think it was, where you had Optimus and and uh Megatron fighting on the dam with their with their laser weapons. Um so uh Optimus comes with his uh with his with his laser axe and um uh and and Megatron comes with a with like a purple laser um uh what is it? It's that ball with the spikes. What do you call those?
SPEAKER_09Uh is it a is it a is it a mace?
SPEAKER_04A mace? Yeah, like a like a laser mace, like a purple laser mace. And that comes articulated, so you can actually bend it to to the size to to how you want it sort of extended or or sort of you know over his shoulder or in the air. So um, yeah, these these things are amazing. So uh so again, thanks to Blockies um for for producing these. These are a fantastic uh little item. You wouldn't know that they're a snap together model kit. These are um you know, high quality, um, very well put together. Um, you need some patience and you also need um some time to put these together. You know, my 18-year-old and I um we put together one each last night, and um, yeah, it was a good couple of hours to put them together, but boy, they're they're they're well worth it. They really are. So um, so yeah, that's that's my show and tell.
SPEAKER_09Well, I I have to confess I've I've bought a few little block Blockies products um in in recent memory. Um, I got some uh blind bag Batman uh figures uh and Batmobiles, and I was really impressed with the quality of them, even though they're much smaller than the ones that you've got there. Um and I do have uh a Blockies action figure that I bought a while ago but haven't built yet. So you've inspired me to get that out, and um I'll I'll build it and I'll do a show and tell of my own in the in the coming weeks.
SPEAKER_04Well, the other the other thing I got, I mean I got it for you. I I ate the chocolate, sorry, but I got it for you is uh is uh at the moment Kinder Surprise are doing a um a uh DC characters, playmobil DC characters. Yes.
SPEAKER_09Um I've seen I've seen these.
SPEAKER_04I'll just show you the there's the for for those that are there's the little playmobil set there. Um and uh I I I got you I got you um is it Mara or Mira? So there she is.
SPEAKER_09Um Mira, oh she's amazing.
SPEAKER_04There you go. So that's that's what you expect. So um yeah, they've um bring her to the make festival. Yep, absolutely. So you just I don't know if that's really great that you snap her in half, but anyway. Um she just goes back and my shark. So I ate the chocolate, but I gave you the prize. So there you know that's fine.
SPEAKER_09Uh I definitely don't need the chocolate.
SPEAKER_04Yep. Um, so so yeah, that's that's show and tell for me this week. Um maybe uh maybe it's uh fitting that we get into uh the review All right, MJ Hello there. What do we where do we start? Do I do I keep going on my Transformers kick or do I or do we No?
SPEAKER_09I reckon I reckon I reckon I reckon we talk lanterns first and then we we round it off with your um your Transformers excursion.
SPEAKER_03Yep, yep.
SPEAKER_09Um sounds good. Yeah, so lanterns, we've seen the penultimate episode.
SPEAKER_04So episode seven, which is the second last of the season.
SPEAKER_09Correct.
SPEAKER_04It's gone too quickly, it's gone too quickly.
SPEAKER_09They always seem to, but yes. Um, what did you think of episode seven without spoiling it?
SPEAKER_04Yeah, they all die. Um, but other than that, it was good.
SPEAKER_09I said without spoiling it.
SPEAKER_04Well, I don't know what they're gonna do for episode eight if they all died.
SPEAKER_09So look, there was uh a chip versus a chip and naught road trip.
SPEAKER_04Oh, can you imagine? Wouldn't that be amazing? That'd be great. That'd be so cool.
SPEAKER_09Yeah, yeah. Or um uh thrift shopping with um uh Orange Boy, what's his name?
SPEAKER_04Uh uh with uh Laugh Lease.
SPEAKER_09With Laugh Lee's, yeah, you could go go go uh shopping around op shops on Brunswick Street.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, he'd be saying mine, mine the whole time. So um I don't know if it'd be be that easy. Um this was it. Is that what you can say?
SPEAKER_09I was gonna say it was an excellent episode, it was amazing. It it it uh gave me a lot of what I'd been waiting for, and um and perhaps even more. Yeah, I don't know what they're gonna do in the last episode, but I thought this one was a ripper.
SPEAKER_04I I I felt that um there, you know, it answered some of our questions. Um, it gave us definitely more questions. Um and um it's it's uh I I am intrigued to see how they're gonna wrap up this season because it doesn't it doesn't feel like it's ready to end with the next episode.
