Podcastin' Part 5: Raging Bullets & Views from the Longbox

As a new fan of comic books, I find it frustrating that only a couple of my friends share an interest in collecting and reading comics. For me, half the fun is hearing someone else's reaction and exchanging opinions and predictions. Have you ever felt that way? About a good book, CD, movie or show? If so you can understand what it's like. Well a little over a month ago, I decided to look for good comic podcasts so I could get some idea of what other fans think about my favorite books. I found a few shows, but nothing looked especially enticing. As I clicked through page after page of iTunes search results, my attention was drawn to one in particular: Raging Bullets, A DC Comics Fan Podcast. This was exactly what I had been looking for. Other shows covered too broad a range of comics, including Marvel and independent books in their reviews. Personally, I'm a DC fan so I checked out RB. Hosted by Sean "Dr. Norge" Whelan and Jim "Sensei of the Whatnot" Segulin, RB reviews DC comics past and present on a weekly basis. They read and discuss dozens of DC titles, so pretty much anything you want will get coverage. The best part is that they include timestamps in each episode's iTunes description so you can skip ahead to the reviews you want to hear without having to sit through reviews you don't care about. This is especially helpful given that their episodes average anywhere from 2 to 4 hours in length. While I don't always agree with their opinions, I do enjoy hearing different points-of-view on well-written books Over the last few weeks, I've been listening to all of their older episodes that are relevant to books I enjoy reading (which is mostly Superman stuff). So far I've only heard them review material that I read months ago, so it's been sort of a recap of DC Comics essentials for me. I look forward to getting caught up on current episodes so I can hear their thoughts on fresh materical. Raging Bullets gets a 3.5 out of 5 Raging Bullets (get it?) I like it, but it doesn't necessarily merit my Seal of Approval. Still if you read DC, listen to RB.

Around the same time that I was searching for comic podcasts, while listening to an episode of Geek Out Loud, I heard host Steve Glosson mention a show called Views from the Longbox. He said it was hosted by Michael Bailey. I already knew of Mike from the Superman Homepage, where he regularly writes reviews of Superman comics. Since I like his written reviews, I thought I'd enjoy his podcast. Well that was an understatement. I downloaded all his episodes that were pertinent to the comics I enjoy and I listened to them. Michael is a long-time comics reader, but even I was able to appreciate his reviews as a new reader. I especially loved his episode on The Death of Superman story. That was a very personal look at his road to fandom, and it really showed why Superman is his favorite hero. Just great stuff. Once every so often, Mike is joined by his friend Shag and they chat about a whole host of geeky subjects. Recently, Mike attended Dragon*Con, where he recorded a month's worth of episodes. They are being released weekly throughout October. Because Dragon*Con attracts geeks from all over the US. Mike was able to sit down with all kinds of fans who, like him, use the internet to share their hobbies with the world. They have been really interesting so far. Support Mike by giving him a listen at viewsfromthelongbox.com. Mike gets 4.5 of 5 bags & boards, as well as the world-renowned Frank Ramblings Seal of Approval.

On Deck: Speeding Bulletin and Radio K.A.L.

Podcastin' Part 4: Axed

Have you ever watched a TV show that got canceled before its time? What about a show that never should have aired in the first place, yet somehow remained in production for a season or two? Last month, TV fans Will (formerly of SHoE) and Aaron decided that shows like this deserved their own podcast, so they began the Axed Podcast. Every Monday, Axed issues a new episode discussing and often ridiculing the best and worst of canceled television. They use two different formats on alternate weeks. The first format is their main one. Aaron and Will, after having watched a canceled series in its entirety over the course of a couple of weeks, summarize the series and offer their commentary, satire, sarcasm, and general ridicule of that series for anywhere from 60 to 90 minutes. Each of these episodes is split into a spoiler-free first half in which they comment on the series in general, and a Spoilers section where they pick apart specific episodes in detail.

The second format is what the hosts have dubbed "News from the Chopping Block." These episodes are released during weeks when the guys are still watching episodes of the show they plan to review next. "News from the Chopping Block" is usually 30 to 60 minutes in length and covers the latest news on current shows, both recently-canceled and soon-to-be-canceled. They also share the list of shows they hope will be canceled soon.

