The Rantcor Pit #69 - Far, Far Away or (The Enduring Inconvenience of Star Wars)

Note:  When originally recorded, this episode was mistakenly referred to as #68.

The audio Rantcor Pit returns at last!  What was to be a brief hiatus stretched into months.  Well, folks, Cole and Eddie are back!

Have you ever watched a Star Wars film and asked yourself, why is everything so far apart, hard to get to, inconvenient, or far away from everything else?

Or perhaps you never have, but might start to ask such questions after you give this long-overdue episode a listen!  Hosts Cole Houston and Eddie Medina take a long look at the long distances and long chances that occur in nearly every incarnation of Star Wars.

From impractical configurations of what should be straightforward aspects of technology or architecture to parking your spacecraft, which can fly pretty much anywhere, as far away from your destination as possible.  Why drive when you can hoof it?  Find out for yourself because The Rantcor Pit is back and it is worth the wait! 

Find out for yourself because The Rantcor Pit is back and it is worth the wait!

Hey Kids, Comics! #257 - I Think I'm Turning Japanese: I Go Neo-Tokyo

The time has come for Andrew Farmer and Cole Houston to bid a fond farewell to the latest story arc.  On that has, for them, proven both challenging and fulfilling.  In conclusion of their exploration of the influences of Japan on the medium, they would be remiss not to tackle the future as depicted in manga.

More often than not that future is grim and dystopian.  From the post apocalyptic to the inevitable decline of humanity on a world stripped of all resources.  What inspires this constant in Japanese comics about the future and how has it influenced more than simply the creators comics in other countries?

These and other facets of futuristic visions in Japanese comics are explored to the best ability of your hosts in the final chapter of a topic that was, in many ways, a mystery to them.

The Rantcor Pit Live (and Where to Find It)

Perhaps you have picked up or been given one of the trading cards that have been produced for The Rantcor Pit Live.  Or maybe you have heard of the show from other fans of "The Star Wars".  Then again maybe this is the first you have heard of the twice-monthly live-streaming Star Wars video podcast originating from Dallas, Texas.

Regardless of how you found out about the show, it is not generally obvious, from the JCU website, where to find the live show and its archive of all but the one "lost episode".  To rectify this, please check out the graphic below, with art by Rantcor co-host Eddie Medina.

The Rantcor Pit Live

Figments

Aisle of Toys

Be sure to check out The Rantcor Pit on YouTube for the full archive of past shows, too! 

 The Rantcor Pit Live YouTube

Hey Kids, Comics! #256 - I Think I'm Turning Japanese: West Meets East

Andrew Farmer and Cole Houston are yet again jumping headfirst into unfamiliar waters as they continue their exploration of Japanese cultural and artistic influences on American Comics.

From "AmeriManga" cash grabs to actual Manga as inspiration, many are the influences that can be found in the art of Western comics and comic artists.  Beyond this is another layer of influence in the portrayal of Japanese and Japanese-Americans in comics.

Over the last half-century of comics, Japan has gone from enemy to ally and Japanese from stereotypes to well-rounded characters.  This, too, is an important aspect of the cultural influence that inspired this arc.

All of this and the "Samurai Connection" in the penultimate issue of "I Think I'm Turning Japanese".

Hey Kids, Comics! #255 - I Think I'm Turning Japanese: Manga Made

Welcome to the latest cahpter of "I Think I'm Turning Japanese", perhaps the most personally challenging story arc ever for HKC!

Andrew Farmer and Cole Houston seek to tackle the vast and varied world of Manga in this issue of the show.  While neither have great familiarity, they do strive to impart some insights and make some observations about the publishing powerhouse comic book form of Japan.

Hey KIds, Comics! #254 - I Think I'm Turning Japanese: Hands and Feet

The second chapter of HKC!'s look at the influence of Japan on comic books has arrived at last.  Andrew Farmer and Cole Houston approach the shadowy and mysterious world of the Ninja, perhaps the most prevalent of Japanese influences to date.