SPEAKER_09Um what do you reckon? Are we gonna we're gonna get another season?
SPEAKER_04Oh it's already been um it's already been Greenlit for season two. Good, good. So that's that's that's really exciting um that we're getting uh a season two. The writers have already started writing uh for season two. Uh so I look, I don't think we're gonna get it until 2028, maybe 2029, but um I I'm I'm all for it and I'm excited about it. So um the I I I definitely um liked uh I like how Hal has just influenced his life without him influencing John John's life without influencing it just so heavily and um how you know John seems to have it all together, but as soon as Hal gets involved, everything just sort of gets thrown out the window. Um and I'm loving this different relationship that we've got between Hal and John. Um without giving any spoilers away.
SPEAKER_09Uh I I like I love how it seems like he uh it seems like John's learnt more from Hal in this last episode than he has um in the last what is it, 10 years.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, exactly. Exactly. Um and and I think it's um I think it's also too that that sort of message like um are you listening to are you listening to the person or you're listening to the message? Do you know what I mean? Um yeah and and and I think that John's always been just listening to the person and not listening for the message and finally he's starting to to see that and vice versa, right? So um I I I think that that's that's that's sort of the the takeaway of this new relationship. Um the runtime for episode eight is gonna be about 57 minutes, so maybe there is time to wrap it all up, you know.
SPEAKER_09Yeah, um I I kind of think that the way that this last episode finished, if they if they jump straight into uh like if it picks up where it episode seven lit left off there and continues at a reasonable sort of pace, then I think there's plenty of time for it to finish up. And if we're getting a second season, and not to mention the fact that John's gonna be reappearing in um uh Man of Tomorrow next year, um yeah, I think there's plenty of And he's he's left us again, stranded on a desert alien planet, wearing a bad hoodie with a voice modulator.
SPEAKER_06Don't give anything away.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, look, there was a lot of there was there was some really cool Easter eggs in this one too. Um if you're a if you're a Green Lantern fan, there was lots of references um to DC Universe as well as um as Green Lantern Universe, which was which is always fun to to see and hear. Um and uh yeah.
SPEAKER_09It all just adds to the the the broader picture, doesn't it? Like it all just slowly flesh fleshes out this universe that we're gonna be spending a long time in. Um, you know, yeah James Gunn Willing.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, well I'm I'm I'm all for it. I look forward to to our conversation next week and you know commiserations next week of of uh of it of it finishing. Um but it has been a really quality produced show. Um, you know, the only thing I would say, and I'm gonna point this out and I'm gonna ruin it for everybody, is I I I understand that you know Aaron Pierre is is English, and so he's doing a um uh an American accent. He does it exceptionally well. The only word that I struggle with him is is the word ask. Have you noticed that?
SPEAKER_09Yeah, I think that's just um uh it's a very real world um affectation that that he's adopted for for John Stewart. I don't think it's something that needs to be um yeah, over overthought too much. I I I think it's just something it's just something that that has been adopted in the the English language as as as a way of speaking, particularly in amongst um an African American people. And um I think it's just become the norm. So um I got just accepted. I just accept that as it is.
SPEAKER_04Right. Well, I always like to you know throw that throw that in just for good measure.
SPEAKER_09Yeah, no, fair enough. You you're you're such a um, you know, uh a language purist that um who always gets his his his words right. Um yeah, it's uh only right for you to pull other people up, on it.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, I'm third third best in the world in Wordle, so you know, of course.
SPEAKER_09Really? You're still playing Wordle?
SPEAKER_04No, definitely not.
SPEAKER_09I thought that was just a covert lockdown thing.
SPEAKER_04I think it's still going. I think they it's a bit like it's a bit like Pokemon Go, right? You know how many how many how many letters is it?
SPEAKER_09How many seven it's seven seven letters, isn't it?
SPEAKER_04I don't know. I don't even play wordles.
SPEAKER_09This is all based on a lie.
SPEAKER_06Which is what Lancets is doing to us right now. It's all based on a lie.