No matter which format I happen to be listening to, can't help but laugh at everything their guys say. They're a riot. I already knew of Will via SHoE and I knew he was a funny guy, so when I heard he and a friend were starting a new show, I went to their website. It turned out their first episode had just come out that week. I downloaded it and loved it. These guys are great. Most of the time, they review shows I've never even heard of, but hearing these two talk about it still cracks me up. I've found myself suppressing laughter while listening to Axed on NYC buses. They're literally laugh-out-loud funny. Will makes random references like a master, and Aaron mocks him for it constantly. So far, their victims have been the series Profit (starring Adrian Pasdar of Heroes fame), Daybreak (starring Taye Diggs of Rent fame), The Adventures of Briscoe County, Jr. (starring Bruce Campbell of Evil Dead and general awesomeness fame), and Eerie, Indiana (starring no one of any fame whatsoever). Every review has been hilarious. I'm considering watching all of these series to see if they really are as amusingly horrible as the guys say they are. Axed is the first podcast I've listened to from the time of its premiere episode, and I am in for the long haul. Anyone can enjoy the show. You don't need to be a fan of any show or genre in particular, nor do you need to watch the shows they review. Axed gets 5 out of a possible 5....ummm....axes. I donno. I got nothin'. But they do get the Frank Ramblings Seal of Approval, so that's something. Except not really.

Next Up: Views from the Longbox

Podcastin' Part 3: The Force-Cast

Changing gears now, I'd like to talk about a show that isn't part of the Starkville Podcast Community, but still has a huge fan following in its own right. If you are a Star Wars fan in any sense of the term, you simply must tune in to The Force-Cast every Friday. The Force-Cast offers the latest news updates and commentary on happenings in the Star Wars universe. You can listen to and watch their weekly recording sessions every Wednesday evening at theforce.net, and the episodes are released in the podcast feed every Friday. Personally, I've not yet been able to watch any of their weekly live webcasts, but I hope to do so soon. They accept live phone and Skype calls from listeners, as well as emails, pre-recorded audio comments and voicemails. The bulk of the show presents listeners with new developments, such as information on new film, TV, book, and collectible releases, but the fun doesn't stop there. Not only do co-hosts Jason Swank and Jimmy Mac (along with the recently-departed Pete Nadel who left town and was sadly unable to continue contributing to the show) delve deeper into the news topics, offering their own humorous ideas on the matters of the day, but they also spice things up with fun, sometimes off-topic weekly segments. My personal favorite is the Quote of the Week. Each week, the guys play a clip of Billy Dee Williams (a.k.a. Lando Calrissian in The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi ) in his current role on the General Hospital spin-off Nightshift. The bizarre and outlandish quotes, when taken out of context, always elicit the same reaction: the listener's uproarious laughter. Another great segment is The Outrageously Unthinkable Story of the Week; a recent instance or general news story somehow relevant to Star Wars in some unexpected manner. A third, but by no means the last, segment called Birthdays avails listeners the opportunity to request a birthday shout-out for themselves or a friend. Fun if you've asked for a shout-out, a tad boring if you didn't. But that's what the fast-forward button is for, I suppose. When all is said and done, The Force-Cast is a must-hear for anyone interested in Star Wars, especially with the Clone Wars series just getting started on Cartoon Network. You don't have to be a huge fan. I don't know anything about the expanded universe of novels and action figures, yet I enjoy the show because the pacing is such that no one feels left out. I give The Force-Cast 4 out of 5 force chokes and, you guessed it, the Frank Ramblings Seal of Approval. May the Force be with you.

Next Installment: Axed

Podcastin' Part 2: Geek Out Loud

Originally, as I said in my last post, my intention was to review two podcasts again this time around, but due to the length of the reviews, I've decided to split them up into two posts, the second of which will be available here either later today or at some point tomorrow.

"Shameless self-promoter." That's what I've been called in the past because of the way I like to publicize my podcast (which you can check out at frankpodcast.tk). Recently, I have become more brazen in my self-promotion, mostly due to the inspiration of one man: Steve Glosson. Steve, whom I've mentioned already in a previous post regarding Starkville's House of El Podcast, is also the host of the Geek Out Loud Podcast, which he will be the first to tell you is the official podcast of geekoutonline.com. Steve has produced a total of 18 stellar episodes over the course of one year, spanning a whole host of geektastic topics from comic books and their TV/film adaptations to the Muppets and beyond. Whether he's flying solo or is accompanied by a guest host, Steve manages to keep his listeners entertained with his insightful (and often hysterical) comments on anything and everytthing from the world of geekdom. One of my personal favorite episodes featured a guest appearance from Steve's buddy Derek from the aforementioned SHoE. They shared their memories and favorite moments from the various Muppet movies, specials, and TV series. Let me tell you, I have never laughed so much in the span of 90 minutes! I've also enjoyed Steve's reviews of recent comic book films such as The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man, and The Dark Knight. In every case, I finished listening with a fresh perspective on the film discussed. I've never even seen Hulk, but but after hearing Steve's review, I'll definitely be checking it out soon. Overall, the Geek Out Loud Podcast is an entertaining and compelling show that anyone can enjoy, geeks and normal folk alike. The show is so good and Steve himself is so charismatic that after just 4 Geek Out Loud episodes, Derek of invited him to join the SHoE crew as a permanent fixture. Now that is cool. I would love it if something like that were to come out of thise blog and my own podcast, but I don't hold out too much hope. I am content simply listening to these shows and loving every geek-packed minute. The Geek Out Loud Podcast merits 5 shameless plugs out of a possible 5, and wins the Frank Ramblings Seal of Approval.

