Hey Kids, Comics! Halloween Special #1 - Chick or Treat

Enter.   If you dare!

Welcome to the first annual Hey Kids, Comics! Halloween Special!  

Just over a week before Halloween a giant of comic book publication passed away.  No, not some familiar name from the ranks of the Editorial Staff of Marvel or DC.  Not some wold-famous super-hero creator.  Not even some higher up at Archie Comics!

No, it was none other than reclusive religious comic book and tract publisher Jack Chick.  Upon the news of his demise, hosts Andrew Farmer and Cole Houston realized that for far too many years an aspect of comics had gone unexplored on this show.  What began as a "next episode" quickly became the first annual Halloween Special.

Chick Publications may seem an odd choice of topic for a Halloween show on a comic book podcast, but these comics took the pseudo holiday's modern candy-industry-fueled playfulness as a common theme for cautionary tales of the seemingly infinite power of Satan!  Examining this and other themes of these ultra-religious, often tragic tales, your crack HKC! team is joined by Eddie Medina.

From the fire and brimstone themes to the admonition that Chick religious tracts make great companions to "fun size" sugary treats when it comes to saving the damned at Halloween, there was a lot of ground to cover in this special and unique episode that examines one of the most overlooked of comic book genre.

The Rantcor Pit #56 - Malice in the Palace

Quite a bit overdue.  Nearly a week in fact, the latest edition of The Rantcor Pit has arrived at last!  This time Your Favorite Star Wars Guys are taking a little trip into that other "wretched hive" of the Original Trilogy, Jabba's Palace!

Many of the most fascinating background characters in Star Wars are found in Jabba's Palace.  Certainly they captured the imagination of your hosts, as well as their enthusiasm.  From Jabba's majordomo Bib Fortuna to the curious and pondering Hermie Odle, there are so many creatures to discover in the various alcoves and corners of the Tattooine headquarters of the notorious Hutt.

Discover how Oola was not the only one with a "boob slip", hear discussion on the characters you never saw, including the bizarre and unrealized "light man", and just listen to a couple of hardcore alien creature fanatics gush over this rich set piece from Return of the Jedi!

So grab a drink from the R2 unit Jabba just acquired, belly up to the Sail Barge windows, and enjoy the spectacle, this time without getting blown up by a bunch of Rebels!  Actually, just enjoy the latest episode of The Rantcor Pit as Cole and Eddie hang out in a favorite place...

Hey Kids, Comics! #202 - Tick Marks

SPOOOOOOON!

Hey Kids, Comics! goes to The City.  Literally!  

Andrew Farmer and Cole Houston proudly invite you to join them as they discuss one of the most curiously successful comics of all time, The Tick!

Created by Ben Edlund way back in 1986, The Tick has jumped off of the independent comic book page and into the world of television both as an animated series and a live action series.  As Amazon prepares to go all in on the second live action series in the 30 year history of the character, it seemed only fitting that HKC! take a look at what makes the Tick keep on ticking.

Your hosts are joined by Tick super-fan Catherine "Mrs. JediCole" Houston as they ponder the most clueless yet effective hero in comics!

Figments Case File #13: Amityville Means Friendship...Or Horror...Whichever

The Cryptid Couple, Eddie and Colleen, take you on a visit to the infamous Amityville house, made famous by the best selling book and blockbuster movie, The Amityville Horror. What was the real story behind the DeFeo murders. Were the Lutz family members really tormented by dark forces? Listen in and determine for yourself...are they real...or are they Figments?

Hey Kids, Comics! #201 - World Bizarre

Bizarro.  The imperfect clone or duplicate (depending on your era) of Superman is the subject of this week's issue of the show.  Andrew Farmer and Cole Houston find themselves in a strange place indeed as a result.  

Depending on whether or not you subscribe to Bizarro World philosophy, this is either among the best or the worst episodes of the show ever produced.  Regardless of your way of thinking, it is perfectly fair and square or imperfectly unfair and circle.  Either way, your HKC! hosts hope that you enjoy their exploration of one of the most curious, and curiously enduring, characters of the Superman mythology.

"Best episode EVER! - Bizarro Comic Book Guy; The Bizarro Simpsons

BONUS!  As promised in the latest issue, CLICK HERE to check out The Apocrypha #6!

ReNerding Episode 1: Hellraiser! Nightbreed! Cenobuns?

ReNerding begins in earnest after the introductory episode.  Check out the nerdiness right here!

This is it, fellow ReNerders, the very first episode!  *Cue fanfare and fireworks*  You will be able to say that you were there from the beginning; or, if you’re reading this many years from now, way to go on scrolling allll the way back to the first episode!

In this episode, Matt and Chris both nerd and renerd over the Clive Barker classics Hellraiser and Nightbreed. Listen in as they discuss their differing views on Frank and Julia having sex on her wedding dress the day before she marries Frank’s brother, Hellraiser’s weird pacing, their offer to Cinnabun and Clive Barker to marry the two franchises into Cenobuns, Chris’s indecision regarding the rest of the Hellraiser series, Boone’s hero journey in Nightbreed, Chris and Matt playing the Newlywed Game and Chris failing to figure out Matt’s favorite Nightbreed, all this AND MORE!!!