SPEAKER_09Yeah, no, I don't yeah. I I I think the the the John Stewart thing, like I think he's doing a great job of channeling like a real proper African American um American accent. Um, and I I love the authenticity of it. Um I think he's he's doing an amazing job nail nailing it.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, 100% agree. Well, you can watch lanterns on HBO Max. It's on it's not a sponsor, but should be uh on uh Monday uh evenings in Australia, uh Sunday evenings in the US, um and other countries. Yeah, um we will definitely be chatting all things lanterns next week. Uh so prepare it. The uh the visuals definitely to back to green. Um and uh yeah, so lots of fun to be had in next week. And whether we're um uh I still don't think we'll spoil it, but I think we'll we have to have a a week where we where we do.
SPEAKER_09You're not afraid of a terrible punt, are you?
SPEAKER_04Well, you know, I'll um I'll I'll I'll take take the opportunity where it can. Hey.
SPEAKER_09I'm gonna start calling you Uber Dad.
SPEAKER_04Yeah. What do you what have you been uh what have you been watching this week?
SPEAKER_09Uh that is uh pretty much it. Lanterns and um I've started I've I've been catching up on Silo. Um I know we fell a bit behind with Silo, but we've got one episode to go on that as well. So um this this time next week, I'm positive I'll have finished watching this season.
SPEAKER_04Do you think you'll be able to you watch it between now and next week?
SPEAKER_09Definitely.
SPEAKER_04Okay, all right. So we can talk about it next week, um, which would be which would be great.
SPEAKER_09Um let's let's do that. So that's the review, everybody. Uh no one not neither of us have been doing anything else. No, neither of us have seen anything.
SPEAKER_04Uh speak for yourself. Speak for yourself.
SPEAKER_09Well, what else have you seen this week, Nate?
SPEAKER_04Yeah, it's uh I I I uh took one for the team and I went to the movies. Um and uh I saw no, I took my 18-year-old with me. Um, okay.
SPEAKER_09As long as you hadn't as long as you had an adult with you.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, no, no, I did have an adult with me. Um to just so that I would behave. Um, but uh we went and saw a screening of Transformers, the movie, the animated movie, um at Village Cinemas, not a sponsor, but should be. Um and uh it was it was it was great fun. It's been 40 years since um since 12-year-old me went to the cinema and and saw Transformers. Um and uh it was great fun. I really both of us actually did. We we we we spoke about it um in length afterwards, just it and it wasn't the 4K remaster either. This was the original print. Um, so it was it was grainy, and um, you know, the sound wasn't 100% perfect, and um so it really uh had its charm to to the era as well.
SPEAKER_09I love that. That's great.
SPEAKER_04Um, yeah, so so it was good, it was lots of fun. It the one thing I did notice, and I've watched this movie, I've lost count how many times I've seen this movie over the years, right? Um what what I did notice was just how beautiful the um background artist uh is in this in this film. You don't you don't really get to appreciate it as much on the small screen as you do on the big screen when it comes to animation. But um, yeah, there was lots of parts in this film where I was I I I just like had to remember that I'm watching a film rather than sort of gazing at the backgrounds and seeing all the things that I sort of missed that were going on in the background, as in like you know, mapped paintings. Um and it it's it really is. Um I I I felt like that that especially that um film, regardless of my you know, love and it, you know, and affection for for the Transformers, um, the film was definitely ahead of its time, you know. There was lots of things that they did in that film that um was coming out of a Japanese studio uh that was um you know sort of pushing the boundaries of the Transformers. Um, you know, killing Optimus Prime obviously was one of those. Um, but killing off a I counted on my hand uh this time eight. They kill off eight characters within the first 30 minutes of the of the of the film.
SPEAKER_09Um which of your um which of your eight-finger hands did you count count off that one?
SPEAKER_04It was uh just uh just the left hand, just a just the left hand one, you know. Um but uh yeah. Um but but yeah, it it and then obviously that was to pave the way for the other eight characters that they introduced later um for the toy line. Um so look, the I I think what Transformers the movie did was it essentially sealed the coffin for the TV series afterwards. Um because it the I I and I've started re-watching season three um now and it just doesn't and they're using a lot of the it this is sort of the the follow-on from the from the movie, um and and it doesn't carry as well as the as the film does. Um so you know we're back to we're back to Sonky Um, which which I absolutely love, but we're back to Sonky animation, um, you know, characters changing colour, um uh proportions are all out. Um, you know, we've got a cassette tape that's supposed to be um at at the size of you know Rumble, who's supposed to be the size of you know, up to Megatron's knee, and at one stage he's at the same same uh height and scale as as Megatron is, or not Megatron, but another Autobot that about the same size.
