Hey Kids, Comics #318 - Lights! Camera! Action Figures!

Andrew Farmer and Cole Houston, your hosts for this weekly comic book podcast, have long celebrated the Tanzanite Age of Comic Book Movies. For this issue they are celebrating the amazing offshoot of said age, the rise of the comic book movie-themed toy!

For over three decades now action figures and toys based on comic book movies have been a part of the collecting vernacular for children and adults alike. Andy and Cole take an in-depth look at the hits and misses, the highs and lows, and the advent of the collector market that drove the comic movie toy industry into existence.

From the early Playmates action figure line based (loosely) on Tin Burton’s “Batman” to the commitment on the part of Hasbro to make action figures based on Marvel Studios films at least half of their annual Marvel Legends releases, this episode digs deep into the modern comic movie toy box!

Hey Kids, Comics! #317 - Optical Allusions

Look! Hey Kids, Comics! has a new issue and it is all about the power of the eye! One thing you see a lot of in comic books is characters whose power originates from they eyeballs. From Superman’s various fill-in-the-blank visions to various beams, rays, hypnois, and eye-contact powers there was a lot to spot for this topic!

Your hosts Andrew Farmer and Cole Houston look around the importance of the eyes in not only comic books, but in human culture and the tales of the ancients. See for yourself just how much eye action can be found in the pages of super-hero comic books. Now switch to your ears and give the show a listen.

Hey Kids, Comics! #316 - Summer Fun 2019: European Vacation

Summer is upon us and your hosts Andrew Farmer and Cole Houston are going to take a vacation. No! Not another hiatus, but a virtual vacation courtesy of Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man. This year’s Summer Fun issue is all about “Spider-Man: Far From Home”!

WARNING! Spoilers abound in this issue. If you have not seen the movie, see it before you listen! You have been warned…

Just when you thought “Avengers: Endgame” was an unstoppable box office juggernaut, along came a spider and took over the record! With little wonder, as your HKC! hosts will be gushing, as this was not only the best Spidey film ever made, it was just a really well made and more importantly FUN summer movie!

With more mysteries (and hidden clues) than a season of Scooby-Doo, there was plenty to talk about and your hosts will bear that out in this issue. Join the fun with a lively discussion about Spidey’s European debut and the many twists and turns that make his latest adventure a joy to watch.

Hey Kids, Comics! #315 - Don't Cry For Me San Diego

Though it is about a week late popping up on the JCU site, this year’s rant from Andrew Farmer and Cole Houston about the cool exclusives from San Diego Comic Con that they will be missing out on (along with countless other fans and collectors) is here at last…in the nick of time for Comic Con and those fortunate enough to attend and drop serious bucks on the exclusives covered here and so many more!

It has become something or a tradition for your hosts to really bear their collector’s soul and rail against the “Collection Assassin that is the SDCC exclusive. This year initially seemed devoid of much to talk about, but soon the announcements came fast and furious and Andy and Cole just became furious. About as furious as they get, anyway.

This time they are joined by friend of the show Michael Fraley who adds his voice to the foul cries and SDCC angst. If you can’t go to the biggest comic/media show in America, at least you can join HKC! Collector misery loves company after all.

Hey Kids, Comics #314 - Lend Me a Sinner

Hey Kids, Comics! is back! The late Spring hiatus is behind us and Summer arrives with the latest issue of HKC! hot on its heels! As promised after “Man Plus”, your hosts Andrew Farmer and Cole Houston bring you a look at the henchmen and sidekicks of super-villains!

If you are going to be a criminal mastermind it is important that you have some help along the way. From some local “toughs” to the really committed aiders and abetters who don themed costumes and join the idiom of a villain wholeheartedly, the henchman is commonplace in comics.

If your caper goes afoul (or a fowl if you are Penguin), it is important to have someone to take the fall on your behalf. Busy super-villains don’t have time for the courts and prison, better to have plenty of pawns at hand to shield you from the long arm of the law. Your hosts take a good look at the wonderful world of henching in ways never explored on Venture Brothers!