Hey Kids, Comics! #200 - Tales From the Tanzanite Age

How exactly does anyone top one "Golden Age of Comic Book Movies after another?  Simple.  Declare the Tanzanite Age of Comic Book Movies!

Year after year the bar continues to be raised as the comic book movies dreamed of in childhood have come to the fore.  A genre unto itself, there have been distinct ages in the history of the modern cinematic comic book realm.  Join Andrew Farmer and Cole Houston as they explore that history and the rise of the Tanzanite Age.  

Enjoy the dawning of the Age of Tanzanite at a theater near you later this year.  And early next year.  And next summer, next fall, next Christmas, and early in 2018, too!

Figments Case File #012: Urban Decay

Due to a preponderance of swamp gas filled weather balloons converging with an ascending Venus during a lunar eclipse, "Weird Wednesdays", the weekly October release of Figments, is occurring on Thursday this week.

Colleen and Eddie bring you week 2 of their month-long spooky Figments cases. Listen as they talk about Urban Legends and see if you can figure out if they are real or a figment before they reveal it.

ReNerding Episode 0: Origin Story! Friendship! Unnamed Local Used Bookstore?

All heroes have epic origins, and your fearless podcast hosts are no different. In this episode, Matt and Chris briefly share our stories: Matt bitten by a radioactive spider, Chris retconned into existence circa 1985, both of them the overlords of Latvia at differing times. Learn how our friendship grew whilst employees of Unnamed Local Used Bookstore! Learn how Chris once nerded, then stopped, then nerded anew! Learn how Matt has devoted his life to the ways of nerding! Learn how the two friends decided to embark upon this nerdtastic voyage! Listen to Chris talk about Lady Death’s boobs!

More importantly, this episode lays out what ReNerding is all about; it also lets you know the format of each episode:

1. Matt assigns Chris an assignment to help him ReNerd.

2. Matt and Chris do each assignment

3. We come together to discuss what they dug, what turned them off, interesting info.

4. We decide if they will continue to ReNerd over the particular assignment (Will they continue the series?! Will they rewatch that movie?!)

Next week’s assignment: Follow Matt and Chris as they watch for the first time (Chris) or rewatch (Matt) Hellraiser and Nightbreed as part of the ReNerding spooooooktacular Halloween horror funness! If you have Netflix, they are both there (at least at the time of this recording/blog post.) Thanks for listening!

I

A couple more things:

1. Sorry about the audio quality! We were/are learning the ways of audio recording, and this episode is a result of that. Not all our episodes sound this way, so bear with us as we are learning. If you like what we are doing, consider donating to our Patreon so we can afford better microphones to be all melodious in your earholes.

2. ReNerding needs you! This whole process is an experiment in community, and while Matt and I are content to hang out and talk about all this stuff by ourselves, we’d eventually go apeshit and probably murder each other. You don’t want to be responsible for that, do you? DO YOU?! Join our Facebook page, our ReNerders Mailing List, follow us on Twitter! From there, shoot us your messages, thoughts, ideas, and ReNerding assignments. Be sure to use #renerding!

3. Subscribe on your favorite podcast app, rate us, give us reviews! The more of these we get, the more people find out about us, and the more folks we can get in on this whole ReNerding shebang.

4. We love you!

The Rantcor Pit #55 - Fett-Ish

The Rancor Pit welcomes you to join us in celebrating our third anniversary with a brand new episode on our new schedule, the second and fourth Sundays of every month!

This outing it is time to explore one of the biggest breakaway characters in Star Wars cinematic history, Boba Fett!

The clone of a long-dead bounty hunter, Fett took up the family business and got in good with the Galactic Empire by successfully tracking the Millennium Falcon to Bespin.

From being the sole highlight of the Star Wars Holiday Special to a lackluster "death" in the maw of the Sarlacc, Boba Fett is one of the most iconic players in The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi.  The notorious bounty hunter not only brought Han Solo to Jabba the Hutt, he also captured the imagination of fans worldwide.  

Enjoy "Your Favorite Star Wars Guys" as they bet on the Fett Man in this special anniversary episode of Rantcor!

Hey Kids, Comics! #199 - Red All Over

“Your Commie has no regard for human life, not even his own. And for this reason, men, I want to impress upon you the need for extreme watchfulness. The enemy may come individually, or he may come in strength. He may even come in the uniform of our own troops. But however he comes, we must stop him. We must not allow him to gain entrance to this base.” - Brigadier General Jack D. Ripper (Dr. Strangelove Or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb)

Get ready for a Cold War flashback as your HKC! hosts Andrew "Little Red One" Farmer and Cole "Red Scare Bear" Houston take a look at Communism in comics and the heroes and villains thereof in the history of the comics. 

A red dawn rises in comics from Red Ghost and his super-apes to the Chinese super team, Great Ten to the People's Protectorate.  Communism and the Red Scare ledto a myriad of characters that endure to this day. 

A red dawn rises in comics from Red Ghost and his super-apes to the Chinese super team, Great Ten to the People's Protectorate.  Communism and the Red Scare ledto a myriad of characters that endure to this day. 