SPEAKER_09So they raise they raised the bar for themselves beyond what they could they were able to jump in the future.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, and and so I think I think I think that that's where the the decline in the series started, and then we got into season four, which only had five episodes before it was cancelled. Um and then Japan kept it going. So they they had a number of series, um, the headmaster series, the victory series, etc. etc. Um, which is very, very different. Um, it's probably closer to some of the series that we that sort of became popular sort of in the late 90s, early 2000s, like a martyr and stuff like that. So um again, this was just it was just a lot of fun. It was great to go with my son and re-watch it again. Um, you know, he said to me, it was so good to go see that in the film in the movies, you know, it was so different to seeing it um uh you know at home. And so I was I was really pleased that we could have that experience together um and feel the same way about it, you know, generationally different, but um but just in tune with with the experience, which was which is not what you always get, you know, with your kids when you go and take them to to see these types of films. Um and so so yeah, I you know, just from a from a uh uh making memories um perspective, um it was it was just really nice to to share in that that that love and that joy um for that period of time. Um it there wasn't a lot in the cinema, it was about 10. Um, but it was it was actually varied. You know, we had a had a family um who brought their two sons to go and watch it. We had a a father and son, you know, who were younger than myself and my 18-year-old. Um, we had a couple in there, we had a bunch of guys and you know, and uh and us. So um it was definitely varied, um, which was good. Uh they've extended the um the screening, it's done um pretty well for itself.
SPEAKER_09Um certainly seems to have there's been there's been a lot of people. I mean, I know that we're in a bit of a bubble at the the comic shop, but there's there's been lots and lots of people coming through and saying that they're off to to sessions of it. Um even just the ones that have have mentioned it to me would be enough to to call it a success, I would say. Um yeah, no, I don't I think the most wonderful thing that um you've mentioned about uh this whole re-release experience for me is that you mentioned that you went with you you went with your son and then um you you came home and and you know in the days afterwards you've made Megatron and and Optimus Prime action figures together. Like what could be more perfect?
SPEAKER_04There he is.
SPEAKER_09Yeah, just to to to to have had that experience together, like you'll both remember that, and um I think that's that's the that's the crux of it all. It's all about the the joy and spending time together and multi-generational nerding out, isn't it?
SPEAKER_04Yeah, that's right, that's exactly right, and that's yeah, what our show's all about, too, right? So that's what we're here for. So um, so it's been a big Transformers week um for me.
SPEAKER_09Yeah, it's awesome.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, which is which is great. Yeah, um, all right. Well, uh if we don't have anything else uh in uh the aisle, um I'm gonna uh we'll go to a a commercial break. I'd I'd what are your thoughts on this commercial break from the 1970s uh when we get back, uh MJ.
SPEAKER_11It's Big Jim's world of adventure. You can make Big Jim do a karate chuck. You can make Big Chuck do a login too. But now there's a stranger with machete in hand. You know what you can make him do? His name's Big Jeff. He's Buddy Chuck. You certainly can agree. From this day on, instead of two strong friends, now there's gonna be three. Big Jim, Big Josh, and Big Jeff sold separately from Mattel.
SPEAKER_09Love it. Looks like a great time.
SPEAKER_04So uh interesting, interesting advertisement for the 1970s.
SPEAKER_09Why is that?
SPEAKER_04Well, Big Jim was the beginning of the GI Joe. I think it was uh like GI Joe was really popular, same type of figure. Um they came out with the Big Jim to try and sort of combat it. Um Big Jim was was also where they stole uh parts and also um battle cat from Big Jim. So you probably noticed in uh um Masters of the Universe movie they refer to Big Jim Um when he's in the comic store, I think it is. Um so they had a a cat that was uh um a uh tiger that was yellow and black, and it's exactly the same mold as they use. They used uh once Big Jim was sort of you know on the way out, they had leftover cats, and so they produced these um uh these these these battle cats from it.
SPEAKER_09There you go. I don't think I realize that aspect of it.
SPEAKER_04Yeah. I just I just wanted to know why all three men are shirtless.
SPEAKER_09Oh, because they're in the outdoors and their three three mates having a great time.
SPEAKER_06I know that's when what we do when we're in the outdoors too, you know, just off go the shirts.
SPEAKER_09Oh if if if we ever did such things, I'm sure that's what we would do. No, it looks great. No, bring it on. Yeah, there should be more of it.
