Sidebar Forever

On today's podcast, we attempt to figure out whatever happened to the writer-artist in mainstream comics. 
 
In the 1970s and 1980s, artists like Jack Kirby, Jim Starlin, John Byrne, and Frank Miller wrote and drew mainstream books featuring flagship characters. Be it a miniseries like Miller’s ‘The Dark Knight Returns’, Byrne’s five-year run on ‘The Fantastic Four’ or even Walt Simonson's incredible three years on ‘The Mighty Thor’ — fans ate it up to tremendous sales and acclaim. 
However, we see a different version of the writer-artist working in contemporary mainstream comics. 
Why?

Who remembers the old Dell, Gold Key and Charlton comics? Weird, offbeat characters like Magnus: Robot Fighter, Doctor Solar, Turok, and the original Blue Beetle? How about Archie Comics with its never-ending soap opera about a group of teenagers living in the fictional town of Riverdale? 
 
Today, we discuss those publishers, their titles, and even some of the creators who worked for them on this episode we're calling — ‘Forgotten Comics’.

Our review of the mesmerizing 1999 crime thriller ‘The Limey’. Directed by Steven Soderbergh and starring Terence Stamp, Luis Guzmán, Leslie Ann Warren, and the late Peter Fonda, the movie is about an estranged father's journey for revenge, forgiveness, and ultimately, redemption. ‘The Limey’ is considered by many fans to be one of Soderbergh's best films.

“I smell a rat!” 
On today’s podcast, we interrogate a murderers’ row of classic L.A. crime movies like The Big Sleep, Chinatown, True Romance, Reservoir Dogs, Heat, Jackie Brown, and L.A. Confidential. For years, audiences have been captivated by the seedy underbelly of the ‘City of Angels’ depicted on film. We go deep undercover to find out why.

Today's episode is a deep dive into Vietnam War movies. We did our best to cover all of the big ones (The Deer Hunter, Apocalypse Now, Full Metal Jacket) and even a few that often get overlooked (Dead Presidents, The Siege of Firebase Gloria, Rescue Dawn). Lastly, we discuss some of the tropes and overused storylines in these films, as well as how patriotic filmmaking can easily turn into jingoistic wish fulfillment. 

Oliver Stone's 'Platoon' celebrates its 35th anniversary this year. We recon all the classic scenes and unforgettable characters: Charlie Sheen as Taylor, Tom Berenger as Sgt. Barnes, Willem Dafoe as Sgt. Elias, as well as Keith David, Kevin Dillon, Forest Whitaker and John C. McGinley rounding out the rest of the squad.
We also chop up some behind-the-scenes trivia related to the making of the film and discuss Platoon's place in the pantheon of Vietnam War films.

Marvel's 'WandaVision' as a series is done, and in our discussion, we are a podcast divided.
Dwight dug it, Swain was woefully unsatisfied, and Adrian is caught somewhere in between in the Meh Zone.
Also, we have questions: After nine episodes, do we know why Wanda and Viz love each other so much? Are two Pietros two too many? And last, wasn't Reed Richards supposed to be the surprise reveal at the end?? I guess we can blame Agatha for that, too.

Vaccines are here, people are getting inoculated, and there's hope for the future. But with Covid numbers still surging around the globe, most of us are sticking close to home and avoiding crowds. And that means conventions, too.
Attending comic conventions has been an integral part of fandom since the 1970s. However, with local health boards advising against large gatherings, every major convention in America has gone virtual, as in, online. So your three hosts decided it would be fun (and a little emotional, if we’re to be honest) to sit down and reminisce over some of our fondest con memories.
Step into the Wayback Machine with us as Dwight describes his first Atlanta Fantasy Fair, Swain shares a HeroesCon story involving Kurt Cobain and a comic artist named Kubert, Adrian gets all nervous meeting Silver Age great Nick Cardy, and all three of us recall our favorite moments from Spectrum Fantastic Art Live.

Today’s episode is a review of the 2021 Warner Bros. film ‘Judas and the Black Messiah’. Based on the last days and months in the life of Black Panthers leader Chairman Fred Hampton, the film details his revolutionary mission to unite oppressed groups across the city of Chicago, the Black Panther Party's conflicts with the Chicago PD and ultimately the FBI, and Hampton's betrayal at the hands of undercover informant Bill O'Neil, played by Lakeith Stanfield. Daniel Kaluuya delivers an Oscar-worthy performance as Hampton, and actors Dominique Fishback and Jesse Plemmons are also great in supporting roles.
 
On the podcast, we discuss the effort it took writer-director Shaka King and producer Ryan Cooglar to get the blessing of Hampton's family for this project, the filmmakers' attempts to stay true to real-life events while also staying true to their artistic vision, and despite our quibbles with the narrative, how the film smartly weaves cat-and-mouse thriller with government conspiracy, love story and biopic sensibilities.

The brilliant 2016 documentary ‘I Am Not Your Negro’ is available right now on Netflix and Hulu, and you should watch it. We did. 
Narrated by actor Samuel L Jackson, the film is based on an unfinished manuscript by celebrated author James Baldwin. Baldwin's intent with the manuscript was to show the overlap in the lives of civil rights leaders Medgar Evers, Malcolm X, and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., all of whom were friends of his.
This podcast has never reviewed a proper documentary before and with it being Black History Month here in the states, we jumped at the chance to change that. In the conversation, we discuss the use of archival footage from the civil rights movement, what makes for an effective documentary, feeling like an ‘other’ in your own country, and the insights offered by ‘I Am Not Your Negro’ into the life and life's work of the late James Baldwin.