Hey Kids, Comics! Quarterly #1 - Podcast's Finest

Welcome to the latest addition to the HKC! universe,  Hey Kids, Comics! Quarterly.  This special edition of the show will publish a mere four issues per year, but each will be colossal in both time and content.

Could there be a better way to launch a new project than in the company of friends?  Certainly not as Andrew Farmer and Cole Houston happily join forces with DeNae Cortez and Aaron Prado of the Wonder Twin Powers Activate Show!  Together these two geeky podcasts seek to tackle the massive topic of ten years of Marvel Studios movies!

Coming from various backgrounds in regard to comic books, as well as the Marvel movies, the conversations are all over the map in this special issue.  Love, hate, and various levels of "meh" are leveled at the bulk of the Marvel cinematic catalog.  Even the top four movies in the opinion of your hosts and their guests are also included in the mix!

Hey Kids, Comics! #267 - Rogue-ish I's II: Tangled Web- Part 1: Goblin Up

Welcome to the latest story arc to hit Hey Kids, Comics!, Rogue-ish I's II:  Tangled Web!  Your hosts Andrew Farmer and Cole Houston kick off an in-depth exploration of some of the most iconic villains to ever challenge Spider-Man in his long career.

Heading up the arc is none other than perhaps the best known nemesis of Ol' Web Head, the Green Goblin.  The rich history of this antagonist makes him the ideal jumping off point to examine the villains who have kept Spidey busy for over 50 years!

Delving into the origins, history, and psychology of such a troubled character is not a task entered into lightly, so your hosts are joined this week by PJ (Vegabomber) Dunn!  Bringing his own unique insights and wisdom to the fore, many a realization was made about the dynamic shared by Norman Osborne and his twisted alter ego.

Even the cinematic incarnations are given their due as Rougeish I's II begins a five issue exploration of evil.

Hey Kids, Comics! #266 - Legends in Their Own Toys

A bit overdue, but worth it, the latest issue of Hey Kids, Comics! has arrived and it is "Legendary!"

Andrew Farmer and Cole Houston are no strangers to Hasbro's Marvel Legends line, a spin-off years ago from a Toy Biz Spider-Man figure series.  They have spoken at length about the line here, on Aisle of Toys, and elsewhere.  Simply put, they love Marvel Legends!  With that in mind it is little wonder they have returned to the topic yet again!

This time, however, they are joined by The Rantcor Pit's own Eddie Medina, a recent convert to this action packed series of action figures!  Eddie brings his own take (and tales of incredible luck on "the hunt" to the table as three collectors share their favorite figures, tales, and want list gems!

Discover the toy line that changed the game for collectors and retailers alike on this special issue of HKC!

Hey Kids, Comics! #265 - Cat Like Part Two: Nine is Not Enough

Welcome comic book, and especially Batman, fans!  Andrew Farmer and Cole Houston are back with more Catwoman goodness!

This week your hosts are joined by the incomparable Kelly Long who brings her traditional grace, knowledge, and sensibility to the chaos that is HKC!  Catwoman's career from the 70s to the present is the order of the day and a lot of ground is covered in regard to the character and "fanboy sexual demands"

Expect an above average issue this outing as hosts and guests trade insights, observations, and revelations about Selina Kyle as portrayed by various creators and her evolution over the past few decades, for better or worse.  

Hey Kids, Comics! #264 - Cat Like Part One: Smart as a Whip

Catwoman.

Does anything else really need to be said?  Perhaps not, but it did not stop your hosts Andrew Farmer and Cole Houston from devoting not one, but two episodes to one of the most famous and enduring of Batman villains.

This issue chronicles Gotham's favorite (?) cat burglar's lengthy career in comics.  From her first tangle with the Batman to the advent of the cat costume to various romances with her arch rival to her disappearance from comics and beyond.  Selina Kyle's alter ego has an amazing origin and a history that is explored from 1940 to the late 60s in as much detail as an hour would allow.

Be sure to tune in next Friday for the second part of this Catwoman-centric tale that leads up to the impending Bat-nuptials as the Kyle-Wayne wedding vows will soon be heard!

Hey Kids, Comics! #263 - Keeping Up With the Joneses

By tomorrow (April 20), the JCU will be back on track with the latest issues of Hey Kids, Comics! publishing every Friday!  Still catching up, please enjoy what was intended as last Friday's exploration of the second season of Netflix's Jessica Jones!