As shrouded in myth and legend in their comic book incarnation as they were in reality, the Ninja have been a staple in comics for decades.  From becoming an ideal "army of the night" when necessary to becoming the foundation of many a non super-human characters background or training, Ninja are a huge part of the vernacular.

From the ancient and undying Ninja clans of old to those curious reptilian warriors of the sewers, your hosts explore the strange and secret world of Ninja.  Join them, won't you?

Hey Kids, Comics! #253 - I Think I'm Turning Japanese: Family Feudal

Andrew Farmer and Cole Houston return!

The long (and much needed) hiatus is over at last and your hosts are now returning to not only start a new story arc but to release one last issue before 2018 arrives!

Your hosts realized that one particular geo-historical period got left off of the "Period Pieces" story arc (HKC! #230-234), that of the Feudal period of Japan.  Discussions of rectifying that led to this story arc, with the subject at hand being the natural jumping off point.

The realm of ancient Japan in comics is one that is not well known to your hosts, but they give it a go none the less - citing those comics that are familiar and exploring those that are not.  So without further adieu, please enjoy the return of the show! 

Hey Kids, Comics! #252 - Santa's Sack Christmas Wishlist 2017

Merry Christmas, everybody!  Hey Kids, Comics! is back from a hiatus of over a month...just in time for Christmas!

"Sweet Christmas", indeed!  The Yuletide time is here again and that means that your hosts Andrew Farmer and Cole Houston have yet again amassed a tree's worth of great gift ideas for the comic book fan in your life.

So without further ado, HKC! proudly presents our 2017 gift guide, ideally just in time for your last minute holiday shopping.

Hey Kids, Comics! Halloween Special #2 - Creature Features

It's Halloween again!  At least it was when Andrew Farmer and Cole Houston, along with (initially) Eddie Medina, attempted to record this year's Halloween Special.  So while it is a bit late, it is still as scary good time!

Since dressing up as monsters and unusual characters is the order of the day for Halloween night, it seemed best to explore the comic book characters who, by their nature, are often forced to dress up as normal people - if they can - just to walk down the street!  Many are the heroes and villains who can morph back and forth between human and creature, however there are those forever stuck in the most inhuman of forms.

It is they who dominate the conversations this year.  Join your hosts Andy and Cole as they delve into the world of comic book characters that just can't pass as your average Joe no matter what they may try.  

Happy Halloween!

Hey Kids, Comics! #251 - Reboot Hill

Welcome to the new incarnation of Hey Kids, Comics! - the one the changes EVERYTHING!  

Actually Andrew Farmer and Cole Houston would not pull such a stunt on you after passing the 250 issue mark.  This is a podcast, not a comic book after all.  In lieu of such nonsense, however, your hosts are happy to explore the myriad reboots by DC, Marvel, and others over the years.  

With so many from which to choose, HKC! elected to explore a handful rather than have a convoluted story arc.  Several are discussed in passing, but some of the major reboots are the focus of the show.  Relive the times when, out of necessity or editorial foolishness, the universes you know and love were altered irrevocably.  For now.

Hey Kids, Comics! #250 - Amazing Reunioncast

Welcome to another milestone in the history of Hey Kids, Comics! - the 250th issue of the show!

After a nearly uninterrupted weekly run, Andrew Farmer and Cole Houston marvel (no pun intended) at having reached 250 standard issues of the show!  And what better way to celebrate than with a look back?  How about a couple of looks back?

The reunion begins with Andrew and Cole exploring anew issues 219 and 247.  The former was missed by Cole and the latter by Andy, so this was a chance at a bit of a do-over so that they could discuss super-heroes in the real world and the Legion of Super-Heroes together at last.

Then things get nostalgic as the second half of this double-sized issue kicks into gear with a look at the genesis of Hey Kids, Comics! - Amazing Comicast!  Special guests Rick Gutierrez of The United States of Geekdom and Whadjathink?'s own Mrs. JediCole join in reminisces of Rick's comic book show that brought a lot of still-podcasting fans together with a unified voice.  Learn a bit of the history of this show as everyone shares thoughts and memories from nearly a decade past.