So get Red-y for some fun and flashbacks in an in-depth exploration of Soviet and Communist characters of an era where they were a major force in comics!

CCCP you next week, comrades!

Figments Case File #011: Deep in the Haunt of Texas

A new season of Figments begins now with the first of four spooky episodes for October leading right up to Halloween!  

Colleen and Eddie, "The Cryptid Couple", are back with new episodes of "Figments". Prepare yourself as they talk Texas-sized tales of terror with "Deep In The Haunt Of Texas". They also give the low down on the Grandbury Paranormal Expo. Celebrate "Weird Wednesdays" the Figments way!

Hey Kids, Comics! #198 - Get Off of My Page!

Welcome to a follow up to a previous issue of the show that simply could not wait another week!  Following up on the incomplete HKC! #195, Andrew Farmer and Cole Houston are proud to bring you an exploration of comic book creators insinuating themselves into their own work.

From the ubiquitous appearances of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby to the Marvel Bullpen insinuating themselves into the X-Men, comic creators seem to love joining their own creations.  "The Rantcor Pit" co-host Eddie Mednina returns to join in on this discussion of a phenomenon that seemed to run rampant at Marvel Comics.

Learn all about the John Byrne Swagger and more!

Hey Kids, Comics! #197 - Comicsumentary

Hey Kids, Documentaries!

Welcome to a different kind of HKC! issue that takes a look at comics in cinema, but not in the way most would think these days.   Given the proliferation of comic book movies and television today (Russia even has a super-hero movie coming out!), it is easy to forget that documentary filmmakers are getting in on the popularity of the genre.  Well, Andrew Farmer and Cole Houston are your Pepperidge Farms in this particular case!

Exploring the work of documentarians in general, and highlighting four films specifically, your hosts invite you to join them in exploring “the other comic book” movies.  Discover why you really need to see “Crumb!”, “Finding Steve Ditko”, “Comix: Beyond the Comic Book Page”, and “The Death of Superman Lives”.  

Roll 'em!

The things you see in small town Ohio

Hey Kids, Comics! #196 - HKC! Team-Up #8: The Fantastic Four

Welcome back to Hey Kids, Comics!  Almost four days late due to technical difficulties and scheduling issues, Andrew Farmer and Cole Houston are proud to share the latest edition of HKC! Team-Up.

Marvel's "First Family" have been a staple of super-hero comics for decades.  Your hosts explore their endearing charm and their enduring presence in the genre.  How have the first iconic creations of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby managed to be timeless?  What is it about the unlikely dynamic of family and friends that has kept readers coming back for more?  

Discover for yourself by checking out this amazing issue where Andy and Cole hang out at the Baxter Building and swap tales of the most fantastic quartet of adventurers int he history of comics!

The Rantcor Pit #54 - Rogue Gallery Part 2

The Rantcor Pit is back!  A bit late but back.

As promised on the September 4, 2016 edition of The Rantcor Pit Live, Cole Houston and Eddie Medina continue their discussion of the upcoming Star Wars film Rogue One.

Joining them for this episode is none other than Andrew Farmer of Hey Kids, Comics! because Andy and Eddie just can't seem to get enough of each other!  Expect things to get way out of hand as this trio of podcasters delves deep into speculation, anticipation, and what we know so far about the latest addition to the Star Wars Saga.  

pre-production art for "Rogue One"

And that twitter post, as promised.

Happy Batman Day!

Happy Batman Day, From Hey Kids, Comics!

Hey Kids, Comics! #195 - Never Meet Your Heroes

As The JediCole Universe expands, things starting running a bit behind.  So the Friday, September 9 release of the show is running a tad late.  

This week hosts Andrew Farmer and Cole Houston share some personal stories about brushes with comic book greatness.  Eddie Medina also joins in on this trip down memory lane.  From memorable hits to misses that sting to this day, this episode has it all!

Learn first hand what happens when you get that big chance to talk to a favorite comic book creator.  Was it everything hoped?  Was it a disaster?  Did something amazing happen or did aspirations simply fizzle.  From Lee and Kirby to more contemporary creators, the tales told were so numerous that this issue runs nearly two hours! 

Growing Pains

The JCU is in the midst of some big changes!  

The new website is wonderful but also very new.  As in new to me.  Thus your "Unfrozen Caveman of Technology" is having to learn some new tricks in order to get the latest content on the site.  Andrew Farmer has done an amazing job getting us here, now I just need to figure it all out as we move forward.

The timing was ideal as I am working on a multiple-box Back Issue Bins section for Hey Kids, Comics! that will be available in the coming weeks.  The first 200 issues will be at your disposal with easy access and 50 issues (plus annuals or specials) per bin.  

The really big news is that The Rantcor Pit and Hey Kids, Comics! are both about to be available on the Cinelinx network!  More details will be coming soon on that front, so keep an eye on this site for more.

Thank you all for bearing with us through the transition.  New episodes of your favorite shows will be on the site very soon, including some returning shows and a brand new one too be announced very soon.  

- JediCole