Building on the life of the title character after the events of The Defenders, the new season of the series takes Jessica to her roots as a street-level super-hero.  Such as she is willing to be thus.  And so naturally Andrew Farmer and Cole Houston just had to talk about where things headed this season, despite losing the original recording and having some differences of opinion!

Your hosts do agree that the plot offers a rich development to not only Jessica's character (with the arrival of her thought-to-be-late mom on the scene) but also the entire cast of supporting characters.  Find out for yourself their thoughts on the twists and turns, the curious sub-plots, and the grooming of a future Hellcat(?) in this super-sized issue.

Mrs. JediCole even joins in to express her thoughts on this great Netflix series.  Enjoy!

Hey Kids, Comics! #262 - Wakanda Round

It's finally here (on the JCU site that is)!  The long awaited issue featuring one of the absolute best Marvel Cinematic Universe movies to date - Black Panther!

Full to brimming with all things comic book goodness wrapped in a satisfying movie-going experience, this chapter of the ongoing Marvel franchise has your hosts Andrew Farmer and Cole Houston absolutely gushing!

Black Panther proves not just a great Marvel Comics movie, but a great movie in general.  Find out what the HKC! boys (along with Mrs. JediCole) thought of this latest chapter in the ever-expanding story of the Marvel Universe on the big screen by checking out this issue of the show!

Hey Kids, Comics! #261 - Hey Hasbro!

It has just been too long and this issue (and the one that follows) is long overdue!  

In this issue, your intrepid hosts gush over new and upcoming releases in Hasbro's Marvel Legends line of action figures, then take matters into their own hands.  Andrew Farmer and Cole Houston admonish Hasbro to touch upon some of the Marvel characters as yet unseen.

This show really speaks for itself, so there is little need to give too many hints as to which characters these fanboys want to see given the plastic treatment.  Just give it a listen and discover for yourself!

Of course there is that ONE character that is inevitably revisited in the discussions...

Hey Kids, Comics! #260 - Thou Never Shalt Hear Herald Any More

When it comes to iconic Fantastic Four villains, few fit the bill quite as much as that constant cosmic visitor and hunger-monger, Galactus!  And when comes the Devourer of Worlds first comes his faithful (well, usually faithful) Herald.

With at least ten heralds to date, the job has had fairly consistent turnover since the Fallen One got the Cosmic Pink Slip.  Nearly every herald has, as a matter of course, been an ad hoc Fantastic Four foe, so this issue is HKC!'s way of coming out in support of Marvel's cancelled "low sales" wonder.

Be they walker on air, tamer, lord of fire, or a shiny surfer of the spaceways, if you are willing to proclaim the impending end of a planet, you can get yourself some Power Cosmic action and enjoy (?) the tragic duty of giving folks a chance to kiss their asses goodbye before the big guy arrives to sate his appetite!  Find out more by giving this issue a listen.

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Hey Kids, Comics! #259 - The Saga of "Saga"

If it were possible for your hosts Andrew Farmer and Cole Houston to gush like schoolgirls over a comic, that comic would have to be "Saga".  And for the record, it is most assuredly possible!

The Image Comics masterpiece by Brian K. Vaughn and Fiona Staples is one of the most groundbreaking and simultaneously "f'd-up" comics int he history of the medium.  The written word does not do justice to what you will hear on this issue of the show!

This week the show will speak for itself.  And for "Saga", truly one of the all time greats!

Hey Kids, Comics! #258 - That Moment When, Again

There are times when a comic book is more than just a comic book.  The times when the work of writer and artist transcend the medium.  Those moments when...

Andrew Farmer and Cole Houston invite you to join them once again, months after the firs time they took on this topic, to yet again share in their personal moments when a comic story spoke to them in an unexpected or profound way.

Spoiler Alert!

This issue will feature in-depth discussion of specific stories or story arcs from the following comics.  If you are keen to discover these stories for yourself without prior commentary, you may want to do so before you hear the thoughts of your HKC! hosts.

Titles and stories discussed include Marvel Two-in-One, Saga (Volume 3), the inclusion of Watchmen characters in the greater DC Universe, Arkham Asylum:  Living Hell, Starman, and the Time Runs Out story line.

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!