Hey Kids, Comics! #249 - You and What Army?

When it comes to finding a fighting force, good or evil, that may or may not be government sanctioned, comic books have pretty much always delivered.

Opposing forces like S.H.I.E.L.D. and Hydra naturally spring to mind.  Checkmate and Intergang over at DC Comics as well.  From the obvious armies like these and HIVE or A.I.M. to the really obscure, like Saker's all-girl army in the pages of Bill Willingham's "The Elementals", comics are always well populated with armies!

This week Andrew Farmer and Cole Houston go martial as they discuss and discover an army of armies.  Might makes right when we fight so consider this your invite to take part in this flight.  Alright?

Hey Kids, Comics! #248 - Holy Wholly Batman

"Holey rusted metal, Batman!"  Perhaps one of the only saving graces of Batman Forever was that very nod to the Batman television series of the late 60s.  And it is little wonder that trubute was made to that popular incarnation given its continued influence on Bat-lore.

This week Andrew Farmer and Cole Houston talk about the intertwined relationship of Batman in comics to Batman in other media.  One constantly influences the other in many unexpected ways, as your hosts soon discover through their special guest Michael Cross.

Traditionally a comic character's in-print life dictates the nature of film or television, but in the case of Batman, over a great many decades the reverse has often been the case.  While Frank Miller's "Dark Knight string of pearls" has become a recurring visual, many a character in the Bat comics got their start on television.  And not always with the benefit of being seen on TV first!  From the 60s forward, every incarnation tends to feed those that follow and that becomes the nature of this issue's exploration of the Caped Crusader.

So put on your Bat-Headphones, crank up the Bat-Volume on your Bat-Computer and enjoy this little Bat-Podcast today!

The JediCole Universe Expands Again

Though it is now two months old, nearly three, it is time to introduce fans of the JCU to JediCole's latest endeavor, "Aisle of Toys".

Launched on Sunday, August 20, 2017 as part of the Dallas OnAir lineup, this new live-streaming podcast explores one of Cole's passions.  With the intention of delving into all varieties of toys, this new monthly program will focus on a different toy or toy line, genre of toy, or toy collector.

Discover a universe of popular toys with in-studio guests and prerecorded segments, among other features, each and every month right before the second monthly episode of "The Rantcor Pit Live" (with Cole and Eddie Medina).  The next live episode will stream from 9:30 - 10:30 AM Central on Sunday, October 20, 2017 on Dallas OnAirThose Robots in Disguise - the Transformers - will be the topic of discussion.  

Click here to see the "Aisle of Toys" show page and archive of past episodes.

Click here to link to Dallas OnAir to catch "Aisle of Toys" (third Sunday each month, 9:30-10:30 AM Central), "The Rantcor Pit Live" (first and third Sunday each month, 10:30-11:30 AM Central), and Eddie's new show "Figments" (first Sunday each month, 9:30-10:30 AM Central).

Stay tuned for news of upcoming interactive features with Aisle of Toys including "What's in Your Detolf?", or just watch the show each month!

Hey Kids, Comics! #247 - HKC! Team-Up #9: Legion of Super-Heroes

Nearly a week late, the latest issue of Hey Kids, Comics! finally hits the JCU website!  It is rather appropriate since the topic of the week is DC's hero club of the future, the Legion of Super-Heroes!  So it works out that the arrival of this episode was in the future of its scheduled date.

In all seriousness, the Legion has been a major part of the DC Universe for over half a century.  Not a bad run for what began as a vehicle for Superboy and evolved into a solid title in its own right. 

Andrew Farmer was unable to participate directly in this issue, so JediCole flew solo, but with the only guest he and Andy could have wanted for such a discussion, Steve McCauley.  A lifelong fan of the teen heroes of the future, so much information was brought to the table that this proved to be a super-sized episode!