SPEAKER_06All right, well, let's get into the aisle.
SPEAKER_09You're a troublemaker. He's gone. He's caused trouble and he's buggered off. He's back.
SPEAKER_06Not at all.
SPEAKER_09He's muted.
SPEAKER_06Not at all.
SPEAKER_09He's part of the the the the mutant problem.
SPEAKER_04I I actually just thought I'd just go and just like take my shirt off outside while I was waiting.
SPEAKER_09Okay, well, I'm not gonna not gonna do that. It's oh it's it's dark. At least not at least no one had seen me.
SPEAKER_04No one will see me, so it's it's fine. It's all it's all good.
SPEAKER_09Which is kind of in the aisle, it might make sure it makes you wonder what the point is.
SPEAKER_05But um what have you been reading?
SPEAKER_09What have I been reading? Uh yeah, I haven't been watching lots, but I have been reading lots. Um uh this one uh the first thing I'm gonna talk about relates to the make festival. Oh I've read another local book. Um one that you'll be able to pick up at the the market day, I suppose. Um yeah, I've read I got my copy of uh Flying Maocat uh number two by Paul Borschers. Nice. Paul was at the store the other day um uh drawing on uh tote bags uh for people, yeah. Um, and he was good enough to bring me my uh signed pre-order copy of of um Flying Maocat number two. Um, and I have to say it's a ripper. Um that's so cool. Yeah, no, I really enjoyed it. Um, how do you like this uh cover art on the back, Nath? That's got to be your jam.
SPEAKER_04It's definitely my jam. I'm down with that.
SPEAKER_09Giant cat mech.
SPEAKER_04Giant cat mech. I've never seen a giant cat mech before.
SPEAKER_09No, well, that there's plenty of giant cat mech action in this one, um, and plenty of action in general. Um, I really love this issue, it was really great. Um, Paul, as we know, is a talented artist, and some of the stuff that he's done in this is just amazing. Um uh some of this line work that you see on the front cover, um, he's replicated that throughout the story during the action sequence. And I have to say, it's um like nothing I've ever seen before. Um it it it really is uh an effective uh use of um of lines. Um and yeah, I won't show any of it here because I don't want to spoil it. I prefer that people got hold of the cop a copy of the comic um and a copy of number one as well if they haven't um already read the first chapter. But um yeah, I I really enjoyed it. I read this on the the tram on the way home the other night uh because I I couldn't wait. And um yeah, uh some of the action stuff in it is just outstanding. So um yeah, you can either get that from Paul's website or um yeah, get it from Paul himself at the make festival.
SPEAKER_04Yep, or you can get it at uh will will it be at all-star?
SPEAKER_09It is at all-star, yeah. Um, although they'd already started selling um even before we put them on the shelf. So oh wow. Um yeah, but no, there are copies at all-star. Um, Paul's got a little uh enclave in the the local comic section um for his his stuff. And and yeah, I highly recommend people come and have a look. Come and see me, and I'll show you where they are.
SPEAKER_04Yep, go and see, go and see the foremost expert of independent comics.
SPEAKER_09Well, it's me, is it?
SPEAKER_04Yeah.
SPEAKER_09Oh, okay. All right, no pressure. Um, I'll uh jump into the next thing that I've read, uh, because I've got a few. I'm I'm sure I've read more than you have because um I'm just a you know better read person than you are. Oh but um the other thing that I read, I finally caught up with this. I I I it took me a little while to catch up with this one because I I thought I had it on my pull list and then I didn't. And so I had to get uh I had to wait for the second printing of issue number one to come out, if that makes sense. But um, this is uh Chachu from Image. Um this is uh written by Imam Vellani, the actress who um portrays uh Kamala Khan, aka Miss Marvel in the MCU, uh both in uh films and in television. Um she's been writing uh Miss Marvel comics or co-writing Miss Marvel comics for a while. Um, and this is her first foray, I think, into uh solo writing. Like she's written this all herself. Um beautiful art by um uh Mariana Ignazi, who I now am a huge fan of because the art in this is stunning. Um I've read the the first uh two issues of this now, and yeah, I'm really hooked. Um that's really well written. As I said, the art is spectacular. I'm pretty obsessed with this cover as well. Yeah. Um and yeah, and I'm really looking forward to the rest of the series there.