Hey Kids, Comics! #313 - Man Plus

Is a cyborg half a man or half a machine? Are characters like Metallo, Robotman, and the Brain more machine than man? What is the measure of a man when he is fused with artificial constructs? These are the kinds of questions, if not the specific ones, posed by your HKC! hosts in this issue of the show which is all about cyborgs!

Hosts Andrew Farmer and Cole Houston talk up the cyborgs of comic book history, naturally including Victor Stone who took up the mantle of exactly what he had become! Join them in exploring the variety of cybernetic people (and even animals!) that have been a part of comics for decades. And learn a new French children’s song in the process, Fannys!

Prepare to be enhanced with this cyber-friendly issue of the show!

Hey Kids, Comics! #312 - In His Hands

Some hands are deadlier than others. That is certainly what many a foe who fell to the “deadly hands of Shang-Chi - Master of Kung-Fu” discovered over the decades. So it was only natural that Andrew Farmer and Cole Houston had to return to Marvel Comics’ most fascinating martial arts hero for one more issue.

Shang-Chi as a living weapon is the focus of this exploration of the character. Your hosts are joined by comic artist and actual martial artist Bobby Blakey for a discussion of one man at the height of physical condition and martial skill. The deadliest hands (and feet) in the Marvel Universe are discussed along with the importance of maintaining your gi.

Leaping out of the previous issue of HKC!, a further look at Shang-Chi as the living weapon his father Fu Manchu had forged him to become only to have him turn to good, this proved to be a unique issue of the show that is sure to entertain and inform. And will inspire others to discover one of the most unique comics in the Marvel catalog, or so JediCole certainly hopes.

Leopard Men as promised…

Hey Kids, Comics! #311 - Fu Fighters

And now, one of Marvel Comics’ more obscure characters is about to be thrust into the spotlight. None other than Shang-Chi (Master of Kung-Fu) is getting the Marvel Cinematic Universe treatment and Hey Kids, Comics! could not be happier!

Join hosts Andrew Farmer and lifelong Shang-Chi fan Cole Houston as they explore the preeminent non-super-powered martial arts character of comics and his connection to the pulp villain Fu Manchu.

Enter the strange world of martial arts, super-science, and maniacal plots for world domination that were the order of the day in the pages of “Hands of Shang-Chi: Master of Kung-Fu”. This title transcended its roots as a Bruce Lee wannabe and became one of the more compelling forgotten gems of the Marvel Universe in the 80s. Find out more in this issue of the show…

Hey Kids, Comics! #310 - What Did We Just See?: Ad Infinitum

Oh snap! The final issue of the latest story arc has arrived! This week your hosts Andrew Farmer and Cole Houston take you on a journey into their thoughts on the long journey to Avengers: Endgame (and the long three hour bladder-buster that was this movie). With a topic of this magnitude, two guests were in order - none other than Aaron Prado and DeNae Cortez of Wonder Twin Powers Activate Show!

WARNING! Spoilers abound in this issue! If you don’t want to know what happens before seeing “Avengers: Endgame”, go see “Avengers: Endgame” then listen to this episode.

The biggest super-hero movie in history, once considered impossible, has arrived and is now the subject of this SPOILER RICH issue of HKC! with much fanfare and high expectations. Now that it has been unleashed on the world it is time to get the special perspective available no place else!

With every hero in the catalog on board, this is the movie that cannot help but succeed. But did it please everyone? Find out from the panel of guests that run the gamut from the casual fanboys to hardcore Starlin aficionados. This issue strives to be as epic as the movie that it showcases!

Lucky for your hosts, their entire audience is still around and, ideally, anxious for this amazing issue that completes “What Did We Just See?”

Hey Kids, Comics! #309 - What Did We Just See?: Thunderstruck

“Lightning from my hands!” - Captain Sparklefingers

Hey gang! Welcome to the latest issue (and the near-conclusion of an arc) of “Hey Kids, Comics!” This week Warner Brothers’ lighthearted super-hero offering “Shazam!” is the topic.