Coming Up Next: The Force-Cast

Podcastin' Part 1: SHoE and 10th Wonder

I've been listening to a lot of podcasts in recent months. I just think it's a great medium for entertainment and the expression of ideas. Think about it. Anyone with a cheap microphone and internet access has the necessary equipment for their own radio show. That's why I run a podcast of my own. I love being able to "broadcast", as it were, even if my audience is somewhat limited. Don't get me wrong, I've got a decent-sized audience, larger than I expected when I first started the show. I'm just saying that even if it was only 10 or 20 people, I'd still keep doing it for those 10 or 20 listeners and for my own enjoyment.

Lately I just keep subscribing to more and more podcasts. Right now I listen to about 30 of them. Yeah, that sounds like a lot, but it's not as much as you might think. Most shows update weekly or monthly. One of them, the Dilbert Animated Cartoons podcast, does update daily, but each episode is literally 30 seconds long, so that doesn't exactly require a huge chunk of my time. This is the first of a series of posts I'll be blogging over the next few days, where I will review my favorite podcasts. There are some shows that I really feel more people need to check out. Some of this stuff is incredible.

I really like podcasts that are relevant to my other (usually geeky) interests. Starkville's House of El podcast (affectionately known as "SHoE") is my undisputed favorite. I look forward to it every week. This show is awesome. The two hosts, Derek Russell and Steve Glosson, comment weekly on the CW TV show Smallville, as well as other developments in the world of all things Superman. These guys are great! I discovered the show a little less than a year ago when I started really heavily getting into Smallville and decided to search the iTunes store for something pertaining to it. Boy am I glad I did! These two bring a weekly dose of humor and really interesting discussion that will make anyone want to watch Smallville if they don't already. They've managed to score some awesome interviews with people involved with show, from former cast members to writers. Probably the most interesting interviews are their conversations with John Schneider (Clark Kent's adopted father Jonathan on the show and Bo Duke from The Dukes of Hazzard) and Steven S. DeKnight (writer of such awesome Smallville episodes as "Zod" and "Justice"). So they're definitely not, as some people believe, a couple of guys sitting in a basement with a microphone. The last two years have seen them rise to prominence among podcasters. This summer they even hosted panels at San Diego Comic-Con International and Dragon*Con in Atlanta. So they are definitely to be taken seriously. Check them out whether you like Superman, Smallville, both or neither. They get a 5 out of 5 chocolate mole pies (inside fan joke) on the Frank Scale, as well as the highly prestigious Frank Ramblings Seal of Approval.

Around the same time that SHoE started to really hit its stride in the fall of 2006, another hit TV show premiered on NBC: Heroes. Graham Hancock and Tucker Colburn, two weekly contributors to SHoE, recognized early on that Heroes would be very successful and that it deserved a podcast of its own. So they started the extremely popular Tenth Wonder Podcast (known to many fans as 10W). This show is very similar to SHoE, but it still maintains a unique feel. They review and discuss episodes of Heroes on a weekly basis, also conducting the occasional interview with people on the creative staff. Early in the show's second season, Graham visited the set and managed to meet show creator Tim Kring and producer and comic book legend Jeph Loeb, as well as a few cast members. Writers Joe Pokaski and Aron Coleite agreed to a phone interview with 10W a while back, and still keep in contact with the podcasters. 10W is my number two favorite podcast. Awesome production. Around Season Two, Tucker moved away and wasn't able to continue co-hosting with Graham anymore, so Derek from SHoE stepped in as Graham's co-host and continues to do so to this day. The show has by no means suffered for this. It manages to maintain its level of quality no matter who hosts. Over the summer, 10W also scored panels at San Diego Comic Con and Dragon*Con. The guys are definitely in touch with their fans. I sent them an email towards the end of the summer and attached some photos I took of billboards for Heroes in Manhattan. Not only were they nice enough to read my email on the show, but they even included my photos in their enhanced AAC artwork. That was cool for me. Also, in the ultimate act of fan-acknowledgement, ever since Heroes' third season premiered two weeks ago, they've branched out and begun a weekly streaming video post-show where they give their first impressions of a Heroes episode just after it airs. There is an accompanying chat room where viewers can voice their comments and ask the hosts questions or propose topics they'd like to hear them talk about. It's a great interactive experience and a must-see for any Heroes fan. The Tenth Wonder is awarded 5 out of 5 eclipses (another inside fan joke), as well as the Frank Ramblings Seal of Approval.

Next Time: Geek Out Loud (official podcast of geekoutonline.com) and the Force-Cast.