SPEAKER_04So uh Yeah, well I I think I I think I reviewed the first issue a number of weeks back. um and and you know like i said i i i have my reservations about celebrities sort of moving into into these um you know sort of streams but i you know with with with um amani i don't i i really believe that she really knows what she's doing um she knows who our audience is and um she's definitely delivering i think i felt that the i don't know about you but i felt like the second is issue was better than the first um so um so um no i i i i definitely enjoyed both issues like i i really enjoyed the the particularly the dialogue like i love good i love well written dialogue um and i i just think that the dialogue in this is very natural and um you know she's she's obviously got the makings of a a screenwriter as well i think Iman so um you know I I really um I really enjoyed both issues and and as I said I thought the art was stunning um the art and the colours the colours by Geordi Belair um yeah just really really beautiful and impressive um so yeah I was glad to finally get back into that one uh to get into that one albeit a little bit belatedly yeah nice what about yourself have you read anything this week I have actually um I have read it's a strange title I'm I will I'll start off with that it's a it it is really a strange title for a comic uh but I understand why they're doing it um I've read I've got an image I've got an image for you I'll just pop up my little image here for for those playing at home uh I'll make room what's that I'm making room oh you're making room uh yeah hang on I haven't uploaded it but anyway I'll find the image in a minute anyway um I'm uh I'm actually reviewing such a professional outfit I know I know I I I keep things real um I'm actually reviewing uh Escape from New York Escape from Chicago so you can see why the name is is a little bit strange um no I love I love that title I think that's amazing I I wish I'd just called it Escape from Chicago right uh an Escape from New York adventure or whatever but um anyway look uh this is this is fun um it's written by Kyle Higgins um and the artist is um Val Rodriguez I I think that's how you pronounce their name um and this is uh set quite an extensive period of time after the escape from New York uh escape from LA um so this is set in 2006 um where there are now a number of uh different uh states in the US I think it's five five or six states in the US now which are these like maximum security um prisons where they throw the worst of the worst of the world in there um but they can never come out and they have to survive on their own merits. So this is uh picking up now snakes what you would classify as a coyote um who is uh sneaking um uh uh people in and out of the of Chicago um and uh comes comes across a uh someone who hires him that he has a sorted past with um and um and so this is a lot of this is just the intro this issue is like the introduction to what to expect from this um from this series um but boy it's good like it it's um there you go so it's done by Mag Cave um that's the that's that's your beautiful front cover there of uh of good old snake in all his glory that's not the A cover is it what's that that's not the A cover is it that's not the A cover that I think that's the B cover so it's really cool. Yeah I I I liked I liked the B cover from the A cover because the A cover was um I yeah I I I maybe it maybe it was more like felt more like a video cassette cover.
SPEAKER_09I think that's what I I mean I I I really like that that B cover if that's what it is but um like that's really really cool but I really like the A cover too because it had it's got like that old uh school movie poster type feel yeah yeah yeah I I like I said I I I felt like it was more um more like what you'd see on the front of a of a of a of a a video you know video box on the on the shelf you know you locate store um yeah I can see I can see why you would have gone for that second one though that's that's really cool.
SPEAKER_04Yeah I think it's I think it's really fun yeah it's closer to the art so that's uh that's your cover A um you need that you need that on a t-shirt though don't you oh look it you know what that actually reminds me of that reminds me of an old uh Nintendo uh game cartridge yeah good one I wonder if that's I wonder if that was intended to be like yeah maybe they're both they're both really cool covers I like them both yeah yeah yeah look nothing nothing against either of them I just gravitated towards B because that's the artist who's doing the do doing the work inside um okay this is like I said if you're a if you're a fan of John Carpenter's you know Escape from New York um you're definitely going to enjoy this um they write snake in his voice you know like I'm picturing you know Kurt Russell's voice the whole time um you know I'm reading this and and that's that's what makes it fun um so yeah I'm definitely on board for this um I just wish it would be called Escape from Chicago as a as a continuance.
SPEAKER_09Well I I get where they've gone with that for the title because Escape from New York like it or not is the brand um and I think it's important from a sales point of view to make sure that that's exactly what they put on there so that they can remind people that it's not a parody you know yeah that's that's true that's true and I quite like I quite like the whimsical nature of having the repetitive title as well I think I think Escape from New York Escape from Chicago is something that fits in really well with the sense of humor of those movies.