Hot on the heels of Catherine Houston’s guest appearance on the show, this issue features none other than Cole’s dad, Don Houston, joining the fun with Andrew Farmer and Cole Houston! A fan of Captain Marvel (the Fawcett Publications hero introduced 27 years before Marvel Comics’ hero of the same name) in the early 40s, this film had special significance to this week’s guest.

Get ready for an amazing adventure with one of the most enduring characters in comic book history and a look at the movie that brought fun back to DC Cinematic Universe! Please be aware that this is another SPOILER RICH edition of the show, please go see the movie before you listen to this issue.

Hey Kids, Comics! #308 - What Did We Just See? - Ticking Away

It’s time again for an installment of the latest story arc for Hey Kids, Comics! And this outing is, well, super! Andrew Farmer and Cole Houston continue their spoiler rich explorations of recent comic book related television shows and movies with a look at the second season of The Tick from Amazon Prime!

In all actuality, this issue delves into the original comic book from 1986, the cartoon, and the ill-fated Fox live-action show, essentially the precursors of Amazon’s incarnation. Catherine Houston (a.k.a. Mrs. JediCole) was the ideal guest to join your hosts, bringing a long history as a fan from the late 80s to the present.

Share in this exploration of the well-meaning but often clueless champion of truth and justice, his trusty partner, their arch nemesis, rise in the super-human community, and the crazy cast of characters that make up a sophomore that outshines its predecessor!

SPOON!

Hey Kids, Comics! #307 - What Did We Just See?: The Marvelous Ms. Danvers

Welcome at last to chapter two of “What Did We Just See?”, the story arc in which Andrew Farmer and Cole Houston discuss recently released movies and television shows that they have seen. And this week it’s all about Captain Marvel!

Joining your hosts is none other than show favorite guest Kelly Long, bringing her amazing insights and smart-brain powers to the show. The role of this pivotal character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, here history, and place as an icon of strong female characters in movies are all part of the mix, with so much more as well.

Fan favorite Marvel chestnut, the Kree-Skrull War plays heavily into the discussion as a major plot point and the introduction of the shape-shifting extraterrestrials into the greater MCU. This and, of course, the de-aging of Fury and Colson, the various references to the history of the characters, and Goose!

Be forewarned, this issue is spoiler rich! No secrets are being held back as the conversation you are about to hear. So go see Captain Marvel then return here and enjoy the fun!

Hey Kids, Comics! #306 - What Did We Just See?: Academy Reward

Welcome to the newest HKC! story arc, “What Did We Just See?” An exploration of five current and upcoming (as of press time for this issue) movies and streaming television shows, this arc will feature lots of great guests joining Andrew Farmer and Cole Houston for lively discussions.

This week they play host to an appropriately full house as they discuss the slice-of-life family drama known as Umbrella Academy! In all seriousness, Netflix’s adaptation of the Dark Horse Comics favorite is delved into from every angle with the help of DeNae Cortez (Wonder Twin Powers Activate Show) and Rick Gutierrez (The United State of Geekdom - and Amazing Comicast back in the day).

With this collection of fans chiming in, expect a spoiler rich episode, so you had best binge the series before joining the fun. Everyone has so much to say that one hour was scarcely sufficient, yet this group of seasoned podcasters made it happen. Discover their take on Luthor, Diego, Allison, Klaus, Number 5, and Vanya (along with Sir Reginald, Pogo, Hazel, and Cha Cha) in a conversation that did not want to end!

Hey Kids, Comics! #305 - Under the Influence

The latest issue is here…if a touch later than hoped.

This week Andrew Farmer and Cole Houston go all in with a look at M. Night Shymalan’s epic trilogy - Unbreakable, Split, and Glass! With all of the ingredients for an amazing series of films, the three combined become a love letter to comic book fans everywhere.

Rich with super-human tropes, Shymalan’s trilogy is influenced heavily not only by comic books, but by comic fandom culture. Your hosts take an in-depth look at how one film became three over nearly two decades and delivered one of the most satisfying movie series ever!