"Aisle of Toys" Invites You to Help Stop the Swap

In conjunction with my new live-streaming show, Aisle of Toys (click here to see the show and archive), I have begun a campaign to reach out to Hasbro to request a change in packaging for the Marvel Legends action figure line, the most pilfered toy on the market.  

If you are a Marvel Legends collector or a toy collector in general, please join the petition and share the links in your social media.  While by no means a means to end shoplifting, a simple packaging change would make this line less inviting to thieves and content-swappers.

-JediCole

Hey Kids, Comics! #246 - I Like Turtles!

It all started in 1984 when Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird took banked their combined savings on four turtles, the emergent ninja craze, and the budding indy comics market.  What resulted was a cultural phenomenon that has spanned comics, movies, television, toys, and more!

This week your hosts Andrew Farmer and Cole Houston take a more intensive look at Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and their impact on the industry beyond inspiring a staggering array of martial arts animal comics.  Michelangelo, Raphael, Donatello, and Leonardo mutated from reptile pets to one of the most recognizable quartets of characters in comic book history.  

Expect hi-jinks on the half-shell as Figments and Rantcor Pit host Eddie Medina joins an issue of the show with him in mind.  This may be a show about turtles, but the pace will be anything but slow when these three talk turtles!

Hey Kids, Comics! #245 - The Full Bronty

Dinosaurs.  Latin for "terrible lizards".  Though despite the connotations of the word these long-extinct animals have fascinated the world and for centuries.  Is it any surprise, then, that they are staples of the comics?

This week Andrew Farmer indulges JediCole Houston's lifelong love of all prehistoric life with an issue that concentrates on dinosaurs in comics.  While a prior show did explore the bygone epochs that spawned these mighty beasts, more often than not they occur in comics not in the primeval past but in the present day, or on alien worlds, or through the machinations of science. 

Join your hosts on an exploration of Dinosaur Island, the Savage Land, and the Xenozoic Age.  Meet intrepid time travelers, sentient anthropomorphic dinosaurs, and the unfortunate individuals who unexpectedly come face to face with dinosaurs not in a Michael Crichton novel.  There is something here for every enthusiast of the age of reptiles! 

Hey Kids, Comics! #244 - Comics...the Final Frontier

They used to say that an inker was just a tracer and that comics are just for kids.  But an inker adds depth and texture, and comics are graphic fiction.  Do you think that Jack Kirby hadn’t collaborated with Stan Lee the we would have ever got Watchmen?  That’s like saying that you wish you just had Little Lulu and Jughead’s Double Digest like your great-great-great grandfather used to.  Hey Kids, Comics! Is in command of this podcast.  Andrew and Cole could fall back on this, but won’t even if such comics had not potential to expand minds or push boundaries, but instead will point out the potential for the advancement of comics as an art form.  Comics!  Coimcs are our business!  That’s what this show is all about!  That’s why you are here!

Welcome to a very Star Trek issue of HKC! in which Andrew Farmer and Cole Houston pay tribute to STar Trek on the occasion of it's 51st birthday!  From Gold Key to IDW, the various incarnations of Gene Roddenberry's greatest work has enjoyed a nearly non-stop comic book presence.

Lifelong Star Trek fan Catherine Houston joins the lively discussion of the varied incarnations of Star Trek in comics as well as on screens large and small.  So beam up this great episode, pour up a flagon of Saurian brandy, and join the fun in the final frontier.

Hey Kids, Comics! #243 - Cine-Files: Straight Outta Comics

We arrive at long last at the final issue of the Cine-Files story arc.  It has been quite a journey through comic books and the cinema.  For a change of pace, this issue takes a different approach to the theme, focusing on movies that are like comic books but not based on any specific existing property.

Andrew Farmer and Cole Houston bring you a variety of movies that fit the topic, from the obvious to the unique.  They are joined in this pursuit by Eddie Medina of The Rantcor Pit Live.  

From the obvious to the truly obscure to those films that just feel like a comic story, the variety of movies covered is as diverse as the reasons they were considered for inclusion in the discussion.  Enjoy this curious take on the comic book and super hero genre when there is no source material from which the plots are drawn.