SPEAKER_04Yeah well I mean I'm definitely um I'm definitely sold on it it's um it's a it's a good read it's um it's uh it's it's well worth it worth a pickup um uh you know at the store um it's it's a little bit longer too which is good um it's 20 I want to say 25 26 pages okay so um so it's a little bit yeah it's a little bit extra which is nice um nice so like I said it's a good jumping on point if you if you've never watched Escape from New York or Escape from LA and you want to know more about Snake Pliskan um this is a really good jump on point. We you have a really good understanding and then you can go back and re-watch those films um and um and and sort of get it and then you can sort of get it get best of both worlds.
SPEAKER_09But yeah it's great really good I I have to confess I haven't picked it up but um if you reckon it's a good jumping on point maybe I'll I'll I'll I'll have to grab a copy because I've seen I've seen the original film I haven't seen the second one um you don't need to no you've mentioned that in the past but um uh yeah no I I might have to might have to pick it up and have a read.
SPEAKER_04Yeah yeah definitely definitely give it a give it a crack that's for sure um it's um uh yeah so um yeah like I said I don't want to give too much away um there's a little bit of a reveal in there towards the end um which I think was which was good to know and um and yeah I'm looking forward to uh further issues of this I don't know how long it's going to go for I don't know if it's a uh it's it's an ongoing title or whether it's over four or five issues. Um but um feels like a limited maybe series maybe maybe the title maybe the title changes you know from um as they go along so maybe five issues we get escape from chicago and then we go back to New York or LA or something like that. Who knows?
SPEAKER_09Moon moon Mooney Ponds oh so for those in the in in Australia you'll get that joke for those uh overseas um just just think of a ghetto so escape escape from what jeez escape from the Chadston car park with machete wielding bandits um yeah so uh I think that's it pretty much it for the aisle isn't it no what have you got oh I got more oh okay oh jeez don't sound so disappointed no look I I won't I won't bore you with too much but I will I've got to mention one of these okay and you're gonna like it um okay I read this uh last night I think it was or maybe the night before but anyway um the Muppets take the Marvel Universe oh so there we go have you read this note no I read the I read the Muppets Noir yeah no the Muppets Noir is another one of those that is uh been stolen by pirates so it's another one that isn't available for sale physically in Australia but this one um is uh in celebration of the Muppets uh 50th anniversary it's got the logo down the bottom there um nice and yeah it's been released uh with a with a bunch of different um variant covers I should should add um I only got one extra but I did get one extra how many did you get I got the this one's the A cover and I got uh there was a foil variant um by Humberto Ramos of um uh a Spider-Man swinging uh with uh Kermit under his arm. Oh I think I saw that you posted that didn't you um I did yeah I haven't got it I didn't bring it with me I didn't think to but um it's a really good cover people should google it but um yeah I really love this like I figured I would enjoy it because um as you know I I love the Muppets Kermit is one of my all-time heroes um and uh I love the Marvel Universe as well um this was excellent like it's really really good um the the the art in it um surprised me like sometimes these event comics I think it's safe to say sometimes the the art can be a little bit you know lacking um yeah uh at no point in this is it um they they've they've assembled like a really uh uh a class um uh artistic team um they've really uh done uh great justice not to just to the the the Muppet characters but um you know the marble ones as well yeah um yeah and it's it's it's really amazing like it's a bunch of different stories I think there's like five different stories in it um there's one main one and then uh some shorter ones a bit along the lines of what they did with um Deadpool Batman and and Superman Spider-Man yeah um uh and it's just really really fun um yeah they they absolutely nail the writing of the Muppets um the interactions between uh the the Marvel and the Muppet characters um I really feel like they made the most of the opportunities that they had um there's an epic um uh encounter between Emma Frost and one of the Muppets who I won't re I'll leave uh for people to discover themselves because it's just an amazing reveal. It's probably my favorite Emma Frost um scene out of anything ever um and yeah it's just uh a real joy um and and a whole lot of fun so um yeah although it it seems like it's uh Nate's bedtime I I just felt like I had to um I had to at least mention that one no it's definitely worth it you know interestingly enough you were talking about um Muppets Noir and how it didn't get to Australia um what what's really interesting about that is that it's it's coming from the same publisher um as Ben 10.
SPEAKER_04So this is dynamite. Dynamite yep so dynamite's got some real issues when it comes to their licensing don't they?