Enjoy this look at a phenomenon that began in 2000 and surprised audiences in 2016. Then brought things full circle in the most amazing way earlier this year. But only if you have seen these three films as this issue is spoiler heavy!

Hey Kids, Comics! Ashcan Edition #1 - After the Hiatus

Well, Andrew Farmer and Cole Houston are back, but backed up! Time to release the last couple of weeks’ issues in advance of Friday’s first new on-time release (Issue 306!).

“JediCole” at All-Con 2019 with Jack Staufer and Herbert Jefferson, Jr. of Battlestar Galactica.

Though your hosts were fairly well rested after the convention, they were not quite ready for a full scale issue and recorded this “Ashcan Edition” with a mix of All-Con recap and other general comic book goodness. Stay tuned for HKC! #305 with a long overdue look at perhaps the greatest comic book trilogy in cinematic history!

Hey Kids, Comics! Collected Edition #6 - Comic Book Capers

The hiatus for All-Con 2019 is concluding at last with the convention now in full swing and your hosts looking forward to returning with brand new issues following an amazing live appearance in Addison, Texas. Here’s the set-up for the last “trade paperback” of this series of six…

This “crime and punishment” collection brings together 2016’s Comic Book Capers arc which consisted of…I’ll See You in Court (#177), Exit Through the Comic Shop (#178), The Copyists (#179), Comic Book Heroes (#180), and The Curious Case of Anthony Chiofalo (#181).

Hey Kids, Comics! Collected Edition #5 - More on Moore

A norther European invasion arrives at Hey Kids, Comics! as the show continues the All-Con 2019 hiatus. This week the boys (?) from Ultron Cafe present the latest collected story arc.

This week’s “trade paperback” collects the Alan Moore story arc along with a bonus issue, the Creator Spotlight that highlighted the author and inspired five issues that soon followed: Creator Spotlight #4: Alan Moore (#130); The Works and Days (#135), Ego Ipse Custodes Custodio (#136), I am Legend (#137), A Vast Wasteland (#138), and When You Gaze Into the Abyss (#139).

Hey Kids, Comics! Collected Edition #4: Seven Deadlies

Special thanks to everyone who has been patient with Andrew Farmer, Cole Houston, and “Hey Kids, Comics!” as the hiatus continues…the longest in some years. Preparations for game shows, talk shows, exhibitions, and panel moderating at All-Con 2019 continue, so your hosts offer up curated collections of past episodes. Take it from Angelo D’Angelo and Angelo Orangelo, then check out the “trade paperback” below…

And now a classic arc that explores a classic theme as played out in comics. cramming seven sins into five issues!

Back issues include You Wouldn’t Like Me When I’m Angry (#67); Enough is Never Enough (#68); You’ve Got What I Want (#69); Look Upon My Works, Ye Mighty (#70); and A Big Meal and Then a Nap (#71) from 2013.

Hey Kids, Comics! Collected Edition #3: It Came From the License

As the pre and post-All-Con hiatus continues, members of the Muggerville Seven have arrived to introduce the third collection of past issues of the show. This outing we have “It Came From the License”!

Enjoy this arc from 2013 that includes the following titles:

Hey Kids, Star Wars! (#26); Take That, Nielsen Ratings! (#27); Reading Your Movie Night (#28); Books, Games, and the Public Domain…Plus (#29); and Tales from Toyland (#30)

Hey Kids, Comics! Collected Edition #2: Comics, Commerce ,and the All-Mighty Buck

Andrew and Cole are mired in preparations for All-Con 2019, but as you will hear, the Angelos were happy to come to the HKC! studio and lay down an introductory track for the second “trade papberback” collected edition of the show.

And now…the reprint of the exploration of economics, finances, and commercial pressures on the comic industry from way back in 2012…the early days of Hey Kids, Comics!

Stories in this arc: Die-Cut Embossed Foil Bagged With Exclusive Trading Card (#8); Collection Equals Tuition (#9); The Long, Strong Arm of Marvel (#10); The Never-Ending Eulogy (#11); and Pandering for Paychecks (#12).