SPEAKER_09Yeah well it's not just Ben 10 and it's not just Muppets Noir there was um there's another one oh I think it's like um not not Thundercats but um oh silverhawkshawks um really I think so Thundercats how are they getting that across the line if they've got uh Thundercats and Silverhawks um crossover I don't know I I think that's the one um I I have had people come in and ask about it and I've looked it up and and unfortunately it's another one we can't get so there's a whole lot of that stuff that that is tied up in licensing uh hell um that that we can't read unfortunately so yeah yeah um yeah but that just made as I said that just made reading this one even more of a treat because yeah yeah definitely this one at least I could get my hands on it um and I'm as I said I'm really direct from from Marvel too which owns the Muppets right yeah exactly yeah they're all part of the the Disney family now so um but but yeah no it's really really good um and if you haven't read it um uh especially you Nate if you want to keep continuing calling yourself a Muppets fan you better get onto it yeah I'm on it I'm on it now I'm I'm adding it to my comicsology list good which is getting ever so so so big that I'm it's getting unmanageable that's what we want yep what uh anything else you got you you've got on the on the list of reading uh yeah I I'm I am gonna bore you more um I I have I've got three more they're all image books what's going on here um I read uh just quickly we'll do a speed round but um terminal I read terminal number three um continues to be absolutely bonkers and gory beyond belief um really really good fun um in the style of like the old sort of 90s X-Men type stuff really enjoyed that um I read the last issue of Corpse Knight um so that wraps up the six issue uh story there I'm not sure whether we'll get more down the track but I really hope that we do um really enjoyed uh that uh particularly yeah Matthew Roberts' um uh beautiful art um that I have somewhat fallen in love with of doing a deep dive of all of his stuff and the other one that I read which I thought was um I wanted to mention because it was significant is I read uh number 14 of the Rocketfellas.
SPEAKER_04Um this one's significant because they've introduced a new set of characters that they uh sort of buzzed in the the the guidebook the ghost machine guidebook a little while ago um invaders y'all yeah um which is the alien family that's living in a trailer park in Tennessee or something um and so they they they're very heavily featured in this one this is their big debut and um it was good fun so yeah it's another expansion of the um the the the sort of uh the unbelievables uh universe yeah i i'm a bit behind in the rocket fellas but i love that series it's so much fun yeah no we we've got uh plenty to look forward to um yeah great art by francis manipul and um yeah great writing by uh tomasi and yeah no i really enjoyed that too so that is the aisle for me nice one well guess what i think we're at the end of the show we've uh say it ain't so we've covered a lot uh we always do one thing one thing you didn't you didn't say anything about and i'm really surprised is that we didn't have the um the weird files again this week for two i know two two weeks in a row i've never felt so alive oh but it'll be back next week i promise we uh i thought uh i thought we'd uh shelve it for this week because we um bit because of our guests um we had a bit we had a bit going on yeah without we didn't didn't want to bring the vibe down all that positivity from the make festival no no and um we also tested out having extra guests which were which seemed to be uh seemed to work out okay in in the end which was good uh oh hey before we go as well i want to mention um uh i have had a number of people in the store talking about the podcast recently and i wanted to just give a shout out to uh listener ben uh ben was in the other day and and he was uh wanting to to say how much he enjoyed the the podcast especially the local element um i mentioned that um just because i think tonight we've you know it showed exactly um uh how how much we sort of support and and are enthusiastic about the local uh scene um so yeah i just wanted to say uh good day to the listener ben um and say uh thanks for listening hey listener ben thanks so much we uh we appreciate any support um that we get so so that's four people now that listen to the yeah yeah no four listeners that's four listeners that's that's amazing from where we're it's a carful and room for you in the boot uh well anyway uh we look forward to your company next week um uh again we can't promise that it's not going to be a big show it just seems that uh every week we try and sort of peel this back and make it a little bit more more uh accessible and tangible um but uh yeah we we we failed miserably and and we're not trying to do that we're not afraid to to do that so um I'm I'm I'm happy to bring you all things pop culture every week and if as an overload so um but uh anyway thanks for your company uh we'll see you next week uh but we look forward to hearing MJ say so long and thanks for all the fish thanks everybody stay fresh like what you're hearing tell your friends follow us on socials at Pop CulturePod and if you're feeling generous drop us a five star review on your favorite podcast
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